Agent 47

47 is a human clone, bred at an abandoned asylum in Romania, and genetically engineered to maintain peak physicality and intelligence and be easy to control. He was created from the DNA of five different men—Otto Ort-Meyer, Lee Hong, Pablo Belisario Ochoa, Frantz Fuchs, and Arkadij Jegorov (aka Boris Ivanovich Deruzka)— who served in the same French Foreign Legion in Vietnam and reunited years later, after each had build a career: Ort-Meyer as a scientist, Hong as a Triad crime boss, Ochoa as a drug lord, Fuchs as a mercenary, and Jegorov as a gun-runner. Ort-Meyer, deemed insane by his former peers for his radical theories, had concluded that the perfect human could be created through cloning and genetic recombination. The five men formed an organization called the "Five Fathers", and each donated their DNA so that Ort-Meyer could create the clones. In exchange for research funding, Ort-Meyer provided his associates with donor organs harvested from clone bodies, significantly extending their longevity. Unbeknowst to them, however, Ort-Meyer's ultimate goal was to an army of flawless and unquestioningly obedient superhumans, which he would keep for himself.

Ort-Meyer was also secretly a member of Providence, a secretive organization founded in the 1940s that slowly took control of most global affairs. Providence also funded Ort-Meyer's experiments in exchange for receiving some of the clones as personal assassins. As the clones grew up and were trained to be efficient killers, numerous Providence operatives would visit Ort-Meyer at the Romanian asylum to check their progress.

47's childhood and teenage years are explored in the novel Hitman: Enemy Within. The 47th clone was created on September 5, 1964, and was the first one Ort-Meyer considered to be a real success, causing 47 to receive more attention from his creator than his "brothers". From ages five to seven, 47 was quiet and showed little social interaction. His only display of affection was towards a runaway laboratory rabbit he adopted on August 21, 1970, displeasing Ort-Meyer. However, it died on May 2, 1972. Ort-Meyer noticed 47 crying and was surprised, as he had never seen any of his clones do so before. Five years later, he also showed affection to a pet mouse. He cared for the mouse for about a month until it was killed by a fellow clone as a cruel prank.

47 was bullied by another clone, which was part of the 6 series, in 1977 when they were both 12 years old. After watching a kickboxing tournament held by Ort-Meyer for his friends and colleagues, 47 choked the clone to death in a toilet stall and left him face-down in the toilet. Scared of the consequences of this act, 47 escaped the asylum after making a fiber wire out of a windowsill and broken parts of a broom, oiling the squeaky door hinges to avoid making noise, and killing a guard dog with a stashed bow. He then hitchhiked his way into a small Romanian town without any money, where he first noticed luxury clothing stores. 47 was eventually found by an asylum doctor at a bus stop, who rewarded him with a pancake breakfast, and explained that 47 was right to kill the series 6 clone and displayed good assassin skills in doing so, but in the future should only kill when instructed.

Between the ages of 13 and 23, 47 began a fairly negative relationship with the asylum staff, attributed to his chronic unease stemming from his regular medical checkups and frequent injections. On one occasion, 47 stabbed a doctor repeatedly with several needles, prompting Dr. Ort-Meyer to assign more security for him. On September 5, 1989, Dr. Ort-Meyer went so far as to remember 47's 25th birthday in his journal (although 47 himself did not) along with comments that 47 had become "mature" and stopped many of his bad habits.

These events regarding the series 6 clone are retconned in Agent 47: Birth of the Hitman, in which it is revealed that Subject 6 wasn't 47's bully, but rather his best friend. At one point, they escaped from the asylum together and took refuge in a small village, but were quickly re-captured. In their teenage years, 47 and 6 were recruited as assassins by Providence, but secretly planned another escape which they tried to carry out while on a mission in Berlin in 1989. They forced a German scientist to neutralize their explosive chip implants before 47 killed the man in cold blood. When they returned to the asylum, 47 and 6 tried to free the other clones, but they were caught and only 6 managed to escape. 47 then had all memories related to 6 erased and replaced with fake memories of the events depicted in Enemy Within.

