Fast cars, furious rivals, and family are the key components to the franchise. Back in 2001, street racing went from being an underground sport to something everyone wanted to talk about, spectate, and even attempt. With the first film's major success at introducing a lifestyle that centers around trust as well as illegal activity, a cult following emerged. 10 more Fast & Furious movies have since come out, short films as well as television series have kept up with certain storylines, and fans can still not get enough of the action.
✕ Remove Ads
It does not matter how ridiculous some scenes and stunts get, plenty of people are loyal to the characters as well as the franchise. From the , the overall storyline may appear a bit complicated due to when the movies were actually released. If you are wanting to take a trip down memory lane, or you are a rare individual watching the movies for the first time ever, here are the Fast and Furious movies in chronological order and by release date.
All the Fast and Furious Movies in Chronological Order
To best follow along with the overall story, some fans would suggest watching the movies in chronological order. It is important to mention that Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is a spinoff movie from the original storyline. The events take place after The Fate of the Furious, but opting to skip out on the buddy film will not hinder one's understanding of the main plot.
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
Fast and Furious (2009)
Fast Five (2011)
Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
✕ Remove Ads
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
Furious 7 (2015)
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
F9 (2021)
Fast X (2023)
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
Rob Cohen got his inspiration for The Fast and the Furious from a Vibe magazine article about illegal street racing that was taking place in New York City. Between the adrenaline that comes with the race itself and always having to be on the lookout for cops, the real life event is action-packed.
In this very first film, audiences are introduced to Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker), an upstanding LAPD cop who goes undercover to catch a crew of hijackers. Despite the initial pushback, he works his way into Dominic Toretto's (played by Vin Diesel) good graces. Fans meet the initial "family" here, and relationships and loyalties are quickly established.
✕ Remove Ads
Related: The Fast and the Furious: 10 Facts You May Not Know About the Original Film
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
Because Brian previously helped Dominic escape his arrest, he was let go from the LAPD. Now he is living a fun and fast life in Miami by winning several illegal street races. In 2 Fast 2 Furious, we are introduced to two of Brian's good friends, Tej Parker (played by Ludacris) and Roman Pearce (played by Tyrese Gibson). Brian and Roman have a bit of a bad history, but once they hash it out with their fists, the two work together to bring down a drug lord in exchange for their criminal records getting wiped clean.
Fast and Furious (2009)
✕ Remove Ads
Brian has moved up in his former profession as an FBI agent in Fast and Furious. His latest assignment puts him back on the same streets as Dominic, but the latter is more focused on avenging Letty's sudden death than dealing with his former friend.
This film is still full of action and plenty of double-crossing, but in the end, fans are glad to see that Brian finally earns his way back in to Dom's family. Gal Gadot makes her first appearance as Gisele, and while it seems like she would be easy to write off as a guest, she too earns a spot among the crew.
Related:
Fast Five (2011)
✕ Remove Ads
Fast Five picks up exactly where Fast and Furious left off. Dom is being transported to a prison, but with his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) and Brian following his bus, he never makes it to his cell. This film is a turning point for the franchise because it focuses more on the characters carrying out a heist than street racing. Of course, the mission still involves cars, and the team still has to quickly move on the roads to get things done.
However, the main focus is no longer earning respect or car titles on the drag strip. This film introduces Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's character, Luke Hobbs, who, like Brian, comes to realize that Dom's team is not as criminal as he's been led to believe.
Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
✕ Remove Ads
When Fast Five left off with the possibility of Letty still being alive, fans could not wait for to be created and released. At the beginning of the film, everyone seems to be content with their own "retired" lives, but Hobbs manages to stir things up again. He shows Dominic a picture of Letty as proof that she is still alive, and Hobbs says that he needs Dom's team to take down her new boss.
Along with the reprisal of Michelle Rodriguez's character, each main racer from previous films (except Tokyo Drift) comes together to form an elite team.
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
Though The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift came out as the third film in the Fast & Furious franchise, it comes in as number six in the overall chronology. Lucas Black stars as the main character, Sean Boswell, and while the film as a whole does not focus on Dominic Toretto's family or heist missions, fans still love the culture shock aspect for the all-American teenager and races through the streets of Tokyo. Han (Sung Kang) has a lead role in this film as Sean's racing mentor and friend, and his fate leads to Dom's appearance in the very last scene of the film.
✕ Remove Ads
Furious 7 (2015)
Furious 7 is the highest-grossing film in the Fast & Furious franchise, and a horrible tragedy likely had a lot to do with that. In November 2013, after filming had already commenced, it was publicly announced that Paul Walker died in a car crash.
No one knew what would come of Furious 7 (or if it would even be released), but after some delay, the cast and crew came together to pull off an amazing tribute to the incredible man. The storyline is outstanding, but the send-off of Walker's character did not leave a dry eye in any theater.
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
✕ Remove Ads
Once again, Dominic finds himself getting dragged back into the criminal life, but this time, it's truly personal in The Fate of the Furious. Dom and his team are recruited by Hobbs to complete a mission abroad, but unbeknownst to the team, Dom has plans to double-cross everyone to save his former girlfriend and child from a cyberterrorist.
Though some stunts begin to feel a bit too farfetched even for the most loyal of fans, it is nice to see how far characters will push themselves to protect their own and who gets accepted into the family regardless of their history with others.
Related: Fast and Furious: The 10 Most Badass Female Characters in the Franchise, Ranked
Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
✕ Remove Ads
After The Fate of the Furious events, Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw (played by Jason Statham) find themselves teaming up overseas to retrieve a missing virus. is a spin-off and does not directly follow the main Fast & Furious storyline. Several new actors are introduced such as Idris Elba as the new antagonist, Vanessa Kirby and Shaw's sister, and Cliff Curtis as Hobbs' estranged brother. Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart also get some screen time as they make cameo appearances. A second spin-off movie is currently in the works.
F9: The Fast Saga (2021)
gives a glimpse into Dominic Toretto's upbringing. When Dom was younger, he and his now estranged brother (played by John Cena) worked on their father's pit crew. After a horrific accident that resulted in their father's death, Dom concluded that his brother, Jakob, tampered with the car.
✕ Remove Ads
As fate would have it many years later, the brothers are working for opposite teams when they come face-to-face again. The biggest surprise within the film is not that some members go into space, but that Han is alive and well!
Fast X (2023)
Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa joins the Fast & Furious cast as the latest villain, Dante. In the first film of the two-part finale, Fast X, Dominic's team is targeted, and he and his wife Letty must do everything they can to save everybody. While away from their home, Dom's sister, brother, and son find themselves in danger as well.
The movie ends with everyone's fate up in the air, but Gisele makes a surprise appearance during the final scenes when she rescues Letty and Cipher. The final film to close out the franchise is set to be released in 2025.
✕ Remove Ads
Release Dates of All the Fast and Furious Movies
If you are more interested in how the writers and directors crafted their stories and progressed the main plot, you may want to watch the films in order of their original release dates.
The Fast and The Furious (June 22, 2001)
2 Fast 2 Furious (June 6, 2003)
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (June 16, 2006)
Fast and Furious (April 3, 2009)
Fast Five (April 29, 2011)
Fast & Furious 6 (May 24, 2013)
Furious 7 (April 13, 2015)
The Fate of the Furious (April 14, 2017)
Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (August 2, 2019)
F9: The Fast Saga (June 25, 2021)
Fast X (May 19, 2023)
