History Series / DeadlyClass

* InterchangeableAsianCultures: Some students entertain rumors that the reason Master Lin is fond of Saya is that she's his illegitimate daughter, although he's Chinese and she's Japanese.

* WoundedGazelleGambit: In the first episode, Maria uses makeup to make it look like her boyfriend Chico has been beating her in order to con Marcus into fighting him, in the hopes that Marcus will kill him.

** When the series opens, Marcus is wanted for setting a fire that killed a dozen kids and the staff at his orphanage. The Academy leaders naturally assume someone so ruthless is perfect for them, so they send Saya to recruit him. The catch, of course, is that while Marcus did hurt a few guards non-fatally during his escape from the orphanage, he wasn't behind the deaths at all ([[spoiler:that was Chester]]). Marcus quickly realizes that this reputation is all that's keeping him alive and if the other students realized he wasn't this murderous, he'd be easy pickings. Although, he ''is'' working on learning the craft now that he's there, and does kill some [[AssholeVictim Asshole Victims]] after enrolling. This reputation is also why Maria chooses Marcus as someone who'd be likely to kill Chico for her if he fell for her and saw Chico abusing her.

** When the series opens, Marcus is wanted for setting a fire that killed a dozen kids and the staff at his orphanage. The Academy leaders naturally assume someone so ruthless is perfect for them, so they send Saya to recruit him. The catch, of course, is that while Marcus did hurt a few guards non-fatally during his escape from the orphanage, he wasn't behind the deaths at all ([[spoiler:that was Chester]]). Marcus quickly realizes that this reputation is all that's keeping him alive and if the other students realized he wasn't this murderous, he'd be easy pickings. Although, he ''is'' working on learning the craft now that he's there, and does kill some [[AssholeVictim Asshole Victims]] after enrolling.

* SpeakIllOfTheDead: When Lin forces him to attend Rory's funeral, Marcus has no problem telling the mourners how awful the guy was. This got him a SpitefulSpit from Rory's daughter who tells him to rot.

** Maria suffered her family being murdered and then got forcibly inducted into the cartel that had killed them as she was deemed useful, and unwillingly engaged to the cartel leader's son Chico.

* ActionGirl: The female characters are mainly skilled, trained fighters. Given they're students or teachers at an assassins school or gangsters, it makes sense.

* AdaptationalHeroism: In the comics, Master Lin is utterly devoted to Kings Dominion's teachings, and will kill anyone who steps out of line. On the show, however, [[spoiler:when ordered by his superiors to kill Denke for wanting to resign, he can't bring himself to do it]]. Overall, he's more sympathetic to the students than in the comics and his more zealous traits are given to his sister Madam Gao instead, who was invented for the show.

** Marcus lost both of his parents, then lived in a [[OrphanageOfFear horrible, abusive orphanage]] that used him as forced labor along with the other boys until he escaped by disabling a guard with a nail bomb he'd built. It's also implied he may have been sexually abused by his depraved roommate.
** Maria suffered her family being murdered, and then getting forcibly inducted into the cartel that had killed them as she was deemed useful.

** Billy suffered years of abuse from his father.

** Mr. Lin's wife and daughter were killed in a car accident when a drugged up driver hit them.

** Marcus is wanted for setting a fire that killed a dozen kids at his orphanage. The Academy leaders naturally assume someone so ruthless is perfect for them. The catch, of course, is that while Marcus did hurt a few guards, he wasn't behind the deaths at all. Marcus quickly realizes that this reputation is all that's keeping him alive and if the other students realized he wasn't this murderous, he'd be easy prey.
** Willie has never intentionally killed anyone, but has a reputation of being a stone-cold killer. Like Marcus, he needs to maintain his reputation to prevent himself from being killed at Kings Dominion.

* OhCrap: This is Marcus' reaction when [[spoiler:he realizes that he had sex with Saya while he was drunk]].

* SecretTestOfCharacter: [[spoiler:Lin knew that most of the AP Dark Arts students would bungle or chicken out of the "go out and kill someone you think deserves to die" project given on the first day of class. What he really wanted to find out how far they would go to try and complete it. Marcus is the only one who actually succeeds in killing someone (a homeless man he knows who preys on other homeless), though he tells Willie to claim it as his own]].

* YouNeedToGetLaid: [[spoiler:Saya reluctantly facilitates Marcus' relationship with Maria, because Maria's gone off her meds and keeping her sexually satisfied is the only way to keep her mood swings under control.]]