| “ | Stop waiting for easy answers to fall into your lap, rookie. Use that head of yours to find them for yourself. | ” |
— Sylvia to a WISE Rookie[1]
| ||
Sylvia Sherwood (シルヴィア・シャーウッド, Shiruvuia Shāuddo?), also known as Handler (
Appearance
Sylvia is a tall woman with a slim figure and narrow blue eyes. She has wavy strawberry-blonde hair reaching the middle of her back. She is also sometimes seen having pink nail polish.
Though she disguises herself in public, she typically sports a pair of round framed glasses and a black wide-brimmed hat with a dark pink band that has a bow on the side. In her role as "Handler," she most frequently wears a fitted black dress with a low-cut square neckline over a white collared shirt and a large black ribbon tied under the collar like a loose bow, as well as square-shaped drop earrings taking the shape of WISE's symbol. The back of her dress is long, reaching below her knees, while the front reaches mid-thigh. She also wears fishnets over black stockings with black high heels.
Sylvia briefly wore garish rings that were gifted to her by Loid and Fiona[3][4] as souvenir after the two won the Campbelldon tennis tournament for an infiltration mission[5].
Sylvia's age is unknown, but is advanced enough to the point that it has become a concern for her in physical combat and even Anya has commented on how old she looks.[6]
As Secretary Sherwood, she ties her hair in a ponytail and dons rectangular-shaped glasses. She wears a dark coat over a black suit and skirt.
Personality
Little has been revealed about Sylvia's personality. She is similar to Twilight in her commitment, skill, and logical approach to her endeavors. She is extremely dedicated to her given task; preserving peace between Westalis and Ostania by inserting Twilight into Donovan Desmond's inner circle. Like Twilight, she is willing to assist Anya's acquisition of Stella Stars by any means (including deception and espionage). Despite this, some of her plans for ensuring Operation Strix's success—such as bribing Anya or creating scenarios where Anya can be framed positively—have been dubious at best, and her suggestions for Operation Strix have posed unnecessary danger for the spies she manages. Dubbed the "Fullmetal Lady" by her agents, Sylvia has a fearsome reputation, as even her best agent, Twilight, would not even address the price tag she unknowingly left on her disguise out of fear and imagined that she would hold him at gunpoint to continue working if he asked for time off.
Sylvia calming down Anya at the end of the Doggy Crisis
Sylvia is deeply compassionate and has a gentle and motherly side. Having been a mother herself, Sylvia said that she once had a daughter around Anya's age, who is implied to have been lost during the second East-West war. She demonstrates these strengths in allowing Anya to keep Bond after Minister Brantz's assassination attempt and placating the child's concerns about the welfare of the other bomb dogs. She also appears to have a soft spot for animals, as she took in one of the dogs as her own pet, naming him Aaron, who she bonds with and takes good care of.
As shown in her speech to the student terrorists, Sylvia has a deep-seated hatred of war. Her fervent disgust for—and knowledge of—the atrocities and horrors of war seem to indicate that she suffered a great deal in the last conflict.
Sylvia training Twilight's spy mindset
While training rookie agents, Sylvia expresses a strong distaste for ignorance and instructs them to act based on objective reasoning. As such, she orders them to keep an open mind and to search for truths themselves, stressing the value of information. Though she can be hard on her agents, Sylvia does care for them and their health—though Sylvia herself has admitted that she cherishes her most valuable workers and had to get told off by upper management about overworking them to ease up. She has allowed Loid to take time off to go on a vacation with his family and after he collapsed in his own home, and told Fiona to not push herself too hard and get herself killed.
Despite maintaining an immaculate appearance in public, Sylvia's home is a complete mess, though her home was previously well-kept and tidy in the past. This deterioration is reflective of the trauma she endured from the loss of her partner and daughter during the second East-West war, and Sylvia believes that once someone is alone enough, the simple things like keeping a tidy home do not seem to matter anymore. It is also established that her age is a sensitive topic for Sylvia since she once took minor offense to Anya, who said "even at your age" to her.
Fiona discovers Sylvia's playful side
Sylvia has surprisingly a childish side that she rarely shows to others. When changing her disguise to avoid the two SSS agents tailing her, she actually admires the new coat she wore.[7] While at a park with her dog, she immediately engages in a bet with Loid to see who has the best dog, wanting to prove her leadership skills are superior. In another instance, after Fiona was hospitalized, she disguised herself as a nurse and paid a visit to her subordinate, mostly because she wanted to wear the nurse's uniform, with Fiona accusing her of playing around. She also teases Fiona about not pushing herself too much, even for Twilight, implying her awareness of Fiona's feelings for her co-worker.
