is a
mangaManga consist of comics and print cartoons , in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 20th century...
series written and illustrated by
Takao Saitois a Japanese manga artist. He is best-known for creating the successful series Golgo 13.-Life:Takao Saito was born on November 3, 1936 in Wakayama Prefecture. During his school days in Osaka he was the best in his class in drawing and fighting, and also considered becoming a boxer...
, published in
Shogakukanis a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
's
Big Comicis a semimonthly seinen manga magazine published since 1968-02-29 by Shogakukan in Japan. It was originally launched as a monthly magazine, but switched to twice monthly on the 10th and 25th beginning in April 1968. It is paired with sister magazine Big Comic Original, going on sale in the weeks...
magazine since January 1969. In 1976, the manga won the 21st
Shogakukan Manga AwardThe Shogakukan Manga Award is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...
for general manga. The series follows the titular character, a professional assassin for hire.
The manga is one of the longest running adult manga in Japan and has sold over 200 million copies in various formats, including compilation books. It has been adapted into two live-action feature films, two
animatedis animation originating in Japan. The world outside Japan regards anime as "Japanese animation". Anime originated about 1917.Anime, like manga , has a large audience in Japan and high recognition throughout the world...
films, a television series and five video games.
Golgo 13, also known by the pseudonym
Duke Togo, is a professional assassin.
is a
mangaManga consist of comics and print cartoons , in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 20th century...
series written and illustrated by
Takao Saitois a Japanese manga artist. He is best-known for creating the successful series Golgo 13.-Life:Takao Saito was born on November 3, 1936 in Wakayama Prefecture. During his school days in Osaka he was the best in his class in drawing and fighting, and also considered becoming a boxer...
, published in
Shogakukanis a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
's
Big Comicis a semimonthly seinen manga magazine published since 1968-02-29 by Shogakukan in Japan. It was originally launched as a monthly magazine, but switched to twice monthly on the 10th and 25th beginning in April 1968. It is paired with sister magazine Big Comic Original, going on sale in the weeks...
magazine since January 1969. In 1976, the manga won the 21st
Shogakukan Manga AwardThe Shogakukan Manga Award is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...
for general manga. The series follows the titular character, a professional assassin for hire.
The manga is one of the longest running adult manga in Japan and has sold over 200 million copies in various formats, including compilation books. It has been adapted into two live-action feature films, two
animatedis animation originating in Japan. The world outside Japan regards anime as "Japanese animation". Anime originated about 1917.Anime, like manga , has a large audience in Japan and high recognition throughout the world...
films, a television series and five video games.
Character
Golgo 13, also known by the pseudonym
Duke Togo, is a professional assassin. His age and birthplace are unknown and there is no consensus in the worldwide intelligence community as to his true identity. Most of his jobs are completed through the use of a customized, scoped
M16 rifleThe M16 is the U.S. military designation for the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle....
.
Duke's alias ("Golgo 13") contains references to
the death of Jesus ChristThe crucifixion of Jesus is an event that occurred during the first century A.D. in which Jesus was arrested, tried by the Jewish Sanhedrin, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged and finally executed on a cross...
. Golgo is short for Golgotha, the place of Jesus' crucifixion. The
number 1313 is the natural number after 12 and before 14. It is the smallest integer with eight letters in its spelled out name in English. It is also the age at which children officially become teenagers....
is considered an unlucky number in
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
because there were thirteen participants at Jesus'
Last SupperIn the Christian Gospels, the Last Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles and disciples before his death...
before his execution. Also, Golgo 13's logo is a skeleton wearing a
Crown of ThornsIn Christianity, the Crown of Thorns, one of the instruments of the Passion, was woven of thorn branches and placed on Jesus before his crucifixion. It is mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew , Mark , and John and is often alluded to by the early Christian Fathers, such as Clement of Alexandria,...
.
The origin of Golgo 13 is left in complete mystery, his age and birthplace both completely unknown.
JapaneseThe are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries are referred to as...
, Japanese-American, Japanese-British, a man who has origin around
Lake BaikalLake Baikal is the world's second most voluminous lake, after the Caspian Sea. It is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the world with an average depth of 744.4 m and contains a total of roughly 20 percent of the world's surface fresh water...
, mixed Japanese and Russian, mixed Japanese and German, mixed Japanese and Jewish, or of other mixed
AsianAsian people or Asiatic people is a demonym for people from Asia. However, the use of the term varies by country and person, often referring to people from a particular region or subregion of Asia...
.
Various episodes throughout the
Golgo 13 series have tried answering this mystery, but all of the origin episodes end with a note of uncertainty that never make sense if the story's theory was definitely true.
- The list of episodes guessing origin of Golgo 13:
- Episode 25 "飢餓共和国".
- Episode 56 "潜入ルート G3".
