| SPOILER WARNING! This article may contain major plot details for the SPY x FAMILY manga. This article may contain unmarked spoilers. Read at your own risk. |
| “ | Elegance is at the root of tradition. Elegance is what will bring about a better world. | ” |
Henry Henderson (ヘンリー・ヘンダーソン, Henrī Hendāson?) is one of the recurring characters of the SPY x FAMILY series. He is a History teacher and the housemaster of Dormitory 3, Cecile Hall at Eden Academy.
Appearance[]
Henry has long, straight, white hair pulled into a tight ponytail ending just below his shoulders. His hairline is beginning to recede. He has a lengthy, straight, white beard cut in the Imperial style, with no hair on the chin but along the mustache and beard area without connecting to the head hair[7] styled into two long points reaching his collarbone.
Taking into consideration his age, he has noticeable creases and wrinkles on his face, accompanied by small, thin eyes with thin eyebrows right above them. He is seen wearing a monocle on his left eye and usually has a stern expression, although significantly elegant things make him lose composure.[8]
He is normally seen wearing a three-piece suit consisting of a dark jacket with long coattails and striped pants. He accessorizes with a pocket square, a tricolor striped tie, and a cane.
When Henry was younger, he had short hair, which he ended up growing to shoulder-length over the years. After his arrest, Henry cut his hair back short and began wearing his monocle after it was injured during his arrest.
Personality[]
Henry's overexcitation from an excess of elegance
Henry is a mature and noble person who places high importance on "elegance." To him, elegance seems to be the way a person conducts themselves and is not afraid to correct inelegant behavior in others.[9] This can be seen in his interview with the Forger family, as he remained calm and composed even after Loid smashed the table between them after Murdoch Swan goaded the family, after which Henry himself punched the man after he threatened to silence Henry with his influence.[10] In some cases, Henry will lose composure, usually when shocked or excited, like when he silently cursed to himself when Anya utterly failed to understand his words, or when he became elated by the Forgers' elegance and later frightened by how prepared they were during the first phase of the admissions.
Henry has an immense level of discipline, being able to exercise daily in the early morning and supervises the school's organization. When teaching and disciplining his students, Henry utilizes strict but sincere approach. He observes and assesses the "elegance" of the students, although he understands that the children occasionally need to frolic.[11]
Henry punches Murdoch, defending the Forgers and his own pride
In his youth, Henry was an introverted boy, but as noble and disciplined as he currently is. His father once told him to "Be ever a gentleman," words that Henry would follow to a fault. While acting gentlemanly, Henry was a strict follower of the school rules and was always formal with fellow students and teachers, which would earn the ire of some of his peers, who believed he had a stuck-up attitude. When it came to getting into conflicts, Henry was firm on having civil conversations and refused to fight back to not stoop to the levels of animalistic behavior. However, he was willing to resort to violence to protect those he cared about or to defend his beliefs. Later, Henry transferred this quality to his old age, when he could not restrain himself and punched Murdoch Swan for his rude and inappropriate behavior towards the Forgers.
Henry grew up during the tense time between Ostania and Westalis, with the former preparing for war. In his final year at Eden, Henry was attacked by some students who held a grudge against him for his attitude and was saved by his junior Martha Marriott, which caused a skirmish. While protecting Martha, Henry punched one of his attackers and was ashamed that he resorted to such means. As such, he attempted to convince his teacher to punish him and his attackers for their violence. His teacher brushed the incident aside to avoid causing trouble with one of the boy's family members, who held great importance, which made Henry come to the belief that the Eden teachers have been corrupted.
A young Henry pulls away from everyone
After some thought, Henry concluded that by properly educating the youth into becoming proper characters, he could help end conflicts, whether it be petty fights or even global war, and decided that he would become a teacher. Henry became so obsessed with this ambition to radically change the world that he inadvertently pushed away not only his peers but also those close to him, particularly Martha. Two and a half years after his graduation from Eden, Henry returned to the school as a History teacher. During his first year as a teacher, Henry stubbornly believed that he could change the world if he stuck to his principles and chose to stay out of the ongoing war, which eventually drove a wedge between him and Martha, who left to join the war effort after graduating.
"You sacrificed their lives for this ridiculous war!"
