Editing Assassination

{{Status|Gameplay}}

{{Center|''For the medal, see [[Assassin]].''}}

[[File:Reach Assassination.gif|thumb|250px|A slow-motion example of one of the many Assassinations in ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.]]

The '''Assassination''' is a gameplay feature  that allows player to enter a third-person view while elaborately taking an enemy player down with a close combat weapon, usually a [[Combat knife|Combat Knife]], [[Energy dagger]], [[Type-1 energy sword|Energy Sword]], [[Gravity hammer (fiction)|Gravity Hammer]], or a Ball/Bomb or their hands, knees, legs and feet. Note that assassinations are different from beat downs and pummels. Pummels are kills from a normal melee attack; a beat down occurs when Player A melees Player B by simply tapping the melee button while behind them, resulting in an instant kill. An assassination occurs when Player A presses and holds the melee button when directly behind Player B, resulting in an elaborate kill that earns the player a special medal.  Assassinations have been featured in ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', ''[[Halo 4]]'', and ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''. Assassinations performed in ''Halo: Reach'' [[multiplayer]] matchmaking also count towards the [[List of Halo: Reach commendations#Rear Admiral|Rear Admiral]] commendation; those performed in ''Halo 4'' matchmaking and [[Spartan Ops]] advance the [[List of Halo 4 commendations#Assassin|Assassin]] and [[List of Halo 4 commendations#Backstab|Backstab]] commendations respectively.

== Mechanics ==

There are four different basic assassination types that are played according to the species of the players and the current situation: If both players are on the ground, if the assassin is in the air and the victim is on the ground, if both players are in the air, and if the assassin and the victim are both on the ground, but the assassin is higher in elevation than the victim.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=54675449&viewreplies=true&postRepeater1-p=1 '''Bungie, Reach Forum''' - ''The Assassination Index Thread: ALL Assassinations With VIDEOS'']</ref>

There are also unique assassinations that can be performed when the player is holding an Energy Sword, Gravity Hammer, or Ball/Bomb.

== ''Halo: Reach'' ==

=== Spartan vs. Spartan ===

When playing as a [[SPARTAN-III program|Spartan]] in ''Halo: Reach'' matchmaking, you can perform several different assassinations using your combat knife that is located on different parts of your armor, depending on what chest piece you are wearing.

; Both players are on the ground

* The initial melee hits the right shoulder of player B: Player B is spun around to face player A. Holding the knife with the blade pointed up in his/her clenched fist, player A "punches" player B in the chest, stabbing him or her.

* The initial melee hits the right side of player B's back: Player B turns to face player A, who raises his/her combat knife and plunges it down on player B's head.

* The initial melee hits the center of player B's back: Holding the knife with the blade pointed down in his/her fist, player A forcefully stabs player B in the back, and player B is dragged to the side when the knife is removed.  

* The initial melee hits the left side of player B's back: Player A spins the knife, stab's player B in the back, then tosses the body off to the side.

; Player A is more elevated than player B, but both are on a surface

; Both players are airborne

Note: if the assassin is wielding an Energy Sword, the animation will be bugged, which results in a armor morphing glitch, where both players armor permutations will become one.

; The assassin is airborne, but the victim is not

; Both players are on the ground

* The initial melee hits the right shoulder of player B: The Spartan pounces on the [[Elite]]'s chest, pushing them both to the ground. While the Elite struggles, the Spartan stabs the Elite in the eye.

* The initial melee hits the right side of player B's back: The Spartan hops on the Elite's back, then the Spartan stabs the Elite in the neck. He sinks to his knees, struggling, and the spartan hops off and rips out the knife.

* The initial melee hits the center of player B's back: The Spartan slices the Elite's legs, then stabs him in the back on the head, and pulls the Elite to the ground.

* The initial melee hits the left side of player B's back: The same as if the melee hit the right side of the back, but the Spartan snaps the Elite's neck instead of stabbing him.

