Summary

  • Anime assassins are skilled killers, often women, capable of wreaking havoc with precision.
  • Unique abilities like turning bodies into traps or blood manipulation make these assassins deadly.
  • Assassins like Roberta and Akame are ruthless and unstoppable, with skills that make them feared.

There's no cooler character in an anime than an assassin who takes payment for taking lives. In numerous anime, some cold-hearted individuals make a living by eliminating targets for anyone with enough money to make it worth their while. Sometimes, these individuals belong to secret organizations and do it for honor rather than payment. At the same time, on rare occasions, there can be some coercion involved as the person was groomed from birth to be a weapon.

Regardless of their origin, the assassins that appear in anime are not to be trifled with, and some can bring down entire nations with one quick slice. Throughout anime, the majority of the best assassins are women who become the most deadly operatives in their field.

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8 Zakuro (Ninja Scroll)

A Demolition Ninja Unlike Any Other

zakuro entry image
Ninja Scroll
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Release Date
June 5, 1993
Director
Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Writers
Yoshiaki Kawajiri

Ninja Scroll is a classic series where a war erupts between rival ninja clans. The members of these clans possess special abilities that make them valuable members and expert killers. One such member is Zakuro, a loyal member of the Eight Devils of Kimon.

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Skilled in explosives and gunpowder, Sakuro slays her victims by blowing them to pieces. Her primary technique involves turning bodies, living or dead, into traps that explode when needed. She excels at hiding these traps in the most unsuspecting places, rigged to cause as much damage as possible.

7 Akeginu (Basilisk)

A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

Akeginu holding Gennosuke's flute in Basilisk
Basilisk
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Release Date
April 12, 2005
Studio
Gonzo, Seven Arcs Pictures
Creator
Masaki Segawa
Number of Episodes
48
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll

Basilisk is an anime in the same vein as Ninja Scroll. The story revolves around warring clans of the most feared ninja and assassins in the country who must compete against one another to determine which can reign supreme and which leader will become the next ruler of the country.

Akeginu is a loyal servant of the Tsubakakure Clan. Her abilities make her an excellent assassin, as she can manipulate her blood flow in several ways. Akeginu's primary technique is making a blinding mist with her blood so that she can strike down her targets with a single stroke of her blade. She has expert combat abilities despite her delicate appearance.

6 Roberta (Black Lagoon)

The Bloodhound of Florencia

the maid roberta from the anime black lagoon
Black Lagoon
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Release Date
April 9, 2006
Studio
Madhouse
Creator
Rei Hiroe
Number of Episodes
24
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu

Black Lagoon is filled with top-notch assassins who can take out entire armies single-handedly. However, none are as feared and respected as Roberta. Trained to the absolute peak of human capability, Roberta is an expert tracker and hand-to-hand combatant who can use many weapons with precision.

In addition to her skill, Roberta possesses high mental fortitude and pristine tactical instincts. However, the one thing that sets Roberta apart from other assassins is her absolutely ruthless mentality. Nothing gets in the way of Roberta completing her mission, as she has forbidden herself from failing her master and must accomplish her task at all costs.

5 Lady Nagant (My Hero Academia0

The Number One Long-Ranged Hero

Lady Nagant turns her elbow into a rifle with her Quirk in My Hero Academia.
Lady Nagant turns her elbow into a rifle with her Quirk in My Hero Academia.
My Hero Academia
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Release Date
April 2, 2016
Creator
Kōhei Horikoshi
Distributor
FUNimation Entertainment
Number of Episodes
159
Streaming Service(s)
Hulu, Crunchyroll

Kaina Tsutsumi, or Lady Nagant, possesses a multitude of quirks that make her an extremely powerful individual. Starting with her main weapon, Lady Nagant can transform her right arm into a high-powered rifle. This includes increasing the length of the barrel and attacking a scope to the top made from an internal tendril. Lady Nagant can then pluck strands of her hair and form them into various projectiles. Lady Nagant is a diamond in the rough among the many heroes and villains in My Hero Academia.

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With a maximum range of three kilometers and the ability to curve her shots, Lady Nagant's abilities made her a first-round draft pick for the Hero Public Safety Commission, where she was put to work as an assassin. While Nagant was once a bright-eyed and hopeful hero, her life as a weapon for the Commission turned her jaded and cold.

4 Thirteen (Scissor Seven)

A Birth-Trained Fighter Of The Killer League

thirteen scissor seven
  • Studio: Sharefun Studio
  • Number Of Episodes: 10
  • Release Date: 2018

Thirteen is a treasured daughter of the Plum Blossom Swordsman and a decorated assassin belonging to the Xuanwu. She is a skilled covert assassin whose combat abilities are nearly unmatched. Excelling in Chi control and swordsmanship, Thirteen can utilize both her skills together to produce devastating techniques.

In addition, she also has a unique combat style that employs her hair as a weapon that conceals a blade. Thirteen is extraordinarily lethal and tries to act the part, but she is much more kind than she lets on.

3 Akame (Akame Ga Kill)

The Deadliest Assassin Of The Empire

Overhead shot of Akame looking off-screen in Akame Ga Kill
Akame ga Kill!
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Release Date
July 7, 2014
Seasons
1

Akame is one of the main protagonists of Akame Ga Kill. Being sold into servitude, Akame was trained at a young age to be an assassin for the Empire and took extremely well to swordsmanship. Akame rose through the ranks and was bestowed the Teigu blade, known as the one-cut killer, and earned the nickname "Demon Sword Murasamo."

Akame's tactical prowess and excellent technique make her sword skills second to none, as all she needs is a single cut to end the fight while equipped with her unique weapon. Akame eventually betrayed her masters and joined the rebellion, becoming a top soldier in the Night Raid organization.

2 Noi (Dorohedoro)

An Unstoppable Killing Machine

Noi dorohedoro anime
Dorohedoro
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Release Date
January 13, 2020
Seasons
1

Noi is an elite fighter who works for En and the Family as a "cleaner." She is sent on missions as part of a team with her friend Shin to take out threats and targets on a need-to-know basis. Noi is a vicious fighter, with a ruthless and aggressive style of combat.

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With pure, raw, unrivaled strength, she can cleave bodies in two with her bare hands. What makes Noi so dangerous is her rare healing magic ability, which makes her unkillable. Able to repair any wound or damage, she becomes an unstoppable force when seeking to destroy a target. Noi's visceral acts are a sharp contrast to her joyful and carefree personality. However, she has no guilty conscience about killing any number of targets or innocents that get in her way.

1 Yor Forger (Spy Family)

The Unrivaled Thorn Princess

Yor Forger
Spy x Family
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Studio
Wit Studio, CloverWorks
Creator
Tatsuya Endo
Number of Episodes
37
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu

Yor is the beautiful but deadly assassin known as the Thorn Princess. By day, she parades as Loyd Forger's devoted wife and loving mother to Anya. But when called to action, Yor transforms into a cold, tactical killer who has never failed to silence a target.

Yor gets her missions from the Garden Assassins Syndicate, and carries out countless kill orders with ease. As a mighty opponent, Yor mixes her brutish strength with expert martial arts skills. Thanks to her immense durability and resistance to harm and poison, Yor is an assassin that no one wants as an opponent.

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