30 Best Quotes From The John Wick Franchise

Summary

• The
  John Wick
  franchise is known for its memorable dialogue and numerous quotes, which add depth to the characters and the world they inhabit.
• The script and dialogue in the
  John Wick
  movies should not be overlooked, as they feature sharp writing with bone-chilling threats, darkly comedic one-liners, and well-placed monologues.
• John Wick
  quotes highlight the character’s legendary status as an unstoppable killing machine, as well as the consequences of crossing him and the lengths he will go to seek revenge.

What sets the John Wick movies apart from most action movie franchises — besides its top-notch action choreography — is memorable dialogue and a near-endless supply of John Wick quotes. From 2014’s John Wick through to the 2023 spinoff prequel series The Continental, John Wick and his fellow characters have fired off just as many quips as they have bullets — with equally devastating precision in some cases. The memorable quotes from Keanu Reeves and the rest of the John Wick cast add to the epic quest of the character and to the mythology of the world he inhabits.

Whether it’s John Wick sounding intimidating or a powerful criminal boss telling their old scary stories about the “Baba Yaga,”the John Wick franchise is always quotable. While the actors and stunt performers understandably shine as the franchise’s biggest stars, the best John Wick quotes from the movies serve as a reminder that the quality of the script and dialogue shouldn’t be overlooked. There is some sharp writing throughout all four John Wick movies and the prequel series, with bone-chilling threats, darkly comedic one-liners, and some well-placed monologues all establishing John Wick’s legend as an unstoppable killing machine.

30 “You Wanna Hole Up In This Place Until They Come and Kill You? That’s Not A Plan. That Is An Unscheduled Funeral.”

Winston Scott In The Continental (2023)

The Continental takes a look at this world before the John Wick movies and introduces a variety of interesting characters. The most intriguing one to explore is Young Winston (Colin Woodell) long before the days when he was running the New York Continental. He is less assured and confident. However, the series also shows that he was always a man of action and enjoyed fighting for the underdog.

This quote might also help to explain why Winston has such a soft spot for John Wick, admiring a man who is willing to take the fight to his enemies.

After his older brother Frankie finds himself targeted by a powerful crime lord, Winston isn’t about to wait around for trouble to find them. From a young age to his life as an older man, Winston has always been pragmatic. However, that is not to say that he is willing to roll over, which is seen many times throughout the franchise, with his willingness to risk it all to remain a player in the game.

29 “You Could Walk Outta Here Right Now, Leaving Your Family At Grave Risk. Or, You Can Spare Their Lives. Simply Find The Nearest Balcony… And Jump.”

Cormac O’Connor In The Continental (2023)

There are many memorable John Wick villains, and The Continental introduced another great one in the form of Cormac O’Connor (Mel Gibson). He is the crime lord who runs the New York establishment of The Continental in the 1970s. In an early scene, he shows his absolute viciousness and his merciless way of dealing with those who fail him. After his minions fail to retrieve an important stolen item, Cormac makes them pay.

To have someone in this universe who can be just as ruthless as John Wick simply by speaking makes for an effective villain.

Knowing he can’t kill within The Continental, he opens the balcony and tells the man to either go into hiding and forfeit his family’s lives, or jump. It is a terrifying decision resulting in a nasty end. In a franchise that enjoys depicting characters brutally killing each other, this serves as a memorable display of Cormac and his power. To have someone in this universe who can be just as ruthless as John Wick simply by speaking makes for an effective villain.

28 “…He Stole John Wick’s Car, Sir, And, Uhhh… Killed His Dog.”

Aurelio In John Wick (2014)

Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nygvist) was one of the John Wick franchise’s most intelligent criminals as well as one of its most violent, so it is a tense moment when he learns that Aurelio (John Leguizamo) has struck his son, Iosef (Alfie Allen). However, as soon as Aurelio explains the situation, and what Iosef did to John, Viggo simply responds with “…oh.“

John Leguizamo filmed only one day on the movie as Aurelio.

This massive shift in tone is one of the first major John Wick quotes that establishes John Wick as a character and shows that even the most powerful men know not to cross the retired assassin. In the first act of John Wick, Keanu Reeves’ protagonist is shown to be a quiet and fairly unassuming man. Aurelio and Viggo’s brief conversation about him perfectly and hilariously establishes that there is a lot more to this man. Nygvist’s delivery of the line gets one of the biggest laughs of the movie.

27 “Well, John Wasn’t Exactly ‘The Boogeyman.’ He Was The One You Sent To Kill The F***ing Boogeyman.”