Now an independent assassin, 47 continued to carry out contracts for Providence, showing no more signs of rebellion. One particular mission in 1989 involved killing the parents of Diana Burnwood, his future handler within the International Contract Agency (ICA). Over the following years, all the clones were administered numerous amnestic serums to rid them of any emotions and make them more efficient killers. As a result, 47 would forget most of his past, and would become focused on his assassin career.

Along with the other clones, 47 was trained from youth to become a silent assassin. He was instructed in the use of firearms, military hardware, unarmed combat, disguises, and more classical tools of assassination like the infamous fiber wire and poison. During his training, he was noted for his exceptional marksmanship, as well as for attacking the asylum staff with homemade slingshots which were promptly confiscated. Along with learning how to use the tools of an assassin, 47 was trained to analyze and adapt to his surroundings when planning an assassination, allowing him to see multiple ways to eliminate his targets silently and efficiently. He also shot smiley faces into targets when he was bored. This is one of the only examples of 47 being exposed to mainstream pop culture, although all of the clones were sufficiently educated about the outside world via school textbooks.

In 1993, Ort-Meyer wrote in his journal that 47, now 29 years old, had passed every test he could think of and had become his most skilled clone. However, the amnestic serums had begun to take a serious toll on the other clones, including the recently-created ones, who were too weak to be trained as assassins. By 1996, most had succumbed to the serum's effects and died, or had begun living in the outside world, leaving 47 as the sole clone in the asylum. Meanwhile, everyone backing Ort-Meyer's research, from Providence to his French Foreign Legion friends, had grown weary of funding him with little results, and relations between them soured. Ort-Meyer sometimes blatantly hinted that he would use the clones against them if he felt it necessary.

In 1999, as seen at the beginning of Hitman: Codename 47, Ort-Meyer purposely created a gap in the asylum's security to allow 47 to escape. Watching his every move on security cameras, he was very pleased with 47's performance, and concluded that his training was complete. The following day, Ort-Meyer was visited by Providence's second-in-command, Arthur Edwards, who reminded him he was disposable, causing Ort-Meyer to resume clone production. Over the following year, he created several new clones, which he dubbed "No. 48s", despite not being his 48th creations. This was likely because they were meant to be improved versions of 47, with a lack of free will, rather than an entirely new series.

According to 47's ICA file from the Hitman: Absolution trailers, the ICA first took an interest in 47's activities in 1998 and enrolled him in 2000. The 2016 game chronicles how 47 came to join the ICA: they had been impressed by his previous work as a freelance assassin, and requested to "test" and audition him. 47 arrived at an ICA training facility and was greeted by fellow trainee Diana Burnwood. He passed rigorous training programs, psychological evaluations, and a thorough background check, although they found very little about his previous life. While Diana believed that 47 would be an valuable asset to the ICA, facility training director Erich Soders was very reluctant to recruit 47 because of how little they knew about him. Annoyed that the ICA couldn't find anything about 47's past, Soders eventually decided to assign the strictest possible tests to 47 in hopes he could reject him, but Diana found out about this and "bended the rules" as well by helping 47 pass his audition. She later became his handler once 47 was welcomed to the ICA.

