WithJohn Wick: Chapter 4beginning production this summer, fans of the series are eager to see what new slate of expertly executed, viciously creative kills are in store for them in the fourth outing. Over the years we’ve seen John Wick (Keanu Reeves) use everything in sight to dispatch countless baddies, including guns, cutlery, his fists, reading material, stationery, and the occasional loyal creature. The man’s lethal ingenuity knows no bounds.
To get fans excited for what’s in store, I have taken it upon myself to comb through every bloody kill in theJohn Wickseries thus far and rank a dozen of the most ingenious kills from across the trilogy. Of course, Wick often goes on quite the intricate spree once he gets wound up, so here I will focus on individual kills and occasional quick sequences of kills that have made audiences scream “Yeah, John! Bring the ruckus!” at screens for years.
With the stage properly set, put on your best bulletproof suit and relive the ingenious chaos of Mr. Wick’s profession.
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12. Through the Wall (John Wick)
After literally digging up his past and suiting up, we were quickly introduced to “The Boogeyman” as he dispatched thugs invading his home. Full of the quick gunplay and headshots that would come to define the series, Wick dishes out one his most clever kills to a thug on the opposite side of a wall, ducking and shooting upwards, avoiding enemy fire while knowing full well his own shots would hit.
11. The Big Man (John Wick: Chapter 2)
A real David vs. Goliath situation, Wick has to take on an assassin played by sumo wrestlerYamamotoyama “Yama” Ryūta. Taking a serious beating, Wick uses his quickness to get the right angles on Yama, dishing out some expertly placed hits in the belly, climbing on top of him to shoot into the neck and then ultimately in the head. Size matters not, indeed.
10. Stranglehold (John Wick)
Find yourself fighting Russian gangsters inside a dilapidated church but can’t get out of your zip-tied handcuffs? Do what John Wick does. Simply perform some acrobatics, stranglehold your captor with some mixed-martial-arts moves, and use those bound hands to your advantage for a sweet choke-kill. Easy peasy.
9. Rope a Dope (John Wick:Chapter 2)
Even when out of bullets Wick is no less deadly, and in this scene he simply chucks his gun at a fool’s head, knocking him down. But some other fools show up before he can get the kill, forcing Wick to get clever by dragging the first goon around as he dispatches the newcomers before finally getting that headshot in the end.
8. Slice & Dice (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum)
Swords made it into John Wick’s arsenal inChapter 3. While escaping a series of blade-wielding baddies on motorcycles, Wick manages to get hold of his own blade and slices and dices while keeping a steady grip on the handlebars. One kill, in particular, was especially effective, wherein Wick slices off one baddie’s arm and sends it into the gears of his own motorcycle, causing the bike to flip and take out several of his friends.
7. Over the Roof (John Wick)
As we all know, Wick is not one to simply assume his foes are dead; he likes to make damn well sure. After plowing into a henchman with his car, Wick fires several bullets through the roof of the vehicle, filling the man with lead as he rolls over the top of the car and onto the ground. Yeah, we think you got him, John.
6. Hall of Mirrors (John Wick: Chapter 2)
A quick kill, but one that is no less clever, Wick uses a hall of mirrors to his advantage by scoping out a henchman’s position in a reflection and firing through one mirror to strike the target directly on the other side. That’s a geometry kill, for ya.
5. Knives Out (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum)
While he undeniably preferes guns, Wick isn’t above using blades to dispatch a few thugs every now and then. But inChapter 3he went full ninja. In a rapid and especially brutal series of kills during an extended escape from a horde of killers, Wick busts open a cabinet of throwing knives and goes to town with one perfect shot after another like he was Legolas.
Wick is a master of all firearms, so when his only option is nothing but an old-timey revolver, well, an old-timey revolver it is. Not only that, he has to literally manufacture the revolver himself from parts of other guns, all while some thugs are hot on his trail. He manages to get the weapon working in time to blast a thug the instant he enters the room.Clint Eastwoodwould be very proud.
3. Reading Lessons (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum)
To us, books are for reading. To Wick, they are also for reading, and occasionally for killing. Taking on a much larger baddie played by Serbian basketball playerBoban Marjanović, Wick uses a thick library book to bash him around, break his jaw, and ultimately crack his neck along the spine. I wonder whether death at Wick’s hands also comes in paperback.
