Sima Qian

The last assassin in Sima Qian’s chronicles is Jing Ke, the man who tried and nearly succeeded in killing the king of Qin, better known for his later role as the conqueror and first emperor of China.

Tragedy invariably followed ancient Chinese assassins—even in the event of success, these fearless warriors expected no less than death upon attempting their missions.

The tales of Chinese assassins are of men whose extreme resolve and loyalty earned them a unique and influential place in Chinese history. Carrying out their fateful missions like one-man armies, these hardened fighters of the Middle Kingdom served a variety of masters with differing motivations.