Why Gisele Yashar was Killed Off in Fast and Furious 9

The Fast and Furious franchise is known for cleverly introducing skilled characters played by a vast array of incredibly talented celebrities such as the government agent Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russel), technical expert Tej Parker (Ludacris), Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), and a host of others.

How Gisele Yashar Became Part of Dom’s Team

One of the most exciting additions to the franchise was Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot), drug smuggler turned heist bandit with elite marksmanship and expert driving skills. She ended up developing a romantic relationship with Han Lue (Sung Kang) and was undoubtedly one of the greatest assets Dom’s team ever had.

Gisele was first seen in the fourth installment of the franchise as a minor antagonist. She was a courier for Arturo Braga (John Ortiz), a drug smuggler. That career came to an explosive halt when Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) set a trap for Braga, thereby putting Gisele’s life in danger.

However, Toretto managed to save her amidst the action-loaded ambush because he saw potential in her. And as a sign of gratitude, she reveals Braga’s hideout, and they went their separate ways.

And in Fast Five, which is considered the most famous movie of the entire franchise, Toretto recruits her when he needed someone who wasn’t afraid to throw down. And that was how Gadot’s performance in this installment took her from a minor appearance to one of the strongest, most-loved characters in the Fast and Furious movies.

Gisele’s Sacrifice Made Worthless by Han’s Death

And that was why her death in Fast and Furious 6 came as a huge surprise to audiences worldwide. Fans were shocked when Gisele fell off the plane in a runway scene in the film in order to save Han’s life. The shock was further compounded when Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) crashed Han’s car, leaving him for dead in the mid-credits scene, thus rendering Gisele’s sacrifice worthless.

Why Gisele was Killed Off

Gisele was killed off because Gal Gadot was not the superstar that she currently is. It was actually her creative portrayal of Gisele in Fast Five that shot her to the limelight, making her the star that she is today. Her background in the Israel Defense Forces also contributed to her impeccable performance and development as one of the leading members of the cast.

But alas, it just wasn’t enough to seal a permanent place in the ever-evolving team. Gadot’s portrayal of the character Gisele far exceeded the expectations of the franchise since she was initially included as a minor figure in the story.

There was also a need to demonstrate that the characters were not invincible, and Gisele possessed the right chops to represent a perfect, heroic sacrifice without affecting the rest of the team as well as the sequels that were bound to come.

For instance, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) appeared to have been killed in an explosion in one of the Fast and Furious films, though it was later revealed that Gisele herself took Letty to the hospital. This is just to show that despite all the extraordinary action sequences, the team is composed of humans, after all.

Will Gisele Return?

But this has sparked some reactions since Han returned, as seen in the promotional content for Fast and Furious 9. Perhaps Gisele could return as well. The possibility of that happening is, however, very slim.

Gal Gadot has risen to prominence with films like ‘Keeping Up with the Joneses’, ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ and her outstanding performances as ‘Wonder Woman’ in the DCEU.