Spoiler Warning: John Wick: Chapter 4 With the recent success of Chad Stahelski’s John Wick: Chapter 4 and rumors of continued media in the franchise already making headlines, it’s safe to say fans of the Keanu Reeves-led action series can expect to see more from The Continental and its wild cast of characters soon. Beautifully choreographed stunts and action sequences, lush cinematography, and meticulous world-building all contributed to the success and admiration of the franchise through its nearly decade-long run. What started as a man out for revenge for the murder of his dog and theft of his 1969 Ford Mustang is now grossing close to $1 dollars worldwide. The John Wick franchise has come a long way.
As fans of John Wick know, Wick was a dangerous and competent assassin. Possessing Terminator-level accuracy with any firearm, hand-to-hand combat skills that would make Chuck Norris blush, and enough willpower to relentlessly frustrate his opponents, John Wick has firmly cemented his status as one of pop culture’s most formidable assassins in recent memory. However, despite Wick’s legendary status, he isn’t the only onscreen hired gun to leave a lasting impression on cinema lovers with his handiwork, and this list will prove it.
Despite Chapter 4 finally sending the almost unstoppable John Wick to an early grave, we’ve still compiled a list of on-screen assassins who could have given the Baba Yaga a run for his money if they were to cross paths.
20 Jef Costello, Le Samouraï (1967)
Donning a sandy brown trench coat, fedora, and white gloves, Le Samouraï’s Jef Costello looks more like Inspector Gadget than a hired hand. Not to be fooled by his modest attire, Costello is considered one of the most influential hired guns in the neo-noir and crime genres. Cool, calm, and collected, Jean-Pierre Melville’s Costello is quite possibly the quintessential onscreen depiction of the cool hitman-for-hire archetype, having influenced many of the entrants on this list.
Whereas Wick’s approach to dispatching foes is more straightforward and action-packed, Costello’s style is patiently stalking his prey like an apex predator. If these two hired hands ever ended up on each other’s hit list, it would be fun to see how Wick would adapt his style to match Costello’s. Would he become privy to Costello tracking him down and ultimately setting a trap for him, or would he succumb to the French assassin’s careful planning?
19 Ah Jong, The Killer (1989)
Flashy gunplay, histrionic plot points, and cool guys smoking cigarettes helped define what made John Woo’s The Killer a pivotal film in the heroic bloodshed genre. Ah Jong, the film’s protagonist, is hired by the triads to eliminate some of the gang’s rivals. A little too good at his job, the hitman wipes out the rival gang members and accidentally blinds Jennie, an innocent bystander in the shootout.
Despite wanting to leave the life of crime, Ah Jong decides to take on one last job, so he can pay for Jennie’s eye surgery. This act of kindness causes Jong to cross paths with Detective Li Ying, and the two soon engage in a cat-and-mouse throughout the film.
Despite being on opposite sides of the law, Detective Ying becomes obsessed with Jong’s moral code and eventually teams up with him to take down a prominent crime boss. Mistaking Jong’s sympathy for Jennie as a weakness would be a fatal mistake, as he’s still a capable and dangerous man. Although his weapons of choice are the Beretta 92F and Taurus PT92, Jong utilizes various other weapons such as shotguns, submachine guns, rifles, and even improvised explosives to dispatch his foes. Even if Wick is partial to Jong’s moral sensibilities, he would still have to survive an onslaught of bullets from the various guns in Jong’s repertoire if he crossed him.
18 El Mariachi, The Mexico Trilogy (1992, 1995, 2003)
Robert Rodriguez’s 1992 debut El Mariachi introduced audiences to one of the filmmaker’s most notable characters, El Mariachi, who was portrayed by Mexican actor Carlos Gallardo. However, the director’s 1995 sequel Desperado showed audiences what a more experienced El Mariachi is capable of. This time El Mariachi is played by the always-awesome Antonio Banderas, and in addition to the new actor’s portrayal, El Mariachi also has a new bag of tricks.
As established in the film’s predecessor, El Mariachi accidentally goes toe-to-toe with the Mexican cartel after they mistake him for one of their rivals. One of the things that makes El Mariachi effective as a hired hand is his ability to navigate Mexico with relative ease. As the title suggests, El Mariachi is a guitar player in a mariachi band, and he’s seldom in one place for too long.
Moreover, he and his bandmates often conceal their weapons inside their guitar cases, catching foes off guard and earning a preemptive strike in battle. In fact, some of El Mariachi’s partners in crime have concealed rocket launchers and flamethrowers in their guitar cases. If Wick were to have a drink at any bars in Mexico, he’d be wise to keep a watchful eye on any of the mariachi bands performing.