Abilities and Skills
Intellect: As a spy handler, Sylvia has memorized and remembered the many agents and missions that she is in charge of.[8] She is also able to spot minute details, such as when she spotted Pance Karmer out of place in a crowd while disguised as a security officer, noting minor details like him missing a baton or appearing on the wrong patrol route.[1]
Disguise: Sylvia competently alters her appearance, as she often assumes various façades to shake off SSS pursuers in order to contact agents like Twilight outside the embassy and has disguised herself as a nurse to fill in for Twilight and Nightfall's jobs at Berlint General Hospital. However, she does appear to make occasional mistakes, as she once forgot to remove the price tag from the coat of he disguise.
Sylvia overseeing Loid's work in Operation Strix
Spy Handler: As a handler, Sylvia is the Westalian Intelligence agency's primary liaison with agents in Ostania and is responsible for managing them and their missions. Her primary duties include watching for signs of restlessness in Ostania and deploying her agents to prevent any potential incidents. Despite the strict surveillance from the nation's secret police, Sylvia manages to evade notice while competently handling her agents, earning her the nickname "Fullmetal Lady."
Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Sylvia is skilled in unarmed combat and readily makes use of makeshift weapons as shown with her quick immobilization of Pance Karmer with a belt in thwarting his assassination attempt against Jonas Wellman.[1]
Weapons: During the terrorist bombing incident, Sylvia is seen loading a gun. However, her skills and capabilities with it remain to be unseen.
Weaknesses
Age: Although her precise age is unknown, she is visibly disadvantaged by it with bouts of weakness and back and shoulder pain after combat, which secretly concerns her.
Chapter Appearances
| Mission 7 | Debut |
| Mission 8 | Flashback |
| Mission 9 | Absent |
| Mission 10 | Absent |
| Mission 11 | Appears |
| Mission 12 | Absent |
| Mission 13 | Absent |
| Mission 14 | Absent |
| Mission 15 | Absent |
| Mission 16 | Flashback |
| Mission 17 | Appears |
| Mission 18 | Appears |
| Mission 19 | Appears |
| Mission 20 | Appears |
| Mission 21 | Appears |
| Mission 22 | Appears |
| Mission 23 | Absent |
| Mission 24 | Absent |
| Mission 25 | Absent |
| Mission 26 | Absent |
| Mission 27 | Absent |
| Mission 28 | Mentioned |
| Mission 29 | Appears |
| Mission 30 | Appears |
| Mission 31 | Absent |
| Mission 32 | Absent |
| Mission 33 | Mentioned |
| Mission 34 | Appears |
| Mission 35 | Absent |
| Mission 36 | Absent |
| Mission 37 | Absent |
| Mission 38 | Appears |
| Mission 39 | Absent |
| Mission 40 | Flashback |
| Mission 41 | Absent |
| Mission 42 | Absent |
| Mission 43 | Absent |
| Mission 44 | Appears |
| Mission 45 | Flashback |
| Mission 46 | Absent |
| Mission 47 | Absent |
| Mission 48 | Flashback |
| Mission 49 | Absent |
| Mission 50 | Absent |
| Mission 51 | Absent |
| Mission 52 | Absent |
| Mission 53 | Absent |
| Mission 54 | Absent |
| Mission 55 | Absent |
| Mission 56 | Appears |
| Mission 57 | Absent |
| Mission 58 | Absent |
| Mission 59 | Absent |
| Mission 60 | Appears |
| Mission 61 | Absent |
| Mission 62 | Flashback |
| Mission 63 | Appears |
| Mission 64 | Flashback |
| Mission 65 | Absent |
| Mission 66 | Absent |
| Mission 67 | Absent |
| Mission 68 | Absent |
| Mission 69 | Absent |
| Mission 70 | Appears |
| Mission 71 | Absent |
| Mission 72 | Appears |
| Mission 73 | Absent |
| Mission 74 | Absent |
| Mission 75 | Absent |
| Mission 76 | Absent |
| Mission 77 | Absent |
| Mission 78 | Appears |
| Mission 79 | Absent |
| Mission 80 | Absent |
| Mission 81 | Mentioned |
| Mission 82 | Absent |
| Mission 83 | Absent |
| Mission 84 | Mentioned |
| Mission 85 | Absent |
| Mission 86 | Absent |
| Mission 87 | Appears |
| Mission 88 | Absent |
| Mission 89 | Absent |
| Mission 103 | Flashback |
| Mission 104 | Absent |
| Short Mission 1 | Absent |
| Short Mission 2 | Absent |
| Short Mission 3 | Absent |
| Short Mission 4 | Absent |
| Short Mission 5 | Appears |
| 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 | Mentioned |
| Short Mission 13 | Absent |
Anime Appearances
| 26. FOLLOW PAPA AND MAMA | Absent |
| 27. BOND'S STRATEGY TO STAY ALIVE / DAMIAN'S FIELD RESEARCH TRIP | Flashback |
| 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 | Absent |
| 30. PLAN TO CROSS THE BORDER | Appears |
| 31. THE FEARSOME LUXURY CRUISE SHIP | Flashback |
| 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 | Appears |
| 36. BERLINT IN LOVE / NIGHTFALL'S DAILY LIFE | Appears |
| 37. PART OF THE FAMILY | Absent |
Etymology
- The name Sylvia means "wood/woods, forest/from the forest/of the forest" in Latin.
