What sets John Wick apart from most action movie franchises – besides its top-notch action choreography – is memorable dialogue and an assortment of incredible one-liners. Throughout the course of the last three films, Wick and his fellow characters have fired off just as many quips as they have bullets, with equal lethality.
Whether it’s John dropping a quote about returning to the life of an assassin, or a mentor figure giving him advice that he’ll probably never listen to, there’s no shortage of excellent lines that will continue to represent John Wick as a franchise. It remains to be seen if the upcoming fourth film will be able to keep pace.
Updated on April 7th, 2022 by Derek Draven: John Wick 4 is currently in production, which means its titular assassin isn’t quite done littering the streets with the bodies of bad guys. It remains to be seen how his story plays out, especially given the events of the third film. In the meantime, fans can look back on the first three movies in the franchise, and appreciate all the hard-hitting, funny, and cheer-worthy quotes therein. There’s bound to be more when the next film comes out.
Aurelio Breaking The Bad News
[Aurelio] “…He Stole John Wick’s Car, Sir, And, Uhhh… Killed His Dog.” [Viggo] “…Oh.”
Viggo Tarasov was one of John Wick’s most intelligent criminals, and he was plenty upset when he learned that Aurelio had struck him for messing with John Wick. However, he didn’t know the full story, and Aurelio was reluctant to tell him. He uttered this quote, which gave Tarasov reason to pause, before simply responding “…oh.”
It was a pivotal moment for the audience, as it showed that even a guy as violent and powerful as Viggo Tarasov was terrified of “The Baba-Yaga.” Neither he, his son, nor his organization would survive the fury yet to come from the former assassin, who had decided to get back into the business.
The Boogeyman Legend
“Well, John Wasn’t Exactly ‘The Boogeyman.’ He Was The One You Sent To Kill The F****** Boogeyman.”
Michael Nyqvist pulled off a strong first appearance in John Wick as Russian Mafia boss Viggo Tarasov, who made for perhaps the most interesting action movie villain in recent years. Viggo was acutely aware of just how lethal John Wick was, and when his unruly son Iosef stole his car, broke into his house and murdered his dog, it shifted their dynamic.
Viggo had suddenly found himself on the wrong side of Wick, and that meant his son was a dead man walking. When Iosef asked what the big deal was about one guy, Viggo angrily provided him with John Wick’s legendary backstory, just to drive home how much trouble he was in.
Being Civil In An Uncivil Line Of Work
“Do I Look Civilized To You?”
Viggo Tarasov was stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, he was staring down the barrel of John Wick’s fiery and unrelenting rage. On the other hand, that rage was also directed at his son Iosef, and he couldn’t just sit back and allow him to be murdered.
He chose to try and protect his son, and take out John Wick in the process. It would prove to be his undoing when the two finally came to blows. Tarasov regretted their fight, reminding him that they’d once been professional and civilized men. Wick replied with this quote, before beating him down.
The Ultimate Ultimatum
“You Want A War? Or Do You Wanna’ Just Give Me A Gun?”
John Wick was plenty angry at Santino D’Antonio, and his quest for payback would eventually lead those in their shared circle to either join in or stay very, very clear of the gunfire. That meant Wick would have to establish some ground rules when it came to The Continental, and those operating within it.
The objective was simple, and John knew what was at stake. They could either hand him a gun or end up getting shot by one. Unfortunately, John would later take it too far, and create a whole new mess of problems that would find him running for his life. By contrast, it proved why John Wick was one of Keanu Reeves’ best action movies, along with its sequels.
Tall Assassin Tales
“I Once Saw Him Kill Three Men In A Bar With A Pencil. With A F******ing Pencil!”
To reinforce the fact that John was formidable and way above their expertise, Viggo also had to regale his son with tales of the “Baba Yaga’s” most resourceful murder. Apparently, what attracted Viggo to John was when he once saw him kill three men in a bar with nothing but a pencil.
