Is it possible to “like” an assassin, much less one who is a fledgling actor trying to impress a girl? It is in the case of Barry Berkman/Barry Block (SNL’s Bill Hader) from HBO’s Barry. He may be an expert shot, but he’s also shy, amiable, and has a big heart, albeit a broken one. Unlike the stereotype of a cold-blooded assassin conjured in the fiction of yore, Barry joins a list of unassuming protagonists who, even though they are highly skilled in taking the life of another human being, let alone several in succession, are relatable, warts and all, with the smallest displays of humanity and vulnerability.
This commonality is what loyal viewers and potential fans connect to when watching them on the small and silver screen, despite what they do for a living being abhorrent in a civilized society. These fictional assassins are masters in their field. Still, they all share a basic capacity for love and empathy that either draws them away from their vocation or is the sole motivation for why they continue to kill, and that’s precisely what makes them “likable.”
Updated on April 17, 2023, by Hannah Saab:
With season 4 of Barry currently underway, it’s the perfect time to rediscover some of the likable assassins that have graced the small and big screens over the past few years.
10 Hanna Heller – ‘Hanna’ (2011)
It may be one of her earlier movies, but Hanna remains one of Saoirse Ronan‘s best movies to date. The action thriller film is centered on the title character, a 15-year-old girl who grows up in the unforgiving wilderness, raised by her father and ex-CIA operative (Eric Bana), who brutally trains her to become an assassin. When the government catches up to them, Hanna learns that not everything her father taught her is true.
She may look young and innocent, but Hanna is an expert with a multitude of weapons. More importantly, she perseveres no matter what, and pushes herself beyond her limit in the movie. Her cold and calculating demeanor makes it harder to feel sympathetic towards her plight, until audiences remember that she’s a young teenager who has been unfairly manipulated by those around her.
9 Martin Blank – ‘Grosse Pointe Blank’ (1997)
In the 90s dark comedy Grosse Pointe Blank, freelance hitman, Martin Blank (John Cusack), has been having doubts about his line of work lately and is suffering from that annoying little thing called “a conscience.” Upon the advice of his wise secretary (brilliantly played by Cusack’s real-life sister, Joan Cusack) and his psychiatrist (hilariously portrayed by Alan Arkin), Martin decides to take a job in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, where, coincidentally, he has been invited to his 10-year high school reunion.
Reunited with old friends and his former high school sweetheart, Debi, played by Minnie Driver, Martin begins to acknowledge what has been missing in his life, poignantly exemplified by a face-to-face with a classmate’s child as he holds the pure baby in his arms. After realizing his target is Debi’s father, Bart (Mitchell Ryan), and that he is in love with Debi and life itself, he proposes to her and protects them from the onslaught of other assassins, including Grocer (Dan Aykroyd), and federal agents after him.
8 Villanelle – ‘Killing Eve’ (2018 – 2022)
In the British spy thriller series, Killing Eve, an intelligence officer named Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) is sent to capture a dangerous assassin called Villanelle (Jodie Comer). Their cat-and-mouse game soon turns into something else when an undeniable connection begins to form between the two women, with Villanelle especially confused considering she’s a psychopath.
She may look innocent, soft, and impressively chic when on a daily basis, but there’s no mistaking that she’s a deadly killing machine. Villanelle is a diabolical character who can turn her kindness and charm on and off like a switch, and never hesitates to hurt and kill whoever she’s assigned to in order to keep her lifestyle. That said, her vulnerability after meeting Eve makes her more likable, as fans hope that there’s some way that their opposite worlds can collide.
7 Arya Stark – ‘Game of Thrones’ (2011 – 2019)
“Joffrey, Cersei, Walder Frey, Meryn Trant, Tywin Lannister, The Red Woman, Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr, Ilyn Payne, The Mountain.” This is the “Kill List” of those in Westeros who have wronged Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) in Game of Thrones. Escaping Winterfell after her father, Eddard “Ned” Stark (Sean Bean), is executed, Arya will not take the conventional route expected of Westeros women. She becomes determined to acquire mastery of the sword and trains diligently throughout the series until she faces those still alive on her list.
On a journey of revenge, fans wish for Arya’s every success and empathize with her after being confronted by the devastating losses of her family members and others she cared for.
6 Léon – ‘Leon: The Professional’ (1994)
Jean Reno stars as the milk-drinking, budding horticulturist, and titular assassin/”cleaner” Léon in Luc Besson’s cult classic, Leon: The Professional, alongside a young Natalie Portman as his 12-year-old protégée, Mathilda. Leon is an Italian hitman and a lone soldier working for an Italian-American Mafioso, Tony (the late Danny Aiello), in New York City. When her family is killed by the corrupt DEA agent Stansfield (Gary Oldman), Mathilda turns to neighbor Léon for protection and guidance in learning the skills of his trade to avenge her innocent little brother’s death.
