The Assassins
As Stated in wikipedia:
The term 'Assassin' is considered to derive from the Arabic word Hashshashin (Arabic: حشاشون \ جماعة الحشاشين[2]), the Arabic designation of the Nizari branch of the Ismā'īlī Shia Muslims during the Middle Ages. They were active in the coastal mountains of the Levant, then moved to Alamut by the Caspian Sea from the eighth to the fourteenth centuries. This group killed members of the crusaders, Abbasid and Seljuq élite for political and religious reasons, but mostly targeted the Sunni Muslims.[3]
Although commonly believed that assassins were under the influence of hashish and opium during their killings or during their indoctrination, and that assassin derives from "takers of hashish", there is continued debate within the historical community whether these claims have any merit, as direct evidence from any contemporary source, Nizari or otherwise, is non-existent. Marco Polo and subsequent European visitors to the area received from rivals of the Nizarai, what were to these opponents, derogatory names for the Nizarai Ismaili, and significantly embroidered stories about them. Polo, Henry II, Count of Champagne, William Marsden, an envoy of Frederick Barbarossa, William, Archbishop of Tyre and others following, popularized the names and stories in Europe, oblivious to their origin in factional propaganda.[4]
We must thank,However, the Bard himself for coining the term assassinate. The first time the word had ever been uttered in the English Language is in his play "Macbeth".
Hollywood's Fascination with Assassins
As far as archetypal characters go, assassins have normally been either the antihero, or the antagonist. Case in point, Boba Fett of Star Wars fame, was not necessarily a villain, but a seedy scum who sells his gun to the highest bidder. Since the nature of their works consists of distasteful tendencies, they do not primarily work as the protagonist. They have from time to time worked as a foil, as seen in Leon (The Professional for us Americans). However in Leon, Jean Reno plays both a foil and the mentor to Natalie Portman's character. Here is a list of prominent assassins in Geek culture.
