John Wick (Keanu Reeves) started a war over a car and a pup with one of his business associates. Being so tough and committed is one of his most redeeming qualities. I’ll say, that this franchise portrays one of the most loyal characters in cinematic history. For some people, there’s no retirement at all, and the same happened with our “Baba Yaga” who brought himself back to killing business despite trying his best to avoid it.
Despite terrible odds, danger, and suffering, there are some brave allies of John who took the trouble to help him, so he could survive in the long run. Various characters, ranging from devoted friends to old allies, help John in different ways throughout the four films in the series. Here’s a look at all the characters who supported John Wick, how they helped him, and why they’re crucial to his story.
All the characters who helped John Wick
Winston – The Manager of the New York Continental
Winston (Ian McShane), highly admired Wick throughout the series. He is the manager of the New York Continental Hotel, a safe haven for assassins where no “business” (means killing) can be conducted. Winston admires John’s skills and respects him as a friend. He helped him many times throughout the series like
- Chapter 1: He helps John by telling him that Losef Tarsov (Alfie Allen) is hiding in the Red Circle (a private club owned by Vigo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist).
- Chapter 2: He helped him to choose a smart way to take revenge on Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) who tried to kill him because of the marker he owned.
Again he helped him in chapter 2 by allowing him to leave Continental after he assassinated Santino on company grounds and afterwards allowing him an extra hour to hide and prepare when John was declared excommunicado. - Chapter 3: He helped him by providing weapons to fight the fine soldiers of High Table.
- Chapter 4: He helps John to amend his ticket and tells him the secret to properly fight Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard) who was appointed by High Table to put his life to an end.
Although their relationship is complicated and Winston sometimes has to make tough choices, his respect and care for John show in his actions.
Speaking of the tough choices he made, at the end of chapter 3, many viewers wonder why Winston shoots John Wick? Was it for personal gain? Well, the thing is he already knew John for years and how tough he is. He helped him escape so he could prepare himself for the war to come, and most of all, he did it to get his hotel back.
which means he played a smart “win-win game”.
Charon – The Faithful Concierge
Charon (Lance Reddick), Winston’s right-hand guy and the concierge at the Continental Hotel. Calm, courteous, and highly skilled, He helps Baba Yaga several times. He even shows his willingness to fight alongside John by joining him in combat inside the Continental in Chapter 3-Parabellum (2019). The whole army was taken down by these two ferocious fighters because they had faith in living and loyalty to each other.
Marcus – The Sniper Friend
Marcus (Willem Dafoe) was an old friend and mentor of Wick. He protects Baba Yaga from a distance in Chapter 1 when he was attacked by Miss Perkins (Adrianne Palicki). He shows that he is prepared to put his life in danger for John by using his sniping abilities, just as he is about to die. His loyalty is unshakable, and his actions remind us that even in a world of betrayal, true friends still exist.
Marcus had a painful ending in Chapter 1 as he tried to save Wick’s life he end up losing his own. He was killed by Vigo, who gave him task to kill John Wick for $2 million. He literally turned down a huge opportunity just for loyalty.
Sofia – The Fierce Dog Lover
In Chapter 3, Parabellum, another old ally was introduced named Sofia (Halle Berry), who was a fierce fighter and absolute dog lover just like Baba Yaga. Sofia is the manager of the Continental Hotel in Casablanca, Morocco. She has a sweet core for her dogs and is fierce and talented. Although she is skeptical at first, she supports John when he needs it and, with her two dogs by her side, participates in a fierce gunfight with him.
She already knew that helping a excommunicado is a punishable act according to High Table, but still she took the trouble only because of the marker owned by John. Maybe, she took the advantage of such consequence or otherwise, she may never have helped him, but still she did what she could do.
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The Bowery King – The Underground Leader
The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburn, rules an underground network of spies in New York. The King operates outside the rules of the High Table and has a kingdom of his own. He provides Wick with important details on his foes in Chapter 2. He forms a closer alliance with Baba Yaga in Chapter 3, giving him the ammunition and encouragement he needs to keep fighting. John finds the King to be a strong ally in his pursuit of justice because of his bravery and support.
King helped wick by giving him 7 bullets, and in return he got 7 cuts as a penalty, declared by “The Adjudicator” (Asia Kate Dillon). Because of this penaly, he got more close to Wick and later on, in chapter 4, he helped him again with new suit and ammunition.
Aurelio – The Loyal Mechanic
Aurelio (John Leguizamo) is a mechanic (bound to the rules of High Table) and an old friend of John’s. In Chapter 1, when he finds out that Losef Tarasov stole John’s car and killed his dog, he doesn’t hesitate to confront Losef. He helped Wick find his car and in Chapter 2, even repaired his car. Although his role is small, his loyalty to John shows that even those on the sidelines want to see him succeed.
Aurelio’s loyalty can be judged by the end of Chapter 3, when he got a bounty message about John Wick’s Excommunicado, he wasn’t seemed happy. On the other hand, every member in New York city wanted a piece of that bounty, afterall, $7 million is a huge amount that can’t be refused easily.
The Director – The Belarusian Mother
The Director (Anjelica Huston) appears in Chapter 3 as the head of an organization that secretly trains assassins, including John when he was young. She plays the role of a mother in John’s life, and when he asks for assistance, she hesitantly offers him a safe passage to Casablanca. Although helping him has consequences for her, she does it out of respect for his past and the connection they have with each other.
Shimazu Koji – The Manager of Japanese Continental
Shimazu Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada) appears in Chapter 4 and is a close friend and the manager of the Osaka Continental. He helps John and shelters him after he gets to Japan. Even if it puts him and his daughter, Akira, in danger, he stops at nothing to keep his friend safe. His commitment and bravery demonstrate how much he respects tradition and friendship.
The most interesting part is, Koji had no marker owned by Wick, still he helped him and compromised his position ending in his own death and deconsecration of Osaka Continental.
Akira – The Loyal Daughter of Koji
Akira (Rina Sawayama) is Koji’s daughter and a skilled fighter herself. In Chapter 4, she assists her father in protecting Mr. Wick within the Osaka Continental. She was wary about the risks of assisting him, but she fought alongside them because she respected John and was loyal to her father. Her involvement shows that their motive is respected and supported even by the following generation.
She only appeared in a single scene where she fought beside her father and Baba Yaga, but the consequences she faced were bad. She could have given up Wick, but she walked away saying that either you kill him, or I will, which is one the best quotes of John Wick Franchise.
Caine – The Blind Assassin Friend
Caine (Donnie Yen) in Chapter 4, is a blind assassin forced by Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont to fight against John. Although they end up on opposite sides, he holds a deep respect for John and regrets fighting against him. Despite being put in a challenging situation, he never really loses his friendship and regard for Wick, as evidenced by his actions toward the end of the movie. Even in combat, they have a bond based on mutual admiration.
Wick’s franchise literally stole the spotlight by bringing some famous and skilled faces in Chapter 4. The most recognizable appearance is made by Donnie Yen as Caine, and without a second thought, we can say that he’s one of the best performers for action thrillers.
Throughout the series, John gets help from various friends and old allies. By fighting with him, lending him resources, or honoring his objective, each character makes a unique contribution to his mission. Their loyalty shows that even in a brutal world of assassins, Baba Yaga has people who believe in him and are willing to help him, despite the risks.
In the end, I’d like to remind, you that even the strongest people need friends. And we have already seen in Wick’s series, how these friends are the reason Mr. Wick overcomes such powerful opponents such as High Table and survives so many challenges.