Viggo Tarasov In John Wick (2014)

The late great Michael Nyqvist delivered a brilliant performance in John Wick as Russian Mafia boss Viggo Tarasov, who was one of the most compelling action movie villains of the 2010s. Viggo is acutely aware of just how lethal John Wick is, and when his unruly son Iosef steals his car, breaks into his house, and kills his dog, it shifts their dynamic.

Viggo has suddenly found himself on the wrong side of Wick, and that means his son is a dead man walking. Viggo’s iconic explanation to Iosef really gets this point across in as few words as possible.

The first movie does a great job of building up the almost mythic nature of John as a killer. Viggo and the others speak of him as if he is inhuman and with such reverence. It is very effective to see these hardened criminals so shaken by the idea of John Wick coming to pay them a visit. That aura around John builds to the first action sequence in which John takes on a squad of assassins in his home, making short work of them all and confirming everything that has been said about him.

26 “Do I Look Civilized To You?”

John Wick In John Wick (2014)

Viggo Tarasov finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, he is staring down the barrel of John Wick’s fiery and unrelenting rage. On the other hand, that rage is also directed at his son Iosef, and he can’t just sit back and allow him to be murdered. He chooses to protect his son and to try and take out John which proves to be his undoing when the two finally come to blows. Tarasov regrets their fight, reminding him that they’d once been professional and civilized men.

It is a funny line coming from someone that audiences have seen kill so many people.

Wick replies with this chilling question before beating him down. It is a funny line coming from someone that audiences have seen kill so many people. However, it also speaks to the wider world of the John Wick universe that would be explored more in the sequels. There is indeed a certain civility to how things operate in this underworld of assassins, but John is a man who proves he is uninterested in maintaining that civility when he is on a mission.

25 “I Get It.”

John Wick In John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)

In John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the character Sofia (Halle Berry) is introduced, who is just as fond of dogs as John. So when her former boss, Berrada (Jerome Flynn), shoots one of her dogs, her mind is equally set on revenge, and she promptly starts a firefight with Berrada’s men and shoots him twice in return. John tries to get her to keep a level head, which prompts Sofia to reply, “he shot my dog.” Wick can only sympathize and say “I get it,“ which is very in keeping with his character.

It is a fun meta moment, reminding the audience where all this mayhem and violence first began. While John Wick’s epic kill count may give some fans pause about cheering for such a deadly man, it is always endearing to remember that it all goes back to him avenging the murder of his defenseless and innocent puppy. It is also nice to see that he is not a hypocrite when it comes to Sofia taking such a thing just as seriously.

24 “You Want A War Or Do You Wanna Just Give Me A Gun?”

John Wick In John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

John Wick’s quest for payback against Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) eventually leads those in their shared circle to either join in or stay clear of the gunfire. The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) seems like he’s going to sit out the bloodshed at first, but John quickly convinces him that helping to assassinate D’Antonio will be in his best interest.

The Bowery King does give John a gun but, in a cruel twist, only supplies him with seven rounds to do the job. However, this hardly phases John because, as he proves with this John Wick quote, one clip is all he needs to get the ball rolling. John is a modest man for the most part, but it is surely hard for him to not recognize how effective he is as a killer. This is perhaps the most arrogant he gets in the movie, suggesting that him with a gun will solve everything, essentially painting himself as a one-man army.

23 “I Once Saw Him Kill Three Men In A Bar With A Pencil. With A F***ing Pencil!”

Viggo Tarasov In John Wick (2014)

To try and get him to understand the gravity of the situation he has put them in, Viggo tells his son about one of John Wick’s most resourceful executions. Viggo says that he was a witness to John killing three men in a bar with a pencil, and it’s mentioned several times in the movies how absurd the story sounds, but fans actually get to see how John does it in John Wick: Chapter 2 when he picks up pencils and uses them two kill two would-be assassins.

It’s creative kills like these that make the John Wick franchise similar to the Jason Bourne movies and John himself one of the all-time great cinematic assassins. While it is a fun payoff to the tease in the first movie to have the audience actually get to see it happen in the sequel, it is ultimately unnecessary. Having Viggo explain it makes the audience believe that it actually happened and further establishes John’s deadly ways.

22 “Evening, Jimmy. Noise Complaint?”

John Wick In John Wick (2014)

Though the John Wick movies are most well-known for their influence on the action genre, they also have many funny moments, as this John Wick quote shows. The scene between John and local police officer Jimmy (Thomas Sadoski) in the first film is a comedic highlight. As John has just killed a bunch of assassins in his home, the police are called over a “noise complaint.” The two men clearly know each other fairly well, greeting each other in a friendly manner.

It also adds to the absurd nature of this world, introducing the idea that John can be so open about murdering a bunch of people and even have a friendly conversation with a cop while there are dead bodies piled behind him.