17 Léon, Léon: The Professional(1994)
Luc Besson’s mid-nineties action-thriller Léon: The Professional is a cult classic among cinephiles. The film features a brilliant performance by Moroccan actor Jean Reno in the titular role of Léon, a terrifying performance by Academy Award winner Gary Oldman, and a surprisingly mature offering from an adolescent Natalie Portman. The film follows an unlikely friendship between hitman Léon and a twelve-year-old girl named Mathilda.
One of Léon’s greatest strengths is his ability to think on his feet. As seen on multiple occasions throughout the film, Léon will use household items as makeshift weapons, hide in the least expected places before eliminating a target, and even assume the identity of someone else to hide behind enemy lines, as seen in the film’s conclusion. Knowing Léon, we wouldn’t put it past him to impersonate someone in the Continental to get a clear shot on Wick. Talk about keeping one’s friends close and enemies even closer.
16 Wong Chi-Ming (Killer), Fallen Angels (1995)
The follow-up film to Wong Kar Wai’s beloved 1994 romantic crime-drama Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, also tells two stories in one. The first story focuses on contract killer Wong Chi-Ming and his desire to quit his line of work, and the second explores the relationship between a lonely woman and a mute ex-convict.
Unlike the previous assassins on this list, Wong Chi-Ming’s style of execution isn’t as refined. Interestingly, he doesn’t care if he lives or dies, and thus one could argue he’s rather sloppy for a professional hitman. Despite his carelessness, Wong gets the job done most of the time as his assistant sets up his contracts and ensures they go smoothly for him. Engaging alone in shootouts with multiple targets, Wong meets his demise at the end of his story. However, there is a chance he could catch Wick off guard with his head-on strategy and secure a kill effortlessly.
15 Ghost Dog, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai(1999)
Jim Jarmusch’s 1999 film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is one of the most unique entries on our list. The martial arts crime thriller follows Forrest Whittaker in the titular role of Ghost Dog, a professional cleaner who performs hits for the Italian Mafia after being saved by one of its members when he was a young man. Whereas most of the assassins on this list follow a strict code akin to sparing civilians, Ghost Dog’s code is lifted from the Hagakure, an ancient Japanese way of life.
Despite Ghost Dog’s strict adherence to the Hagakure and reclusive nature, he’s intelligent and crafty. Stealthier than Solid Snake and Tom Clancy combined, Ghost Dog utilizes multiple silenced artillery to dispatch his enemies before leaving the scene undetected. On the rare occasion when Ghost Dog has to engage a target at close range, his imposing frame and martial arts abilities allow him to dispatch his targets swiftly. Whether up close and personal or a long-range affair, we’re willing to bet a fight between Dog and Wick would undoubtedly be one of Wick’s biggest challenges.
14 The MacManus Twins, The Boondock Saints (1999) and The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009)
Boston, Massachusetts vigilantes, and fraternal twin brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus are on a mission from God to rid the city of "wicked men" in Troy Duffy’s 1999 debut, The Boondock Saints. After a lackluster response from enforcement regarding the Russian mafia, the MacManus twins decide to take them on and eventually become street heroes in the Irish community. Even though the twins cripple the Russian mafia’s influence in Boston practically single-handedly, they’re prone to petty arguments and debates.
Connor prefers to complete hits carefully and methodically, whereas Murphy typically proposes a guns-blazing approach to eliminating targets. These conflicting strategies often complicate jobs involving multiple targets, but in the case of Wick, it could be beneficial for the brothers. They could spend time tracking Wick’s movements and learning his routine before possibly catching him off guard and eliminating him. Or they could get into one of their arguments and miss the mark completely.
13 Omar Little, The Wire (2002-2008)
David Simon’s criminally underrated crime drama series The Wire is one of the finest American television shows to grace our television screens. Along with critically acclaimed shows like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones, The Wire is typically in most people’s Mount Rushmore of great television. Revered for its uncompromising tone and atmosphere, well-written characters, analytical musings about America’s criminal-justice and educational institutions, and unique approach to the police procedural, The Wire is still held in high esteem by many today.
The show nearly ran for six years and endeared audiences to many characters. Of Baltimore’s finest, stick-up man and fan-favorite Omar Little truly shines. Played brilliantly by the late Michael K. Williams, the shotgun-toting, children’s nursery rhyme whistling Baltimore native was beloved for his witty banter, clever thinking, marksmanship, and, most importantly, his strict adherence to a code of honor.
Despite Omar’s reputation as a street legend, he never harmed innocent people, only exacting his vengeance on people "in the game." If Wick ever had a contract in Baltimore, Maryland, and heard whistling or someone shouting, "Omar comin'," he’d be wise to take cover. That, or the Baba Yaga would do best not to miss his shot when coming for the king.
