Have you ever thought about just how incredible the supporting cast of the John Wick franchise actually is? That was on my mind a lot this weekend after I left the theater. On Saturday, I took my Dad to see John Wick: Chapter 4, somehow not realizing that the only John Wick he’d ever seen was the original. He didn’t tell me until after the movie, when he peppered me with questions about Caine’s relationship to John, what the Tracker was writing about his notebook, and just about every other character that appeared in the film. It blew his mind a little when I admitted to him, “I have no idea. All of those characters just showed up for the first time, so you saw as much of their backstory as I did.”
That conversation made me realize how special the John Wick characters actually are. Many of them are so lived-in and well-written that someone who isn’t familiar with the previous entries believes they’ve been around the entire time. That’s part of the magic of John Wick! We get glimpses into the lives of these wildly rich, entertaining characters, but never the whole picture. It’s a lot like how these movies approach the entire world of assassins surrounding Keanu Reeves’ character.
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This has been a theme throughout all four John Wick movies. New characters come in for one film at a time, become instant hits with fans, and never show up again. Only John, Winston, Charon, and the Bowery King are recurring characters throughout the franchise. John Leguizamo’s Aurelio is in the first two films. Every other character is one-and-done.
With that in mind, it’s astounding how memorable all of these characters can be. All it takes is a single movie — sometimes only a scene or two — for these characters to leave a lasting impression.
There are so many great characters littered throughout the four John Wick movies, it seemed like a great idea to shine a spotlight on the best of the best. Below, you’ll find a ranking of the 10 best supporting characters in all of John Wick. The only rule for this exercise is that only characters who appear in one film are eligible, so the five mentioned above don’t count. There also won’t be any major spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 4 in here, though a couple of the movie’s characters are discussed.
Let’s dive in…
10. Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen)
Alfie Allen doesn’t get enough credit for just how much he means to the John Wick franchise as a whole. The Game of Thrones alum starred in the first John Wick as the rich daddy’s boy that started it all.
Iosef is the brat who stole John’s car and killed his dog, setting in motion a chain of events that have lasted four entire feature films. This is a character that audiences needed to loathe with their entire souls, enough that they would root for John Wick to ruthlessly murder thousands of goons over the course of a decade. Iosef is that guy, thanks to Allen’s pitch-perfect performance.
9. Killa (Scott Adkins)
A lot of people probably didn’t realize that action movie legend Scott Adkins was in John Wick: Chapter 4 — he’s that unrecognizable in the film.
Adkins, donning a set of gold teeth and a fabricated fat suit, is some chaotic cross between Bond villain Jaws and College Schmidt from New Girl. Killa is an awkward character at first glance, but he’s relentlessly funny and kicks a ton of ass in his lone Chapter 4 scene. It takes a lot to be memorable in a film with so many great supporting characters but Adkins’ Killa leaves his mark.
8. Tick Tock Man (Jason Mantzoukas)
Oh, what could have been. If you’ve ever seen Jason Mantzoukas in anything, you know the kind of chaotic, relentless energy he brings to every single character he plays. He’s genuinely one of the funniest people alive.
Tick Tock Man had the potential to be among Mantzoukas’ most memorable characters — a soldier of the Bowery King’s army whose sole job seemed to be saving John Wick and reminding him of his impending doom. The best elements of both the Mad Hatter and the white rabbit exist within Tick Tock Man, and Mantzoukas was the perfect person to play him. It’s a shame he wasn’t brought back for the fourth movie, so he will largely be remembered for his squandered potential.
7. The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon)
There are many elements of the High Table and the world of assassins in John Wick that remain a mystery, even after four movies. Characters are brought in and introduced with titles fans have never heard before, quickly leaving their mark on the series and adding even more depth to its lore.
Asia Kate Dillon’s Adjudicator marks one of the most ruthless and exciting High Table “officers” we’ve met. The Adjudicator’s job is to clean up messes and pass judgement on behalf of the High Table. They sweep through New York City in Chapter 3, passing judgement on anyone who assisted Mr. Wick, and leaving a trail of blood in their wake.
The Adjudicator goes down as the most terrifying character in John Wick that never actually wielded a weapon.