In Hitman: Codename 47, shortly after his recruitment, 47 is unknowingly hired to kill Lee Hong, Pablo Ocho, Frantz Fuchs, and Arkadij Jegorov, unware they are his genetic fathers. He eventually discovers the link between them, and that their deaths were orchestrated by Ort-Meyer, whom he tracks down to the old Romanian asylum. There, Ort-Meyer dispatches the No. 48 clones to kill 47, but he eliminates them with his superior training, and proceeds to kill Ort-Meyer as well. Following these events, 47 retires and tries to lead a peaceful life as a gardner at a Catholic church in Sicily run by Reverend Emilio Vittorio. In Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, the local Mafia kidnaps Vittorio for unknown reasons, causing 47 to rejoin the ICA and perform assassinations again, in the hopes of finding him. It is eventually revealed that all targets killed by 47 were involved in the sale of a nuclear warhead to Sergei Zavorotko, Jegorov's brother, who orchestrated their deaths to conceal his own involvement, and kidnapped Vittorio to lure 47 out of retirement. After being lured into a trap where he must fight one of his last surviving "brothers", Agent 17, 47 finds out that Sergei is hiding at Vittorio's church and kills him. With Vittorio rescued, 47 formally returns to work for the ICA, believing contract killing is his true call.

Over the following few years, 47 rises to become ICA's best and most requested assassin, though some still doubt his existence. In Hitman: Contracts, he is hired to kill three men in Paris, but is severly injured by the last target, and returns to his hotel room, where he experiences flashbacks of previous jobs while an ICA doctor tends to his wound. After eliminating the last target, he learns from Diana that the Franchise, a rival contract killing organization that is targeting the ICA and seeks to gain control of governments worldwide, had informed the target of the hit on them beforehand. This story arc is continued in Hitman: Blood Money, where the Franchise succeeds in destroying the ICA, and attempts to obtain the same cloning technology that created 47, but he assassinates their operatives and eventually fakes his death with Diana's help to lead the Franchise's leaders into a trap, where they are all killed. Diana later manages to reform the ICA, and 47 is re-employed.

In Hitman: Absolution, 47's employment is put on hiatus once again after he helps Diana to protect a teenage girl named Victoria, who is the product of the same cloning project that created 47, and whom corrupt ICA official Benjamin Travis planned to use as his personal assassin. While being hunted by Travis's men, 47 attempts to rescue Victoria, who has been kidnapped by Blake Dexter, the owner of a home defense system company, who plans to sell her to the highest bidder on the black market. 47 eventually kills both Travis and Dexter, and rescues Victoria, who is left in Diana's care. It is then revealed that Travis was acting without his superiors' orders, and that the entire ordeal was an elaborate plot by Diana to purge the ICA of internal corruption and end Travis's cloning project. As a result, 47 is welcomed back to the ICA.

In Hitman (2016), 47 carries out a series of seemingly unrelated contracts, which Diana eventually discovers were against Providence and their allies, and were ordered by the leader of a domestic terrorist cell known only as the "Shadow Client", who pursues a vendetta against Providence. At the end of the game, Providence enlists the ICA's help in stopping the Shadow Client in exchange for revealing 47's forgotten past. In Hitman 2, 47 eliminates the allies of the Shadow Client, now identified as Lucas Grey, and eventually tracks him down to the old Romanian asylum. Grey reveals himself as 47's childhood friend, Subject 6, and helps him remember some of his past, before enlisting his and Diana's help in dismantling Providence. Eventually, the group capture Arthur Edwards, who reveals the identities of Providence's three leaders, but later escapes from their custody. In Hitman 3, 47 assassinates Providence's leaders, but Edwards reveals he had planned this all along so that he could take over the organization. He then sends mercenaries to capture Grey, who ends up committing suicide, and tries to win Diana over by revealing 47's involvement in her parents' death. Hunted by ICA agents, 47 infiltrates the organization's data storage facility to erase all traces of his and Diana's existence, and reveal the ICA's existence to the public. However, he is seemingly betrayed by Diana, who delivers him to Edwards to be killed. Edwards instead tries to make 47 his tool by erasing his memories, but he escapes and deals with him, just as Diana planned. After Diana dismantles Providence from the inside, 47 reconciles with her, and the two return to contract killing.

