Every Fast And Furious Villain (Including Jason Momoa), Ranked
Many movies are only as good as their villain. So it goes with the "Fast and Furious" franchise that has somehow managed to produce 11 films (and counting) despite lukewarm success in the bad guy category. Our heroes, led by Vin Diesel's fearless Dominic Toretto, have gone toe-to-toe with a staggering collection of veteran actors with mixed results, often achieving victory relatively quickly in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Thankfully, a handful of notable evil-doers in the "Fast Saga" stand out amongst the fleet and punch above the script on the way to bad-guy glory. With the new "Fast X" driving over box office records, we thought it'd be prudent to run through the entire series and separate the villains who kicked it into fifth gear from those stuck on neutral. So, we present all the villains in the "Fast and Furious" franchise (including Jason Momoa) ranked from worst to best for your reading pleasure. Grab a Corona, gather around the table, and ride or die! (Beware, spoilers!)
16. Carter Verone
Lacking charisma or anything resembling a character arc, Carter Verone (Cole Hauser) is an absolute bore. His "2 Fast 2 Furious" objective: to expand his Miami drug empire. He recruits Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) and Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) to do his bidding, and here comes the big reveal about his character ... He's not a very nice guy. No, really. That's the gist.
Moreover, Carter takes a back seat to the action, preferring to delegate the violent aspects of his job to pretty much anyone else. Unlike other "Fast" villains, he lacks a connection to our heroes, meaning there aren't any personal stakes on the table; he's merely another mission for Brian and Roman to complete. To be fair, he does pull off a memorable torture scene involving a corrupt police officer, a rat, a bucket, and a blowtorch. Will it burrow through the officer to escape the heat?
In one swift blow, Carter goes down in underwhelming fashion, losing his empire, private boat, and number one girl, Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes). His downfall allows Brian and Roman to go free, but considering everything they've done, this task feels too easy.
Still, a part of me would love to see Cole Hauser, in his "Yellowstone" form, return as Carter in a future sequel, bringing along Rip Wheeler's full-throttle aggression.
15. Connor Rhodes
A wasted opportunity, Connor Rhodes (played by "Game of Thrones" vet Kristofer Hivju) spends most of "Fate of the Furious" relentlessly taunting Dom. When the time comes for him to back up his empty threats, Connor dies far too quickly by getting his neck broken by our boy. Connor does appear in a few memorable scenes and kills Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky) on Cipher's orders.
Ultimately, he's merely a goon-for-hire and not much of a threat. Too bad, because Hivju is a great actor with comedic chops and an ability to leap back and forth between merciless killer and endearing pal in seconds. As presented in "Fate of the Furious," the actor tags along during a few set pieces and looks menacing enough when on camera. Alas, Connor has minimal screen time and leaves little impact with his bite-sized role. Maybe he was too busy filming "Game of Thrones," or the cast and crew or writers didn't know the actor's work. At any rate, Connor remains one of the more lackluster villains in the "Fast Saga."
14. Aimes
I skipped much of the "Fast X" marketing to avoid spoilers. Consequently, I was shocked to see Jack Reacher himself, Alan Ritchson, step into the film as Aimes, the apparent heir to Mr. Nobody's (Kurt Russell) agency. Tanned to a fault but looking appropriately gruff, Aimes pursues Dom following the big Rome debacle and seems to undermine Tess (Brie Larson) at every turn.
After capturing Dom, Aimes' crew is ambushed by Dante on a bridge, after which the agent joins Dom's side — or does he? In a twist everyone likely saw coming, Aimes turns out to be a bad guy secretly working with Dante. Despite the twist and Ritchson's campy performance, I can't rank Aimes very high on the list because, well, he doesn't really do anything to support the casting of Ritchson in the film. I imagine the character has more to do in "Fast 11," but now he feels like that one guy aiding Dante for undisclosed reasons.
13. Johnny Tran
Johnny Tran (Rick Yune) represents a formidable opponent in "The Fast and Furious" — when he's on-screen, which isn't often. The character drifts in and out of the film, causes a bit of mayhem, then vanishes for large portions until you almost forget about him. While he does share a deep-seated rivalry with Dom and inflicts plenty of damage on our heroes, Johnny often vanishes in the rearview mirror and primarily serves as a red herring designed to mislead audiences.
In the film, Brian's mission involves identifying a gang of criminals hijacking trucks. All evidence points to Johnny, leading to a police raid on his home where they find many DVD players similar to those stolen. However, this turns out to be a wrong turn, as we later discover Dom's crew is — surprise! — behind the robberies.
