It’s natural for anyone to see diminishing returns in their skills as time goes by, but Hitman’s Agent 47 can’t really afford something like this. Due to being an assassin, he’s got to be top-notch or risk his own life. 47 also had some character development earlier in the series but this has gone away over time.
Both as a person and as an assassin, 47 has seen himself fall short as the timeline has progressed. These things might not be apparent at first glance, but will make you see the character in a completely different way once pointed out.
10 He's Become Remorseless
As far as 47’s perception among fans is concerned, he’s been on the receiving end of memes due to his odd mannerisms. However, this is a lot more serious in-universe, as 47 has become a remorseless assassin after so many years on the job.
He was shown feeling bad about returning to the assassin life in Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, but hasn’t exhibited this ever since. It’s clear that any kind of remorse he might have felt has ebbed away as the impact of so many killings has taken its toll.
9 He Doesn't Get Attached To Things Anymore
47 was seen caring for a canary in Hitman: Blood Money, which was a continuation of a show of affection for animals he’d exhibited from youth. Unfortunately, this kind of attachment has gone away, most notably when he had to kill the same canary to avoid his hideout being blown.
Thereafter, 47 has avoided getting attached to anything or anyone. The closest he came to doing so was with Victoria, but 47 stopped contacting her once Victoria was safe. This is one of the things that contributed to his overall remorselessness.
8 He's Moved On From Feeling Human
Experiencing what it means to be human involves making friends, doing things one likes, and finding one’s purpose. 47 was close to doing so when he became a gardener for Reverend Vittorio, something that brought him peace and a sense of comfort for the quiet life he had.
However, he devolved from this attitude by Hitman: Blood Money, claiming he didn’t have a name because “names are friends,” and that he didn’t have any connections. This is why he’s been able to carry out all those killings, at the expense of the humanity he almost had.
7 He's Given Up On Wanting A Normal Life
Among the reasons why some feel that the original series was better than the reboot Hitman is due to 47 having a larger backstory in the former. Silent Assassin’s story had to do with 47 reluctantly carrying out assassinations to save Reverend Vittorio so that he could return to his normal life.
He got worse in this aspect during the same story when he believed he would never find the reverend. By the story’s end, 47 decided a normal life wasn’t possible. However, he’s since been shown to stop craving for the possibility altogether, signifying how he’s given up any chance of returning to such a life.
6 He's Become Used To Gadgets And Intel
Gamers will attest to the abundance of pro tips and intel provided as the series has progressed. 47 used to be able to infiltrate areas all by himself but has become very reliant on additional materials in order to get the job done.
While he’s still a master assassin, he definitely needs a lot more help now as compared to before. This is evidence of both complacency on his part and slightly reducing skills on the field since assistance from outside factors was once never a question.
5 He's Prone To Leaving His Position Exposed
As the series has joined the ranks of sandbox games out there, so has 47’s own missions become larger. Where he was once never noticed, many characters have since gotten the drop on him. In fact, Lucas Grey had 47 in his sights the whole time in 2016’s Hitman and could have killed him any time if he wanted to.
47 was also tracked down by the Saints in Hitman: Absolution, which was a far cry from Hitman: Blood Money where Diana had to trick 47 to capture him. Overall, 47 has gotten into the bad habit of leaving a trail that can lead to his position.
4 His Reliance On Diana Has Increased
In earlier titles, Diana’s only role towards 47’s assassinations was to brief him on who the target was and what was required of him. 47 didn’t even personally meet her at this time. Now, Diana is involved in his fieldwork right from start to finish.
She routinely updates him on the situation as it happens and has to warn him numerous times when 47 might be in danger. While this has proven vital, it also confirms his total reliance on Diana to bail him out when he’d once been fine all on his own.
3 He's Let Go Of Empathy
47 did have a level of empathy as later as Hitman: Absolution, where he felt responsible for the similarly enhanced Victoria. However, 2016’s Hitman showed him taking the lives of people who didn’t even deserve it. This included targets who had been forced into their situation, but 47 only used their insecurities to zero in on their assassinations.
Hitman 2 saw the Constant comment on how 47 didn’t feel these kinds of empathetic feelings for others while his brother of sorts in Lucas Grey did. All in all 47, has chosen to let go of what little empathy he once could muster.
2 He's Become Emotional Only To Trigger Moments
It might not be completely accurate to say that 47’s given up on all his emotions. Unfortunately, the times he does exhibit them are for the wrong reasons. As seen in Hitman 2, Lucas Grey reminded him of their pact to take down the people who forced them into being assassins.
It was here when he got triggered by memories of his past, which would have allowed Grey to kill him had he had any intention of doing so. The Constant also got under 47’s skin by bringing up facts about his life and 47 was even close to botching the Constant’s capture due to his anger.
1 He's Lost His Incognito Aura Over The Years
The Hitman series is always ranked among the best spy games. That’s certainly for good reason, although 47 can’t claim to be the invisible figure he once was. While almost nobody knew of his existence in the original trilogy, his identity is rather commonplace by now.
47’s enemies are aware of who he is and what he can do. This works well when fear is needed to be created among his enemies, but it also means he can’t rely on his incognito aura since the people know what his identity is. This is a far cry from the silent assassin status he’d enjoyed at one point.