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

47's typical attire consists of a black suit, black leather gloves and shoes, white dress shirt, and a burgundy tie. As the Hitman series allows players the option of engaging in stealth-based strategy to avoid conflict, 47 has the ability to exchange his stock costume (assigned to 47 at the beginning of a level or displayed in a cut scene) with various characters in the game to avoid detection. There are a wide variety of costumes to choose from including police, military, medical, and culinary uniforms that are all made available by incapacitating or killing non-player characters and stealing their clothing.

Alternative stock costumes are occasionally provided. In Codename 47, he is seen wearing a guerrilla camouflage in the jungle, while in Silent Assassin Agent 47 wears a protective anorak in the Japanese mountains and a blue turban in Afghanistan. At the end of Blood Money, Agent 47 wears a white suit and white gloves while he is placed into a coffin during his funeral. In addition to clothing, Agent 47's distinctive choice of weaponry plays an important role in his appearance. He prefers to use a pair of silver customized AMT Hardballers, a M1911 clone, nicknamed "Silverballers". Following Hitman: Contracts, the Hitman symbol replaces the Silverballer logos that are typically printed on the side of the pistol's slide. Throughout the franchise, the Silverballers serve as Agent 47's signature weapon, along with his fiber wire black garrote, appearing in every game of the series.

47 is completely bald with pale skin and blue eyes with dark eyebrows. His International Contract Agency (ICA) file from Hitman: Absolution states his height as 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in).[4] In Hitman: Enemy Within, his weight is given as 85 kg (187 lb).[5] It is apparent that 47 grows older, evident by the added wrinkles through the course of the first four games. He significantly aged in Absolution, with many wrinkles on his face, him performing certain actions slower, and other reduced abilities. This is retconned in the 2016 game as 47 appears much younger, with him looking exactly the same in the game's main sections and prologue which takes place 20 years before, when he was inducted into the ICA. A medical report on 47 in-game states that although 47 is in his 50s, his body is still in peak condition as if he is in his 20s, and he is completely immune to disease. Since players of the video game series control the character from a third person perspective, the barcode that is tattooed on the back of his head is starkly prominent, although he has his head covered by a bandage for most of Hitman: Absolution after he removes it in an attempt to disguise himself.

47's barcode acts as a security key to access areas of the facility where he was created and trained. His barcode is implied to be in Code 39; according to Dr. Ort-Meyer's journal, the barcode was added to the tattoo in 1975, one year after the code was developed. Curiously, other characters in the games appear oblivious to the conspicuous tattoo; a newspaper's description of 47 in Hitman: Blood Money fails to mention the barcode as a notable characteristic when 47 has numerous witnesses in the aftermath of a mission. The barcode is referenced in Hitman: Absolution as the only distinguishing feature 47 has, and it is stated that while others do notice it, the description of a bald man in a suit with a neck tattoo is simply too vague to be useful to law enforcement.

47's absolute highest priority is completing his contract. He will sacrifice innocents if he must, but he will kill the target no matter what, although it remains a part of his dedication to professionalism to avoid any unnecessary collateral damage. He is emotionally closed off to the suffering of others when appropriate on a contract, even if they remind him of himself at a younger age. He is very quiet and monotone to the point of being socially awkward, which is perhaps the biggest of his very few weaknesses. He generally speaks in an eloquent, non-threatening tone, rarely swearing or even raising his voice. He also has a blank and somewhat sinister facial expression, often scanning the scene with his eyes; the only other facial expression he has been known to show is pain, though he occasionally smirks in the 2007 film adaptation. 47 seems to also be an accomplished conversationalist despite the fact that he is extremely reserved, often able to fool and manipulate people with convincing lies. Hitman: Enemy Within shows that he has the capability to act far out of his normal personality to imitate people, such as when he pretends to be a cocky womanizing biker.

