The 20 Strongest Anime Assassins, Ranked

Once a member of the Zenin Clan, Toji Fushiguro defected from the group and started making a living as an assassin known as the Sorcerer Killer. As somebody who couldn't use Cursed Energy, he was disrespected and mistreated by his family, so he became resentful of Sorcerers in general. But despite not having the skills his family prized, he's still a remarkably effective assassin. As a trade-off for his lack of Cursed Energy, he boasts extreme physical strength and the ability to interact with Curses thanks to sharply honed senses. He also has a partnership with a specific Curse that can store an infinite supply of objects, including weapons.

The Zoldyck Family's whole reason for existing is assassination. Children born into the family are taught how to do the job from a very early age, and are subjected to rigorous training methods that are basically literal torture. That's why Killua is so frighteningly strong despite being just a little boy. But he's not as strong as some of the other assassins in his family. His dad can create giant exploding orbs out of Nen, and his brother Illumi can control people with needles and shape-shift. Maybe he'll catch up to them one day, but right now, he's got a long way to go.

Itachi was strong enough to slay his entire clan. This took not just physical strength, but emotional strength. He didn't want to do it at all, but knew that he had to in order to prevent a war and save his brother. As a member of the Akatsuki, he's even more terrifying - especially considering that he has a terminal illness and can still kick butt. He boasts a wide range of skills, many of which come from his Mangekyo Sharingan. His two most notable techniques are Amaterasu - infinite flames - and Tsukuyomi, a genjutsu ability that traps targets in a nearly unbreakable illusion that can cause both physical and mental damage. He can control multiple elements but favors fire, and can easily create the giant fireballs that the Uchiha clan specialize in. He can also use swords, summon swarms of crows, and throw down in hand-to-hand combat.

Gabimaru was born into the Iwagakure ninja clan. This isn't like Iwagakure in Naruto - these guys are full-fledged assassins who are trained to be totally ruthless and have little to no emotions. He learned this lesson a little too well, and ended up with the nickname Gabimaru the Hollow. Not only can Gabimaru beat the stuffing out of anyone he encounters, he can also use a variety of jutsu that involve things like creating large pink flames. Oh, and he's so tough that multiple attempts to chop off his head failed - and not because he was trying to avoid it. He's only going to get stronger as he learns how to use Tao - we're kind of scared to find out how that turns out.

Before Koro-sensei became the lovable anti-matter tentacle monster who appears at the start of the series, he was an assassin known as The Reaper. Before his partner betrayed him, he was the most powerful assassin in the world. After the anti-matter experiments, he gained a whole host of new powers, including being invulnerable to most attacks, being able to control the composition of his own body, moving at Mach 20 speeds, and more. While all of these things are great for assassination, we'd argue that his greatest skill is actually teaching - and we think that Class 3-E would agree.

Yor Forger, also known by her alias Briar, works as an assassin for a paramilitary organization. She boasts supernatural strength, speed, and reflexes, as well as an uncanny ability to get rid of any mess created while disposing of her targets. These days, she still works as an assassin, but she's also trying to put on the appearance of a normal life by pretending to be a married mother. She still ends up using her skills to fight off anyone who threatens her family, and her cleaning skills are useful in the home, too.

Akame first gained her assassination skills after being sold to the empire and undergoing a brutal training regime. She eventually defected and joined the rebels, honing her skills to take on the corrupt government she once served. She's highly skilled at hand-to-hand combat, but her most noteworthy form of fighting is with a poison-coated katana called Murasame. The poison can only impact one person at a time, so that keeps it from hurting herself and her allies… for the most part. If she uses the Murasame's trump card, she subjects herself to a poisonous curse in exchange for a major power-up.

As his name suggests, Hit is a hitman - specifically, he's the most renowned hitman in all of Universe 6. Like most characters in DBZ, he has a plethora of impressive abilities. Some of these are fairly common throughout the DBZ universe, like super strength and ki blasts. Others are a bit more unique to Hit: he can manipulate time by fast-forwarding it about ten seconds. This creates a pocket dimension that he can pull people into. He can also use this power to slow down his opponents, making them much easier to attack.

Being an assassin is the last thing that Kenshin Himura wants to do, but he's still really good at it. Once known as the Hitokiri Battosai, he was legendary for his swordsmanship, which incorporated multiple styles including Kamiya Kasshin-ryu. He could take down just about any opponent he was asked to, but ultimately he felt too guilty to continue. But even though he gave up being an assassin, he uses the same skills to protect people in danger.