As Jimmy also seems to know exactly what John’s line of work is, this relatively neighborly exchange is all the more comical. Reeves’ casual delivery of the line sells it as a particularly funny moment. It also adds to the absurd nature of this world, introducing the idea that John can be so open about murdering a bunch of people and even have a friendly conversation with a cop while there are dead bodies piled behind him.

21 “The Knife Is In Your Aorta. You Pull It Out, You Will Bleed, And You Will Die. Consider This A Professional Courtesy.”

John Wick In John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

Under normal circumstances, John and Cassian (Common) were two assassins who held mutual respect for one another. However, when Cassian finds out that John is responsible for murdering his ward, he sets out on a quest for bloody vengeance. The two eventually square off on a subway train where John jams a knife directly into his aorta but refuses to kill him outright. He still has huge respect for Cassian, and this act of mercy could see Cassian make a return later in the John Wick franchise.

Keanu Reeves and Common played enemies in the thriller
Street Kings
.

As much as he will brutally kill a lot of people in these movies, John is known to not be needlessly murderous to those who don’t deserve it. He is shown to spare lives throughout the series, such as when he tells one of the guards at the Russian club in the first movie to take the night off rather than tangle with him. In the case of Cassian, John is clearly annoyed about having to fight his man but is still willing to give him a chance. Cassian’s slight smile suggests the respect is mutual.

20 “Victor’s Dead. Everything’s Got A Price.”

John Wick In John Wick (2014)

Iosef’s dread over John Wick doesn’t fully kick in until he hears these words that now live on as one of the most chilling John Wick quotes. The scary part for Iosef is that he hears John say that line to him through his best friend’s phone, expecting to hear his voice at first. Even more terrifying for Iosef is the fact that this is one of the first few lines Iosef says to John, regarding his coveted vintage ’69 Ford Mustang.

Iosef is a very easy villain to dislike, even without the killing of the puppy. He is a spoiled, bratty man who thinks he is tougher than he is and that he can simply have whatever he wants. John throwing this line back at him is a terrific crowd-pleasing moment that makes John the personification of consequences, a lesson Iosef learns the hard way.

19 “You Stabbed The Devil In The Back And Forced Him Back Into The Life He Had Just Left.”

Winston Scott In John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

John Wick: Chapter 2 has a memorable exchange between Winston (Ian McShane) and Santino D’Antonio over the latter’s betrayal of John Wick. Santino uses the leverage of an assassin tradition to force John to kill for him so that he can rise up to the ranks of the High Table. Winston, of course, is aware of Santino’s intentions all along. He knows that Santino is going to betray John, so he imparts these haunting words of wisdom to the backstabbing mob boss, who somehow forgot who John Wick was for a moment.

It becomes clear throughout the movies that Winston likes John and is rooting for him along the way. However, some of that also comes from the fact that he has disdain for the High Table and those righteous people who think they hold all the power. Santino might underestimate how big of a threat John is, but Winston is almost gleeful in letting him know just how badly he messed up.

18 “As I Live And Breathe! John Wick. The Man. The Myth, The Legend. You’re Not Very Good At Retiring.”

The Bowery King In John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

This warm greeting comes from The Bowery King as he’s first introduced into the franchise, and he makes sure to let everybody around him, and the audience, know he and John share a bit of history. This is very fitting as The Bowery King is played by none other than Keanu Reeves’ famous Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne. As director Chad Stahelski also worked on the Matrix movies, the reunion of all three in this film was a big moment for action movies in general, not just the John Wick franchise.

Director Chad Stahelski was Keanu Reeves’ stunt double in
The Matrix
movies.

The Bowery King is one of the colorful characters that adds a lot of fun mystery to the universe and Fishburne is clearly having fun playing this character who doesn’t take anything too seriously. The arrival of John in his world can only spell trouble for The Bowery King, but he still cracks some jokes upon seeing his old acquaintance again.

17 “Rusty, I Guess.”

John Wick in John Wick (2014)

What makes John Wick such an effective action movie hero is that he is an effective killing machine, but that does not mean he is invulnerable. When he shows up at The Continental for the first time in the first movie, Winston comments on his various injuries. However, John nonchalantly brushes it off with the suggestion that he might not be as unstoppable as he once was and that he has been out of the business for a long time.

The line is also something of a meta-joke about Reeves leading an action movie. Keanu Reeves was well-known as an action star long before John Wick came out, but it had been just over a decade since the last Matrix movie up to that point, and the connections to Reeves’ real-life career are some of the franchise’s most charming idiosyncrasies.

16 “Tell Them All. Whoever Comes, Whoever It Is, I’ll Kill Them. I’ll Kill Them All.”

