Did I internally cringe referring to Loid Forger  (ロイド・フォージャー, Roido Fōjā) from Spy X Family as a daddy? Yes. But like, it’s true. There have been plenty of father figures in anime that have turned our attention, but no one has made the internet quite as thirsty as Loid did in his first appearance. What can I say? He’s the complete package! He’s got good looks, a genius-level intellect and he bakes. He. Bakes! A man after everyone’s heart, Loid Forger is undoubtedly one of the most popular characters in anime right now.

As one of the three protagonists of Spy X Family, Loid Forger is in the spotlight constantly. After all, he’s the patriarch of the Forger family, fake as it might be. He’s the father figure, overlooking everything that goes by. Though, that’s to be expected, considering he engineered this family from the get-go. After all, even a fake family needs some family dynamics. And it’s because of the goals that he encounters Anya, and later Yor Briar, to help aid him in his plans. Even if it is unknowingly.

But the thing is, that’s the best part about Spy X Family. All the fans this show has gained aren’t because of its wacky hijinks or even the socio-political commentary that’s happening way, way underneath all the comedy. No, at the crux of it, this is a story about found family. It’s about how people like Loid, who have lived their lives isolated in their work, ended up finding a home where they least expected it. And yeah, the cute antics just make it that much more worthwhile.

But who is Loid Forger? We know him as a part-time spy, part-time husband, and full-time thirst trap. But what is his story? Why is he doing the things he is and what motivated him on the path of becoming the greatest spy this side of Westalis? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out. And if you’re also curious about one of the best male characters in anime (that isn’t a high school student, thank God.), then welcome. This is Loid Forger from Spy X Family, unfiltered!

Making a world were kids don’t need to cry… that was the whole reason i became a spy in the first place

– Loid

Who Is Loid Forger?

So, here’s the scoop. On the surface, we all know who Loid Forger is. To the world, he is the responsible patriarch of the newly moved-in Forger family, a loving father to Anya, and a dutiful husband to Yor Forger, a clerk working at City Hall. He works as a psychiatrist at Berlint General Hospital and married Yor in order to both help increase her chances of attending the elite Eden Academy and allow her to have a nuclear family life.

But of course, this is all a front. In reality, Loid Forger is actually Agent Twilight  (〈黄昏たそがれ〉, <Tasogare>)., a spy employed under WISE (Westalian Intelligence) tasked with a mission known as Operation Strix. Operation Strix is a highly sensitive project, one that will decide the fate of the two warring nations of Westalis and Ostania, and the peace that they need to broker. So, he gathers up a family to get closer to Donovan Desmond of the National Unity Party and make sure the truce between the two countries actually goes through.

To do that, of course, you need to play the part of the elusive but striking person in the shadows. And Loid is perfect for it. With his blue eyes and blonde hair combo, his natural face makes for a handsome but harmless demeanor. Hell, he even comes off as congenial, just your average doctor in his late 20s. But athletic and lithe all the same.

Maybe you could overlook him on the streets, but he is more than memorable once you get to talking to him. Because if there is one thing you should know about Loid Forger, it’s that he is very committed to his job. He is devoted to bringing peace to those around him by ending this war.

Loid Forger And Spy X Family: Structure In War

So, how did Loid even end up here? To be fair, we don’t know a lot about how his childhood went. In fact, I’d say we know more about Yor, even if she also hides a double life where she moonlights as a deadly assassin known as the ‘Thorn Princess’. But Loid? Loid is much more complicated.

Even his current name is a fake one because Loid discarded his name to serve Westalis a long time ago. But from what we’ve learned during the flashbacks in the manga, Loid was raised in Luwen, an area somewhere near the Eastern part of the country. He wasn’t always on his own either, with a father who was a pacifist and a mother who wasn’t. His father was so sympathetic to the Ostanian cause, that he would abuse a young Loid who would ask for guns ‘to kill the Easterns’, something he learned from older kids while playing. And because of their opposing ideals, his parent fought intensely, leading to a young Loid being visibly upset at times.

But that didn’t mean Loid’s childhood was completely devoid of love. His mother was very adoring of him, singing him lullabies when he couldn’t sleep. So, when the conflict came to his neck of the woods, his mother ran with him to Kielberg, where they stayed hidden. But eventually, he lost her to an air raid as well and became a war orphan. Let’s just say it was a pretty dark time for a child that age.

