After all, what’s more awesome than an ice-cold silent-type MC? These characters are often depicted as emotionless, detached, and very competent. This is true of both anime and manga. And in this ranking we’re checking out some notable manga that feature assassin characters, either as the MC or as a thematic side character.
15. Hazure Skill: the Guild Member with a Worthless Skill Is Actually a Legendary Assassin
Sneaking its way onto our first entry, we have a pretty solid action/fantasy title in Hazure Skill: the Guild Member with a Worthless Skill Is Actually a Legendary Assassin. While the title sure is a mouthful, I assure you that the story itself is as simple as it gets – all without being too simple and boring. The story is about Roland — the assassin of the hero’s party who one day decided he was going to kill the demon king alone. Which he managed to do since he’s actually more powerful than the hero. Things really pick up after that point. And although we do get action scenes from time to time, this manga leans more heavily towards the slice of life and harem genre. While the artwork is nothing too special, I’d say it carries itself pretty well – combined with the decent plotline and characters.
14. Freesia
Freesia offers a manga plotline that psychological thriller enthusiasts will absolutely love. Set in an alternate reality where revenge killings are legal, Freesia is a story about Kano Hiroshi — a young man who took a job at Japan’s proxy employment agency. Like most titles on this list, the main character himself is the crowning piece of the story, as his presence and odd interactions with other characters are what makes this particular manga work. Although if you’re looking for manga titles that have highly-polished artwork, then I’m afraid this is not what you’re looking for. If you’re able to look past its less alluring visuals, however, Freesia’s thought-provoking narrative and complex characters will keep you wondering with every page.
13. Succubus & Hitman
Succubus & Hitman offer a more “mature” title — a good action/fantasy series. It’s about a deceased high school student named Gamou Shouya, whose body is taken over by a boy who made a pact with a succubus named Armelina. From there, the reincarnated MC becomes Armelina’s personal hitman, who assassinates other characters (wicked ones) to satisfy the conditions of the pact he made. While the title might make it seem sorta light-hearted, I assure you, it is not. So I can only recommend this for adult anime/manga fans out there, since it does contain a lot of pretty sensitive material with well-detailed artwork and crass dialogue.
12. Assassination Classroom
Assassination Classroom is our first manga so far that has an anime adaptation – and a well-received one at that. I have a lot of good things to say about Assassination Classroom’s manga. But it all boils down to just how compelling the story itself is, and how compelling the characters are. All of the main characters (including our beloved Koro-Sensei) are expert assassins, although it still manages to balance out all the serious scenes with a healthy dose of comedy. And although the plot and the artwork are as good as they are in the anime, what makes this manga stand out in my opinion is that it’s already finished. So you don’t have to keep up with pesky release dates to go from beginning to end.
11. Scuro
We’ve had unfinished mangas with only a few chapters and completed ones with a lot. But what about a completed manga with only three chapters? Yep, you heard that right! Scuro is a 3-chapter-long manga about Rayet — an assassin whose job is to exterminate other assassins. The majority of the conflict comes from the fact that he wants to quit – which if you’re a part of some secret criminal organization, isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do. Despite being over a decade old, the artwork here is actually pretty good. If you don’t mind a relatively short read, then Scuro might just be your cup of tea.
10. Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
Let’s hit our first isekai title in the ranking. And this is easily one of the most underrated manga/anime series out there. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again — Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash doesn’t get the props it deserves. The story revolves around Haruhito — our rogue/assassin MC who tags along with a group of other people that were sent into another world. You know, same old same old. Although the thing is, unlike most isekai nowadays, Grimgar one offers us a more realistic take on the genre. Bolstered by a quality artwork that stays consistent until the end, I have no doubts that those of you who dislike most isekai titles will consider this a good read.
9. Kanako’s Life as an Assassin
How about a title that’s a little more light-hearted, hmm? While that might sound improbable (this list is about assassins), Kanako’s Life as an Assassin is still something I’d deem worthy enough to check out. I mean, you rarely see manga that feature assassins as MCs that are as hilarious or as wholesome as this one. Featuring a disgruntled worker-turned-assassin named Nishino Kanako, this series does a lot of things right as a pure comedy manga. Besides, if you don’t mind taking a break from the usual black and white illustrations, then this full-colored manga is perfect for you.
