John Wick: The High Table & Elder Explained | Screen Rant
The John Wick franchise created rich mythology within the world of assassins and criminals, and here's what roles the High Table and The Elder play. The original John Wick kept the story simple by taking Keanu Reeves' retired assassin on a revenge story following the murder of his dog. It teased John's history in a world of mercenaries and introduced The Continental as a safe haven. John Wick: Chapter Two took the franchise a step further by exploring other elements of the criminal underworld, such as how it is run and the power hierarchy.
For hired guns like John Wick, The High Table is a council that provides oversight to the world's most powerful criminal organizations. There are twelve seats on the council and each spot goes to a different member of a specific group. The Russian Mafia, Cosa Nostra, Yakuza, and Triads are all confirmed to have a seat at the table. Santino and Gianna D'Antonio's father was a member too, but it is unclear who took the seat after Gianna died by suicide and John killed Santino. The High Table's power in the criminal underworld makes them the be-all and end-all when it comes to who has power elsewhere. They're respected by Continental leadership, the Bowery King, the Director, and many others.
The High Table is responsible for ordering the $7 million hit on John Wick after he killed Santino D'Antonio. They also enforced the restriction on his use of Continental services. Both of these decisions put the story of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum into motion. This is where another aspect of The High Table was revealed with the introduction of The Adjudicator. She works for The High Table and was sent to New York to reinforce the organization's rules and power. With the power of The High Table behind her, The Adjudicator straightens out Winston fairly easily, while the Bowery King and the Director are punished physically for betraying The High Table and aiding John Wick.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum added another new element to the franchise's mythology with the introduction of The Elder. He is the mysterious and powerful leader of The High Table who lives secluded in the desert. It is not specifically stated why The Elder resides in the middle of the desert, but it is likely a way to keep him safe. John Wick nearly died from dehydration on his search to find The Elder, but his men found Baba Yaga after he passed out. The Elder is the only one who can offer John his life back by removing the excommunicado status and the bounty on his head in exchange for him killing Winston.
To prove his renewed loyalty to The Elder and The High Table, John Wick is forced to cut off his ring finger. This act brought John back within the good graces of The Elder, and The High Table and signaled that John will return to serving them once his new mission was complete. However, John couldn't go through with killing Winston. This backfired on John as Winston shot him several times, sending him falling off the roof of the Continental at the end of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. With John betraying The Elder and The High Table once more, both powerful entities should factor greatly into the John Wick franchise's future.
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