Summary
- John Wick lets his actions speak for him. His silence adds to his mysterious and captivating persona.
- The John Wick franchise has plenty of great quotes, but not many of them come from the main man.
- The John Wick franchise hangs on Keanu Reeves’ portrayal of the ice-cold protagonist.
Keanu Reeves lets his fists do most of the talking in the John Wick movies, but he still has a few unforgettable quotes. John is a man of few words, which makes him a more mysterious character. The John Wick movies still have lots of great dialogue, but other characters tend to speak more than John. When he does decide to find his voice, it’s almost always worth remembering.
John Wick is the embodiment of a silent antihero. He knows that actions speak louder than words, and he’s powerful enough that he never needs to babble on. John has a captivating aura, and anybody familiar with his work knows that he is worthy of the utmost respect. While the future of the John Wick franchise hangs in the balance, it’s hard to see a way forward without Keanu Reeves’ ice-cold protagonist.
10 “Guns. Lots Of Guns.”
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum Where to Watch
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Director Chad Stahelski Release Date May 17, 2019 Cast Halle Berry , Mark Dacascos , Cecep Arif Rahman , Keanu Reeves , Angelica Huston , Yayan Ruhian , Laurence Fishburne , Jason Mantzoukas , Ian McShane , Asia Kate Dillon , Lance Reddick , Tiger Hu Chen
No quote sums up John Wick’s approach to his work better than this succinct line from Chapter 3 – Parabellum. He’s a man who doesn’t talk unless it’s absolutely necessary. He prefers to let his weapons do the talking for him instead. When Winston asks John what he needs after his privileges are reinstated, he offers a short reply. The message is clear: he has no time to waste.
John is a man who doesn’t talk unless it’s absolutely necessary. He prefers to let his weapons do the talking for him instead
This quote is also a sneaky reference to another one of Keanu Reeves’ best movies. In The Matrix, Reeves’ character Neo says the exact same line when he and Trinity are gearing up for the unforgettable lobby shootout scene. This isn’t the only Matrix reference in the John Wick franchise, but it’s probably the most obvious. Neo, just like John, likes to choose his words wisely.
9 “Evenin’ Jimmy. Noise Complaint?”
John Wick (2014)
John Wick Where to Watch
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Director David Leitch , Chad Stahelski Release Date October 24, 2014 Cast Keanu Reeves , Adrianne Palicki , Willem Dafoe , Bridget Moynahan , Jason Isaacs , Alfie Allen
John Wick isn’t a comedy, but it still has a few surprisingly funny moments. John Wick’s stoic persona makes him a good character for deadpan humor every now and then, and Keanu Reeves’ delivery is always spot-on. When a police officer comes to John’s door to follow up on a noise complaint, John greets him in a way that suggests this is business as usual for the two men.
This small scene is a great piece of worldbuilding, as it shows early on just how commonplace violence is in John’s life.
Presumably, John paid Jimmy off a long time ago, so the cop knows better than to stick his nose into John’s business. It’s still funny to see the casual way that they chit-chat, even though they both know the chaotic violence which has just unfolded in John’s house. This small scene is a great piece of worldbuilding, as it shows early on just how commonplace violence is in John’s life.
8 “Helen…”
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
John Wick: Chapter 4 Where to Watch
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Director Chad Stahelski Release Date March 24, 2023 Cast Hiroyuki Sanada , Clancy Brown , Scott Adkins , Keanu Reeves , Ian McShane , Bill Skarsgard , Laurence Fishburne , Rina Sawayama , Donnie Yen , Lance Reddick , Shamier Anderson
With John’s dying breath, he whispers the name of his wife. This calls back to the beginning of the franchise and John’s violent rampage. Throughout all his deadly fighting, he never loses sight of the woman who inspired him to be better. His fight to stay alive to remember her transforms his entire journey into a romantic march of penitence. John doesn’t know who he is without his violent lifestyle, or at least he didn’t until he had Helen. Without her, he returns to his old ways as his only outlet.
John doesn’t know who he is without his violent lifestyle, or at least he didn’t until he had Helen.
While there are persistent theories that John Wick might have survived the end of Chapter 4, his wife’s name would be the perfect final word if this is his journey’s end. His love for her gives his actions meaning, and this makes John Wick interesting for far more than its jaw-dropping action sequences. The idea that John’s violence is his way of taking vengance on a world that won’t let him grieve is also incredibly poetic.
7 “You And I Left A Good Life Behind A Long Time Ago, My Friend.”
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
Chapter 4 introduces one of John Wick‘s best side characters, Koji Shimazu. Played by Shōgun star Hiroyuki Sanada, Koji is one of John’s old friends who he can rely on. Much like Caine, Sofia and Marcus, Koji shares a mysterious past with John, but it’s clear that they went through hell together. John’s former associates know him better than almost anyone, and they see that he is worth risking their lives for.
John’s nihilistic response suggests that he has given up all hope for a better future, but he must tend to his unfinished business.
Koji delivers some unforgettable quotes during the short amount of time that he spends on-screen. His early conversation with John in the gardens of the Osaka Continental reaffirms his commitment to his friend, but he also gently questions John’s crusade. John and Koji are both staring death in the face, and Koji remarks that there is no such thing as a good death without first living a good life. John’s nihilistic response suggests that he has given up all hope for a better future, but he must tend to his unfinished business.
6 “It Wasn’t Just A Puppy.”
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
When the Director questions the pain that John has put himself through to avenge the death of his puppy, his curt response tells her all she needs to know. The elevator pitch for John Wick does sound a little asinine without context: a man endangers his life to dismantle the Russian mafia after a man kills his puppy. However, in context, the puppy represents John’s hope and his enduring love for his wife.