; Player A is more elevated than player B, but both are on a surface

The Spartan caves in the Elite's right foot and stabs him in the top of the head.

; Both players are airborne

; The assassin is airborne, but the victim is not

=== Spartan vs. Grunt ===

* The initial melee hits the right shoulder: The player grabs the [[Unggoy|Grunt]] and breaks its neck.

* The initial melee hits the left shoulder: The player grabs the Grunt and stabs it in the head.

=== Spartan vs. Brute ===

* The player pushes the [[Jiralhanae|Brute]] down, then stabs it in the back. This assassination is unique in the sense that Brutes can only be assassinated if they have not yet noticed the specific player at any time during their lifespan.  

=== Spartan vs. Jackal/Skirmisher ===

* The player drags the [[Kig-yar|Jackal]]/[[Skirmisher]] by its feathers and stabs its neck.

=== Elite vs. Spartan ===

[[File:EliteSpartanAssassination.jpg|thumb|An Elite assassinating a Spartan.]]

; Both players are on the ground

* The initial melee hits the right shoulder of player B: The Elite slashes the Spartan across the chest with his energy dagger, then hits the Spartan with a turning side kick.

* The initial melee hits the right side of player B's back: The Spartan is pushed to the ground, face down. The Elite stabs the Spartan in the lower back, and the Spartan is dragged as the blade is pulled out.

* The initial melee hits the center of player B's back: The Elite rapidly stabs the Spartan in the lower back with his energy daggers, then does a diagonal slash to the back of the Spartan's knees.

* The initial melee hits the left side of player B's back: The Elite activates the energy dagger, and proceeds to stab the Spartan directly down on their head.

; Player A is more elevated than player B, but both are on a surface

; Both players are airborne

; The assassin is airborne, but the victim is not

=== Elite vs. Elite ===

; Both players are on the ground

* The initial melee hits the right shoulder of player B: Player A flicks their wrist, springing the energy dagger out, and stab's the victim in the lower back. As the blade is pulled out, the victim is dragged backward.  

* The initial melee hits the right side of player B's back: The assassin stabs the victim in the back of the head, with the dagger protruding out of the victims open mouth. The assassin pulls the victim backwards, then throws them forward, de-activating the energy dagger.  

* The initial melee hits the center of player B's back; the assassin reaches across the victim's chest, bending him so their unarmored stomach protrudes. The assassin then stabs the victim there with his energy dagger, and pushes the body to the ground.  

; Player A is more elevated than player B, but both are on a surface

; Both players are airborne

; The assassin is airborne, but the victim is not

=== Energy Sword ===

* Spartan vs. Spartan: Player A hits Player B with an upward diagonal slash, spinning them around. He then stabs them in the gut.

* Spartan vs. Elite: The Spartan jumps and stands on the Elite's back, and stabs the Elite with the prongs of the sword in the neck.

* Elite vs. Spartan: The Elite grabs the Spartan by the hand, drags them upwards, then stabs them down through the chest.

* Elite vs. Elite: Player A grabs Player B's left hand, and pulls it, causing him/her to trip and fall. Player A then swipes the sword in an underhand motion, causing Player B's body to flip over.

 

== ''Halo 4'' ==

Assassinations returned to the ''Halo'' series in ''Halo 4''. Assassinations in ''Halo 4'' seem to be based on the angle at which the initial melee is performed rather than hitting a specific portion of the victim's back, as in Halo: Reach. A new medal, [[Airsassination]], is awarded for midair assassinations. Players can now perform assassinations with Flags in [[Capture the Flag]] (rewarding [[Flagsassination]] medal) and with the [[Skull]] in [[Oddball]] and [[Grifball]] (rewarding [[Ballsassination]] medal).<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35_pXjNsDUY '''YouTube''' - ''Halo 4 Flag Stabbing and Spartan Cosplay - Comic-Con 2012'']</ref> All forms of [[Prometheans]] can also be assassinated in [[campaign]] and [[Spartan Ops]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWpXszjy3io&feature=g-all-u '''YouTube''' - ''Halo 4 - Campaign Impressions'']</ref> However, a [[Promethean Watcher]] will continue reviving a fallen Promethean or projecting its [[Z-90 hardlight shield|Hardlight Shield]] onto a nearby enemy while being assassinated.

