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Agent 47

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For the film, see Hitman: Agent 47.
Agent 47
Hitman character
Agent 47 in Hitman: Absolution
First appearanceHitman: Codename 47 (2000)
Created byIO Interactive
Designed byJacob Andersen
Voiced byDavid Bateson
Portrayed by
Various
In-universe information
WeaponAMT Hardballer

Agent 47 is a fictional character, the protagonist and the player character of the Hitman video game franchise, developed by IO Interactive. He has been featured in all games of the series, as well as various spin-off media, including two theatrically released films, a series of comics, and two novels. He has been voiced by actor David Bateson in every main entry in the series since its inception in 2000.

The player controls 47, a monotone contract killer without empathy, as he travels around the world to execute hits on various criminals that are assigned to him by Diana Burnwood, his handler within the fictional International Contract Agency (ICA). The character takes his name from being the 47th clone created by various wealthy criminals from around the world, in the hopes of creating an army of obedient soldiers to carry out their commands. As one of the last clones to be created, 47 is among the most skillful, and manages to escape his creators before finding employment with the ICA.

Agent 47 has been positively received by critics for his moral ambiguity and nuanced characterization, compared positively to other characters like Slender Man, Solid Snake, Lara Croft, and Sam Fisher.

Concept and creation

47's barcode as based on images from Dr. Ort-Meyer's journal

Agent 47 was originally created for Hitman: Codename 47. He went through multiple revisions, including "a mean old hairy guy" to having "hi-tech glasses," before they settled on his final design. He is a bald man with a tattoo on the back of his head in the style of a barcode. This was added to give players something to look at while they played, with the in-game lore being that he needed to be distinguishable from clones of him.[1][citation needed] He is monotone and lacks empathy.[2] His name comes from the fact that he is the 47th clone.[citation needed] His outfit is typically seen wearing a black suit, black leather gloves and shoes, and a burgundy tie, though he can change his outfit during gameplay.[3] More inspiration came from comic books, Hong Kong films, and similar media.[1] The idea of a clone whose future is decided by the people that created him intrigued the Hitman team. The idea of creating the "ultimate assassin" by cloning evolved with the character before the first game was completed. Agent 47 is voiced in the video game series by David Bateson, who was the basis for his appearance.[4]

Appearances

In video games

In films

In other media

Release timeline
Main series in bold
2000Hitman: Codename 47
2001
2002Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
2003
2004Hitman: Contracts
2005
2006Hitman: Blood Money
2007Hitman Trilogy
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012Hitman: Absolution
2013Hitman HD Trilogy
2014Hitman Go
2015Hitman: Sniper
2016Hitman
2017
2018Hitman 2
2019Hitman HD Enhanced Collection
2020
2021Hitman 3
2022Hitman Sniper: The Shadows
2023Hitman: Blood Money - Reprisal

Cultural impact

Reception

Agent 47 has been praised for his moral ambiguity and nuanced characterization.[5][6] In 2012, GamesRadar+ fittingly ranked Agent 47 as the 47th "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in video games.[7] Alongside other gaming characters with similar traits, such as Lara Croft, Sam Fisher, Solid Snake and Slender Man, he is considered one of the most popular and significant characters in video games.[8][9][10][11] He is regarded by GamesRadar+, FHM, The Telegraph, Play, and G4 as one of the best assassins in video games.[12][13][14][15][16] IGN ranked him as gaming's fourth "most notorious" anti-hero, while The Telegraph ranked him third on their list of top 10 video game anti-heroes.[17][18] Complex ranked him as the 5th "best assassin and hitman in video games", noting him as the "original contract killer", while also praising his outfit as "stylish".[19][20][21] Empire ranked him as the 21st "greatest video game character", stating that his design was "striking".[22] Rolling Stone ranked Agent 47 among the most iconic video game characters of the 21st century.[23] In 2024, a poll conducted by BAFTA with around 4,000 respondents named Agent 47 as the third most iconic video-game character of all time, only behind Lara Croft and Mario.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Hitman 2 Interview". Gamershell.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  2. ^ "IO Interactive - Agent 47". ioi.dk. Archived from the original on 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  3. ^ "Hitman 2: Instinct - Hitman 2 Guide, Walkthrough". gamepressure.com. 22 November 2017. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  4. ^ "David Bateson Agent 47 Interview". YouTube. 6 February 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
  5. ^ "How Hitman's Agent 47 became an iconic anti-hero". PCGamesN. 2021-11-12. Archived from the original on 2023-06-04. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  6. ^ Peters, Micah (2021-02-22). "Character Study: Agent 47, the Dignified Death Machine at the Center of 'Hitman'". The Ringer. Archived from the original on 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  7. ^ Agent 47 - 100 best heroes in video games Archived 2012-11-11 at the Wayback Machine, GamesRadar, October 19, 2012
  8. ^ Rachel Weber (2021-11-08). "The 50 most iconic video game characters of all time". gamesradar. Archived from the original on 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  9. ^ Aug 8, Elton JonesPublished; 2023 2:00pm (2023-08-08). "The 51 Most Iconic Video Games Characters of All Time". www.one37pm.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2023-08-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "50 Most Iconic Video Game Characters". 2017-03-12. Archived from the original on 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  11. ^ Schofield, Shawna (2023-08-02). "The 25 Most Popular Video Game Characters of All Time". Gaming Gorilla. Archived from the original on 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  12. ^ Gelo Gonzales, The 5 most memorable hitmen in gaming Archived 2014-11-29 at the Wayback Machine, FHM, November 26, 2009
  13. ^ "The Top 7... Assassins". GamesRadar+. 2008-02-06. Archived from the original on 2013-09-22. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  14. ^ "The 10 best video game assassins". The Telegraph. 15 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-12-20. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  15. ^ Zivalich, Nikole (October 12, 2010). "Top Video Game Assassins: AC through Tekken". G4tv.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  16. ^ "Top 5 Greatest PlayStation Assassins". PLAY Magazine. 2010-05-06. Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
  17. ^ IGN Staff,Gaming's Most Notorious Anti-Heroes Archived 2014-02-18 at the Wayback Machine, IGN, March 5, 2012
  18. ^ Cowen, Nick; Hoggins, Tom (September 16, 2009). "Top 10 game anti-heroes". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  19. ^ "The 10 Best Assassins And Hitmen in Video Games". Complex. 2013-01-04. Archived from the original on 2014-07-27. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  20. ^ "The 15 Most Stylish Hitmen". Complex. 2012-11-30. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-31.
  21. ^ "The 25 Most Stylish Video Game Characters". Complex. 2011-09-14. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-31.
  22. ^ The 50 Greatest Video Game Characters Archived 2013-02-16 at the Wayback Machine, Empire, May 28, 2010
  23. ^ "50 Most Iconic Video Game Characters of the 21st Century". Rolling Stone. 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  24. ^ "Lara Croft Crowned Most Iconic Video Games Character of All Time, According to BAFTA Poll". BAFTA. 2024-04-04.
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