6. Sofia (Halle Berry)
Halle Berry is easily one of the most high profile guest stars in the entire John Wick franchise. She enters John Wick: Chapter 3 as Sofia, a former friend of the titular gunslinger that has taken over the hotel in Morocco. John has her Marker, forcing her to reluctantly help him in his quest to find the Elder.
Like John, Sofia is a dog-lover, and her two German Shepards make her an even more compelling character than she already is. Berry — having clearly put in the work for her John Wick outing — goes beat for beat with Reeves during their extended action sequences in Chapter 3 and makes it clear she’s as big a badass now as she’s ever been.
Let’s hope we haven’t seen the last of Sofia in the John Wick Universe.
5. Zero (Mark Dacascos)
Whether you know Mark Dacascos from Brotherhood of the Wolf or Iron Chef, chances are you were excited to see him appear in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum.
Zero is one of the funniest adversaries John Wick faces throughout the series. He’s clearly a fan of Wick’s work while also being a more-than-worthy adversary. Their final fight is exceptional, capped by Zero’s brilliant death scene. “I’ll catch up,” is such a delightful last line, followed perfectly by Reeves’ delivery of “No, you won’t.”
4. Tracker (Shamier Anderson)
John Wick: Chapter 4 may have the most impressive collection of new characters in the entire franchise. While Shamier Anderson’s Tracker isn’t the highest Chapter 4 entry on this list (spoiler alert), he’s the one most Wick fans will probably agree they’d like to see anchor a spinoff.
Tracker, also known as Mister Nobody, has an interesting relationship to John Wick throughout Chapter 4. It’s hard to say too much about him without spoiling anything from the movie, but his love for his dog and abilities as a tracker of assassins make him a remarkably memorable character.
It’s also difficult to talk about Mister Nobody without mentioning Anderson’s exceptional performance. On paper, the character is relatively simple, but Anderson brings layers upon layers of complexity and relatability that make you wish he was on screen every time he isn’t.
3. Marcus (Willem Dafoe)
Willem Dafoe helped add credibility to John Wick out of the gate. The action movie famously had trouble finding distribution and Dafoe’s name on the poster likely went a long way when it came to trying to find a buyer.
On-screen, Dafoe’s Marcus helps build the lore of the overall Wick universe, showing that assassins can come in many different ages and sizes, and that they all bring different abilities to the table. His turn to help John Wick is the first time we see the real consequences of crossing those in power in the John Wick franchise. Marcus also establishes that no one is safe in this fictional world.
This is Willem Dafoe we’re talking about. It’s hard not to love everything the man does on-screen.
2. Cassian (Common)
It took until the second John Wick movie for the franchise to introduce the concept that there were others out there that rivaled the titular character’s abilities. In the first movie, he faced impossible odds and killed hordes of men in the process, but at no point was there a character who you believed could reasonably hang with John Wick one-on-one.
John Wick: Chapter 2 challenges that notion with the introduction of Cassian. Cassian is the first of many friends-turned-rivals for John throughout the series. He’s immeasurably cool and relentlessly cunning, with a steely stare that tells you exactly how deadly he is. He could’ve only been played by Common.
Cassian also gets a great ending, though one that isn’t at all definitive. John and Cassian respect one another, so after an incredible game of cat and mouse, John opts to leave Cassian with a choice. He stabs his rival and leaves him on an empty subway, telling him that he can survive if he stops the chase and heads to a hospital. That, unfortunately, is the last we see of Cassian in the series.
1. Caine (Donnie Yen)
The moment Donnie Yen was announced as a cast member for John Wick: Chapter 4, fans of the franchise immediately knew he was going to be a highlight of the entire series. The Ip Man star is a martial arts legend. There may not be anyone alive that’s better at bringing a fight to the screen than Yen. That makes him the perfect adversary for John Wick, a character we have come to believe can literally do anything.
Not to spoil anything about John Wick: Chapter 4, but Yen delivers in every conceivable way, and then some. Caine, a blind assassin, operates at all times like he’s the best in the room and he knows it. It doesn’t take long to understand why. From his sword work to his hand-to-hand abilities, Yen’s Caine is the most complete warrior we’ve seen in the John Wick franchise.
It’s worth noting that Yen is also consistently funny throughout the movie. Yen’s comedic timing has always been the most underrated talent in his repertoire but it’s on full display in John Wick 4. I wouldn’t mind seeing another four movies just about Caine.
