Sometimes, the excitement comes from an assassin protagonist, as we watch to see how they’ll pull off an impossible operation. Other times, we’re gripped as we watch an assassin villain make their mark, escape capture, or turn out to be someone we trusted. Anime is great because a lot of the best assassins are female characters with strong personalities. Each one is distinct with her own personality, techniques, and motives—and can sometimes trick us, the audience, into believing they’re innocent when they aren’t. Here are some of the best female anime assassins who are skilled in their ways and awesome to behold.
10. Himiko Toga (My Hero Academia)
Though she’s technically not an “assassin” within the League of Villains organization, she’s pretty much one when you consider her skills and Quirk (she can Transform and copy the appearance and voice of another, as long as she’s ingested their blood). Himiko managed to infiltrate the Provisional Hero License Exam and made contact with Izuku Midoriya, and she has a vicious bloodlust that makes her quite dangerous behind her childish attitude.
9. Yugao Uzuki (Naruto)
A member of Naruto’s Anbu Black Ops, Yugao Uzukiin is a kunoichi trained for assassination, infiltration, and other behind-the-curtain works and missions. She’s seen to be a leader of an Anbu Squad when we see her visiting Hayate Gekko’s grave, who was her lover. We all knew that Anbu ninjas are the best in their fields, but after Hayate’s death, she quit using swords—then took up the blade again when she had to fight a reanimated Hayate during the Fourth Shinobi World War and seal him away for good.
8. Nico Robin (One Piece)
Nico Robin is another anime character on this list who isn’t an assassin by occupation, but her skillset and talents are most fitting for one. Of all the characters in the Strawhat Pirates crew, Nico Robin is most assassin-esque with her Hana Hana no Mi, which allows her to sprout any part of her body anywhere and control it remotely. For example, she can sprout her hand on someone’s back and break his neck. She also has a calm personality and always looks like she’s in deep thought, which can catch people off guard. No wonder she was a top officer of the Baroque Works before she befriended Luffy.
7. Chianti (Case Closed)
Chianti is a sniper in the assassination division of the Black Organization. She’s good with her scopes and can kill her victims instantly. She works with her partner Korn per the organization’s protocol of always moving in pairs. The only thing that makes her fall short as a sniper is that she can’t reach more than 600 yards. Aside from that range limit, she still holds her own as the organization’s key assassin.
6. Irina Jelavic (Assassination Classroom)
Yes, she may have failed to kill Koro Sensei, but we won’t hold that against her given how overpowered Koro Sensei is! Irina Jelavic is still one of the best female anime assassins—not just in Assassination Classroom but in all of anime—who uses her beauty and charm to perfectly execute assassinations on targets. That one scene where she becomes a misdirection for the students to pass through tight security during the Assassination Island Arc shows that her abilities and skills are top-notch indeed.
5. Kyoka Izumi (Bungo Stray Dogs)
Kyoka Izumi is a former member of Port Mafia, who defected to become a member of the Armed Detective Agency in the Bungo Stray Dogs anime series. She comes from a family of skilled killers and inherited her mother’s ability, the Demon Snow. Yet even without her acquired ability, she can fight well with her elegant acrobatic skills and swordsmanship. Her ability, the Demon Snow, is a female sword-wielding spirit who’s the embodiment of slaughter and takes orders via Kyoka’s mobile phone. For a while, Kyoka couldn’t control the spirit; only after meeting Fukuzawa could she control her ability as her own.
4. Akame (Akame ga Kill!)
Akame ga Kill! features a lot of female assassins, but Akame stands on top—not just because she’s the only one left, but because of her keen ability and swordsmanship. A sharp blade is useless in untrained hands, but in the case of Akame she is one with the sword. Her already-deadly moves are made even deadlier in conjunction with her sword, Murasame (or “One-Cut Killer”), that curses victims to their death.
3. Chocola Misu (Sorcerer Hunters)
Chocola is one of the Misu sisters in the anime series Sorcerer Hunters, and is one of the most potent killer beauties in anime. With her garrote, she can tame any rampaging beast in an instant. She shows an innocent face and lovely attitude throughout most of the series, but when it comes time to kill, she’s deadly and unstoppable.
2. Alphard Al Sheya (Canaan)
As far as badass female anime assassins go, Alphard Al Sheya of the series Canaan will always be near the top of the list. Alphard is one of the most important villains in Canaan, and her unmatched instincts, movements, feelings, and skills present an overwhelming force of murder. It’s almost like every aspect of her personality was built to hate and kill with zero remorse. Like many anime antagonists, Alphard believes in hatred as the source of power to overcome anything that hinders her.
1. Vermouth (Case Closed)
A master of disguise, Vermouth is one of the deadliest members of Black Organization, the group that’s responsible for reverting the protagonist Shinichi Kudo into his childhood form. She can come close to any target without ever being noticed, and even the great detective Conan will fall if he isn’t attentive enough. Vermouth manages to make contact with Conan many times throughout Case Closed (also called Detective Conan). If she really intended to eliminate him on behalf of the Organization, she could do so in the blink of an eye. For her stealthy abilities and lethal skills, she tops our list as the best female anime assassin of all time. Read next: The most popular female anime characters
