The anime genre is full of upbeat protagonists, best boys, and heroes capable of serving the world as a beacon of hope. These pillars of goodness have become such a stereotypical part of the genre that standouts like Eren Yeager and Light Yagami are heralded by the anime community as peak character fiction.
Despite their relative and historical obscurity, anime characters who fall under the designation of killer, antihero, or assassin have been widely celebrated by anime fans. Spy x Family is a modern example of just how important character diversity is to the genre. It's also home to Yor Forger, one of the coolest assassins in anime history. There are many others to join her.
10 Kenny's Efficiency & Goofy Personality Make Him A Joy To See On Screen (Attack On Titan)
One of the main antagonists from the third season of Attack on Titan doesn't carry the title of assassin, but his actions speak for themselves. After killing Dimo Reeves for joining hands with the Scouts, fans became suspicious of Kenny's history with the Military Police.
After learning a bit more about Kenny's past, it became clear that he had been working under the Reiss family as a political assassin for quite some time. He's an incredibly efficient killer, which makes up for the fact that his personality mimics a creepy uncle who watches way too many westerns.
9 Zeldris Earned The Title Of Villain After Being Betrayed By His Brother (Seven Deadly Sins)
As the younger brother of Seven Deadly Sin's protagonist, it may come as a surprise that Zeldris falls under the designation of assassin. Of course, once readers come to terms with the fact that he and Meliodas were once members of the Demon Clan, this title starts to make more sense.
As loyal members of the Demon Clan, Zeldris and Meliodas were trained in the art of war for thousands of years. After his older brother betrayed him by leaving the clan and sealing his love, Zeldris took a turn for the worse and earned himself the title of a villain.
8 Koro-Sensei Is Cool Enough To Teach His Foes How To Kill Him (Assassination Classroom)
The homeroom teacher of class 3-E has long been flaunting his skills as an assassin in front of his students. His confident words are enough to draw attention to his skills, but his actions earn him the most respect.
On top of moving faster than a speeding bullet and having the strength to blow up a large portion of the moon, Koro-Sensei is so well-versed in the art of assassination that he managed to turn a group of students into an army of master assassins in a few short semesters. The smaller moments where Koro speaks to his students' insecurities truly win over the hearts of fans.
7 Yor Forger Is The Coolest Mom Anya Could Have Asked For (Spy X Family)
The Thorn Princess may look like little more than a pretty face, but the first season of Spy x Family made it abundantly clear that she's a competent assassin. In the realms of combat and stealth, the woman known as Yor Forger is leagues above the average Ostenian citizen.
The only man shown to match her mastery of espionage is her husband, but not even Loid has managed to figure out Yor's history as an assassin. With this in mind and Yor's supernatural physical abilities, the Thorn Princess may one day go down as the coolest anime assassin of all time.
6 Death Gun Has One Of The Coolest Character Designs In Anime (Sword Art Online)
Though Death Gun may not be a real human being, the actions they took while hunting down characters inside "Gun Gale Online" had deadly consequences IRL. By taking advantage of the game's software, Shinkawa Shouichi and his peers used the character of Death Gun and a bevy of powerful in-game items to anonymously kill innocent citizens of Japan.
Out of all anime assassins, none of them can compare to Death Gun in terms of character design. The Metamaterial Optical Camouflage Mantle shrouded the character in mystery while their mechanical mask struck fear in the hearts of their victims by giving them the appearance of the Grim Reaper himself.
5 Akame Demon Sword Is One Of The Coolest Weapons In Anime (Akame Ga Kill)
The titular protagonist of Akame Ga Kill! is a talented assassin with one of the coolest backstories in anime. After being sold as a slave and raised by elite assassins, Akame became the most feared assassin in the Empire that rules over the world of Akame Ga Kill!
Akame's stoic personality is as terrifying as it is cool. Pair this personality with a life of training and a sword that kills just on contact and fans have one of the coolest anime assassins of all time.
4 Kakashi Proved His Value As A Ninja At An Extremely Young Age (Naruto)
The infamous copy ninja is one of the coolest anime characters of all time. Kakashi's kind and calm personality is bolstered by incredible combat skills and an impressively successful career as an assassin.
At the age of 6 years old, Kakashi passed the Chunin exams and later earned the title of Jonin before he turned 11. As if this weren't enough, Kakashi went on to become a member of the Hidden Leaf Village's ANBU Black Ops at age 13. Since that day, Kakashi has carried out hundreds of assassination missions before becoming a teacher and passing his knowledge.
3 Hit's Ability To Manipulate Time Is Incredibly Cool (Dragon Ball Super)
The Tournament of Destroyers was a solid precursor to the Tournament of Power that made up the most recent arc in the Dragon Ball Super anime. In this tournament, Goku and Vegeta find themselves challenged by the might of a hit man appropriately named Hit.
Hit's name might be a bit on the nose, but he makes up for it with an incredible character design and a unique time-manipulating fighting style that nearly took down both Goku and Vegeta. Even the Galactic Patrol, who have a strict rule against time travel, refuse to stop Hit from manipulating time for fear of losing their lives.
2 Itachi Is Cool Enough To Win Over Fans Despite Murdering Hundreds Of People (Naruto)
The master of genjutsu, Itachi Uchiha is an assassin unlike any other. Before he even reached adulthood, the young ninja removed the Uchiha family from its position at the top of the shinobi world.
To do this, Itachi was forced to assassinate some of the most powerful and well-respected shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. After setting himself up as the antagonist to Naruto's home, it seemed impossible for Itachi to redeem himself. Nonetheless, Itachi is loved by anime fans for his mastery of genjutsu and cool-under-fire demeanor.
1 Killua Was Cool Enough To Take Over As Protagonist While Gon Was Injured (Hunter X Hunter)
The future head of the Zoldyck family earned the designation of deuteragonist by helping Gon carry the plot forward when he was incapacitated after the Chimera Ant Arc. While in the driver's seat, Killua pierced the hearts of viewers with a character arc that few would expect from a former assassin.
Killua's past as an assassin is left almost entirely to the imagination. The remnants of it are clear, proven by his terrifyingly efficient combat skills and stealth-focused strategies. These attributes make Killua an admirable shonen protagonist, but his kind heart, incredible sense of style, and ability to grow make him one of the coolest anime characters of all time.