But Loid was determined and smart, and hatred fuelled his heart. He joined the Westalis army under the alias ‘Roland Spoofy’ and rose in ranks quickly thanks to his skills as a tactician. After making it as Seargeant, he comes across a runway Ostanian soldier who made him realize that it wasn’t an Us VS Them situation at all.

It was here we saw Loid go through so much more, from rediscovering old friends that still ended up dying in a mission gone wrong, to his injuries on the frontline. Slowly but surely, Loid realized there were no winners in this war, only casualties on both ends. Ignorance of that fact was a sin. A sin that he won’t commit any longer. And so, he shed his identity and joined WISE.

Agent Twilight On A Mission Is Hard To Beat!

Okay, now that we know his backstory, let’s discuss what makes Loid Forger aka Agent Twilight the best spy in the world. I mean. The very first thing that you learn about the man is that he is painfully smart. Like, his intelligence? It is practically unrivaled. The man can think on the fly like no one else, with reflexes that are downright frightening.

But of course, to work in Intelligence and Espionage, you kind of need to be sharper than those around you. It’s basically a prerequisite. And so, he uses the intellect to both adapt and improvise in situations that might seem tricky. This means he’s also a Master Of Disguise, gaining new aliases and faces in the blink of an eye and dropping them just as quickly. With over a decade of experience as a spy, he’s become mastered almost every skill that exists. You could even call him a Jack-Of-All-Trades, someone with knowledge about almost everything.

But Loid Forger isn’t just all brains. No, that would be selling him short. Loid also happens to be extremely adept at Hand-To-Hand combat, with both the physical strength and mental fortitude to overpower the best fighters around. Hell, he was even able to hold his own against Yor in a one-on-one battle. And Yor’s strength is legendary, so that has to count for something!

With the perfect blend of hyperawareness and reaction speed, there is almost nothing that goes unnoticed by Loid Forger. When it comes to analyzing his surroundings and making the best plans accordingly, the man can’t be beaten. His senses are his most trustworthy tool, and simultaneously his most deadly ones too. And, well, it doesn’t hurt that his years in the Military shaped him into an excellent marksman, with a fluency in any arms he comes across.

So yeah, Loid Forger isn’t someone to take lightly. At all. But you already knew that!

Why Mature Anime Characters Like Loid Forger Just Hit Different

Loid Forger is cool, calm, and collected. He’s a caring doctor by day, and a mysterious assassin by night. And he’s got everyone hooked. But why is that? Why has Loid come on top when compared to other male characters in leading anime?

Honestly, I want to discuss this because it’s a phenomenon I’ve been seeing that isn’t just isolated to Loid Forger and Spy X Family alone. In recent years, we have seen an uptake in characters that are older than the normal age of ‘high school students’ that had been the norm for so long. We experienced it with Gojo Satoru and Kentou Nanami from Jujutsu Kaisen and we are seeing it in real-time with Loid Forger from Spy X Family.

The reason for this is two-fold, I think. For one thing, the audience has grown. Anime was seen as a kids-only avenue until the late 2000s properly hit, and then we saw the medium grow with its millennial crowd. Yes, there are still a lot of newer teenaged fans being introduced to anime, and it does still cater that specific demographic. But adult fans also make up a huge portion of the audience. So, naturally, we have started gravitating towards characters that we can relate to without it feeling awkward. Like, yeah, I might not understand the full-fledged teenage angst in some Isekai anime, but Lord knows that I 100% understand the adult feelings of fatigue that Nanami goes through while working a job.

The second reason is a little more abstract. In my opinion, adult characters were mostly tropes growing up. You had the quirky mentor figure, or the nagging motherly type. There wasn’t a lot of emphasis in fleshing those characters out. But now, there is. Loid isn’t just the cool protagonist. Nor is he a side character to Anya’s antics. Same thing with Yor. These adult characters now feel fresh, while still having an air of maturity to them. And it’s enjoyable to see them go through their own journeys, like with Gojo and his mission to revolutionize the world of Sorcery.

Mature characters are just being done better and anime is finally understanding that you can be a 20-something and still have a ton of adventure lying ahead of you. And frankly, this change of pace is extremely welcome! And Loid Forger, alongside the rest of the cast of Spy X Family, is doing it well.