Title: Spy x Family Vol. 16
Author: Tatsuya Endo
Publisher: Viz Media
Language: English
Format: Physical
Pages: 213
Genre: Action, Comedy, Shonen
Publication Date: September 1, 2026
The Story
We have several stories occurring in this newest edition of Spy x Family! First, Melinda Desmond pays Loid a visit at his faux job where she reveals an out-of-this-world secret about Donovan! It’s almost hard to believe, but Loid sees this as an opportunity to gather as much intelligence as he can on his main target!
Next, school is beginning for another term, and it’s time for Anya to wake up, but she doesn’t want to. After literally dragging her out of bed, she’s off to Eden, where she learns that everyone is split up into different classes based on their previous performances. The only class that Anya excelled in was Classic Language, and because of that, we meet two new characters: Tertius and Freddy. Freddy flicked a booger into the air, and it landed under Tertius’ eye. Everyone thinks it’s a mole, and since he is the prince of a small nation, they believe it is a beauty mark! Freddy feels that if enough forensic information is gathered on his booger, he’ll be traced back to the root cause of the “mole incident.” Anya steps in and ends up befriending both of them, much to our Sy-on boy’s surprise… so much so that he begins to have nightmares about Anya that eat him alive!
Next, we get a fun little chapter between Yor and Yuri, with Yuri spending some time with her, masquerading his outing as a date to his co-workers. Too bad that they see right through his ruse from the beginning. Speaking of Yor, she takes the spotlight for the finale of the volume as her organization, Garden, is approached with some tasks from the Prime Minister. The one that they accept is getting rid of some elk poachers. As strange a request as it is, they accept; however, it’s not just as simple as hunting down trappers!
Characters
First off, we have Tertius. Even though he is the prince of a small nation, he acts with bravado in an outward manner, but on the inside, he knows that he doesn’t truly mean anything, and he hopes no one will find out that he’s actually timid and meek. After Freddy tries to get his booger back, Tertius realizes that he was in the wrong about Freddy trying to assault him, and they end up becoming friends, although it’s all thanks to Anya butting in and trying to create “world peace.”
Freddy, on the other hand, seems quite normal… except for how he thinks he could be linked to his booger through genetic testing and forensic evidence. Instead of just trying to prove to Tertius that he has some “gunk” on his face, he became truly determined to “touch” him, which began the entire quarrel, to begin with. For being in a top-placing language course, he sure has trouble communicating his intentions properly!
Damien has an epiphany about Anya in the form of a nightmare, and it’s something that he has to work through. When he turns to his cohorts for advice, he frames it in a way as if a friend of his is having an issue, and the only thing those dunces take away from the conversation is that Damian has another friend, and they’re not his top priority anymore. Gotta love bumbling henchmen characters!
I don’t know what to say about Yuri outside of the fact that his sister complex was on full display, but after all of the dust settled, he still feels quite insecure about telling her everyone about himself, although he may be warming himself up to the idea when the timing is right.
Final Thoughts
This felt a bit like a filler volume before we head into the next major arc, and with the way this volume ended, the next arc may not truly be a mission, or some grand scheme that Twilight needs to foil. It may come with a massive revelation involving one of our main characters. While it’s a bit too early to tell, and there are still many options on the table for the situation to divert, after sixteen volumes, one of the things we wondered about the series could finally come to pass. Whether or not it will remains to be seen, but I guess we will see what happens in Vol. 17.
Outside of that, I’m still enjoying the deepening relationship between Anya and Damien. The fact that Damien is beginning to realize his feelings for Anya are genuine is hilarious. He truly doesn’t know what to do with himself, and he’s having a hard time admitting that what he is feeling is something that he never thought possible with someone like her. I don’t want anything to happen just yet, though. I want to see Damien continue to crack and crack some more until he has no choice but to declare his love for her. There was even a little scene in here with Becky hinting at what may come for them in the distant future!
Still, an overall great volume. Seeing Yor on a mission was great, too, as it had been quite some time since we’ve seen that. Now, we’ll get to see what happens with a potential decision that could change the dynamic of the main core of the series in Volume 17!
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This item was provided for review by VIZ Media.
