When audiences were first introduced to a grieving widower whose puppy was taken from him in 2014, no one could have predicted the sprawling, neon-drenched underworld that would follow. What began as a tight, emotionally driven revenge thriller has meticulously evolved into a complex cinematic universe involving ancient assassin guilds, blood oaths, and seemingly indestructible hitmen. Navigating the complete John Wick timeline is no longer just about watching four movies in order. Today, the mythology spans across television prequels, upcoming spin-offs, comic books, and even video games.
If you want to understand the full scope of the Baba Yaga’s journey and the world of the High Table, you need to piece together a puzzle that stretches from the gritty 1970s all the way to the murky, uncertain future. In this comprehensive guide, we will break down the entire timeline chronologically, exploring how a simple story of vengeance birthed one of the greatest action franchises in cinematic history.
Part 1: The Distant Past and the Rise of Winston
Before John Wick ever picked up a weapon, the world of assassins was already thriving under the watchful eye of the High Table. To understand the present, we must first look at the past, specifically the establishment of the current regime at the New York Continental.
The Continental: From the World of John Wick (Set in the 1970s)
The earliest on-screen entry in the franchise is the Peacock mini-series The Continental. Set against the backdrop of a gritty, garbage-strewn New York City in the 1970s, this three-part event explores the origin story of Winston Scott, famously portrayed by Ian McShane in the films, but played here by Colin Woodell.
The series reveals how a young, ambitious Winston was dragged into the underworld by his brother, Frankie. The reigning manager of The Continental at the time is a ruthless man named Cormac (Mel Gibson). When Frankie steals an invaluable coin press from the hotel, it sets off a chain of events that forces Winston to assemble a ragtag crew to overthrow Cormac.
Crucially, this series establishes the deep-rooted loyalty between Winston and Charon (the future concierge). It also provides incredible insight into the bizarre, anachronistic rules of the High Table, the Bowery, and the Adjudicators, proving that the rigid structure of this criminal underworld has been heavily enforced for decades. This era sets the foundation for the sanctuary that John Wick will eventually come to rely on—and ultimately desecrate.
Part 2: The Baba Yaga’s Origins
John Wick’s backstory is spoken of in hushed, terrified whispers throughout the films. He is the man you send to kill the boogeyman. But what did he actually do before he retired to marry his late wife, Helen? While the movies keep his past mostly mysterious, other media have filled in the gaps.
The Dynamite Entertainment Comic Series (Set before the movies)
For fans desperate to know more about John’s early days, the official comic book series published by Dynamite Entertainment offers a fascinating glimpse. The comics delve into a younger John Wick, exploring his initial introduction to the High Table and the complex, unbending Book of Rules. The narrative shows us his first interactions with familiar faces like Charon and delves into his reputation as an unstoppable force. It perfectly illustrates how he earned the moniker of “Baba Yaga” and why his name alone commands absolute terror.
John Wick Hex (Video Game – Set before his retirement)
Considered canon within the universe, the strategy video game John Wick Hex takes place at the height of John’s career as a hitman, well before he met Helen. The plot centers around a villain known only as Hex, who kidnaps Winston and Charon in an act of rebellion against the High Table. John is tasked with dismantling Hex’s global network.
The game is vital to the John Wick timeline because it highlights the sheer tactical genius of the character. It isn’t just about pulling the trigger; it’s about his unparalleled situational awareness and strategic mind. The events of the game further solidify the unspoken bond and mutual respect between John and the management of the New York Continental.
The Impossible Task (The Event That Changed Everything)
Though not yet depicted in full on-screen (an upcoming anime project is rumored to tackle this), “The Impossible Task” is the crux of John’s entire character arc. Falling in love with Helen, John asked Viggo Tarasov, the head of the Russian syndicate in New York, to let him out of the life. Viggo agreed, but only if John completed a massive, seemingly unachievable series of assassinations in a single night.
To accomplish this, John sought the help of Santino D’Antonio, swearing a blood oath (a Marker) to him. John succeeded, handing Viggo the empire he controls in the first film, and walked away to live a peaceful life. He buries his weapons and his past under concrete. Five years of peace follow, ending with Helen’s tragic death from a terminal illness.
Part 3: The Core Cinematic Saga (The Days of Vengeance)
It is a fascinating detail that the first three movies in the franchise take place over an incredibly compressed timeframe—roughly just two to three weeks. The escalation is rapid, relentless, and catastrophic.
John Wick (2014)
The catalyst for the entire modern timeline. Days after Helen’s funeral, John receives a posthumous gift from her: a beagle puppy named Daisy, meant to help him grieve. When Iosef Tarasov, Viggo’s arrogant son, breaks into John’s house, steals his vintage Mustang, and kills the dog, he unknowingly wakes the sleeping dragon.
John retrieves his buried arsenal and goes on a surgical killing spree through the Russian mob. He utilizes The Continental, adheres to the rules, and ultimately kills both Iosef and Viggo. In the film’s closing moments, a wounded John breaks into a clinic, saves a pit bull scheduled to be euthanized, and walks into the rainy night. He thinks he is out again, but the underworld now knows the Baba Yaga has returned.
