History Main / ColdSniper

%%SisterTrope to SmartPeopleShoot, and
%%the two overlap if the sniper is not only
%%very patient, but also a genius. Trope is
%%launching today

Subtrope of WeaponBasedCharacterization. AloofArcher is the mood simile in medieval and fantasy settings, and may or may not overlap with MasterArcher. Likely to find work as a ProfessionalKiller. A common subversion is the FriendlySniper, who is not only much more personable but also usually saner (and is more likely to be depicted as a good guy). To tell them apart, check out if the character is portrayed as evil or eerie/sinister -- or at least it is shown that those aspects of the job have an adverse and/or dehumanizing impact on their psyche.

"They will know us by our hail of lead."

* There was a History Channel special on snipers, which included a somewhat famous bit of rifle marksmanship that occurred during the Vietnam War. On St. Valentines Day, just before midnight, 20 Vietcong soldiers were crossing a river, holding their rifles over their heads because the water went up to their necks. On the other side of the river was an American sniper who killed them all with one headshot apiece in about 30 seconds. An unpleasant, but necessary, part of war. We see a recreation of the shooting narrated by the original sniper. After the recreation, he discusses the shooting a little bit more before saying, "Yeah, that was my St. Valentine's Day massacre present to the Vietcong" and ''laughing''. Brrr...[[note]]A similar feat is attributed to a German sniper who served with the French Foreign Legion in Vietnam; the FFL made a point, immediately post-war, of recruiting from German [=PoW=]'s, offering anonymity and amnesty to those who might otherwise have to account for certain recent actions. The sniper responsible had spent four years in the Waffen-SS, perfecting his trade on the Russian Front.[[/note]]
** On the same special, there was a United States sniper from the Iraqi War. The main point of the segment was him killing an enemy sniper who had been terrorizing a town. At the beginning of the segment, he appeared to be reasonable. However, as the segment continued, he began to give off a decidedly... sociopathic vibe. He repeatedly referred to using fellow Marines as "bait" for the enemy sniper without informing them of this. He also was talking about how he regarded the entire population of the town as possible terrorists, to the point where he would cover them with his rifle if he saw them doing anything "suspicious". When he finally found the sniper (after waiting for him to shoot ''twice'' at friendly troops to pinpoint his location), he wanted to use an airstrike in the middle of a populated town to kill the sniper. He said that his commanders (obviously) denied this, and proceeded to mock their rationale that it would lead to civilian casualties. Brr indeed.

* ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'' introduces one in the person of Wilhelm Casper, [[spoiler:who trained Kurz and is now a member of the villain organization called Amalgam]]. The ending of ''Approaching Nick of Time'' reveals that after Casper [[spoiler:chose to take a kill-shot which also critically injured an uninvolved eight-year-old girl]], Kurz [[spoiler:made up his mind that he didn't want to be a "real sniper" if it meant becoming a monster like Casper, and]] thereafter seems to have exerted himself to be a FriendlySniper instead.

* ''Manga/{{Monster}}'': AZig-zagged when Nina asks for advice from a sniper. He tells her that in order to kill someone she had to "forget the taste of sugar": the man in question retired specifically because he found himself empathizing with one of his targets (namely he started wondering how the man's coffee must be tasting because he'd poured so much sugar in it) and found that he couldn't be a sniper anymore because of it.

** And ''completely'' inverted with the main sniper of the series, Usopp, who is a loud, CowardlyLion fighting with a [[BratsWithSlingshots slingshot]] and usually a hammer. His secret identity, Sogeking, however, is portrayed as a cool-headed hero who officially declared war on the world government without so much as a split second of hesitation... But in battle, he's usually just as cowardly.

** Vander Decken IX is another odd case, not fitting cleanly into either the "Cold" archetype in that he's energetic and loud; nor the "Friendly" archetype in that he's a nasty, evil individual, but he does have the pragmatism and lack of empathy to fit this trope. Like the example above, he is also not an ordinary sniper--having the power of the Target-Target Fruit, he can cause anything in midair propelled through his own energy to home in on his targets, giving him uncanny accuracy for someone who doesn't even bother to aim.

