History Fridge / JohnWickChapter3Parabellum

* John uses a ReverseGrip when wielding a wakizashi (a single-edged Japanese short sword.) While this might partly be RuleOfCool, wielding a bladed weapon in a standard grip requires a different set of movements compared to fighting unarmed. The live edge remains close to your body which means you need to pay more attention so you don't accidentally cut your own limbs or head. It's quite possible John Wick isn't as practiced when it comes to these kinds of weapons. However, using a sword in a reverse grip places the pointy end out of the way and allows John to utilize strikes and parries that he's already familiar with from unarmed combat, although it does nullify the reach advantage that a sword normally gives. Essentially, John turned his sword into a fancy baton.

* John's use of a ReverseGrip when wielding a wakizashi (a curved single-edge short sword) as opposed to the standard grip he uses for knives might display his unfamiliarity with wielding longer bladed weapons and him taking the pragmatic option to mitigate the problem. While the reverse grip considerably shortens the range of a sword (removing the advantage of a longer blade) it keeps the pointy end out of the way and simplifies the motions into a series of punches and blocks that John would already be fluent in. Essentially, he turned the sword into a tanto.

* In this chapter it starts to become clear: many in the criminal underworld bear at least some smoldering resentment towards the High Table and their, shall we say, inconsistent application of the rules. The Table, not being idiots, are aware of this, hence them coming down hard on John Wick and anyone who could be considered as having assisted him in any way. Like any despot, the Table seeks to strangle a budding revolution in the cradle. . . and like any despot, their extreme methods only provoke the very revolution they were trying to quash. Winston is fine letting the Table do its thing so long as they let him do his, them butting into his "kingdom" only incentivizes him to actively oppose them. The Bowery King already seems to have a pretty low opinion of the Table, prepared to oppose them just for kicks, never mind the Table deciding to make it a matter of self-preservation. Sofia wants to keep her head down and not get involved, but when her hand is forced her loyalty is to her dogs and John more than to the Table. While there are many still following the commandments of the Table in killing John (though it's an open question how many are only in it for the potential payday), if this is a good cross-section of the criminal underworld as a whole, there are a significant percentage of those under the Table wholeheartedly willing to [[TableFlip flip the damn thing over]]. John Wick was only the spark, the rallying figure, to shake loose discontentment that had been brewing, probably for decades prior.

** Which puts the Director's status as TheFagin in a more horrifying (and somewhat tragic) light, as how many of those orphans she brought up and trained, were ''actually'' orphans?

[[AC: Fridge Brilliance]]

[[AC:Fridge Horror]]

** If any more proof was needed, look no further than John's fight with Zero and Winston's last words in the movie. In the first film John had a reputation of being the boogyman, the thing other monsters had nightmares about. Two movies later and he pulls [[StealthHiBye Stealth Hi Byes]] not once but twice, against someone else who's just as stealthy, ''in mid fight.'' And what does Winston say in regards to Wick's body is missing? [[RedBaron Baba Yaga]]. Ladies and gentlemen, [[HesBack the boogyman's back]], and he's ''pissed.''

* John's use of a reverse-grip when wielding a wakizashi (a curved single-edge short sword) as opposed to the standard grip he uses for knives might display his unfamiliarity with wielding longer bladed weapons and him taking the pragmatic option to mitigate the problem. While the reverse grip considerably shortens the range of a sword (removing the advantage of a longer blade) it keeps the pointy end out of the way and simplifies the motions into a series of punches and blocks that John would already be fluent in. Essentially, he turned the sword into a tanto.
* The reason John Wick's current Dog is being well treated and respected is pretty obvious. The news of his return would have led to everyone learning why he did come back, because some dumb punk decide to kill his first dog, Daisy, and John went on a warpath. Everyone is protecting the [[NuclearOption Nuke button]] as best as possible.

** If any more proof was needed, look no further than John's fight with Zero and Winston's last words in the movie. In the first film John had a reputation of being the boogyman, the thing other monsters had nightmares about. Two movies later and he pulls [[StealthHiBye Stealth Hi Byes]] not once but twice, against someone else who's just as stealthy, ''in mid fight.'' And what does Winston say in regards to Wick's body is missing? [[RedBaron Baba Yaga]]. Ladies and gentelmen, [[HesBack the boogyman's back]], and he's ''pissed.''

* Throughout all three films, the action has become more and more chaotic, choreographed, and exquisite in terms of John's actions. While of course this is a case of sequel escalation and adding flair to the action, it also has a possibly unimplied/intentioned storyline reason: John was in retirement just a week and a half earlier, and was therefore very rusty in his skills. Now that he has been for the course of 9 to 10 days waging an all out war, he has become the man who was feared in the underworld once again. Granted, the body count is due to more and more reinforcements and preparation for attacking him, but John himself doing all the stunts and physical actions such as his judo and weapon tricks such as tossing empty weapons at foes and fighting off high armored guards is all due to him finally getting back into fighting shape. If John in John Wick 1 had to deal with what was sent to him in the finale of John Wick 3(Even if he had the bullet proof suit he received in John Wick 2), he might have actually been defeated due to the fact he was still getting readjusted to his old job.

* Early on in the film, two of the assassins hunting John are nondescript motorcycle-riders. Later on we also see one of Zero's shinobi trailing John to the theater. Zero will also mention to the Adjudicator that his students "have not been idle." Much later on, two more motorcycle assassins try to kill john on Zero's orders outside of the train station. The first pair that John killed early on were likely other students of Zero's who were trying to grab the bounty or the honor of taking John down while he was still wounded and fleeing.

* The Director's training school and Sofia's NoodleIncident about her daughter draw a pretty bad picture for what happen to people's family when they can't quit like John. The High Table already asks for blood, fingers and servitude a first born is not something they will feel bad about taking as collateral.
** Which puts the Director's status as TheFagin in a more horrifying (and somewhat tragic) light, as how many of those orphans she brought up and trained, were actually orphans?

** If any more proof was needed, look no further than John's fight with Zero and Winston's last words in the movie. In the first film John had a reputation of being the bogyman, the thing other monsters had nightmares about. Two movies later and he pulls [[StealthHiBye Stealth Hi Byes]] not once but twice, against someone else who's just as stealthy, ''in mid fight.'' And what does Winston say in regards to Wick's body is missing? [[RedBaron Baba Yaga]]. Ladies and gentelmen, [[HesBack the bogyman's back]], and he's ''pissed.''

* Throughout all three films, the action has become more and more chaotic, choreographed, and exquisite in terms of John's actions. While of course this is a case of sequel escalation and adding flair to the action, it also has a possibly unimplied/intentioned storyline reason: John was in retirement just a week and a half earlier, and was therefore very rusty in his skills. Now that he has been for the course of 9 to 10 days waging an all out war, he has become the man who was feared in the underworld once again. Granted, the body count is due to more and more reinforcements and preparation for attacking him, but John himself doing all the stunts and physical actions such as his judo and weapon tricks such as tossing empty weapons at foes and fighting off high armored guards is all due to him finally getting back into fighting shape. If John in John Wick 1 had to deal with what was sent to him in the finale of John Wick 3(Even if he had the bullet proof suit he recieved in John Wick 2), he might have actually been defeated due to the fact he was still getting readjusted to his old job.