15 Best Female Anime Assassins
Descriptions
Anime is full of various warriors, but none are quite as intriguing as assassins. They aren't as flashy as some of anime's best fighters, but it's their sneakiness and subtlety that truly packs a punch. Female assassins, in particular, create the beloved femme fatale archetype that destroys the worn-out damsel in distress trope.
Some of anime's best female assassins look unassuming or even completely innocent at first, but anyone who dares disrespect them is in for a rude awakening. Whether they wield blades, guns, or magical powers, people shouldn't underestimate or disregard these female assassins.
Updated on May 23, 2023 by Tom Steel: Assassins continue to be a fun class of sneaky characters in anime. Whether they have already mastered stealth, reflexes, and deadly accuracy, or learn to embrace these skills during their given anime, assassins in their prime can make anyone else look like amateurs. We've updated this list to include even more female assassins, from My Hero Academia's Himiko Toga to Love of Kill's Chateau Dankworth.
This article contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen manga.
15 Chateau Dankworth (Love Of Kill)
Chateau Dankworth is a cool, calm, and collected assassin, who executes her jobs with little fuss, albeit before romance gets in the way. Love of Kill is the classic spy romance action adventure, as Chateau gets caught up in a love or kill dilemma with another assassin, Song Ryang-ha.
Chateau is skilled with a gun, even though she has past trauma that comes from accidentally shooting someone. Chateau has the mysticism and identity crisis befitting any spy or assassin, but ultimately, she has the skills to get the job done as well.
14 Ein (Phantom: Requiem For The Phantom)
Brainwashing and assassins are the name of the game in Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom, leaving Eins and Zwei to try to find themselves. Ein was the first Phantom of Inferno, brainwashed and taken away from her previous life as Erin.
As an assassin, Ein executes patience in battle, acting defensively and waiting for the right time to strike. She is even capable encouraging her foes to attack first, allowing her to get in close and meticulously take them out. Intelligent strikes are how Ein rolls, which is very effective.
13 Alphard Al Sheya (Canaan)
Alphard is the titular Canaan's arch-enemy. Throughout Canaan, she frequently shows off her reflexes and martial arts. She is meticulous and patient with the aiming of her strikes and often comes up with the most brutal of impacts.
Alphard is not just exceptional at martial arts, but she is also an expert gunslinger with impossible aim. Alphard is one of the most badass female assassins in all anime, even if she's a villain. Canaan often slips under the radar, but fans shouldn't miss its action sequences, namely the fights between Alphard and Canaan.
12 Chisato Nishikigi (Lycoris Recoil)
Lycoris are notably female orphans trained to become disarming and deadly assassins. Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue are both highly-skilled Lycoris, but Chisato is the agency's greatest ever assassin.
Chisato is incredibly quick and agile, but her refusal to kill can be a weakness. She is still able to hold her own with rubber bullets, and her morals and general kindness make her a likable character, even if she isn't necessarily the deadliest anime assassin.
11 Himiko Toga (My Hero Academia)
While not a traditional assassin, My Hero Academia's Himiko Toga has all the stealth and dangerous conviction of one. Disguise and imitation are Himiko's forte, especially with her Transform Quirk. Her quirk allows her to transform into another, providing she can ingest some of their blood first.
Himiko is perfectly capable in close-quarters combat and actively thrives in it with her agility, speed, and reflexes. She is an assassin in all but the name and is the perfect villain to send on discreet recon missions or to quickly take out enemies.
10 Chianti (Detective Conan)
In Detective Conan, Chianti works for the Black Organization, a criminal group whose motives are mysterious. She's the best sniper in the group's ranks. She can instantly kill any target without leaving a trace, as she has great precision and a masterful understanding of her scopes. She's passionate about her job as a sniper and is ruthless.
Any target in Chianti's 600-yard range will die. She's a valuable asset to the organization who doesn't work alone. Most of the time, she takes orders from Gin but works alongside Korn.
9 Nico Robin (One Piece)
It's a shame that Nico Robin is one of One Piece's most underutilized characters. After she joined the Straw Hats, One Piece didn't reveal much else about her character. However, she was once an assassin.
None of Nico's victims or motivations were ever explored, but it's worth noting that with Hana Hana no Mi, she can control any body part remotely. If she wanted to snap someone's spine, she'd be able to by sprouting a hand on that person's back. Nico has killed many people, so hopefully One Piece will fully explore her past as the anime continues.
