Summary
- John Wick is the most fearsome assassin in the franchise, earning the nickname "Baba Yaga" and embodying the boogeyman that all assassins fear.
- His reputation as a skilled killer is well-deserved, as demonstrated through his fighting skills, assassination prowess, and problem-solving abilities.
- Even the High Table, the council of crime lords, acknowledges John Wick's extraordinary skill and fears the consequences of crossing him.
In the John Wick franchise, the various assassins as well as the High Table all fear one name: John Wick - and here's why. John Wick is the most fearsome assassin in the John Wick universe, with all four films being almost entirely dedicated to building up the fear surrounding Wick as well as the lengths that the assassins will go to get rid of him. In a world full of trained killers, it may seem off that John Wick in particular is so terrifying, but the John Wick franchise has already explained why.
Keanu Reeves' John Wick is easily the most skilled killer in the John Wick franchise, with all four films showing off his fighting skills, assassination prowess, and problem-solving abilities. John Wick shows his proficiency at killing all the way up until the end of John Wick: Chapter 4, with the death of Wick's dog being the inciting incident of his path of carnage. Even before the events of the first John Wick, Keanu Reeves' character has clearly gained a reputation, and here's why the High Table and the assassins are so scared of him.
John Wick's "Baba Yaga" Nickname Explains Why He's Feared
Throughout the John Wick films, John Wick is given the nickname "Baba Yaga," showing just how infamous he is. John Wick's Baba Yaga nickname means that he is the boogeyman, embodying the fear that all of John Wick's assassins feel when his name is mentioned. John Wick operates in the shadows, with the assassins never knowing if he is around the corner, ready to add them to his long list of confirmed kills.
John Wick's Baba Yaga nickname is more than just a sign of his danger though. The Baba Yaga nickname is also a reflection of Wick's time with the Russian mob, during which he performed some of his most dangerous kills. On top of that, Viggo Tarasov, the villain in the first John Wick, even explains that Wick isn't actually the boogeyman. Rather, Wick is the one "you sent to kill the" boogeyman.
Even The High Table Acknowledges That John Wick Isn't An Ordinary Assassin
Simply having street-level assassins fear John Wick wouldn't be enough to show how truly dangerous he is. Luckily, the John Wick movies show that the High Table fears Wick as well. The High Table is the council of crime lords that dictate over the world of assassins in the John Wick universe, with them being on top of it all. Having the High Table fear John Wick proves just how terrifying he truly is, with him being more feared than any other assassin.
It isn't surprising that John Wick is feared by the High Table, as he has earned his reputation. John Wick kills The Elder, one of the of the High Table, in John Wick: Chapter 4, making his vendetta against the High Table's clear. John Wick wanted nothing more than peace, and since the High Table was standing in his way, they knew he would take them down. Although the end of John Wick: Chapter 4 casts doubts about the success of Wick's plan, it could be carried on in future John Wick projects.
