Spoiler Alert: Spoilers Ahead for John Wick: Chapter 4
The John Wick franchise has always provided overwhelming excitement through the meticulous creation of action scenes. While the dog's death in the first movie and getting to Wick's memories when it was apparent that all he wanted to live was a life of peace added a bit of an emotional touch, the show's main feature has always been its adrenaline-filled action. Keeping this in mind, John Wick: Chapter 4 ensured the audience to keep them on the edge of their seat throughout.
The film was undoubtedly the best in the franchise, whether in terms of action or emotional impact, which had us sobbing a bit at the conclusion. The death of John Wick (Keanu Reeves) at the end of the film caught us off guard, and although he won the battle, he lost the war. Does this imply that all John has stood for up to this point has been for naught? Not necessarily! And here's why the finale of John Wick: Chapter 4 is the perfect way to wrap up the saga.
Understanding the Ending of John Wick 4
The High Table has failed to eliminate Wick despite their best efforts since the first movie, and the Baba Yaga begins hunting one by one, starting with the Table's Elder in the opening scene of Chapter 4. Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard) soon destroys Winston's The Continental and executes faithful concierge Charon (Lance Riddick). With no other options, he contacts Donnie Yen's Caine, who seems to be Wick's old acquaintance but is actually a deadly assassin and perhaps the only one capable of killing the mighty Baba Yaga. Wick, on the other hand, learns of an old-fashioned duel that might put an end to this anguish and challenges Marquis de Gramont to a gunfight at Paris' Sacre-Coeur.
Wick must arrive at the designated place before daylight to attend the duel, and as usual, his relentless persistence, with a bit of help from old friend Caine, makes it attainable. However, Instead of facing John, Marquis puts Caine in his place, hoping to plan an unexpected attack when Wick gets weaker. With both wounded, Marquis intends to kill his opponent once and for all, but Wick does not shoot Caine in the previous confrontation, saving the bullet for Marquis, which leads to his death. John Wick: Chapter 4 concludes with The Harbinger (Clancy Brown) declaring John's freedom, but it also ends with him dying, as shown in the final moments in which Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) and Winston pay their respects to John's grave, which is carved next to his wife Helena's.
John Wick Finds His Freedom
The entire thing began with John Wick wanting to live a serene life with his dog, which was supposedly killed, leading him to go on a killing spree. Since the second chapter, he has only sought one thing: freedom from the High Table, which is hell-bent on executing Wick and wants to make an example of him for breaching the rules of the criminal syndicate. John was triumphant during his crusade even though his attempts to negotiate with the High Table were fruitless.
This brings us to Chapter 5, when John Wick had a chance to gain freedom without shedding additional blood. While he was successful in winning his freedom, he died in the end while dreaming about his wife, Helen. In a sense, John's freedom has always been his death since threat always finds him, whether through another High Table member close to Marquis or someone from his past who wants vengeance. He battled till the very end for nothing more than his freedom, oblivious to the fact that he had lost too much in the process and that the only freedom he could earn was eternal peace, not being able to live in regret.
Everyone Had Their Happy Ending
While John Wick has been alone since the first film, this is not always the case. Numerous characters assisted him, from concierge Charon to Shimazu, the owner of Osaka's The Continental. Although Charon died at the hands of the Marquis de Gramont, he had a fulfilling life free of regrets since he served Winston wholeheartedly and died for him. Shimazu, on the other hand, is a Japanese man who prioritizes honor above fear, and this is precisely what he represents in the film.
He could have continued the way he was without helping Wick, but he decided to put his honor first and died with no regrets. Furthermore, both Bowery King and Winston suffered considerably when attempting to aid Wick, with the former receiving seven slashes from Zero and the latter losing his most trusted concierge Charon and The Continental.
In the end, the Bowery King was happy with the High Table's decision to give John freedom, and although John's death shocked him, he nevertheless smiled, thinking his close friend would rest in the afterlife. Meanwhile, Winston exacted his vengeance on the Marquis de Gramont and Caine. Although waiting for Akira to kill him, he ensured that his daughter would be safe in case anything happened to him. Despite the bittersweet conclusion, the film accomplished precisely what it set out to do: find an answer to the issue with the High Table and give John the freedom he deserves rather than living a life full of regrets.