Ever since the release of the first John Wick, people have been speculating what other iconic movie heroes the assassin could take on, given that Wick has quickly built up a kill count of literally hundreds. The character is seemingly the most immortal human being ever, as he has survived falls from tall buildings, several fatal bullet wounds, and traveling across the sand dunes of Casablanca without water.
Not only that, but Wick also has some incredible fighting skills, is a gun and knife expert, and he can kill his peers with simple things that can be found in a kid’s school bag. However, if the hitman went up against one of the other Léon is also an extremely skilled assassin, but in completely different ways, and if they went up against each other, Wick’s KO might not be as clear-cut as fans would think.
Léon: Has Mathilda
Though hitmen usually work alone, Léon let his guard down when he took a 12-year-old under girl his wing. Putting aside the fact that teaching a 12-year-old how to murder people in a heartfelt way is absolutely absurd, it comes off as endearing, and Mathilda actually becomes somewhat of an expert in her own right as she helps Léon with his hits.
However, being one of the most sympathetic hitmen is both a blessing and a curse, as it could easily cloud his judgment, and after all, it is what got him murdered at the end of the movie.
John Wick: Has A Whole Network Behind Him
Léon might have Mathilda, but a 12-year-old assassin-in-training doesn’t exactly stack up to the broad network of killers and saboteurs that John Wick has to him. Between the Bowery King and his society of homeless people and underground doctors, Wick has a whole ensemble of helpers.
And, of course, with Winston, one of the best ing characters in the franchise, and the safe haven that is The Continental, Wick can rely on many different people when in need of some recovery time.
Léon: Experience
Though it isn’t exactly clear how old either Léon or John Wick are, both are well seasoned, with Wick even being retired. However, based on the training fans saw in all the movies, Léon is clearly much more experienced, and considering how melancholy and dejected he acts, it seems like he’s seen a lot more in the industry too.
And with decades of being in the business, Léon is an expert with a sniper rifle. Not only that, but Wick doesn’t exactly have the street-smarts that Léon has gained over the years either.
John Wick: Gun-Fu
Not only does Wick outdo Léon with his closet of weapons, as the assassin’s array of weapons will make any professional killer drool, but he knows how to use them too. In reality, Léon is a pretty stiff guy, and there’s no way that he could possibly hold his own when going up against Wick in close quarters.
As Wick expertly mixes martial arts and running-and-gunning into what is known as gun-fu, Léon would be rapidly defeated like he’s no better than one of the bodyguards in the Red Circle nightclub.
Léon: Disguises
There’s no mistaking the title, as the movie’s full name is Léon: The Professional and Léon really is professional. No matter what it takes, he always gets the job done. Unlike John Wick, whose MO is to go in guns blazing, Léon hides in plain sight with his black beanie, shades, and trench-coat, sometimes even using disguises.
The final act of the movie sees Léon literally dress up as a cop to escape a building. Wick might look suave making hits in a tailored suit, but it isn’t exactly as robust as Léon’s disguises.
John Wick: Driven By Emotion
When his dog was murdered in the first movie, John Wick instantly became cinema’s deadliest assassin, immediately putting the likes of Jason Bourne, Ethan Hunt, and even the Terminator to shame.
He murdered literally everyone in his path because one kid killed his dog, and that kind of ion and drive is frightening. Léon never had that kind of drive. However, just like how Léon works with Mathilda, Wick’s emotions could get in the way and hinder his performance.
Léon: His Thought Process
With Wick acting largely on instinct, as he usually doesn’t think before he acts, Léon’s logical thinking works massively in his favor when up against Wick.
Sure, Wick has great hand-to-hand combat and he gets really lucky when wriggling out of some sticky situations, but Léon would have never gotten himself into those situations in the first place. Léon is not just a badass, but he is a thinker too, and the traps that he sets up and the schemes he plots would set Wick back quite a bit.
John Wick: Faster
Léon is in no rush, and given how he is a murderer by trade, one would think he’d try to be a little faster. He moves at a snail’s pace even when he’s in the toughest situations. On the other side of the coin, Wick literally runs from scene to scene. He’s almost faster than lightning and he can outrun anyone chasing him.
Not only is he quick on his feet, but as he’s literally on the run during the whole of the third movie, Wick uses motorbikes and even horses to get around. And though it’s fun to imagine Léon riding a horse, somehow it’s unbelievable that the French assassin has horse-riding skills.
Léon: Doesn’t Hold Back
When one of Léon’s future victims refuses to open the door, totally seeing through Mathilda’s lost child trick, Léon throws a grenade into the apartment, which he hilariously calls “the ring trick.”
John Wick has gone to extreme lengths in the past too, and he isn’t a stranger to grenades either, but Léon literally blew up an entire building at the end of the movie, and the closest Wick has ever come to such an extreme length is a few smashed windows.
John Wick: Creativity
On top of gun-fu, on top of all the knives, and on top of horses, John Wick has quite a creative head on him. In the past he has used a hardback book to break a giant’s neck, a single pencil to kill two men, and he even used a couple of dogs to do his dirty work for him in Parabellum.
Though Léon is creative in his stealth capabilities, give him an everyday utensil and he probably wouldn’t know what to do with it, especially given that he can’t read. Wick’s use of everyday objects could very well be what gives him the edge over Léon.
