A direct fuel injector for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a body having a passage extending along a longitudinal axis between inlet and outlet ends; a seat at the outlet end; a closure member associated with the seat, a pole piece; a needle member associated with the closure member and movable with respect to the pole piece between a first position and a second position such that in the first position, the needle member engages the closure member so that the closure member engages the seat to close the outlet end, and in the second position, the needle member is in a position permitting the closure member to disengage from the seat, opening the outlet end; a spring biasing the needle member to the first position; an armature; an intermediate pole structure coupled with the needle member and disposed between the pole piece and the armature and decoupled from the pole piece; an armature stop coupled to the needle member and spaced from the intermediate pole structure; and an electromagnetic coil associated with the pole piece, intermediate pole structure and armature, characterized in that the armature is constructed and arranged to be free-floating with respect to the needle member; the intermediate pole structure is decoupled from the armature; the fuel injector comprises a further spring between the intermediate pole structure and the armature for decoupling the intermediate pole structure from the armature; the coil, when energized, being constructed and arranged to provide magnetic flux that accelerates the armature to impact the intermediate pole structure with the intermediate pole structure impacting the pole piece moving the needle member to the second position, with the armature bouncing with respect to the intermediate pole structure instead of the needle assembly bouncing with respect to the seat, and when the coil is de-energized, removing the magnetic flux, the intermediate pole structure and the armature are constructed and arranged to move away from the pole piece with the spring biasing the needle member to the first position, with the armature engaging the armature stop causing the armature to bounce with respect to the armature stop instead of the needle member bouncing with respect to the seat. a body having a passage extending along a longitudinal axis between inlet and outlet ends; a seat at the outlet end; a closure member associated with the seat, a pole piece; a needle member associated with the closure member and movable with respect to the pole piece between a first position and a second position such that in the first position, the needle member engages the closure member so that the closure member engages the seat to close the outlet end, and in the second position, the needle member is in a position permitting the closure member to disengage from the seat, opening the outlet end; a spring biasing the needle member to the first position; an armature; an intermediate pole structure coupled with the needle member and disposed between the pole piece and the armature and decoupled from the pole piece; an armature stop coupled to the needle member and spaced from the intermediate pole structure; and an electromagnetic coil associated with the pole piece, intermediate pole structure and armature, characterized in that the armature is constructed and arranged to be free-floating with respect to the needle member; the intermediate pole structure is decoupled from the armature; the fuel injector comprises a further spring between the intermediate pole structure and the armature for decoupling the intermediate pole structure from the armature; the coil, when energized, being constructed and arranged to provide magnetic flux that accelerates the armature to impact the intermediate pole structure with the intermediate pole structure impacting the pole piece moving the needle member to the second position, with the armature bouncing with respect to the intermediate pole structure instead of the needle assembly bouncing with respect to the seat, and when the coil is de-energized, removing the magnetic flux, the intermediate pole structure and the armature are constructed and arranged to move away from the pole piece with the spring biasing the needle member to the first position, with the armature engaging the armature stop causing the armature to bounce with respect to the armature stop instead of the needle member bouncing with respect to the seat.