It might have seemed like an exaggerated tall tale, but audiences got to see it first-hand later on when John picked up a pencil and dispatched his would-be killer. To John, anything was a weapon, and that was sometimes out of desperation, as opposed to a sadistic imagination.
John’s Understanding Friendly Neighborhood Policeman
“Evening, Jimmy. Noise Complaint?”
John Wick might have been one of 2014’s most influential action movies, but the scene between John and local police officer Jimmy was a comedic highlight. After John had just murdered a bunch of thugs in his home, the police had been called over a “noise complaint.”
The two men clearly had a working relationship, as evidenced when Wick asked Jimmy this question. All he asked was whether John was working again, which meant there was more to this relationship-by-convenience than met the eye.
Mercy For Cassian
“The Knife Is In Your Aorta. You Pull It Out, You Will Bleed, And You Will Die. Consider This A Professional Courtesy.”
Under normal circumstances, John and Cassian were two assassins who held mutual respect for one another. However, when Cassian came to believe that John was responsible for murdering his charge, he set out on a quest of bloody vengeance.
The two eventually squared off on a subway train where Wick jammed a knife directly into his aorta but refused to kill him outright. He still had huge respect for Cassian, even if the sentiment wasn’t reciprocated. This act of mercy could see Cassian make a return in John Wick 4.
Trying To Bribe The Baba-Yaga
“Everything’s Got A Price.”
Iosef’s dread over John Wick wasn’t actually established completely until he heard this very line from the Baba Yaga himself. The scary part for Iosef is that he heard John say that line to him through his best friend’s phone, and it most likely meant that his friend was no longer breathing.
Even more terrifying for Iosef was the fact that this was one of the first few lines Iosef said to John, regarding his coveted vintage ’69 Ford Mustang. It would later come back to haunt him in a big way, with John’s relentless pursuit never stopping, even for a breather.
A Terrifying Prophecy
“You Stabbed The Devil In The Back! To Him, This Isn’t Vengeance – This Is Justice.”
John Wick 2 represented a classic metaphorical exchange between Winston and Santino D’Antonio over the latter’s betrayal of John Wick. Santino used the leverage of assassin tradition to force him to kill his sister, so he could rise up to the ranks of the High Table.
Winston, of course, was aware of Santino’s intentions all along. He knew that Santino was going to betray John, so he imparted these haunting words of wisdom to the backstabbing mob boss, who somehow forgot who John Wick was for a moment. He’d live to regret it, but not for long.
The Bowery King’s Jab
[The Bowery King] “The Man, The Myth, The Legend! John Wick! You’re Not Very Good At Retiring.” [John] “I’m Working On It.”
John might have blamed his return to the dark assassin’s underworld on grief and vengeance, but he was pulled back in nonetheless. This line was uttered by The Bowery King upon his first introduction to the franchise, and clearly, the two shared a bit of history.
These words marked the Bowery King and John’s reunion after a rather bloody “acquaintanceship,” where John apparently sliced open his throat, yet allowed him to live as a sign of professional courtesy. They’ve since decided to team up for the events of John Wick 4, which is in production.
John Missing His Mark
“Rusty, I Guess.”
John Wick may perform a series of unrealistic feats and takes even knocks to kill even seasoned special ops military men, but he’s not perfect, and not every shot he fires hits the target. Obviously, he is still very good, but that element of slight doubt in the original is really what won audiences over.
That is most clear when he gets captured by the Russian mob, who begin torturing him until he is saved by Winston. He questions how John got into that particular situation, and his frank, honest answer sums up his character perfectly, without any ego.
A Grisly Proclamation
“Whoever Comes, Whoever It Is, I’ll Kill Them! I’ll Kill Them All!”
This was John Wick at his most vulnerable. He said this quote at the end of John Wick 2, after being labeled “excommunicado” for killing Santino D’Antonio on The Continental grounds. Yet, despite his hopeless disposition, John still managed to muster enough will for this promise.
Moreover, he said this to Winston both as a warning, and as a reassurance to the closest thing he had to a father figure. Strong words, considering he would go up against every single professional assassin in the world. Turns out, he came quite close to killing them all, given the number of bodies he left on the streets in the third film.
