Summary
The manhwa medium presents a rather formidable representation of incrediblypowerful assassin characters, much like its anime and manga counterparts. Immersing readers into their shadowy worlds of intrigue, stealth, and deadly skills, these characters constantly navigate the dangerous landscape of espionage, blood, and death.
From a viper’s cunning to an eagle’s precision, these characters strike each of their worlds, leaving others, friend and foe alike, trembling in the wake of their might regardless of objectives. However, despite the varying nature of what they do, these characters possessundeniable strength and power, which ensures that they often leave lasting impressions on their audience. Therefore, below are some of Manhwa’s strongest assassins.
8Kim Shin (Castle)
Amur Tigro
Russia’s legendary hitman, Kim Shin, isthe main protagonistof theCastleseries. In a world of unexplained deaths, mob killings, cartels, and mysterious disappearances, Kim Shin is a man capable of all. Originally a native of Korea, Kim Shin retires his status in Russia to go back home and reclaim Korea’s underworld from Castle, Korea’s supreme criminal franchise, as an act of vengeance borne out of hatred and loss.
In the series, Kim Shin’s skills are almost second to none due to his rational thinking, which allows him to deal with an opponent most efficiently and makes him an extremely lethal individual. He is highly proficient in close combat due to his wide range of knowledge in martial arts, which, in addition to his stealth mastery, places him a level above all else in the series.
7Edward Kenway (Assassin’s Creed: Forgotten Temple)
Legend of the Caribbean
Coming to life through the memories of his descendant, Noa Kim, Edward Kenway comes to life as the protagonist of theAssassin’s Creed: Forgotten Templeseries. A member of the British Brotherhood of Assassins, Edward, throughout his life, stayed true to his profession, albeit recklessly, as he was infatuated with glory and fame. Before becoming an assassin, Edward already possessed superhuman senses, specifically the ability called the Eagle Vision, which allowed him an absurd level of visual accuracy.
Having learned most of his skills before joining the Brotherhood, his overall combat capacity was immensely boosted after his training, leaving him on par with his mentors. Besides his mastery of the Hidden Blade, Edward was adept at using various weapons, which increased the range of his assassination techniques, making him arguably the most deadly assassin of the series.
6Kieran White (Purple Hyacinth)
The Purple Hyacinth
The deuteragonist of thePurple Hyacinthseries, Kieran White, is the Phantom Scythe’s Grim Reaper, who cuts down all his targets brutally and unfailingly. Infamous for his signature murders, by leaving a purple hyacinth flower on every one of his targets, Kieran’s titular nickname is nothing to scoff at, as the mere mention of his name drives fear into his enemies. He initially appearscold-blooded and cruel; however, as he and the series' protagonist, Lauren Sinclair, interact in the story’s progression, his personality softens and grows more sincere.
This, however, does not impede his assassination skills in the slightest, as his murders still maintain their frightening brutality. Trained in every possible way to kill a person, Kieran has honed his skills to the extreme; even though his allegiance to the Phantom Scythe has shifted, his reputation still ensures he is the most deadly hitman in the series.
5Yu Ijin (Mercenary Enrollment)
Number 001
The central character of theMercenary Enrollmentseries, Yu Ijin, is, in a world of espionage, stealth, and combat, conspicuously the best the series has to offer. Orphaned at the age of eight due to a plane crash, which led to his hellish childhood asa child mercenary, Ijin rose through the ranks to become the number 001 of the numbers, a group of the best of the best assassins raised by the mercenary organization Forest.
Calm and extremely rational even in the most difficult situations, Ijin’s temperament is his biggest asset, even though his life as a mercenary is over. However, his skills and abilities through the series have kept on an ascending note as all his encounters have left his targets either incapacitated or dead.
4Manager Kim (Manager Kim)
In a series where everyone seems normal,Manager Kimseems the most ordinary—that is, until his daughter is kidnapped. A single father, company manager, and ex-black ops member, Manager Kim is the ideal assassin.
Famous among his ex-colleagues for his crazy tendencies; it is these tendencies that make him an extremely fearsome individual. During his period of service, he was so dangerous that both China and Russia had assassination teams dedicated to him, both of which ended up with him being the only survivor. Even though his days of service are over, Manager Kim’s resolve is tested when his daughter goes missing, bringing back the deadly edge he once buried.
3Vikir Van Baskerville (Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound)
Night Hound
A hound by nature and stature, Vikir Van Baskerville is the protagonist of theRevenge of the Baskerville Bloodhoundseries, and in his first life, the teeth that Hugo Le Baskerville bares against the enemies of the Baskerville clan. Vikir’s first life molded him into the ideal assassin, performing many dreaded acts in service to his clan, and even after being reborn, his nature is unhindered as his memories are carried over into his present life.
Deadly and formidable even as a teenager, Vikir shows logical atypical to an assassin, even while being hellbent on his revenge againsthis clan’s patriarch. In a series where importance is determined solely by individual abilities, Vikir stands well apart, having secretly mastered the Baskerville swordsmanship, in addition to being granted a body harder than steel by the mythical River Styx, making him one of the series' most powerful characters with the potential to grow even more deadly.
2Pyo Wol (Reaper of the Drifting Moon)
The Reaper
Reborn from a pit of venomous snakes, Pyo Wol, is the series protagonist and the literal embodiment of assassination.Orphaned from birth, Pyo Wol’s journey as an assassin begins with his capture as a wanderer, followed by years of hellish training and torture in the arts of assassination, ultimately leading him to become a poison-resistant martial master at the bloody end of his captivity.
Finally free of his captors, he swears upon a life of vengeance against the people responsible for stealing away his life, making him a force to be reckoned with in the series. True to his nature as an assassin, Pyo Wol is efficiently ruthless, as shown by how none of his targets live to tell of his abilities after encountering them. More impressive was his singlehanded victory over the targets of his revenge, the Emei and Qingcheng sects, earning him the nickname of The Reaper.
1Jin Mu Won (Legend of the Northern Blade)
The Northern Blade
The protagonist of theLegend of the Northern Bladeand the fifth-generation sect leader of the Northern Heavenly Sect, Jin Mu Won, is the ghostly blade of vengeance that has never failed to cut down his foes. As thesole surviving memberof the Northern Heavenly Sect, Mu Won’s desire for revenge is borne out of a sinister plot that led to his father’s death and the condemnation of his sect.
More a martial master than an assassin, Mu Won’s Ten Thousand Shadows technique is shrouded in stealth, speed, and precision, making him the series' most fearsome individual. Singlehandedly taking down half of the leaders of the Silent Night and members of the Nine Skies, who represent a sizable percentage of the series' antagonizing forces of the Central Heavenly Alliance, Mu Won’s exploits further allude to his overall abilities while still showing signs of continuous evolution in his martial arts.