* Mack Bolan, the {{vigilante|Man}} [[OneManArmy super-soldier]] of ''Literature/TheExecutioner''. In the prologue of the first novel an army psychiatrist is quoted as saying that while most soldiers can be a successful sniper ''once'', it's the ability to continue to do so (to see the difference between killing in the course of duty and murder) that separates Bolan from other men. He is described as "a man who can [[TranquilFury command himself]]."

* ''Literature/AriaTheScarletAmmo'': Reki. Further emphasised in the light novels at one point when the protagonist mused to himself over rumours that she had once engaged in black ops for an organisation with a ThouShaltNotKill policy. And she is [[EmotionlessGirl completely unperturbed]] at her acts.

* ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'': The LightNovels introduce one in the person of Wilhelm Casper, [[spoiler:who trained Kurz and is now a member of the villain organization called Amalgam]]. The ending of ''Approaching Nick of Time'' reveals that after Casper [[spoiler:chose to take a kill-shot which also critically injured an uninvolved eight-year-old girl]], Kurz [[spoiler:made up his mind that he didn't want to be a "real sniper" if it meant becoming a monster like Casper, and]] thereafter seems to have exerted himself to be a FriendlySniper instead.
* ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'': Saito, although he's more 'professional' than 'psychotic' and appears to be no less mentally healthy than [[BlackandGreyMorality the rest of Section 9]]. He also doubles as TheQuietOne, though he is occasionally sarcastic and openly breaks out in laughter in one of the novels. Granted, he's laughing at how pathetic someone is, so it doesn't really earn him any points towards FriendlySniper.
** He even has [[DayInTheLimelight an episode for his own]] in which he tells about the only time someone managed to get past him and made him scared for his life. But in the end, it seems quite likely that he just made it all up with a completely straight face, just to show someone how unbelievably good he is at bluffing. Or did he?

* ''Manga/HonooNoAlpenRose'': Tarantula [[spoiler: aka Lundi's brother Jean Jacques Cortot]]. He works for Count George de Germont, who is associated with ThoseWackyNazis. However, after the Count orders him to [[spoiler: kill General Guisan, he refuses to work with the Count and almost ''shoots him to death'']] after he finds out of his plan.

* ''Franchise/LupinIII'':
** Daisuke Jigen is a sardonic DeadpanSnarker outside of battle, but during missions, he's entirely goal-focused and silent like a snake.
** ''Anime/LupinIIIEpisode0FirstContact'': Jigen spends half of the movie being a cold sniper, trying to kill Lupin. When both are prisoners of the main villain, Lupin's latest way to humiliate their captor is forcing Jigen to try and stifle a laugh before cracking up.

* ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'': [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] by Dieci. She's introduced as a sniper as emotionless as some of her [[QuirkyMinibossSquad cyborg sisters]], but she's later revealed to be not as cold as she appeared, having second thoughts about their goals [[spoiler: when she sees the six-year-old Vivio in pain from being used to activate the Saint's Cradle,]] and showing hesitation when shooting down Nanoha [[spoiler: as she arrives to rescue her daughter]].
* ''Manga/{{Monster}}'': Averted ''and'' played straight. When Nina asks for advice from a sniper he tells her that in order to kill someone she had to "forget the taste of sugar": The man in question retired specifically because he found himself empathizing with one of his targets (namely he started wondering how the man's coffee must be tasting because he'd poured so much sugar in it) and found that he couldn't be a sniper anymore because of it.
* ''Manga/MonsterMusume'': Averted by [[{{Cyclops}} Manako]]. While on the job she's a formidable shot thanks to her big eye, she's not cold. Though she's not a FriendlySniper, either. Her everyday personality is that of an insecure, fragile, extremely shy young woman.

* You play as one in the ''VideoGame/ProjectIGI'' series, an ex-SAS Operative sent on covert missions, and an expert sniper who mows down enemies without batting an eye.
* ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'': Sinon is known as "The Ice Sniper" in ''Gun Gale Online'', and she generally does act fairly stoically in battle. Part of this is {{Justified|Trope}} by ''GGO's'' game mechanics, in which a player's accuracy increases the slower their heartbeat, so she deliberately keeps herself icy calm when sniping to maximize effectiveness. Out of battle, though, Sinon is much warmer in personality, at least around her friends, and especially once she starts making some progress on her psychological hangups.
* ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'': Caine the Longshot is a prime example of this trope, having without a doubt, the longest sniper rifle ever conceived by anyone's imagination. While some of the other Guns occasionally display emotions, Caine doesn't -- [[TheVoiceless he doesn't even speak]]. When he is found by Vash, he [[spoiler: calmly draws his backup piece and shoots himself.]]

