TheJohn Wickfranchise is beloved for many reasons, but one that stands above all is the unstoppable force thatJohn Wick (Keanu Reeves)personifies. Reeves not only plays the role with a blunt personality, almost grunting his words, but other characters consistently describe him in ways that build up this level of intimidation. During the iconic monologue inJohn Wick: Chapter 2,PeterStormare’s Abram Tarasov tells his second-in-command that John is a man of “focus, commitment, and sheer f***ing will,” yet perhaps the best description of him in the film is one that only uses two words: Baba Yaga. It is a cool nickname that, when delivered by a Russian mob boss, is made even more terrifying by the fact a powerful gangster quakes in his boots at the mere name. The use of ‘Baba Yaga’ to describe the male hitman is technically incorrect, as the term refers to a female figure in Russian folklore; however, this misapplication reveals an interesting detail about the franchise’s first villain, Viggo Tarasov.
‘John Wick’s “Baba Yaga” Nickname Refers to a Mythical Female Character in Slavic Folklore
The first time we hear John Wick referred to as “Baba Yaga” is when Viggo (Michael Nyqvist) tells his son the name, and Iosef (Alfie Allen) compares John to the Boogeyman. This is a misrepresentation of the Baba Yaga folklore, as is the use of the term to describe John in all honesty. While there are different interpretations of the figure, she is always a woman or a group of women and is usually portrayed as an old witch in the forest. Therefore, the use of it to describe a hitman is slightly ignorant of history. As afeminist character, someone who offers guidance to women, she stands in direct contrast to Wick’sdestructive and male-dominated focus.
However, while this may be very far away from Wick, there are similarities in how Baba Yaga operates and her amorality. Baba Yaga exists outside of society, in the woods, and has her morality code. We could compare this to how Wick exists as a hitman in an underground world disconnected from society, and he decides when it is right or wrong to kill, not judging the act itself. This is shown regularly, such as when he kills Santino (Riccardo Scamarcio) inJohn Wick: Chapter 2despite Winston’s (Ian McShane) attempts to talk him down. Furthermore,Baba Yaga is said to take away bad children, as Wick would do to Iosef.
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The Misuse of “Baba Yaga” May Have an Underlying Meaning in ‘John Wick’
While it is wrong to see Baba Yaga and the Boogeyman as the same characters, one that can be swapped out for the other, Iosef’s mistranslation could be seen as a fascinating display of his immaturity and lack of understanding. He doesn’t understand trueSlavicfolklore and instead compares it to something more American and masculine since both characters are noted to kidnap misbehaving children yet represent vastly different ideas. This could be seen as similar to how he does not value the life of Wick’s female dog,Daisy, but does value the masculine muscle car.
The scene in which Iosef makes this mistake does serve to heighten the hatred we already have of this character. We see how he is not respected by his father or his father’s associates, and it makes us even angrier because we can see he only killed the dog and stole Wick’s car to prove that he could. Rather than a power-hungry maniac, he is an insecure and pathetic little man who takes it out on those he deems weak without understanding the consequences of his actions. He doesn’t understand the improper use of the term “Baba Yaga” and that is why Viggo tells Iosef that Wick isn’t the Boogeyman but is who you send to “kill the f***ing boogeyman.”
