TheFast and Furiousfranchise may be most well known for its cars,bombastic set pieces, and of course, (insert Vin Diesel voice here)“family”. However, no one can deny the incredible impact that the females of theFast and Furiousfranchise have had on the action movie genre.
Every female character is a badass heroine or villain. There are no damsels in distress in this franchise, in fact, more often than not, it’s the ladies that kick more butt than the men. If we are being honest, it’s the female characters that steal the show, making us wait in anticipation for the all-female spin-off we really hope happens one day. So with all that in mind, rev your engines as we rank the 10 most badass female characters in theFast and Furiousfranchise.
10Riley Hicks
Agent Riley Hicks proved herself as a tough female heroine the minute she stepped on screen alongside The Rock. From there, we see her go toe-to-toe with Letty in a brutal fight in the London Underground. While her character wasn’t exactly anything great, at least to the standards of the other female characters in the franchise, what elevates Agent Hicks was her reveal towards the end of the movie.
Secretly working with Owen Shaw, the antagonist ofFast 6, Riley Hicks isn’t just a great female character but an awesome and intimidating antagonist, who was brought to life byGina Carano.
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As one of the newest additions to the “family”, Tess immediately won us over. Even before revealing she was Mr. Nobody’s daughter, Tess' no-nonsense attitude, skilled combat abilities, and ambition to do the right thing whether it breaks a couple of rules cemented Tess as an awesome new addition toFast X.Brie Larsononce again proves why she is one of the most badass actresses around, and is yet another great role model for the younger generations out there.
Cipher has always been an awesome female character who opts to use her hacking abilities over getting her hands dirty, which is a little bit of a shame considering thatCharlize Theronis an inspiringmodern-day action movie star. However, in the recentFast XTheron got let off the leash in a brilliant action scene that proved that Cipher isn’t just an incredibly smart hacker with the ability to play anyone and control the world, but also a deeply skilled combatant who managed to defeat an army of her own goons, and get out alive. Well… barely.
Much like Cipher, Ramsey is a very talented hacker and the creator of God’s Eye, the series' biggest MacGuffin, with the ability to locate anyone on the planet. While Ramsey, played by the incredibleNathalie Emmanuel, can’t drive as well as the rest of the team, nor does she have any combat experience, we sure admire her expert hacking skills that trump that of Cipher, considering that Ramsey doesn’t have access to the tech that Cipher does.
6Hattie Shaw
The Shaw family is full of badasses. From Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, Luke Evans' Owen Shaw and Helen Mirren’s “Queenie”, who we will get too later, the Shaws are a family of deadly characters. Adding to the already badass family isVanessa Kirby’s Hattie Shaw. Making her debut in theFast and Furiousspin-offHobbs and Shaw, Hattie instantly became a fan favorite. Her combat skills are just as proficient as her older brother’s; not only that, Hattie inhabits some great intellect, giving her an edge on the battlefield.
While the relationship between Hattie and Hobbs was a little unbelievable and one of the worst parts of the movie, Vanessa Kirby’s performance as Hattie was sensational.
5Magdalene “Queenie” Shaw
No family is complete without its matriarch, and Magdalene Shaw is one of the coolest and deadliest out there. As previously mentioned, in theFast and Furiousfranchise, there is no family as badass as the Shaws, not even the Torettos. But they all had to learn their skills from someone, and that person was their mother, the fantastic, Magdalene Shaw.
Helen Mirrenis amazing as the matriarchof the Shaw family, her brilliant cockney accent is a joy, and the fun that the Academy Award-winning actress is having in the role is wholly infectious.
4Mia Toretto
As Dom’s younger sister, Mia Toretto has proven time and time again that she is not to be messed with. She, like her brother, is an expert driver and later on in the series, proved that she can more than handle herself with a gun and in a hand-to-hand fist fight.
We adored her character as the love interest of Brian O’Connor, but we deeply fell in love with Mia Toretto when she showed audiences that she is more than just a love interest.Jordana Brewster’s performance elevated Mia Toretto’s character and sold the character’s toughness, persistence, and conviction to always keep her family safe; a common Toretto theme.
3Elena Neves
Introduced inFast 5, Elena quickly became a fan favorite. Her tragic backstory and vendetta against the Reyes family hardened Elena, forcing her to stop at nothing to get her deserved justice. Due to her emotional backstory, she is chosen by Hobbs to be his partner, as he believes she won’t be bought off by Brazil’s criminal underworld.
Elena shows great determination, and resilience being a police officer in Rio, and working her way up the force to improve how the city of Rio is run, dissolving its criminal underworld. Later, Elena became Dom’s partner and the mother of his son before being murdered by Cipher.Elsa Patakywas phenomenal in the role, proving her prowess as an action star.
2Giselle Yashar
After being introduced as an antagonist, working for the drug lord Arturo Braga inFast and Furious 4, Giselle Yashar soon became an incredibly valuable member of the “family” after Dom spared her life. As a former intelligence agent and associate of Mr. Nobody, Giselle is courageous, self-confident, and incredibly deadly. There are few characters in the franchise that are as skilled in combat and firearms as Giselle.
Although Giselle is an incredibly deadly character, her character grew far more depth when she met and fell in love with Han, one of the best couples in theFast and Furiousfranchise. The Israeli, ex-military officerGal Gadotbrings her military experience to the role and delivers a deeply engaging and moving performance every time her and Han’s relationship grows.
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1Letty Ortiz
There are few actresses as badass as the legendaryMichelle Rodriguez, who has been in the franchise since the start, and the veteran action star brings her spectacular action prowess to the role of Letty Ortiz. From the very first movie, Letty has always been a confident, independent force to be reckoned with, putting Dominic Toretto to shame.
Her journey through the franchise has been a tragic one. After being presumed dead, Letty lost her memory and was manipulated by Owen Shaw to join his group of terrorists and criminals. It wasn’t until she finally reunited with her true love, Dominic Toretto, that she began remembering her life before the accident. Letty is aproficient driverwho is even a comparable opponent to Dom. Likewise, Letty has been involved in some of the best fight scenes in the franchise, against the likes of Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano, and Charlize Theron.