Before she became a villain, Lady Nagant was actually a pro hero. But as a pro hero, she was expected to assassinate anyone she was told to take down, from villains to corrupt heroes. She became so disillusioned with the hero system that she ended up killing the Hero Public Safety Commission's chairman, leading to her arrest. Why was she contracted to do this in the first place? Her Rifle quirk lets her transform her arm into a gun. At first, she wasn't able to use this with much skill, but after some serious training, she became the most renowned sniper in the world.

Rei Suwa is an excellent assassin who is able to quickly dispose of nearly any opponent he sets his sights on. But despite being the heir to the Suwa family of assassins, he would much rather do pretty much any other job. His true desire is to help his partner Kazuki raise their adopted daughter Miri, and being an assassin kind of gets in the way of that. But he is able to use his physical skills and knack for subterfuge to finally break free from his controlling father.

When most people think about maids, their first thought probably isn't “assassin,” but that's exactly what Roberta was before she started working for the Lovelace family. She worked for FARC, a communist guerrilla organization that used extreme violence to make its point. Ultimately, she left because she realized she was being used by drug cartels and not valued for her substantial skills. Those skills involve extreme physical strength and strategic ability, as well as expertise in multiple weapons ranging from guns to knives. She's taken down hundreds of people for FARC, showing no mercy even to children. She's one terrifying maid.

Hei is a human with Contractor powers who works for the Syndicate. That power is Electricity Manipulation, which lets him create and control electricity as long as he has some kind of material to conduct it through. Unlike most Contractors, he doesn't have an Obeisance, which means that he can use his powers without restriction. His agility, quick reflexes, and physical strength also help him use his powers to the fullest extent possible.

Risotto is the leader of La Squadra Esecuzioni, and is the one behind the plot to kidnap Trish. He has one of the more normal powers in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, but it's still pretty useful. His Stand, Metallica, involves hundreds of microscopic beings in his bloodstream that he can use to create magnetism. This is the type of power that needs to be used strategically, but luckily for him, he's got exceptional tactical intelligence.

We first meet Rob Lucci as a member of the CP9, then again as a member of the CP0. He started working as an assassin when he was just a kid - back then, he once took out 500 people at once. Until Luffy defeated him during the Enies Lobby Arc, it seemed pretty much impossible that anyone would be able to. So, what makes him so strong? Aside from his raw fighting skill and sky-high doriki (a way of measuring power level), he's also a master of the supernatural martial art, Rokushiki. But the most distinct ability he has is his Devil Fruit, the Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Leopard. This allows him to transform into a leopard, drastically increasing his speed and strength.

Train Heartnet never wanted to be an assassin, but after his parents were slain by one, he could either join them in the grave or be raised by their killer. He ended up learning the assassination trade from this man, including fancy techniques that involve shooting in a Z or cross formation to land multiple hits. Despite being highly skilled, his heart wasn't really in the game: specifically, he didn't want to take down women and children. This led to him getting injured and ultimately taking on a new, less violent career as a sweeper - the in-universe term for a bounty hunter who doesn't end their targets.

Rei Ogami is a Code:Breaker - that is, someone who uses supernatural powers to take down corrupt politicians and other officials who they see as a detriment to society. Most of his powers revolve around fire - he can generate blue flames that can eliminate pretty much anything they come in contact with. His ultimate fire-based move is called the Flames of Purgatory, each of which represents one of the seven deadly sins and is used to destroy them. He is one of the only Code:Breakers who can use all seven. If fire isn't on the menu, he's also an exceptional swordsman with superior strength and endurance.

Reborn might look like a toddler, but he's also the greatest hitman in the world. He's one of the bearers of the Arcobaleno pacifiers - powerful artifacts that can only be wielded by a chosen few. The pacifiers let them emit “Dying Will Flames” while also allowing them to skip out on aging. But there's a downside - the strain of carrying the pacifier triggers the Arcobaleno Curse, which gives them bodies that resemble a toddler's. In addition to his Arcobaleno abilities, Reborn is exceptionally agile. He can also talk to insects and have them do his bidding. His most terrifying ability is probably Chaos Shot, which involves flames that nearly shut down a target's organs.

Known as the greatest assassin in the world, Claire "Vino" Stanfield is feared throughout the criminal underworld. Defeating him is a pipe dream for most other people in the field. His strength is apparently equal to that of an actual demon. He doesn't possess any special powers, just monstrous physical strength and acrobatic ability. That strength is enhanced by the fact that he doesn't feel guilt, which means that his emotions won't restrict him from using more brutal attacks.

Golgo 13 is a freelance sniper who takes on jobs for whoever can pay the best price. He's got a great reputation for a reason - with his M16 assault rifle, he's been known to take down targets from up to 500 feet away with poor visibility conditions. Unlike many of the characters on this list, he doesn't have supernatural abilities. That's okay, because he can still get the job done.