Spy x Familyis heartwarming in comparison to other anime with more disheartening story lines. Far from the gruesome violence of a series likeAttack on TitanorJujutsu Kaisen, Spy x Familyis characterized by its family relationships and silly moments, while still including a hearty dose of action-packed spy drama. Despite how cheerful the series seems with its colorful animation and touching Forger family interactions,the series' characters have devastating backstories.

Spy x Familyis set during a Cold War,focusing on the tension between the countries Ostania and Westalis, and thus, covers many of the difficult experiences of war. The conflict, death, loss, and abuse suffered by the series' characters is shocking and disturbing, proving just how deep the spy shonen can get. No stranger to tough topics,Spy x Familyoffers a happy slice-of-life perspective, while simultaneously shedding light on the atrocities of war in a candid way through its characters' backstories.

Spy x Family Desmond family in chapter #106

10Franky Franklin

Franky Could Not Bear Harming Others as a Soldier for Ostania, Witnessing War Firsthand

Franky Franklin, Loid’s trusty informant, provides Loid with information on his targets and is there to assist him with the problems that arise during his spy missions. However, Franky was not always Loid’s wisecracking partner. He previously participated in theEast-West war as a soldier on Ostania’s side.

As the battle raged on,Franky began to realizethe war was not getting either side closer to a resolution,calling it “the most pointless thing in the world.“Franky had to witness so much unnecessary death and suffering, until he could not take it anymore. The horrors Franky had to encounter on the battlefield were tremendous, but thankfully, he found a new role as a spy informant that allowed him to make a true difference in the conflict without harming others.

Spy x Family Project Apple Anya and Bond

9Martha Marriott

Martha’s Dreams of Becoming a Ballerina Were Dashed and the Man She Loved Married Someone Else

Martha Marriott works as a caretaker for Becky Blackbell, one of Anya’s best friends. However, this was not always her dream career.Martha’s childhood passion was ballet, and she aspired to become a ballerina. Martha was an exceptionally talented dancer, and a strong person, but the war ruined her ballerina dreams.

After multiple members of Marlov Ballet Company, the company she danced with, died, Martha enlisted as a soldier. Martha fought tirelessly, sustained multiple injuries, and witnessed fallen comrades, leaving her traumatized. Once she arrived back in Ostania, she discovered that Henry Henderson,the man she loved, married someone else. Martha built a happy, successful life in the aftermath of the war working for the Blackbells, butshe lost many opportunities and loved ones.

Yor Forger’s Reddish Brown Eyes in a screenshot of the Spy x Family anime of her smiling at home.

8Millie Myers

Millie Myers, one of Yor’s City Hall coworkers at her day job, is always pictured wearing the brightest smile. But Millie’s life has not always been as cheerful as her disposition would lead fans to believe.Millie’s beloved father passed away during the East-West war, and she has never recovered from the hard-hitting loss.

Millie rarely brings up how heavily the loss of her father has impacted her, but at times, she does. For example, she has lashed out at others, such as Donovan Desmond, who she blames for the loss, and because of the painful memories it brought up, she was unable to bear to work at a disabled veterans' event. Millie’s loss continues to affect her, and itproves the negative effects the East-West war has had, even on those not directly involved.

Fiona Frost, Yor Forger, and Loid Forger Spy x Family

7Damian Desmond

Damian Is Ignored and Neglected by His Own Family, Leading Him To Lash out

Damian Desmond is cocky and blunt to Anya and other classmates,acting as Eden Academy’s meanest bully. Damian’s rude behavior is merely a facade to mask the insecurity he feels inside because of the poor treatment he has received from his own father. Demetrius Desmond, his brother, has earned their father, Donovan’s favor, while Damian continually fades into the shadows in his father’s eyes.

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Donovan Desmond is the imposing antagonist of Spy x Family, and the latest chapter gives a rare glimpse into his family life with an intense dinner.

Damian is desperate for his father’s loveand acceptance, but since Donovan is so focused on his other pursuits, he ignores his young son. Demetrius, his brother, is also standoffish, leaving Damian with little love or affection in his life, which is a devastating blow to anyone’s ego, but especially a young child’s. Damian’s cruel behavior becomes a lot more understandable upon realizing how his own family neglects him constantly, despite his best efforts to gain their approval.

Spy x Family (2022) TV Show Anime Poster

6Yuri Briar

Yuri Has Developed an Obsession With Yor, His Sister, After Losing Both Parents Young

Yuri Briar,younger brother of Yor Forger,lost both of his parents when he was little. Both his mother and father died in the East-West war, leaving only himself and his older sister, Yor, alive. The two siblings had to fend for themselves, and Yor took on a mother role in Yuri’s life.

