Characteristics of the Shadow Archetype Represented by John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 4

Abstract

Abstract

This study aims to identify and describe the characteristics of the Shadow archetype represented by John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) through the perspective of Carl Gustav Jung’s analytical psychology. This research employs a qualitative descriptive method using Jung’s Shadow archetype theory as the analytical framework. The data were collected through observation and documentation by identifying scenes, dialogues, and actions that reflect the Shadow archetype. The findings reveal that John Wick embodies four dominant characteristics of the Shadow archetype: violence, aggression, impulse, and brutality. These characteristics are consistently portrayed through his tendency to resolve conflicts with physical force, actively confront enemies, make spontaneous decisions driven by emotion, and use extreme and uncompromising violence. The study concludes that these four characteristics construct John Wick as a psychologically complex antihero whose dark side is inseparable from his identity. Furthermore, this research contributes to the application of Jungian archetypal theory in film studies and provides a deeper understanding of the representation of the dark side of human personality in contemporary cinema.