TL;DR: The best assassin manhwa start with The Reborn Young Lord is an Assassin, where the empire's greatest killer is betrayed and wakes up as a boy, then Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound for an assassin family's shunned son. For a retired hitman, Killer Peter. For a sniper mom, A Bona Fide Killer.
The best assassin manhwa share one setup more than any other: a top killer is betrayed and gets a second life. Four of the seven picks here use it. The rule for this list: the official synopsis has to name the lead as an assassin or killer, or AniList has to rank its Assassins tag at 70 or higher, and the series needs an official English edition.
Key Takeaways
The best assassin manhwa split into reborn killers, trained killers and romance fantasy assassins. Only one is finished, and two of the three Tapas picks are on hiatus.
- Best overall: The Reborn Young Lord is an Assassin, Assassins tag rank 95 on AniList.
- Most popular: Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound, the most-followed pick here on AniList.
- Best hitman story: Killer Peter, a retired killer in a teenage body.
- Best training-camp story: The Reaper, where 300 kidnapped children are trained as weapons.
- Best romance fantasy pick: Roxana, AniList average score 80.
- Tapas warning: Baskerville and Roxana both carry hiatus notices, and Tapas ends service on March 31, 2027.
Overview: what counts as an assassin manhwa here
An assassin manhwa, for this list, is one where the lead kills for a living, was raised to, or comes from a family that does. There are two tests: an official synopsis that names the lead as an assassin or killer, or an AniList Assassins tag rank of 70 or higher. Roxana and The Reaper qualified on the tag alone. The other five have a synopsis that names an assassin or killer.
All seven were checked on October 8, 2026, against AniList and the official English page on WEBTOON, Tapas or Tappytoon. All seven are Korean, and none is marked adult or tagged Boys' Love on AniList.
The pattern is clear. The Reborn Young Lord, Baskerville and Killer Peter all follow a betrayed killer who gets a second life, and Crimson Karma sends its assassin to another world. Not every reader wants that: in an r/manhwa thread on tropes that devalue a series, one reply says, "I also don't like regression Isekai reincarnation manhwa because most story writing degrade in 40 to 50 chapters." If you're tired of that setup, The Reaper and A Bona Fide Killer are the two furthest from it.
The 7 best assassin manhwa, ranked
These are the best assassin manhwa we could verify, ranked by how central the killing trade is and how well each story uses it. Six are still releasing and one is finished. Each entry gives the official English route and the platform's own status, schedule or hiatus label.
1. The Reborn Young Lord is an Assassin
The Reborn Young Lord is an Assassin (cover via AniList).
The best starting point. WEBTOON's synopsis says Cyan Vert, "illegitimate son of the Duke and the empire's greatest assassin, is betrayed by the righteous brother whose shadow he's always lived in." Then "just before the fatal blow strikes his throat, Cyan awakes to find he's just a boy again."
It's the cleanest version of the reborn-assassin setup, and it gives the lead a clear goal: "this time, he's not going to live in anyone's shadow!" The family politics of a duke's house give his skills something to work against beyond fights.
AniList ranks its Assassins tag at 95, the highest of these seven, and lists it as RELEASING. The WEBTOON page showed "Ep. 137 - Allegiance (2)" dated October 4, 2026, an "EVERY MONDAY" label and 67.3M views. WEBTOON credits swingbat as creator and CoffeeLime for the original work, and lists I'm the Max-Level Newbie among swingbat's other works.
2. Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound
Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound (cover via AniList).
The assassin-family pick. Tapas says the Baskerville children were "raised to kill like a pack of loyal hounds" and "took countless lives as a band of fearsome assassins." Vikir, "the shunned illegitimate son of the brood," serves faithfully until he meets "his untimely demise at his father's hands."
Reborn "with a second chance at life," he "swears to rise above the pack and take his revenge." It's the darkest family story here, and the most popular pick by AniList followers. Our Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound review rates it, and the reading guide maps where to start.