Though Mathilda’s love for Léon borders on the inappropriate, he takes her under her wing in what is considered among the best action movies ever made. His heart is open to affection for another living being after being left broken by the murder of his lover by her father back in Italy. When Mathilda finally finds Stansfield again and attempts to kill him, she is caught in his trap. Léon takes on Mathilda’s revenge, sacrifices his own life to protect her, and sets her free to go back to being a kid again.
5 Jules Winnfield – ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)
Pulp Fiction is a beloved classic crime film by Quentin Tarantino, which follows different interrelated stories that all come together towards the end. One of these features Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), a hitman working for Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). Alongside his partner Vincent Vega (John Travolta), Jules goes to retrieve a mysterious briefcase for their boss, and steals every scene along the way.
Aside from his iconic “Royale with Cheese” dialogue with Vincent, Jules becomes a standout likable character in the film because of the darkly comedic monologue he gives before an execution. He’s a strange assassin with a different style, which is why he’s an unforgettable character who’s still referenced in pop culture today.
4 The Bride – ‘Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2’ (2003 – 2004)
In two of Quentin Tarantino’s seminal films, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, the protagonist and killer of “Bill,” Beatrix “The Bride” Kiddo, masterfully portrayed by Uma Thurman, sets out on an epic journey of revenge against the titular Bill (David Carradine), her former lover, and his “Deadly Viper Assassination Squad” (Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, and Daryl Hannah), of which she was a former member after they attempt to take her life and that of her unborn child.
There is, of course, brutal killing that is the modus operandi of Tarantino’s films, and Thurman as The Bride demonstrates her flair as a cold-blooded killer, but her motivation is palpable. You’re hoping for her victory every step of the way because the former love of her life betrayed her, and her new love and reason for living were so cruelly taken away from her (until it is proved otherwise).
3 Mike Ehrmantraut – ‘Breaking Bad’ (2009 – 2019) & ‘Better Call Saul’ (2015 – 2022)
Vince Gilligan’s excellent Breaking Bad series introduces viewers to the character of Michael “Mike” Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), who becomes pivotal in its highly praised prequel, Better Call Saul. Mike is undoubtedly an enigma that makes you question right and wrong. On the one hand, he decides to work for the inconspicuously merciless Gustavo “Gus” Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) for money and then the shady and equally complex James “Jimmy” McGill (aka Saul Goodman) (Bob Odenkirk).
On the other hand, Mike’s reasoning for this dirty work is to be able to provide for his granddaughter, Kaylee, whose father, and his son, Matt, was callously killed in the line of duty by crooked cops, also leaving a struggling widow, mother of his child, and Mike’s daughter-in-law, Stacey (Kerry Condon), behind. Mike is efficient and no-nonsense, but he also doesn’t suffer cruelty gladly. His love for his granddaughter motivates him, and he’ll do whatever it takes to secure her safety and future happiness.
2 Barry Berkman – ‘Barry’ (2018 – )
As the titular character of the tragicomedy Barry, Barry Berkman, aka by his stage name, Barry Block, is a former marine turned hitman, tormented by his past deeds. When he encounters a theater group in Los Angeles, which includes his burgeoning love interest, Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg), and led by the somewhat self-indulgent acting and writing veteran, Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler), he finds a new purpose, a love for acting and life. Barry desperately wants to quit his current career and leave his handler, so to speak, Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root) behind him.
Barry’s optimism for a better life, away from constant death, is a window to his heart, and his novel passion for acting and caring for his new friends compels you to want a happy ending for him. The best episodes of Barry highlight the inner conflict in the broken protagonist, but only time will tell if his story’s ending leaves him as a likable and sympathetic character, still.
1 John Wick – ‘John Wick’ Movies (2014 – )
“It wasn’t just a puppy.” John Wick, portrayed by The Matrix star, Keanu Reeves, wears his heart on his sleeve when he is all-consumed by his dog, Daisy (a parting gift from his dying wife, Helen), being killed senselessly by Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen), who wants and proceeds to steal John’s vintage Ford Mustang Mach 1. Iosef is the son of a Russian mobster, Viggo (Michael Nyqvist), whom John formerly worked for before leaving that life for one of normalcy.
It’s clear John is well respected in New York City among other assassins and associates, not simply for his expertise in murder but also for his otherwise affable demeanor. His remaining connection to Helen, the love of his life, is destroyed, and he won’t let this incredibly hurtful slight against him go unpunished. This is the jumping off point for the rest of the films in the franchise, which sees John dismantling going against the system by challenging increasingly more powerful foes (all the way to the High Table in John Wick: Chapter 4).