* In ''ComicBook/ABCWarriors'' there is Joe Pineapples, a robot who is a strong contender for both the universe's greatest sniper and coolest dude, achieved by being cold-hearted even by the standards of a robot. He's described as being a robot acting like a human acting like a robot.

* ComicBook/{{Batman}}:

** Gotham City [=SWAT=] cop Billy Pettit (better-remembered for his role in ''ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand'') is introduced in a three-part story that he spends trying to take out the mutant Man-Bat with a sniper rifle. Pettit seems to care more about making the kill (and finding out just what Man-Bat is) than ending the crime spree, tries to shoot Man-Bat while he's carrying an innocent woman who could fall to her death if Man-Bat dies, and spends a lot of time yelling at his spotter.
* ''ComicBook/{{Crossed}}:'' In ''Wish You Were Here,'' Elisa, the survivor colony's best sniper, is a relatively heroic character, but she's hotheaded, humorless, and a borderline BloodKnight.
* Franchise/TheDCU Antihero/Villain ComicBook/{{Deadshot}} claims not to care if anyone lives or dies, including himself.

* In the ''Franchise/GreenLantern'' ''The ComicBook/SinestroCorpsWar'', Bedovian is a Sinestro Corps member who had been numbed of all emotions after centuries of isolation and can snipe targets from ''three space sectors'' away. His shell also acts as an armor.
** And John Stewart, the badass former Marine turned architect turned Green Lantern, [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame beats Bedovian at his own game]] by using his ring to construct a sniper rifle and firing back. Presumably non-lethally, since Green Lantern Rings [[spoiler: at the time]] can't kill anyone.
*** Bedovian is still active and proving he's the best sniper out of any Corps. How, you ask? Well, [[spoiler: Kyle and Munk wrap Dove up in a Green bullet, which Bedovian promptly shoots out of his construct rifle, then she is energized by the light of six corps, and she goes straight through the BLACK LANTERN ANTI-MONITOR'S head!]] That crustacean is HARD-CORE!

* ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'': During one of [[ComicBook/ThePunisher Frank Castle's]] tours of Vietnam, he served as a counter-sniper, and occasionally puts those skills to use during his vigilante career. [[TranquilFury To say he's not emotional is an understatement.]]

* ''[[ComicBook/SinCity Sin City: Hell and Back]]'' had a sniper assassin going after the main character. The man was very calm and collected, although apparently unbalanced considering he had just killed a woman simply so he could use her apartment as a stakeout.
** Miho also counts as a bow and arrow Cold Sniper. Being the Voiceless, she never changes her blank expression and her aiming skills are second to none.
* Inverted in ''ComicBook/{{Sturmtruppen}}'': The resident sniper becomes so obsessed with scoring kills that he starts to shoot other soldiers and officers until the Sergeant is forced to [[OffWithHisHead behead him with a machete.]]
* In the IDW [[ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW Transformers]] line, Perceptor becomes one after a brush with death convinces him that he needs to be more combat effective. He adds multiple upgrades to himself that give him superior targeting and weapon stability, then [[AttackItsWeakPoint snipes the vulnerable spots]] on [[CombiningMecha Monstructor]].

* Dragan, TheDragon of the Serbian gangsters in ''Film/LayerCake'' turns out to be a cold sniper. Expecting to get the drop on Dragan, the "heroes" arrive early at a meeting spot and hide out, ready to shoot the Serbian as he arrives. [[spoiler:Turns out Dragan had arrived even earlier and scoped the place out, allowing him to snipe the sniper.]]

* ''Film/WolfCreek'' has its antagonist. Once you realize he's not so [[FriendlySniper friendly]], Mick Taylor (not the [[http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Taylor Rolling Stone]]) proves that guns can be just as scary as knives.
** That goes double for the sequel. In the opening scene, he manages Cold and [[FriendlySniper Friendly sniper]] "at the same time".
--->'''Mick''': Shot!