AniList lists it as RELEASING. Tapas showed 169 episodes and a hiatus notice "due to a production review of the title's localization schedule." Yen Press also publishes it in print and lists four volumes. Tapas ends service on March 31, 2027 at 23:59 PT, so see the Tapas shutdown tracker before buying episodes. REDICE Studio, credited on the Tapas page, posted a Korean-language webtoon trailer:
Video: REDICE+'s Korean-language webtoon trailer for Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound.
3. Killer Peter
Killer Peter (cover via AniList).
The hitman pick. WEBTOON's synopsis says Peter devoted his life "to the crime organization, Glory Club," then "retires his status as a legendary killer" to run "a quiet used bookstore." When the club ambushes him, he "finds his body magically reverted back to its teenage years."
The fun is the age gap: an old pro's judgment in a teenager's body, aimed at the organization that tried to kill him. It's credited to Kim Junghyun as writer, the artist behind Viral Hit, and Lim Lina as artist, the creator of Unholy Blood (AniList lists the same staff record, Li-Na Lim, on both series). Our Viral Hit manhwa review covers the other series Kim Junghyun drew.
AniList lists it as RELEASING, with an Assassins tag rank of 73. WEBTOON showed "(S2) Episode 141 - The Stronger Thomas" dated October 2, 2026, an "EVERY SATURDAY" label and 42.9M views.
If Baskerville's assassin-family revenge is what hooked you, ranks six picks by what they share with it.
Manhwa Like Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound →
4. The Reaper
The Reaper (cover via AniList).
The training-camp pick, and the one that skips the reborn setup. Tappytoon's synopsis says the orphan Pyo Wol wakes "in a dark, confined space with only one iron door for an exit." When it opens, he learns "a group of masked people has kidnapped 300 children to train them into human weapons."
Wol "must fight and kill the others, for only a handful of the strongest will be selected." It's the grimmest premise on the list, a story about how an assassin gets made rather than one who already is. Tappytoon's tags for it include "Assassin," "Survival" and "Dark."
AniList lists it as RELEASING, with an Assassins tag rank of 83 and an average score of 78. Tappytoon credits INKYO, mogin, Woogack and REDICE STUDIO.
5. Roxana
Roxana (cover via AniList).
The romance fantasy pick. Tapas's synopsis says that "within the scandalous pages of The Abysmal Flower, the downfall of Roxana Agrece's criminal family is already foretold." When the heroine's brother Cassis is "kidnapped by Roxana's father," she decides to "take matters into her own hands."
The appeal is a villainess story with real danger: she has to work with Cassis to "bring down the brutal Agreces," her own family. AniList's tags rank Assassins at 70, which is how it qualified here, and its average score of 80 is the highest of the seven.
AniList lists it as RELEASING. Tapas showed 43 episodes, 135.7k subscribers and a hiatus notice saying "Season 2 has come to a close" before "returning with season 3!" The Tapas shutdown date above applies here too.
6. Crimson Karma
Crimson Karma (cover via AniList).
The finished pick. AniList's synopsis, credited to Pocket Comics, says Kasia Del Roman "is a soldier crafted to become an assassin," who "lost her human emotions long ago" and was "thrown away in her final moments." She opens her eyes "to a battlefield of a different world."
It reads as a war story as much as an assassin one, which is why it's also on our best war manhwa list. The draw is a lead learning to be a person after being used as a weapon.
AniList lists it as FINISHED at 118 chapters, with an Assassins tag rank of 72. Tappytoon labels it "Completed" with 169K views.
For crews and syndicates instead of lone killers, ranks eight school-crew and gangster stories by how central the gang is.
Best Gang Manhwa →
7. A Bona Fide Killer
A Bona Fide Killer (cover via AniList).
The office-and-family pick. Tapas says Yu Bona "is no ordinary mom returning to the office after maternity leave." On her first job back, she "points a sniper rifle at her target," and "the legendary assassin 'Kingfisher' is back."
