Best Anime About Assassins

Assassins have always been among the most fascinating characters in anime. Their cold-blooded efficiency, style, and street smarts have appealed to fans for decades. Stories focused on them usually draw a lot of attention, as their unique motivations and ambitions add layers of depth to the narrative.

Anime focused on killers have captivated viewers with their morally complex narratives, high-stakes action, suspense, and psychological intrigue. Over the years, there have been several great shows made on the subject, but these are perhaps the best anime about assassins.

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7

Gunslinger Girl

Story of Brainwashed Assassin Girls

Gunslinger Girl is a psychologically stimulating science-fiction action anime that investigates the influence of the government gaining brainwashing technology and putting it to use without ethical considerations. Set in the heart of Italy, the story revolves around young girls who are systematically turned into assassins by the government using cybernetic advancements.

Through its young and traumatized characters, Gungslinger Girl lays bare the fragility of the human spirit and the harsh realities of exploitation. Each episode unpacks the bizarre circumstances that push the girls into a vile cycle of violence that slowly takes away their agency and erodes their sense of self. The show’s unique storytelling makes a long-lasting impression, and it deserves more attention than it gets.

6

Sakamoto Days

An Amusing Series About an Assassin-Turned-Family Man

Legendary assassin Tarou Sakamoto was once revered by his peers and was widely regarded as the best assassin in the world. But his life changed when he fell in love with Aoi and decided to retire. The couple went on to have a daughter and started running a convenience store together. Over time, Tarou started looking like an ordinary family man, but that didn’t stop his past from chasing him.

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Sakamoto Days is the story of a retired assassin who tries to balance his family life with the chaos of his violent past resurfacing. The series is an entertaining watch filled with action-packed fight sequences and hilarious antics that keep viewers hooked.

5

Buddy Daddies

Story of Assassins Who Adopt a Girl

Buddy Daddies

Release Date

2023 – 2022

Network

Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV

Buddy Daddies tells the hilarious and heartwarming story of professional assassins Kazuki Kurusu and Rei Suwa, who adopt a four-year-old named Miri following a series of bizarre events that bring them together. Troubled by their harsh childhoods and a deep-seated desire for redemption, the duo set out to give the girl the life they themselves never had.

But with their dangerous jobs, raising Miri is a dangerous challenge that will test Suwa and Kurusu at every turn. Will they be able to succeed in the most important mission of their life: to give their adoptive daughter a safe place to call home?

4

Assassination Classroom

Story of Students Tasked to Kill Their Alien Teacher

Kunugigaoka Middle School’s class 3-E is considered hopeless, and their academic future appears to be doomed until the national government entrusts them with the responsibility of murdering their new teacher, Koro-sensei. The octopus-like professor has already wreaked havoc on the moon and is determined to destroy Earth by next year. As the students race against time to fulfill their seemingly impossible mission to kill their teacher, Koro-sensei educates his pupils to become skilled assassins and respected students.

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Unlike traditional assassin anime, Assassination Classroom is amusing and keeps audiences engaged with its well-paced storytelling and an unexpected mix of action and emotional depth.

3

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom

An Underrated Series Focused on Power Struggles In The American Mafia

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom revolves around an ordinary Japanese tourist named Reiji Azuma, who is brainwashed and turned into a skilled assassin by a secret mafia organization known as Inferno. Through its amnesiac protagonist, the series captures the violent and deceitful world of crime, exposing the dark consequences of manipulation and power. It also focuses on the themes of self-preservation and identity to recount a story that leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.

2

Akame ga Kill!

Corruption, Assassins, and Political Revolution

Tatsumi is an innocent teenager from a poor village who joins the Revolutionary Army’s assassination branch, influenced by their ideals, after becoming acquainted with the Empire’s moral decay and corruption. Working alongside experienced killers, he puts his life on the line fighting dangerous enemies equipped with destructive weapons in a bid to overthrow the corrupt Prime Minister Honest. But as he comes to terms with the human cost of a revolution and the ideals that drive it, Tatsumi’s worldview is challenged at every turn.

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Akame ga kill is arguably one of the best assassin anime of all time. It beautifully captures the brutal reality of political revolutions, sacrifice, and the difficult lives of assassins.

1

Rurouni Kenshin

A Classic Assassin Anime

Once a merciless killer who used to strike fear in the hearts of his enemies, legendary assassin Hitokiri Battousai undergoes a dramatic transformation, following which he vows not to look back at his murderous past. Assuming the name of Kenshin Himura, he sets out to lead a peaceful life, helping the needy and protecting the innocent. But as ghosts of his troubled past chase him, the former assassin is pushed to make some difficult choices.

Studio Deen’s Rurouni Kenshin is a hilarious and action-packed series that centers around the titular protagonist’s transformative journey in which he overcomes the burdens of his past while making a difference through his compassionate acts. While acquainting viewers with the horrors of an assassin’s life, the series also explores the importance of second chances and redemption through selflessness.

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