12 Frank Martin, The Transporter Trilogy (2002, 2005, 2008)
"Never change the deal, no names, never open the package." Those are the rules that former spec ops soldier turned professional driver Frank Martin usually adheres to in The Transporter franchise. However, after a botched job, Martin goes the extra mile to protect a young woman from human traffickers.
In addition to his martial arts skills and adeptness with firearms, Martin is an exceptional driver. His ability to navigate various models of luxury sedans in and around any given terrain is second almost to none. Considering Wick’s skill behind the wheel, the two professionals would likely engage in a death race of the sorts as opposed to a standard shootout or fistfight.
11 Jason Bourne, The Bourne Franchise (2002-2016)
The action-thriller series based on the Robert Ludlum novels are beloved by many worldwide. Espionage, conspiracy, and high-octane action scenes typically pop into people’s minds when discussing the Bourne franchise, but Matt Damon’s performance as the titular Jason Bourne is what we’ll likely remember best. Going against type as the boy next door, Damon rivets as Bourne, a man with retrograde amnesia trying to uncover why so many dangerous people and organizations want him dead.
Highly capable and very dangerous, Bourne would perhaps be another one of Wick’s biggest challenges. Skilled with virtually any firearm, proficient in various martial arts, and an expert navigator, Jason Bourne could threaten John Wick both near and far. We all remember the infamous story about John Wick dispatching three men with a pencil in a bar, but what about Jason Bourne’s ability to neutralize an armed man with a rolled-up newspaper? Surely these two would try to kill each other by utilizing any and everything in sight if they ever met on the battlefield.
10 Beatrix Kiddo (The Bride), Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2(2003, 2004)
Perhaps one of Quentin Tarantino’s most recognized characters, Beatrix Kiddo (aka The Bride), is more than just a pretty face in Kill Bill. Played by Tarantino regular Uma Thurman in a career-defining role, Kiddo captivated audiences because she was far more than just a highly skilled assassin. The Bride was also a mother scorned, and many viewers could relate to her fury over being left for dead. True to Tarantino’s ability as one of the best screenwriters of his generation, he made audiences empathize with someone we would otherwise write off as a generic, Terminator-esque killer if written by a less capable talent.
In the case of The Bride versus John Wick, their battle would be very contentious. As seen in Kill Bill:Volume 1, Kiddo could defeat multiple opponents, eighty-eight to be exact, and expertly eliminate a single opponent. Whether The Bride opts to use her iconic katana crafted by the legendary swordsmith Hattori Hanzō or Pai Mei’s deadly Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique, Wick would have to bring his A-game in a fight to the death with the blonde assassin.
9 Vincent, Collateral (2004)
Paramount Pictures
Michael Mann’s 2004 neo-noir action thriller Collateral is an underrated gem. An engaging story about chance and the unpredictable nature of life, Collateral stunned audiences with cinematography that perfectly emulated the nightlife in Los Angeles and a brilliantly intense performance by one of Hollywood’s finest actors working today, Tom Cruise. Cruise portrays the enigmatic hitman who introduces himself as Vincent, and from the moment he enters the film, he steals the show.
As seen early in the film, Vincent quickly dispatches a couple of gang members in a way that makes audiences ponder if he’s had military training. Additionally, another one of Vincent’s greatest strengths is his persistence and sheer willpower. At the film’s conclusion, Vincent pursues the hapless Max, wonderfully played by Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx, in a tense subway chase. Despite having incurred damage before and during the pursuit, Vincent is relentless in chasing Max down. If Vincent and Wick got into a fight, we think it would be a battle of wits and determination more than a battle of brawn.
8 Agent 47, Hitman (2007, 2015)
Only known as Agent 47, the bald assassin is quite possibly the quintessential fictional hitman. Known more for the video game series, Timothy Olyphant and Rupert Friend portrayed the well-dressed cleaner in two live-action Hitman films. Trained by the Organization since he was a child, 47 is one of the best hitmen and thus performs his hits on a global scale.
Precise, stealthy, and intelligent, 47 can blend in with any environment, outsmart nearly any opponent, and is an expert with firearms. Considering John Wick was also trained to be an assassin since he was a child, this is probably the only entrant on our list that could bring Wick to a stalemate if their paths ever crossed.
7 Anton Chigurgh, No Country for Old Men (2007)
Joel and Ethan Coen’s 2007 Academy Award-winning neo-western No Country for Old Men was an instant classic upon release. Critically acclaimed, audiences and critics admired the film for the many themes it explored, its subversive take on the Western genre, and Javier Bardem’s star-making performance as the unstoppable Anton Chigurh. Whether it was something as simple as a coin toss or conversing with a senior citizen stranded on the road, Chigurh was profoundly terrifying throughout the film’s runtime.
