Dominic Monaghan (briefly) plays Beaumont Kin in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but what happened to the character before he became a walking source of exposition? Beaumont Kin is one of several new faces introduced in the Star Wars sequel trilogy's final episode, alongside Zorii Bliss, Babu Frick, Admiral Pryde and D-0. Unfortunately for fans of Lost and Lord of the Rings, Monghan's character doesn't have a a significant role in The Rise of Skywalker; instead, he props up the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss and provides the audience with snippets of information about the state of play in the fight against the First Order.
As a massive Star Wars fan, and after working with J.J. Abrams previously on Lost, Monaghan had been lobbying for a part in the sequel trilogy since the director was first announced for The Force Awakens, and Abrams finally offered him the part of Beaumont Kin after taking over the third movie from Colin Trevorrow. Interestingly, Abrams said he'd only give Monaghan the part if the English actor's country beat Colombia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They scraped through on penalties.
The Rise of Skywalker barely scratches the surface of Beaumont Kin but, as with many other aspects of the film, the character is fleshed out elsewhere in Disney's range of wider Star Wars media. Given his absence in previous films and the distinct lack of Resistance members remaining after The Last Jedi, it's not clear whether Kin is a new recruit or whether he'd simply been mulling in the background. The Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary by Pablo Hidalgo reveals that Kin's career in the Resistance actually came about in response to the Starkiller Base attack depicted in The Force Awakens. Until that point, the promising academic was en route to become a professor.
Beaumont Kin also has strong ties to the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. Shortly before The Rise of Skywalker premiered, the Star Wars Adventures comics ran a 3 issue story called "Ghosts of Kashyyyk," which marked the first appearance of Monaghan's character. Here, the First Order launch an attack on Chewbacca's home planet, prompting the famous Wookiee to take a group of Resistance fighters to help defend his people. Beaumont Kin is one of those selected, and it's during the battle that he and Chewie become firm friends. Also in the comic story, Kin is confirmed to be a historian, and the Visual Dictionary confirms he was well-learned in Old Republic Sith and Jedi history; so much so, he actually aided Rey in deciphering the Jedi texts she rescued from Ahch-To.
One of the most frequent criticisms aimed at The Rise of Skywalker is that the rapid pace and erratic editing left little room to properly explain the plot, and Beaumont Kin's introduction is a prime example. At the start of the movie, Kin offers a theory on how Palpatine might've survived, but because the audience has no idea he's an academic, this line doesn't carry as much weight as it should, and instead comes across like the ramblings of a random Resistance member who suddenly got a speaking part. Had the audience known Kin's areas of expertise, his ideas would've felt more significant.
Clearly, Beaumont Kin is a far more interesting and pivotal character than suggested by The Rise of Skywalker, and Monaghan has called for a director's cut of the movie to be released, hinting a slightly bigger role for the character was left on the cutting room floor. If Beaumont Kin's intriguing backstory is anything to go by, it's highly likely Monaghan's character did have more to offer in The Rise of Skywalker.
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