John Wick, starring Keanu Reeves, has become one of the most well-liked antiheroes in movie history in a matter of years. As he came to be called, “The Baba Yaga” is one of the Bill & Ted actor’s most popular characters and has inspired a very popular franchise.
There is more to him than meets the eye, despite his stoicism, mystery, and scrappiness. Fans still don’t know everything there is to know about the feared hitman, despite the fact that each episode of the series gives them a bit more insight.
John Wick used tragedy to introduce its title character, telling the story of his wife’s death and the murder of a beagle dog that she had given him. It served as the impetus for his comeback as a ferocious gunslinger and presented his former life to viewers.
In one scene in the first movie, he is shown in the shower from behind, giving the audience a close-up view of his numerous tattoos.
John Wick’s tattoos don’t receive any more attention after this scene because he always wears his trademark black suits. Since the sequels tend to concentrate on a current circumstance that keeps getting worse, his backstory is also unaffected from that point on.
However, his tattoos, which are briefly displayed, reveal a lot about his past and the hitman culture he lives in.
The Importance of the Cross and Prayer in the John Wick Series
The John Wick franchise frequently deals with faith, and each movie’s subtext heavily relies on religious allegory. It also adds to the mythology surrounding the High Table and the cult-like behaviors of the underworld of assassins.
Many members of the group wear religious, particularly Catholic, symbols on their bodies, as demonstrated in John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum. This is also true of John Wick, who wears two crosses: one on his left shoulder and one on his back.
These tattoos were significant pictures for people in John Wick’s field of work, not hasty decisions from a night out. His training as a young guy was entwined with Catholicism. The High Table, a mystery ring that is frequently referred to in language typically reserved for deities, is the patron of the whole hitman network that operates around the world.
Additionally, the Vatican is mentioned in John Wick: Chapter 2 and makes an appearance in a sequence that was cut out of the movie, proving its link to John Wick’s day job.
The Multi-layered Significance of Fortuna Adiuvat in John Wick
The words “fortis Fortuna adiuvat,” which are inscribed across Wick’s shoulders just above the prayer hands and cross, are among the most noticeable tattoos on his body. It is a Latin phrase that basically means “Fortune favors the bold.”
The United States Marine Corps, 3rd battalion, 3rd Marines adopted it as their slogan, and it has great meaning in both the real world and the John Wick universe.
What this ink specifically indicates about our protagonist has several ramifications. Because of their strong associations with the phrase, viewers might assume he is a former Marine. A better understanding of the topic can also be gained from the previously mentioned deleted scene from Chapter 2.
In the video, John Wick is shown approaching a cardinal at the Vatican to request authorization to carry out yet another murderous rampage. “fortis Fortuna adiuvat” is all the holy man responds with before offering his ring for a kiss.
The phrase appears to be used as a code of conduct or motivation by members of John Wick’s order, which makes it an appropriate ornament for a murderer of Keanu Reeves’ quality.
Keanu Reeves’s portrayal of John Wick is a complex, mysterious, and symbolic character who is more than just an unstoppable killer. Every little detail, from his terrible past to the poignant tattoos adorning his body, contributes to the franchise’s mesmerizing appeal.
Learn the secret meaning behind his religious emblems, the fascinating Latin phrase ‘Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat,’ and how they influence the assassin underworld and the High Table mythos.
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