; Both assassin and victim are on level ground

* Initial melee hits directly on the victim's right shoulder (four o'clock), and victim IS NOT standing near a ledge: The assassin grabs the victim, and pulls them to their side. The assassin then buries the knife in the victim's throat, and pulls their body to the left.

; Assassin is airborne, but victim is not

; Both the assassin and victim are airborne

==== Energy Sword ====

==== Oddball ====

; Both assassin and victim are on level ground

* The victim turns to face the assassin. The assassin then violently slams the Oddball into the victim's chin, sending him/her flying into the air and causing the victim to disintegrate.

; Assassin is airborne, but victim is not

* The assassin knocks the victim onto their hands and knees. While the victim attempts to escape, the assassin crushes the victim's skull with the Oddball, causing the victim to disintegrate.  

==== Flag ====

* The assassin slams the base of the flagpole into the victim's head, sending them sprawling. The assassin then stands above the victim, and spears the victim's head with the flag, causing him/her to disintegrate.  

; Both assassin and victim are on level ground

; Assassin is airborne, but victim is not

* The assassin pushes the victim onto their back, slashes at their head twice, and then snarls at the victim.

* Spartan vs. Flood assassinations are identical to Spartan vs. Spartan, despite the fact that the Flood is unlikely to be affected by such an attack.

; Both assassin and victim are on level ground

; Assassin is airborne, but victim is not

; Both assassin and victim are on level ground

; Assassin is airborne, but victim is not

 

 

* The Spartan leaps onto the Elite's back. While the Elite thrashes around, attempting to dislodge the Spartan, the Spartan then stabs it in the neck.

==== Promethean Crawler ====

; Both assassin and target are on level ground

; Assassin is airborne, but victim is not

* The Spartan lands on the Crawler, flipping it onto its back, and then punches the Crawler in the leg. While the Crawler flails its legs, the Spartan then stabs it in the belly.

 

[[File:PrometheanAssassination.gif|thumb|John-117 assassinating a Promethean Knight (click for animation).]]

; Both assassin and target are on level ground

* The Spartan grabs the Knight's [[lightblade]] and tears it from its arm. The Spartan then spins the knife, cutting off one of the Knight's smaller arms, then stabs the Knight in the head with the blade.

; Assassin is airborne, but victim is not

== ''Halo 5: Guardians'' ==

In ''Halo 5: Guardians'', assassinations are introduced into Spartan customization, allowing players to choose from a number of different animations. The various new animations are unlocked via the [[Requisition system]]. Assassinations otherwise remain the same as in ''Halo 4'', although [[Promethean Watcher]]s are now immune to being assassinated. In addition, the [[Armiger Soldier]] and [[Warden Eternal]] can be assassinated. The [[Halo 5: Guardians skulls#Black Eye|Black Eye]] skull has also been altered so that it recharges the player's [[energy shielding|energy shields]] after the assassination has been performed as opposed to recharging them during the assassination.

=== Spartan vs. Spartan ===

* Don't Flip Out: Player A holds Player B by their left arm, flips them down onto the ground, and stabs them in the neck.

* Liftoff: Player A grabs Player B's right arm, spins around to face the same direction as them, and stabs them in the stomach and then the chin before launching them into the air with a right knee strike.

* The Kickoff: Player B turns around and tries to fight back as Player A stabs them in the neck and kicks them away.

* Sweep the Leg: Player A sweeps their leg underneath Player B, trapping them on the ground, and thrusts their knife into Player B's neck.

* Shove It: Player B attempts to stab Player A in the face, but Player A grabs Player B's knife, shoves it into their face, and then knees them in the face.