Chigurh is interesting because he’s more a force of nature than a mortal man. Everywhere he goes, death and destruction follow, and he seemingly cannot be killed regardless of the odds against him. Similar to Wick, Chigurh is intelligent and capable of thinking on his feet. Air-powered captive bolt pistol in hand, something tells us that nothing would stop the man with the funny haircut in his relentless pursuit of Wick.
6 Evelyn Salt, Salt (2010)
In this action spy thriller, Evelyn Salt is a CIA operative accused of being a Russian spy. Throughout the film, Salt fights tooth and nail against highly skilled military personnel to prove her innocence and clear her name. Salt impressed critics and audiences upon the film’s release as Angelina Jolie, the film’s star, completed nearly all the stunts herself.
Evelyn Salt’s adeptness with various martial arts and weapons would prove challenging for Wick. Additionally, we’ve never seen Wick engage a woman in close quarters or long-range combat, so it would be interesting to see how he’d handle himself against Salt.
5 Robert McCall, The Equalizer Trilogy (2014, 2018, 2023)
Academy Award winner Denzel Washington stars in the Antoine Fuqua-directed film series The Equalizer as Robert McCall, a Boston, Massachusetts native who works at a hardware store. McCall eventually befriends a teenage prostitute, and things go well with the two until a few Russian mobsters threaten her life. After dispatching the Russians, audiences learn McCall is a highly skilled man who once worked for the DIA.
Despite McCall’s age, he’s good at his job and doesn’t rely solely on firearms to handle business. Utilizing hammers, nail guns, and shot glasses when defending himself, Robert’s ability to turn nearly any household item into a deadly weapon makes him far more dangerous and unpredictable than your average assassin. If Wick and McCall found themselves at odds with each other, we’d want to see if McCall could eliminate Wick. Moreover, could he do it in sixteen seconds or less?
4 Elektra, Daredevil (2015-2018)
Even though fans of the Man Without Fear can expect a new Daredevil show soon, it is still unfortunate to see the Netflix Daredevil show suddenly canceled back in 2018 despite its popularity. The show was faithful to the source material while also introducing new concepts and ideas to the Daredevil lore, every actor delivered exceptional performances, and the show boasted well-choreographed stunts and action sequences.
French actress Élodie Yung portrayed fan-favorite Elektra Natchios in the show’s second season to critical acclaim. Yung captured the vulnerability of Elektra when she was madly in love with Matthew Murdock, and she brilliantly portrayed the woman scorned. As one of Hell’s Kitchen’s most dangerous and capable fighters, Wick would be foolish to hold back against Elektra. Natchios is an expert with her signature twin sais and multiple martial arts and could beat Wick in a close-quarters battle.
3 Lalo Salamanca, Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
Tony Dalton’s turn as Mexican cartel member Lalo Salamanca stunned audiences in Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould’s Better Call Saul. The prequel series to the critically acclaimed Breaking Bad introduced many new characters, but Lalo was perhaps the most memorable. Wildly charismatic, intelligent, and resourceful, Lalo single-handedly eliminated a Mexican task force sent to raid his mansion in Saul’s Season 5 finale.
Out of the many admirable traits Lalo possessed, his keen attention to detail and Sherlock Holmes-like deductive reasoning made him so formidable. Even though we know Lalo is more than capable with a firearm, we’re willing to bet the elder Salamanca would favor tracking Wick’s movements and interrogating his known associates to get to him.
2 Lorraine Broughton, Atomic Blonde(2017)
Charlize Theron once again proved to audiences why she’s one of Hollywood’s A-list actresses in David Leitch’s 2017 action thriller Atomic Blonde. Similar to Jolie in Salt, Theron performed many of her character’s stunts herself and worked hard to deliver a convincing performance as an MI6 agent. With the success of the Deadpool franchise and Bullet Train, action director David Leitch firmly cemented himself as one of the best directors of the action genre with this outing.
We all remember the tense stairwell sequence in the film and how tenacious Broughton was in surviving that assault. However, Broughton’s ability to blend in with a crowd and extract sensitive information from targets is what she would likely do to eliminate Wick. If that method failed, we would count on the MI6 agent engaging Wick in an intense fistfight to the death.
1 Barry Berkman, Barry (2018-2023)
HBO’s Barry sees beloved comedic actor Bill Hader go against type as a U.S. Marine and Afghanistan veteran turned hitman who eventually discovers a passion for acting. As ridiculous as the idea might seem, Hader convincingly portrays both sides of Barry Berkamn’s life in the Primetime Emmy-winning dramedy.
Considering Barry’s time in the Marine Corps, it isn’t a stretch to say he’d be more than capable of handling himself against Wick. Tactical, determined, and proficient with various weapons and forms of combat, we could see Wick struggling against the Marine. Despite Barry’s military career, this fight would probably be contentious, with the winner being determined by will more than anything else.
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