Sakamoto daysthe anime based on Yuto Suzuki's manga, has revived the hit's popularity. These characters, highly skilled assassins, have always captivated anime fans.
As we will see in this list, there are several hitmen who have left their mark on anime history and whose stories deserve to be remembered. However, we will focus on the hitmen who were main characters, without characters who appeared in supporting roles and other supporting characters aside.
10
Taro Sakamoto – Sakamoto Days
The retired hitman who now wants to live in peace with his family
It makes sense to start with Taro Sakamoto to pay tribute to him and capitalize on the current popularity of Sakamoto days. With the second season of the anime on the way and its live-action adaptation about to premiere in Japanese cinemas, Taro Sakamoto is the killer of the moment.
When he was still active, before retiring to work at a convenience store, Taro was the ultimate assassin. Those who knew him were torn between fearing him and regarding him as almost a god of murder. His skill was unmatched, and it was impossible to surpass him. When he retired, other assassins tried to take him down but failed. In his battles, he is able to regain his former athletic physique, but the food eventually reverts him to his overweight form.
Unlike other hitmen, Taro Sakamoto is happy in retirement and doesn't want revenge. The only thing he can long for, besides spending time with his family, is redemption. To do this, he follows the rules of living with his wife.
9
Duke Togo – Golgo 13
A legend from the past that has outlived its author and continues to be published
The typical hitman, the most classic in the world of manga and anime. Created by Takao Saito, he has achieved not only legendary status among assassins but also the honor of being in the Guinness World Records. The reason is that his manga, Calvary 13holds the record for the manga with the most volumes published, having been published continuously since its inception in 1968.
Its 220 manga volumes have inspired several anime series where we can see Golgo 13 in action. This killer never fails and accepts any kind of job without letting his emotions get in the way. However, his services are often requested to eliminate members of the mafia or various dangerous individuals. This leads to many trying to take Golgo down.
8
Ryo Saeba – City Hunter
He works as a detective, protector or hitman, but only for good reasons
The romantic and funny image Ryo Saeba mostly projects in City Hunter can make us forget that in reality he is a very experienced assassin. Although he currently offers his services as a protector to those who need him, he also provides his services as a hitman to eliminate all kinds of evil people.
Ryo Saeba's code of conduct and honor prevent him from using his combat skills and one-hole shooting technique lightly. There must be compelling reasons for Saeba to accept a job and use his Colt Python .357 Magnum to take someone's life. It is also important to remember that in his youth Ryo was a guerrilla fighter. During that period of his life, he already had to face the necessity of murdering men on the opposite side.
7
Hikaru Gero – Marriagetoxin
Hitman who needs to get married as soon as possible to help his sister
One of the latest anime shows to premiere with characters that fall into the hitman category. Hikaru Gero is the main character, a hitman who specializes in using poison. Unlike other anime, i Marriage toxineach hitman specializes in a specific type of skill. This gives the series more variety and freshness, as the action sequences do not consist only of action scenes or duels with weapons.
What is clear is that Hikaru Gero's mastery of poisons is not limited. This allows him to use poisons in different ways, depending on the requirements of the job he is performing. Although the anime does not revolve around the protagonist's job, but rather focuses on his search for a wife, the whole aspect of the hitman families is very interesting.
Why You Should Watch Marriagetoxin, the New Shonen Jump Anime
An assassin who has never had a girlfriend must get married as soon as possible. It will be an almost impossible mission.
6
Yor Forger – Spy x Family
She knows she has to keep doing her job for an important reason
Yor is one of the most complex characters in Spy x Family universe. While the anime is a comedy with family elements and plenty of action, it also offers a deep and thought-provoking perspective that encourages an analysis of the life of a killer.
Her work as a shadow assassin requires Yor Forger to eliminate critical targets for security or political reasons. She is not a ruthless killer who enjoys killing, but she believes that she must do so so that others can live more peacefully and without worry. She is an assassin shaped by circumstance, but her second life reveals that she has much more heart and emotion than other assassins. Thanks to her, Spy x Family has some of the anime's best moments.
5
Hi – Darker than black
Maintaining a double life isn't always easy for a Hitman
2007, anime Darker than black aired, causing some controversy due to its setting, but introduced great characters over its 25 episodes. The main character is called Hei, and he is a killer who lives a double life. While posing as an exchange student, Hei is also an assassin with electrical powers.
As in other cases, he is an assassin with a good motive for eliminating targets: to find his sister. He started out as an assassin as a child to protect her, and now he relentlessly searches for her. He is a different kind of killer because he has more emotions than other typical anime characters. The presence of powers marks a change from other assassins, but he remains an interesting character, and even without powers he can eliminate his targets.
4
Reborn – Reborn!
He uses his time and energy to teach, but he is a big hit man
He looks like a child, but Reborn is much more. In the past, he was the most ruthless and powerful assassin imaginable. No one could outmatch him, and his targets quickly fell victim to his shots from a CZ75 pistol. But a curse returned him to the body of a baby, and it changed his position in the world of mafia families.
Although even in his child form he is incredibly powerful and difficult to defeat, he was much more powerful in the past. He is strict and inflexible, and as a killer he has always shown little compassion for his victims. It could be said that Reborn was one of the most underutilized characters in anime, missing the opportunity to give his story more prominence. Still, he's one of the most interesting shonen characters of his generation.
3
Brandon Heat – Gungrave
Hitman who returns from the dead more powerful and with more weapons
Based on the video game of the same name, Gungrave was an anime packed with shooting, action and explosive storytelling, all delivered with Madhouse's trademark brilliance. Its protagonist was a highly skilled assassin who rose through the ranks of a criminal organization to the top. Along the way, he was betrayed by his former best friend.
After nearly dying, Brandon returns to life as Beyond the Grave, seeking revenge. He does so with far more weapons and destructive power, but he retains his emotions and humanity. Although his new nature removes him from the state of being alive, Brandon continues to protect those who have supported him throughout his life. The anime has 26 episodes and is a perfect complement to the various games that have been released in recent years since the series debuted on the PlayStation 2.
2
Train Heartnet – Black Cat
A tragic past pushed him to leave everything behind
Between 2005 and 2006, anime Black cat made a big splash in Japan and became a hit. This was partly due to the charisma of its protagonist, Train Heartnet, who had been surrounded by death and the world of killers since childhood.
Trained from a young age to become a great assassin, he has amassed a long list of enemies and targets over the years. But his life is at a standstill and he decides to leave his organization. After meeting another important character, he begins to see life differently. Although he is an assassin who no longer kills, like some of the other characters in our article, he still possesses tremendous skills, such as 100% accuracy in his shots. Among other things, he can use his revolver to shoot back at bullets fired by his enemies.
1
Lin Xianming – Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens
A tragedy will change his life forever
Without a doubt, Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens is among the animes we most regret only having one season. It aired in 2018 and had only 12 episodes. Still, it was a fun few weeks thanks to the chemistry between its two main characters. One of them is Lin Xianming, an assassin who underwent rigorous training to become an assassin.
His goal, like other hitmen on this list, was to find his sister. However, his life is more tragic than one might imagine, and that's what makes the anime's story so compelling. One of his distinguishing characteristics is that he is a cross-dressing hitman, a trait that gives him an advantage over many of his rivals.
