Warning: Spoilers for Spy x Family Episode 26.
Summary
- Despite being a popular character, Yor lacks purpose and definition in Spy x Family's plot.
- Season 2's first episode only scratches the surface of what Yor needs in terms of development.
- Yor's potential as an assassin, mother, supportive friend, and dangerous fighter remains untapped, and viewers hope for more focus on her character in Season 2.
As the second-most popular character of Spy x Family, one would think that the character Yor would already have a great role in the plot. While she is undoubtedly a lovable and original character, her purpose and definition are lacking. With the newly airing second season, there's hope for more Yor-centered scenarios, but the first episode only scratches the surface of what Yor needs.
From Episode 1 of Spy x Family, there has been more focus and attention to the characters Anya and Loid. In the fake Forger family, Loid and Anya are the big difference-makers. As the leading secret agent behind the mission Operation Strix and the core player in the mission, the fate of the nation essentially rests on the efforts of Loid and Anya, leaving out the Forger's matriarch, Yor. Over the course of Season 1, however, Yor proves herself not only an asset to the family but an influencer for the mission. Sadly, with Season 1's adamant focus on Loid and Anya, Yor has fallen into the background despite having such immense potential, but perhaps Season 2 can amend that.
The Ups And Downs of Episode 26
Episode 26 of Spy x Family is all about Yor hilariously dealing with a gunshot wound on her butt and going on a date with Loid, who believes she's in a foul mood because he isn't making her happy. Anya, knowing the full scope of the situation, tails her parents with the help of Franky. What begins as a rare glimpse into Yor's perspective turns into a chaotic series of misunderstandings between Yor and Loid. There's also the addition and focus on Anya's antics as the telekinetic child saves Yor from an unexpected assassination attempt.
This return to Spy x Family feels more like another filler episode for the anime since none of the events have much to do with Operation Strix's mission. While the series' humor is always appreciated, and it was nice to open with Yor's rare perspective, it would have been a great opportunity to add more to her role. To be fair, perhaps the focus was instead on the family as a unit, and building up the relationship between Yor and Loid is also essential to building up the narrative. However, there are so many ways that can be done without relying on side plots that fall short of delving further into the main plot and the major characters. For any viewers who adore the humor and wholesome nature of this anime, the return to the series was surely a treat, but for those looking for more of a push into the plot, this episode was lacking, especially in regard to the series' biggest problem.
Spy x Family's Yor Problem
When Yor is first introduced, the story is already in full swing. While Loid, aka Agent Twilight, needed both a child and a wife for his mission to form a fake family, having the child was far more vital than the wife. As Loid manages everything in secret, Anya's mission is to indirectly connect Loid to Donovan Desmond through his son Damian, who is Anya's age. So long as Anya attends Eden Academy alongside Damian, the actions of the wife don't fully matter. Thankfully, Yor happens to be an interesting character.
Yor not only breaks stereotypes as a woman uninterested in romance with a brutal potential for violence, but she is also a huge influence on Anya and Loid in a variety of ways. To Anya, Yor is a resilient mentor figure as well as a compassionate mother as she teaches Anya to balance tenacity with tenderness. To Loid, Yor is someone he can trust but must be wary of. He's already tested her allegiances and found that she is no direct threat to his mission, but there is her connection to her brother Yuri, who is secretly a State Security Serviceman, an enemy of Loid's organization, WISE. Loid isn't aware of it, but there's also Yor's career as an assassin, which, at the very least, has the potential to cause conflict for Loid and the Forger family, especially when Yor can fight on equal footing against Loid.
Season 1 reveals only occasional glimpses of this influence and potential that Yor has with scenes that are brief compared to the central moments led by Anya and Loid. While her character has developed, she isn't as well developed as Anya and Loid despite being a part of the family. Perhaps it's a key part of her character that she remains in the background; however, there's no denying her vast potential.
The Possibilities For Season 2
While there are various details building Yor's present character, there's a lot of her backstory left out. Viewers know that Yor took over raising her younger brother, Yuri, at a very young age after they lost their mother. With no one else to take care of them, Yor took on a lot of responsibility and found a way to earn money by becoming an assassin. With surprising physical strength, the young Yor found that assassin work was perfect for her, but there was nothing to explain why she'd always enjoyed it so much. Yor's deep desire to rid the world of bad people is one of her strongest characteristics, similar to Loid's desire for peace. Unlike Yor, Loid's character is fully developed, and there's a clear reason why he works so hard to maintain peace.
It could be argued that Yor's obsession with murdering "bad people" ties into her maternal instincts in a similar way that Loid's hard work for peace is tied to his paternal instincts; it all has to do with protecting the younger generation. However, that point is never drawn for Yor, at least not like how it was done for Loid. As said before, Yor's moments of character depth are incredibly brief. This ought to be addressed in Season 2.
Fans are also deeply curious about Yor's work and the organization she works for. That portion of Spy x Family's lore remains a mystery and could be a point of focus for upcoming episodes. Perhaps Yor's work would prove to be a hindrance to Loid's mission, or there's also the possibility of the two of them eventually working together. There's also the potential of either scenario adding a boost of engaged pacing, which the series needs. With how straightforward Operation Strix is — forming a peaceful, diplomatic relationship with the enemy — the plot has hit something of a wall now that Loid has finally met with Donovan in person. Building relationships isn't the most thrilling plot device, and with Spy x Family's dramatic opening, filled with action, drama, and deep lore, the gradual slowing of pace can be difficult to watch at times.
Of course, many fans love a slowly building plot and slice-of-life storytelling, but that's not how Spy x Family began. Introducing so much potential — not only with Yor but among several characters and within a deeply detailed open world — only to leave all that on the side and bide time is difficult to keep interesting. This is where Yor's hidden secrets can add even just a gradual momentum to the plot.
Being such an important character to the series, Yor has been in need of more development in Spy x Family. Episode 26 brings fans more content with an initial focus on Yor that is turned into another fun yet filler-esque side plot. With so much potential as an assassin, mother, supportive friend, and dangerous fighter, there is much that can be revealed. Adding missing pieces would also boost Spy x Family's pacing and return it to the engaging, action-based story it began.