Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up... on the outside looking in. Like the rest of her adoptive siblings, Vanya was born in a mysterious phenomenon wherein 43 women around the world suddenly gave birth, despite the fact that none of them were pregnant. Vanya was one of seven babies taken in by ruthless, eccentric billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves, who gave his children numbers, rather than names, and trained them to be part of a superhero team. But while her siblings all developed superpowers, Vanya a.k.a. “Number Seven” never did. She was left at home, alone and unwanted, while the rest of The Umbrella Academy went on high-profile missions.
Living... a simple life. After her surreal childhood, Vanya just wants a sense of normalcy. She dutiful takes her mood stabilizing medicine each day and tries to make her one-bedroom apartment as cozy as possible.
Visiting... her childhood home. When Sir Reginald dies, Vanya returns home where she’s reunited with her robotic “mom” Grace, Reginald’s chimpanzee assistant Pogo, and her adoptive siblings Luther, Diego, Allison, and Klaus. It’s not exactly a happy family reunion, though. Tensions have been high between Vanya and her siblings ever since she published an unflattering tell-all memoir about her life as the forgotten member of The Umbrella Academy.
Profession... violinist. Vanya’s impressive violin skills are her way of trying to be as extraordinary as her siblings. In addition to playing in an orchestra, Vanya also teaches private music lessons.
Interests... music and writing.
Relationship Status... starting something new. Though Vanya usually tutors kids, her latest violin student is an adult named Leonard Peabody. It turns out they have a lot in common, and their sweet friendship has the potential to blossom into Vanya’s first real romantic relationship.
Challenge... stopping the apocalypse. When long-lost Umbrella Academy member Number Five suddenly reappears after a 16-year absence (in his 13-year-old body, strangely enough), he warns Vanya that the apocalypse is going to occur in eight days. Unfortunately, Vanya isn’t exactly sure what she could do to prevent it, even if she believed Five’s seemingly impossible tale.
Personality... quiet, sensitive, and lonely. Growing up in the shadow of her famous siblings didn’t give Vanya much confidence or particularly great social skills. She’s gentle and soft-spoken and spends much of her time alone. She’s anxious about rocking the boat or standing out in a crowd, even as she also secretly longs to be noticed and loved. Vanya is thoughtful, kind, and deeply empathetic, but it sometimes seems as if she’s repressing deeper, more conflicted emotions too. It’s clear that Vanya still finds it hard to move past the deep wounds of her childhood.