As the first war continued, Henry began realizing how much he cared for Martha as they kept in touch through letters. After believing that Martha had died on the frontlines, Henry grew embittered toward Ostania, especially the military, for her "death." An outburst denouncing the war during a military speech caused him to get arrested, after which his father arrived and told him to pull himself together at the risk of his teaching career. Envisioning a peaceful future with the students that Martha once told him about in her letters, Henry decided to work toward making such a future happen, realizing it mattered more than his pride.
Skills[]
Housemaster[]
Henry punishes Ewen and Emile for their unkempt manners
Organization: As Cecile Hall's housemaster, Henry supervises both the students and the caretakers of the house. He is in charge of ensuring the students are completing chores and going to classes, as well as directing the other staff, such as the gardeners and cleaners.
Discipline: One of Henry's tasks is to maintain authority over the students and may take disciplinary action in the case of misconduct.
Teaching: Henry is a highly-respected educator, primarily teaching History. He does not compromise his standards when it comes to teaching, speaking with students, or grading them. Henry also gives supplementary lessons for students who are struggling in class. On some occasions, he even fills in for absent teachers, such as the gym teacher[12] and art teacher.[13]
Miscellaneous[]
Athleticism: Henry is remarkably fit for his age, as evidenced by his daily regimen of taking a jog early in the morning and the impact force he generated when he punched Murdoch Swan following the Forgers' interview at Eden.[14] It is also noted that he is good at horse riding.[4]
Chapter Appearances[]
| Mission 3 | Absent |
| Mission 4 | Debut |
| Mission 5 | Appears |
| Mission 6 | Appears |
| Mission 7 | Pictured |
| Mission 8 | Appears |
| Mission 9 | Absent |
| Mission 10 | Absent |
| Mission 15 | Appears |
| Mission 16 | Appears |
| Mission 17 | Absent |
| Mission 24 | Absent |
| Mission 25 | Appears |
| Mission 26 | Appears |
| Mission 27 | Absent |
| Mission 28 | Absent |
| Mission 29 | Appears |
| Mission 30 | Absent |
| Mission 31 | Absent |
| Mission 32 | Absent |
| Mission 33 | Absent |
| Mission 34 | Absent |
| Mission 35 | Absent |
| Mission 36 | Absent |
| Mission 37 | Absent |
| Mission 38 | Absent |
| Mission 39 | Appears |
| Mission 40 | Absent |
| Mission 41 | Absent |
| Mission 42 | Appears |
| Mission 58 | Absent |
| Mission 59 | Absent |
| Mission 60 | Absent |
| Mission 61 | Appears |
| Mission 62 | Absent |
| Mission 63 | Absent |
| Mission 64 | Appears |
| Mission 65 | Mentioned |
| Mission 66 | Absent |
| Mission 67 | Absent |
| Mission 68 | Absent |
| Mission 69 | Absent |
| Mission 70 | Appears |
| Mission 71 | Absent |
| Mission 72 | Appears |
| Mission 73 | Appears |
| Mission 74 | Appears |
| Mission 75 | Appears |
| Mission 76 | Appears |
| Mission 77 | Flashback |
| Mission 78 | Absent |
| Mission 79 | Absent |
| Mission 80 | Absent |
| Mission 81 | Absent |
| Mission 82 | Absent |
| Mission 83 | Absent |
| Mission 84 | Absent |
| Mission 85 | Absent |
| Mission 86 | Absent |
| Mission 87 | Absent |
| Mission 88 | Appears |
| Mission 89 | Absent |
| Mission 90 | Absent |
| Mission 91 | Absent |
| Mission 92 | Appears |
| Mission 93 | Absent |
| Mission 94 | Absent |
| Mission 95 | Appears |
| Mission 96 | Appears |
| Mission 97 | Appears |
| Mission 98 | Appears |
| Mission 99 | Appears |
| Mission 100 | Mentioned |
| Mission 101 | Mentioned |
| Mission 102 | Appears |
| Short Mission 1 | Absent |
| Short Mission 2 | Absent |
| Short Mission 3 | Absent |
| Short Mission 4 | Appears |
| Short Mission 5 | Absent |
| Short Mission 6 | Absent |
| Short Mission 7 | Absent |
| Short Mission 8 | Absent |
| Short Mission 9 | Absent |
| Short Mission 10 | Absent |
| Short Mission 11 | Absent |
| Short Mission 12 | Absent |
| Short Mission 13 | Absent |
Anime Appearances[]
| 26. FOLLOW PAPA AND MAMA | Absent |
| 27. BOND'S STRATEGY TO STAY ALIVE / DAMIAN'S FIELD RESEARCH TRIP | Appears |
| 28. MISSION AND FAMILY / THE ELEGANT BONDMAN / THE HEART OF A CHILD / WAKING UP | Absent |
