"You have no right to be here."

—Akira to John Wick during the Osaka Continental assault

Akira Shimazu (Kanji: 島津明) is the daughter of Koji Shimazu as well as the concierge of the Continental Hotel in Osaka who reluctantly aided John Wick in his battle against the High Table.

Biography

"Welcome to the Osaka Continental, How may I help you?"

—Akira Shimazu

John Wick: Chapter 4

"Koji: What's this at 8:00?
Akira: Dinner with your daughter. She says she's concerned you've been working to hard.
Koji: What must I have done to deserve such a considerate child?"

—Akira and Koji Shimazu

Akira is first seen in her job as the concierge of the Osaka Continental Hotel, run by her father, Koji Shimazu. She attends Mr. Nobody, who requests a room, only for Akira to remind him that the hotel did not accept pets, such as his Belgian Malinois. When Nobody insists that the dog was his pillar of "emotional support," Akira makes him promise not to let the dog leave their room before handing him his room's key.

This scene caught the attention of Shimazu and Akira explains that Mr. Nobody had made it clear that he would not be going anywhere without his partner. When Shimazu asks about the well-being of their guests, she confessed that some of them and even her are concerned upon hearing the news that the New York Continental was demolished as per the orders of the Marquis de Gramont.

This news made Akira fearful of the High Table as Shimazu's friendship with John Wick was known to the majority of the criminal underworld and his excommunicado status could be a real problem for them all. When Akira insisted that everything Wick touches dies, she is reprimanded by her father for insulting a man who has been one of his greatest friends. She apologizes for her behavior and returns to her position in the lobby.

"Everything he touches dies."

—Akira to Koji about John Wick

Shortly afterwards, she welcomed Chidi and other men who work for the Marquis and they request to see their manager, Koji. Before responding, Akira takes a slight glance towards Chidi's lapel pin knowing that they are from the High Table. Though clearly nervous at first, Akira asks Chidi and the others to wait while she calls her father and when they were not looking, she instructed one of her co-workers to evacuate all guests discreetly. Upon reaching the rooftop, she is displeased to see that her father had been hiding Wick in their Continental without her awareness.

While Shimazu went to confront the Marquis' henchmen, Akira scolds John for putting their lives at risk before one of the Continental's employees informs Akira that the High Table enforcers have started a conflict with Shimazu and their people. This discovery prompts Akira to remove her robe, revealing a silver battle armor underneath, and grab her bow and arrows. Akira and John are confronted by several of the Marquis' henchmen but end up dispatching them all.

During the struggle, Akira ends up sustaining a gunshot wound in her side and collapses on the floor. Shimazu helps her stand to her feet and asks John to kill as many of their enemies as possible while he and Akira flee to safety.

Akira ultimately has to lay down and notices Shimazu had been slightly wounded during the struggle, but he assures his daughter that he is alright. They are interrupted by Caine, who questions Shimazu over his persistence to protect John out of good faith when he had no Marker that bonded them to an unbreakable blood oath, with Shimazu responding that there were other debts rather than just those from Markers. Caine still tries to talk Koji out of a fight but the latter refuses to let Caine reach John, resulting in a sword fight between the two of them.

Although the fight initially appears a stalemate, Caine manages to wound his old friend in the side and insists that even a blind man could see Shimazu had already lost. Caine decides to spare his friend's life and begins walking away. Shimazu persists in fighting, but Caine ends the fight for good by driving his blade through Koji's chest, which did not please Caine. A horrified Akira holds her dying father in her arms and turns her attention to Caine, only for Shimazu to beg her to run for her life before passing away. Before departing for good, Caine warns Akira that in case she decides to seek revenge for her father's murder, he would be waiting for her.

In the subway, Akira finds Wick and informs him of her father's death, for which she holds the hitman responsible. John offers his condolences and Akira makes him a proposal-- either he kills Caine, or she will have to do it herself. John promises to avenge Shimazu before he and Akira part ways.

"If you don't kill him, I will."

