Matthew McMahon

Full Name: Matthew McMahon

Alias / Title: Section Chief (“Buchō”)

Gender: Male

Age: 66

Origin: East Country

Occupation (public): Section Chief in the First Bureau Policy Department of Berlint City Hall

Occupation (secret): Mid-level commander and field operative of Garden

Marital Status: Married

Spouse: Maureen

Pet: Hawk named “Kikki”

Affiliation (public): Berlint City Hall

Affiliation (secret): Garden

First Appearance (anime): Spy × Family Season 2

Voice Actor (Japanese): Kenyu Horiuchi

Matthew McMahon is a bespectacled, middle‑aged man who appears outwardly as a calm and capable bureaucrat at Berlint City Hall.

Behind that facade, he is a key member of the assassin organization Garden, acting as a liaison between the top leader, the Shopkeeper, and field operatives such as Yor Forger.

In his daily life, he serves as the section chief of the department where Yor Forger works, handling civic duties with quiet efficiency.

In his covert life, he bears the title “Section Chief” inside Garden as well, transmitting orders, coordinating missions, and even personally participating in assassinations when necessary.

Despite being designed initially as a minor “generic older man” character, he gradually became an important figure in the story.

The creator later joked, via an explanation by Franky Franklin on a volume-cover extra, that they regretted not giving Matthew a more refined design from the start.

Matthew presents two sharply contrasted personas: a gentle, polite superior at City Hall and a cold, calculating assassin in Garden.

On the surface he speaks softly, smiles mildly, and appears like a slightly dull, harmless civil servant, especially around his wife and civilian coworkers.

During missions, his expression hardens behind his glasses, and his speech becomes clipped, precise, and merciless.

He has no hesitation in killing targets swiftly and efficiently, and he treats enemy assassins as obstacles to be interrogated briefly, then eliminated without drama.

He values composure and discernment, criticizing shallow judgments and ignorance.

Lines attributed to him convey this ethos, such as the sentiment that Garden’s enemies are no true threat, and that condemning others without awareness of one’s own lack of understanding is the act of a base person.

Though severe, he is not theatrical; he approaches violence like tedious but necessary work.

Even when dealing with messy tasks such as disposing of bodies or cleaning up a crime scene, he performs them with the same matter‑of‑fact tone as routine paperwork.

He has a dry, almost deadpan sense of humor that surfaces in his cover stories.

For instance, he calmly tells his uninformed subordinates that a business reception was canceled because the client’s husband suffered an embarrassing accident in the bathroom, and a marital argument ensued, delivering this absurd excuse in a perfectly straight manner.

Matthew is also introspective about his own morality.

He is aware that his decision to deceive his wife for life is selfish, and he explicitly frames his choices as his own ego rather than a romantic ideal of “love” or “happiness.”

Matthew is not just an administrator; he is a highly skilled combatant in his own right.

He can swiftly neutralize professional killers, detect tails, and move and strike with a speed and precision befitting an elite assassin.

When he realizes that he and his group are being followed, he quickly leads the tail away from public view.

Once in a secluded location, he interrogates the enemy for essential information, then dispatches them without hesitation.

His tactical sense is sharp, enabling him to coordinate complex operations involving multiple Garden operatives.

He provides real‑time orders and adjustments on the field, balancing mission objectives with the quirks and weaknesses of his subordinates.

He is also adept at operational “cleanup” work.

During the Princess Lorelei cruise ship incident, he not only fought but also handled corpse disposal and post‑battle tidying, ensuring that evidence of Garden’s involvement vanished.

In addition to his own skills, he makes strategic use of his trained hawk, Kikki, for aerial reconnaissance.

Kikki can scout forests from above and relay positional information, making the hawk a valuable partner in surveillance and search operations.

Public Role: City Hall Section Chief

In public society, Matthew works in the First Bureau Policy Department at Berlint City Hall.

He is Yor Forger’s direct superior in this office, known simply as “Section Chief” to his staff.

He is regarded as a competent and efficient administrator who performs his duties impartially and without fuss.

His mild-mannered demeanor helps him blend in, and there is nothing in his public behavior to suggest his connection with Garden.

