Among the many great characters in the Fast & Furious franchise is Leticia “Letty” Ortiz, who is Dom’s childhood sweetheart, current wife, and a prominent member of the crew. Like Dom, Letty is shown to be an expert driver, combatant, and thief. She also cherishes “family” and is arguably the best female character in the franchise.
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Among the things that make Letty such a cool character are her quotes. In the six movies she appears in, Letty delivers one badass line after the other. She can be occasionally funny too if she wants. And whether she is angry or excited, Letty rarely utters a boring word, hence contributing largely to the franchise’s splendid dialogue.
When She Sees Two Girls Trying To Hit On Dom
“Why Don’t You Girls Pack It Up Before I Leave Tread Marks On Your Face?”
In the first-ever installment, Letty isn’t impressed when she arrives at a racing event and sees two girls flirting with Dom. Quickly, she orders them to leave, or else …
Letty’s threat isn’t an empty one as she has proven to be one of the best fighters in the Fast & Furious franchise over the years. Moreover, her pronouncements here show just how much she cares about Dom. Marking her territory might make her seem insecure, but it definitely has helped since their relationship has lasted way longer than others in this fictional world.
When She Responds To Han’s Lamentation
“Down Here, Gas Is Gold, Papa!”
Han isn’t delighted when he is recruited in Fast & Furious (2009) to help hijack fuel tankers in the Dominic Republic. He speaks up, stating he’d rather be robbing places with money. Letty quickly lets him know that in the country there are in, gas is way more valuable than anything else.
Han’s concerns are genuine because to him, hijacking tankers in Central America doesn’t appear to be a big improvement (moneywise) to the crimes he commits in Tokyo. Though Letty tries to convince him, he doesn’t buy it, so he returns home. It takes a bigger ($100 million) score in the fifth movie for him to show up again.
“He Was Praying To The Car Gods.”
Dom’s current “family” is well known, but once upon a time, there was Jesse, a mechanic, and hacker. Still, in the first-ever installment, Jesse rushes to grab a piece of chicken during a group lunch session so Dom asks him to pray first. He struggles to come up with the right words and when he finishes, Letty jokes about the prayer.
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Letty’s conclusion is not only accurate but it’s also hilarious since Jesse has completely no knowledge about issues that don’t involve cars. It’s a shame that Jesse gets killed later on as his buffoonery would have made for great entertainment in the flicks that follow. Luckily, Rom and Tej have done a great job of filling the void he left.
When She Meets Dom After Her Supposed Death
“That Girl You Remember, It’s Not Me.”
Dom is surprised to find out that Letty, who was thought to be dead, is now working for Owen Shaw. When the two meet, Dom tries to reason with her, but she claims to not be the same girl he knew.
Letty isn’t exactly wrong since the amnesia she got after the explosion wiped out her memory, causing her to embrace a new life as one of Owen Shaw’s employees. Even though Dom still believes in her, a part of her is gone. Luckily, the situation isn’t permanent and she eventually realizes who she truly is.
When She Knocks Out A Security Guard But Runs Into Kara
“Would You Believe I Knocked Him Out With My Charm?”
As Dom’s crew is pulling off a heist at the Jordanian prince’s party in Abu Dhabi, Letty knocks out a guard so as to ensure there is less interference. Unfortunately, she runs into Kara, the leader of the prince’s all-female bodyguard team. She attempts to humor her before a brawl breaks out.
It’s moments like these that make Letty one of the best Fast & Furious characters. Her suggestion that she didn’t physically harm the guard is indeed hilarious. It ranks among the most comical moments in the franchise because it’s obvious that the ever-serious Kara isn’t going to buy Letty’s explanation of how the guard became unconscious. As expected, jokes are soon followed by fisticuffs.
When Dom Shows Up With Cipher
“Dom! You Gonna Turn Your Back On Family?”
Dom agrees to work with Cipher when blackmails him. As the villain attacks the team’s base with Dom, later on, Letty begs him to not forsake his friends.
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Dom has always been a big advocate for loyalty and that’s why his actions baffle Letty. Her question is an important one since it suggests that he is a hypocrite. Even more interesting is that Dom doesn’t give an answer, choosing to kiss Cipher instead. However, he doesn’t truly turn his back on family. He only works with the villain to save his child.
When She Threatens Klaus
“Klaus, Aren’t You Team Muscle? Don’t Make Me Come Over There And Make You Team P***y.”
Shaw’s enforcer, Klaus, starts getting suspicious of Letty when he learns that she has a history with Dom. He tries to bring this up in front of the boss but Letty is quick to threaten him.
It’s undoubtedly one of Letty’s most badass moments since Klaus, with his Hulk-like physique, looks unbeatable, yet he cowers under her threat. Letty’s confidence isn’t far-fetched either. Later in the movie, Klaus is shown to be all muscle and no skill. During a fight with Dominic and Hobbs, they easily get the better of him.
When She Begs Dom Not To Die
“I Vow Wherever You Go, I Go. You Ride, I Ride. You Fight, I Fight.”
During Dom’s fight with Deckard Shaw at a parking garage, the surface collapses, leaving Dom critically injured. A worried Letty then shows up, begging him not to die.
Letty and Dom prefer fighting together rather than showing romantic gestures, but there are rare moments when they profess their love to each other and this is one of the best ones. Letty realizes that Dom just might die and she dreads that happening. She, therefore, figures that the best thing she can do is talk to him.
When She Tells Off A Customer Trying To Hit On her
“You Want A Piece Of A**, Go To Hollywood Boulevard. You Want An Adrenaline Rush, That’ll Be Two Large.”
A man tries to hit on Letty as she is about to race. She tells him off, advising him to either go get a sex worker on Hollywood Boulevard or place a bet to see who wins.
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It’s yet another scene that predicts just how badass Letty is going to be throughout the franchise. She doesn’t entertain people who come off as disrespectful. She isn’t interested in flirtation either because the only person she cares about is Dom. And as is the case with every person she intimidates, the man shies away from confronting her any further.
When She Fires At Riley
“Wrong Team, B*tch!”
The sixth installment is undoubtedly one of the most action-packed Fast & Furious movies and in it, DSS agent Riley is revealed to be a mole working for the villain, Owen Shaw. In the third act, she engages in a fight inside a plane and appears to be winning until Hobbs throws a harpoon gun at Letty. She then shoots Riley with it.
Letty’s words are fitting because good guys always win in the franchise. Riley could have had a great career with the DSS but she got greedy and decided to work with the bad guy. She obviously saw herself swimming in illegal millions in the near future rather than falling off a plane after being shot by Letty.
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