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"Now, if you dominate the people with violence, they will eventually fight back because they have nothing to lose. And that's the key. I go into the favelas and give them something to lose. Electricity, running water, school rooms for their kids. And for that taste of a better life, I own them."
―Hernan Reyes[src]

Hernan Reyes was a ruthless, corrupt Portuguese-Brazilian businessman and drug lord who Dominic Toretto and his team crossed paths with when they orchestrated a heist to steal $100 million from him. He is also the late father of Dante Reyes.

Biography

Early Life

Hernan Reyes was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on December 1, 1957 and fathered a son named Dante Reyes with a woman from the Pacific Islands. However, when Dante began to exhibit signs of mental instability and spent multiple stints in prisons and institutions in his childhood, Hernan would always bail Dante out of trouble, much to the dismay of his wife who believed Dante needed proper help. The disagreement between them led to the pair getting divorced.

Hernan eventually became a powerful drug kingpin in Rio's criminal underworld and garnered a massive influence over the city, having much of Rio's police force under his payroll as well as a number of corporations and shell companies. He also saw potential in Dante's violent tendencies and made him his primary enforcer. However, Hernan masqueraded as a legitimate businessman, having a good reputation in the eyes of most of the public, who were unaware of his criminal activities.

Hernan would regularly convey the message into Dante that death should never be accepted when suffering is owed. Later, Hernan formed a partnership with Aimes, presumably to expand his criminal activities globally.

Robbed by Dominic Toretto

Reyes employed Brian O'Conner, Dominic Toretto, Mia Toretto, and Vince alongside several of his henchmen (including Zizi) to hijack three Drug Enforcement Administration-seized cars from a train. However, Reyes was only interested in one car - a Ford GT40 that contained a computer chip holding the whereabouts of his ten cash houses. When Mia escaped with the car, Reyes captured and interrogated Brian and Dom with the intention of finding the location of the car, however, the pair escaped to their safe house. Reyes has Dom, Brian, and Mia framed for Zizi's murder of three DEA agents on the train setting a manhunt on the three to ensure he gets the chip. Vince was later caught with the chip and revealed he intended to sell it to Reyes himself, with the intention of stopping the manhunt and bounty set on Dom. 

Reyes' men attacked the safe house just as Luke Hobbs and his fellow agents from the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service arrived and a chase entailed. The trio managed to escape and Hobbs' team kill all of Reyes' men, save for Zizi. 

Dom and Brian, with the aid of the chip, planned to steal all of Reyes' money and start a new life for themselves. So, they called their friends and associates to form a new, stronger crew. They first hit one of Reyes' cash houses and burned the $10 million stored there, revealing their faces to Reyes' workers. As the man in charge of the cash house reported to Reyes what happened, Reyes struck him over the head with a bust in a fit of rage, killing him instantly. Reyes proceeded to move all of his money into a locked vault inside the police station, putting all the officers there on his payroll to keep guard over it at all times.

As Hobbs eventually arrested Dom, Mia, Brian and Vince to transport them back to the U.S. for extradition, their convoy was attacked by Reyes' men, who killed all of Hobbs' teammates, but all were then killed by Dom, Brian and Vince, save for Zizi, who escaped death once more. However, Vince was mortally wounded and died soon after. Following the ambush, Reyes' had extra security guard on his payroll to guard the vault knowing that Dom's Crew are going to break-in to the vault and steal it, getting them to fall for their trap. Additionally, Hernan summoned Dante to help deal with Dom and his crew. When Dante vowed to kill Dominic and his crew, Hernan reminded him that death should never be accepted when suffering is owed, and ordered Dante to make Dom and his crew suffer.

Death

As Reyes finalized the partnership with Aimes, Dom and his team (including Hobbs and Elena Neves) attacked the police station. Dom and Brian removed and drove off with the vault, pursued by a contingent of corrupt officers as well as Hernan, Dante, Zizi, and their remaining men. After Dom took out all of the corrupt cops on the bridge, he flipped the vault. Hernan witnessed the vault knock Dante off the bridge just before it crashed into Hernan's car. Zizi jumped out to save himself and left a screaming Hernan as the vault hit his car. After Zizi was killed by Brian, Hernan crawled out of the car as Hobbs arrived, and begged for his life. However, Hobbs shot him dead in the name of his team. The team split Hernan's money and escaped after Hobbs gave them a 24 hours head start to leave.

Legacy

Following Hernan's death, the Vault Heist would come back to haunt Dom and his team as Dante survived and vowed revenge on Dom's team and continued his partnership with Aimes. The two kept surveillance on the family for ten years before Dante decided to enact his revenge. Dante's revenge spree in his father's name would result in Dominic, his team, and anyone associated with them being put in danger, which resulted in a devastating terrorist attack in Rome, Dom's team being framed as international terrorists, and the deaths of some of their family and allies. Dante eventually turned his sights onto Luke Hobbs, who was the true killer of his father.

Personality

"The only thing he cares about is his money."
Dominic Toretto[src]

Hernan Reyes was a very sophisticated and elegant, yet ruthless individual, that will do everything in his power to keep his authority and wealth. He was a highly notorious and powerful drug lord and mobster, who possessed great authority over his henchmen. He was also a very intelligent and skilled businessman and was skilled with gaining money for drugs. At first, Reyes employed Dom and his crew to aid him, but became annoyed after their betrayal. However, despite his violent and corrupt nature, Reyes didn't lack honor. He was shown to be also a polite and sympathetic man, and still had standards and respect for others. He also had some love for his son, Dante Reyes, bailing him out of prison and mental wards many times and allowing the latter to take part in his criminal enterprise.

When three of his men died during the DEA Train Heist, Reyes simply brushed it off as business gone astray and admitted to only caring about the Ford GT40 which contained a chip of his delivery schedule.

Reyes was also not above allying and teaming up with others. Before Dominic and his crew assaulted the police station and stole the vault with his money, he was seen forming a partnership with Aimes, probably because in that way he could be even more powerful than he already was.

Abilities

"If there’s anything illegal happening in Rio, Reyes is involved."
Elena Neves[src]
  • Expert Tactician: Reyes was an investor who ran the drug scene in Rio de Janeiro, and he had never been busted because he did not leave a paper trail: instead of banks, he used 10 cash houses spread throughout the city with each property being owned by one of his corporations. He was considered to be "the most powerful guy in all of Rio" and that he ran the country. He ultimately amassed $100,000,000 by 2011. When his Leblon cash house was invaded by Dominic Toretto and his crew, he consolidated his money into a police station, meaning he had many police officers on his payroll. He put a bounty on Toretto and Brian O'Conner high enough to get every pair of eyes in the city searching for them.
  • Bilingualism: Reyes spoke fluent Portuguese and English.

Relationships

Family

Allies

Enemies

Trivia

  • Almeida was initially unsure about taking on the role of Reyes as he felt that he was often type-cast as villains. However, after reading the script and speaking to the film's director Justin Lin, he signed on.
  • Reyes is the second main antagonist to be killed, the first one is Johnny Tran, the third one is Brixton Lore and the fourth one is Otto.

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