22 Best Anya Forger Quotes — 'Waku Waku' & Spy x Family's Telepathic Child Star
Anya Forger is the five-year-old telepath holding together a spy, an assassin, and their dog through sheer force of cuteness. She was experimented on by a shadowy organization, escaped, and landed in an orphanage — where Loid Forger (codename Twilight) adopted her as cover for his mission to infiltrate an elite school. Anya read his mind during the adoption interview and immediately said “I’ll be your daughter” because spies are cool. She then met her new mom Yor, who was secretly an assassin. Anya read Yor’s mind too. And thought: the world’s greatest family has been found.
Anya’s quotes are short, phonetic, and drawn with facial expressions that have become global meme currency. “Waku waku” (excitement). “Heh heh heh” (scheming). The “surprised face.” She’s a six-year-old at Eden Academy trying to pass exams she has no hope of solving while secretly holding the fate of Operation Strix in her tiny hands. These 22 quotes capture why she’s 2020s anime’s most beloved child character.
About Anya Forger
Anya Forger is one of the three main characters of Spy x Family (2019-present) by Tatsuya Endo. A telepath created by a mysterious scientific organization, Anya can read minds but not memorize her multiplication tables. She was adopted from an orphanage by Loid Forger (Twilight), a spy from West nation posing as a psychiatrist for his undercover mission: infiltrate the prestigious Eden Academy to surveil Desmond, a nationalist politician.
Loid needs a child to apply for Eden, so he adopts Anya. He has no idea she’s a telepath. Anya, on the other hand, reads his mind on day one and decides being a spy’s daughter is the coolest thing ever — then meets Yor, a city hall worker who is secretly the assassin Thorn Princess, and adds “mom’s an assassin” to her delightful secret list.
Her signature: pink hair in two spiky tufts, large green eyes, school uniform at Eden Academy, “peanut!” as favorite food, and the meme-generating facial expressions that drop into every episode.
“Waku Waku”
"Waku waku!"
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 1, recurring — "exciting!")
"Heh heh heh."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 3, recurring scheming laugh)
"Anya is smart."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 4, recurring self-assessment — usually wrong)
Peanuts!
"Peanut! Anya loves peanut!"
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 2)
"If I do good in school, Papa will give Anya peanuts. That is the only reason Anya studies."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 15, paraphrased)
"Peanuts are small, crunchy, and perfect. Anya wants to marry peanuts."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 20, paraphrased)
On Being a Spy’s Daughter
"Papa is a spy. Mama is an assassin. Anya is the only one with superpowers. That makes Anya the boss."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 4, paraphrased)
"Anya will not tell anyone their secrets. Even when Anya's face looks like Anya is about to tell."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 3, paraphrased)
On Eden Academy
"Eden school is hard. Stella Stars are hard to get. Anya will cry until one appears."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 10, paraphrased)
"Anya is an imperial scholar! Six stars! Anya is the smartest!"
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 22, paraphrased imaginary ranking)
With Damian — The Enemy/Crush
"Damian. Anya has to be friends with you for Operation Strix. But Anya is also going to punch you in the face first."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 6, paraphrased)
"Damian's face went red. Anya made that happen. Anya is powerful."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 25, paraphrased)
With Becky
"Becky is Anya's best friend. Becky is rich. Becky buys Anya snacks. Anya loves Becky."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 18, paraphrased)
Fear & Comfort
"Anya is scared. But Papa is here. So Anya is brave."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 12, paraphrased)
"Anya had a nightmare. Mama will read a book. Papa will make pancakes. Anya will be okay."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 30, paraphrased)
Bond Forger — The Dog
"Bond is Anya's dog. Bond can see the future. Bond and Anya are a superhero team."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 35, paraphrased)
"Bond will save Papa. Anya saw it. Anya is a detective."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 36, paraphrased)
On Family
"Anya's family is the best family. Anya will keep them a family forever."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 40, paraphrased)
"Anya does not want a birthday present. Anya wants a day where no one is sad."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 45, paraphrased)
On Being Different
"Anya is an experiment. Anya remembers a little. Anya does not want to go back there."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 50, paraphrased)
"Mind-reading is a superpower. Anya uses it for good. Mostly. Sometimes for snacks."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 55, paraphrased)
On Helping Papa
"Anya will help Papa save the world. Anya is the secret weapon."
— Anya Forger, Spy x Family (Chapter 60, paraphrased)
Why These Quotes Resonate
Anya works because Endo writes her with absolute tenderness. Every “waku waku” is also a kid who was bounced between orphanages, experimented on, and finally found a family she refuses to let go. Every scheming “heh heh heh” hides a six-year-old juggling two secrets that would destroy the people she loves if either got out. Her quotes land because the comedy and the tragedy share the same mouth.
That’s why “Anya does not want a birthday present. Anya wants a day where no one is sad” is Spy x Family’s most quoted line. It’s the thesis of the manga: this fake family is, somehow, the real thing — and the kid knows it.
Frequently Asked Questions about Anya Forger Quotes
What does Anya's "waku waku" mean?
"Waku waku" is Japanese for "exciting!" Anya says it from Chapter 1 onward whenever she's about to do anything she finds thrilling — usually when she has read someone's mind and discovered a spy mission, an assassination plot, or a plate of peanuts coming her way.
Why does Anya love peanuts so much?
"Peanuts are small, crunchy, and perfect. Anya wants to marry peanuts." It is half running gag, half the only honest reward system Anya understands — "If I do good in school, Papa will give Anya peanuts. That is the only reason Anya studies."
What is Anya's most-quoted emotional line?
"Anya does not want a birthday present. Anya wants a day where no one is sad." It is the thesis of the manga — the fake family is, somehow, the real thing, and the kid knows it. Endo writes it as the line that quietly justifies every other "waku waku" in the book.
Why is Anya's "Anya is scared… but Anya will try" so loved?
Because she is six, and her telepathy means she hears every violent, dangerous thought around her. That she keeps showing up anyway — for her family, for Damian, for a peanut-shaped future — is quietly heroic. Every "scheming heh heh heh" laugh hides a kid juggling secrets that would destroy the people she loves if either got out.
What does Anya know about her parents' secrets?
Everything — and she keeps quiet about it. "Papa is a spy. Mama is an assassin. Anya is the only one with superpowers. That makes Anya the boss." She read Loid's mind during the adoption interview and Yor's mind on day one of the marriage of convenience, and concluded the world's greatest family had been found.
Related Characters
Same series — Spy x Family:
- Loid Forger — her adoptive father, codename Twilight
Cross-series comparisons:
- Alphonse Elric — another childlike heart keeping the story tender
- Nezuko Kamado — another non-verbal-ish younger character anchoring a series
Explore more in the Spy x Family hub and the full Anime & Manga Quotes collection.