Golgo 13 (ゴルゴ13, Gorugo Sātīn?) is a manga series written and illustrated by Takao Saito, published in Shogakukan's Big Comic magazine since 1969. The series follows Duke Togo, 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 animated films, a television series and three video games.
The episodes of Golgo 13 are based on the manga of the same name, which had aired in Spring 2008. The first episode aired in Japanese on April 11, 2008 with Japanese television actor Hiroshi Tachi playing the role of Duke Togo. The series is animated by The Answer Studio Company, and directed by Shunji Oga, who also did some storyboard work based on the Golgo 13 franchise.
The episodes are based on Duke Togo aka Golgo 13, an internationally known mercenary assassin, who is known by law enforcement agencies, criminals, terrorists and other factions around the world. He is notorious around the world as he is hired by many persons ranging from individuals, who can afford to hire him for an assignment, to foreign governments and secret organizations. The show details the various tasks that he undertakes and his encounters with various people. At first, these appear to be unrelated, but eventually they form a central plot.