Excommunicado

Excommunicado – or excommunication – is a punishment or act upon a person in a group, society or cult, in which the person is excluded from all communication and contact with the rest of the members.

It is normally a punishment for non-acceptable behaviour.

Members who are not excommunicated are not allowed to help or involve in any communication with the excommunicated person whatsoever, or they may risk a similar penalty themselves.

Apart from the termination of communication, the excommunicated may no longer receive benefits or other perks from the group.

Historically, the Catholic church was known for excommunicating unwanted members.

However, the term Excommunicado is a reference to the movie “John Wick 2”, with adored actor Keanu Reeves playing the main character John Wick.

In the end of the movie, John Wick becomes Excommunicado – he may no longer have contacts in the underworld, and cannot use any benefits either.

On top of it all, he gets a massive bounty on his head, causing the whole remaining society of assassins to try to kill him.

Excommunication is somewhat still being exercised today in religious societies and cults, sometimes under a different name.

Although, in pop culture, mostly John Wick fans use the term in relation to the movie franchise.

• Urban Dictionary – Excommunicado
• Screenrant – Who Did John Wick Kill To Become Excommunicado?