Fast & Furious: Letty Ortiz’s “Death” & Surprise Return Explained (2024)

Letty Oritz (Michelle Rodriguez) is one of the most notable figures in the Fast and Furious franchise, partially because she's one of the series' originals but what happened to Letty in Fast and Furious following her death has led to questions from fans. Letty is one of only three characters from 2001's The Fast and the Furious to still be a major part of the franchise, along with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster). Save for a brief detour into villainy in Fast & Furious 6, Letty's personality across all nine titles has remained consistent.

Letty has expertise in automobiles and a romantic history with Dominic Toretto. Her greatest evolution is her involvement in the globe-trotting heists, as she was the most open to returning to the action-oriented lifestyle than Dom in F9. Despite originally being more hesitant about engaging in the perilous heists of The Fast and the Furious, she has become one of the most reliably gung-ho members of Dominic's crew. However, that comes with a high risk, including being held at gunpoint by a drug lord, and what really happened to Letty in Fast and Furious was almost truly fateful.

How Letty "Died" In Fast & Furious

Letty Was Killed By Felix Calderon

Letty's overall arc across the Fast & Furious films covers her death and subsequent resurrection. Her shocking murder transpires in 2009's Fast & Furious, and the first hints of her return occur in 2011's Fast Five, leading fans to wonder why Letty faked her death. Fast & Furious begins with Dominic Toretto being forced to leave behind Letty to keep her safe from the police. Once in hiding, Toretto is informed by his sister that Letty has been murdered, forcing him to return to Los Angeles to find out who was responsible for Letty's death.

It turns out that Letty was doing undercover work to take down a drug lord named Arturo Braga (John Oritz) in an attempt to get all charges cleared for Dom. It was a noble mission that got put to an abrupt end when Braga's right-hand man, Fenix Calderon (Laz Alonso), killed her. That seemed to be the end for Letty in the Fast & Furious movies until a post-credits scene for Fast Five's post-credits scene saw Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes) reveal to Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) that Letty is actually alive.

How Letty Returned From "Death"

Owen Shaw Found Letty In Near-Death Condition

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How Does Fast X End? Do Dom and his family make it?

This revelation of Letty still being alive played a crucial role in the plot of Fast & Furious 6, which saw a resurrected Letty working for the villain Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). The final cut of the movie only briefly deals with the details of how she managed to survive, with Shaw, who had connections to Braga, noting that he found Letty in near-death condition and later recruited her for his team. Letty's willingness to work for evildoers can be chalked up to how, after her near-death experience, she was suffering from amnesia.

meant that she could follow Shaw's orders and attempt to kill her former allies. However, following Letty and Toretto's street race and Toretto saving Letty's life during the tank chase scene, Letty leaves Owen Shaw's criminal racket. Nevertheless, the ripple effects of Letty's death and resurrection played a part in future installments. Letty's subsequent struggles with trying to re-enter her old life despite her fractured memories are the center of Furious 7. Dominic's brief turn to the dark side in The Fate of the Furious mirrors Letty's momentary lapse too.

Letty's Fake Death Became A Fast & Furious Trend

Several Other Characters Have Returned From The Dead Since Letty's Return

What happened to Letty in Fast and Furious started a long-running trend in the franchise. While Letty was the first character to get a fake death, she isn't the last. Han was brought back in F9 after he died in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, which was also retconned in Fast & Furious 6. Han's survival was quickly glossed over and not properly explained, as it was shrugged off as one of Mr. Nobody's "magic tricks." Fast X also brought back Gisele (Gal Gadot) in the last scene, as she emerges from a submarine.

The last time Gisele was seen was in Fast & Furious 6 when she died by falling hundreds of meters from an airplane. Fast X cuts to the credits before an explanation for Gisele's survival is given. Whether Gisele's death was intentionally faked at the time or if she survived, the answer won't be revealed until Fast and Furious 11. Gisele may not be the last character to get the fake-death treatment in the Fast and Furious franchise either. Given the positive reception of Fast X's cool uncle Jakob (John Cena), Dom's long-lost brother could be resurrected soon enough.

Fast & Furious

Fast & Furious (2009) reunites Vin Diesel and Paul Walker as Dominic Toretto and Brian O'Conner in an adrenaline-fueled action film. Directed by Justin Lin, this installment sees the pair rekindle their uneasy alliance to confront a shared enemy. The film marks the fourth entry in the Fast & Furious franchise, emphasizing themes of loyalty and high-octane street racing.