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John Wick is one of the most successful action franchises of the past few decades, and the series is gradually becoming bigger and bigger as more side projects and spin-offs are confirmed in this universe. However, the films have intentionally left plenty of details up in the air regarding Wick’s backstory and the missions that he undertook before the events of the first movie. It’s well known that John Wick’s wife died many years ago, but beyond that, the protagonist’s life is a mystery.

Keanu Reeves from John Wick franchise

While this is an intentional choice that makes Wick’s character more enigmatic and mysterious, there are several clues that have been mentioned throughout the story to point audiences in the right direction. One of these pertains to an “impossible task” that Wick was given by Viggo Tarasov, his former employer. This mission allowed him to pay off his debts to the crime family and retire from the business, leading directly into the events of the first movie. John Wick is an extremely strong character, so the idea of a task that’s deemed “impossible” raises some interesting questions.

John Wick’s Impossible Task Was Most Likely To Eliminate The Tarasov Family’s Rivals

The Hitman’s Former Employer Likely Had Something To Do With It

Keanu Reeves as John Wick looking surprised in John Wick Chapter 4 Caine and John Wick in a church together in Chapter 4 Donnie Yen as Caine sitting on stairs and wearing sunglasses in John Wick 4 Keanu Reeves as John Wick in John Wick Chapter 4 John Wick points a gun at Cane in John Wick 4

While the nature of John Wick’s so-called impossible task is never explained fully, the best possible explanation is that he was ordered to eliminate the rivals of the Tarasov family. It was Viggo Tarasov who sent John on the mission, and much of the conflict in this action-packed franchise is related to blood feuds and family business. It’s Viggo’s loyalty to his own family that turns him into the antagonist of the first movie, so it wouldn’t be surprising at all if he used John Wick to carry out hits against his most dangerous enemies.

It’s obvious from Viggo’s reaction to Wick coming out of retirement in John Wick that he bears strong respect and admiration of the former hitman, and this “impossible task” may explain where the dynamic came from. Wick is clearly very talented at what he does, but it’s entirely possible that Viggo never expected him to come back from this assignment alive. Perhaps this is why the Tarasovs are so afraid of him in John Wick; not just because they’ve seen how brutal he is, but because he may bear a grudge for the danger they sent him into.

How John Wick Pulled Off The Impossible Task (& Why He Agreed To Do It)

Fortunately, Wick Had Some Help During The Task

Keanu Reeves pointing a gun in the mirror maze in John Wick Chapter 2 Keanu Reeves as John Wick walking through a mirrored room in John Wick Chapter 2 John Wick enters a hall of mirrors in John Wick 2 Keanu Reeves brandishing a gun in the mirror maze in John Wick Chapter 2 The villains descending the stairs in the mirror maze in John Wick Chapter 2

However, it’s revealed in John Wick: Chapter 2 that the titular character wasn’t alone when he carried out this task. Wick was aided by Santino D’Antonio (the man John Wick would later kill in the Continental), another close friend of the Tarasov family. Throughout the John Wick franchise, audiences have seen the protagonist carry out some of the most absurdly skilled maneuvers during combat, not to mention that he managed to hold his own against the entire city of New York. This means it must have been something pretty serious for his “impossible task” to require two people.

Wick didn’t want to be known as the Babayaga any longer, and he wanted to cut all his ties with the Tarasovs and their enemies.

The reason that he agreed to the task is simple: he simply wanted to retire from the business and live the rest of his life with Helen. Wick didn’t want to be known as the Babayaga any longer, and he wanted to cut all his ties with the Tarasovs and their enemies. This was the only way he could cleanly escape from that lifestyle, but in a cruel twist of fate, it was the Tarasovs that ended up dragging him back into the chaos when Viggo’s son mistakenly killed his dog.

Why The John Wick Movies Have Revealed So Little About John’s Retirement Job

This Piece Of Backstory Remains Somewhat Mysterious

Keanu Reeves as John Wick standing in a club in John Wick 2014 Keanu Reeves as John Wick attending the funeral of his wife Helen in John Wick 2014 Keanu Reeves holding a pistol in a warehouse with destroyed cars in John Wick 2014 Keanu Reeves as John Wick holding up a dog in John Wick 2014 Keanu Reeves as John Wick looking surprised in John Wick Chapter 4

The most exciting part of the John Wick movies is how mysterious and unpredictable they are, and much of this comes from the audience not knowing too much about the protagonist’s past. John Wick only offers brief glances into the character’s history, explaining that he escaped from his old lifestyle and ultimately lost his wife to sickness. These are the only details needed to understand Wick’s motivations, so the story doesn’t get tangled up in the unnecessary intricacies. The simplicity of the first movie is what makes it one of the strongest John Wick films.

The same applies to pieces of lore such as Wick’s infamous pencil fight — it’s mentioned several times throughout the series that he killed multiple people with a single pencil, but it’s never explained exactly how.

When the sequels begin to elaborate on these details, that’s when the John Wick series often loses sight of its true purpose. This story thrives in the darkness; it’s the mysterious past that makes the character so interesting. The same applies to pieces of lore such as Wick’s infamous pencil fight — it’s mentioned several times throughout the series that he killed multiple people with a single pencil, but it’s never explained exactly how. This leaves the details to the audience’s imagination, and that’s infinitely darker than anything the writers could have come up with.

John Wick’s Impossible Task Won’t Remain A Mystery For Too Long

An Upcoming Spin-Off Promises To Reveal More

Rooney the ballerina sitting on a stage in John Wick: Chapter 3 Ana de Armas as Rooney looking up in the Ballerina poster Keanu Reeves as John Wick and Anjelica Huston as The Director walk past ballerinas in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum A ballerina with back tattoos dancing on stage to an empty audience in Ballerina Unity Phelan as The Ballerina displays the pointe technique in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

Incidentally, the details of John Wick’s impossible task will soon be revealed in a spin-off anime that takes place shortly before the first movie. This project marks the latest side projects in the John Wick universe, with The Continental recently exploring Winston’s backstory and the upcoming Ballerina offering more insight into the Roma Ruska through the story of Eve Maccaro. The series is clearly making an effort to explore more stories within this beloved universe, but the John Wick anime offshoot will stick more closely to the main saga and give direct answers about this elusive task.

Opinions are understandably mixed about John Wick’s decision to finally reveal what happened on this task, but the decision to tell this story through an anime is undeniably an exciting one. This form of animation is famous for its dynamic action sequences and bright, stylish visuals – which is exactly what John Wick has brought to live-action movies. It’s also possible that this anime will touch on some other areas of the main story, tying multiple loose ends together, before John Wick 5 brings these characters back to the big screen.