** Mentioned in the training by Dr. James Nichols, who trained as a Marine sniper. When asked about it, there is a whole conversation Julie has with her spotter where they discuss the reasons why they are so cold. If these guys win they'll rape us, so we kill them.
* The two German snipers in Wolfgang Borchert's novella ''[[http://uhrwerk-und-eisen.tumblr.com/post/66783709027/the-bowling-alley-wolfgang-borchert The Bowling Alley]]'' (Die Kegelbahn).

%%* ''Literature/{{City of Thieves|2008}}'': Vika, although she warms up a bit.

* The titular Jackal from Frederick Forsyth's ''Literature/TheDayOfTheJackal''. Forsyth repeatedly mentions that the emotions he displays on his face never reach his eyes, and his frostiness intimidates the underworld members he gets his supplies from. Arguably one of the most "classical" examples. Once flaws start showing up in his plan, however, he gets emotional and careless, going into VillainousBreakdown.
* Jared Kincaid in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', an honorable mercenary gunman (he doesn't skip out on a contract. On the other hand it is implied that he does horrible things to people who don't pay up.) with ImprobableAimingSkills. This is the key to Harry working out that he isn't entirely human. He is seen using a very powerful sniper rifle to blow the heads off multiple demons. [[spoiler: He also uses what is probably the same gun to kill Harry on Harry's orders as part of a (failed) ThePlan against Mab]].
* Mack Bolan, the [[VigilanteMan vigilante]] [[OneManArmy super-soldier]] of ''Literature/TheExecutioner'' series by Don Pendleton, is a sniper. In the prologue of the first novel an army psychiatrist is quoted as saying that while most soldiers can be a successful sniper ''once'', it's the ability to continue to do so (to see the difference between killing in the course of duty and murder) that separates Bolan from other men. He is described as "a man who can [[TranquilFury command himself]]."
* Michael Corleone in ''Literature/TheGodfather'' is an example. It's mentioned in the book that he was a Marine sniper during World War 2, and he's as callous about killing family enemies as he was killing Japanese soldiers.

* Snake from Creator/MatthewReilly's ''Literature/IceStation''. It also helps that he's [[spoiler:the mole]].
* ''Literature/InDeath'': [[spoiler: Willow Mackie]] from ''Apprentice in Death'' combines this with TeensAreMonsters and TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior.

** Inverted completely in Creator/TomClancy's early novels, most particularly ''The Cardinal of the Kremlin'', which features the rescue of a kidnapped Army scientist from Russian spies by an FBI Hostage Rescue Team. The training and mentality of the FBI snipers is thoroughly explored, up to and including the emotional trauma that results from shooting another human being in cold blood. In a ContinuityNod, the same team shows up in ''The Sum of All Fears''.
** Clancy plays the trope much straighter in later novels, possibly a result of ProtectionFromEditors. ''Without Remorse'' has John Clark [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge coldly assassinating]] drug dealers, including a memorable final shootout; ''Rainbow Six'' has at least two snipers as part of a BadassArmy counterterrorist team formed from the elite of their nations' respective military forces who are generally professional (with one notable exception where [[spoiler:one of them shoots a terrorist in the liver so he would die as slowly and painfully as possible after he killed a wheelchair-bound ten-year-old girl on live TV earlier]]); and ''The Bear and the Dragon'' features an old Russian sniper who [[RetiredBadass comes out of retirement]] to kill some Chinese officers.
** To be fair, John Clark is usually nice, when he ain't killing drug dealers, or on black ops.

* Discussed in Barry Eisler's ''Literature/JohnRain'' series. Former Marine sniper Dox is good at what he does but was shunned by some in the Marines because his jovial, outgoing personality didn't fit their idea of how a sniper should act.

* Lasko from John Ringo's ''Literature/PaladinOfShadows'' series is one of these. In one book, his response to having his spotter shot in the face right next to him is to target the enemy sniper and shoot him while mentally considering the time and effort it will take to train another spotter. He is also [[ImprobableAimingSkills ridiculously skilled at his job]].

