Agent 47 Explained

Agent 47
Series:Hitman
Creator:IO Interactive
First: (2000)
Designer:Jacob Andersen
Lbl1:Voiced by
Data1:David Bateson
Weapon:AMT Hardballer
Lbl2:Portrayed by

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.

A monotone contract killer without empathy, the player controls 47 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 Solid Snake, Lara Croft, and Sam Fisher.

Concept and creation

Agent 47 was originally created for . 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. He is monotone and lacks empathy.[1] His name comes from the fact that he is the 47th clone. He is typically seen wearing a black suit, black leather gloves and shoes, and a burgundy tie, though he can change his outfit during gameplay.[2] More inspiration came from comic books, Hong Kong films, and similar media.[3] 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]

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, and Solid Snake, 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]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: IO Interactive - Agent 47 . 2023-08-24 . ioi.dk . en . 2024-01-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240118182334/https://ioi.dk/hitman?panel=hitman/content/kcast-agent-47 . live .
  2. Web site: 22 November 2017. Hitman 2: Instinct - Hitman 2 Guide, Walkthrough. 28 April 2022. gamepressure.com. 27 January 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230127001556/https://guides.gamepressure.com/hitman-2/guide.asp?ID=60763. live.
  3. Web site: Hitman 2 Interview. Gamershell.com. 2018-04-12. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002754/http://www.gamershell.com/articles/488.html. 2016-03-04. dead.
  4. Web site: David Bateson Agent 47 Interview. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/oxpe_1YD40A . 2021-12-13 . live. YouTube. 6 February 2017 . 2017-02-07. en.
  5. Web site: 2021-11-12 . How Hitman's Agent 47 became an iconic anti-hero . 2023-08-24 . PCGamesN . en-US . 2023-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230604044125/https://www.pcgamesn.com/hitman/story-agent-47-anti-hero . live .
  6. Web site: Peters . Micah . 2021-02-22 . Character Study: Agent 47, the Dignified Death Machine at the Center of 'Hitman' . 2023-08-24 . The Ringer . en . 2023-08-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230824135837/https://www.theringer.com/2021/2/22/22295683/character-study-hitman-agent-47-timothy-olyphant . live .
  7. http://www.gamesradar.com/top-100-video-game-heroes/ Agent 47 - 100 best heroes in video games
  8. Web site: Rachel Weber . 2021-11-08 . The 50 most iconic video game characters of all time . 2023-08-24 . gamesradar . en . 2022-11-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221130073904/https://www.gamesradar.com/best-game-characters/ . live .
  9. Web site: Aug 8 . Elton JonesPublished . 2023 2:00pm . 2023-08-08 . The 51 Most Iconic Video Games Characters of All Time . 2023-08-24 . www.one37pm.com . en . 2023-08-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230824140115/https://www.one37pm.com/gaming/iconic-video-game-characters . live .
  10. Web site: 2017-03-12 . 50 Most Iconic Video Game Characters . 2023-08-24 . en-US . 2023-09-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230923184403/https://www.gamedesigning.org/gaming/characters/ . live .
  11. Web site: Schofield . Shawna . 2023-08-02 . The 25 Most Popular Video Game Characters of All Time . 2023-08-24 . Gaming Gorilla . en-US . 2023-08-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230824140114/https://gaminggorilla.com/most-popular-video-game-characters/ . live .
  12. Gelo Gonzales, The 5 most memorable hitmen in gaming, FHM, November 26, 2009
  13. Web site: The Top 7... Assassins . GamesRadar+ . 2008-02-06 . 2008-02-06 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130922110208/http://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-7-assassins/?page=2 . 2013-09-22 .
  14. Web site: The 10 best video game assassins . 15 November 2011 . . 2012-11-26 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20111220080738/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/Picture-galleries/8890671/The-10-best-video-game-assassins.html?image=3 . 2011-12-20 .
  15. Web site: Top Video Game Assassins: AC through Tekken . G4tv.com . Nikole . Zivalich . October 12, 2010 . 2015-06-16 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150709062130/http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/708004/top-video-game-assassins-ac-through-tekken/ . July 9, 2015 .
  16. Web site: Top 5 Greatest PlayStation Assassins . PLAY Magazine . 2010-05-06 . 2016-02-06 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160311155926/http://www.play-mag.co.uk/features/top-5-greatest-playstation-assassins/ . 2016-03-11 .
  17. IGN Staff,Gaming's Most Notorious Anti-Heroes, IGN, March 5, 2012
  18. Web site: Top 10 game anti-heroes . . Cowen . Nick . Hoggins . Tom . September 16, 2009 . April 21, 2013 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130703045013/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/6197535/Top-10-video-game-anti-heroes.html . July 3, 2013 .
  19. Web site: The 10 Best Assassins And Hitmen in Video Games . Complex . 2013-01-04 . 2013-01-04 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140727195831/http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/01/the-10-best-assassins-and-hitmen-in-video-games/hitman . 2014-07-27 .
  20. Web site: The 15 Most Stylish Hitmen . Complex . 2012-11-30 . 2015-03-31 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110213/http://ca.complex.com/style/2012/11/the-15-most-stylish-hitmen/hitman-video-game . 2015-04-02 .
  21. Web site: The 25 Most Stylish Video Game Characters . Complex . 2011-09-14 . 2015-03-31 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402180449/http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2011/09/the-25-most-stylish-video-game-characters/4 . 2015-04-02 .
  22. http://www.empireonline.com/features/50-greatest-video-game-characters/ The 50 Greatest Video Game Characters
  23. 50 Most Iconic Video Game Characters of the 21st Century. Rolling Stone. 18 November 2016. 2 June 2021. 2 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210602234805/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/50-most-iconic-video-game-characters-of-the-21st-century-193057/50-robed-figure-193096/. live.
  24. News: Lara Croft Crowned Most Iconic Video Games Character of All Time, According to BAFTA Poll . BAFTA . 2024-04-04 .