Fans of stealth games know that assassins from games likeAssassin’s Creedand evenHitmanneed to never miss their marks and blend in with the shadows perfectly. After all, players of these stealth games are expected to be no less than perfect when it comes to executing their kills. Unfortunately for gaming, even some assassins inAssassin’s Creed,Hitman, and other games aren’t destined to be just as great as players when it comes to fulfilling their missions.
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In fact, some assassins in gaming are just flat-out bad - be it when it comes to stealth, being prepared for a mission, or outright trying to kill their marks. And while players are often deployed to finish what these failures of assassins have started, sometimes their epic fails remain an indelible ink in the gaming industry. Just who are gaming’s worst assassins?
7Kamadoma (Tenchu 2)
Fans of assassins might want to see them as shinobi during Japan’s Warring States, andTenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassinsexplores the lives of rookie ninjas Rikimaru and Ayame as they begin conductingactual shinobi missionsafter their training. One such mission for Rikimaru was investigating a town overrun by demons, which he soon discovers are ninja dressing up as demons to terrorize the superstitious populace.
These demon-looking ninjas are led byKamadoma, a shinobi with an expertise in kama or sickles as weapons. Despite his mediocre skill, Kamadoma is quite fast for a ninja. Unfortunately for him, speed isn’t enough to defeat Rikimaru, who eventually kills him. While one can admire Kamadoma’s usage of superstitions to have villagers do his bidding, it’s such a shame he didn’t do basic homework to ensure he stays on top of other ninjas who may be hired to stop him.
6No. 48 (Hitman: Codename 47)
Anyone who loves stealth games can instantly recognize the black suit and red tie of Agent 47, the protagonist ofHitman. However,being a clone with five progenitors, Agent 47 will learn that he’s not the only clone throughout theHitmangames. As Agent 47 would discover in his mission to kill his creator, Dr. Otto Ort-Meyer, there were actually a number ofNo. 48clones that exist solely to do Dr. Ort-Meyer’s bidding.
Each No. 48 clone possesses genetics superior to Agent 47, making them much stronger, faster, and durable than the master assassin. Unfortunately, it seems these clones underwent accelerated growth. As such, their adult bodies may possess enhanced genetics, but their unrelenting loyalty to Ort-Meyer and lack of combat experience made them vastly inferior to Agent 47’s experienced skillset.
5Rinshi (Tenchu: Shadow Assassins)
Fans of theTenchufranchise meet a more mature Rikimaru and Ayame inTenchu: Shadow Assassins.Now seasoned ninjas, Rikimaru is employed by Lord Gohdato investigate whispers of betrayal, which they discover may soon lead to an all-out war. In their travels, Rikimaru and Ayame face off againstRinshi, a mysterious Shida clan kunoichi who was a part of this conspiracy.
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Rinshi makes full use of the kunoichi’s talents towards disguise, taking after the ninja’s talents in blending with crowds. Throughout the game, Rinshi managed to fool both Rikimaru and Ayame as she’s able to disguise as either of them. Unfortunately, Rikimaru eventually learns of her patterns and manages to kill her. While Rinshi is extremely efficient in disguises, she lacks the ability to face multiple foes at once and can get careless in her repetitive disguise methods, the latter of which was probably how Rikimaru managed to figure out her location.
4The End (Metal Gear Solid 3)
Assassins don’t always have to kill foes inches away, as some of the best hitmen come in the form of snipers. Such was the case ofThe End, the “Ancient Sniper” of the elite Cobra Unit of the Boss that used to fight the Axis Powers. Despite his old age, The End can consistently block out anything and focus solely on hunting, with his parasite-enhanced body allowing him to age much slower, sense things better, and even remain in operation for days without sustenance and a spotter.
Although quite skilled when pitted against ordinary targets,The End proved no matchagainst Naked Snake in Operation Snake Eater. Aside from facing him off directly, Naked Snake could’ve killed theMetal Gear Solidvillain out of his carelessness in escaping the Ponizovje Warehouse while detected, or even just simply waiting for nature to take him away. Despite his skills, the End underestimated his body by forcing himself on a mission, and it seems the End isn’t fully-equipped to fight a fellow assassin.
3Shinobi Hunter Enshin Of Misen (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice)
Fans of From Software games can take on the role of an assassin in the form of Sekiro, or Wolf, inSekiro: Shadows Die Twice. And similar toDark Souls,Sekiropits Wolf against opponents in impossible odds, but even then it seems some bosses just prove too much for Wolf’s experience. One such foe wasShinobi Hunter Enshin of Misen, a monk that is seemingly well-equipped to hunt shinobi such as Wolf.
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Being a foe in a From Software game means Enshin of Misen canbecome an easily formidable foe, but not to a shinobi like Wolf who can easily read his movements. Based onSekirostrategies, it seems Enshin has a habit of delaying his thrust attacks and a penchant to attack from the left, making his right side almost always vulnerable. For a foe who prides himself in taking down assassins, Enshin can become quite predictable, making him a poor choice to kill skilled shinobi like Wolf.
2Connor (Assassin’s Creed 3)
Fans ofAssassin’s Creedmight argue thatConnor, the protagonist ofAssassin’s Creed 3may compete with his other counterparts in the Assassin Order by virtue of pure strength. It’s no small feat to have been able to dismantle the Templar revolution in America as well, which immediately cemented his legacy in Assassin history. Unfortunately for Connor, his rather childish outlook in life makes him a walking risk for his missions.
Granted, Connor ofAssassin’s Creed 3is skilled with regards to freerunning and essentialcombat skills as an assassin, but his serious-to-the-point-of-edgy and angry personality makes him quite a hothead. His bluntness would have him misinterpret the intentions of companions, which can put missions at risk if Connor didn’t quite understand on-the-spot humor or interactions in the heat of the moment. Despite his skills, having such a risk element makes him suffer more than his peers.
1Arno Dorian (Assassin’s Creed Unity)
It was after the death of Shay Dorian that his son,Arno Dorian, joined the Assassin Order. InAssassin’s Creed Unity, Arno became a Master Assassin during the French Revolution and made it his personal mission to uncover its true conspirators. However, one couldn’t deny that Arno was pretty new to the Assassin Order and didn’t have much training save for frequent sword fights with Elise during childhood. It was onlyafter his indoctrinationthat he took training more seriously, which eventually helped him become a Master Assassin.
What’s perhaps worse was that, despite his skillset, Arno ofUnitycouldn’t help but maintain his rather hesitant and equally-witty self. His initial disdain and lack of treating the Order seriously often put him in danger. And while he eventually becomes a more serious assassin, the fact that this distrust of the Order and frequent romancing with Elise on the side kept threatening the integrity and secrecy of the Order around him, making him a worse Assassin than other protagonists.