* Colonel Moran, TheDragon to Professor Moriarty of the Literature/SherlockHolmes stories, was a decorated soldier before turning to crime, and Holmes refers to him as "one of the best shots in the world." In one story, he baffles the police by killing a man [[ImprobableAimingSkills with a revolver bullet fired through a partially-opened window by an air rifle.]]
* Werner Waltz from ''Literature/SixChances'' is this to such a degree that he's earned the moniker Kaltes Auge, aka Cold Eye.

* Creator/AgathaChristie's Literature/TommyAndTuppence adventure ''N or M?'' is Averted by Mrs. Sprot, a normally timid lady who pulls off a near-impossible headshot on a kidnapper to save her daughter Betty from being thrown over a cliff; she immediately breaks down in tears while embracing her child afterward. [[spoiler: But actually played straight; Mrs. Sprot was acting. She was a spy and trained shot, and took out the kidnapper to prevent anyone from finding out that the poor woman was Betty's real mom, trying to take her daughter back from Mrs. Sprot.]]
* Larkin from Creator/DanAbnett's ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000: Literature/GauntsGhosts''. Quickly subverted once it's revealed that he's twitchy and occasionally suffers from fits. He's also extremely paranoid and possibly a bit of a coward.
** Well, he nearly craps himself but so far he's managed to pull through and get the job done, albeit once he needed the help of a possibly fantasized Imperial Angel not to run away.
** Saul, the Blood Pact sniper from the Gaunt's Ghosts novel ''Sabbat Martyr'' is this trope played straight. As a member of the Blood Pact, he is very much a CardCarryingVillain, but his pride in his skill means he prefers focused, clean kills rather than maniacal brutality.
*** Although Saul does fall into HonorBeforeReason at one point when he does reckon he can kill St Sabbat with his shot -- but he would have to fire through Brin Milo to do it, which wouldn't be "clean". Moving to re-sight [[spoiler: costs him his target and his head.]]
** Vindicare assassins are the epitome of cold snipers, enhanced with a few extra handy organs and cybernetic implants and trained to be emotionless so as to be maximally effective killers.
** While Larkin may be a couple of lasrounds short of a full clip, the Ghosts have plenty of other snipers. Interestingly, most of them seem to come with the influx of female Vervunhivers after ''Necropolis''.

-->'''Donos''': Did I ever shoot someone in cold blood? Without giving him a chance? Yes. Three times I did that. I didn't much care for it; if I did, I'd probably still be doing it. But better to have dead enemies than dead innocents.

-->'''Richard''': Chalky -- Mr. White --- heard back from his men in Philadelphia. Mrs. D'Alessio, the mother, is there; their sisters and another brother.\\
'''Jimmy''': Which one?\\
'''Richard''': Adrian.\\

'''Richard''': He's a dentist. (...) I could go there, to Philadelphia.\\
'''Jimmy''': What good is that? They're lying low. Somewhere else.\\
'''Richard''' ''(in his usual [[CreepyMonotone dispassionate voice]])'': I could kill the mother. The sisters. And the dentist. That would make them stick their heads up.

* Gage/Trak from ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars: Days of Ruin]]''. Although technically an army commander he is an artillery specialist and is commonly depicted with a sniper rifle. His Japanese/European leitmotiv is even called "Ice Warrior". While he is a prime example of TheStoic, he appears otherwise sane -- his professionalism just leaves him [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism more cynically slanted]] than the rest of team good.
* It is possible to become this in ''VideoGame/ApexLegends'' by playing as Ash or Wraith and using a sniper rifle.
** Caustic and Revenant make very convincing examples as well. One can even protect his blind spots, with gas canisters while the other could snipe from hard to reach angles.
* [=Zer0=] from ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' is a BloodKnight who cares most about finding worthy opponents to defeat. Aurelia from [[VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel the Pre-Sequel]] is more of an EgomaniacHunter, but she's a literal example of this trope: she's great with sniper rifles and has an entire skill tree dedicated to [[AnIcePerson Cryo damage]].
* Sgt. Reznov of ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty: World at War'' is implied to have been a cold sniper before you meet him in the aftermath of a massacre. Due to a hand injury, he can't aim his Mosin-Nagant anymore, so he gives it to you. As the Soviet campaign progresses, Reznov becomes more AxCrazy.

--> '''Sniper''': "At least ''someone'' on this team's doing their ''job''."

