A new ᴀssᴀssin who could be just as ᴅᴇᴀᴅly as Keanu Reeves’ iconic character will be introduced in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. Throughout four John Wick movies, some of the most dangerous people in the world would wince when they heard the name Baba Yaga, which is the nickname Reeves’ ᴀssᴀssin was referred to as. However, Reeves’ feared ᴀssᴀssin seemingly died at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4. Thankfully, since Ballerina is set between the events of the third and fourth John Wick movies, Reeves will appear in the spinoff.

The upcoming Ballerina will follow Ana de Armas’ Eve, an ᴀssᴀssin who is seeking revenge for her father’s death. The official trailer for Ballerina reveals that Eve will go rogue in the movie, which results in John Wick being sent after her. In their fight in the spinoff movie, Eve will likely prove that she can hold her own against John Wick, which is not something that most people can say. Since Armas’ character is being set up as a major figure in the John Wick franchise, it is good that Eve is getting her own nickname in Ballerina.

Ballerina’s Trailer Sets Up Kikimora To Be Ana De Armas’ Version Of John Wick’s Baba Yaga Nickname

Ballerina’s Trailer Teases How Dangerous Eve Is

Ballerina’s trailer begins with a monologue from an unknown character about the legend of Kikimora, which is the nickname that Eve has in the film. Eve being referred to as Kikimora continues the John Wick franchise’s tradition of giving the lead characters nicknames based on Slavic folklore. In the first John Wick movie, Reeves’ character is referred to as Baba Yaga, which the film claims means “Russian boogeyman.” Even though being called the boogeyman makes John Wick more intimidating, the series actually gets this detail wrong.

Instead of referring to the boogeyman, the nickname Baba Yaga actually references a prominent figure in Slavic folklore who is commonly depicted as a witch or ogress. Despite this error, John Wick is referred to as Baba Yaga throughout all four of the movies. His enemies would immediately get scared when they heard the nickname Baba Yaga. Therefore, giving Eve a nickname from Slavic folklore immediately helps to put her on the same level as John Wick.

The Legend Of Kikimora Explained

Kikimora Can Be Good Or Bad

In the trailer for Ballerina, Kikimora is described as “a spirit that exists in the shadows.” The unnamed character then claims that Kikimora can be vengeful to bad people, but can also be a protector for people who are good. This description establishes how complex Armas’ character will be in Ballerina. Additionally, based on this brief description, it seems like Ballerina is getting a lot more details correct about Slavic folklore than the first John Wick movie did.

According to World History Encyclopedia, Kikimora is a female house spirit who can be either helpful or malevolent depending on the behavior of the homeowner. There are many different stories from Slavic folklore about Kikimora, some of which depict her as helpful and others which portray her as an evil creature. In some stories, Kikimora is a kind spirit who helps with household chores. However, in other stories, Kikimora kidnaps children and adults and causes mischief around people’s homes.

It makes sense that Armas’ character is referred to by this nickname in Ballerina, since some legends of Kikimora ᴀssociate the spirit closely to Baba Yaga. While Kikimora is sometimes depicted as a small, childlike creature, it has also been described as an old woman who looks like a witch. Therefore, there are definitely similarities between Kikimora and the stories told about Baba Yaga.

What The Kikimora Nickname Reveals About Ana De Armas’ John Wick Character

Eve Will Be Just As ᴅᴇᴀᴅly As John Wick In Ballerina

If Eve is going to have a nickname similar to John Wick’s in Ballerina, then the movie needs to set her up as a dangerous figure. Just like John Wick does in all the mainline films, the trailer for Ballerina proves that Eve will fight through tons of enemies on her revenge mission. Eve has never been mentioned in the John Wick franchise before, but her having this nickname proves that she is one of the most dangerous ᴀssᴀssins in the world. However, while she is very ᴅᴇᴀᴅly, the nickname Kikimora also reveals that Eve likely has a good heart.

Since Kikimora is portrayed as both a bringer of vengeance and a protector, Eve is not just a killer. It is more than likely that Eve only wants to kill if she has a good reason to do so. Since she is seeking revenge for her father’s death, Eve will be on a major killing spree in Ballerina. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if Eve is also portrayed as a protector in the film. Therefore, even though Eve fights John Wick in the trailer for Ballerina, they will probably end up being allies in the movie.

Eve Being The Kikimora Confirms She’s A Replacement For Keanu Reeves’ John Wick

Ana De Armas Could Lead Future Ballerina Movies

Ballerina undoubtedly has a lot of high expectations to live up to, since all the John Wick movies have been so well-received. While the movie will have to impress a lot of people, there is also pressure on Eve as a character. Throughout four movies, Reeves’ John Wick has become one of the most iconic action movie characters of all time. Eve having the nickname Kikimora sets her up as a replacement for John Wick, but Ballerina will have to prove why she is a worthy successor.

Eve being called Kikimora is a good start, since it establishes that she is an ᴀssᴀssin who is deserving of a nickname. Just like the John Wick movies, dangerous people will likely get scared when they hear the nickname Kikimora. Therefore, having this nickname will give Eve commanding aura in Ballerina. Furthermore, she will likely hold her own in her fight against John Wick, which will further prove that she is a worthy replacement. A sequel to the upcoming spinoff hasn’t been announced, but if Ballerina performs well, then I wouldn’t be surprised to get more movies following Eve.

Source: World History Encyclopedia