The following article contains spoilers for Tiger & Bunny 2 Episode 22, “Coming Events Cast Their Shadows Before”, now streaming on Netflix.
During Tiger & Bunny 2’s final battle, the villainous Gregory Sunshine releases hundreds of NEXT prisoners from Abbas Prison for the heroes to fight. While many of these foes are brand-new characters, a handful of them are returning characters, such as Origami Cyclone’s friend Edward from the first season and the serial bomber Vincent Carl from Tiger & Bunny 2’s first cour.
The two most surprising returnees, however, come in the form of two movie villains — Robin Baxter from Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning and Andrew Scott from Tiger & Bunny: The Rising. These villains’ appearances are sure to illicit confusion in some viewers, many of whom will have jumped straight from the show’s first season to its second. This begs the question: who are these characters, and why bring them back now?
Who Is Andrew Scott?
Debuting in Tiger & Bunny’s second film, The Rising, Andrew Scott’s appearance here is less surprising than Baxter’s. Following the end of Season 1, in which Apollon Media’s CEO Albert Maverick was revealed to be an Ouroboros agent and subsequently killed by Lunatic, a new CEO by the name of Mark Schneider is appointed.
Despite not working for Ouroboros, Schneider is soon revealed to be every bit as corrupt as his predecessor, harboring venomous anti-NEXT sentiments and planning to scrap Hero TV. Unfortunately for Schenider, he finds himself at the center of a kidnapping plot whose mastermind is revealed to be his secretary, Virgil Dingfelder — in reality Andrew Scott, whose father was driven to suicide by Schneider years prior.
Despite hating Schneider, the heroes mobilize to save him. Barnaby, whose own parents were murdered by Maverick, empathizes with Scott’s plight and fights him to dissuade him from the path of bloody revenge. The heroes succeed, and The Rising ends with Schneider brought to justice for his crimes, while Scott ponders his actions in prison. Unfortunately, Andrew Scott’s appearance in Tiger & Bunny 2 doesn’t shine any further light on his development following the end of the film, and he’s unceremoniously disposed of by Golden Ryan and Blue Rose.
What makes Scott’s return less surprising is the fact that The Rising was undoubtedly a canonical entry in the series. It serves as an official continuation of Tiger & Bunny’s story, depicting Kotetsu and Barnby’s return to the First League, as well as introducing Golden Ryan, who would later join the main cast in Tiger & Bunny 2. The return of Robin Baxter, however, is a development few fans could have seen coming.
Who Is Robin Baxter?
Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning is a curiosity in the franchise, with many considering it non-canon until now. Its first half is a compilation film of the show’s first two episodes with a few additional scenes included, while its second half is an entirely new story set between Episodes 2 and 3 centering on a villain by the name of Robin Baxter.
In this section of the film, the First Leaguers are dispatched to apprehend Baxter, whose powers allow him to teleport, but things are still tense between newcomer Barnaby and the rest of the heroes. However, Kotetsu puts faith in his partner and lets Barnaby handle Baxter alone, and the new hero emerges triumphant.
Until now, The Beginning was never considered essential viewing. The additional material was more novel when the film was the first piece of Tiger & Bunny-related media after the first season ended, but thanks to The Rising and Tiger & Bunny 2, that novelty has long worn off.
The film’s new scenes now only serve to pad out the lean pace of the show’s first two episodes, and the second half doesn’t meaningfully affect the series’ main story or any of the characters’ arcs. As such, it’s difficult to recommend it as a direct replacement for the show’s first two episodes, and for viewers who have already seen said episodes, rewatching a protracted version of them with filler tacked on at the end might be a hard sell.
Why Do Their Reappearances Matter?
While fans should definitely check out The Rising, does Robin Baxter’s appearance in Tiger & Bunny 2 make The Beginning essential to watch? It’s difficult to know what the consensus will be, but ultimately, while both his and Andrew Scott’s appearances are nice Easter eggs for fans, they don’t meaningfully add to the episode’s main story in any way, meaning The Beginning isn’t a prerequisite to understanding the episode. So why include these characters in the first place?
With Tiger & Bunny 3 yet to be announced and the long gap between The Rising and Tiger & Bunny 2, it’s possible that the franchise’s latest season will be the last viewers see of Stern Bild and its heroes. As such, this final stretch of episodes serves as a celebration of all things Tiger & Bunny, including the movies.
It’s easy to dismiss the two villains’ appearances as gratuitous fanservice, but given the long road it took to even get a second season, as well as an uncertain future, it’s nice that Tiger & Bunny has the opportunity to celebrate itself while it lasts.
