The Fast and Furious movie that almost killed the franchise and made it go back to its original formula also gave it its best character. More than 20 years after The Fast and the Furious, the stories of Dominic Toretto and Brian O’Connor have evolved into a blockbuster franchise that has grossed over $7 billion worldwide. Despite Fast X’s underwhelming box office, the Fast and Furious movies have been one of the most consistent Hollywood franchises for years now. That said, the Fast Saga struggled to find its identity in the early 2000s.

The Fast and the Furious (2001) was a surprising hit, grossing over $207 million on a budget of $38 million. While those numbers may seem low compared to the box office results of films like Furious 7 or The Fate of the Furious, it’s important to remember that the Fast Saga only truly entered “blockbuster territory” in 2011 with Fast Five.Fast & Furious (2009) had been a step in the right direction two years earlier, but before that, Fast and Furious released its lowest-grossing movie.

Tokyo Drift Remains Fast & Furious’ Lowest Grossing Film 18 Years Later

After Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious had to bring back Brian and Dom.

On a $85 million budget, The Fast and the Furious:Tokyo Drift grossed $159 million worldwide in 2006. The movie remains the lowest-grossing entry in the Fast and Furious franchise 18 years later, and it almost ended the Fast Saga forever. 2 Fast 2 Furious had already been a complicated release, as Vin Diesel did not return for the sequel. While 2 Fast 2 Furious did make more than its predecessor, its underwhelming box office led to studio to try to reinvent the franchise with a third installment that moved away from Brian O’Conner and Dominic Toretto.

Early ideas for Tokyo Drift pictured it as a Dominic Toretto movie, but those were scrapped. Paul Walker was not asked to return for the third installment, which essentially served as a spinoff featuring brand-new characters. While Tokyo Drift is now regarded by many as one of the best or at least most nostalgic Fast and Furious movies, especially compared to the big-budget action films that came after it, the film was a critical and financial disappointment in 2006. With two underwhelming releases back to back, Fast and Furious’ only hope was to bring back Vin Diesel and Paul Walker.

Tokyo Drift Didn’t Reignite The Franchise, But It Gave Us Han

Han is Tokyo Drift’s biggest legacy.

Tokyo Drift may not have been the fresh start for the Fast and Furious franchise the studio hoped it to be, but it at least gave the Fast Saga one of its best characters, if not the best. Han, played by Sung Kang, was introduced in Tokyo Drift as an associate of Takashi. Most of Han’s backstory up until the events of Tokyo Drift would only be created years later as part of consecutive retcons that came with Sung Kang’s return in other Fast & Furious movies, but the character was compelling enough right from the start.

Han was technically introduced in 2002's Better Luck Tomorrow , which was directed by Justin Lin and featured Sung Kang in a role that would later be incorporated in Tokyo Drift .

Sean was Tokyo Drift’s protagonist, but Han is the one who stole the show. It seemed like nothing could bother Han, who was always eating a snack and was not afraid of standing up against guys like Takashi. Han’s death in Tokyo Drift was a tragic moment considering how fun the character had been throughout the movie, but fortunately, it was not the end of his story. The Fast and Furious timeline is only as confusing as it is because of Han, whose consecutive returns after his deaths caused the franchise’s chronology to be rearranged.

Fast & Furious 4 Thankfully Brought Han Into The Family

Sung Kang surprisingly reprised his role as Han in the opening sequence of Fast & Furious (2009), which indirectly retconned Tokyo Drift as being set after the fourth movie. The same would happen in Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6. In other words, once the third movie in the Fast and Furious franchise, Tokyo Drift was now the sixth entry in the Fast Saga from a chronological standpoint. As confusing as the placement of Tokyo Drift in the timeline was, bringing back Han for three more movies was worth it.

Mr. Nobody had previously worked with Gisele and helped fake Han’s death.

Fast Five brought the franchise together by featuring characters from all previous films, with Han serving as a reminder that Tokyo Drift was part of this larger universe. It was in Fast Five that Han and Gisele started to become a thing – this relationship would continue until Fast & Furious 6, during which Gisele seemingly died. Han’s death was retconned yet again in Fast & Furious 6’s final scene, during which Owen Shaw’s brother was revealed to be the one behind it. F9 would then retcon Tokyo Drift a third time and reveal Han never died.

To answer the “Justice for Han” campaign, F9 established that Han was approached by Mr. Nobody before the events of Tokyo Drift. Mr. Nobody had previously worked with Gisele and helped fake Han’s death. It is unclear how exactly Han and Mr. Nobody pulled it off, but the fact is that, after missing Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious, Sung Kang’s character returned in F9. The film revealed more about what Han was doing in Tokyo during Tokyo Drift and introduced his protégé, Elle. An essential part of the family, Han was also in Fast X.

Han’s Fast & Furious Legacy Now Goes Beyond Tokyo Drift

Han has been in six Fast and Furious movies.

Han became the face of The Fast and the Furious:Tokyo Drift, arguably working better than the movie’s protagonist, Sean. Still, sixteen years after Tokyo Drift, Han’s Fast and Furious legacy goes way beyond the spinoff film. In hindsight, having Han be part of Dom’s crew in Fast & Furious (2009) was a great idea that allowed Tokyo Drift’s breakout new character to join the family for multiple more movies. Fast Five’s ensemble cast changed Fast and Furious forever, and Han was an important part of it alongside names like Roman, Tej, and Gisele.

The “Justice for Han” campaign also defined the character’s journey in Fast and Furious, particularly after The Fate of the Furious redeemed Deckard Shaw. It was strange that Dom and the others would welcome the man who killed Han to their barbecue, even though Shaw helped save Toretto’s son. Regardless, F9 helped make things right by bringing Han back once and for all. Fast X even delivered a small interaction between Han and Shaw, and there will hopefully be a Han and Gisele reunion in Fast & Furious11 now that she is confirmed to be alive.