Who is Keith Kepler in ‘Spy x Family?’

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Spy x Family part two and the manga chapters 18 to 23.

After a three-month hiatus, Spy x Family is back with the second part of season one, and fans are finally able to reunite with the Forger family for some new spy hijinks. Part two’s premiere episode, titled “Project Apple,” was released on Oct. 1 and is currently the 13th episode in the series. This premiere laid down a solid groundwork for the next episodes to expand on, and already introduced viewers to some fresh faces we’ll be seeing more of.

Picking up where we left off from episode 12, with Operation Strix at stake, the Forgers start the journey of finding a new furry companion for Anya. However, nothing ever goes according to plan, and characters with ill intentions pose a threat not only to the family, but to the country. One such character is Keith Kepler, a new antagonist who is shaping up to become one of the series’ most ruthless masterminds. And if you’d like to know more about the anime’s most recent antagonist, keep reading.

Warning: Spoilers to follow.

Who is Keith Kepler?

In episode 13, Keith Kepler was introduced as a particularly cruel character and the leader of a terrorist group, made up of mostly young adults and teenagers. The group’s intention is to restore glory to the country of Ostania and in order to do so, they plan on assassinating Westalis’ Foreign Minister, igniting the spark for a full-on war between Westalis and Ostania. To assist the group in this endeavor, Kepler relies on a few captured dogs, which he intends to use as suicide bombers. One of these dogs is Bond, a highly intelligent animal that can see the future and tries to protect Anya when she’s discovered by Kepler’s group, but to little avail.

As if using animals like disposable props to achieve his goals wasn’t bad enough, when Anya overhears his plan, Keith shows once again how willing he is to do the most despicable things, as he orders his underlings to capture and dispose of the child. Thankfully, Anya is saved by Yor at the last minute, but Kepler doesn’t give up on his plan so easily.

Learning that he’s being investigated by Westalis’ spies (Loid Forger being one of them), the antagonist comes up with a counter-attack to dispose of the agents and follow through with kickstarting the war. Kepler then plants a bomb on a tower, intending to capture the spies under its debris. Thanks to the Forger family and their new doggy companion, though, Kepler’s plan doesn’t come to pass, and he is imprisoned instead.

Spy x Family promises some thrill-filled new episodes headed our way, and Keith Kepler proves to be an antagonist up to par. If you don’t wanna miss out on the Forgers’ new adventures, you can stream the anime as it airs on Crunchyroll.