8 Yugao Uzuki (Naruto)
Yugao joined the Anbu Black Ops because of her mastery of kenjutsu and unparalleled sensory skills. She's a masterful kunoichi who eventually became the leader of the Anbu Squad in Naruto.
Yugao trained under Hayate and eventually became so skilled with kenjutsu that she would rival him. She has plenty of solid techniques that are enough to take down any opponent, like her Hazy Moon Knight. All of her moves take advantage of her impressive agility. Even though she gave up her blade after Hayate died, Yugao eventually picked it up again during the Fourth Shinobi World War when she had to fight his reincarnation.
7 Maki Zenin (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Maki always despised the Zenin clan for outcasting her and treating her like a black sheep in Jujutsu Kaisen solely because she can't manipulate cursed energy. Even though she didn't return home with the sole intention of massacring her entire family, things panned out that way because of her father's actions.
Maki is a master of weapons and cursed tools, and she certainly used her know-how during her attack on the clan. She cut down her family members one by one. Even the strongest fighters didn't stand a chance against her, especially since her body improved with Heavenly Restriction.
6 Mireille Bouqet (Bouqet Noir)
Bouqet Noir's Mireille doesn't think twice before killing her target. Killing people is the central aspect of her career path, so it wouldn't make sense for her to get sentimental or have second thoughts about her actions.
It may not be the most honest line of work, but it pays the bills. Mireille is ruthless about getting the job done and will even throw her loved ones under the bus if it means she's a step closer to success. While most people think of CEOs or other businesspeople when they hear the word "professional," the way Mireille performs her job also fits that definition.
5 Shinobu Kocho (Demon Slayer)
All members of the Demon Slayer Corps wield a blade, whether it's a sword or a set of massive cleavers. Shinobu, the Insect Hashira, wields a typical nichirin sword, but it's much different from the rest in Demon Slayer.
Shinobu's sword is unique because when it pierces her opponent, it injects them with poison and kills them slowly. She is one of the best swordsmen in the Corps, and her skills allowed her to go up against some of the series' most powerful demons, such as Doma or the Spider Sister.
4 Kyoka Izumi (Bungo Stray Dogs)
Before defecting to the Armed Detective Agency, the Port Mafia used Kyoka as an assassin. Her ability, Demon Snow, is a feminine spirit who wields a sword. Her only purpose is to kill, and she can only take orders from Kyoka via cell phone. Only recently in Bungo Stray Dogs did Kyoka learn how to control the spirit effectively.
Not only does Demon Snow make Kyoka an expert assassin, but she also has the physical skills to back her up. She's incredibly agile and can even fight midair, thanks to her shocking acrobatic skills.
3 Irina Jelavic (Assassination Classroom)
Irina joined the group effort to assassinate Koro-sensei in Assassination Classroom. Even though she doesn't look like it, Irina is a cold-blooded killer. She'll seduce her target to trap and kill them when they least expect it.
Unfortunately, Irina faces tons of ridicule from her students in Class 3-E because of her flighty behavior and childlike disposition. Some of them even gave her crude, vulgar nicknames. Despite the constant bickering, Irina cares a lot for her students, and the feeling is mutual.
2 Akame (Akame Ga Kill!)
Akame is the pinnacle of female anime assassins. She stands out from her fellow killers in Akama ga Kill!Akame is a talented and agile swordswoman.
Akame's demonic cursed sword, aptly named the "One-Cut Killer," is a death sentence for any poor soul who comes into contact with it. She'll kill without showing any emotion. When she goes after one of her targets, she's completely ruthless. Before she was cursed, Akame used to yell at her enemies to "consign" and deal with being eliminated.
1 Yor Forger (Spy X Family)
Yor Forger joined Loid and Anya's makeshift family to protect her spy identity. Little does she know that Loid is a spy himself. She works as a part-time clerk at the Berlint City Hall, but Yor's true calling is being an assassin.
When Yor takes up a new job, she goes by the name "Thorn Princess" and shows no mercy to anyone in her way - even if they aren't her target. Occasionally, her killer tendencies will emerge during her everyday life in Spy X Family, especially regarding Anya. If she's in danger, Yor will become violent to defend her.
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