* That Took Guts: Player A keeps Player B held in the air by their legs and stabs them in the chest before leaving them to fall onto the ground.

* Oh Snap: Player A takes hold of Player B's right arm, walks underneath it to go behind them, and dislocates Player B's right arm before stabbing them in the head.

* Spinal Tap: Player A sweeps Player B from below their feet such that Player B looks like they are about to fall chest first onto the ground. Player A then thrusts their knife into Player B's back with their right hand.

* Emile's Regards: Player A holds Player B by their back and head, stabbing them in the throat and then allowing their body to fall to the ground. This assassination mirrors [[Emile-A239]]'s death by the hands of a [[Sangheili Zealot]] in the ''Halo: Reach'' mission ''[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Reach level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]''.

* Inevitability: Player B spins around in an attempt to evade Player A, but fails as Player A thrusts their knife into Player B's throat, spilling out blood, and then removes the knife from their throat, spilling out more blood as Player B tries to hold their severed throat in pain with both hands before collapsing onto the ground.

File:REQ Card - Meat Hook.png|REQ card of the Meat Hook assassination.

File:REQ Card - Don't Flip Out.png|REQ card of the Don't Flip Out assassination.

File:H5G REQ Cards - Spin Cycle.jpeg|REQ card of the Spin Cycle assassination.

=== Campaign / [[Warzone]] ===

* The Spartan spins the Grunt around to face them. From there, the Spartan buries the knife into the Grunt's head.

* The Spartan wraps one hand around the Grunt's neck, lifting it from the ground. The Spartan then grips the Grunt's scalp, and breaks its jaw.

 

; Assassin is airborne, but victim is not

* The Spartan tackles the Grunt to the ground. The Grunt turns its head to look at its attacker, and the Spartan stabs it in the neck.

 

File:H5G-Grunt-Assassination.png|[[Frederic-104]] assassinating a Grunt Storm in ''[[Blue Team (level)|Blue Team]]'', standard animation.

File:H5G-Grunt-Assassination2.png|Fred-104 assassinating an [[Unggoy Imperial|Imperial Grunt]] in ''[[Reunion]]'', alternate animation.

 

* The Spartan grabs the Jackal's left wrist, and thrusts his/her knee into the right side of the Jackal's head, dazing it. The Jackal then looks back, and the Spartan stabs it in the side of the neck.

 

; Assassin is airborne, but victim is not

* The Spartan tackles the Jackal, and rolls into a standing position, sending the Jackal onto the ground. As it gets up, the Spartan embeds their knife into the back of its neck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

== Trivia ==

* [[Yanme'e|Drones]], [[Mgalekgolo|Hunters]], [[Huragok|Engineers]], [[Promethean Watcher]]s (the latter only in ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''), and {{Pattern|Pnap|Goblin}}s cannot be assassinated.

* There are [[Seven|7]] assassinations for each type of scenario, excluding in Campaign and using Energy Sword or [[Gravity hammer (fiction)|Gravity Hammer]].

* The Grunt assassinations seem to be inspired by [[Cal-141]]'s ways of killing Grunt sentries in [[The Babysitter]].

* A cut animation for ''Halo: Reach'' allowed Sangheili to assassinate Marines and Army troopers. The animation depicted them being grabbed by the head and having their neck snapped.<ref>[https://twitter.com/game_fabricator/status/695983088321503232 '''Twitter.com''', ''Marcus Lehto: "Oh yeah, that was a good one. Intended to reinforce just how powerful the Elites were."'']</ref>

* An Assassination that appears in ''Halo 5: Guardians'' titled ''"104 Ways to Die"'' may be a possible nod to Fred-104, a SPARTAN-II known for his proficiency with knives.

* In the ''Halo 5: Guardians'' campaign, any character who does an assassination will randomly say one of two quotes. The quotes vary for each character, although [[Jameson Locke]] has only one line when he assassinates an enemy: "He's dead. Who's next?", which he says slightly differently each time.

== Sources ==

{{Ref/Sources}}