- "I have served. I will be of service."
- —The High Table's oath of fealty.
The High Table is a council of high-level crime lords that governs and oversees the underworld's most powerful criminal organizations. The council comprises 12 seats, with each seat often owned by a family. Held by the Russians, Italian, and other mafias. The High Table is considered the ultimate authority of the underworld and is feared and respected by all, including Winston and John. They also have dozens of police forces, politicians and bureaucrats worldwide under their thumbs, making them virtually above the laws.
The Adjudicator is the agent of the High Table and has the authority to adjudge and harm those who challenge the Table.
History
The origins of their formation is unknown but it is described as larger and older than any governments on Earth indicated that the foundation of the High Table can be traced back to ancient time. The High Table share ties with the Continental, which is an autonomous assassin organization. Winston is likely to have pushed back against the High Table.
Santino and Gianna D'Antonio's father held a seat within the Table, and named Gianna his successor before his death. Santino, craving the power for himself, orders John Wick to kill Gianna as per conditions of fulfilling the marker he made with John. After Gianna's death, Santino immediately took her place within the High Table and placed a bounty of $7 million on Wick to cover his ties with Gianna's murder.
Santino holds a celebration at an art exhibit for his ascension to the High Table, where after a long gunfight chase across the museum, he proceeds to the Continental seeking sanctuary. However, John kills him anyway, despite Winston's warning.
As a consequence for killing Santino on Continental grounds, the High Table doubled the 7 million dollar bounty on John and now offers it globally, in tandem with John's membership to The Continental being revoked. The High table proceeds to dispatch an Adjudicator to adjudge those who helped John Wick in killing Santino, and escaping their judgement; Winston, who refused to kill Wick during the incident, the Bowery King who provided him with the Kimber 1911 gun and passage to Santino's location, and the Ruska Roma, for smuggling Wick out of New York. Winston and the Bowery King were given seven days to step down and cease operations, with the exception of the Ruska Roma, with the Director willingly served her punishment.
The Adjudicator then employs the help of Zero and his group of assassins to assist in her operations. After the Bowery King refuses to step down, she has Zero and his assassins massacring the Bowery before facing the King himself. After taunting the High Table, the Adjudicator has the Bowery King cut seven times, as penance for giving John Wick seven bullets.
When John returns to New York under the task of killing Winston, the Adjudicator questions their motives. With John refusing to kill Winston and the latter refusing to steps down, the Adjudicator has the New York Continental de-consecrated, revoking its status as protected neutral grounds. The Adjudicator then notifies Zero and sends two busloads of body-armored High Table enforcers as support. With the help of the hotel's concierge, Charon, John defends the Continental from the enforcers. John is ambushed by Zero and his students. After a long fight, John kills all but the remaining two students, and fatally wounds Zero.
The Adjudicator negotiates a parley with Winston, who explains the rebellion as a "show of strength" and offers penance to the High Table. John arrives, and when the Adjudicator identifies him as a threat to the negotiation, Winston betrays John shoots him repeatedly, causing John to fall off of the Continental's roof. The New York City Continental returns to operation and is "re-consecrated",
Seats
- The Adjudicator
- The Elder
- The Administrator
- The Director
- D'Antonio Crime Family
- Unnamed father (formerly, deceased)
- Gianna D'Antonio (formerly, deceased)
- Santino D'Antonio (formerly, deceased)
- Unnamed father (formerly, deceased)
Trivia
- The High Table may have been based on the Commission of the American Mafia.
- The High table is likely based in New York City, but the operations of its members seem to spread worldwide.