For an action franchise, the John Wick films are rife with symbolism. Not only do the names of characters echo Greek and Roman mythology, but the narrative structure is almost Shakespearean, and the action sequences are often balletic. For a trio of films that began with a hitman being pulled out of retirement to avenge the death of his dog, they are surprisingly elegant. Their main protagonist, a man of economic word choice and surly charisma, also sports a fair amount of tattoos, and in fact, ink is on display a lot throughout the films.
Is there deep significance behind John Wick’s tattoos, or as they simply there to set him apart from all the other gun-toting tough guys in Hollywood? Do the tattoos on the members of his elite assassin’s guild have any meaning, including the highest-ranking members, like The Adjudicator? Let’s break down the meaning of John Wick’s tattoos and the tattoos of the John Wick Universe.
HE MAY BE A MARINE CORPS VET
Though John Wick’s backstory hasn’t been touched on yet in the films, his impressive hand-to-hand combat skill, firearm proficiency, body language, and tattoos indicate that he has a background in the military. Given the way he dispenses violent vengeance against all those foolish enough to stand in his path, there’s good reason to believe he’s a Marine Corps vet.
The tattoo across his back that reads “Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat”, translated from Latin into, “fortune favors the bold”, is reminiscent of the motto for the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines. Their spelling is, “Fortes Fortuna Juvat”, but its meaning is similar. Tattoos with similar slogans are not uncommon in many branches of the armed forces.
HE COULD BE (OR USED TO BE) A MAN OF FAITH
In the shower scene of the first John Wick film, we get a clear look at his tattoos. Beneath the scrawling Latin phrase, “Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat”, we see two hands cupped in prayer. They are presented over a cross, with rays radiating from its three visible points.
This indicates that John could be a man of faith, so devoted to his chosen higher power or point of worship that he got the pious tattoo placed between his shoulders blades. His mission of vengeance is against most religions, but his archetype of a “fallen angel” sort of anti-hero, of a once good man tainted by the sin of his former life, would fit the narrative of the films.
HE’S POSSIBLY A PAGAN
“Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat” has been interpreted differently from different Latin scholars, and seeing that it’s a dead language, they will continue to debate on the meaning behind the phrase. Some believe it to say, “It is only the strong ones that Fortuna comes to save.”.
Fortuna was the Roman Goddess of Fortune and Good Luck, seen as a guiding figure of opportunity and fate. She could bless or curse your actions, depending on her whim. Despite the praying hands on his back, John Wick could believe in Fortuna and have more pagan beliefs, living his life according to the will of Luck’s guidance.
HE’S DONE SOME TIME
Given his history with the Ruska Roma as an orphaned child, and the fact that they’re a division of the High Table filled with Belarussian assassins, Wick might have done some things on behalf of his adopted family that landed him in a Russian prison given the wolf tattoo on his right shoulder.
Snarling wolves, tigers, or leopards are known as “oskals”, translated from Russian to mean “Big Grin”, and get placed on prisoners that are aggressive in the face of authority. If he wasn’t in a Russian prison, he may have gotten tattooed by the Ruska Roma themselves for insubordination in his younger years.
HE WAS IN THE RUSSIAN MOB
In the first John Wick film, we learn that he worked for the Tarasov family, an influential clan within the Russian mob. Iosef Tarasov made the colossal mistake of stealing John Wick’s car and killing his puppy, a gift from his late wife, even though Wick had put in many years of loyal service.
In the shoutout in the underground club, we see that Iosef has several tattoos, including a back tattoo (although not similar to Wick’s). It’s possible that during his time affiliated with this family, Wick got some of the tattoos he has on his back and shoulders, such as the snarling wolf, the face in the flames, or the cross on his left shoulder.
HE’S A FAN OF FINE ART
One of the most prominent tattoos John Wick has is the praying hands on his back over a cross. The hands themselves are a near identical copy to “Study of the Hands of an Apostle”, a pen-an-ink drawing done by German artist Albrecht Dürer. It’s considered one of the finest examples of white highlighting with black ink on blue paper.
By having the depiction of Dürer’s most famous work on his back, it could indicate that John Wick has a more sensitive and cultured side apart from all the violence. Considering the lavish lifestyle of some of his associates, and the prestige of the High Table, it stands to reason he could have retired from the hitman racket with an appreciation for such finely honed artistry.
HE’S PROUD OF HIS ADOPTED FAMILY
As revealed in Parabellum, John Wick’s real name is Jardani Jovonovich, and he grew up an orphan. He was adopted into the Ruska Roma crime syndicate and groomed by The Director, who molded him into the world’s most elite assassin. Her exacting and decisive hand-molded him as a fighter and a dancer, which is one of the reasons his movements are so fluid.
His tattoos may commemorate his time spent in service to the family, indicating his deep levels of commitment and devotion. We see that the other dancers under the Director’s vigilant eye also boast large tattoos that cover their backs, shoulders, and arms. The obsessive drills she puts them through ensure that in the moment, their bodies will move independently of their minds, and they will be ruthless killing machines without having to think.
TATTOOS COULD INDICATE ALLEGIANCES
Just as John Wick found sanctuary with the Ruska Roma and began his career as an assassin working for prominent Russian families, so too could the tattoos of the other characters in the John Wick Universe indicate allegiances to their specific cohorts.
Russian mob and prison tattoos tend to reflect one’s deeds and accomplishments, so it stands to reason that the assassins that pledge themselves to a clan under the purview of the High Table acquire pieces of ink with certain specific contracts, like their first hit, or most prominent hit.
THE TATTOOS REVEAL ASSASSIN ETHOS
John Wick selected “Fortis Fortuna Aduivat” to bow across his back above a set of praying hands, indicating he’s a decisive man of action. His actions are bold, and he is above fear, and he lives his life according to his own moral code and terms of conduct.
The Adjudicator in John Wick Parabellum has the word “Einfühlung” tattooed across her neck. This is a German word that translates to “empathy”, which is an ironic selection of ink given the nature of her position with the High Table. Perhaps it’s a reminder to express an understanding of another person’s frame of reference and to judge everyone fairly.
TATTOOS REPRESENT A DIVISION FROM SOCIETY
The High Table and its covert guild of elite assassins is a group not unlike the alleged Illuminati - a mysterious entity apart from society but nevertheless involved in all of its machinations. All of its agents work within the confines of its laws and doctrines, and seem to care very little for the rules of normal society.
This could be a reason for so many of the associates under the High Table sporting copious tattoos. Their ink visually signifies being apart from society in a symbolic way. A prime example of this is the operators seen in John Wick Chapter 2, who perform socially acceptable roles, yet covered in ink that wouldn’t be appropriate for that position in previous decades.
