The John Wick movies leave plenty of room for “power-scale” discussions surrounding the assassins, but how do their scene-stealer dogs compare?

An argument can be made that dogs are real protagonists in the John Wick movies, with some being more deadly than others. The Keanu Reeves-led franchise is notable for its violence, well-choreographed fight scenes, and stunts, yet it all traces back to Jon’s relationship with his dog in the first film. Interestingly, in each installment in the John Wick series, other dogs are added to the story, and their significance to the plot as a whole increases as well. The dogs in each John Wick movie highlight the series’ themes of violence, revenge, and acceptance via Wick’s relationship with them. The same applies to some of the saga’s other characters, from heroes to villains.

Some of the dogs in the John Wick movies are domesticated companions who offer their owners reprieve from the chaos of their violent lives. Others, however, are depicted in an equally ruthless light, thus providing the canines with deeper characterizations beyond simple companions. While some dogs in the John Wick franchise are deadlier than others, they all leave a strong impression on the franchise for various reasons, thus making them an essential component of the John Wick films’ lore.

John Wick: Chapter 5 – Confirmation, Cast, Story & Everything We Know

Despite being confirmed, John Wick: Chapter 5 is one of the most mysterious – and uncertain – upcoming movies, as the John Wick 5 news so far shows.4John Wick’s Daisy Is The Least Deadly Dog

John Wick

John Wick’s very first dog is a small Beagle named Daisy, whom Wick inherited as a final gift from his deceased wife Helen in John Wick‘s introduction. Although Wick wasn’t expecting the small canine, he graciously accepts her since she perfectly helps keep Helen’s memory alive, and because Daisy helps the then-retired assassin stay in tune with his humanity. Daisy takes a liking to Wick early on, and the two bond almost immediately. As such, Daisy is the least deadly dog in the John Wick franchise because she’s only ever seen supporting him emotionally the same way a real-life Beagle would support its owner.

However, despite Daisy’s harmless nature, this doesn’t stop the arrogant and reckless Iosef Tavarof from sending hitmen to invade Wick’s home and kill the defenseless puppy as a way of establishing dominance over Wick. Since Daisy was the last vestige of humanity Wick had, and by relation, the only thing keeping him away from his previous life as an assassin, Daisy’s death spurs Wick to turn back to his old ways and embark on a bloody quest for revenge. Although Wick loses his first canine companion, John Wick‘s ending sees Wick stumble into a veterinarian’s center where he adopts an unnamed Pitbull, thus saving it from being euthanized.

3John Wick’s Unnamed Pitbull Is Only Seen Running With Wick Through Various Terrain

John Wick: Chapter 2

Release DateFebruary 10, 2017DirectorChad StahelskiCastJohn Leguizamo , Ian McShane , Thomas Sadoski , Common , Keanu Reeves , David Patrick Kelly , Lance Reddick , Laurence Fishburne , Ruby Rose , Peter Stormare , Bridget MoynahanRuntime2h 2m

John Wick: Chapter 2 sees Wick and the unnamed Pitbull living a new life together as the now-reinstated assassin once again attempts to walk away from his former lifestyle. Having learned from his previous mistakes that led to Daisy’s death, Wick swiftly makes his way to the New York Continental, where he asks the loyal concierge Charon to watch after the Pitbull while he works to clean his slate. As such, the unnamed Pitbull is never seen engaging in any form of combat, but her intimidating appearance and her incredible speed as seen when she and Wick evade enemy forces make her considerably more deadly than John Wick‘s Daisy.

30 Best Quotes From The John Wick Franchise

Though the movies are mainly known for their superb action choreography, the best John Wick quotes have permeated pop culture too.

By Charon’s own account, Wick’s Pitbull is a good dog, thus suggesting she too is more for emotional support rather than combat, despite her intimidating appearance. Wick adopting her also perfectly highlights his humanity despite being a prolific assassin, and he goes out of his way to keep her safe. Nevertheless, Wick’s Pitbull is perpetually by his side as she’s seen outrunning and outmaneuvering enemy forces, and remains loyal to him even when Winston is forced to declare him excommunicado. As seen in John Wick: Chapter 4, the Bowery King adopts her after Wick’s death, meaning she’ll be in good hands if Wick never returns.

2The Accomplice In John Wick: Chapter 4 Saves Wick’s Life

Mr. Nobody’s dog specializes in stealth attacks

Release DateMarch 24, 2023DirectorChad StahelskiCastHiroyuki Sanada , Clancy Brown , Scott Adkins , Keanu Reeves , Ian McShane , Bill Skarsgard , Laurence Fishburne , Rina Sawayama , Donnie Yen , Lance Reddick , Shamier AndersonRuntime169 minutes

John Wick: Chapter 4‘s Mr. Nobody is as mysterious as his Belgian Malinois – known as “The Accomplice,” is loyal. As is typically the case with Belgian Malinois breeds, the Accomplice is agile, intelligent, strong, and perpetually loyal to her owner, thus making Mr. Nobody and the Accomplice one of the deadliest duos in the John Wick franchise. Unlike Daisy and Wick’s Pitbull, the Accomplice is an attack dog, and she blends in with her environments to launch sneak attacks on enemies, and powerful bites to the groin to neutralize enemy threats Mr. Nobody may have missed with his vast assortment of pistols and rifles.

Another element that makes the Accomplice one of the deadliest dogs in John Wick is her ability to sustain incredible amounts of damage, as displayed when Chidi slams her into a car. He does this since she distracts him from delivering the killing blow to Wick, thus making the titular assassin go out of his way to protect her as seen later in the movie. The Accomplice’s second-greatest display of deadliness occurs during the Dragonbreath shootout in which she’s seen overpowering and killing enemies. Wick saves the Accomplice’s life from Chidi, thus bringing the John Wick franchise full circle, as he repays the dog and avenges Daisy in a sense.

1Lerna and Orthrus Use Coordinated Attacks To Overwhelm Enemies

Release DateMay 17, 2019DirectorChad StahelskiCastHalle Berry , Mark Dacascos , Cecep Arif Rahman , Keanu Reeves , Angelica Huston , Yayan Ruhian , Laurence Fishburne , Jason Mantzoukas , Ian McShane , Asia Kate Dillon , Lance Reddick , Tiger Hu ChenRuntime131 minutes

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum sees the greatest display of deadly dogs with Sofia Al-Azwar’s loyal twin Belgian Malinois canines, Lerna and Orthrus, whose attacks have double lethal efforts. Sofia’s mastery of her command over Lerna and Orthrus combined with her marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat skills make for some of John Wick‘s most impressive displays of canine carnage, as seen during the movie’s Casablanca shootout. In it, Sofia commands the two dogs to double-team unsuspecting enemies, leap through crevices and vault up walls, and outsmart opponents into accidentally shooting each other. Despite their brief appearance, they’re the deadliest dogs in the John Wick franchise.