Golgo 13

Categories: Articles lacking sources | Manga | Anime | Fictional assassins

Golgo 13 (ゴルゴ13, also known under the psudeonymn Duke Togo) is a fictional assassin and is the lead protagonist in his own manga series, also titled Golgo 13, created by Japanese mangaka Takao Saito.

The Golgo 13 series is one of the longest running adult manga in Japan and has been adapted into two live action films, two anime movies directed by Osamu Dezaki, and a few video games including Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode and its NES sequel, The Mafat Conspiracy: Golgo 13 II. Since its debut in 1968, it has sold over 200 million copies in various formats, including compilation books.

Golgo 13 has been compared to a Japanese counterpart to James Bond, except with a darker character, a much harder core attitude towards sex, and completely amoral. Golgo 13 is described as a mystery man of undetermined origin, possibily being at least part Japanese, who takes any assignment for any employer (it has been said he has worked for the CIA and the KGB) as long as the right price is given (usually around 1 million dollars for a hit) and will always fulfill his contracts, even if he has two or more opposing contracts at the same time. He is an uncanny sharpshooter, with near 100% (at least over 99.8% with only two misses, a dud and a missed shot) accuracy and capable of lethal trick shooting, and regularly uses a customized, scoped M-16 rifle in his assassinations. He also is a heavy smoker of cigars.

Despite Golgo's "amoral" status, the stories are always set up so that Golgo is at least nominally a "good guy" -- his targets are typically criminals or people who otherwise at least partially "deserve" what they get. There are no stories that involve completely innocent people being assassinated.

Particularly in the later volumes, Golgo himself tends to take a back seat to the other characters involved in the contract. It's not uncommon for Golgo to only appear in a single panel or two out of a 150-page story.

Golgo's Origin

The origin is Golgo 13 is left in complete mystery, his age and birthplace both completely unknown. Various episodes throughout the Golgo 13 Manga have tried answering this mystery, but all of the 'Origin Series' end with a note of uncertainty that never make set if the stories theory was definitely true, and others end revealing that the theories were false. Some theories state that Golgo 13 is either: Japanese, Japanese-American, Chinese, Chinese-American, Japanese-Russian, or of mixed Asian descent. Some theories even consider that he may be of former Manchurian or Central Asian descent, but these theories are deemed as unlikely.

Trivia

• Golgo 13's name is derived from the 13th hill of Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified.
• As the writer did not know if a dark character, almost an anti-hero theme would catch on, Golgo 13 laughed, made funny jokes, and displayed more emotion in earlier episodes.
• Golgo 13 rarely shakes hands with others to avoid the risk of his right arm being harmed in anyway.
• He refuses to take a job if the contractor does not explain the reasons for contracting the hit (perhaps a plot device to allow background explanation).
• He does not allow anyone to contact him twice, nor does he "report back" after a successful hit.
• Both live action Golgo 13 films were produced by Toei Co. Ltd.,. In the rarely seen first live action film, Golgo 13, produced in 1971, he was portrayed by actor Ken Takakura. In the second live action film, Assignment: Kowloon, produced in 1977, Golgo 13 was portrayed by actor and martial artist Sonny Chiba.