Spy x Family has spent the recent side story diving into the world of conflict, undercutting its otherwise charming and hilarious escapades. Still, Martha Marriott is shown burying her cycle of hatred. This development caps off the momentous chapter #100, over five years since the manga’s debut, with no signs of slowing down, but this moment is among the most heartwarming yet.

Westalis and Ostania are Spy x Family’s parallel to the real world’s West and East Germany as they were known in the Cold War era. However, the war between countries in the manga is long gone, told in flashbacks by its elegant, aging survivors, Henry and Martha.

​​​​​​​With Martha’s life threatened both on the war front and later as a fugitive away from home, Martha’s fear and hatred for Westalis soften as she sees the country for its people in Spy x Family. For Martha Marriott, letting go of her resentment for Westalis is a difficult internal journey, especially with so much personal loss tied to their actions in Spy x Family.

Martha Buries Her Hatred in Spy x Family Chapter #100

The Milestone Chapter Reminds Martha That Survivors Exist on Both Sides

Spy x Family chapter #100 continues showing Martha’s tragic backstory. Martha wakes up after barely escaping with her life after her women’s unit was forced to act as human shields for the withdrawing Sixth Brigade, as hinted in chapter #99. She quickly learns from her rescuer, Mrs. Anabel, that she’s in a village in Westalis full of war refugees. Mrs. Anabel sees in Martha a glimpse of her daughter, who was lost in the war, prompting a tense argument about which country is to blame in Spy x Family. Sad and hurt, Martha decides to leave.

Despite this argument, Mrs. Anabel’s kindness shines through in Spy x Family when Martha resolves to leave, realizing she belongs back home, only to discover Mrs. Anabel secretly packed her bag with money, food, a map, and other survival gear. Finally, Martha finds a map with the words “Go Home” on it, helping Martha to realize that Mrs. Anabel was still looking out for her and never lost sight of where Martha came from. This kindness and the sight of the starry night sky made Martha realize Westalis was not so different from Ostania.

Martha’s Westalis Experience Is a Parallel to the WISE Arc

A Young Agent Twilight Meets an Ally on the Other Side in a Similar Tale

For those who recall the WISE Arc, a similarly poignant tale of bloody war among Spy x Family’s best arcs, the inverse story is already told, with Loid, aka Roland, encountering a retreating Ostanian soldier who turns out to be Franky Franklin. Franky reveals to Loid the propaganda his people are fed to stoke their hatred towards Westalis. Loid interrogates Franky, not believing him because he is the Ostanian, the enemy. Still, his words resonate as the two parts resonate with Loid, giving him similarly nuanced views on Westalis and Ostania to Martha in Spy x Family chapter #62.3.

“They tell us to hate each other. So we fight. And then we die. It’s the most pointless thing in the world.”

-Franky Franklin

Loid retains this, eventually realizing his dream is not to win this war or future wars against Ostania but to create a future where no more wars would cause children like his former self to cry in Spy x Family. A WISE recruiter wishes to bring the young man into intelligence, whereas Loid surprises the recruiter with his benevolent ambitions as a spy. Much like Martha, and perhaps even more so, Loid continues to experience the people and culture of those he once considered simply an enemy, wishing instead for peace over hatred in Spy x Family.