John Wick In John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

The end of John Wick: Chapter 2 sees John at his most vulnerable. This epic threat comes at the end of John Wick: Chapter 2, after being told that he will be considered “Excommunicado” for killing Santino D’Antonio on the strictly neutral grounds of the Continental Hotel. They’re strong words considering that he’s about to go up against potentially every single professional assassin in the world. John makes good on his promise eventually, as the opening of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum ups the franchise’s kill count by quite a degree.

Keanu Reeves’s delivery of this line showcases his effectiveness in this role. John is a man who would rather not be on an endless journey of violence and there is a reluctance to continue to fight. However, at the exact same time, he is still the intimidating assassin that everyone tells stories about. As he delivers this line, it communicates that he may not like it, but he will keep this promise.

15 “$14 Million 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 Scott In John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)

While Winston was forced to declare John Wick Excommunicado for breaking the Continental’s sacred no-kill law, he did give him an hour to prepare for the oncoming storm. Winston shares this exchange with his hotel concierge, Charon (Lance Reddick), as they wait for that hour to run out. Winston is a tricky character as he’s always trying to maintain a position of power and influence in a cutthroat world, but his faith in John is greater than perhaps anyone else’s — as evidenced by this incredibly slick John Wick quote.

Lance Reddick reportedly filmed scenes for the
John Wick
spinoff
Ballerina
before his death.

Given his skill set, it is hard to make John the underdog in these movies. The best that can be offered is that it is him versus virtually the entire world of assassins. It is a fun, over-the-top way of unbalancing the fight, but made all the more entertaining by the fact that Winston suggests John may still be the favored to win in the end.

14 “Not If You Can’t Spend It.”

John Wick In John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)

John Wick is part of this world of assassins, so there seems to be a level of sympathy that he has for the killers who go up against him as they are just doing the job he used to do. One of the assassins that goes after John in the opening of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is Ernest, with whom John is shown to have some kind of history, like with many of the assassins in the John Wick franchise. Ernest decides to bend the rules, however, by going after John before his grace period is up.

John attempts to offer some advice about money being useless to a dead man before Ernest attacks John in the New York Public Library. It turns out that Ernest really should have listened to John because he didn’t survive the encounter. It is an ice-cold line from John, who is trying his best to convince his would-be opponent that no promised fortune is going to be worth stepping into a fight with him.

13 “How Good To See You Again So Soon, Mr. Wick.”

Charon In John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

The late actor Lance Reddick had a number of iconic roles in his career, including that of the friendly concierge of The Continental, Charon, in the John Wick movies. Charon is a brilliant supporting character who is a true scene-stealer. He is calm, collected, and to the point, which makes fans 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.

After such a long time out of the assassin game, Charon is pleased to see John make a reappearance. It would become the first of many, with John moving in and out of the Continental in order to get information and resupply, at least until he breaks the hotel’s no-kill rule. While Charon meets a lot of assassins in this world, he doesn’t try to hide his admiration for John, liking him more than the rest.

12 “It Wasn’t Just A Puppy.”

John Wick In John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)

John has something of a maternal figure in his life, known as the “Director,” the figurehead of the Ruska Roma seen in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. As soon as he is excommunicated, John seeks the Director’s help. She admonishes him for causing so much trouble over the death of his dog in the first movie, but John corrects her about the tragic significance of the puppy.

John was a broken man after the loss of his wife and all it took was a little push over the edge to see him reconnect with his old and brutal way of handling things.

John’s dog was a gift given posthumously by his deceased wife and represented a slither of hope for the dark character. John was a broken man after the loss of his wife and all it took was a little push over the edge to see him reconnect with his old and brutal way of handling things. In this moment, John seems to admit to himself that the puppy, while loved, served as an excuse to unleash all of the fury he had over his broken heart.

11 “People Keep Asking If I’m Back, And I Haven’t Really Had An Answer. But Now, Yeah! I’m Thinking I’m Back!”

John Wick In John Wick (2014)

When moviegoers are first introduced to John Wick, he’s fairly peaceful. It’s only after a lengthy introduction that they get to see him in action and even then he’s still getting his groove back. This John Wick quote comes at a turning point and marks the moment when the old Baba Yaga truly comes back in spirit and the intense rage in his eyes as he says this line really makes the audience understand the fear that hardened criminals have for the assassin.

Throughout the first movie, various characters ask John if he is returning to his old work. He keeps brushing off the idea even as the bodies continue to pile up. However, John also knows that he is lying to himself and he finally admits that he is back. It’s as if there was something inside of him that John was trying to suppress only to finally allow it to be unleashed and embrace it.