To steer our anger away from Dom, the writers have Johnny defeat and later indirectly cause the death of Jesse (Chad Lindberg), leading to a climactic chase during which Brian shoots and kills the villain without much fuss.
Johnny enjoys a few memorable scenes, and Yune portrays the character as a ruthless, competitive, cunning warrior with no self-control. He's fearless and unpredictable but primarily used as a plot device to add suspense. Hence, the lower ranking.
12. Takashi, aka Drift King
Takashi (Brian Lee), better known as the "Drift King," ranks as just a souped-up version of Chozen Toguchi in "The Karate Kid Part II." Need proof? Both characters are nephews to powerful people — Takashi's Uncle Kamata is a high-ranking member of the Yakuza, while Chozen's Uncle Sato is a wealthy and respected businessman in his local community. Their stories follow similar routes. Takashi, a Tokyo local, faces off against American newcomer Sean Boswell (Lucas Black), who revs up some trouble by catching his girlfriend's eye. This mirrors Chozen's tension in Okinawa with American Daniel (Ralph Macchio), who also causes chaos by showing interest in his girl. The final battle for both pairs sees an intense showdown that leaves the antagonists licking their wounds.
Why doesn't Takashi accelerate past the others on this list? Mainly because he mirrors Chozen. He's a competent adversary, but much like "Tokyo Drift," his moves are as predictable as a well-tuned engine. As a street racer, he's renowned for his "drifting" skills, an exhilarating driving technique that involves expert oversteering. However, his character needs more complexity, and his appearance in the film feels more mandatory than necessary.
11. Riley Hicks
Talk about a missed opportunity. Gina Carano could've, would've, and should've been a kick-a** villain in "Fast and Furious 6." Her character, Riley Hicks, appears alongside Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) throughout the picture, seemingly aiding his pursuit of Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). She quietly does her job and enjoys a brief scuffle with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) but mainly sits on the sideline, wearing a slight smirk. In a wild plot twist, late in the film, we learn that she's actually been working for Owen all along!
Honestly, I didn't see that coming, mainly because it doesn't make much sense, and her character hasn't been established as anyone special. Still, when she switched sides, my brain said, "Here we go — this is why they got Gina in this role!" So while Riley does tussle with Letty some more during the big plane finale, she's never allowed to strut her stuff and is vanquished quickly.
I get that the lengthy movie couldn't jam another fight sequence into its plot, but why not let the character survive and live to fight another day? Why make her a villain if you weren't going anywhere with her character? Carano is imposing enough to make a potent threat on her own, and it's a shame the actor never got a chance to flex her physical talents.
For that reason, Riley remains low on the list; I like the idea but hate the execution.
10. Cipher
Ugh. I detest Cipher. The character is completely ridiculous throughout "Fate of the Furious" and "F9," and Charlize Theron's campy performance and ridiculous haircuts only enhance my hatred. That's not precisely Theron's fault. She's trying her damnedest to make something out of a goofy role. But, alas, Cipher's entire cyber-terrorist plot is so hackneyed that it hurts my brain just thinking about it.
This is one of those villains who can magically control everything with the touch of a computer keyboard. She "hacks" into computers, blows up buildings, and commands a legion of cars to attack our heroes during a bonkers chase sequence. Her actions make no sense. Her plan in "Fate of the Furious" is to kidnap Dom's baby, force him to turn against his friends, and acquire a device known as God's Eye.
Really, "Fate of the Furious" and "F9" fall apart because you don't ever buy the idea of Dom or Jakob (John Cena) turning their back on friends (and the world) and family because Cipher is too much for them to handle.
Now, on a positive note, having seen "Fast X," it better utilizes Cipher, and she even gets to display her impressive fighting skills. The third time is the charm, and Theron's winning performance delivers enough to bump the character a little higher on the list.
9. Mose Jakande
A middle-of-the-road villain, Mose Jakande (Djimon Hounsou) is rather pedestrian in his tactics and consistently gets overpowered despite having the upper hand numerous times. And he dies in one of the sillier action scenes of the entire series. Dom drives a car at his super-powered helicopter, misses, and crashes. But wait! He somehow attached a bag of explosives to the helicopter while in midair — a bag Hobbs manages to see and destroy from a mile away with a .50 caliber Desert Eagle, bringing the vehicle down in a fiery blaze.
Still, despite the shoddy script, Hounsou's performance makes the character more memorable than he had any right to be. He's little more than a mercenary pursuing the God's Eye, a powerful surveillance device he plans to sell to the highest bidder. Still, Hounsou gives him an edge that's hard to ignore. It helps that the actor looks great in sunglasses and conveys menace with a mere twitch of his eyebrow. He's often calm, relaxed, and in control; a capable leader who relishes the mayhem doesn't shy from violence, and adeptly handles technology.