- Episode 64 "モスクワ人形" .
- Episode 68 "日本人·東健作" .
- Episode 100 "芹沢家殺人事件".
- Episode 127 "おろしや間諜伝説".
- Episode 145 "蒼狼漂う果て".
- Episode 155 "モンゴルの鷹".
- Episode 179 "毛沢東の遺言".
- Episode 199 "河豚の季節".
- Episode 277 "すべて人民のもの".
- Episode 293 "禿鷲伝説".
- Episode 357 "血液サンプルG".
- The list of episodes where Golgo 13 calls himself whether he says truth or lied.
- Episode 4 "色あせた紋章".
- Episode 92 "ヒドラ".
- Episode 113 "落日の死影".
- Episode 193 "KING OF BIRDS".
With respect to the character's age, a large number of stories are dated as they are centered around current events of the time. However, Golgo 13's age has not increased significantly to account for these events. He has also suffered multiple injuries on his body.
Japanese
Golgo 13 began serialization in the January 1969 issue of the monthly manga anthology
Big Comicis a semimonthly seinen manga magazine published since 1968-02-29 by Shogakukan in Japan. It was originally launched as a monthly magazine, but switched to twice monthly on the 10th and 25th beginning in April 1968. It is paired with sister magazine Big Comic Original, going on sale in the weeks...
published by
Shogakukanis a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
and is currently in serialization. The collected volumes of the stories have been published by Leed Publishing since 1989 and are available in
tankōbon, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series, though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
and
bunkokan editions. As of January 2009, 155 volumes of the
tankōbon edition has been published, while the
bunkokan edition has 122 volumes.
English
In 1986, Lead Publishing Company released four
Golgo 13 trade paperbacks translated by Patrick Connolly.
In 1989 and 1990, Lead and
Vic Tokaiis a leading telecommunications force in Japan providing cable and DSL services as well as network solutions. The "Vic" in Vic Tokai's name stands for Valuable Information & Communication while the "Tokai" is simply the name of its parent company TOKAI, a Japanese natural gas utility founded in...
published two new
Golgo 13 comic books, as part of the promotion for two
Golgo 13 video games. The comics were released to the US public via a mail-in offer with the purchase of the games and were later even found packaged with the video games. Each issue contained one complete story and had nothing to do with the storylines of the video games themselves.
In 1991, Lead Publishing and
Viz MediaViz Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States, is an anime, manga and Japanese entertainment company founded in 1986 as Viz, LLC. In 2005, the Viz, LLC...
published
The Professional: Golgo 13, a three part mini-series.
The Professional was a re-printing of "The Argentine Tiger", a story where Golgo is hired by the British Government to assassinate the reportedly dead ex-president of Argentina
Juan PerónJuan Domingo Perón was an Argentine general and politician, elected three times as President of Argentina, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency. He was overthrown in a military coup in 1955...
.
In 2006,
Golgo 13 was brought back by
VIZ MediaViz Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States, is an anime, manga and Japanese entertainment company founded in 1986 as Viz, LLC. In 2005, the Viz, LLC...
as part of the Viz Signature collection. The stories are picked from the forty-year history of the manga, and do not necessarily represent the original's order of publication. A total of thirteen volumes were published, with the thirteenth volume being published on 19 February, 2008.
Live-action
Toei Companyis a Japanese film and television production and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Tōei owns and operates thirty-four cinema houses across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tōkyō and Kyōto; and is a...
produced a live-action film simply titled
Golgo 13 in 1973, directed by
Junya Satois a Japanese film director.-Filmography:...
and starring
Ken Takakura, born , is a Japanese actor best known for his brooding style and the stoic, honorable presence he brings to his roles.Takakura gained his streetwise swagger and tough-guy persona watching yakuza turf battles over the lucrative black market and racketeering in postwar Fukuoka...
in the title role. It was followed by
Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloonis a 1977 action movie starring Sonny Chiba as the international assassin Golgo 13. It was the second live-action movie based on the Golgo 13 manga.-Plot:...
in 1977, directed by Yukio Noda and starring
Sonny Chiba, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.-Early life:...
in the title role.
Golgo 13: The Professional
Golgo 13: The Professional, known simply as
Golgo 13 in Japan, is a 1983 animated featured film.
Golgo 13: Queen Bee
TV series
The
Golgo 13 animated television series was produced by The Answer Studio, which aired on
TV Tokyois a television station headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a portmanteau of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
and other stations from April 11, 2008 to March 27, 2009, lasting 50 episodes.