* ''VideoGame/DeltaForceLandWarrior'' featured [[http://www.novalogic.com/games/dflw/characters_longbow.html Sergeant Daniel "Longbow" Lonetree]], a taciturn and eternally scowling Navajo counter-sniper. While all of the playable characters had voiceover responses in the game, Longbow's were uniformly brief to the point of bluntness.

* The Doom Slayer himself can become this in ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' with the Heavy Assault Rifle's Tactical Scope mod. Of course, since his targets are all demons, they shouldn't garner much sympathy.
** The Tactical Scope returns as the Precision Bolt in ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'', and the Heavy Assault Rifle is now the Heavy Cannon. As its name implies, it shoots more slowly but also more powerfully.
** Back in ''DOOM 2016'' the Precision Bolt is a mod for the Gauss Cannon. This makes it an actual sniper ''[[{{BFG}} cannon]]''.
* Craig Boone of ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', a companion character who takes this trope to GameBreaker levels.
** Also, Bitter-Root and Betsy from First Recon. To be fair, they all three have their reasons. [[spoiler: Boone was at the massacre of Bitter Springs, and reluctantly picked off his share of innocent women, children, elderly, and sick Khans, as well as mercy killing his wife when she was sold to the Legion as a slave, when there was nothing else he could do. Bitter-Root was at Bitter Springs when he was younger, and, despite him feeling that the Khans had it coming, is still obviously haunted by it, and Betsy was raped by Cook-Cook of the Fiends. ]]
* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' with Irvine who talks up how much of a cold sniper he is, but when he's faced with actually having to kill [[spoiler: the sorceress Edea, he clams up and almost doesn't shoot]], but it's unclear in the game whether [[spoiler: she would have sensed the bullet and put up her magical shield even if he had shot when he was supposed to]].
** It's actually more than that. He is, in fact, an efficient shooter, but he has a secret: he is the only one of the gang who remembers that [[spoiler: he and the gang all grew up in the same orphanage and that Sorceress Edea used to be their Matron. He is essentially being asked to blow his mother's head off by his brothers and sisters]] so he hesitates at first and tries to pass it off as nervousness, but eventually he takes the shot--[[spoiler: knowing fully that he's about to execute his mother figure]]--as is demanded of him.

** Shinon from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' is the bow-wielding variant of this trope. Even in the end when the character roll call comes up and every unit congratulates you for winning the war he calls you a "snot-nosed whelp."

* ''VideoGame/JaggedAlliance'' 2 has two noteworthy ones. Reaper is a creepy BloodKnight fatalist, while Shadow simply never talks above a whisper, always keeping as quiet as possible. Shadow also is the only character in the game that has a permanent camouflage, perfect for his profession.

* Thane Krios from ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' was trained to be a sniper who killed for the greater good. He is rather personable and spiritualistic, if a bit quiet, when not on the job. Of the other sniper rifle users in the game, Garrus is a FriendlySniper (but oftentimes plays this trope straight whenever he becomes overzealous and showcasing his pragmatic side, particularly in his [[ItsPersonal loyalty mission]]), Zaeed is a borderline PsychoForHire, Ashley is a energetic CoolBigSis but prefers [[MoreDakka her assault rifle]], [[spoiler: and Legion is a robot and can't be judged by human or organic standards.]]

** Lastly we have Quiet in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain''. She is very attractive and [[MsFanservice wears the bare minimum of clothing]]. For the most part, she definitely fits the trope, but she eventually warms up to Snake as the story progresses, bonus points as well for being featured in one of the game's most difficult boss battles.

* Averted with the Sniper in ''VideoGame/MondayNightCombat,'' who is a complete and utter loon. Since he's a response and gag to the Sniper from ''Team Fortress 2,'' it's RuleOfFunny.

* Karl Fairburne, the PlayerCharacter in the ''VideoGame/SniperElite'' games is an extremely unemotional man, behaving almost like a robot in cutscenes. Though there are some parts across the series where he does show some level of emotion.
** One cutscene in ''VideoGame/SniperEliteV2'', he inquires about [[spoiler:Dr. Schweiger's injuries after taking fire from a German Assault Squad when he was defecting to the Allies in a more concerned manner than his stoic disposition throughout the course of the game. Despite sounding a little more panicked, Fairburne was concerned about him because of his information about the Nazi's V2 project.]]

