Every John Wick Reference in Sakamoto Days So Far
From retired assassins and secret societies to brutal elegance and emotional stakes, Sakamoto Days wears its John Wick inspiration on its blood-stained sleeve—and reinvents it.
Sakamoto Days Part 2 Episode 2 has just dropped, and fans are buzzing. But not just because of the jaw-dropping action or Osaragi’s assassin-like elegance, but because the John Wick vibes are now impossible to ignore. From flashy violence to secret organizations and assassins with redemption stories. Sakamoto Days not only draws inspiration from John Wick’s world, but it also pays direct homage. Here’s every John Wick reference we found in Sakamoto Days.
Table of Contents
A Retired Assassin Is Pulled Back In
At its core, both Sakamoto Days and John Wick share quite a similar story. A legendary assassin who left the bloodshed for a woman, only to be pulled back into the underworld he left behind.
Taro Sakamoto, the world’s most feared hitman, left it all behind for aquiet lifewith hiswife and child, running a quiet convenience store. But as Part 2 Episode 2 tells us, that calm is short-lived, especially when your past carries a bounty on your head.
Just as Baba Yaga is known and feared by almost all in the underworld, so is Sakamoto. People whisper it with fear, enemies tremble at the mention, and his calm presence oozes danger. The similarities are impossible to ignore.
And where John Wick was motivated by loss and revenge for his dog, Sakamoto is motivated by his family’s safety.
A Higher Authority: The JAA vs The High Table
This is perhaps the best John Wick reference in Sakamoto Days. It explains how there is order within chaos. So much is happening, and yet no one is batting an eye. Because there is a higher order, people sitting at the top of the food chain who are controlling events and outcomes.
TheJAA is the High Table equivalentof Sakamoto Days, with hierarchy, rules, and ruthless enforcers. Add the JCC (Japan Clear Creation), an assassin school, and deadly elites likeOsaragi, and you’ve got a fully realized assassin society that doesn’t hide in the shadows; it exists right under the nose of everyday life, unapologetically stylish and deadly.
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The Cleanup Crew – Floaters vs Cleaners
In Episode 13, we encounter the Floaters,the JCC (Japan Clear Creation)operatives who clean up crime scenes after a bloody hit. They’re quite similar to the Cleaners in John Wick, the crew led by Charlie, whose men mop the bloody floors. Another scene we see in Sakamoto Days which is taken right out of John Wick’s underworld.
Floaters receive a daily wage of 15,000 yen as they have the lowest-risk job in JCC. While in John Wick, the Cleaners charge a gold coin per body.
It’s a glaring reference, but it pays off in adding to both franchises’ dense underworld mythology. Both franchises are built around underground organizations with rules, hierarchy, and deadly enforcement units.
Stylized Violence and “Gun-Fu” Anime Style
One of Sakamoto Days’ strong points is its stunning action. The fight choreography is John Wick-level. Sakamoto fights and kills with cold precision. He uses everything from frying pans to pens as deadly weapons, recalling Wick’s legendary improvised kills. Yes, even the pencil.
In Episode 1, Sakamoto storms a convenience store with great ferocity, every movement fluid and momentum-driven. That’s characteristic of “gun-fu” style. A fusion of gunfighting, martial arts, and making use of the surroundings is firmly rooted in both series, a cinematic feel that made John Wick a legend.
And in Part 2 Episode 2,Osaragigets stabbed deliberately just to gain the upper hand, an eerily similar scene to Wick stabbing himself to score a kill. The resemblance is uncanny.
The Assassin with Something to Lose
Whereas both Wick and Sakamoto bear the burden of the past, Sakamoto’s story adds something new: a family. He is more than a hitman who wishes to retire; he is a husband and father, bound to live in peace. Whereas Wick is a man driven by loss, Sakamoto’s story is one of redemption.
Every fight he gets into isn’t just about staying alive; it’s a fight tokeep his family safe in a way so that he doesn’t break his promisein the process. That internal struggle gives Sakamoto Days an emotional depth and a meaning to the story, so every punch that connects is more personal and every close call hits harder.
Allies, Enemies, and Stylish Archetypes
Just as Wick will occasionally join forces with allies such as Sofia and Marcus, Sakamoto also possesses his own vibrant and formidable set of allies by his side. Shin, Sakamoto’s telepathic apprentice, does more than crack jokes. He offers us an insight into Sakamoto’s quiet resolve.
The characters’ design, flair, and fighting styles all contribute to Sakamoto Days’ distinctive aesthetic, one that’s unmistakably influenced by Chad Stahelski’s slick, neon-lit action direction.
The Continental Makes an Appearance as JAA Headquarters
Yuto Suzuki has never been shy about where his inspirations come from. From name-dropping Hard Boiled to embracing pop culture action movie references (and even naming characters after mainstream titles). His passion for John Wick, The Equalizer, and action movies of the ’90s is stamped on every scene and page. Even the JAA headquarters is reminiscent of the Continental Hotel – an iconic and fan favorite John Wick reference.
But here’s the twist: Sakamoto Days isn’t copying. It reinvents. It takes the old “retired assassin” cliche and turns it into something sweet, funny, and unapologetically over-the-top. The outcome? A story that’s not merely appropriating style, it’s reshaping it.
Final Thoughts
If you think about it, Sakamoto’s story is kind of an alternate version of what John Wick’s life could’ve been if his wife hadn’t died. Santino might still have come to Wick with his marker, threatening to kill his wife, which would have dragged Wick back into the underworld, not for revenge, but to protect the woman he loves.
With every new episode, Sakamoto Days is showing it’s more than simply “anime’s John Wick.” It’s creating its own place in the action genre with worldbuilding and emotions that run deeper than mere revenge.
Yes, references to John Wick are everywhere, but the soul of the story belongs to Sakamoto. And now that Part 2 is coming, there’s no question about it: if John Wick has a spiritual successor in anime, it’s Taro Sakamoto.
Umair Nakade
Umair has loved anime since it was still pretty niche, growing up watching classics like Pokémon, Dragon Ball, Zatch Bell, and Beyblade in the early 2010s. Death Note really got him hooked, and since then, he’s caught up with everything from the Big Three to the latest Shonen Jump hits, with Haikyuu!!! as his favorite. But he’s not just about anime, Umair’s a huge cinephile, especially superhero flicks from Marvel and DC, and never misses opening day at theaters. When he’s not watching or writing, you will find him playing Wuthering Waves, AAA titles, or listening to Harry Styles on repeat. At Techwiser, Umair is dedicated to covering anime and pop culture content.
