Animehas no shortage of characters who can do awesome feats, especially in the field of stealth where quick-witted spies and nimble assassins are about. In the realm of action and thriller anime,spiesand assassins similar to Yor and Loid Forger ofSpy X Familyand even Killua Zoldyck and the infamous Zoldyck family of assassins inHunter X Hunterare popular to strike fast without ever leaving their presence known.
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Thing is, with the exaggerated tones of some anime stories, it’s unsurprising how some series showspies that aren’t as keen in their work as fans expect. In fact, some spies in certain anime are outright bad in what they do, especially in the field of stealth.
7Hidden Village Ninjas (Naruto)
A controversial take on “spies who can’t stealth” subject would be centered aroundHidden Village Ninjasof theNarutofranchise, especially considered how the concept of ninjas are explained in the series. Inthe world ofNaruto, both ninjas and samurai are capable of manipulating chakra. Both are still considered a form of the military power of their respective Lands or countries, with the more prevalent ninjas staying in Hidden Villages.
While ninja are indeed trained to be quick and stealthy, most ninja are hired to do various tasks - such as manual labor. Not only that, ninjas always wear ceremonial headgear that denotes their Village of origin, leaving them identifiable in public. And while outpacing one’s foe is a common tactic inNarutobattles, these conflicts almost always lead to direct clashes. Worst of all, the Fourth Shinobi World War revealed ninjas fight head-on anyway, despite possessing the means of ambushing enemies and attacking them by surprise. This was an option open not just to Naruto’s Allied Shinobi Forces, but especially to antagonist Madara Uchiha, who one would think can easily resort to underhanded tactics.
6Bido (Fullmetal Alchemist)
WhileEdward and Alphonse ElricofFullmetal Alchemistexplore the world for the Philosopher’s Stone to return their bodies back to normal, their status as State Alchemists had them constantly uphold law and order around Amestris. However, the evil Homunculi are moving behind the scenes towards a more sinister plot, with Greed enlistingBido, his personal messenger and spy, to gather information about the Elric Brothers’ activities in Dublith.
Despite his nature as a chimera spliced with a gecko, Bido’s unnatural appearance works well with his cover as a beggar, wherein he chooses a beggar’s cloak as a disguise. Upon encountering Ed and Al, he attempts to engage in information gathering but he’s immediately spotted when pointing out intricacies of Al’s armor, something that few people are aware of. While this leads to a wild goose chase that leads to Bido’s successful escape, Bido giving himself away during an ordinary conversation is an exterme failure on his part.
5Hassan Of The Hundred Faces (Fate/Zero)
Hailing from history, mythology, and everything in between, Servants of the Holy Grail War are Heroic Spirits tied to a specific Class and functionality, withHassan of the Hundred Facesbeing the designated Assassin Class for Servants in Fuyuki City’s 4th Holy Grail War, as detailed inFate/Zero.Serving as the embodiment of the mysterious Order of the Assassins in the 11th Century that may have predated modern-day assassins,Hassan is unique in their capability of manifesting as different personalities as once.
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As an Assassin, Hassan boasts A+ in Presence Concealment, making them undetectable even to other Servants. It’s this skillset that had their Master Kotomine Kirei dupe other Servants into having one of Assassin’s personalities “killed” so the others can do reconnaissance more reliably. Thing is, Hassan seems inadequate in accomplishing this job - Rider Iskandar accidentally discovers three (3) of them spying on Caster, and even mage-killer Emiya Kiritsugu - a mere human - spots them during one of the many duels among Servants in the War.
4Rolo Lamperouge (Code Geass)
The second season ofCode Geassbegins with the Emperor of the mighty Holy Britannian Empire brainwashing protagonist Lelouch Vi Britannia - forcing him to forget not just of his rebellion as the masked Zero but also his Geass, a supernatural power that allows him to enforce absolute obedience into anyone. While circumstances would allow Lelouch to regain his memories, he discovers one thing: he doesn’t have a brother, yet somehow he has memories ofRolo Lamperougebeing in his life.This leads to another revelation: Rolo is an assassin trained from birth, who is now assigned to kill him if he discovers he regained his memories.
Throughout the series, Rolo would prove to be an extremely efficient killer. However, his fatal flaw as a spy lies in two (2) departments: firstly, only Lelouch’s closest friends were ever brainwashed into believing Rolo’s fake existence, meaning distant figures familiar with Lelouch’s history could easily discover the deception. Secondly, Rolo is ridiculously easy to manipulate, withLelouch discovering Rolo’s obvious desire for belongingnessand having manufactured situations that would ensure Rolo’s absolute loyalty to his cause - proving his lack of stealth in the emotional department.
3Lugh Tuatha De (The World’s Finest Assassin)
In the story ofThe World’s Finest Assassin, a goddess revives a former assassin with a task to save a new world of swords and magic from a tyrannical Hero. Now known asLugh Tuatha De, the assassin possesses newfound skills such as rapid recovery and beast transformations that easily allow him to become one of the new world’s best assassins.
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Not only that, butLugh ofThe World’s Finest Assassinalso possesses unique spells such as gun summoning and the telescopic Eyes of Tuatha De. Should he want to, Lugh could combine all these skills to eliminate any target he wished. Sadly, the powerful nature of his targets often makes him choose not to be subtle with his approaches. Among his signature spells include the choice of a tungsten spear (Gugnir) or a tank cannon-powered bullet (Railgun) falling from above Earth’s orbit, causing a massive - and definitely not stealthy - explosion on impact.
2Yuki Nagato (The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya)
At first glance,Yuki NagatoofMelancholy of Haruhi Suzumiyaseems like the introverted bibliophile member of the Literary Club. This is a trait she carries over whenjoining hyperactive Haruhi Suzumiya’s SOS Brigadeuntil she tells protagonist Kyon that she is an alien tasked by the Alien Overmind to watch over Haruhi and her developing reality-warping powers. While technically a superficial observer, Yuki is tasked not to reveal her nature to Haruhi for the sake of her task.
Unfortunately, it’s the rest of Yuki’s emotional build - or lack thereof - that may give her away to a keen observer regardless. While Yuki is intellectually aware of things humans do or feel, she’s often “lost” in executing them. Kyon immediately noticed blank stares, simple gestures and responses, and even a propensity not to blink on Yuki’s part. It’s only because Yuki’s mission revolves primarily around high school that most teenagers wouldn’t bat an eye at a fellow introvert. Otherwise, other people would quickly pick up lapses on Yuki’s part as a human, especially inHaruhi’s world where other beings such as Espers and Time Travelers exist.
1Soi Fon (Bleach)
InBleach, it’s the Onmitsukido or Stealth Force that is the go-to Shinigami group for covert operations against other hostile elements in Soul Society. Usually led by a member of the Shihoin Clan, then-commander Yoruichi Shihoin of the Gotei 13’s 2nd Division left both these posts to her lieutenant, the deathly efficientSoi Fon. For all intents and purposes, Soi Fon is a force to reckon with amongBleachcharacters. Most notable among her talents is her expertise in Shunpo or fast footwork that theoretically makes Soi Fon much faster than her fellow Captains.
However, withBleachpower scaling,Soi Fon is seen as a stealth masteronly for the likes of ordinary citizens - a far cry in terms of firepower possessed by actual threats the Stealth Force is supposed to suppress. While able to fight and prevail against most of her tougher foes face-to-face, Soi Fon is often outpaced by superiors with regard to Shunpo, such as when facing her mentor Yoruichi. Not to mention, much of Soi Fon’s celebrated victories were accomplished in direct duels, with the character hardly relying on the element of surprise.