John’s grief is a huge motivating factor for him, but it rarely gets spelled out so clearly.
John’s grief is a huge motivating factor for him, but it rarely gets spelled out so clearly. Instead, the John Wick movies drop in periodic reminders with devastating effect. John’s rage can be interpreted as either displacement or righteous retribution. It may have all started with his car being stolen and his dog being killed, but these are just symbols of something much more complex that he can never get back.
5 “Tell Them All… Whoever Comes, Whoever It Is… I’ll Kill Them. I’ll Kill Them All.”
John Wick: Chapter 2
John Wick: Chapter 2 Where to Watch
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Director Chad Stahelski Release Date February 10, 2017 Cast John Leguizamo , Ian McShane , Thomas Sadoski , Common , Keanu Reeves , David Patrick Kelly , Lance Reddick , Laurence Fishburne , Ruby Rose , Peter Stormare , Bridget Moynahan
The first John Wick is a great standalone action movie, but Chapter 2 is the movie that ensures the character has an interesting future worth following. The John Wick franchise begins in earnest with the cliffhanger at the end of Chapter 2, when John is declared excommunicado for conducting business on Continental grounds. He has to outrun the assassins as the clock ticks toward his deadline, but he has some final words for Winston.
After trying to seek revenge and get his affairs in order, John realizes that he is too deep into the murky waters of his old life to turn back. His only choice is to keep going.
John’s final words in Chapter 2 set the tone for a tantalizing sequel, and they also sum up where he is on his emotional journey. After trying to seek revenge and get his affairs in order, John realizes that he is too deep into the murky waters of his old life to turn back. His only choice is to keep going, but he has no intention of giving up without a fight. Of course, John stays true to his word.
4 “Victor’s Dead. Everything’s Got A Price.”
John Wick (2014)
Iosef Tarasov doesn’t measure up to any of John Wick‘s villains. The arrogant son of Russian mob boss Viggo Tarasov is John’s target, but he relies on his father’s hired guns to protect him rather than fighting his own battles. He’s an easy character to root against, making John’s revenge mission seem justified. Iosef first antagonizes John when he tries to buy his car. John says it isn’t for sale, and Iosef states that everything has its price. He soon regrets these words when John repeats them back to him later.
John teaches Iosef a lesson in the most brutal way possible that some men can’t be bought.
Iosef was raised by a powerful man, but he never did anything to earn his life of luxury. He believes he can buy anything that he wants to, probably because he has been privileged enough to do just that throughout his entire life. John teaches him a lesson in the most brutal way possible that some men can’t be bought. He flips the meaning of the phrase “Everything’s got a price,” teaching Iosef that his words and actions can cost him dearly.
3 “Consequences.”
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
In the same way that John dispatches Iosef by referencing his arrogance, he kills the Marquis at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4 by reminding him of his hubris. The Marquis is warned multiple times by other characters that his ambition and self-interest could cause his downfall, but he ignores them all. John saves him a speech, choosing just a single word in response to the Marquis reminding John that there are rules.
The only people seemingly beyond reproach are the members of the High Table themselves, including the Marquis. John drags him back down to Earth.
Chapter 4 is all about rules and consequences, but both are governed by the High Table. If anyone rejects the rules that they lay out, then they open themselves up to whatever consequences the High Table sees fit to dole out. The only people seemingly beyond reproach are the members of the High Table themselves, including the Marquis. John drags him back down to Earth before putting a bullet through his head, using the pistol from the barbaric duel that the Marquis himself authorized in accordance with his rigid rules.
2 “The Knife Is In Your Aorta. You Pull It Out, You Will Bleed, And You Will Die. Consider This A Professional Courtesy.”
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
Cassian may be standing in John’s way, but the two assassins develop a mutual respect as they battle it out. Just as he does with Ares and Zero, John takes a moment after defeating Cassian to acknowledge his competitor, but there’s nothing sentimental about it. John’s respect doesn’t extend to compassion, so he makes sure that Cassian has no chance of following him.
John’s stone-cold last words to Cassian remind him that he is only alive thanks to an act of mercy. This is a kindness, but it’s also a subtle put-down.
John’s stone-cold last words to Cassian remind him that he is only alive thanks to an act of mercy. This is a kindness, but it’s also a subtle put-down, as it suggests that John didn’t just defeat Cassian, but that he easily had the means to kill him if he wanted to. In a world teeming with dangerous assassins, John still stands head and shoulders above the rest. However, this quote emphasizes that it’s just work to him.
1 “People Keep Asking If I’m Back, And I Haven’t Really Had An Answer. But Now, Yeah! I’m Thinking I’m Back!”
John Wick (2014)
Since John doesn’t speak very much, it carries a lot of weight when he decides to open his mouth. His confrontation with Viggo Tarasov is probably the most that he talks in any John Wick movie, and it provides a window into his soul. John spells out the importance of his wife’s gift, and how Iosef robbed John of his hope and his ability to grieve with a companion. As he does so, his rage begins rising.
Nobody is more aware of John’s fearsome reputation than Viggo, and John evokes that reputation with this final war cry.
Although John is outnumbered and tied to a chair, he still has the confidence to threaten Viggo. When he says that he’s back, he doesn’t just mean that he can unleash his violent skills, but also that he is reclaiming the quasi-mythical place that he holds in the criminal underworld. Nobody is more aware of John’s fearsome reputation than Viggo, and John evokes that reputation with this final war cry.