Nevertheless, 47 can blend into the crowd and play the role of a regular person very effectively and efficiently. He is content with being alone but has a deep, if unexpressed, admiration for the few people he becomes close to—especially Diana Burnwood, Father Emilio Vittorio, Helen McAdams, Victoria, Tommy Clemenza, and Mei Ling. 47 also shows uncharacteristic sensitivity towards animals that he keeps as pets, such as his childhood rabbit and mouse during his time in the asylum, and a yellow canary in Hitman: Blood Money (though he is not hesitant to kill the canary in order to avoid giving his position away to authorities). He very rarely shows the same care towards human beings, though he has expressed disgust at exploiting innocent people, as mentioned during the briefing in "Death Factory", when he lamented at how Travis and Blake Dexter used "children as weapons".

Both Hitman novels and some portions of Hitman: Absolution show a side of 47 rarely seen. When out of his element or not on assignment, 47 occasionally shows behavior similar to ordinary people. In Hitman: Enemy Within, he is shown swearing when frustrated, as well as sharing a joke with Diana. More often than not, he prefers to keep to himself. 47 is assumed to be a multi-millionaire from his contract earnings, but never stops accepting new contracts. Due to the nature of his work he only spends his money on simple things like food, clothes, shelter, and job-related equipment, although he is also known to donate some of it to Vittorio and his parish. He does have a particular taste for fine dining and expensive clothing, and it is implied in Blood Money and Absolution that all of his suits are professionally custom-tailored.[6]

It can be determined that 47 does his work as a hitman not just for money, but also in an attempt to find his purpose in life. This is further demonstrated when he did not take a suitcase containing 10 million dollars from Blake Dexter after killing him, instead letting Victoria dump the money on Dexter's body and fly off into the breeze. It is stated that he has to work as a hitman since trying to live a "normal" life will endanger those around him, showing he does seem capable of having concern for other human beings.

Even though 47 is a relatively emotionless assassin, he shows signs of morality. In Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, he is seen confessing his sins to Vittorio. When Vittorio is kidnapped, 47 seemingly becomes so depressed from the apparent loss of his spiritual guide that he accepts a return to killing, as long as the ICA helps him get Vittorio back. The novels often have him pondering the question of his own morality and values. In Hitman: Absolution, 47 initially went through with his contract to kill his former handler Diana after she exposed the ICA and went into hiding, shooting her before she had the chance to explain herself. Watching her bleed to death on the ground, 47 hesitated to finish her off and demanded to know how she could betray the ICA. When Diana tells him that she needed to take the young clone Victoria away from the doctors, he agrees to keep Victoria safe after Diana's death. But, at the end, it turns out he didn't actually kill Diana and instead helped her to fake her death. It was also shown in the 2021 game Hitman 3 that 47 apologised to Diana over the car bomb assassination he carried out on Diana's parents; Diana understands that it wasn't entirely 47's fault as he was basically a tool for Providence and he had no other choice.[7]

As a class one type clone, 47 was genetically enhanced in order to perform physical tasks much more efficiently than an average human. He has heightened combat skills, speed, reflexes, strength, and stamina; he is apparently able to run 10 km (6.2 miles) in 36 minute 39 seconds, as well as possessing an effective metabolism and some form of limited healing power. This healing power is efficient enough to help him recover from a gunshot in a few hours, though he still needs medical attention in order to have the bullet removed and the pain suppressed with some painkillers as seen in Hitman: Contracts. 47 has mastered the art of stealth, being able to terminate multiple enemies in the same area one at a time and sneak up on almost anybody and quietly neutralize them. 47 also has an expert understanding of using disguises in order to access unauthorized areas of a location. He is physically strong even when compared to adult males of his size and build in peak condition, being able to climb pipes, pick up/drag and dispose of bodies, snap necks, knock people unconscious with one hit, and jump from balcony to balcony with minimum effort. 47 is also a very skilled driver, judging from how well he managed to maneuver Ort-Meyer's car past a police blockade in rainy conditions in Hitman: Contracts. 47's driving skill is also manifested in his ability to drive specialist motor vehicles, such as a bus and a large truck in Blood Money and Contracts, respectively. 47's vehicular skills are not just limited to cars; he is seen flying helicopters and planes and driving boats numerous times throughout the series. To keep in his physical condition and also keep his skills in balance, 47 practices his combat, shooting, assassination, and stealth skills whenever he is not on an assignment.

