Home » Top 10s » Top 13 Best Anime Featuring Assassins for Your Watchlist

Top 13 Best Anime Featuring Assassins for Your Watchlist

by

Assassins and anime are a deadly combo. Whether you’re rooting for the mysterious figure lurking in the shadows or getting way too invested in a character who solves problems with precision and stealth, you can’t help but want more from anime featuring assassins.

Assassin-themed anime have a charm of their own. You get stylish action, high stakes, complex morals, and characters who are equal parts deadly and fascinating. 

Sounds right up your alley? Then, if you’re looking for your next big obsession, here are 13 of the best anime featuring assassins that deserve a spot on your watchlist.

13 Best Anime Featuring Assassins

1. Assassination Classroom

A bright yellow, smiling, tentacled creature wearing a black and purple graduation gown stands in a classroom in front of a chalkboard with writing on it.

Killer alien, classroom shenanigans, and a surprisingly emotional storyline – that’s the beauty of Assassination Classroom. The story follows Class 3-E, the underdogs of their school, as they try to assassinate their alien-like teacher before he blows up Earth.

This anime combines some pretty inventive assassination attempts with some surprisingly deep life lessons. It is perfect for viewers who want assassin themes without the doom and gloom.

2. Akame ga Kill!

A young woman with long black hair, identified as the character Akame from the anime series Akame ga Kill!, holds a katana sword in a battle stance against a backdrop of a large, glowing red moon and a dark, cloudy sky.

This anime does not sugarcoat the assassins. Follow the Night Raid, a group of assassins, as they try to fight against a corrupt empire. This one gives heavy Game of Thrones vibes, as even fan-favorites aren’t safe from being killed off.

What can you expect from this? Intense battles, political tension, and an emotional rollercoaster that keeps on hitting.

3. Darker Than Black

An illustration of Hei and Yin from the anime Darker than Black, standing in a dark urban setting at night, with a black cat in the foreground.

Want some morally complex characters with your assassin anime? Look no further than Darker Than Black. 

In a world filled with supernaturally powered Contractors, our masked assassin Hei is on a deadly mission. Watch how espionage combines with supernatural abilities to give you a slow-burn narrative within gritty world-building.

4. The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated as an Aristocrat

A young man with white hair and blue eyes, likely Lugh Tuatha Dé from The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat anime, crouches as he generates a vast amount of bright blue, glowing magical energy in intricate, web-like patterns.

With that big of a title, you just know the source material is a light novel. As you can pretty much sum up already, the protagonist is the world’s greatest assassin who gets reincarnated into a fantasy world.

His mission? To kill the future hero.

It is refreshing to finally find a protagonist who uses calculative and methodical strategies instead of the “power of friendship” to get the job done. The bonus? Magic-meets-assassination techniques that will leave you on the edge of your seats.

5. Gunslinger Girl

A key visual for the anime and manga series Gunslinger Girl, featuring five young female characters posing on a wide stone staircase in what appears to be an Italian city setting. The central character on the right wears a grey military-style jacket and holds a large rifle. Other characters are dressed in various casual outfits, and the title "GUNSLINGER GIRL" is displayed at the top of the image.

Get those tissues ready because this one is emotionally heavy. Set in Italy, the story follows young girls who’ve been cybernetically enhanced and trained to be assassins by a government organization. 

It is quite hard watching these young girls’ innocence be traded off for a weapon. This beautifully tragic tale explores trauma, agency, and loyalty better than most anime featuring assassins.

6. Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom

Promotional art for the anime series Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom, featuring five main characters and a large handgun.

If you were looking for more psychological tension, then Phantom fits the bill. You can’t do anything but watch horrified as a civilian is kidnapped and forced to become an assassin in the sketchy underworld after his memories are wiped.

Phantom is atmospheric, dark, and you always end up questioning identity and control. It is a standout among assassin stories because of its emotional depth.

7. Riddle Story of Devil

A group photo of the main cast from the anime series Riddle Story of Devil (Akuma no Riddle), featuring thirteen female characters in various school uniforms and outfits standing together in a room. Haru Ichinose, one of the main protagonists and the target of the assassins, is visible among the group.