| 29. THE PASTRY OF KNOWLEDGE / THE INFORMANT'S GREAT ROMANCE PLAN Ⅱ | Appears |
| 30. PLAN TO CROSS THE BORDER | Absent |
| 31. THE FEARSOME LUXURY CRUISE SHIP | Absent |
| 32. WHO IS THIS MISSION FOR? | Absent |
| 33. THE SYMPHONY UPON THE SHIP / SIS'S HERB TEA | Absent |
| 34. THE HAND THAT CONNECTS TO THE FUTURE | Absent |
| 35. ENJOY THE RESORT TO THE FULLEST / BRAGGING ABOUT VACATION | Absent |
| 36. BERLINT IN LOVE / NIGHTFALL'S DAILY LIFE | Absent |
| 37. PART OF THE FAMILY | Absent |
Trivia[]
- In some chapters that feature a class taught by a teacher other than Henry, they end up calling in sick that day and Henry fills in for them. This first happens in Chapter 15 and Episode 10 when the gym teacher is sick, and later in Chapter 25 and Episode 17 when the art teacher is also sick.
- Henry has a daughter and son-in-law, whom he frequently writes letters to while at Eden.[5]
- Henry's beard length is 17 cm (6.7 in.) at the longest point.[4]
- His preferred snack during tea time is scones.[4]
- Henry's chair, featured on the fourteenth volume cover, is a Robie Chair designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Quotes[]
- (To himself): "Those who grovel at the feet of the powerful have no right to call themselves educators!"[15]
- (To Thomas Austin): "From the grand efforts with which our forefathers crafted society to the foolish ideas that sent them racing to war... to not study the human element at history's root is to not understand history at all."[5]
- (To himself, watching Damian Desmond and his friends): "There's nothing more elegant than the precious elegance of youthful friendship!"
- (To Anya Forger): "You must not regard Stella Stars and Imperial Scholarship so lightly, Miss Forger. They are the symbols of Eden Academy's reputation over five centuries. Behold, Miss Forger. These are the faces of students whose diligent studies led them to greatness. Politicians, artists, athletes, scholars, engineers, and more. Imperial Scholars, every last one of them. Through ceaseless, painstaking effort and unflagging self-control, by never letting failure quell their drive to succeed, honing themselves through rivalries and partnerships, they all managed to achieve the title of "Imperial Scholar." Nothing of import is ever accomplished in a day, Miss Forger."[16]
- (To himself): "Discord was being sown throughout the world. As arsenals swell... grudges deepen... and poverty grows. We've allowed education to fall by the wayside."[17]
- (To himself): "I was the most hard-headed of idealists back then. I still believed that the world would change as long as I heeded my principles. so I dug in to defend something that was worth nothing. Education is, at its heart, the act of influencing and inspiring others. But, like a clown in a farce ...I, the man who waxed poetic about the value of education, had failed to refute a single one of Martha's arguments. It wasn't education that was powerless. I was powerless."[18]
References[]
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 4, and Episode 4.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 61.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 97.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 SPY x FAMILY Official Fanbook: EYES ONLY (p. 110).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 SPY x FAMILY Manga: Short Mission 4 (p. 4).
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 98 (p. 12).
- ↑ Bespoke Unit Magazine - Imperial Beards
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 4 (pp. 11-23), and Episode 4.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 5 (pp. 19-20), and Episode 4.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 5 (p. 18), and Episode 4.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 39 (p. 7), and Episode 27.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 15 (p. 7), and Episode 10.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 25 (p. 6), and Episode 17.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 5 (p. 20), and Episode 4.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 5 (p. 19), and Episode 4.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 64 (pp. 8-10).
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 97 (p. 12).
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 98.