The twist is at home: her "news reporter husband Taesung is ordered to investigate Kingfisher's return." It's the only pick set in present-day work life, and the only one that plays the double life partly for comedy. It's also a live-action drama now: per Wikipedia, MBC TV's A Bona Fide Killer, starring Gong Hyo-jin and based on Yoon Gum's webtoon, aired from July 31 to September 12, 2026. Our A Bona Fide Killer webtoon guide covers it in more depth.
AniList lists it as RELEASING. Tapas showed 169 episodes and an "Updates every Sun" label. The Tapas shutdown date applies here as well.
Our Take: how to choose among the best assassin manhwa
This take rests only on the AniList and platform facts cited in each entry above. Choose by the kind of killer you want. For a reborn noble assassin, read The Reborn Young Lord is an Assassin. For an assassin family's revenge, Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound. For a retired hitman, Killer Peter. For how assassins get made, The Reaper. For a sniper with a double life, A Bona Fide Killer.
If you want weekly reading, the two WEBTOON picks are the steadiest: The Reborn Young Lord updates every Monday and Killer Peter every Saturday. If you want a finished story, Crimson Karma is FINISHED at 118 chapters on AniList and labeled "Completed" on Tappytoon.
Platform matters more than usual here. Three of the best assassin manhwa on this list are on Tapas, and two of those, Baskerville and Roxana, are on hiatus there. With Tapas ending service on March 31, 2027, Baskerville readers have a backup in the Yen Press print edition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best assassin manhwa?
The Reborn Young Lord is an Assassin is the best place to start. The empire's greatest assassin is betrayed by his brother and wakes up as a boy again. AniList ranks its Assassins tag at 95, and WEBTOON still posts it every Monday.
Which assassin manhwa have an OP MC?
The Reborn Young Lord is an Assassin, Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound and Killer Peter all start with a lead who was already a top killer before a reset. Each one restarts after a betrayal or ambush with a professional killer's past behind him.
What is the best hitman manhwa?
Killer Peter and A Bona Fide Killer are the hitman picks. Peter is a legendary killer from a crime organization who gets his teenage body back, and Yu Bona is a mother returning from maternity leave as the sniper Kingfisher.
Is there a female assassin manhwa?
Yes. A Bona Fide Killer follows a working mom who is secretly the legendary assassin Kingfisher, and Crimson Karma follows a woman raised as an assassin who wakes up in another world. Roxana follows the daughter of a criminal family.
Is Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound on hiatus?
The English Tapas edition is. Tapas posted a hiatus notice citing a production review of the title's localization schedule. Yen Press also publishes the series in print and lists four volumes.
Where can I read assassin manhwa legally?
Two picks are on WEBTOON, two on Tappytoon and three on Tapas. Tapas ends service on March 31, 2027 at 23:59 PT, so check the Tapas shutdown tracker before buying episodes there.
Related Reading
- Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound review
- Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound reading guide
- Manhwa like Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound
- A Bona Fide Killer webtoon guide
- Best war manhwa
- Tapas shutting down: what we know
How We Checked This
Every status, count, tag rank, credit and premise here was checked on October 8, 2026 against AniList's record for each of the seven series and their official English pages on WEBTOON, Tapas and Tappytoon, plus Yen Press's Baskerville page and Tapas' end-of-service notice. Tappytoon's tag lists load in the browser, so those were read from a rendered copy of the page. The drama dates come from Wikipedia, the trailer from REDICE+'s YouTube channel, and the reader quote from one r/manhwa thread. Each fact has a row with a quoted line in our sources table.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026
References
- The Reborn Young Lord is an Assassin on WEBTOON
- Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound on Tapas
- Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound at Yen Press
- Killer Peter on WEBTOON
- The Reaper on Tappytoon
- Roxana on Tapas
- Crimson Karma on Tappytoon
- A Bona Fide Killer on Tapas
- Tapas end of service notice
- A Bona Fide Killer (TV series) on Wikipedia
