Summary
- Damian Desmond's arrogant and self-centered behavior is a result of the pressure he feels to meet his family's high expectations and gain his father's approval.
- Damian's relationship with his father is strained, as he constantly seeks his love and approval by striving for perfection, making him hide his vulnerabilities and emotions.
- Despite their initial conflict, Damian develops a crush on Anya and their sweet and comical dynamic becomes crucial to the success of Loid Forger's mission in gaining intelligence on Ostania's Nationalist Party.
Spy x Family closely follows Anya Forger at Eden Academy as she attempts to befriend fellow first-year student Damian Desmond. Son to the important and powerful Donovan Desmond, this bright child strives to maintain the family’s standard of excellence and gain his father’s approval.
Though he first appears as arrogant due to the privilege he grew up surrounded by in the Desmond household, the brown-haired and hazel-eyed boy is quite sweet when shown as his more vulnerable. Nonetheless, he is often seen wearing a condescending expression, likely to project power and confidence.
Damian’s Struggles, The Pressure Of Being Desmond
Spy x Family Damian Desmond’s behavior is extremely arrogant and self-centered, as seen on several occasions in his attitude towards both Anya and his fellow classmates. He is quick to anger and takes badly to even the smallest perceived sleight, causing him to lash out in impulsive behavior and childish insults. Though these are all undoubtedly negative character traits, it is important to view them in the context of his age, and in fact, most of these attributes find their explanation in his upbringing and family dynamics.
His family expects him to follow in the path of his extremely successful brother and, due to his father’s social standing, he feels extreme pressure to become an Imperial Scholar. This pressure causes Damian a lot of stress and his cocky and self-absorbed behavior is likely a front to hide the insecurities and doubts that come from trying to match unrealistic standards.
Damian’s Relationship With His Father
Damian Desmond’s actions are born of his desperation to earn Donovan Desmond’s love and approval. His father's cold and distant demeanor is a major point of concern to the child and, as often happens in cases of neglectful parenting, he has placed the blame for this distance on himself.
I know father couldn't care less about me. If I want to please him... If I want to earn his respect... I have to be perfect. I have to become an Imperial Scholar!
Damian firmly believes that if only he were better, stronger, and smarter, his father would become more loving and emotionally available. This is why he refuses to show his father any weakness, such as when he tells his mother to not tell Donovan he had cried after the extremely traumatic kidnapping incident. In reality, Damian has shown to be capable and courageous on multiple occasions, but Donovan’s standards of perfection make him feel like his achievements are worth nothing.
Damian’s Crush On Anya
Spy x Family’s Anya Forger is unaware of the intricacies of social status and upon arriving at Eden Academy, she instantly manages to offend Damian. Used to receiving special treatment, at first Damian doesn’t know what to make of Anya’s behavior and resorts to harassing her in response to what he perceives as disrespect. This goes on for a while but after getting punched by Anya, he develops a crush on her that he refuses to acknowledge, causing him to lash out even more than he already did. The dynamic between the two is sweet and hilarious, as they are both completely oblivious to each other’s true feelings and intentions, communicating almost exclusively through miscommunication.
Why Is It Important For Anya to Become Friends With Damian?
Loid Forger’s decision to adopt Anya and enroll her in Eden Academy was for the sole purpose of completing his mission of approaching Donovan Desmond to gather intelligence on Ostania’s Nationalist Party. As he is one of the most important figures on the enemy’s side, this mission is of the utmost importance, and its success hinges entirely on Anya’s ability to either become an Imperial Scholar or befriend Desmond enough to gain access to his home. As Anya is anything but a bright student, the friendship path seems to be the only viable solution, though how efficient this would actually turn out remains unsure given the strained relationship between father and son.
Damian Demond’s importance to the Spy x Family story goes beyond his status as Donovan Desmond’s son. The series has done him justice in endearing him to the community, and as the story progresses, he has come a long way from the snobby, one-dimensional kid that was first introduced.