Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers for Bullet Train.
With Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson speaking about improv scenes that made it into the final cut, their dynamic chemistry as the brothers Lemon and Tangerine brought new comedic energy to make Bullet Train far more enjoyable. That was the general sense when watching this fun action flick as each character manifested their personal fighting style and temperament while still maintaining their merciless and trained professions as assassins.
Each assassin had their agenda in the bullet train, and with some contracts overlapping with others - including the briefcase - the characters fought to complete their mission and, more importantly, survive the train ride until the final stop in Kyoto. Whether the Prince's duplicity, Lemon's intuition, or Ladybug's "bad luck," the ten assassins demonstrated unique skills that either aided their survival or led to their ultimate demise.
The Son
Logan Lerman plays the White Death's son, whose appearance sets the chain reaction to introduce audiences to the much more skilled assassins, Tangerine and Lemon. His brotherly bodyguards are tasked with escorting him and the money-filled briefcase to the gang of assassins they work with.
Logan Lerman's The Son may be the coveted son of a crime boss, but he's not given much to do to show off his skill sets. He's placed under Tangerine and Lemon's not-so-watchful eyes and is killed early in the film, thus placing him at the bottom of the list.
The Wolf
Bady Bunny's Mexican assassin has a good reason for wanting revenge on the train. Shown in a flashback, the audience sees his family and bride killed at his wedding, and he boards the train to exact revenge. Unfortunately, for The Wolf, he has a run in with Ladybug attempting to exit.
While he's similar to other characters in action thrillers like Bullet Train, the Wolf is extremely skilled as an assassin, nearly beating Ladybug at his own game. He may be ruthless, as his past says a lot about his marksmanship and observant abilities but doesn't last very long when he's outsmarted and stabbed with his own weapon. His martial-arts fighting style serves him well, and his efficacy with a weapon is impressive, but he's lower ranked for how quickly he was killed off.
The Hornet
Using boomslang poison to incapacitate her enemies, The Hornet's trademark killing style is seen early on in the film, but she isn't revealed as the culprit until the film's second act. Hiding behind a disguise for much of the film, she reveals herself to Ladybug and tries to kill him.
The Hornet possesses much skill in the way she evades notice for much of the film and dons different disguises until she's ready to attack her targets. She's ruthless and lacks remorse for the horrid way she kills her victims, but she's not the most skilled assassin of the way Ladybug outmaneuvers her with her poison.
Tangerine
Aaron Taylor Johnson's British assassin boards the bullet train with a suave demeanor that rivals James Bond. He and his brother not- so-carefully guard the silver briefcase filled with cash, but it's their chemistry fans loved about Bullet Train. As an assassin, though, he can als fend for himself.
Tangerine is ruthless in his skill as an assassin, nearly meeting his match in Brad Pitt's Ladybug. They engage in various bloody, messy bouts of hand-to-hand combat - the first resulting in a stalemate and the second resulting in Tangerine's demise. While he's incredibly talented and loves his brother, he's unwittingly shot in the neck, earning him a lower ranking.
Kimura
Kimura's love for his son and desperation to save him drives him onto the bullet train, and he's embroiled in Prince's plot to end The White Death. Kimura encounters many of the assassins on the train, where he is shot by Lemon and confronts both his father, a former Yakuza, and The White Death himself.
Kimura is thrust into the film's events unwittingly, but he uses his cunning and expertise to outthink The White Death's henchman when they board the train in the penultimate showdown. While he's as skilled as his father and survives in the end, other assassins have slightly more skill.
Lemon
Lemon works as a hitman with his brother Tangerine, and they step on the bullet train with The Son and a silver briefcase filled with cash. As an accomplished actor with many great movies and TV shows, Brian Tyree Henry infuses Lemon with humor and heart, with little quirks, such as how he compares everyone he meets to characters in Thomas The Tank Engine.
Lemon and Tangerine work in tandem, but it is clear Lemon is the brains, and Tangerine is the brawn of their operation. He's able to grapple any situation against the other assassins, first succumbing to a drugged water bottle from Ladybug, then is saved from a fatal bullet by a bulletproof vest. He isn't shown to have as much skill as an assassin as the others on the train - besides shooting Kimura - but his survival due to his cunning and common sense earns him a higher ranking.
The Elder
The Elder makes a late-stage appearance on Bullet Train and leaves a deadly impression. In fact, The Elder has some of the best quotes in the film, displaying his wisdom and patience that suitably fits his nickname. In opposition to The White Death, he reveals himself as a dutiful grandfather, whose always one step ahead.
The Elder, a former Japanese Yakuza, uses a katana against various henchmen and appears to be an incredibly swift and resourceful fighter. He outsmarts The Prince at her own game, revealing he goes to all lengths to protect his own. He duels The White Death and maintains his robustness against him in their ultimate showdown among the train rubble. His experience is unwavering as he thoroughly and carefully plans and prepares his vengeance, which in the end, he succeeds.
The Prince
The Prince begins the film in the train's first-class section, coercing Kimura to join her after blackmailing him with the death of his young son, who she put in the hospital. She enlists his help to kill The White Death and spends the film manipulating many other assassins.
What The Prince lacks in muscle, she makes up for in mind, as she's shown to be a master manipulator. Her innocent schoolgirl appearance helps her in her master plan to kill The White Death, as she schemes and turns various assassins against one another. She's adept at making bombs, as she places them in a gun and the briefcase that ultimately stops her Russian kingpin father.
The White Death
Mostly shown in flashbacks until his third-act reveal, The White Death paints a menacing picture for the audience. Flashbacks reveal the Russian assassin infiltrated the Japanese criminal underworld and took it by force. He masterminded the film's entire operation, pressuring the assassins onto the train to kill one another.
Michael Shannon's filmography is long and impressive, and he fully embodies the Russian crime boss with malice and mystery. The White Death is shown as an unstoppable force and superior intellect, cautiously coordinating every move to bring all the assassins he holds ill-will. He showcases this skill to kill when he battles Ladybug, The Elder, and Kimura right after the other. Despite being a brutal and wicked assassin, he only ends up dead due to The Prince's booby-trapped weapon that he did not see coming.
Ladybug
Brad Pitt's turn as Ladybug is a welcome one, as he walks the train both stealthy and in confusingly good spirits. As an assassin who was displaced onto his mission - as a replacement of sorts - he shows incredible skill to overcome any worthy opponent. Through the many high energy fight scenes, Ladybug holds his own against the best of the best.
Ladybug's good at his job, and that's clear in the way he outplays all the other assassins in pursuit of the briefcase. The interesting thing about him is that he's very reluctant about what he does for a living, yet his so-called "bad luck" has been anything but bad. He would rather be anywhere else than on his current mission to avoid the toxic environment that comes as a hitman. More importantly, as a person who avoids guns, Ladybug survives this long without using one, which showcases his capability to triumph over others with his sharpness and fighting combat. As a cherry on top, Pitt gives Ladybug a refreshing attitude as a deadly assassin with an everyman attitude.