Fast and Furious Movies in Order: Every Watchlist
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Fast and Furious Movies in Order: Every Watchlist

Fast and Furious Movies in Order: Release and Chronological Watchlists

Key takeaways

  • For a first watch, see the Fast and Furious movies in release order.
  • If you’d rather follow the story’s timeline, move The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift from third place to after Fast & Furious 6.
  • The list below includes all 11 released theatrical films: the 10 main-saga entries and the spinoff Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.
  • The two short films are optional extras rather than essential chapters.

Table of contents

For a first watch, see the Fast and Furious movies in release order. That’s the order audiences first encountered the characters, reveals, and changes in the franchise. If you’d rather follow the story’s timeline, move The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift from third place to after Fast & Furious 6.

The list below includes all 11 released theatrical films: the 10 main-saga entries and the spinoff Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. The release order and timeline placement are also covered by Radio Times’ watch guide and TheWrap’s franchise list.

Fast and Furious movies in release order

This is the simplest order for a first-time marathon:

  1. The Fast and the Furious (2001)
  2. 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
  3. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
  4. Fast & Furious (2009)
  5. Fast Five (2011)
  6. Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
  7. Furious 7 (2015)
  8. The Fate of the Furious (2017)
  9. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) — spinoff
  10. F9: The Fast Saga (2021)
  11. Fast X (2023)

The first three films came out in a straightforward sequence, but the franchise later rearranged its timeline. In particular, Tokyo Drift was released third even though its main events take place later in the story. Watching in release order lets you follow the series as it originally introduced that shift.

Fast and Furious movies in chronological order

For a story-focused rewatch, use this approximate chronology:

  1. The Fast and the Furious (2001)
  2. 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
  3. Fast & Furious (2009)
  4. Fast Five (2011)
  5. Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
  6. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
  7. Furious 7 (2015)
  8. The Fate of the Furious (2017)
  9. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) — spinoff
  10. F9: The Fast Saga (2021)
  11. Fast X (2023)

This is a practical viewing order, not a scene-by-scene timeline. Fast & Furious 6’s end-credit sequence connects directly to Tokyo Drift, which is why timeline guides place the 2006 film after the sixth installment and before Furious 7. GQ and Rotten Tomatoes’ viewing guide also explain the unusual placement.

Why does Tokyo Drift move in the order?

Tokyo Drift follows Sean Boswell, an American teenager who gets involved in Tokyo’s drifting scene. It was the third film released, but the later movies place its events further along the franchise timeline.

That creates a choice for viewers:

  • Release order: Watch Tokyo Drift third, as audiences originally did.
  • Chronological order: Watch it after Fast & Furious 6, before Furious 7.

For a first watch, release order is less confusing: you don’t have to jump back to an earlier release after watching later installments. For a rewatch, the chronological placement helps connect Han’s story across the films. If you’re following the timeline closely, remember that the end-credit sequence of Fast & Furious 6 points toward events shown in Tokyo Drift.

Is Hobbs & Shaw part of the main series?

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is a franchise spinoff, not one of the central numbered team films. It follows Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw on a separate mission, so you can skip it if you only want the main saga.

Include it after The Fate of the Furious for a fuller franchise marathon. It fits between that film and F9 in the commonly used viewing order. The main numbered films still make sense without it.

Are the short films necessary?

No. Two short films add background, but neither is required to follow the feature-length story:

  • The Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) bridges the first film and 2 Fast 2 Furious. If you want to include it, place it after The Fast and the Furious.
  • Los Bandoleros (2009) is a prequel associated with Fast & Furious. Watch it before the 2009 feature if you’re adding it to your marathon.

These shorts are optional extras rather than essential chapters. IGN’s watch-order guide and TheWrap’s list discuss where they fit.

Which Fast and Furious watch order should you choose?

Choose release order if you’re new to the franchise or want to experience the films in the order they debuted. Choose chronological order if you’ve seen them before and want to follow the story’s timeline, especially Han’s appearances.

Either way, start with The Fast and the Furious and keep Tokyo Drift’s unusual placement in mind. The two short films are optional, and Hobbs & Shaw is a separate spinoff for viewers who want the broader franchise marathon.