3

In John Wick, Chapter 2, after the climactic fight, Wick checks Ares' empty gun and reloads it using her own ammo. She could have done so and shot him instead of engaging in a knife fight.

Was picking a knife the smartest choice? Does it say something about Ares' character (honour code, seeking Wick's respect)?

Improve this question
1
  • 3
    Maybe she realized that thus far guns appear to have no effect on John and his amazing abilities, tactical suit, and stealth. But he does have this strong desire to "end" things. Drawing a knife may have been necessary to lure him in where she thought she had the advantage. Speculation of course. Could just have been an excuse to draw out an already preposterous fight scene
    – Kai Qing
    Sep 11, 2018 at 21:20

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

In addition to Kai Qing's interpretation mentioned in a comment, that Ares decided to take another approach to killing Wick that had not yet been proven to be so unsuccessful, there is another reason she might have opted for a knife.

Ares seems to embody an assassin of the silent type: she doesn't, or can't, speak, she follows her prey incessantly and silently, and she uses a silencer on her gun, even at moments where it seems quite pointless (e.g. during the noisy hunt in the 'Reflections of the Soul' exhibition space in the fictional New York museum).
After Wick kills Gianna D'Antonio, and Ares and her henchman attempt to help Santino 'tie up "loose ends"', she is very sparing with her shots in her confrontation with Wick.

It is very likely she prepares a knife in her left hand because she is more proficient with it, and expects to fight Wick in close quarters, awaiting him right behind closed doors he has to pass through to get to Santino.

As for the reason she didn't even prepare for deviating circumstances by reloading her gun, I guess a (personal) code of honour could indeed account for it (but that might depend on the answer(s) given to this question).
There is also a slight chance she has noticed how Wick has taken guns and/or ammunition from some of the guards along the way, and - concluding he is running low on either or both - she wants to decrease the chances of him getting 'more shots' at killing her employer.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .