The Fast and Furious franchise has stood its ground for over 20 years as one of the biggest Hollywood action spectacles of the 21st century. Now in an era of endless remakes, reboots, and attempts at cinematic universes, the Fast films are still building on the interconnected world they established years before even the MCU officially began.
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In a story with powerful drug lords, formidable government operatives, and international super-criminals, it's easy for some characters to get upstaged and outclassed by their counterparts. Nonetheless, here are some of the characters with enough brawn, brains, and skill to stand above the rest.
10 Tej Parker
Tej Parker (Ludacris) was first introduced in 2 Fast 2 Furious as a car mechanic and street race referee who helps out Brian and Roman, eventually becoming a part of the greater Fast Family.
He may not be as much of a combatant as the rest of the crew, but make no mistake, Tej is an indispensable member in his own right. Over the course of the franchise, he showcases his abilities as a master hacker and engineer on several missions. Able to whip up video game-like car modifications, crack nearly any system or safe in the world (and even fight when he needs to), Tej stays a consistent asset to the team.
9 Hattie Shaw
Making her debut in Hobbs & Shaw, Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby) is an MI6 agent and the youngest of the Shaw siblings. She teams up with Luke Hobbs and her older brother, Deckard on a mission to extract and secure a deadly man made pathogen.
Hattie is proof that some things really do run in the family. A lethal martial artist and marksman, she makes use of her MI6 training by disposing of countless enemy soldiers in both hand-to-hand and armed combat alike. It says a lot for someone to be able to keep up with Hobbs and Shaw, and while she may only have one movie appearance so far, she certainly made her mark.
8 Gisele Yashar
Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot) made her first appearance in Fast & Furious as the right hand of ruthless drug lord Arturo Braga. After taking a liking to Dominic Toretto she aids him in his takedown of her employer and eventually is brought on as an official member of the family.
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A former Mossad member, Gisele is a thoroughly well-rounded crew member, able to fit any position that's required for the mission. A precision driver, deadly marksman with clutch aim, and a highly trained martial artist, she can easily hold her own when bullets start flying. She may be gone, but she won't soon be replaced.
7 Brian O'Conner
Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) was introduced in The Fast and The Furious as a hot-shot LAPD officer who goes undercover as a street racer in order to bust Dominic Toretto and his accomplices. After growing closer to the crew and falling in love with Mia Toretto, he abandons the law and eventually becomes a true part of the family.
Technically the original protagonist of the entire franchise, Brian has all the makings of a traditional action hero. A military-trained fighter, Brian has taken down hordes of enemies throughout his long run in the Fast universe both with weapons, vehicles, and his bare hands. He's also skilled at tracking and gathering information, which, paired with the fact that he's also one of the best drivers in the series, makes him one hell of a teammate, and a great loss once he's gone.
6 Cipher
Cipher (Charlize Theron) is an infamous cyberterrorist introduced in The Fate of the Furious, who seeks to take control of the world by inciting nuclear warfare, as well as the primary antagonist of the current Fast saga.
A non-combatant in a world of badasses, Cipher thrives by being the most intelligent and cunning manipulator in the entire story thus far. It takes a special type of talent to turn Dom Toretto against his own family, and she has enough strategic skill to do that and much more. Able to hack and control literal vehicles, twist any situation to her benefit, and cause immeasurable amounts of death all from the comfort of her own hideout, Cipher is a force like no other.
5 Letty Ortiz
Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) made her first appearance in The Fast and The Furious as an original member of the family and Dominic Toretto's lover. While believed to be killed early on, she regains her place in the crew and becomes a key player in their later missions.
Soldiers, spies, and criminal masterminds can all be formidable, but Letty has a type of toughness you can only get from growing up in the world of Fast and Furious street racing. One of the few drivers capable of keeping up with her husband Dom, she's an absolute beast on the road. Her skills don't stop there though, as she's also a kickass fighter, with a gritty mix of boxing and street fighting styles that give her the edge against just about anyone in her way. A more than capable gunman as well, not even death can keep Letty down for long.
4 Brixton Lore
Brixton Lore (Idris Elba) first appears in Hobbs and Shaw as the primary antagonist- a former MI6 agent turned cybernetics-enhanced soldier by the terrorist organization, Eteon.
The self-proclaimed Black Superman, Brixton certainly has the strength to back up his ego. A literal super-soldier, his body has been upgraded with superhuman strength, speed, and durability. These would all be scary powers in anyone's hands, but given the fact he was already a super spy by the time he was enhanced, it's downright unfair to anyone in his way. His portrayal might be held back by only making one appearance, but you have to give credit to anyone strong enough to require the combined efforts of Hobbs and Shaw to beat.
3 Dominic Toretto
\n "">Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) was introduced in The Fast and The Furious as the fearless leader of the group of street racers that are under investigation by the LAPD. After living as a fugitive alongside his crew, he's recruited by Mr. Nobody to take down dangerous terrorists.
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Clad in plot armor and fueled by the power of family, once Dom took over as the face of the franchise it was like he became superhuman. Aside from his unparalleled skill as a driver, the leader of the Toretto crew is in peak physical shape. He's beaten down and shot up too many enemies to count, gone toe to toe with the likes of Luke Hobbs, and has a habit of walking away from the most catastrophic crashes imaginable without so much as a scratch on his iconic tank top.
2 Deckard Shaw
Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) was first introduced at the end of Fast & Furious 6 as the older brother of Owen and Hattie Shaw, out for revenge against the Toretto crew for his brother's defeat.
Deckard has it all; he's a military and MI6-trained mercenary in peak condition who's constantly training and improving to keep himself as sharp as humanly possible (and then some). A fighter on equal footing with brawlers like Dom and Hobbs, he can take an opponent down with his bare hands or anything he can find to put in them. A driver that can rival the best in the series, every appearance he's made further proves why he's treated as such a big deal.
1 Luke Hobbs
Making his first appearance in Fast Five, Luke Hobbs (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) is a DSS agent on a mission to track down and bring in Dominic Toretto and his accomplices as they flee to Rio de Janeiro. Eventually, he reaches an understanding with the Toretto crew, becoming an ally to the family and even enlisting them on further missions.
Fast Five is commonly understood as the moment the franchise took a hard left into a full-on action spectacle, and no character symbolizes that shift more than Hobbs. A one-man cavalry, it'd be scary enough if his combat skills, unrivaled strength, deceivingly quick speed, and razor-sharp shooting were all he had going for him. Unfortunately for anyone he's tasked to find, he's also one of the most relentless hunters around. A true force of nature, Luke Hobbs is the last Fast character you'd want to piss off.
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