Fiber Wire

Fiber Wire, alternatively spelled Fibrewire, Fibre Wire or Fiberwire, is one of Agent 47's trademark tools alongside his dual AMT Hardballers, and is the most efficient and discreet method of silently killing a target.

History[]

The Fiber Wire (A type of garrote) has been featured in every Hitman game thus far and has therefore become identified as Agent 47's signature weapon along with the AMT Hardballer.

Numerous targets have been eliminated with this tool, which demonstrates Agent 47's preferred stealthy approach to permanently silence his targets. A rather difficult weapon to utilize in the early games of the franchise, the Fiber Wire needed to be 'tensed' before reaching the target, and 'released' to strangle the target. From Absolution onward, garroting a target now simply involves pressing one button once Agent 47 is sufficiently behind a target. This is the result of simplifying the game mechanics to make it more accessible and forgiving.

Strangling targets with the Fiber Wire has also undergone different animations throughout the series, where earlier on, Agent 47 would often turn and pull the target up onto his back, to increase the amount of force applied in the process. He now simply drags them to the ground from behind, which may show an increase in his strength and precision, or simply make the animation easier to render. In certain games (e.g. Hitman: Blood Money, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin), if the Fiber Wire was used on a target on the stairs or in extreme close ranges, Agent 47 would simply snap the targets neck, rather than strangle them. In Blood Money, Fiber Wire can also be used when the target is in an elevator, if Agent 47 is standing above the open hatch.

In HITMAN™ 2, it can be dropped as an object.

Description[]

The fiber wire consists of a short strand of a non-metallic wire with a handle at each end. Unlike most purpose-built weapons, it can be carried in the hand and ready for immediate use without alerting guards or targets. In Hitman Absolution, one can replace fiber wire with measuring tape.

Use[]

Strangulation leaves little or no blood, and it is virtually silent when done properly, both of which make it a perfect choice for a silent assassin. A target can be strangled as his guards simply patrol in the next room, or even as his guards walk along in front of him, as in Hitman: Absolution. Agent 47 slowly and silently approaches the unaware victim, until he is close enough to apply the fiber wire to them. To ensure a firm grip is applied in keeping the victim from escaping, Agent 47 overlaps the handles then pulls back. This tightens the wire, which cuts deeply into the neck, severely constricting the victim's trachea and also supply of oxygenated blood to the brain through the carotid artery causing unconsciousness and death in a very short timescale. Also, the target's windpipe is generally fractured or even crushed. In Hitman: Contracts and Hitman: Blood Money, Agent 47 will turn around and lean forward occasionally, pulling the target onto his back and ensuring an even tighter grip. Once Agent 47 has it in place, death is virtually certain; only one known person has ever survived it.

In Hitman: Absolution and onwards, Agent 47 is able to drag dead victims with the fiber wire by their necks immediately after garroting them. This can also be done with other ligatures like the Power Cord and the Measuring Tape. The fiber wire's chief limitation is that it can only be seated from behind, making it a poor choice of weapon against a target who is aware of Agent 47's presence.

In Hitman: Absolution, there are two methods of strangulation where as one would trigger far away from the target and Agent 47 would kick the person in the back and in the confusion/impact and imbalance would then wrap the wire around their neck and bring them to the ground to finish the kill where as the other method would be strangling right behind the person where Agent 47 simply wraps the wire around their neck. They would try to reach their hands out but would die and slowly be brought to the ground. The method where the victim dies standing is significantly quicker but is more exposed to sight as they are standing up and be more easily alertable through line of sight where the kicking method would bring the person to the ground faster making it possible to finish the kill in cover but takes about twice as long. Both are equally silent but differ in convenience depending on the situation of a time vs line of sight scenario. Sometimes however, it is best to strangle with bare hands if there is line of sight to the target as Agent 47 will bring them around into cover which will not immediately alert people.

Usage styles[]

Hitman: Codename 47[]

• 47 simply garrotes the target, and slowly brings them to the ground.

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin[]

• 47 simply garrotes the target, and slowly brings them to the ground.
• 47 breaks the target's neck.

Hitman: Contracts[]

• 47 simply garrotes the target, and slowly brings them to the ground.
• 47 breaks the target's neck.
• 47 wraps the wire around the target's neck and pulls them onto his back, ensuring a firmer grip.
• 47 places the target into a headlock, forcing them to the ground before snapping their neck.
• The target turns around before 47 can strangle them, but 47 grips them by the shoulders with the wire against their neck and wrestles them to the ground, holding the wire on the throat before breaking their neck.
• In Traditions of the Trade, using the fiber wire on Fritz Fuchs while he is laying in the thermal bath will instead trigger a short cutscene showing 47 drowning Fritz. Fritz attempts to resist, but 47 headbutts him and he succumbs shortly after.

Hitman: Blood Money[]

• 47 simply garrotes the target, and slowly brings them to the ground.
• 47 breaks the target's neck.
• 47 wraps the wire around the target's neck and pulls them onto his back, ensuring a firmer grip.
• The target turns around before 47 can strangle them, but 47 grips them by the shoulders with the wire against their neck and wrestles them to the ground, holding the wire against their throat until they die.

Hitman: Absolution, World of Assassination[]

• 47 simply wraps the wire around target's neck while they're standing. The target reacts but dies and is slowly lowered to the ground.
• 47 sharply kicks the target in the back to knock the wind out of them and throw them off-balance before wrapping the wire about their neck and pulling them to the ground, finishing them off by tightening his grip.

