Earning over $7 billion worldwide, theFast & Furiousseries ranks among the highest grossing and most successful movie franchises of all time. Since 2001, there have been a whopping ten films in the main storyline. The original movie,The Fast and the Furious,is packed with engine-roaring action and speeding cars. The later films have expanded beyond the racing circuit to include espionage and ridiculous action stunts. But throughout the franchise, one theme has always been consistent: family.
The importance of family is stressed in everyFast & Furiousmovie by numerous characters. This gang of outlaws and misfits view each other as more than just friends or partners; in their eyes, they’re family. Here are thirteen quotes throughout theFast & Furiousfranchise about family.
13"You know, who you choose to be around you lets you know who you are." - Han Lue - The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
The third installment in the franchise,The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, breaks off from the characters and storyline of the previous two films. Featuringan ensemble cast of mostly Asian characters, it takes audiences into Tokyo’s world of drift racing. It also introduces Han Lue (Sung Kang), a drift racer who’s linked to Dom and becomes a recurring character in the later films. At one point, Han says to another character, “It’s trust and character I need around me. You know, who you choose to be around you lets you know who you are.” Although the word “family” isn’t used here, the concept still applies to this quote. As theFast & Furiousseries teaches us, family is who choose to surround ourselves with, not what we’re born into. And in the end, those people help define who we are.
12“There’s always room for family.” – Dom Toretto, Fast Five (2011)
No one preaches the idea of family more than Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), and this list is evidence of that. Devastated by the untimely death of his father during his teenage years, Dom assumes the role of father figure to his ragtag crew. Although he implements a questionable moral code, Dom protects and looks out for his gang. These people are more than just friends to him; they’re family.
The fifth entry,Fast Five, brings back the character of Vince (Matt Schulze), Dom’s childhood friend. Schulze hadn’t appeared in the series since the original film,The Fast and the Furious.Vince sheepishly approaches Dom and asks if he can be involved in the crew’s next job. Without hesitation, Dom agrees to include him. “There’s always room for family,” Dom tells Vince with a smile.
Related:Fast and Furious Movies in Order Chronologically and by Release Date
11“I know you guys are a family. I’m offering you a chance, right now, to make that family whole again.” – Luke Hobbs, Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Fast 5introducedone of the franchise’s best villainsand characters: Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). Interestingly, this role was originally developed for Tommy Lee Jones (it’s weird to imagine him in one of these movies, isn’t it?). But the character was redesigned after fans expressed interest in seeing Diesel and Johnson in a film together. And man, what a pairing this turned out to be. Johnson’s Hobbs is the perfect antagonist for Diesel’s Dom. Their builking, tough-guy personas clashed against each other well, along with their bare knuckled fists.
Fast & Furious 6,however, changes that relationship. In this film, Hobbs needs Dom’s help to take down Owen Shaw, a SAS soldier turned mercenary. To persuade Dom and his crew to help him, Hobbs takes advantage of the gang’s love for family. He informs them that Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Dom’s childhood sweetheart who was thought to be dead, is actually alive and is now working with Shaw. “I know you guys are a family,” says Hobbs. “So I’m offering you a chance, right now, to make that family whole again.”
10"Everyone’s looking for the thrill, but what’s real is family." - Dom, Furious 7 (2015)
TheFast & Furiousseries is packed with thrill-seeking moments and characters, whether it involves a heist, an engine-roaring race, or love. But there’s more to life than heart-pumping thrills. “Everyone’s looking for the thrill, but what’s real is family,” Dom reminds Brian inFurious 7. “Your family. Hold onto that, Brian.”
9"Your code is about family and that’s great in the holidays, but it makes you predictable." - Owen Shaw, Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
The sixth installment of the seriesadds a new name to its long list of characters and celebrity appearances: Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), the antagonist ofFast & Furious 6. The whole movie is a game of cat and mouse, as Dom pursues Shaw and tries bringing him to justice. At one point, during a tense conversation, Shaw tells Dom, “You know, when I was young, my brother always used to say, ‘Every man has to have a code.’ Mine: Precision. A team is nothing but pieces you switch out until you get the job done. It’s efficient. It works. But you? You’re loyal to a fault. Your code is about family. And that’s great in the holidays, but it makes you predictable. And in our line of work, predictable means vulnerable. And that means I can reach out and break you whenever I want.” This quote is a not-so veiled threat against Dom and his family. It also highlights the differences between these two characters: Shaw sees his team as pawn pieces to be used, while Dom views his crew as family. And in Shaw’s eyes, attachments make you weak.
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8“Your brother never told you never to threaten a man’s family?” - Dom, Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
In the same conversation as the last two quotes, Shaw continues to threaten Dom and his family. “So, I’m going to give you a chance: Take your crew and walk away. That’s the only way you’re going to keep your family safe.” Dom, who’s been known to have anger issues, was probably fuming internally after Shaw said this. Yet, he manages to keep his cool and tells Shaw to back off with this badass line: “Your brother never told you never to threaten a man’s family?”
7"I don’t have friends. I’ve got family" - Dom, Furious 7 (2015)
InFurious 7,we meet the older brother that Owen references in the previous conversation. Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) is a former special forces soldier, who’s seeking revenge on Dom and his crew for what happened to his little brother. “You ever heard the saying, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend?'” Shaw asks Dom. “I don’t have friends,” Dom coolly corrects him. “I’ve got family,”
6“This is your family…This is my family.” – Elena Neves, Furious 6 (2013)
Fast Fiveintroduces Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky). Originally recruited to bring down Dom and Brian, Elena winds up falling for Dom. By the end of the movie, the two of them are in a relationship.Fast & Furious 6expands upon that relationship – until Dom discovers that the love of his life, Letty, is still alive. By the end of the film, Dom chooses to be with Letty. Elena understandably accepts this (a little too well) and tells Dom, “All this – this is your family. It’s who you are. This is my family,” she says, referring to the police badge around her neck. “This is who I am.” The pair then part ways to be with their own separate families.
5"We’re family. We got a problem, we deal with it together." - Mia, Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Mia (Jordana Brewster) is Brian’s love interest throughout theFast & Furiousseries. She’s also Dom’s little sister. Like her big brother, Mia holds the notion of family near and dear to her heart. And she also loves talking about it. Through the franchise, Mia drops a bunch of quotes about family. Her best one, though, appears inFast & Furious 6. Here, Brian insists on tagging along and helping Dom with his mission, even though he swore to change his lifestyle and remain home with Mia. Naturally, Dom gets mad at this. But Mia backs her man up and reminds her big brother, “We’re family. We got a problem, we deal with it together.”
Related:The Fast and The Furious: 10 Facts You May Not Know About the Original Film
4"You don’t turn your back on family. Even when they do." -Dom Toretto, Fast and Furious 6 (2013)
Letty isone of the most badass female charactersin theFast & Furiousfranchise.After learning that Letty is alive, Dom and his crew decide to help Hobbs and get her back inFast & Furious 6. But as they soon find out, Letty is suffering from temporary amnesia and has no memory of Dom or the rest of the crew. Without hesitation, she shoots Dom down when they come face to face – not with words, but with bullets. “Maybe the Letty we once knew is gone,” Brian warns him afterward, as the bullets are removed from Dom’s body. “You don’t turn your back on family,” Dom tells Brian. “Even when they do.” It’ll take more than a few bullets to persuade Dom to ever turn his back against his loved ones.