Yuri became obsessed with his sister to an almost uncomfortable extent, which continued into his adulthood. When Loid and Yor started dating, Yuri became jealous and paranoid about Loid’s intentions with his sister, going to great lengths to protect her from perceived danger. It is clear thatYuri is terrified of losing his one remaining family member or losing her love, so he fights persistently to keep her happy. Yuri did not have an ordinary childhood, and the traumatic losses he suffered so young continue to trouble him.

5Bond Forger

Bond Was Treated as a Test Subject, Abused, and Almost Killed Painfully

Bond Forger, the Forger family dog,has a distressing backstory of animal abuse. He was experimented on and treated as a test subject, and offered none of the compassion or affection a pet should receive. Before joining the Forgers, he did not even have a name and was merely called “Subject 8.”

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Project Apple is one of the first Ostanian research initiatives discussed in Spy x Family, but it’s beginning to resurface in recent chapters.

Bond’s precognition ability was the result of one of these experiments, allowing him to witness future events before they occur. Furthermore, Bond almost died before the Forgers could save him because he was supposed to serve as a suicide bomber, but wassaved and adopted by the Forgers before this horrific attackcould occur. Bond narrowly escaped violent death a number of times, and he is truly blessed to have found unconditional love in the Forger household.

4Anya Forger

Anya Was Experimented on as a Test Subject and Grew up in an Orphanage

Anya’s life likely began as a test subject, similarly to Bond’s. She is assumed to have been experimented on and thus, developed her telepathy skill, butthe details of her pasthave not all been revealed. What is known is that she was lonely and depressed in her orphanage,worried no family would ever adopt her.

When Loid chose Anya, her life changed for the better, and she finally had a family.Anya’s true past probably contains the most inhumane experimentsimaginable, and she was lucky to escape with her life. No child should suffer the abuse Anya went through as a young child, and she deserves all the love she receives from her new family.

3Yor Forger

Yor Lost Her Parents and Put All Her Energy Into Raising Her Brother, Neglecting Her Own Needs

Yor’s parents died in the East-West war, leaving her and Yuri, her younger brother, alone. As the older of the two siblings, she had no choice but to provide for Yuri. The only way Yor knew to make quick cash to support her and Yuri was taking a job as a deadly assassin.

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Yor Forger from Spy x Family has become a great addition to a growing list of iconic heroines in anime, and these ten moments show how she got there.

Killing people for hire is a grueling career, but Yor knew she had to do what was necessary to give Yuri a good childhood. Since Yor put all her time into caring for Yuri,she had no time to focus on herself.She continues to deal with fear of abandonment and has little experience building friendships and relationships with others, since she had no time for this previously. Yor’s tough childhood and early losses left her with uncertainty and pain she is still working through.

2Sylvia Sherwood/The Handler

Sylvia’s Family Died in the War, Leaving Her Alone and Heartbroken

Sylvia Sherwood, also known as the Handler, works closely with Loid. The East-West war has taken a lot from Sylvia,including her daughter and her husband.A tear-jerking flashback depicts Sylvia’s family happily together, but the vision is just an illusion because these people died long ago.

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Because of all she has lost, she despises fighting because of its negative repercussions. Sylvia works hard to end the conflict as soon as possible, taking her job as a handler very seriously. Sylvia’s dedication to her job is very personal becauseshe would do anything to avenge her loved ones.

1Loid Forger

Loid Lost Everyone and Puts Distance Between Himself and Others To Avoid Compromising His Mission

Loid Forger,Spy x Family’smain character, has themost distressing backstory. His life has been arduous from the very beginning, when he was orphaned as a child. Loid doesn’t even recall his parents and all he remembers isbecoming a soldier at a young age.

Because Loid lost everyone in his life early on, he does not get attached to anyone because he knows they could be taken from him. This is an upsetting outlook, but it is the attitude Loid has been forced to adopt to survive through the war. He became a spy to bring peace back to a fragmented, fighting world, but in the process, he won’t allow anyone to get close to him, althoughYor and Anya are certainly impacting him more than he realizes.

Spy X Family

“Spy × Family” is a popular Japanese manga and anime franchise that blends action, comedy, and spy elements. The story follows Twilight, a secret agent tasked with creating a fake family to carry out a mission, unaware that his “wife” is an assassin and his adopted “daughter” is a telepath. The series, praised for its humor, heartwarming moments, and dynamic characters, has expanded to include anime adaptations, a feature film, and various merchandise.