What complications can you expect from a group of assassins placed in an elite girls’ academy to kill one girl? Well, it certainly isn’t the syllabi. 

One assassin decides to protect the girl, throwing everything into a frenzy. The show is an entertaining watch with fun personality moments.

8. Hunter x Hunter (Zoldyck Arc)

A group of six characters, identified as the Zoldyck family from the anime series Hunter x Hunter, stands together in a forest clearing.

Now, the entirety of Hunter x Hunter isn’t about assassins. But it makes the cut on this list purely based on the iconic Zoldyck family arc.

Killua is an absolute fan-favorite, but his backstory is explored more in this arc. As you uncover the Zoldyck family’s brutal assassin traditions, you understand Killua more.

This arc, filled with psychological tension, family pressure, and deadly skills, makes it a standout among all the Hunter x Hunter arcs.

9. Sakamoto Days

An older man with glasses is lying on the floor relaxing while a cheerful young girl climbs onto his back. A woman in the background sits at a kitchen table smiling at them. The scene is warm and domestic, with soft lighting and a cozy home atmosphere.

Who said all the best anime featuring assassins had to be all dark and gloomy? Enter Sakamoto Days, a fun anime that really hits the sweet spot when you want something light to watch.

A legendary ex-hitman just wants a quiet life running a convenience store, but the assassin world doesn’t want to let him go. So, expect ridiculous chases, hilarious situations, and over-the-top action scenes that are pure serotonin.

10. Spy x Family

The Forger family from the anime series Spy × Family, featuring Yor, Anya, and Loid, standing outdoors. Anya is pointing up with an excited expression.

Again, this one isn’t exactly a dedicated assassin anime since you’ve also got spies and telepaths in the mix. In fact, it leans more towards comedy and family. However, the assassin tag is solely for Yor Forger (and she rightfully deserves a mention here!).

Yor lives a secret life. In order to protect herself from the government, she pretends to be Anya’s mother, but her feelings aren’t pretend. Watch her balance motherly warmth with terrifying combat skills and fall more in love with her charm.

11. Black Lagoon

Four characters from the anime Black Lagoon standing together, from left to right: Benny, Rock, Revy, and Dutch.

Dive straight into the criminal underground filled with mercenaries, gangs, and high-stakes missions. Black Lagoon gets the vibe right, even though it is strictly not an assassin-only anime.

However, it has plenty of arcs revolving around contract kills and hit jobs to make up for it.

Everyone in this anime has a gun or a grudge. Some have both. So gear up for an explosive anime that manages to hook you in from the get-go.

12. Blade of the Immortal

A group of nine characters from the anime and manga series Blade of the Immortal are depicted in a dynamic pose against a solid red background. The characters, mostly samurai, are dressed in traditional Japanese attire and are armed with various unique blades and weapons, appearing ready for battle. The central figures are the immortal swordsman Manji and the young girl Rin, who seeks vengeance for her family.

Samurai and assassins? You get the best of both worlds with Blade of the Immortal. The premise of the show is that a cursed swordsman is forced to kill hundreds of evil men to regain his mortality. 

The themes explore violence, redemption, and the weight of endless death beautifully. You are in for a visual treat watching the fight choreography flow like poetry. 

 13. Ninja Scroll (Series & Film)

A close-up illustration of Jubei Kibagami, the wandering ninja mercenary from the anime Ninja Scroll. He is depicted wearing a large, conical straw hat and a dark robe, holding a katana with a red hilt over his shoulder with his right hand. In his left hand, he holds a small, white, round object, possibly a rice ball. His face is partially obscured by the hat's shadow.

When it comes to foundational anime classics that defined the assassin genre, Ninja Scroll deserves its praise. Deadly clans, betrayals, and intense combat scenes – you get everything you could wish for and more in this old-school anime.

Some of the best anime featuring assassins can blend sharp tension with layered characters, giving you dark and emotionally complex stories that will stay with you for a long time.

Whether you want fun and chaotic or dark and action-heavy, this list contains all kinds of explorations under this genre. So, choose your assassin and set up your next binge watch.

Note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase through them-at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products and services we genuinely believe in and find useful.