At work he supports his staff, including Yor, while carefully maintaining his cover.

He occasionally has to improvise bizarre yet plausible excuses to reconcile Garden missions with the mundane expectations of municipal bureaucracy.

Secret Role: Garden Middle Management

Within Garden, Matthew occupies a mid-level managerial position, something like a middle manager in a corporation.

He acts as the operational link between the Shopkeeper and field agents, conveying mission details, targets, and strategic decisions.

He often serves as the primary contact for Yor Forger, giving her assignments and updates on behalf of the Shopkeeper.

He also works with the assassin known as Otogiri, who describes Matthew’s internal standing within Garden as that of a “middle manager.”

As a commander, he keeps Yor and Otogiri focused, sometimes sharply scolding them when their behavior threatens mission success.

He is particularly strict with Otogiri, whose lack of social skills and cooperative spirit can lead to dangerously self-centered choices.

During the Princess Lorelei cruise ship arc, Matthew is heavily involved in the protection mission.

He supervises combat, coordinates the team, and then methodically handles the aftermath, including the removal of bodies and evidence.

Support of Yor Forger

Matthew plays an important role in maintaining Yor Forger’s double life.

He not only assigns her missions but also protects her cover identity when it is in danger.

When Yor is suspected of cheating by coworkers such as Camilla after being seen with Otogiri during a date with Loid Forger, Matthew intervenes.

To dispel the suspicion and protect Yor’s “ordinary wife” façade, he hastily hires Otogiri as a “new employee” at City Hall.

He then explains away the suspicious medicine Otogiri had brought by calling it a “sample product from a business partner.”

In doing so, he shields Yor from personal scandal while simultaneously carrying out a directive from the Shopkeeper.

The Shopkeeper had also ordered that Otogiri gain some social skills, which Matthew uses to pressure her into actually working.

He warns her that if she does not perform her duties properly, he will report her behavior directly to the Shopkeeper.

Connection to Eden Academy

A flashback in chapter 97, centered on Martha Marriott, reveals that Matthew attended Eden Academy in his youth.

He appears briefly as a student, indicating that he is an alumnus of the same elite school that many key characters have ties to.

He is shown to be a contemporary of Henry Henderson, a famed Eden housemaster.

However, according to Henry Henderson’s internal monologue, the two had no particular relationship or meaningful interaction during their school days.

Yor Forger

Yor Forger is both Matthew’s subordinate at City Hall and one of his primary operatives in Garden.

He serves as her supervisor in both worlds, supporting her assassin missions while ensuring that her day job remains intact.

He recognizes that Yor’s focus can sometimes waver due to her concern for her family and her lack of social savvy.

In missions with Yor, he issues quick, clear orders, snapping her back into professional mode when she becomes distracted.

Matthew respects Yor as a powerful assassin whose abilities are invaluable to Garden.

At the same time, he is willing to reprimand her when necessary, treating her like a capable, but occasionally absent‑minded, subordinate.

He is also aware of Yor’s naïve romantic questions, such as her inquiries about whether he has experience with “welcome home kisses.”

While embarrassed by her bluntness, he confirms that in his youth he did indeed share that sort of affection with his wife, revealing a human, softer side.

Otogiri

Otogiri is another Garden assassin who often works under Matthew’s direction.

She views him as a middle manager within the organization.

Matthew sees Otogiri as extremely talented but socially underdeveloped and lacking in cooperation.

Where Yor tends to be distracted by her earnestness, Otogiri veers toward self-centered action that can conflict with mission parameters.

On orders from the Shopkeeper, Matthew arranges for Otogiri to pose as a new employee at City Hall to learn basic social skills.

He keeps her in line by threatening to report any poor performance or disobedience to the Shopkeeper, a punishment Otogiri clearly wishes to avoid.

Maureen (Wife)

Maureen is Matthew’s wife and a complete outsider to his clandestine life.

She is an ordinary civilian who knows nothing about Garden, believing her husband to be a slightly dull but dependable city official.

The couple lives modestly, sharing a calm, everyday life with their pet hawk, Kikki.

