Han Lue

Development

The character was said to have been inspired by another character Kang portrayed, Han Hu in Better Luck Tomorrow, directed by Justin Lin. When Lin was recruited to direct Tokyo Drift, he pitched the idea of adding an Asian character to be the "cool guy" specifically with Han Hu in mind. Kang was only supposed to appear in a one-off but was brought back in the subsequent prequel films due to positive responses from audiences.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Living in Tokyo, Han uses his new-found wealth to start his own garage, as well as purchasing various expensive, modified tuner cars to store in the garage. Han also keeps himself occupied with various women, with a club attached next door to his garage. Additionally, he becomes involved with Tokyo's elite street racers and one of its most prominent drifters. At some point, he acquired a 2001 Nissan Silvia S15 Spec-S and rebuilt and restored it from the ground up, the car later being referred to by Twinkie as the Mona Lisa of the drift world.

Han also affiliates himself with Takashi, the nephew of Kamata, a Yakuza member, securing profits from various business ventures. Unbeknownst to either Kamata or Takashi, Han begins stealing money from their operation and does so without either of them noticing for some time.

When Han meets Sean Boswell, Boswell crossed Takashi’s unspoken boundaries by speaking to his girlfriend, Neela. Han questions why Takashi is still bothering with “high school girls” when Takashi decides to confront Sean. When Sean accepts Takashi’s challenge to drift, Han gives Sean the keys to his Nissan Silvia, curious to see what Sean is made of.

While Sean loses the race, destroying his car in the process, Han is intrigued by what he saw in Sean for merely challenging Takashi. The following day, Han meets Sean outside of his school and demands that he get into his car. Han makes a point to tell Sean that he is in his debt and would be his personal “errand boy” on account of the car that he owes him. Sean is willing to agree to the terms so long as Han teaches him how to drive.

When Sean falls out of favor with his father, Lieutenant Boswell, Sean comes to live in Han’s garage. While there, he works on the cars available to him in the garage and Han teaches him how to drift properly. As Sean improves, Han’s situation is complicated when Takashi becomes more forceful in threatening Sean to stay away from Neela. Eventually Takashi confronts Han about the money he's been stealing from his uncle. Han does not attempt to defend his actions to Takashi.

He merely states that the “side deals” he made while under the protection of Takashi’s word were in the nature of their business. He goes on to say that Takashi needed him and that he would’ve amounted to nothing if it wasn’t for his help. When Takashi becomes distracted by the presence of Neela, Han takes his chance and climbs into his car and escapes.

Takashi and his friend, Morimoto pursue him through the streets of Tokyo, but they are unable to catch him. He protects Sean and Neela from Takashi, allowing them to get ahead of him. When Han finally reaches the intersection of the road, Han’s car is t-boned by a Mercedes S-Class. Han’s car is flipped onto its top. Han, unable to escape the car, is killed in the explosion.

Some time after Han’s death, Sean Boswell meets Dominic Toretto after he requests an audience with him at the parking garage. Dominic races Sean with the 1970 Plymouth Road Runner he won from Han years before.

Los Bandoleros

In Los Bandoleros, Han visited Mexico, where he met Dominic "Dom" Toretto, and established a relationship. Han begins “running” with Dominic for unspecified reasons. Dominic wins 1970 Plymouth Road Runner off of Han in a race.

Han arrives in the Dominican Republic when Dominic Toretto is preparing for a new job regarding the transportation of gas. He is picked up at the airport by the likes of Cara Mirtha and Malo, Dominic's friends. He is later taken to Rico Santos' house, where Dominic lives, and they have dinner with the rest of the Santos family. He takes an immediate attraction to Cara, who shares a mutual attraction for him.

Later, he follows Dominic and Santos to the prison where Tego Leo was being kept before Santos helped him escape. When Dominic takes to take them to a secluded club to meet the man responsible for the transport of their score, Dominic tells him to drive around the block or wait in the car. Han instead decides to enter the club where he mingles with Cara and Malo at the bar.

When Cara asked how he met Dominic, Han briefly explained how they met each other in Mexico. Malo, realizing that the two were attracted to each other, asked if they wanted a room. Cara instead gives him her drink and she and Han leave the bar.