Mose may leave a slight impression on viewers, but Hounsou does enough to ensure you at least remember his name.
8. Jakob Toretto
At a certain point, every franchise must introduce more characters. Sometimes, however, that causes the foundation to completely crumble under the weight of needless retconning. "F9" spends much of its runtime exploring the fractured relationship between Dom and his — wait for it — long lost brother Jakob. After eight films, the big guy never once mentioned his brother. Still, like a TV show desperate for more viewers, the "Fast Saga" happily forgoes consistency in favor of adding John Cena to its expanding cast list.
Jakob arrives as the film's big bad, secretly working for Cipher to capture a device known as Aries. Jakob remains mad, you see, at Dom for abandoning him as a kid after their father died. So, he plans to strike back by plowing over everyone in his path like a roided-up Peacemaker, hoping that doing so will make Dom feel bad.
The later "Fast" films aren't very good, are they?
Even if you haven't seen "F9," you can probably guess where this one's headed. Jakob eventually sees the light and joins forces with his bro to save the world, only after causing much diabolical destruction.
Cena is basically just Cena, relaying his lines with all the finesse of a golf cart. He has some fun scenes, but it's hard to fear a villain with no bite.
7. Owen Shaw
Meet the least interesting Shaw brother, Owen. Aside from a slithering British accent, he's rather bland and not physically daunting. The film tries to present him as this sociopathic genius whose cleverness ensures he always stays one step ahead of Don's crew, but that doesn't afford him a chance to prove his mettle. His lone genius stroke? Recruiting Letty. But that move later proves to be his undoing, as it attracts Don's attention.
Pop quiz. What was Owen's actual objective? Don't worry, I don't know either. A quick Google search reveals that he aims to assemble something called Nightshade to disrupt the world's power grid and cause chaos. Basically, the writers saw "The Dark Knight" and decided to write their own version of the Joker into the film — but forgot to bring the character's complexities.
Kudos to Owen for hijacking a tank in the film's most thrilling scene, though he loses points for achieving nothing with the awesome vehicle. He pancakes some cars and blows up a bridge but ends up behind bars ... because he wants to be caught so he can force Dom to hand over the Nightshade device. Eh, "Fast and Furious 6" is a fun movie despite Owen's presence. Thankfully, his older bro steps in and saves the Shaw family's reputation.
6. Hernan Reyes
The early "Fast Saga" pictures focused on Dom and Brian's attempts to stay alive in a world overrun by corrupt leaders and villains. Their actions, good or bad, carried unintended consequences. In "Fast 5," Brian, Dom, and Mia (Jordana Brewster) — now on the run from the authorities, namely Hobbs — join a mission to steal valuable cars from a train to secure money. Unbeknownst to them, one of the vehicles carries a chip containing information about the operations of a Rio de Janeiro drug lord named Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida). Mia makes off with the chip, inadvertently drawing Reyes' gaze, necessitating Dom and company to stage a heist against the criminal to secure themselves a means to negotiate a truce with Hobbs.
In the end, Hernan proves a dangerous foe capable of despicable violence. Though he plays right into Dom's hands and is too easily defeated, you still get the sense that this man could wipe out our heroes with one phone call to his corrupt police cronies. No, he's not tech-savvy or physically threatening, but Hernan feels legit in his motivations. And, in another plus, his death eventually gives way to Jason Momoa's Dante Reyes in "Fast X."
5. Arturo Braga
Justin Lin successfully rebooted the "Fast and Furious" franchise with 2009's riveting "Fast & Furious," a predictable but enthralling chapter that pits Dom and Brian against a ruthless drug trafficker named Arturo Braga (John Ortiz). We don't know Braga is Braga until late in the film when "Ramon Campos" reveals his true identity in a neat but unnecessary twist.
No matter. Braga is excellent, thanks to Ortiz's energetic performance. He's more charismatic than Carter Verone, dangerous than Owen Shaw, and brighter than Hobbs. He's not a physically daunting opponent, but you understand how he's carved a successful niche by running drugs across the U.S. border.
Ingeniously, the man uses hidden tunnels through which a collection of street racers move back and forth without radar detection. He also executes said street racers once a mission ends to keep them from leaking his operation. He's got the world wrapped around his finger. His only mistake? Letting one of his goons murder Letty. This draws Dom's attention and unravels his carefully constructed operation.
We later see Braga in "Furious 6," where he confronts Brian in prison. Luckily for audiences, the years between films haven't softened Braga's edge. He's as entertaining as ever. It's a shame we haven't seen him return in a more substantial role.
