The Fast & Furious series is unique in that a lot of characters involved can be legitimately leading protagonists in their own right, with the likes of Dominic Toretto, Brian O’Conner, Luke Hobbs, and Sean Boswell, all taking this role at various points. Overall, though, Dom is considered as the franchise’s main star.
This has changed a bit from the original series to the reboot that has seen Fast & Furious develop into an action series, with Luke Hobbs the lead in Hobbs & Shaw. With both Dom and Hobbs as main protagonists, it’s worth noting in absolute terms who is the definite lead before F9 continues the Fast Saga.
10 Character Development: Luke Hobbs
Hobbs was hellbent on capturing Dom and his crew in Fast Five, with his character mainly being about taking extreme lengths to catch his suspect. However, he’s had a gradual development of personality, Fast & Furious 6 mellowing him down before he became a full-on ally for Dom from Furious 7.
Hobbs has also become a better father and understood that justice isn’t totally black and white, as evidenced by him befriending former criminal Deckard Shaw. Meanwhile, Dominic’s character was essentially developed from the beginning, as his main values stem from his absolute belief in family that has continued into F9.
9 Action Sequences: Dominic Toretto
Dom has owned a number of top-of-the-line cars that he’s inevitably destroyed when engaging his enemies, yet this has made him an action icon. He’s a perfect blend of a hero with combat abilities and skills as a driver, which has seen Dom excel on all fronts.
His fight sequences have also been choreographed to perfection, with Dom’s battles against Hobbs in Fast Five, Shaw in Furious 7, and Jakob in F9 all carrying that sense of sheer thrill. Hobbs has had his own action-packed moments, but these have a bit too on the campy side -- like him pulling on a helicopter with one hand -- for Hobbs to contend with Dom.
8 Dialogue & One-Liners: Luke Hobbs
While the series has a number of characters noted for delivering funny quotes, Hobbs is in a class of his own in this regard. The Fate of the Furious was where he hit his peak with the material in dialogue, with just about every comment out of his mouth being a jab at others.
He’s also had a number of memorable one-liners he’s used for intimidation, with Fast Five setting his character up through this means. Dom has been a silent protagonist for the most part who does have his own one-liners but lacks the witty dialogue that Hobbs has in droves.
7 Emotional Quality: Dominic Toretto
For someone who chooses not to show his emotions too much, Dom has actually displayed them a lot over the years. He displayed his sensitive side in Fast & Furious 6 when he used his love for Letty to get her back from her amnesia, with the same means used in Furious 7 by making her remember their wedding.
Dom’s fatherly side has equally been a source for heartwarming moments, as The Fate of the Furious showed him in tears when his son was threatened. Hobbs’ source for emotional depth has also been his daughter, but she hasn’t been as developed a character for fans to truly be attached to their dynamic.
6 Comedic Potential: Luke Hobbs
In addition to Hobbs’ sardonic quotes, he’s been very good at physical comedy, with his attitude and mannerisms in Hobbs & Shaw in tandem with Deckard Shaw making for highly comedic moments. He’s had a mixture of pure action and action comedy in his battles, turning even fight scenes funny.
Of course, his greatest asset remains the quickness with which he can burn other characters with his words, as Hobbs’ penchant for wisecracks is unparalleled. Dom has never been a comedic character and the funny moments involving him have seen him play the straight man while others make a mockery out of themselves.
5 Long-Lasting Potential: Tied
This is where both protagonists are neck-and-neck, as they can deliver movies to great success for a long time to come. Hobbs & Shaw proved a spin-off to the series absolutely works, with Luke Hobbs no longer needing to appear in the mainline series now that he’s a lead on his own.
Dom has been the established protagonist of the Fast & Furious franchise for two decades by this point, so it goes without saying that he has proven his long-lasting potential. What’s more remarkable is how he’s held on to audience interest for so long and there’s no stopping his popularity.
4 Chemistry With Supporting Characters: Dominic Toretto
Dom pointing out his family may be something of a recurring gag but he’s not wrong to consider them as such as they all have undeniable chemistry. Dom would never have worked as a protagonist without a strong dynamic with supporting characters to go with his personality and the Fast & Furious franchise has largely worked due to this.
Hobbs was a supporting character himself until his lead in the spin-off, where his interactions with his family weren’t as strong as Dom’s have been. Dom has also had great chemistry with the series’ villains like Cipher and Jakob, proving he works well as a lead character with just about everyone.
3 Morality: Luke Hobbs
The Fast & Furious series has been based on characters who are anti-heroes, seeing as Dom's crew are all technically criminals who are forced to do good. To this end, Hobbs is a better representation of a hero with morality as he’s been on the side of the law.
He did stray into Dom’s territory by The Fate of the Furious but Hobbs has still largely had the mindset of a good guy who wants to seek justice. Dom’s has no doubt been his anti-hero persona, yet he falls short where being genuinely good is concerned.
2 Better Storylines: Dominic Toretto
Dom is rather underrated as far as story quality goes, as he’s received a fair amount of backstory and arcs. From the first movie to Fast Five, his story was about overcoming his criminal history, after which it’s been about regaining his love for Letty and then looking for a way to reconcile with figures from his past like his son and brother.
Hobbs has been front and center in the movies but has lacked a genuine arc, as his plotline has mainly been about catching the bad guys. The story of being there for his daughter and reuniting with his family wasn’t given as much importance, leaving Hobbs still searching for a that fully does him justice.
1 Winner: Dominic Toretto
There’s a reason why Dom has been one of the leading action icons in blockbuster cinema. That comes down to him nailing the aspects of being an intimidating figure who still has genuine connections, all the while delivering top-notch action sequences that make him a must-see with every film release.
Hobbs has been a valuable contributor to the Fast & Furious experience, but he doesn’t have as much chemistry with supporting characters and lacks an arc that is truly memorable. He’s no doubt a leading protagonist himself, but Dom will definitely take the role of the main character should these two appear in a movie again.
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