Every Major John Wick Character And Where We Saw Them Last

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains massive spoilers for all fourJohn Wick movies. Please stop here if you don’t want anything ruined.

Over the past decade, the John Wick franchise has not only introduced audiences to some of the best action movies in recent memory but also dozens of iconic and memorable characters. Now that John Wick: Chapter 4 has been released, it seems like the perfect time to stop for a moment and take a look back at all the assassins, crime bosses, and mysterious individuals who have come into contact with Keanu Reeves’ out-of-retirement contract killer (as friend, foe, or somewhere in the middle) and where we saw them last.

There are a lot of characters to cover and multiple fates to consider, so let’s jump right into the action and look back on the major players from the groundbreaking 2014 action thriller and its three sequels. 

Winston (Ian McShane)

First Appearance: John Wick
Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 4

We first met Winston, the owner of the New York Continental Hotel in the first film, when the titular assassin first came out of retirement and sought to avenge his dead dog. Not long after being introduced to the rule-obsessed figure, he showed just what happens to those who don’t stick to a code and fall into their animalistic impulses. 

Winston is last seen in Chapter 4 burying Keanu Reeves’ character after the assassin defeated the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont, which allowed him to be reinstated as the manager of the New York Continental. 

The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne)

First Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 2
Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 4

The Bowery King, the mysterious leader of the Soup Kitchen and its vast underworld intelligence network, is introduced in Chapter 2 as an unlikely ally of the titular assassin who provides him with a gun and seven bullets to defend himself.

The character has been a major part of the franchise ever since, and even helped John Wick return from the dead after being shot in Parabellum, before offering even more assistance to his old friend throughout the most recent chapter. He is last seen burying Wick in the final moments of Chapter 4. 

Caine (Donnie Yen)

First Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 4

Caine (Donnie Yen), the blind High Table assassin forced out of retirement to hunt down his old friend, is introduced as a major character in John Wick: Chapter 4. Despite working for the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont to finally secure his freedom from an assassin’s life, the character is far from being one of the ruthless figure’s mindless goons, and is actually quite conflicted about his duties. 

Though an earlier version of the movie’s post-credit scene ended with Caine dying at the hands of a fan-favorite character, the fate of the skilled swordsman is left up in the air by the time the screen finally goes black. 

Akira (Rina Sawayama)

First Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 4

Akira (Rina Sawayama), the concierge and daughter of the Osaka Continental’s manager, quickly became one of the most badass characters in the John Wick universe with her brief yet impactful performance in the franchise’s fourth chapter. Following the siege on the Osaka hotel, where her father was taken down by Caine, the vengeful and injured fighter tells Wick to avenge the death of his friend before departing a subway into the night. Since he fails to carry out the task, Akira sets off on her own revenge story at the conclusion of the film. 

Mr. Nobody/The Tracker (Shamier Anderson)

First Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 4

Mr. Nobody, or The Tracker (Shamier Anderson), is another new character who quickly made an impact in Chapter 4 as the lethal and mysterious bounty hunter who was both targeting Mr. Wick while also serving as his guardian angel in some of the movie’s more intense action sequences. Though we don’t know what’s in store for Mr. Nobody and his trusty dog, chances are we haven’t seen the last of this standout character just yet. 

The Harbinger (Clancy Brown)

First Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 4

We’ve met our fair share of High Table operatives in the past, but few carry as much weight as the Harbinger (Clancy Brown), who essentially steals every scene he’s in from start to finish. The elusive character doesn’t push against the status quo, but he’s more than willing to stand up to the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont and call him out when the High Table’s leader gets a little too big for his britches. He’s last seen granting Wick and Caine their freedom while reinstating Winston at the New York Continental.

The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum

As the central antagonist of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, The Adjudicator spends the movie hot on the tail of the iconic hitman, doing everything in their power to track down the on-the-run killer and hold him accountable for breaking the rules of the High Table. We last see the character after they realize that Wick might not be dead and what this could mean for everyone involved in the disappearance of his body. The character will be a part of The Continental cast, just played by a different actor.
 

The Director (Anjelica Huston)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum

The Director is introduced in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum as the leader of the Ruska Roma crime syndicate who provides Wick with safe passage to Casablanca. This decision, however, would end up bringing great pain to the legendary criminal as both her hands are stabbed by High Table mercenaries for providing the wanted hitman with assistance. The Director is yet another figure from the John Wick universe set to appear in the upcoming Ballerina spinoff movie.
 