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
Set literally days (if not hours) after the first film, John retrieves his stolen car from Viggo’s brother. He returns home to find Santino D’Antonio waiting for him. Santino calls in the Marker from “The Impossible Task,” demanding John assassinate his sister, Gianna, so Santino can claim her seat at the High Table.
Bound by the unbreakable rules of the underworld, John travels to Rome and completes the mission, only for Santino to put a massive bounty on his head to tie up loose ends. Surviving an onslaught of assassins, John returns to New York. In a moment of pure, blinding rage, John corners Santino in the lounge of The Continental and shoots him in the head.
By killing a member of the High Table on Continental grounds, John breaks the most sacred rule. Winston is forced to declare him “Excommunicado,” giving him a one-hour head start before every assassin in the world comes for him.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
The third chapter begins the exact second the second film ends. John is running through the rain-soaked streets of New York, bleeding and desperate, as his one-hour grace period expires. What follows is a brutal struggle for survival.
John travels to Casablanca to cash in a favor with Sofia (Halle Berry), eventually walking through the desert to find The Elder, the only man above the High Table. The Elder agrees to let John live if he kills Winston and pledges eternal fealty. John returns to New York, but refuses to kill his friend. Instead, they fight off High Table enforcers together.
In a shocking twist, to regain his standing with the Adjudicator, Winston shoots John, sending him plummeting off the roof of the hotel. John is secretly rescued by the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), who has also been severely punished by the High Table. Bloody and broken, the two men agree to go to war.
Part 4: The Interstitial Stories
The gap between the third and fourth films represents a significant time jump in the timeline—several months of John recovering and preparing for war. This gap is where the franchise is expanding its cinematic universe.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (Releasing 2025)
Starring Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, Ballerina takes place firmly between Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. Eve is an assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma (the same syndicate that raised John, as seen in Parabellum).
Following the murder of her family, Eve embarks on her own relentless quest for revenge. The film is confirmed to feature appearances by Winston, Charon (the late Lance Reddick in one of his final roles), and John Wick himself. This placement in the John Wick timeline is crucial, as it will likely show us what John was doing while recovering with the Bowery King, and how the broader underworld reacted to his survival.
Part 5: The Climax and The Duel
After months of physical and strategic recovery, the war against the High Table reaches its boiling point.
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
The longest and most epic entry in the series finds John traversing the globe—from the deserts of Morocco to Osaka, Berlin, and finally, Paris. The High Table has granted absolute power to the sadistic Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) to eliminate John by any means necessary. The Marquis destroys the New York Continental and forces Caine (Donnie Yen), a blind, retired assassin and an old friend of John’s, to hunt him down.
Realizing he cannot simply kill everyone to find peace, John utilizes an ancient High Table rule to challenge the Marquis to a single combat duel. After surviving an agonizing night of fighting through Paris, John and Caine face off at the Sacré-Cœur.
In a brilliant tactical move, John takes a bullet from Caine but holds his fire. When the arrogant Marquis steps in to claim the final shot, John shoots him point-blank, freeing Caine from his obligations and restoring Winston to his hotel. Grievously wounded, John walks down the steps, remembers his wife Helen, and collapses. The film ends with Winston and the Bowery King standing over John’s grave.
Part 6: The Future of the Franchise
Is John Wick truly dead? While his physical demise was heavily implied, the ambiguous nature of his “death” leaves the door slightly ajar. Regardless of his fate, the universe is rapidly expanding moving forward.
John Wick: Under the High Table (Upcoming TV Series)
Currently in development, this series will pick up almost immediately after the events of Chapter 4. With the Marquis dead and the old rules being questioned, the series will explore the power vacuum left behind. It will introduce a new faction of assassins looking to make a name for themselves while legacy characters struggle to maintain order.
The Caine Spin-off
Donnie Yen’s Caine was a breakout character in Chapter 4. A spin-off movie is officially in the works, continuing his story. The post-credits scene of the fourth film showed Caine finally going to reunite with his daughter, only to be approached by Akira (Rina Sawayama), seeking revenge for the death of her father. This upcoming film will likely tackle that immediate conflict.
John Wick: Chapter 5 and Beyond
Despite the conclusive ending of the fourth film, Lionsgate has confirmed that John Wick 5 is in early development. Whether this means Keanu Reeves will return from the grave, or if the film will be a prequel exploring his earlier days, remains a closely guarded secret. Furthermore, an anime prequel focusing entirely on “The Impossible Task” has been teased by director Chad Stahelski, which would finally show us the legendary night that allowed John to retire in the first place.
The Legacy of the Baba Yaga
Over the years, critics and fans alike have marveled at how the franchise single-handedly resurrected the pure action genre, praising its “gun-fu” choreography and rich, immersive world-building. Major outlets often highlight how the series turned a seemingly absurd premise—avenging a puppy—into a masterclass of visual storytelling and intricate mythology.
Taking all of these elements into account, it becomes clear that the complete John Wick timeline is much more than a mere chronicle of stylized violence. It is a tragic, beautiful saga about grief, consequences, and the inescapable nature of one’s past. While the relentless, balletic action draws us into the theaters, it’s the profound sense of melancholy and the rigid, fascinating code of honor that makes this universe entirely unforgettable. Whether John is truly resting in peace or merely waiting in the shadows for his next resurrection, the world he broke open will continue to thrive. And I, for one, can’t wait to see who checks into The Continental next.