Theme music
Opening Themes:
- "Take the Wave" by Naifu (eps. 1-25)
- "So Far Away" by Pinc Inc (eps. 26-50)
Ending Themes:
- "Garasu no Haiwei (Highway of Glass)" by doa (eps. 1-12)
- "Yume no Hitotsu" by Garnet Crow
Garnet Crow, or GARNET CROW, is a Japanese pop/rock band formed in 1999 and associated with the Giza Studio record label. Members include Yuri Nakamura, Hitoshi Okamoto, Nana Azuki, and Hirohito Furui, with Nakamura leading on vocals...
(eps. 13-25)
- "Sono Egao Yo Eien ni" by Kitahara Aiko (eps. 26-38)
- "Mou Kimi wo Hitori ni Sasenai" by U-KA Saegusa in DB
The proper name for this band is U-ka saegusa IN db. It has been altered only to fit Wikipedia naming conventions. is a Japanese pop band signed to Giza Studio, Formed in 2002 around lead vocalist Yuuka "U-ka" Saegusa, the band's first three singles were all featured in the anime Cheeky Angel...
(eps. 39-50)
Video games
Five video games have been released:
Golgo 13: Top Secret Episodeis a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, released in 1988. In this game, based on a popular Japanese manga, the player takes on the role of Golgo 13 , an assassin whose objective is to destroy the leader of the Drek group...
,
The Mafat Conspiracyreleased in , is the sequel to Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode.-Plot:A weapons satellite has been snatched out of orbit, and the world is facing nuclear destruction. Behind this act is a group of terrorist known as the Mafat Conspiracy....
and three Japan-only Arcade games, similar to the Silent Scope series, but with a few differences. The rifle only contained a magnifying lens, not a small monitor like Silent Scope. The screen itself would close up on the target only when the sensor on the underside of the rifle base was activated by the player leaning their shoulder into it. Each mission was preceded by a 8-10 panel manga briefing. The first two releases ran on Namco System 12 hardware, with the third on Namco System 10 hardware. A Golgo 13 game,
Golgo 13: File G-13 o Oe, was released for the
Nintendo DSThe is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in 2004 in Canada, the United States, and Japan. The console features a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP, with two LCD screens inside—with the bottom one being a touchscreen...
on June 18, 2009 by Marvelous Entertainment. From initial reports, the game appears to consist of a large quiz mode, featuring questions spanning the 40 year history of Golgo 13, as well as several mini-games, including the "Don't Stand Behind Me" game, in which the player, as Golgo 13, must punch people who walk up behind him. At the end of each episode of the anime, the tagline was "Don't stand behind him, if you value your life." The game is played holding the DS on its side, also known as "book style" and surprisingly seems to be rated the Japanese equivalent of General/All Ages, which suggests the game won't feature much or any graphic violence or adult/mature subject matter, some of Golgo 13's trademarks.
Other media
In addition, the title character has appeared in a number of TV commercials in Japan, including
NEC, a Japanese multinational IT company, has its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government....
and Lotte
Black Blackis a brand of caffeinated chewing gum produced in Japan by Lotte. It has been sold since 1983, and is popular in Japan, partially due to its well-known television commercials that star Jean-Claude Van Damme. It became popular in the United States after being mentioned in Wired Magazine...
.
An
AirsoftAirsoft is a sport, in which participants organize meetings at dedicated airsoft battlefields often adapted to provide walls, bunkers, trenches, buildings, towers, and other similar man-made field enhancements to simulate real combat environments....
gun has been made by
Tokyo Marui' is an airsoft gun manufacturer from Adachi, Tokyo, Japan. Its main market is Japan, but third-party retailers sell in Hong Kong , Republic of China , People's Republic of China , South Korea, East Asia, and worldwide....
based on the rifle Golgo 13 uses. A figure based on Golgo 13 was released on August 25, 2009 release.
Reception
Saito's work on the series has been compared to the novels of
John le CarréJohn le Carré is an English author of espionage novels, several of which have been adapted for film and television...
and
Frederick ForsythFrederick Forsyth, CBE is an English author and occasional political commentator. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger and recently The Afghan.- Biography :The son of a...
, as the stories are "dark, meticulously constructed [and] painstakingly realistic". The
Daily VanguardThe Daily Vanguard is the student newspaper of Portland State University. The newspaper is now generally referred to as simply the Vanguard.-Publishing:...
calls Duke "a badass, something like a cross between Dirty Harry and Metal Gear Solid's Solid Snake"
Jc DuBois of Dragon's Anime has criticized those who say that most of Golgo 13's hits are impossible to do since there are problems that would prevent him from shooting straight such as the wind or with the
coriolis effectIn physics, the Coriolis effect is an apparent deflection of moving objects when they are viewed from a rotating reference frame.Newton's laws of motion govern the motion of an object in an inertial frame of reference. When transforming Newton's laws to a rotating frame of reference, the Coriolis...
, saying that the "whole mystique of Golgo 13 is that he's just that damn good. He CAN make those shots – and he can do it with one shot."
External links