4. Brixton Lore
Like Mose Jakande, much of Brixton Lore's appeal stems from the actor portraying him. In this case, the always enjoyable Idris Elba has a blast playing against type, locking horns with Hobbs and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) in the aptly titled "Fast and Furious" spinoff, "Hobbs & Shaw." Elba doesn't do anything notable in his performance. Still, he does manage to breathe life into a character written as a former British Special Forces operative who becomes a cybernetically enhanced superhuman with boosted strength, speed, and durability.
That's just an excuse for director David Leitch to stage over-the-top action and violence, which he does with surprising skill. I wouldn't describe "Hobbs & Shaw" as anything more than a middle-of-the-pack buddy comedy. Still, the cast is excellent, some onscreen spectacle pops, and Elba delivers a compelling and fun-to-watch performance.
The franchise may have more in store for this superhuman baddie. Sure, he falls off a cliff in the final act and is considered dead, but unless we actually see a member of the "Fast Saga" die, then there's always the chance they're alive. Count me in. I'd love to see Lore again in one of the last "Fast Saga" installments, where he can use his incredible abilities against Dom's crew.
3. Hobbs
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson fits into "The Fast & Furious" franchise as seamlessly as a precision-tuned engine. This muscular superstar has been an integral part of the series for years, even scoring his own spin-off film, "Hobbs and Shaw." It's easy to forget that he was initially introduced as an antagonist in "Fast 5." While not the main villain, and despite honorable intentions, Hobbs spends a good chunk of his screen time in hot pursuit of Dom's crew, catching them before an ambush by Hernan Reyes prompts a change of heart.
Hobbs flexes his muscles in several standout scenes, notably a fierce showdown against Dom that ends in a draw. At one point, he chases Dom on foot and crashes through a giant window in a display of raw power that seems straight out of a monster movie. It doesn't hurt that Hobbs gets to deliver some memorable dialogue — "Gimme the damn veggies!" — while looking imposingly slick in each scene.
By the finale, Hobbs has changed sides and joins Dom's crew to take down Reyes. In later films, he willingly teams with our gang on their globe-trotting adventures, which is why he doesn't earn the top spot on this list. Still, Hobbs is Dom's most challenging opponent, a muscle-bound bulldog with a relentless drive for justice. It's good that he eventually saw the light; otherwise, Dom and Co. might be parked behind bars.
2. Deckard Shaw
Jason Statham made his "Fast" debut during the credits of "Fast & Furious 6," where it's revealed he was the man responsible for Han's (Sung Kang) shocking death. Walking coolly from the wreckage, Statham, as Deckard Shaw, aka Owen Shaw's brother, holds up a cell phone and says in his patented cockney accent, "Dominic Toretto? This is Deckard Shaw. You don't know me, but you're about to." Chills, man.
As it turns out, Deckard made himself known quickly in "Furious 7" by sending Hobbs to the hospital and pursuing our heroes in a series of exciting sequences that give Statham ample opportunity to show off his incredible physique. By "Furious 7," Shaw was the most resourceful, intelligent, and brutal opponent our crew dealt with, and it took quite a bit to bring the guy down.
In later films, the brute has softened considerably, even becoming a member of Dom's team after saving his son's life. He appears briefly in "Fast X," but we're never sure he can be trusted. Shaw respects Dom but is still a villain willing to swap sides immediately. It'll be interesting to see if he reverts to his evil ways in future films or if Shaw has embraced Dom as a family member.
1. Dante Reyes
Maybe it was the stale villains from the previous two outings, or perhaps my expectations were meager, but I really dug Jason Momoa's Dante Reyes in "Fast X." The character is wildly flamboyant, merciless, funny, and full of energy. Moreso than any previous "Fast and Furious" villain. At one point, he converses with a pair of dead guys dressed in a bathrobe, his bushy hair tied in pigtails. The man is absolutely bonkers, and Momoa infuses each of his scenes with an infectious oomph that breathes new life into the stale franchise. He sets a specific tone early on with his crazy antics, and everyone seems to ride off his rhythms and find new gears in their characters.
Still, while Dante is darkly humorous, he's also a clever, physically imposing force who manages to thwart our heroes time and time again. Think of him as the Thanos of the "Fast Saga," a man devoted to his quest for vengeance, willing to kill anyone in his path. "Fast X" wisely doesn't kill the guy off, which means we'll get more of Momoa's creation in at least one more film. Also, Dante doesn't appear capable of joining Dom's team. He's an outright villain, the likes of which we haven't seen since Hernan Reyes in "Fast 5."
I can't wait to see what other tricks Dante unleashes.