Sofia Al-Azwar (Halle Berry)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum

Sofia Al-Azwar makes her first (and for now, only) appearance in Parabellum when she helps Wick get in contact with The Elder deep in the Moroccan desert. The leader of the Continental’s Casablanca hotel wasn’t a part of John Wick: Chapter 4, but Sofia might be getting her own spinoff movie, as reported by Variety. 

Aurelio (John Leguizamo)

First Appearance: John Wick
Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 2

Introduced as one of Wick’s friends in the original film, Aurelio is the owner of a chop shop with connections to The Continental. Showing up briefly in the first two installments, Aurelio is last seen receiving information on his old friend’s bounty along with seemingly every other person with ties to the criminal underworld. Hopefully, one of Wick’s closest allies returns at some point in the future.
 

Abram Tarasov (Peter Stormare)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 2

One of the few people to find themselves in Wick’s path and live to see another day, Abram Tarasov owns the chop shop that came into possession of the hitman’s car, which was stolen by his nephew, Iosef Tarasov. In addition to making a deal with the titular hero in John Wick: Chapter 2, Tarasov also provides a great deal of exposition about the assassin and his tendencies.  

Tick-Tock Man (Jason Mantzoukas)

Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum

The Tick-Tock Man, one of the best Jason Mantzoukas characters, is seen multiple times throughout Parabellum. We first see him teasing John Wick with “Tick-tock, Mr. Wick. Tick-tock” just before the $14 million contract goes live. The Bowery King’s ally is then seen grabbing Wick’s body and transporting him to safety after getting shot and falling from the Continental. He never showed up in Chapter 4.
 

Earl (Tobias Segal)

First Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 2
Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum

Earl, one of the many hitmen to be working undercover as a member of New York’s homeless population, is seen multiple times throughout Chapter 2 and its sequel, providing information and other forms of assistance to the Bowery King.  

The Doctor (Randall Duk Kim)

First Appearance: John Wick
Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum

The Doctor has popped up a couple of times in the John Wick franchise so far. He is introduced in the first film as the Continental doctor who stitches up a wounded Wick. He later appears in Parabellum, where he again provides the assassin with services. But, since he is on the run after being excommunicated, the doctor asks to be shot so the High Table thinks he was forced to provide his services. 

Cassian (Common)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 2

Cassian only appears in John Wick: Chapter 2, but with the way his story ends in the franchise’s second chapter, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him show up again at some point in the future. After Wick takes out Gianna D’Antonio during his hunt for her brother, Cassian begins a crusade to eliminate the legendary hitman through any means necessary. During their epic fight, which ends in a subway car, Wick stabs Cassian and gives him a choice: leave the knife in and possibly survive or pull it out and die. Maybe he’ll show back up one day to finish his business, or become a useful ally in a time of need. 

Characters Who Are Dead Or Presumed Dead

There are a lot of kills in the John Wick franchise. A large portion of that body count consists of random henchmen, bodyguards, and other goons, but some of the series’ most iconic characters have met their maker thanks to Mr. Wick and his allies. Here are the most notable of the bunch…  

John Wick (Keanu Reeves)

First Appearance: John Wick
Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 4

Audiences were introduced to Jardani Jovonovich, a.k.a. John Wick, a.k.a. Baba Yaga, as he finds a new purpose in raising a puppy named Daisy that was a gift from his recently deceased wife, delivered to him on the day of her funeral. Wick’s days of peace and tranquility are short-lived, however, as a group of Russian gangsters break into his home, kill his dog, and steal his car, setting him on a path of vengeance that will set the tone for the rest of the franchise.

We last saw the dog-loving hitman during the John Wick: Chapter 4 ending, when, after finally defeating the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont to secure his freedom, he presumably succumbs to his injuries. The ending was painfully ambiguous, but since he’s believed to have been buried next to his late wife, we’re going to presume he’s dead… for now.  

Charon (Lance Reddick)

First Appearance: John Wick
Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 4 

Charon, the concierge at the Continental Hotel in New York City, was one of the first employees of the hotel and associated assassin society that our hero encountered when he first got back into the game.

A major part of all entries in the franchise, the mysterious Charon was shockingly killed during the opening act of Chapter 4, just after the New York Continental was turned to a pile of bricks and ash. Sadly, Lance Reddick passed away just before the movie’s release, which made the scene even more somber. 

The Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 4

Though he doesn’t have (or at least show) the same skills as some of John Wick’s greatest opponents, there’s still a case to be made for The Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) being one of the top-tier villains in the franchise so far. If you were to take all the antagonists and rank them by unlikability, then the leader of the High Table would definitely be at the very top of that list.

