- "An eye for an eye, John. You know how it goes."
- —Cassian to John Wick
Cassian is an assassin who served as the top hitman of the Camorra and the chief bodyguard of the organization's leader, Gianna D'Antonio. As with many other assassins working in the criminal underworld, he is a one-time acquaintance of John. He is the tertiary antagonist of John Wick: Chapter 2.
History
Protecting Gianna
Cassian accompanied Gianna D'Antonio to her coronation in the party and the catacombs of Rome. After guarding Gianna for some time, Cassian was sent away to entertain the guests while she changed her make-up. With Cassian absent, John Wick was able to approach Gianna alone. After a brief conversation, Gianna committed suicide by slitting her wrists in her bathtub.
John encountered Cassian on his way out, and Cassian immediately realizes why John came. After a brief calm, both draw their guns and shoot; however, due to both men wearing protective armor, they remained unharmed. While John escaped into the crowd of concertgoers, Cassian sent the security after him. The bodyguard rushed into Gianna's chambers, where he discovered her corpse in the bathtub.
Revenge on Wick
John fended off Santino D'Antonio's men (sent to kill John as a measure to tie up loose ends) and escaped the catacombs, whereupon Cassian rammed him with a car and another gunfight ensued. After their guns ran empty, the two engaged in a brutal fistfight throughout the streets of Rome, and they ended up crashing through a window of the local Continental Hotel. The battle swiftly ended with a stern reminder from the manager, Julius, that no business may be conducted on Continental grounds. He advises the two to go to the bar to calm down.
As John discussed his motivations to Cassian over a drink, he explained to Cassian that he killed Gianna because Santino forced him with a Marker. While, Cassian understood John's actions, he expressed his duty to avenge his ward.
After Santino placed a $7 million bounty on John's head, many assassins in New York go after John; in addition, Cassian flew in from Rome to exact revenge on John. The two engaged in another fight in a public area, equipped with silenced guns. John fled to a subway station, where he encountered other assassins. He stumbles upon Cassian again, who is watching him from the other side of a train platform. Both men boarded an incoming train. The two get closer and closer to each other as the crowd of passengers dwindles, and when the train is almost empty, they draw their knives and proceeded to attack each other. John gets the upper hand and drives his knife into Cassian's chest. John sat Cassian down, and explains to Cassian that the knife punctured his aorta and that he has a choice to make; either pull it out and bleed to death or leave it in and stop the hunt, which will give him a chance to live. John disembarked the train at the next station, leaving behind a grimly smiling Cassian.
Subsequent Whereabouts
Cassian does not return to John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum nor John Wick: Chapter 4, thus it can be reasonably assumed that he either:
- Bled out and died from his stab wound
- Survived his injury and decided not to further pursue John.
Alternately, he may have survived but decided to rest and recuperate in order to attack John again some time in the future, as his chest wound was quite severe and would require several weeks to recover. It is possible he will appear again at some point in the John Wick universe; however, his current status remains unknown.
Personality
- "You're not havin' a good night, are you John?"
- —Cassian to John
Cassian is a very serious, stone-faced man, much like John Wick. He seeks revenge on John for killing Gianna D'Antonio, much like Wick seeks revenge for the death of his dog in the first film, making him a pretty sympathetic assassin. Also, when he saw Gianna's dead body, he looked genuinely distraught, which shows that he really cared about her. Like John, he prefers to avoid hurting innocent people, having waited until everyone has left the subway before attacking him. Although he sought revenge upon John, he promised to make it quick and even expressed understanding for the fact that John had no other choice after learning of John's Marker with Santino. More champion than hitman, Cassian loyally defends his ward, Gianna D’Antonio, even after her death.
Abilities
- Master Martial Artist: Cassian is an excellent fighter and can almost match John Wick's skill in combat, but this is mainly due to John being exhausted after the fight in the catacombs of the D'Antonio estate and also being hit by a car driven by Cassian. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that he is an extremely skilled martial artist and combatant: proven by the fact that he was employed by Gianna D'Antonio, the head of the Camorra syndicate, to be her chief bodyguard and the leader of her security detail. His fighting style includes Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Taekwondo, Judo, Kung Fu, Krav Maga, and Muay Thai.
- Master Knife Combatant: Cassian is highly skilled in the use of knives in melee combat, being able to briefly hold his own against John Wick in a knife fight. He was able to wound John with his knife during their confrontations.
- Master Marksman: During several of his confrontations with John Wick, Cassian has shown to be highly skilled in the use of firearms. He also managed to not hit any of the passengers when he shot John in the subway terminal.
Equipment
Weapons
Cassian has a pistol, machine gun, silencer, knives, and likely many other weapons.
Cassian firing his pistol at John
- Arsenal Firearms AF-1 Strike One: Cassian used this pistol against John in Rome and attached a suppressor to it during his assassination attempt on him in the subway.
- M1911 variant: Cassian also attempted to use this pistol against John in Rome, but he was disarmed.
Gallery
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