John Wick

John Wick, born Jardani Jovonovich, begins his life in the harsh criminal underworld of Belarus before eventually defecting to the United States and joining the Ruska Roma, a powerful crime syndicate led by Abram Tarasov. Trained by a brutal and unforgiving mentor, John rises through the ranks to become the syndicate's most feared and lethal enforcer, earning the nickname 'Baba Yaga,' a reference to the terrifying Slavic folklore witch said to haunt the dreams of those she hunts.

Haunted by the violence of his past and desperate to escape the endless cycle of bloodshed, John eventually meets and falls deeply in love with a woman named Helen. Motivated by her love, he stages his own death in order to retire peacefully and live a quiet life with her. Though they enjoy a few blissful years together, Helen falls victim to a terminal illness. Before her death, she arranges for John to receive a beagle puppy, a final gift meant to give him a reason to keep living after she is gone.

John's hard-won retirement is shattered when a young Russian mobster, Iosef Tarasov—the son of his former boss—visits a gas station to fuel his vintage car and notices John's beloved 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1. Obsessed with owning it, Iosef and his crew break into John's home that very night, brutally beat him, steal his car, and, in the most unforgivable act of all, kill the puppy that represents his late wife's love. Learning that John is alive and seeking vengeance, his old handler Viggo Tarasov realizes too late that his son's foolish actions have awakened a force of pure destruction.