Who are The Twelve in Killing Eve? Explained

The Twelve are the primary adversaries of Luke Jennings' trilogy of Villanelle novels and the television series Killing Eve. Also known as the Dozen Incorporated, they are an organization that employs assassins to kill certain people around Europe under the direction of twelve invisible people.

Little information is available about the Twelve, their locations, or their intentions. All that is known is that only a small group of individuals known as "Keepers" are the only ones aware of their identities.

British spy thriller Killing Eve is a television series produced by Sid Gentle Films in the UK for BBC America and BBC Three. The show revolves around Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a British intelligence agent entrusted with apprehending a psychotic assassin, Villanelle (Jodie Comer). The two grow obsessed with each other as the pursuit goes on.

---

How are The Twelve introduced in Killing Eve?

The Twelve was introduced in season 1 (Image via BBC)

The Twelve are introduced to us in Season 1 of Killing Eve as Villanelle's employers, even if she is initially unaware that she works for them. Konstantin was Villanelle's handler in Season 1. It was Raymond in Season 2. and Dasha in Season 3. Thus, Villanelle, Konstantin, Raymond, and Dasha can all be seen as “employees” of The Twelve.

Villanelle was selected as a teenager from obscurity and trained as one of the group's assassins. The group has a hierarchy, with Hélène as one of the highest-ranking members and Konstantin as a handler, although not much about the organization has been made public.

---

Who are the known members of The Twelve?

Members of The Twelve (Image via BBC)

In Killing Eve, The Twelve is based on a hierarchy, with each member entrusted with specified tasks.

High-Ranking Agents

• Lars Meier- The Original Founder
• Paul Bradwell- MI6 Officer
• Helene- Assassin recruiter
• Carolyn

Handlers

• Konstantin Vasiliev- The Assasin Trainer
• Anton
• Raymond Algaron- Assassin executioner
• Dasha Duzran- Assassin trainer/Former Assassin

Assassins

• Villanelle † - Assassin / former Keeper
• Nadia Kadomtseva † - Assassin
• Diego † - Assassin
• Felix Telep † - Assassin-in-training
• Rhian Bevan † - Assassin
• Pam Palmeira - Assassin-in-training
• Gunn - Assassin
• Robert - Assassin

---

Villanelle and her relations with The Twelve

Eve in 'Killing Eve' (Image via BBC)

In season 1 of Killing Eve, the spectators are made aware that Villanelle is part of The Twelve, unaware that she is working and has been carrying killing orders for them. She eventually learns her role within the organization.

As the show proceeds, we understand that Villanelle finds it difficult to accept her role as an employee in an organization because of her reputation for straying and solving problems independently. In addition, she is eager to follow her one passion, Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), and she finds that working for an organization limits her time for personal pursuits.

Villanelle removes herself from The Twelve and makes an effort to begin a new life away from contract killing after shooting Eve in season two.

Dasha reappears in Villanelle’s life shortly after, trying to convince her to rejoin the group because she doesn't want her killing skill to go to waste. Villanelle consents to rejoin but emphasizes that she is committed to rising to the rank of Keeper, the top position in The Twelve.

---

What happens to The Twelve members at the end of Killing Eve?

Ending of 'Killing Eve' (Image via BBC)

Villanelle and Eve board the boat with the Twelve in the penultimate episode of the last season of Killing Eve. Villanelle kills them all in an anticlimactic scene with royal blue lighting and CGI blood. It's a moment of relief when they later embrace on the deck.

Eve and Villanelle carried out Carolyn's commands and eventually purged the planet of the Twelve. But Carolyn couldn’t let the couple have a happy ending, so Carolyn intervened and ordered to kill Villanelle.

The last sight viewers have of the adored serial killer is of her bullet-riddled corpse drifting down the Thames, while Eve, the assassin's shield, watches helplessly.