Since Episode 1 of Spy x Family, Anya has remained a fan-favorite character due to her lovable personality and a remarkable character arc that fans can cheer for. With the highly anticipated Season 2 of the anime already underway, Anya is in the spotlight yet again, but this time, she isn't doing her heroic spy work alone.
The end of Season 1 saw the Forger family planning to bring a pet dog into the family at Anya's request. The anticipation of her new fluffy friend is heightened by a brief scene of a big white dog locked in a cage seeing its future life with the Forger family. Eventually named Bond, this canine companion winds up being the missing piece to Anya's adventures.
As the adoptive daughter of the secret spy Twilight, whose fake name is Loid Forger, Anya follows in Loid's footsteps in her own attempts to protect the peace between Westalis and Ostenia. Though she knows that Loid only adopted her for his mission to stop the extremist politician Donovan Desmond, she sticks with Loid and her adoptive mother Yor due to how much she longs for a family. It also helps that she can read the minds of others and knows that both her parents are good people.
Though her actions are always reckless, she manages to save the day when a child is drowning nearby. Hiding her telekinetic powers in fear of rejection, she has Loid back her up without him realizing it. After being awarded her first Stella at Eden Academy, Anya begs her parents to buy her a dog, to which Loid agrees. Anya declares that she wants a small, cute dog, mainly to set Yor's mind at ease since Yor is nervous for Anya's safety. What the family doesn't realize is that their dog will be big, extra furry and have the ability to see into the future.
Anya Makes a New Bond
The Forgers are already a group of unique superhuman individuals, so a dog who can see into the future would of course be a perfect fit. However, this dog's future vision would never come true if it weren't for Anya's mind-reading powers. While she's at a local pet fair with Yor, Anya happens to see the big white dog from a distance and read its mind, seeing the future vision of herself and her family. To avoid giving away the secret of her powers, Anya sneaks off to find the dog, even after she promised Yor that she wouldn't disappear from her mother's sight.
Not realizing she's walking into a life-threatening situation, Anya chases after the big white dog, soon to be named Bond, into an abandoned building. She quickly discovers that it's one of many hideouts for a group of Ostenian terrorists who are using military-trained dogs to assassinate Westalis Minister Brantz, who is working toward peace negotiations between nations. Despite her young age, the terrorists attempt to take Anya's life. Though Bond jumps in to save her, his fear of his masters overcomes his desire to fight for Anya's life. A sudden distraction is what gives Anya the chance to flee on the back of Bond, and the two combine their skills to stop the terrorist attack.
A Perfectly Balanced Duo
When Anya and Bond work together in Episodes 1 and 2 of Season 2, it's clear that this is a perfect duo. While running on the back of this military-trained dog, Anya is able to evade the enemy and reach key locations with a speed she's never had before. Thanks to Bond's future visions, Anya is also able to detect precisely where danger is about to strike and can make the right moves to avoid catastrophe.
In this instance, she is not only aware of the terrorist's plan after overhearing the details herself, but thanks to Bond's visions, Anya also sees that Loid's life is in danger and the specifics of when and where his possible death would occur. With Bond's speed, Anya is able to reach the location before her father arrives. With her mind-reading powers, Bond's future vision, and a bit of creative improvisation, Anya stops any bombs from going off and saves Loid's life.
Beyond their unique skills, Anya and Bond also complement each other with their personalities. There's no doubt that Anya's heroism has made a colossal difference in the lives of several characters, and most recently spared both the East and West from the disasters of war. However, her recklessness could very well be her downfall if there isn't someone around to have her back. Loid and Yor can't always be there for Anya when she's in danger, and not because of Anya's habit of running off on her own. As working adults, they may be busy, potentially leaving Anya on her own. Bond is clearly eager to serve and protect, and his future vision can let him know if any of the Forgers are heading into danger. Despite his mild cowardice, this makes him the perfect protector for the brazen little Anya, who's almost always in danger.
This particular scenario happens in the second episode of Season 2. As Anya approaches a door rigged with explosives, Bond barks at her, reminding her that she's about to set off the bomb. This trait of Bond's excessive caution is what saves Anya so she can save everyone else. This overcaution is good to have since it keeps the heroes safe, but it's also Bond's worst trait since he's not one to make a move unless it's literally a matter of life and death.
Bond's worst trait appears to be mild cowardice and hesitation to move forward, like when he hides behind Anya in the face of his terrorist masters immediately after trying to protect Anya. This is where Anya's bravery balances their partnership. When Bond is unable to move, she pushes forward and takes action. Since Bond is not human and can't directly share his thoughts with others, Anya's mind-reading powers help him to achieve his potential to be a hero as well.
Season 2 of Spy x Family starts off with intensity as Anya saves the day on a national level with the help of her new canine friend. With their skills and personalities combined and well-balanced, they make a fearsome duo. Anya gives Bond a bold voice for his visions and his good intentions, while Bond's visions give Anya better direction and foresight to make the best and safest moves. As they both grow in the series, it should be interesting to see what more heroic work they can accomplish together and how Bond will fit in with the unorthodox Forger family.