8. My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s
Here we have yet another isekai title (there are a lot of ’em these days) that features an assassin as the main character. Like most Japanese isekai series that have outrageously long names, this title is pretty self-explanatory. My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s is a manga about an isekai’d high school student — Oda Akira — who’s about as assassin-y as an assassin character could get. Why, you ask? Well, it’s because he has a special ability that basically allows him to erase his presence anytime. As far as most isekai mangas go, both the story and artwork of this one are actually great. Moreover, I’d even say that it excels if you’re a fan of rogue/lone wolf-type MCs like I am!
7. Assassin’s Pride
If you’re after a manga series that has a great slow-burn romance subplot, along with an assassin main lead, then you have found what you’re looking for. Assassin’s Pride follows Kufa — a young assassin who was sent to spy on a particular noble girl who’s being trained to fight monsters. Coincidentally, she’ll also be Kufa’s target if she isn’t talented enough. Now if that doesn’t sound like a good start to a romance story then I don’t know what does. When it comes to how interesting the core concept is, I’d say Assassin’s Pride is definitely one of the stronger titles on this list.
6. The Eminence in Shadow
Let’s face it: Most isekai manga and anime series that are being released lately are just… mediocre. While I have nothing against the genre, I do think that it’s perhaps being too “saturated” nowadays. The Eminence in Shadow, however, is an isekai manga that I wholeheartedly recommend despite my bias against new isekai titles. It’s about an isekai’d boy named Cid Kagenou who idolizes dark, brooding, and assassin-type characters – even from back when he was a kid. Naturally, he seeks to become what he looks up to. Even if he comes across as a chuunibyou most of the time… In my eyes, what makes this manga special is its unique brand of self-aware humor, along with its solid artwork and often hilarious story. Oh, and did I mention that it’ll get an anime adaptation soon? Hell yeah!
5. Akame ga Kill!
This is one of the more popular titles that has Akame — everyone’s favorite heroine/anti-heroine/assassin waifu — as the main lead. While some fans say that Tatsumi is the true MC of the series, it’s called “Akame ga Kill!” for a reason. Not that I blame anyone for thinking that, as both the anime and manga focus on him more than Akame herself. Now this is highly subjective, but I actually consider the manga version of Akame ga Kill! superior compared to its anime version. Why? Well I could say it’s because of the thrilling story and well-drawn action scenes, but it’s really for you guys to find out. Seriously, do check it out – you won’t regret it.
4. The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat
Like I said, for better or for worse, isekai titles are all the rage these days. The World’s Finest Assassin, despite sounding like one of those generic isekai titles, is actually a pretty great manga on its own. And unlike most manga that feature the usual losers and NEETs as main characters, this one actually has a main character who’s already a badass assassin before he gets reincarnated. Besides that, all I can say is if you like your assassin MCs overpowered, mature, and dependable, then this will entertain you well.
3. Hunter x Hunter
Considering Hunter x Hunter features one of the most popular assassin characters of all time, how could I ever not put it on this list? I’m pretty sure most of you already know the gist of the plot and how phenomenal the entire story is, but I’m still going to cover it briefly for newcomers. Hunter X Hunter is mainly about Gon — a young boy who wishes to find his father, all while becoming an expert hunter and making friends along the way. Among those friends is Killua Zoldyck — a reformed assassin who’ll do anything to protect his friends even if that means tapping into his more ruthless side (Assassin Mode hype intensifies). Almost every single anime/manga fan out there will tell you just why this series is a masterpiece, and they’d be right. I mean, Togashi’s frequent hiatuses are pretty much the only “flaws” this manga truly has.
2. Darker Than Black
For a manga that’s more than a decade old, Darker Than Black still holds up pretty well even to this day. Whether it be the artwork or the plot of the story itself, the presentation is damn near perfect and absolutely timeless. Moreover, you’d most likely find it very hard to find a manga that depicts an assassin MC as brilliantly as this one does. Hei is the standard when it comes to assassin characters in general (in my opinion at least). He’s the kind of silent brooding character that, from just looking at him, you would think is a cold badass assassin at first glance. Hei truly one of the best assassins out there, and you could probably ask for no better character to represent what an archetypal assassin should be.
1. Spy x Family
For our top entry we have one of the best slice-of-life/action/comedy manga ever made. First off, I consider this one a “surprise entry” for one very obvious reason… How can a comedy series depict a cold-hearted assassin character in any great capacity? All I can say is that Spy X Family, with its brilliant artwork and its fantastic three main protagonists (one of which is an assassin), will surely be quite a fun read for anyone who’s willing to give it a go. On a related note, it also has an anime adaptation. So I’d get started on binging its chapters ASAP if you wanna get into the series.
