It is time for the final installment of this series and to select an Anime Holy Grail War Assassin. You’re probably sick to death of my recaps. But in case you are starting with this article and working your way backwards, I should probably cue you in. The Holy Grail War uses Servants drawn from history to battle. We’re selecting anime characters to fill the role of the seven Servant classes found in the Fate universe.
Our team so far is as follows:
Leader and Saber class, Captain Levi from Attack on Titan
Flexible range and Lancer class, Pyrrha Nikos from RWBY
Independent action and Archer class, Riza Hawkeye from Full Metal Alchemist
Magic creator and Caster class, Itachi Uchiha from Naruto
Speed specialist and Rider class, Strelizia from Darling in the Franxx
Touched by madness and Berserker class, Meliodas from Seven Deadly Sins
This final portion will examine Assassin possibilities. The Assassin class is one that excels in concealment. We know assassins to be sneaky. They will wait till an opportune moment then strike! In our examination of these anime assassins, we will be looking for an exceptional operator. Our ideal assassin will not only have the physical tools to eliminate targets but also the smarts to not get in trouble.
Spoiler: There will be a handful of spoilers present in these character vignettes. However, I continue to hop that their presence will not ruin your experience. Please take them as excess enthusiasm on the part of this author. I just want to give you enough information to make this article interesting while motivating you to give these animes a try!
Anime Holy Grail War Assassin – Light Yagami
Light is a student with genius level intelligence. He also possesses a fervent sense of justice. Upon receiving a Death Note, Light’s hubris is all more apparent. Light sees the world as rotten to the core. Moreover, he knows murder is wrong, but he is willing to take on that sin to cleanse the world.
Noble Phantasm: Death Note – Light acquires the supernatural notebook belonging to the Shinigami (literally gods of death). The rules of using a Death note are simple: basically, one writes a name in the notebook with a clear focus of that person’s face and that person will die. Therefore, for Light to make use of the Death Note he needs a person’s name and face.
Why I can’t pick him: The Death Note is a formidable tool in Light’s arsenal. Unfortunately, it is the only tool (outside of his genius). Light has no defense against regular attacks, let alone the extraordinary abilities in the anime world. I suppose if he holed up and used the information gathering skills of the other servants, then he could be the winning pick in this scenario.
Anime Holy Grail War Assassin – Kiritsugu Emiya
Kiritsugu is not only a master assassin but a trained mage. He is a man with the dream to become a Hero of Justice. However, the truth is a numbers game to him. Kiritsugu knows to save one person means sacrificing another. His training as an assassin gives him the experience to operate from the shadows, while his personal philosophy allows him to sacrifice a lesser number to save the greater.
Noble Phantasm: Innate Time Control – Kiritsugu is a below average mage but his intellect as an assassin led him to interesting applications of his Magecraft. He can slow down or speed up his perception of time. Kiritsugu uses this time manipulation to move faster than the human eye can perceive or slow his heartbeat and breathing as to conceal his presence.
Why I can’t pick him: In a Grail War vs mages, I’d surely pick the “Mage Killer” as my assassin. In that role, Kiritsugu can use his most devastating weapon (bullets made from his magical essence that render a mage powerless). He would be a force, but his greatest strength wouldn’t be able to be used to the fullest in this scenario.
Anime Holy Grail War Assassin – Death Gun
Death Gun is an online alias used by real life brothers Shouichi and Kyouji. Shouichi was one of the players trapped in the death game Sword Art Online. While in SAO, he was a member of a player killing guild. The obsession of killing others filled his mind. By partnering up with his brother Death Gun became reality. They could kill an avatar in the game and kill the player in real life.
Noble Phantasm: Black Star/Succinylcholine – The players of Death Gun use the Black Star pistol as a signal. When one uses it in game to shoot a player then the other is to use a syringe filled with succinylcholine to induce a heart attack. The fantasy of the game shatters with the real-world murder of their target.
Why I can’t pick them: While Death Gun is able to murder 4 people, it really is a predictable method of attack. I have a tough time believing they’d be a successful assassin combination in our scenario here.
Anime Holy Grail War Assassin – Sebastian Michaelis
Sebastian is simply one hell of a butler. Well, more accurately, he is a demon butler. Sebastian is both sword and shield to Ciel Phantomhive and his quest for revenge. He performs all the duties of a butler with a significant flair. Yet you can see how deadly serious he takes job. His prowess with blades of all types, the agility of evasion, his sharp intellect…he makes use of all his demonic powers.
Noble Phantasm: Faustian Contract – Sebastian operates with complete loyalty to Ciel due to the contract between the two parties. Until Ciel’s revenge comes to fruition, Sebastian will do whatever Ciel commands. How much power can be generated from that contract – who knows? Sebastian will do whatever is required of him.
Why I can’t pick him: It could be that “assassin” is a stretch for this demonic butler. Although this may be true, with the right command, Sebastian could carve a valley of blood and death. Finding a proper motivation for Ciel might prove difficult.
Anime Holy Grail War Assassin – Korosensei
Before he was the 3-meter-tall, yellow octopus capable of moving at Mach 20, Korosensei was a human assassin simply known as “The Reaper”. His notoriety was built on the trail of corpses left in his wake. The Reaper’s skill, intelligence, and ability to blend while concealing his killing intent are completely unmatched. Even after the experiments that transformed him into Korosensei, he maintains that by teaching he will continue to acquire new abilities he can use as an assassin. He is a most dangerous opponent because he learns from failure.
Noble Phantasm: Antimatter physiology – Korosensei is unharmed by all normal weapons. His speed and strength are far beyond what humans are capable of. Korosensei can move up to Mach 20 and can remove a brain tumor without damaging the patient. He embodies the meaning of his name – Korosensei is the unkillable teacher.
Why I picked him: There is a bit of a common thread throughout these assassin potentials and that is that they all possess a keen intellect. Being smart about how to employ one’s abilities is the height of a successful assassin. Korosensei is without a doubt the most genius of these assassins. He would be the perfect weapon to deploy not only in strategy but moving in the shadows of the battlefield.
Anime Holy Grail War Assassin – Conclusion
There were a handful of other characters that could’ve made their way into this discussion. I did set myself some arbitrary rules. With my selection of Korosensei I wanted to avoid the other characters of Assassination Classroom. Additionally, I had already used several Akame ga Kill characters for other possibilities in the other classes and most of them would be perfect assassin candidates.
What Assassin catches your attention? Who would you give the job to take down Korosensei? Please leave a comment! Or let’s talk about it elsewhere (Facebook – Instagram – Twitter)!
This article wraps up my selections for an Anime Holy Grail War. What would be your selections to take on my team? I’d really like to hear from anyone who has kept with me through this series.
Featured Image: Ufotable & Aniplex
Saber – Lancer – Archer – Caster – Rider – Berserker – Assassin
