Dominic Toretto and his team in the Fast and Furious movies are among the most beloved heroes in modern movies. The audience is always cheering for them as they take on formidable villains and save the world. However, not all of the heroes in these movies have been a hit with fans. Likewise, some of those villains are not without their own charms.
In the case of the less popular heroes of the series, some are just not interesting while others are just unlikeable despite being on the good guys' team. Then there are the villains who have sympathetic traits, or who are just so much fun at being bad.
Hated Hero: Sean Boswell
It might be unfair to say that audiences hated Sean Boswell, but it's probably safe to say that they mostly just forgot about him. Though it is largely overlooked, Tokyo Drift has some great moments worthy of the franchise, but Sean does not make for a very exciting protagonist.
He lacks the heroic likability of Brian O'Connor or the badass anti-hero feel of Dominic Toretto. Sean sort of just feels like a trouble-making teen who is acting out. It also doesn't help that Han is far more interesting despite his supporting role.
Beloved Villain: Letty Ortiz
Though Dom turned against his team in The Fate of the Furious, it was clear from the beginning that he was being forced. However, when Letty is shown to be working with Owen Shaw in The Fast and the Furious 6, she really has joined the villain's team.
It's true that she lost her memory of Dom and the crew, but she also sees what a bad person Owen Shaw is. However, the audience never really loses faith in Letty and continues to cheer for her even when she's going against the heroes. That makes her redemption all the more satisfying.
Hated Hero: Agent Markham
2 Fast 2 Furious teams Brian and Roman together for the first time as they are tasked by the police with taking down a drug lord. One of the agents in charge of the operation is Agent Markham.
Though Markham cares about his own undercover officer in the operation and wants to see the villain taken down, he is also hard to like. He is constantly butting heads with Brian and Roman and clearly doesn't care if they make it out of this alive. Though they part ways amicably, few fans have missed Markham since his one appearance.
Beloved Villain: Jakob Toretto
Despite Dom always talking about family, F9 was the first time it was revealed that he and Mia had a brother named Jakob Toretto. Not only does he finally come into the story in the ninth movie, but he is the villain who faces down with Dom and his crew.
Jakob is an impressive soldier and makes for a good match against Dom. But while he does plenty of villainous things in the movie, Jakob is also somewhat sympathetic as the truth about their father is revealed. By the end of the movie, it's clear that redemption is possible for him.
Hated Hero: Vince
By the time of his tragic death in Fast Five, most fans may have come around with their opinions of Vince. But he was a pretty unlikable guy when he was introduced in the first movie. Vince was a hot-headed and arrogant thug who had a crush on Mia. So when Brian became close to Mia, Vince took it personally.
Though he was a member of the family, Vince always felt like an immature and whiny tough guy. He eventually improved before his death, but his early personality made it tough for too many fans to miss him.
Beloved Villain: Brixton
Sometimes all it takes is a charismatic actor to make a villain likable. Such was the case with Idris Elba as Brixton in the spinoff movie, Hobbs and Shaw. From how he casually introduces himself as "bad guy" to referring to himself as "Black Superman," Brixton is just a lot of fun.
His super-soldier advancements help to make him a real threat against the formidable heroes, but he also just seems to be thoroughly enjoying himself. He doesn't take his job as a bad guy too seriously which makes it more of a treat to watch.
Hated Hero: Air Marshal Dinkley
Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart have made a fun pair in a number of movies, but that doesn't mean they have to star in everything together. So when Hart pops up for a cameo as Air Marshal Dinkley in Hobbs and Shaw, it feels less exciting and more of a distraction from the movie.
Not only do they use the same old jokes with Dinkley, but the movie then tries to make his character have an actual impact on the climax. It all just feels rather forced and not as entertaining as the filmmakers were likely hoping it would be.
Beloved Villain: Deckard Shaw
There are some fans who still don't forgive Deckard Shaw for trying to kill Han, but there are also many who see him as a great addition to the franchise. And while they seemed to redeem Deckard Shaw in The Fate of the Furious, he was perhaps even more fun as a villain.
Shaw felt like one of the rare villains who could really stand up to Dom and his family. He was a relentless and seemingly unstoppable machine. And while the fans were obviously rooting for Dom, they weren't exactly cheering against Shaw.
Hated Hero: Little Nobody
Following the tragic death of Paul Walker, it felt like Scott Eastwood was brought in as the secret agent Little Nobody to fill that role. Perhaps that perception added to the animosity fans had for the character, but to be fair, he was also just not very interesting.
It almost seems like the filmmakers anticipated the reception Little Nobody would have as he is relentlessly mocked by the other characters for the whole movie. By the time they try to make him part of the team, no one cares about him.
Beloved Villain: Cipher
Charlize Theron is one of the best action stars working today so she was an ideal choice to play the villainous Cipher. Not only does having an Oscar-winner play the villain add to the franchise's credibility, but Cipher is perhaps the most formidable villain in the series.
She has done some terrible things that make her evil, but she is also a fun antagonist to have out there. She is the only villain who has escaped the heroes not once but twice and could be the big bad for the franchise's final two movies, which would likely be fine with the fans.