—Akira to John Wick

Sometime following the demise of the Marquis and the apparent death of Wick, Akira finds Caine going to meet his daughter Mia, who was playing violin. As she approaches him, she shows the blade in her hand, and it is unclear who won and who died in the battle, as the film ends before the audience can witness the confrontation between the two.

Personality

"Your relationship with Mr. Wick is no secret. The Table will come."

—Akira to Koji Shimazu

Akira is a fierce and elegant young woman who takes her role as concierge of the Osaka Continental seriously, telling Mr. Nobody that his Belgian Malinois would not be accepted in the hotel as per the rules, only for her to agree to make an exception by instructing Mr. Nobody to ensure that the dog would not leave his room. Akira strongly opposed her father's decision and willingness to hide his good friend John Wick in their Continental, knowing they and their loved ones would suffer repercussions from the High Table for providing assistance to an excommunicado. She was devastated when Shimazu was murdered right before her eyes at the hands of Caine and blamed John for the loss of her father. In spite of this anger towards him, Akira made John promise that he would kill Caine and obtain justice for Shimazu. Upon learning John had apparently died in his duel against Caine, Akira became consumed with vengeance and tracked Caine down to avenge her father's death.

Abilities

• Expert Martial Artist: During the assault at the Osaka Continental, Akira was shown to be a highly skilled martial artist, capable of dispatching and killing some of Chidi's elite enforcers on her own. Her fighting style includes Karate, Judo, Jiu-jitsu, Tantojutsu, Shorinji Kempo and Kyudo.
• Expert Archer: Akira is extremely proficient with a bow even in close-quarters combat. She is able to quickly fire multiple arrows with extreme accuracy.
• Bilingualism: Akira is capable of speaking fluent English as well as her native Japanese.
• Agility: Akira is extremely agile. She is frequently seen rolling and moving elegantly in combat with relative ease.

  

Equipment

"You armed?"

—Akira to John

• Recurve Bow: Akira's main weapon is a bow. During the Osaka Continental assault, Akira used her bow to kill numerous High Table operatives and assist John Wick. She is also seen using the bow in melee combat.

• Microtech Knife: Akira is seen during the Osaka Continental assault fighting with two knives manufactured by Microtech Knives. She used these blades to disarm and lacerate the Marquis' operatives. Akira is also seen in the post-credits scene with a Microtech Knife. She used this knife to attack Caine in retaliation for her father's death.
• Glock 17L: Akira picked up a Glock 17L during the Osaka Continental assault. She can briefly be seen using it in combat.
• Combat Wear: Akira wears a full body suit under her robes, presumably to help her move easily during combat. It does not appear to be bulletproof as Akira was wounded by a gunshot. It is unclear why her body suit is not bulletproof, as her father dons a bulletproof robe.

Weaknesses

• Firearms: Unlike her father, Akira's attire is not bulletproof. She was wounded by a gunshot during the Osaka Continental assault, significantly reducing her capability in combat.

Trivia

• In an interview with Director Chad Stahelski, he states that in an alternate post-credits' scene, Akira actually managed to kill Caine. This was scrapped due it being "too much" and Stahelski preferred the cut to black. It is unknown whether Caine's death is canon or not.
• The name Akira (明) means "bright" in Japanese.
• The Shimazu clan (島津) were one of the powerful warrior clans that ruled the southern tip of Japan's Kyushu island from the 12th to the 19th centuries.
• Alongside Katia, Akira might be an analogy of one of the Erinyes.
  • In Greek mythology, the Erinyes also known as Furies are goddesses and female deities of vengeance who lives in the underworld. They were sent to punish those who had committed crimes.
• The character was well-received by film critics. Entertainment critic Liam Gaughan of Collider praised both Akira's storyline and Rina Sawayama's performance.^[1] While ComicBook.com author Brandon Davis felt that Sawayama, along with Donnie Yen (Caine) and Hiroyuki Sanada (Koji Shimazu), are all "scene-stealers".^[2] Rina Sawayama was nominated for the 2024 Critics Choice Super Awards, in the category of "Best Actress in an Action Movie".^[3]

Gallery

References