Their marriage is affectionate and stable, but the power dynamic at home is reversed compared to Matthew’s professional life.

At home, Matthew is firmly “under his wife’s thumb,” and Maureen appears to see him as a somewhat slow, clumsy husband.

He nevertheless dotes on her and behaves as a devoted, almost old‑fashioned, loving spouse.

When assigned to the dangerous Princess Lorelei mission, he goes with a very human goal: survive and bring Maureen a souvenir.

Afterward, he even refuses an invitation from the Shopkeeper so he can hurry home and enjoy his wife’s home‑cooked meal.

When he returns from combat with minor facial scars, he lies that he was “caught up in a small fight” to avoid revealing his true work.

He willfully preserves a peaceful domestic illusion for her, even at the cost of carrying the burden of secrecy alone.

In his own mind, Matthew does not romanticize this deception.

He does not believe that if his true identity were exposed, Maureen would simply accept him and stay by his side.

Instead, he calls his choice an egoistic resolve: to deceive her for life, wearing the mask of “Matthew the Section Chief” until the end.

He distinguishes this from the ideas of “love” or “happiness” described by Otogiri, seeing it as his own stubborn, personal way of living.

Kikki the Hawk

Kikki is the couple’s pet hawk and also Matthew’s trained partner in Garden operations.

Despite being a household animal, Kikki is highly disciplined and capable of complex tasks.

Kikki often conducts aerial reconnaissance, especially over forests and wide outdoor areas.

From the sky, the hawk surveys enemy movements and terrain, providing critical data for Matthew’s missions.

At home, Kikki is simply a family pet, fitting into their quiet life.

This dual role mirrors Matthew’s own double existence as gentle husband and lethal operative.

Colleagues and Other Characters

At Berlint City Hall, Matthew works with various employees, including Yor’s friends and coworkers such as Camilla.

To them, he is just their reliable, somewhat plain section chief.

Civilians like Camilla become suspicious of Yor’s private life after seeing her with Otogiri, prompting Matthew’s quick intervention.

He deftly adjusts workplace narratives to keep both Garden’s secrets and Yor’s family life protected.

Through Eden Academy’s past, Matthew is loosely connected to figures like Henry Henderson.

However, his student days appear uneventful in terms of deep ties, reinforcing his role as a man who thrives in the shadows rather than the spotlight.

Matthew’s domestic life emphasizes how deeply he separates his identities.

At home he plays the role of slightly clumsy, unremarkable husband whose biggest concern is his wife’s cooking, not high‑risk assassinations.

He is an ardent lover of his wife’s food and strongly prefers to eat her dishes rather than dine out after missions.

This desire leads him to decline even his superior’s invitations, choosing domestic comfort over professional socializing.

Interestingly, he is unable or unwilling to cook for himself.

He explains that any food he prepares would be infused, in his mind, with the metallic scent of blood from his line of work, making it inedible to him.

Because of this, he relies entirely on Maureen’s cooking and simple home routines to maintain his sense of normalcy.

His quiet nights at home form a stark counterpoint to his brutal duties in Garden, underlining the fragile balance he maintains.

Matthew embodies the theme of dual identities that runs throughout Spy × Family.

He is simultaneously an unassuming city bureaucrat and a key operative in a shadowy assassination organization.

Like Yor Forger, he fights for the safety of those he wants to protect, especially his wife.

His actions are driven less by ideology and more by personal loyalty and a desire to preserve a small, private world of peace.

However, he differs from Yor in his self‑awareness about the moral cost of his double life.

While Yor often struggles to reconcile her roles, Matthew has already decided that he will lie forever and bear the guilt alone.

He also illustrates the less glamorous, managerial side of a clandestine organization.

As a “middle manager” of Garden, he is responsible not only for killing and strategy but also for human resource problems, cover stories, and even the social development of agents like Otogiri.

From a meta perspective, Matthew is an example of a character who unexpectedly grew beyond the author’s original plans.

Initially drawn as a generic older man, he expanded into a nuanced, quietly compelling figure whose mundane appearance hides an intricate inner life and complex moral stance.