Sigmund Authen

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“	You're a good girl. A fine child. Children like you are this nation's greatest treasure. Grow up healthy and strong.	„
	~ Sigmund to Anya Forger.

“	And now you've learned the joy of being rewarded for hard work. That's a treasure greater than even a Stella. And one day you'll experience the frustration of realizing that hard work is not always rewarded. But learning that is a treasure as well.	„
	~ Sigmund's advice to Anya.

Sigmund "Siggy" Authen is a supporting character in the Spy × Family series. He is a retired university professor and the Forger family's new neighbor.

Appearance[]

Sigmund is a short, heavily wrinkled old man, about a head taller than Anya. His hair is disheveled and unkempt, and he has a large, bushy beard. Sigmund also has thick, droopy eyebrows and high-bridged round-frame glasses. Sigmund typically wears a cardigan over a V-neck sweater with a collared shirt underneath.

Personality[]

Despite his aging memory and past his prime, Sigmund is still a highly intelligent man and can teach others effectively. Sigmund has a passion for learning, believing it to be one of the fundamental joys of being human, and wants to learn as much as he can. He shares this passion with those he teaches and shows them the importance of finding the joy of learning by making his lessons understandable so they can understand the material, but also fun for them.

Sigmund is also full of praise when he sees the progress the student is making in his studies. In lessons with Anya, he confirms her progress with words or by affectionately stroking the child's hair, believing that she is doing a difficult job.

Biography[]

Background[]

Sigmund is a highly respected scholar and has worked mostly in the field of neurology. He was also interested in other subjects, such as cultural anthropology, and claims to have once traveled the world to study local folk medicines as a fieldwork project. In his youth, Sigmund was a university professor, lecturing on neurology and other subjects in Berlint, where he lived for a long time. At some point during his teenage years, he married his wife, Barbara, and the two had a son.

Sigmund seems to have lived through both wars between East and West. As he walks through the district where his university is located, he vividly remembers how the region was affected by the war and how the people reacted in those dark times. During the second war, Sigmund and Barbara traveled to Covenia, where Sigmund helped rehabilitate wounded soldiers. The couple eventually moved to the area for work, but when it came time to retire they decided to return to Berlint to be closer to their son and family.

Spy x Family[]

Sigmund and Barbara move into 128 Park Avenue, in the unit next to the Forger family. While moving into the house, Sigmund leaves to do some shopping at the market. On the way there, he starts craving sweets and buys some from the nearby candy store. However, due to his poor memory, Sigmund forgets his duty and goes to a park. When he realizes that he is lost, he decides to feed the pigeons sweets. Sigmund doesn't stay long as he is chased by two boys who believe him to be a suspected spy. Sigmund eventually returns to the park and enters the playground he believes to be his home. Sigmund, trapped on the log bridge, quickly comes to his senses and panics. After Yor helps him, Sigmund explains to her and Anya that he cannot return home because he cannot remember anything.

Yor tries to help him jog his memory, but when Anya reads his mind, Sigmund fails to remember any useful information. Yor asks if Sigmund has anything that can help him, prompting the old man to dig into his pocket and find a shopping list. Sigmund loudly shouted "Eureka!" When he remembers his shopping plan, the Forgers decide to take him to the nearest marketplace. Before they leave, Sigmund begins muttering about how he will repay the family and considers adding them to his will. Reading his mind, Anya tells Yor what Sigmund said, but Yor politely declines.

Yor, Anya, Sigmund and Bond run from the mafia.

Sigmund buys his food in the marketplace. As the group wanders around the place, Sigmund looks around and comments on how much the area has changed over the years. He then explains that he teaches at a nearby university and mutters about how badly the university was affected during the war. As the group wanders through the market, Anya continues to read Sigmund's thoughts to guide Yor to places he should check out, but they end up returning to the park. They try again but find themselves in a mafia branch; Here the members mistake them for enemies and start shooting at them, but Yor quickly drives everyone away. After escaping, Sigmund goes to a florist after smelling Barbara's favorite flowers, but Yor stops him. The group follows his and Anya's instructions once again to the top of a tower, where Sigmund insists his apartment is located.

They finally sit down to rest, and Sigmund becomes moody for causing the family so much trouble. However, Anya tells him that she had fun on this "adventure". Sigmund thanks Anya for not mocking his mistakes and buys her waffles, telling her that he thinks of her as his granddaughter. After Anya gets her waffle, Sigmund puts his wallet back in his pocket and Yor notices a piece of paper falling out of the wallet. Seeing that it's a coupon, Anya proudly announces that it is a winning ticket from the raffle at the candy store she went to. Sigmund remembers going to candy stores and giving the group clues to the location of his house. Bond suddenly sets off on his own, and Yor, realizing he has found the man's scent trail, goes after him with the others.

