Summary

• John Wick's quest for revenge against those who wronged him drives the action-packed plots of the movies.
• The High Table's underworld rules always end up broken, sparking more conflict throughout each movie.
• The iconic character of John Wick, known for his impeccable style and combat skills, keeps fans returning for more movies.

The John Wick movies have a distinct formula that drives the stylish action plots, with certain hallmarks of the story happening in every installment. The John Wick franchise is dominated by missions for revenge and Keanu Reeves' title character accomplishing increasingly impossible feats of strength and agility. The repetition of these effective narrative elements, along with less action-heavy motifs, makes John Wick a marketable name because fans know they will also be getting more of a good thing when they go to see the next movie.

Hopefully, this will remain true for the John Wick 5. Some recurring beats are specific to John, contributing to the depiction of his single-minded drive of unrivaled combat skill. On the other hand, some of the John Wick movies' motifs are meant to uphold other characterizations and the overall impeccable style of this particular version of the underworld.

10 John Wick's Quest For Revenge Is Renewed

John Wick is always seeking a kind of revenge.

The first John Wick movie is based around a very straightforward revenge quest: Some gangsters steal John's car and kill his dog, so he sets out to kill them all. This structure becomes looser in the subsequent movies, but there is still an undertone of revenge as the writers conceive of new ways to continue John's adventures. After being tricked by Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) in John Wick: Chapter 2, John kills him on Continental grounds. His mission then evolves into upending the High Table for disrupting his attempt to grieve in peace.

9 Someone Breaks The Rules Of The High Table's Underworld

The John Wick movies set up many rules of conduct — which someone always breaks.

The John Wick movies create a fascinating underworld governed by strict rules. Namely, "no blood on Continental grounds and every marker must be honored," as Winston (Ian McShane) says. It becomes clear that the High Table more broadly expects that people don't defy them in any way. However, the inevitability of narrative drama means that someone will always break these rules.

In John Wick, it is Perkins (Adrianne Palicki) when she attacks John at the Continental. In Chapter 2, it is John when he kills D'Antonio. By John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, John is in open rebellion against the High Table and every one of his actions, and the actions of others to help him, needs to be analyzed because it might be considered a transgression. This continues in John Wick: Chapter 4.

8 Winston Helps John (When The Rules Say He Shouldn't)

The Continental's manager is John's constant ally.

Winston can always be counted upon to bend if not break the rules in John's favor. He discreetly informs John of Iosef Tarasov's (Alfi Allen) location in John Wick; while it seems like Continental staff are supposed to remain neutral, it is not clear if this is "against the rules." However, Winston's loyalty to John is clear at the end of Chapter 2 when he gives him an hour to run before the contract to kill him goes live. In the subsequent movies, Winston is always tied up with John's vendetta against the High Table.

7 John Wick Wears A Suit

An elegant suit is John Wick's signature look.

Designer business attire is the armor of the assassins in the John Wick movie. Most of the elegant clothing they wear includes bulletproof elements, making it practical for their work. While not all the movies make a show of John putting on the suit — including when he digs up all his weapons in John Wick and when he peruses the Continental's resources in Chapter 2 — he always wears this to a fight, even at times when it doesn't make sense. For instance, wearing a black suit in the desert is in no way advisable, but John must maintain his aesthetic.

6 John Wick's Dogs

Dogs are a motif in the John Wick movies.

Sofia and the Tracker are as fiercely protective of their canine companions as John, illustrating the motif's emotional theme of companionship being important.

There is at least one dog in every John Wick movie. John has Daisy and an unnamed dog that he adopts at the end of the first movie. Sofia's (Halle Berry) dogs and the Tracker's (Shamier Anderson) dog appear in Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, respectively. The dog character plays the smallest role in Chapter 2, while the final two movies uphold an additional motif of the series where the dog in question is threatened.

Sofia and the Tracker are as fiercely protective of their canine companions as John, illustrating the motif's emotional theme of companionship being important. It is also something of a humorous callback: Many people marvel over the fact that John goes through so much trouble to avenge a pet. When Sofia's dog is shot, and she shoots Berrada (Jermone Flynn) in return, John assures her he gets it.

March 31, 2024 is the last day to watch John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2, and John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum on Netflix.

5 A New Continental Hotel Is Introduced

In every John Wick movie, John goes to another branch of the Continental.

The luxurious and strange world of the Continental Hotel is first seen in New York in John Wick. In Chapter 2, John goes to the Rome Continental. In Chapter 3, the Casablanca Continental; in Chapter 4, the Osaka Continental. Each hotel adds to the world of John Wick, especially since they usually include the introduction of new characters. Sofia is introduced as the manager of Casablanca, and Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada) and his daughter Akira (Rina Sawayama) as the manager and concierge of Osaka, respectively.

4 Helen Wick Has A Presence

Although she has ed away, Helen is always important in the John Wick movies.

The only movie Helen does not appear in is Chapter 3, but she still has sway over John's decisions.

Helen Wick's (Bridget Moynahan) death is the inciting incident of the series, which launches John into a spiral back into the underworld that he cannot escape. John is primarily motivated by wanting to honor his wife's memory, so it is fitting that she often appears in flashbacks, recordings, or visions. The only movie Helen does not appear in is Chapter 3, but she still has sway over John's decisions. She is important to one of the movie's most powerful scenes when Winston asks John "how he wants to die."

3 Charon Is Accommodating

The Continental's concierge is always happy to help.

The punchline of the Continental Hotel is established in the first movie, wherein a hotel that houses assassins is the most posh and respectable establishment imaginable, which offers its guests everything they might need. Leading this is the New York concierge Charon (Lance Reddick), who does things like get John a free car, personally take care of his dog, help him fight an army, and so on. Charon does not have much screen time in Chapter 4, but he reaffirms his loyalty to Winston one last time.

2 John Wick Fights Dozens Of People & Receives Deadly Injuries

John Wick defies death in many impossible battles, getting should-be-fatal injuries.

John Wick defies death time and time again. A staple of the franchise is an antagonist who is committed to eliminating John sending dozens of assailants after him, only for him to kill them all. Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist) begins his fight against John by sending a legion of assassins to his house, a plan that fails spectacularly. The repeated narrative sets up many impossible battles for John to win, elevating his status as the ultimate hitman. Additionally, he is often shot, stabbed, or thrown from a ridiculous height during these scenes, and carries on fighting most of the time.

1 John Wick Says "Yeah"

John Wick has a one-word catchphrase.

A subtle element of the John Wick movies that became more obvious over time is John's typical response to almost any inquiry. His tendency to respond to questions or statements with a gruff "yeah" doesn't stand out as much in the first two movies, when it usually blends in with the rest of the conversation. However, Chapter 3's ending and Chapter 4's beginning make a much bigger deal out of it. This odd recurring bit of dialogue is one of the John Wick franchise's motifs that reinforces the character in an understated way.