The ruthless and arrogant big bad in John Wick: Chapter 4, is not only introduced in the 2023 action spectacle, he also meets his demise before the credits roll. As much as we would like to see Skarsgård return for future installments, it was so satisfying to see his character eat a bullet after serving up so much death throughout the movie. 

Shimazu Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada)

Though his history with John Wick is never fully divulged in the franchise’s fourth chapter, Shimazu Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada) and the on-the-run assassin have a tight bond. This is based solely on the fact that the manager of the Osaka Continental isn’t all upset that his old friend shows up with the High Table goons not far behind.

Unfortunately, Koji’s time on screen is short-lived, as he is killed in an epic duel with Caine near the conclusion of the intense and extended action sequence, which was honestly one of the best scenes in the entire franchise.

The Elder (Saïd Taghmaoui/George Georgiou)

First Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 4

In John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, The Elder (played by Saïd Taghmaoui), the mysterious and presumed leader of the High Table, gives the titular hero a new suit and a brief moment of safety in exchange for one thing: a demonstration of fealty (his finger). But, when the hunted assassin returns to meet the Elder again in Chapter 4, he discovers that his freedom won’t be restored so easily and that the man he knew has been replaced and seemingly killed. 

Ares (Ruby Rose

First/Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 2

Ares, the silent assassin who gave everyone’s favorite hired gun a run for his money in Chapter 2 was introduced and killed in that film after she had a vicious fight with the former contract killer. There is a case that could be made for Santino D’Antonio’s most vicious bodyguard surviving her encounter with John Wick (especially considering she was stabbed like Cassian), Ares was given no set of choices from the battered hitman. 

Zero (Mark Dacascos)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum

Zero, a lethal assassin who ran a sushi restaurant on the side, was hired by The Adjudicator to take out John Wick in Chapter 3 — Parabellum through any means necessary. After encountering one another multiple times over the course of the movie, Wick finally got the better of Zero and struck him down once and for all, even if the respected and honorable swordsman told his killer he would catch up to him later.

Marcus (Willem Dafoe)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick

Introduced in John Wick, Marcus was one of the recently un-retired hitman’s closest friends and a former mentor who was then hired to take out his protégé for killer Viggo Tarasov’s son. Unbeknownst to his employer, Marcus was actually working to save his friend, not kill him, a decision that ultimately led to his own demise. 

Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick

Iosef Tarasov, the man-child and son of Viggo Tarasov who brought Wick out of retirement, met his maker after crossing paths with the notorious contract killer one too many times. After killing Wick’s dog, stealing his car, and destroying what was left of his peace and serenity, Iosef was more than deserving of the violent death he received. 

Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick

Viggo Tarasov made his first and only appearance in the first installment of the franchise. Wick’s former employer, Viggo, took out a hit on the trained killer in an effort to save his son from an early (yet deserved) death. There was no such luck for the younger Tarasov or anyone protecting him, his father included, and Viggo perished after one final fight with John Wick in the film’s closing minutes.

Ms. Perkins (Adrianne Palicki)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick

Ms. Perkins, a ruthless and accomplished assassin staying at the Continental Hotel in John Wick, found out what happens to those who break the one golden rule. After trying again and again to kill Wick, breaking every rule in the process, including a very important Continental rule, Perkins met her fate after a final meeting with Winston and four gunmen. 

Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 2

Santino D’Antonio was brought into the picture in John Wick: Chapter 2 when the Italian mafioso called in a debt he owes for allowing the titular hitman to retire prior to the events of the first movie. Santino’s way of calling in this debt? Oh, forcing Wick to kill the crime boss’ sister Gianna D’Antonio so that he could lead the Camorra. After everything was said and done and Santino thought he was safe at the Continental Hotel in New York, Wick broke the golden rule and killed him, becoming a marked man in the process.

Gianna D’Antonio (Claudia Gerini)

First/Last Appearance: John Wick: Chapter 2

Gianna D’Antonio was introduced and killed off in Chapter 2 after her brother put a price on her head and forced Wick to complete the task. At first, it looked like Gianna was going to be able to go out on her own terms by slitting her wrists, but Wick opted to shoot her in the head after she lost consciousness. 

These are just the major players from the John Wick franchise to be introduced over the years, and doesn’t account for the likes of Jimmy the police officer, or John Wick’s late wife Helen, from the series’ first entry. With Ballerina on the 2024 movie schedule, the prequel series The Continental coming to Peacock fall 2023, and the prospect of John Wick 5 not off the table, this list will continue to grow in time.