The Authens meet the Forgers in the morning.

The group arrives at Sigmund's apartment, which he says is his home, but a stunned Yor believes he is mistaken. To everyone's surprise, a door opens where Barbara emerges with Loid, who helped her move. Sigmund is happily reunited with Barbara, who is confused about his whereabouts. After Loid explains the situation, Sigmund and Yor are surprised that they are neighbors. Authens introduces them to the Forgers, who invite them to the neighborhood. To apologize to Barbara, Sigmund gifts her the flowers he managed to get during his journey. Barbara accepts his apology and the two begin to flirt lovingly as the Forgers watch.

As Anya and Loid prepare for the former's term finals, they get a surprise visit from the Authens, who invite the Forgers over to have cookies and get to know them better. Noticing that Anya is in the middle of studying, Sigmunds suggests taking a break, and Lois accepts their invitation. At the Authens' home, the neighbors chat over cookies. Loid brings up Sigmund's large collection of books, prompting them to talk about his time as a university professor. When Loid mentions Classical Language, Anya exclaims that her goal is to get the top grade in that subject. Sigmund offers to help Anya study, and Loid allows them.

Sigmund shows Anya a volume of Spy Wars.

Sigmund begins by asking Anya about her favorite book. Anya says Spy Wars and Sigmund brings out the first volume of the comic to use as a textbook. At Sigmund's instruction, he and Anya repeat a quote from Bondman in classical language. When Anya makes a mistake, he teaches her how to use language correctly. Loid intervenes when he thinks the lesson is getting too complicated, but Sigmund encourages Anya to enjoy studying. As Sigmund continues his lessons, Barbara comments on how happy he looks while teaching her.

After a fun and successful lesson with Sigmund, Anya and her family leave and Sigmund offers to teach her again. Anya accepts the offer, saying that she will come every day to win the Stella Star. Sigmund asks what Anya will do and what her goal is after she passes the exams and becomes an Imperial Scholar. She says she wants world peace after returning to his parents. Sigmund is pleased with Anya's answer and hugs her, telling her that children like her are the country's greatest treasure. Over the next few days, Sigmund helps Anya with her studies to achieve the highest mark in the Classical Language. On the day of the exam, the tough Anya tells Authens that she will bring Stellas back, and the two cheer her up.

Anya thinks she will get Sigmund's estate.

When the exam results are announced, Anya is delighted to learn that she received the Stella Star after placing second in Classical Language (and is shocked to receive Tonitrus after failing her Maths exam). At home, Anya is congratulated on her success by her parents and Authens, and Sigmund says Anya has learned the joy of being rewarded for hard work, which she says is now worth more than Stella. He adds that Anya will one day experience the disappointment of not being rewarded for all her hard work, but says learning this has also been a treasure. Anya misunderstands his statement and asks if he wants this treasure as his property, but Sigmund replies that he never said that.

Relationships[]

Barbara Authen[]

Barbara is Sigmund's wife. Sigmund cares deeply for her, thinking about and missing her when he's lost in their new neighborhood, even bringing her flowers as an apology when they reunite. Due to his poor memory, Sigmund often turns to Barbara for clarification or correction on past events or people's names. When he was younger, Sigmund was always away from home for work, but this did not seem to put a strain on their relationship. The two are quite flirtatious, they are not afraid to show how affectionate they are in public. Sigmund and Barbara have a son and moved to Berlint to be closer to him and his family.

Anya Forger[]

Sigmund, nicknamed "Grandpa Siggy" by Anya, is the little girl's elderly neighbor. The two first meet when Sigmund gets lost in the park shortly after moving into 128 Park Avenue. As the Forgers try to help Sigmund get back home, Anya acts as his interpreter for Yor when he begins mumbling, though she often tends to misunderstand what he says. During their search, Sigmund is grateful that Anya doesn't make fun of him for his failings and begins seeing Anya as a granddaughter, doting on her as such.

Sigmund later becomes Anya's Classical Language tutor in preparation for her term finals. He teaches her the joy of studying, using her favorite series as their textbook, and does not forget to praise her for her progress. Sigmund later asks Anya what her ultimate goal is after her school achievements, and she answers "world peace," which greatly satisfies him. Anya earns a Stella Star from her Classical Language grades, Sigmund and Barbara sincerely congratulate the young girl.

However, despite his good-natured attitude towards Anya, Sigmund also tends to be judgmental when he thinks that she says unacceptable things. For example, when Anya believes that Sigmund will give her a lot of money.

Trivia[]

One of Sigmund's nicknames during the original sketches was "Grandpa Clay".
He's likely based on the Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud, who stayed in Berlin for a significant part of his life.
His and his wife's surnames "Authen" are a play on the word "authentic", as a way to contrast the Forgers, whose surnames already implies they are a fake family.