Trained extensively in armed and unarmed combat and the use of improvised weapons such as explosives, sniper rifles, automatic weapons, and bladed weapons, 47 is fully adept at surveying his environment and using it to his advantage. Highlighted in Hitman: Enemy Within and Hitman: Absolution, 47 is an expert in hand-to-hand combat. From a young age, 47 was trained with his fellow clones to master kickboxing. 47 was an above average fighter, losing only to clone number 6, whom he later killed. In Hitman: Blood Money, he can disarm trained and armed soldiers with ease, as well as render people unconscious with minimal effort. In Hitman: Absolution, he is skilled enough to engage several armed enemies unarmed and survive. He also shows his skill in martial arts when he is able to beat the genetically altered giant Sanchez in a one-on-one fight. He is resourceful enough to maintain anonymity by avoiding leaving forensic evidence for law enforcement agencies to discover through various methods. 47 is skilled in infiltration, as seen in the trailer for Hitman: Absolution when he must enter Diana's mansion to kill her, as well as exfiltration and evasion. On site, he can slip past guards without arousing too much suspicion. He is a perfect marksman, so skilled in shooting that the newspaper in Hitman: Blood Money called him "legendary".

47 also has a detailed understanding of human anatomy and human nature, shown through his use of poisons and sedatives, as well as striking vital points when strangling targets silently or using hand-to-hand combat. He also knows how to best move throughout an area without catching the attention of civilians or guards. He knows exactly what parts of the human body to shoot that would be a survivable shot, a fatal shot, or even the most painful shot, which he has used to interrogate victims. He is also able to face multiple enemies unarmed and survive the encounter unharmed. Whatever the odds, 47 never panics. He always keeps his composure and clear mind to the point of being perfectly aware of all his surroundings and constantly calculates his every action, never losing focus.

Over the years, 47 had gained a near mythical reputation of being the world's deadliest hitman, with most people believing that he does not actually exist. Due to his successful track record, 47 is usually given the Agency's largest, most complex, and most difficult assignments. He completes all of his assignments with unwavering accuracy, fulfilling all of his objectives and unfailingly eliminating his targets. 47's stealth and cunning are so perfect that his existence in the ICA became legendary; he is regarded by the world as an urban legend of a mysterious assassin, and very few know of his appearance. He is also given Gamma status by the ICA for his accomplishments as an assassin. The degree of 47's professionalism is such that in Blood Money, the speaker states that once a client has contracted 47 to perform an assassination, he cannot be called off and will fulfil the contract no matter the difficulty or identity of the target, even if the client changes their mind, meaning that the client must be absolutely certain of their desire to have the contract fulfilled before they request 47. It also has been noted that 47 is the most expensive assassin offered by the ICA, and that his assignments have been among their most lucrative.

The location and total number of 47's numerous hideouts are unknown. They are often portrayed to be run-down and isolated buildings. He operated out of his mentor Father Vittorio's church in Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. In Hitman: Contracts, in which the story is predominately told through flashbacks, 47 is staying at a hotel in Paris, where he is recuperating after being shot. He is later forced to flee the hotel due to GIGN forces raiding it. In Hitman: Blood Money, his primary hideout is a heavily dilapidated bunker that contained a single ICA-issued laptop, a shooting range, an armory, and a rusty bed. It is last seen when Diana feigns 47's death as forces raid the hideout.

• Hitman: Codename 47 (2000)
• Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (2002)
• Hitman: Contracts (2004)
• Hitman: Blood Money (2006)
• Hitman: Absolution (2012)
• Hitman (2016)
• Hitman 2 (2018)
• Hitman 3 (2021)

• Hitman (2007)
• Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)

• Agent 47: Birth of the Hitman series