Image via Complex Original
The heroes in Assassin's Creed series aren't the only ones in the gaming biz who's got plenty of killer cred. There exists a great deal in gaming's history who'd rather stalk prey than eat a delicious dinner. We've gathered several of them here for your blood thirsty viewing pleasure. Assassin's Creed's Altair, Hitman's Agent 47 and many others rank amongst our list of contract killers to create a symphony of silenced pistols, assassins, and other ne'er-do-wells. See any of your favorites? Are we missing someone? Let us know, but be sure to watch your back.
10. Rikimaru
Game: Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
While Tenchu technically follows multiple ninja, we feel we have to give Rikimaru his due for being one of the dopest ninja this side of Ryu Hayabusa. Nothing wrong with Ayame, but this master assassin just oozes pure awesome. Just look at him. Yeah, thought so.
9. Kaede Smith
Game: Killer7
Theoretically, Kaede never even existed, as she's merely one of the personalities of one Garcian Smith. But Kaede takes the cake when it comes to sheer atrocity. She's the loveliest of Garcian's personalities, wearing a bloodstained white dress and slitting her own wrists to shower Heaven Smiles with blood. How much more interesting could a fictional assassin get? She's not without her apparent sympathetic side, with her trademark "hurts, doesn't it?" line upon a successful critical shot, but we wouldn't want to catch Kaede on a bad day.
8. Shadow
Game: Final Fantasy VI
Shadow makes it painfully clear he's out for his own personal gain, and that makes him dangerous. He's a cold-hearted killer who'll drop in and drop out on a whim, and he's completely unreliable. But he never claimed to be a good guy. What he is good at is thieving and killing, and he can put a hurt on the enemy. Sometimes that's all you need, right?
7. Corvo
Game: Dishonored
Corvo's fairly new to this assassin game it seems, but he's got it all down pat, especially after the very first kill of Dishonored. He's burning through assignments like a hot knife through butter, but to be fair it's all for a good cause. And who could blame him after everything he's been through? Powers like Blink and the arsenal Corvo's rocking are useful tools alright, but it takes a master to implement them successfully. Dishonored was the perfect playground for these augments, and a thrilling ride all its own, even if you don't get much of Corvo himself.
6. Travis Touchdown
Game: No More Heroes
Travis Touchdown is an otaku-turned-hitman, but he's out for blood in the most entertaining of ways. Rising through the ranks to become number one, he's slicing through his targets with his signature tool, the Beam Katana, and Strawberry on the Shortcaking through anyone who dares stand in his way. Now if he could just get Silvia to return his advances. Or is that what he's even searching for after muddling through the top assassin's ranks?
5. Agent 47
Game: Hitman
Whether putting together cold and calculated plots to take out his target or running in guns blazing to empty a room (up to the player, of course), Agent 47 is the original contract killer who makes his own rules. His trusty silverballers backing him up, an endless stream of supplies to quell his victims, and the quintessential "quiet and scary" guy persona make him one of the suavest assassin's we've ever seen, even when he's piddling around in an ice cream van or climbing in and out of dumpsters. Still awesome.
4. HK-47
Game: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
We're taking it way back to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and another popular "47," HK-47 to be exact, everyone's favorite droid assassin. One thing is clear: Thane he's not. HK-47 (that's "hunter-killer," by the way) is borderline sociopathic, taking pride in his work offering to annihilate anyone who got on his master's bad side. In fact, killing things seems to be cathartic or "fun" to him, certainly making him a dangerous one to cross. But he's so darn entertaining to have arond, especially when he's calling humans "meatbags."
3. Thane
Game: Mass Effect 2 and 3
Thane of Mass Effect 2 and 3 fame is the sweetest Drell we've ever met (just the mention of the word "siha" gets us swooning) but he's also a deadly assassin. Possibly the most skilled in the galaxy, aside from our own Shepard of course, Thane is a deeply spiritual and pensive killer, going so far as to pray for his targets and asking for forgiveness once the deed has been done. It's clear he takes his work very seriously, but he's certainly neither flippant or matter-of-fact about it. He'salso got those bizarre eyes. Freaks us out, man.
2. Altair
Game: Assassin's Creed
Desmond Miles' lethal ancestry started with Assassin's Creed, and though he only had a short time to himself with players until the indomitable Ezio stole the show, he's still more than worthy of a mention since his attitude, personality, and appearance project the cold demeanor we'd expect from a killer. The steeliness of the original game exists in stark contrast to the later games in the series, and Altair is still as cool as he ever was. Desmond has grown into his own abilities, we'll give him that, but we've got to give credit where credit is due, and Altair is awesome.
1. Ezio
Game: Assassin's Creed 2
Ezio is like the other side of Altair's coin; louder, more brash, and more "open" than his counterpart in the original game, and he's had considerable more time in the spotlight by now. But this man has been there and done everything, having played around with DaVinci's inventions, assassinated countless important historical targets, and having appeared in more games than any other Assassin's Creed mainstay. If you like your Italian accents good and fake, you should be an Ezio fan.