Variants[]

• Fiber Wire - Base model.
• Aztec Necklace - A variant on display in The Ark Society.
• Fiber Wire Classic
• Earphones - The most common variant.
• Fishing Line - A variant unlocked by reaching Miami Mastery 16.
• IO Elite S2VP Earphones - A variant from the Smart Casual Pack.
• Measuring Tape - A variant unlocked by completing Contract Apprentice.
• Quickdraw - A variant from the Winter Sports Pack.
• Stethoscope - A variant found in labs and doctor's offices.
• The Straitjacket Belt - A variant unlocked in The Satu Mare Delirium.
• Kronstadt IOI-1998X Surround Earphones - A variant from The Undying Pack.
• The Disruptor Resistance Band - A variant from The Disruptor Pack.

Tips[]

• It usually takes about 6–9 seconds to fully strangle a person in Hitman: Blood Money, so keep that in mind when you're short on time and you need to make a kill fast. But if the victim is strangled on stairs or in a very compact place, Agent 47 will break the target's neck, the strangulation takes only about half a second.
• You can strangle anybody as long as you are behind them, they are standing up, sitting down, or even crouching, and they are not at a lower elevation than you (such as a ramp or incline) but if they are slightly higher than you it will still work, as it will when Agent 47 is positioned in the hatch of an elevator with his victim below him. This method is also an effective way to hide bodies.
• It is possible to attempt to kill someone with the Fiber Wire even if you begin in front of them. This tends to be as a sort of desperate last resort as Agent 47's cover is usually blown. The trick is to run very close to the enemy and start circling them. This will confuse them and get them turning in different directions. Keep the Fiber Wire tightened at all times. When you end up behind them, release for the kill.
• In Hitman: Blood Money if you turn off the simple strangle feature, Agent 47 will stand up while using fiber wire.
• If you strangle someone while on top of the elevator in Hitman: Blood Money, their bodies will be pulled up, a perfect way to hide the body but anything they carry will drop on the ground. Also, you don't need to hit "fire button", the game will let you use action key to perform the kill.
• In Hitman: Absolution, Agent 47 is able to choke targets into unconsciousness or break their necks with his bare hands without using the fiber wire, however, fiber wire is much quicker and much more quiet than choking. There are also other garrote weapons besides the fiber wire, such as the power cord and the measuring tape. Killing your target using this weapon will give Agent 47 the "Signature kill" and a little more points.
• Before Absolution, the Fiber Wire was the only melee weapon that can't be dropped, and in Absolution, the Fiber wire counts as a stand-alone melee weapon, in most of the game, you can't replace it.
• In the mission Traditions of the Trade (Hitman: Codename 47 and Hitman Contracts), if Agent 47 attempts to kill Fritz Fuchs with Fiber Wire while he is swimming in the pool, Agent 47 will rather drown him in the pool water. 
• In Hitman: Codename 47, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin and Hitman: Contracts, taking out the fiber wire in sight of bystanders will make them alert and run to enemies. Enemies will shoot at Agent 47 if they see him with fiber wire. In Hitman: Blood Money, Hitman: Absolution and HITMAN however, Agent 47 can carry the Fiber Wire around in the open without attracting attention.

Gallery[]

The Fibre Wire as seen in Hitman: Codename 47.

The Fiber Wire that appears in Hitman 2: Silent Assassin.

The wire in Hitman: Blood Money.

Ditto.

Fiber Wire in Hitman: Absolution.

Fiber Wire concept for HITMAN™.

Fiber Wire in HITMAN™.

Fiber Wire in HITMAN™ 2.

Fiber Wire in HITMAN™ III.

Fiber Wire as seen in the tile for The Personal Touch challenge in Paris.

Fiber Wire as seen in the tile for the Piano Man challenge.

Animations[]

Agent 47 fiber wiring a Red Dragon member in Codename 47.

Animation in Hitman 2: Silent Assassin.

Agent 47 training to use the fiber wire at the Gontranno Church.

Agent 47 dispatching an Afghan guard with the fiber wire.

Agent 17 fiber wiring a Russian soldier.

Agent 47 killing a soldier in the training grounds of Hitman: Contracts.

Agent 47 pulling his victim onto his back.

The fiber wire animation glitching, with the target falling down before the animation ends.

Agent 47 killing one of the Fuchs Brothers' bodyguards.

Agent garroting a gangster before he can burn the divorce laywer.

Agent 47 leaning forward while garroting.

Agent 47 fiber wiring Don Fernando on his chair.

Don Fernando remains seated while 47 slowly releases him.

Trivia[]

• The Fiber Wire has differently designed handles in nearly every game. Hitman: Contracts and Hitman: Blood Money have the same design, along with Hitman: Absolution and HITMAN™ having their own similar designs.
• The Fiber Wire is also one of 47's few weapons that will not be picked up by frisking or set off metal detectors, and thus remains a weapon of choice for eliminating targets in a restricted and heavily guarded area.
• The Fiber Wire has taken many improvised forms over the series, including piano wire, power cord and measuring tape.
• In the first demo of Hitman: Codename 47, the Fiber Wire was named "Piano Wire". In the released versions, Dr. Ort-Meyer will still refer to it as Piano Wire.