Fast & Furious

Han is seen only in the beginning of Fast & Furious. He along with Letty Ortiz, Toretto, Tego Leo, Rico Santos, and Cara, are hijacking a fuel tanker in the Dominican Republic. Han and Cara hijack the first two tankers while Leo and Santos hijack the other two tankers, not before the truck driver gives them a little problem after seeing Letty on top of the tanker and notices that the hijacking is going on. After the hijacking is done, Toretto disbands the crew after suspecting that the police are closing in on Toretto and his gang.

Fast Five

Han is recruited for a heist in the events of Fast Five as a precision driver and a "chameleon". During the events of the film, he starts to fall in love with another member of the crew, Gisele Yashar. At the end of the film, Han and Gisele are seen driving on a highway and are in a relationship.

Fast & Furious 6

When Han and Gisele arrive in London, they’re given the details of their situation with Owen Shaw and Letty Ortiz by Luke Hobbs. During their first encounter with Shaw’s team, Han, Brian and Gisele are attacked by the sniper Adolfson, who fires on their cars once they reach Interpol.

Brian, Han and Gisele are pinned down long enough for Vegh, Jah and Klaus to escape. Brain follows after them, but Gisele runs out into the open to fire on Jan and Klaus’s getaway car. At the last second, Han is able to pull her out of the way and the two take cover behind a fire hydrant as Adolfson fires on them multiple times before escaping.

During the team's attempt to stop Owen and his team from hijacking the military convoy, Han and Gisele pursue Denlinger on their motorcycles, a Harley Davidson model and Ducati Monster. Gisele is the first to reach Dillinger, hangs on the side of his Land Rover and is nearly crushed on the side of oncoming truck, but Han jumps onto the Land Rover in time to swerve the vehicle out of the way and save her life.

When Mia Toretto is taken prisoner by Shaw, Dominic and the others are forced to let Shaw and Riley Hicks, a double agent working with both Owen and Hobbs, go to ensure her safety. However, as soon as they’re allowed, they go after the plane Shaw is planning to take off on with Mia. Gisele and Han are one of two teams designated with the task of keeping the plan on the ground using the harpoons. During their efforts, Gisele is pulled out of their car by Adolfson. Han follows after her, climbing onto the top of their car.

Though Gisele is able to fend him off, she is knocked off of Adolfson’s car. Han is able to save at the last moment. Gisele, realizing that Adolfson plans to kill Han, let go of Hans arms and allows herself to fall, Han unable to save her. Before she is killed from the fall, she shoots Adolfson, knocking him off balance. A devastated Han attacks Adolfson and throws him off of the car and into the turbine of the plane.

After the plane crashes and Dominic survives the car crash in the attempt to escape the burning plane, Mia and Brian are the only ones to approach Han and attempts to comfort him when she realizes what happened to Gisele when she isn't with him.

With their records cleared by the pardons provided by Hobbs, Han and the others return to Los Angeles. While speaking with Roman Pearce and Tej Parker, Han ultimately decided to go to Tokyo.

In the post-credits scene of Fast & Furious 6, Han's death from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift is shown, and it is revealed that Deckard Shaw, Owen's brother has driven the car that crashed into his.

Furious 7

Han's death is seen again in Furious 7 through archival footage from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Fast & Furious 6. The crew attended Han's funeral.

Characterization

Following the death of his lover Gisele Yashar in Fast & Furious 6, Han leaves the United States to live in Tokyo, Japan, setting up his appearance in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Han was initially the only character from Tokyo Drift to appear in the subsequent films, before Sean Boswell's appearance in Furious 7. Both Sung Kang, the actor to play Han Hu in Better Luck Tomorrow and Justin Lin, the man who directed the film explain the surname "Seoul-Oh" that Han uses in Fast & Furious 6 and Furious 7 is a fake ID. As a result, it is largely accepted by the franchise's fanbase that Han Lue and Han Seoul-Oh are canonically the same character.

Relationships

In the short film Los Bandoleros and the film Fast & Furious, he was in a relationship with Cara Mirtha until they broke up by the time the events of Fast Five takes place. At the end of the film and all of Fast & Furious 6 he was in a relationship with Gisele Yashar until her death in the runway battle.