- Sylvia's surname Sherwood is a habitational name from any of several places called with Old English scīr + wudu 'bright or clear (perhaps sparsely-grown) wood.'
Trivia
Early design concepts for Sylvia
- Sylvia was originally intended to be Loid's teacher (which is shown later on in chapters 62 and 63), and her code name was "Nighthawk" (夜鷹, Yotaka?).[9] One of her potential names was "Sandalwood" (白檀, Byakudan?), though Tatsuya Endo does not remember why he chose that name.[10]
- In the rough sketches, Sylvia's design had dark and unkempt hair, and appeared to be a smoker. Other designs were a bit closer to Sylvia's current one and described her as: "A motherly manager who can see right through anyone, composed, can be both kind and strict, uses pointed language and retorts with wit and biting humor, and the one person the protagonist [Loid] could never defy."[9]
- There were also designs for a male handler, with one of them resembling Matthew McMahon.[10]
- Endo describes Sylvia as "the cool big sister type."[11]
- Endo based Sylvia's design on fashion shows that he watched, like Paris Fashion Week, but mentions that drawing her glasses, hat, and curly hair are a pain.[11]
- The German Shepherd that attacked Loid was taken in by WISE[12] and is currently under Sylvia's care.[13]
- Sylvia has a messy room at home. After work, her appearance becomes slovenly.[2]
- After Loid and Fiona's joint tennis mission, Sylvia liked the rings they gave her and wore them for several days after.[2]
- Sylvia is aware of her nickname "Fullmetal Lady," which she appreciates as long as it makes her sound dignified and in charge.[2]
- Sylvia has poor eyesight, hence why she wears glasses.[2]
- Sylvia's chair, featured on the twelfth volume cover, is a Diamond Chair designed by Harry Bertoia.
- Before this, Sylvia was shown to be sitting on the same chair in Episode 17 of the anime, though it appeared with a cushion.
- The anime reveals Sylvia's name at her introduction. This is in contrast with the manga, which only referred to her as "Handler" until Chapter 21, and her full name was later revealed in Short Mission 5.
Quotes
- (To Student Terrorists): "Have any of you ever killed anyone before? Have you ever been killed before? Have you ever had a limb torn off by an artillery shell? Have you ever heard the sound of bones shattering? Have you ever smelled the reek of rotting flesh? Have you ever found the crushed bodies of your parents and siblings in a pile of rubble that used to be your home? Have you ever discovered a blown-off piece of your lover stuck to a wall? Have you ever been so hungry you tried to eat tree bark? Have you ever stewed human flesh in a pot? Have you ever convinced yourself your enemy was subhuman so you could slaughter them like animals? Have you ever been so haunted by shame and regret afterward that you cried until you puked? Have you ever had friends who did the same, and took their own lives? Did you learn nothing about war at your university?"[14]
- (To Loid Forger): "Peace won the day. That's all that really matters."[15]
- (To Loid, before his cruise trip): "We'll consider it a part of Anya's care and education for Operation Strix. Agent Twilight, I expect you to execute your mission of rest and recreation as thoroughly as you would any other."[16]
- (About Loid): "Heh. Sometimes I can't tell if that man is highly capable or highly incompetent."[17]
- (To Loid, while training him): "Don't view everything in terms of black or white. Don't try to make everything fit into your preconceived notions. And don't rationalize! Are those brains of yours purely for show? Well?"[18]
- (To Aaron, about herself): "I used to keep a much neater house, but... when you've been alone for long enough... stuff like that just doesn't seem to matter anymore."[19]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 63.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 SPY x FAMILY Official Fanbook: EYES ONLY (p. 70).
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 34 (p. 21), and Episode 23.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Anime: Episode 25.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 33 (p. 27), and Episode 23.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 78 (p. 22).
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Short Mission 5 (p. 3), and Episode 17.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 78.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 SPY x FAMILY Official Fanbook: EYES ONLY (p. 207).
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 SPY x FAMILY Manga: Volume 12, Franky's Secret Files
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 SPY x FAMILY Official Fanbook: EYES ONLY (p. 201).
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 22, and Episode 15.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Official Fanbook: EYES ONLY (p. 48).
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 20 (pp. 16-17), and Episode 14.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 22 (p. 20), and Episode 15.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 44 (p. 21), and Episode 30.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga and Anime: Chapter 56 (p. 20), and Episode 35.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 63 (p. 10).
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 78 (pp. 7-8).