The ever-popular John Wick franchise has done one of the best jobs in movie history of consistently building an interesting world that never feels like too much. Nothing here is entirely removed from reality, even if it does feel somewhat removed from reality. It’s also a franchise where everyone brought into the fold seems to fully understand the assignment. They neither underplay their roles nor do they overact. Each film has a sublime balance of recurring characters, e.g. Ian McShane’s Winston Scott, Lance Reddick’s Charon, and Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King, and new allies or adversaries for Wick to temporarily side with or take on to the death.
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What follows are the best of the latter characters. The only caveat was that the character could have been in at most two movies.
7) The Director (Anjelica Huston)
Anjelica Huston’s the Director is one of only two characters on this list who have been in more than one movie. Specifically, both in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and the (unfortunate) box office bomb Ballerina.
The Director is the leader of the New York branch of the Ruska Roma, one of the dozen organizations that hold a High Table seat. Thanks to Huston’s ability to coldly and commandingly sell a line, we see why so many people would do what she tells them to do. We also fully believe she could be so exacting on her ballerina assassin proteges.
Stream Ballerina on Starz.
6) Shimazu Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada)
Perhaps a bit of a cheat to have two people in one entry, but Akira Shimazu and her father, Koji Shimazu, have the best dynamic in the whole Wick franchise. She just wants to be closer to and impress him and he doesn’t push back on that, but he also feels a loyalty to Wick and, in the process of accommodating his colleague, puts both his life and his daughter’s life on the line.
Not to mention, we get to see a sword fight scene between Hiroyuki Sanada and Donnie Yen, which is one of the most exciting set pieces in all four mainline John Wick movies. Sanada is great in everything, so he was likely always going to be here, but extra points go to Rina Sawayama for selling Akira’s heartbreak over and drive to avenge her father’s death.
Stream John Wick: Chapter 4 on Starz.
5) Aurelio in (John Leguizamo)
One of the best aspect of the John Wick movies is how believable it makes everyone’s fear of the title character seem. Someone is always talking up Mr. Wick’s abilities.
But the moment in John Wick when Iosef Tarasov brings Wick’s car into Aurelio’s body shop is the best of the bunch. As soon as Aurelio (perfectly played by John Leguizamo) smacks Iosef up the side of the head we fully understand that Aurelio fears Wick more than Iosef’s mob boss father. It also indicates that Iosef should be a lot more scared than he is. Leguizamo does a great job of making Aurelio seem like he’s been in the crime underworld for a long time, but equally importantly he makes him seem like a regular average joe and friend to Wick. It’s always nice when a character comes across as someone who isn’t just a temporary ally to this particular main character.
Stream John Wick for free with ads on The Roku Channel.
4) Zero (Mark Dacascos)
Another character who helps make John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum the best entry of the franchise, Zero is perhaps the funniest character of them all. He’s a great assassin, sure, but he’s a John Wick fanboy more than anything else.
Having a John Wick fanboy revel in the opportunity to kill the object of his fandom is a twisted situation that this franchise can pull off better than any other. One would think that to kill the person an individual idolizes would devastate them, but with Zero we believe his giddiness at the prospect.
Stream John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum on YouTube TV.
3) Cassian (Common)
Cassian works well as a character even though he isn’t particularly fleshed-out. But we get to know his best trait, which is loyalty.
After Wick kills his employer, Gianna D’Antonio, Cassian doesn’t just walk away. He feels he failed his job as a bodyguard and doesn’t stop until either Wick goes down or he does. As one might expect, Wick doesn’t go down. Thanks to Common and Reeves’ work, we truly believe that Cassian does hold respect for Wick, but he also can’t forgive what he’s done. We also believe that Wick holds respect for Cassian and feels a level of regret when he’s forced to stab him in the chest.
Stream John Wick: Chapter 2 on YouTube TV.
2) Sofia Al-Azwar (Halle Berry)
There are any number of amazing action sequences in all four installments of John Wick’s cinematic adventure (five if you include Ballerina), but it’s mighty hard to top just about any of the ones seen in the third film. The best of them comes courtesy of Sofia Al-Azwar and her duo of Belgian Malinois.
Sofia is a great character because, like the next entry on this list, she chooses to be separate from her daughter. It’s an effort to keep her offspring safe, but it pains her every day. And, unlike with the next entry, there’s likely no hope for reunification. Sofia is also tough and, while she pairs with Wick, she also holds it against him. Even after they’re victorious, she spits in his water bottle as she leaves him in his requested desert location, the next step on his long journey.
1) Caine (Donnie Yen)
There’s a reason we’re getting a spin-off film based on Donnie Yen’s John Wick: Chapter 4 character, Caine. That is, unless the failure of Ballerina ends up putting the kibosh on it.
Blind but Wick’s equal in the world of assassins, Caine can take down an entire room of gun-toting thugs and not break a sweat. He’s also not opposed to taking a noodle break in the middle of a gunfight. If that isn’t cool, what is? Furthermore, Caine’s reason for going up against Wick is wholesome…he’s just trying to protect his daughter, from whom he’s separated himself even though it’s hard every day. Thankfully, once he gets out from under the High Table’s thumb (after he helps Wick best the Marquis), he is able to reunite with her.
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Image Courtesy of Shueisha