Winston’s Optimistic Odds
“A Fourteen Million Dollar Bounty On His Head, And Every Interested Party In The City Wants A Piece Of It. I’d Say The Odds Are About Even.”
Winston was forced reluctantly to place a $14 million dollar price on John Wick for breaking The Continental’s sacred no-kill law, but he did give him an hour to prepare for the oncoming storm. Winston shared this exchange with his hotel concierge, Charon.
While Charon hoped that John would make it out safely, he asked whether Winston also expected Wick to survive the onslaught, to which the old man replied those reassuring words. It would take a bounty of such magnitude to show what it would take for John to experience a true challenge.
John’s Monetary Philosophy
[Ernest] “$14 Million Is A Lot Of Money.” [John] “Not If You Can’t Spend It.”
One of the assassins that went after John Wick was Ernest, whom he shared something resembling a friendship with. Ernest decided to cheat the system by going after John before his grace period was up, telling John that nobody would be able to tell the difference either way.
The two shared this quote exchange before Ernest attacked him in a library. The fight was brutal, especially given the fact that Ernest was twice John’s size. Nevertheless, he met his end when John broke his neck over the top of a standing book.
Charon & John Reunite
“How Good To See You Again So Soon, Mr. Wick.”
After such a long time out of the assassin biz, Charon was pleased to see John Wick make a reappearance. It would become the first of many, with John moving in and out of the Continental in order to get intel and resupply, at least until he broke the hotel’s no-kill rule.
Charon is a brilliant supporting character that is a true scene-stealer when he does appear. He is calm, collected, and to the point, which makes audiences listen carefully to whatever he has to say. This particular quote best sums up his relationship with John, based on respect, with just a slight hint of sarcasm.
“It Wasn’t Just A Puppy.”
John had something of an adoptive mother who called herself “The Director of Ruska Roma,” also known as Russian Gypsies. As soon as he was excommunicated, John sought The Director’s help in an effort to shed the price tag on his head, and regain something of a normal life.
Unsurprisingly, The Director was aware of the trouble that John got himself into and believed it to be over the theft of a car, and the death of a dog. John was quick to correct her with this quote, and it was true. His puppy was the last gift from his deceased wife, whom he shared a deep bond with. It was one of the most unmistakable of John Wick’s character traits.
John Makes His Return Official
“You Wanted Me Back. I’m Back!”
When audiences were first introduced to John Wick, they weren’t sure what to make of him, as he didn’t seem to be much of a cold-blooded killer. It’s only later that they got to see him in action, and finally understood the man that had so many bad guys on edge, for so long.
This famous quote best summed up John’s return to the life he tried so hard to escape. It would soon land him in a ton of hot water, but this proclamation was a message to his enemies that he had returned, and was up to full strength. Heaven help anyone who stands in his way.
A Nod To The Matrix
“Guns. Lots Of Guns.”
John Wick 3: Parabellum featured a quote that paid homage to another of Keanu Reeves’ best movies – The Matrix. The quote came from the first Matrix film when Neo and Trinity were preparing to assault a high-rise stronghold where their mentor Morpheus was being held captive.
In a similar situation, John Wick was preparing for the coming onslaught of the High Table, after having betrayed them for Winston’s life. Winston asked John what he needed in order to survive and thwart the High Table’s rage, though the answer was obvious.
Winston In Latin
“‘Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum.’ If You Want Peace, Prepare For War!”
Winston, John, and Charon were busy preparing for the High Table’s assault in the third John Wick film and were forced to make an improvised fortress out of The Continental. John and Charon prepared for the onslaught, while Winston acted as the King on the chessboard, uttering this Latin classic.
It was also a symbolic quote for John’s plight throughout the entirety of all three movies. His quest for peace meant that he’d have to wage war to achieve it, but the question was whether John would end up attaining his goal or merely laying the tracks for more violence and bloodshed in his future.