We all know Anya Forger for her funny faces, iconic horns, and pink hair in SPY x FAMILY. However, this design wasn’t created from scratch for the popular spy comedy. Years before the psychic child conquered the world, her creator Tatsuya Endo had already drawn the same face, hairstyle, and accessories for a dark fantasy story far from family life.

Anya’s true origin dates back to 2014, when Endo published the short manga titled Rengoku no Ashe. The protagonist, Ashe Talton, was a young nurse accused of witchcraft who had light pink hair, green eyes, and a pair of conical head accessories. The author admitted that when creating Anya, he recycled and simplified Ashe’s appearance because both shared unusual special abilities. While Ashe used magic and illusions, Anya reads minds, so those iconic head accessories transformed from simulating a witch’s pointed hat to representing antennas that capture others’ thoughts.

This reuse of ideas didn’t stop at the protagonist’s design. Anya’s name itself came from combining the names of Ashe and Misha, another child from a later work by the author. Additionally, the distinctive pointed earrings worn by the witch were inherited by Yor Forger. Even the manga’s editor, Shihei Lin, mentioned that reading that old story feels like seeing an older, more serious version of Anya, though he clarified that both belong to completely separate universes and are not the same character.

Before becoming the cute, small child everyone adores, the character went through several drastic transformations during the sketch phase. Early ideas for the work showed a taller girl with a perpetually frowning face and a tired look with dark circles. It was during the storyboarding process that the creator decided to make her smaller and with expressive features, giving life to the worldwide phenomenon we know today.

SPY x FAMILY is a manga written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo that began its publication in March 2019 through Shonen Jump Plus, a digital platform by Shueisha. The story follows the adventures of Twilight, an elite spy who must build a fake family to complete a critical mission for international peace. Unknowingly, he adopts a mind-reading girl and marries a deadly assassin, leading to a chaotic comedy where each member hides their true identity while trying to maintain appearances.

Can you imagine Anya in a dark witch story, or do you prefer the adorable telepathic child from the comedy?