* Sev from ''VideoGame/StarWarsRepublicCommando''. This cloned special-ops soldier revels in this trope, making such remarks as "nothing better than a jungle hunt... hiding in the bush, putting a plasma bolt through a hostile's cranium... makes me feel alive."
** This remark was made in response to Scorch complaining how the jungle in question is giving him creeps. After that, he quickly changed his opinion to ''Sev'' giving him creeps.
* Clive and Elza in ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}''.
* Latooni Subota, however, is a straight example in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration''. She goes through a lot of CharacterDevelopment to become better-adjusted and more outgoing, so naturally, in the sequel, she's lost all her sniping-specific skills (though she's still pretty good at it) and gets a melee-focused [[SuperPrototype Ace Custom]].
** [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsJudgment Calvina Coulange]] is a variation of 'cold' sniper. She specializes in swift long-range skills, but instead of emotionless, she's an aloof, unfriendly BrokenBird prone to anger outbursts due to mental trauma and often breaks protocol in a single-minded hunt for revenge. Like Latooni, she gets better via CharacterDevelopment, but unlike Latooni, she's still keeping her sniping skills and only so much discarding the unpleasant aspects of her personality, she's still aloof.

* Mr Mick Mundy -- AKA The Sniper -- from ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' flip-flops between being this and a FriendlySniper. Normally, he'll cheerily taunt opponents after scoring a kill and take pride in being a "professional with standards". When he's scoped in, however, his entire demeanour changes; to the point where [[TranquilFury he'll venomously growl his previously upbeat taunts]] while shooting his opponents dead.
-->'''Sniper''': (''quietly'') Here's a touchin' story... once upon a time, you ''died'', and ''I'' lived happily ever after. '''The End'''.
-->'''Sniper''': (''quietly'') I reckon you're gonna get ''real'' used to lookin' up at me.
-->'''Sniper''': (''quietly'') I'm not done yet, mate. Not by ''a long shot''.
* In ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles'', Marina Wulfstan, one of the recruitable snipers, isn't quite evil, but very anti-social- to the extent that she gets a stat bonus for not having any friendly troops nearby. She does seem to have [[CutenessProximity a weakness for cute animals]] though.
** Conversely ''Valkyria Chronicles'' also has Cezary who is more similar to a [[{{Jerkass}} Jerkass Sniper]] than entirely "Cold".
* Jade Face of ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' is this all over. He prefers using his laser weapon more than other Faces seem to, especially at long distances. In fact, the first boss fight against him starts with a CorridorCubbyholeRun because he's shooting at you from so far away. As for the "Cold" part, [[spoiler:all of his emotions and memories were stripped from him when he was turned into a Face against his will. He used to be Friendly Sniper Gadolt.]]
* Harridans, an alien race from ''VideoGame/{{Xenonauts}}'', are the epitome of this trope: they are genius marksmen, but also completely oblivious to not only morality but seemingly even reality itself.

Subtrope of WeaponBasedCharacterization. ArcherArchetype is the mood simile in medieval and fantasy settings, and may or may not overlap with MasterArcher. Likely to find work as a ProfessionalKiller. A common subversion is the FriendlySniper, who is not only much more personable but also usually saner (and is more likely to be depicted as a good guy). To tell them apart, check out if the character is portrayed as evil or eerie/sinister -- or at least it is shown that those aspects of the job have an adverse and/or dehumanizing impact on their psyche.

** And ''completely'' inverted with the main sniper of the series, Usopp, who is a loud, CowardlyLion fighting with a [[BratsWithSlingshots slingshot]] and usually a [[DropTheHammer hammer]]. His secret identity, Sogeking, however, is portrayed as a cool-headed hero who officially declared war on the world government without so much as a split second of hesitation... But in battle, he's usually just as cowardly.

* ''Literature/PleaseDontTellMyParentsImASupervillain'': While one of his most high profile victims (Deadly Flame) is killed with a pistol, both ''Literature/PleaseDontTellMyParentsImAGiantMonster'' and the short story "Summer of Lob" say Judgment is notorious for shooting people from a distance with a rifle.

* Werner Waltz from ''Literature/{{SixChances}}'' is this to such a degree that he's earned the moniker Kaltes Auge, aka Cold Eye.