John Wick quickly cemented itself as one of the greatest action movies of all time, but may not exactly be known for its supporting cast of characters, as it is for the franchise’s spectacular action sequences, genius world-building, and a legendary performance by Keanu Reeves. However, John Wick gives audiences a heap of memorable and truly awesome characters. Most of the characters in the franchise are very skilled, deadly assassins, who have a history or are simply fans of John Wick. But with the expansive assassin underworld, John Wick introduces us to some incredibly cool, suave, and interesting characters who aren’t assassins. So, put on your suit and get ready for revenge, as we rank the best characters in this spectacular action franchise.
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9 Aurelio
Lionsgate
Aurelio is a character who hasn’t had a lot of screen time in the franchise, with his brief appearance in the first movie and his cameo in the second. But with John Leguizamo starring in the role, we cannot help but get excited every time we see Aurelio pop up in the franchise. Aurelio is a mechanic in the John Wick universe, part of the assassin underworld, and a close friend to John Wick. He’s fixed up John’s car many times. John Leguizamo effortlessly makes Aurelio an incredibly cool character, and although he isn’t an assassin, his friendship with John and status within the mechanic empire make Aurelio stand out among a cast of skilled assassins. We haven’t seen him since John Wick: Chapter 2, but we can hope he will make an appearance in John Wick: Chapter 4.
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8 Marcus
Willam Dafoe is always a delight to watch on screen, whether he is an over-the-top comic book villain, or a lighthouse keeper who loses his mind. Here is no different; Marcus is a little more of a grounded character compared to Dafoe’s usual work, but it is no less entertaining. Marcus prefers to use a sniper rifle, which he is very skilled at and makes his character stand out to most assassins in the John Wick universe. Marcus, an assassin and friend of John Wick, is hired by Vigo to kill John before he can kill Vigo’s son. However, with Marcus’ connection and friendship to John, Marcus helps John on his revenge spree, which unfortunately led to Marcus’ devastating death.
7 The Bowery King
There are numerous moments in the John Wick movies that will make your jaw drop and have you screaming in excitement, and one of them is the introduction of the Bowery King. Mostly because it’s a brilliant reunion of Keanu Reeves and Lawrence Fishburne after the time spent together in The Matrix movies. But the Bowery King is also an interesting and intriguing character, which is elevated by Fishburne’s over-the-top and spectacular performance in the role.
The Bowery King is the king of another assassin underground, which uses homeless people and pigeons to gain information on pretty much everything. John Wick already has a compelling assassin underground, but the world only expands and deepens when the Bowery King and his empire is introduced. The Bowery King and John Wick are set to team-up against the high table in John Wick: Chapter 4 and it’s going to be awesome.
6 Sofia
Sofia was written specifically for Halle Berry, as she asked the producers to be in the movie before the script was even written, and Berry did not disappoint. Halle Berry delivered believable physicality, executing the beautiful choreography and gracefully dispatching her enemies with countless headshots. But most impressive of all, we finally see some dog action in a series so heavily centered around man’s best friend, as Sofia’s two dogs wreak havoc upon their enemies. Sofia proved that she is one of the deadliest and most unique assassins in the John Wick universe in one of the best action scenes in the franchise. Halle Berry recently stated that she may not be in John Wick: Chapter 4, but she is reportedly set to star in a spin-off series.
5 Zero
As a massive fan of John Wick, Zero just beams with delight and excitement that he gets to fight with his role model. This excitement is infectious as Zero’s overconfidence and giddiness makes all of his fight scenes that much more exciting. Played by Mark Dacascos, a very talented martial artist who gives it his all in this role. He showed audiences his ferociousness and skill as a martial artist, and as a deadly assassin in the world of John Wick.
In addition to Zero being an incredibly deadly assassin, he also comes with an army of very deadly and efficient Shinobi. The Shinobi prove to be very deadly, at least before John defeats them all with their own weapons. When facing off against “The Babayaga”, Zero gleefully fanboys over John Wick, showing off to his role model, which ultimately leads to his death.
4 Winston
Ian McShane brings a cool and effortless suave to the role; so much so that we couldn’t see anyone else as the hotel manager of the New York Continental. Winston is one of the many characters John has an alliance and a friendship with, and ever since his first appearance, we immediately fell in love with him. McShane is responsible for many awesome moments, and more specifically, the best speeches throughout the course of the franchise, which helped elevate his character and made him instantly iconic. Even though Winston isn’t an assassin, nor have we yet seen him in action, he is a great character.
The manager of the New York Continental, (a safe haven for assassins) has proved a great friend to John, and has helped him on many occasions. So much so that John helped defend his kingdom from the High Table, up until Winston shot John. Whether he did this to protect John or himself isn’t confirmed yet. However, we can assume that it’s the former.
3 Charon
Summit Entertainment, Lionsgate Films Releasing
A concierge, a talented gunman, and a reliable dog sitter, Charon is one of the sweetest and also deadly characters in the John Wick universe. Charon serves as the trusty concierge at the New York Continental Hotel, serving to John’s every need, so much so that he even offers to look after John’s dog, which only makes us love his character that much more. All this before he demonstrates his gun efficiency when the Continental he swore to protect comes under attack. Lance Reddick brings an undeniable suaveness, kindness, and comedic timing to the role to make Charon one of the best characters in the franchise.
2 Cassian
Cassian is a very deadly assassin and old friend to John, who has since sworn to protect Gianna D’Antonio, sister to Santino D’Antonio. Until John was hired to assassinate Gianna, which pitted the old friends against one another in two brilliant fight scenes. Common brings his all and sells us on how efficient Cassian is as an assassin. Showing brutal choreography and a savage fighting style, Cassian is one of the few assassins to actually prove a challenge and a worthy opponent to John Wick. The last time we saw Cassian, John plunged a knife into his chest. However, he wasn’t dead, and we can only hope to see him return to the franchise once more to team up with John.
1 John Wick
John is not only the best character in the trilogy, but one of the best and coolest assassins in the action genre. Keanu is exceptional as John Wick, performing all the action himself, making Reeves the real life John Wick. John Wick is one of the most lethal assassins of all time, delivering countless headshots and efficient kills, while reloading and killing three guys in a bar with a pencil. Sporting a black suit and ready to shoot goons in the head, John is the most feared assassin in the franchise. Through his name alone, he strikes fear through even the toughest of assassins. To others, yes, he is more than just feared, but to us, John is a likable and somewhat relatable character, with a tragic backstory before exacting his deadly revenge.
