Spy x Family: Will Anya become an Imperial Scholar at Eden Academy?

Things are getting exciting in Spy x Family, with most of the main characters now in place to carry the plot swiftly forward.

In episode 5, Phase 2 of Operation Strix commenced after Anya finally gained admission into Eden Academy.

With episode 6, we see the inside workings of the prestigious school, and what Anya and Twilight will need to do if they want to fulfill the mission.

To get closer to his target, Donovon Desmond, Twilight has to get Anya to either a) become friends with Donovon’s younger son, Damian, or b) become a part of the Imperial Scholars, of which the elder son, Demetrius, is a member.

Damian and Anya get off to a rocky start in the latest episode: Damian bullies Anya, and Anya, becoming increasingly aggravated, punches him square in the face.

The only other option is for Anya to get into the Imperial Scholars, which is seemingly also an impossible task. But the Forgers have come so far; they’re bound to succeed one way or the other.

Anya will become an Imperial Scholar in Spy x Family by using a combination of her telepathy, hard work, and kind heart. She will gain the Stella Stars necessary and become the youngest Scholar in history.

1. Who are the Imperial Scholars?

The Imperial Scholars are a group of the most elite students of Eden Academy, the cream of the crop, selected for their academic flare and their influence on society.

These Scholars are hand-picked by the school authorities and stand a level above the other students. They are either exceptionally intelligent, or have a proven ability to bring about social change.

The Imperial Scholarship is akin to a university honors program, where the best of the best, the most talented high achievers, are given the opportunity to delve deeper into scholarly or social work.

2. Is Anya an Imperial Scholar in the manga?

As of chapter 62.3 of the manga, Anya has not yet become an Imperial Scholar.

But following the rhythm of the narrative arc, and the fact that she is emotionally intelligent, socially mindful, and, above all, a mind reader, it is likely that Anya will become an Imperial Scholar soon.

Anya is already the first in her grade to have received a Stella Star, which is a medal earned by students that helps them become an Imperial Scholar.  

It’s extremely probable that Anya becomes the youngest student in the history of the Academy to become an Imperial Scholar.

In this way she will impress Loid, make Yor proud, and also advance Operation Strix.

Additionally, the fact that Anya isn’t the child of a big dignitary or oligarch, and still manages to secure her place amongst the best of the elites, will bring in a new dimension to the social commentary of the series, and also make her character stand out.  

3. How does one become a Member of the Imperial Scholars?

The only way to gain membership as an Imperial Scholar is by earning a minimum of 8 Stella Stars. However, there is more than one way of earning Stella Stars.

The most straightforward method to get a Star is to achieve good grades and score well in academic modes of examination.

The second is through more unconventional means, like acts of social welfare,services to the community, and humanitarianism. Long-term volunteer activities, assisting the government or law enforcement, and saving lives, also earns students Stella Stars.

Another way, although unofficial and more or less mythical, is by eating the Pastry of Knowledge. This Pastry is a special desert baked by an enigmatic pâtissier who creates it as different deserts every time.

Legend has it that if one consumes this pastry, one becomes instantly smarter, making it easier to gain membership as a Scholar.

4. How can Anya become an Imperial Scholar?

I. Academics

It’s not a secret that Anya is a poor student. She was experimented in a laboratory and raised in multiple orphanages without a day of formal education. Additionally, she lied about her age, and is only 5 years old, instead of 6.

The only way she has come so far is through her telepathic abilities and her desperate need to please her fake dad, Loid Forger.

That is why it’s unlikely that Anya gets Stella Stars through academic merit.

II. Service to Society

Her competitor, Damian Desmond, manages to acquire 1 Stella Star by doing well in a history test. On the other hand, Anya gets her first Star for rescuing a boy called Ken from drowning in the pool in chapter 16.

It seems more possible that Anya is awarded Stella Stars for heroic feats like this.

But I don’t think she’ll get all 8 Stars in this way.

III. Exposition

Gaining a Stella Star will be tied in with either deepening Anya’s own character, or propelling the plot forward in some way.

Anya could get one of her Stars after more of her backstory is revealed; for example, Tatsuya Endo could show how and why Anya is mysteriously proficient at classical languages.

After having improved her spellings, Anya could get a high score on a classical language exam, and acquire a Star.

I also think the Pastry might come into play, with Anya finding some tasty-looking treat and eating it thinking it is the Pastry of Knowledge. Believing that she has suddenly become smart, she will gain the self-confidence necessary to actually do well on a test and get a Star.

IV. Mind Reading

The most obvious way for Anya to become an Imperial Scholar is by honing her esper skills.

Currently, she mind-reads as unconsciously as breathing; if she learns how to strategically use these abilities, she can easily learn what the teachers are looking for and get a Star.

Alternatively, she could use her telepathy and take advantage of having an assassin mom and a spy dad, to foil a kidnapping of one of the Eden students.

The students of Eden come from ridiculously wealthy backgrounds, and are often targets for criminals wanting ransom money.

There has already been a kidnapping attempt on Anya that was foiled by Yor. It’s not impossible that Anya, Yor, and Loid come together to save students from some grave danger.

Anya, through her telepathy, could play a bigger role than her parents. She would then impress the instructors, earn the gratitude of the rich families and help the mission, gain new friends, and of course, secure a Stella Star.

V. Missions

Episode 6 also introduced Sylvia Sherwood, Twilight’s Handler and a high-position executive at WISE. WISE is a Westalian intelligence organization devoted to peace-keeping between Westalia and Ostania.

Since Sylvia wants Operation Strix to succeed, she could, through her contacts, arrange for a government body in Ostania to appoint Anya to help in a low-danger task. This would mean that Anya helps the law enforcement, fulfilling one of the requirements of getting a Star.

5. Conclusion

There is no way that our girl Anya doesn’t become an Imperial Scholar. She has to prove it to us, to Loid, and to herself that she is more than capable of doing it.

How she does it, though, is something we will have to wait and watch.

6. About Spy × Family

Spy × Family is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump.

The story follows a spy who has to “build a family” to execute a mission, not realizing that the girl he adopts as a daughter and the woman he agrees to be in a fake marriage with are a mind reader and an assassin respectively.

Season 2 and a theatrical film are releasing in 2023.