concept: instead of Kylo Ren getting a redemption arc, we get a Captain Phasma redemption arc
but not like, “ok she’s good now and made of sweetness and rainbows and she had a really tough childhood and didn’t know what she was doing” kind of way.
but like
Captain Phasma leaves the First Order, not because she’s necessarily morally opposed to its callous slaughter of innocents, but because she and Hux are barely holding the organization together; all they ever do is clean up after Kylo’s tantrums, and at some point Kylo (probably under Snoke’s orders) comes up with a plan that is so utterly ridiculous that Phasma is like “f this shit I’m out.”
only what no one counted on are the number of Stormtroopers who are completely and utterly loyal to Phasma and Phasma alone because dammit, she’s a good commander. She’s terrible to the ones who don’t fit in or don’t live up to standards, of course, but that just means that the First Order’s most ruthless and efficient soldiers are defecting to follow Phasma.
because Phasma may be cruel, be she at least understands that there have to be limits to cruelty in order to lead effectively. Really, she’s more practical than cruel, and destroying perfectly functional computer equipment in a fit of rage, or killing underlings for minor infractions (may or may not be canon, but it’s the sort of thing you’d expect from KR) is simply not practical.
and so with Phasma gone and Kylo in charge, Phasma suddenly finds herself fighting against the First Order. At first it was simply self-defense as they tried to hunt her down as a deserter, but when she quickly proved herself more than a match for them, it turned into a guerrilla war to take them down – it is, after all, the practical thing to do.
so that is how Phasma and Leia find themselves on the same side, and of course the practical thing to do is for them to team up. It’s an uneasy truce, and Phasma and Finn make a deliberate effort to avoid each other – neither ever ends up forgiving the other, despite being allies. Phasma and Leia never come to like each other, either, but there is a grudging respect.
and after everything, when the First Order is finally taken down, Phasma and her soldiers are offered pardons for their service, which they accept. They become mercenaries, which has much better pay and job security than the First Order did. And if a lot of their dealings are on the shady side of the law, it’s never quite severe enough of an infraction for anyone to want to risk going after them.
seriously, i don’t actually want her to be good; give me “cool motive, still murder” Phasma. Let her be the villain who is undeniably evil but that everyone still loves.