To Be Hero X Episode 8 makes anime history by launching into its third narrative arc centered around the story’s third protagonist so far, and this time it’s none other than the teal-haired idol Lucky Cyan. Fans couldn’t miss the anime’s Easter eggs teasing the latest character arc during To Be Hero X‘s E-Soul Arc, and Lucky Cyan’s debut is a welcome change of pace from Yang Cheng’s dark narrative. Based on the story of an abnormally fortunate little girl, To Be Hero X Episode 8 launches fans into an exciting new era for this captivating anime anthology.

The Lucky Cyan Arc is planned as another three-part story just like the E-Soul Arc, but it already feels like a very different story after only one episode. To Be Hero X Episode 8 dives into Lucky Cyan’s tragic background while revealing her surprising connection to the hero Queen, whose character arc is next in line after the story of To Be Hero X‘s instantly likable anime idol. To Be Hero X Episode 8 effortlessly endears fans to yet another new main character, and the anime’s compelling introduction to Lucky Cyan’s backstory gives the latest arc a promising outlook overall.

To Be Hero X’s New Protagonist is the Luckiest Girl in the World

Lucky Cyan is Already One of the Greatest Anime Idols Ever

To Be Hero X has already delivered several of the saddest character backstories in recent anime memory, and the anime’s latest Lucky Cyan Arc furthers that trend with some of the best storytelling since the Nice Arc. Lucky Cyan is the teal-haired hero who becomes the luckiest girl in the world after a reporter discovers her as the lone survivor of a suspicious airplane crash 23 years after the establishment of the Hero Commission. To Be Hero X‘s newest arc finally delivers its first episode through the eyes of a real top hero, which is a noteworthy change after presenting the anime through the perspective of two protagonists who outright stole the identities of existing heroes.

After a well-known reporter named Liu Zhen rescues Lucky Cyan from the wreckage of the plane crash, she grows up at an orphanage headed by the reporter’s friend. As fans have come to expect by now, it’s not long before the dark side of Lucky Cyan’s fortune takes its toll. From the moment Lucky Cyan starts her new life at the orphanage, she’s exploited by everyone around her. Lucky Cyan quickly gets funneled into becoming her orphanage’s “sacred idol” by being forced to dole out her luck like blessings from a religious figurehead. The story of an exploited pop idol is a common one, but To Be Hero X still manages to present a fresh take on this familiar narrative by tying it to her orphanage’s corruption.

One light of hope finally arrives after Lucky Cyan’s five years at the orphanage in the form of Calamity, a kind young boy who becomes her first true friend. The idea of characters who represent luck and calamity befriending each other is one of the anime’s most compelling metaphors and the endearing highlight of To Be Hero X Episode 8. Calamity is presented as Lucky Cyan’s complete opposite because of his troublesome bad luck, but he ends up being her character’s most important influence. Although Lucky Cyan is meant to help Calamity live a normal life not hampered by chaos through the power of her good luck, he’s surprisingly the one who makes it possible for her to live the life she yearns for instead.

The second and final timeskip in To Be Hero X Episode 8 shows the debut of Lucky Cyan as fans know her six years after meeting Calamity, which puts the narrative timeline at 34 AC (After Commission) or two years before the E-Soul’s 34th Anniversary in 36 AC. After 11 years of increasingly stifling demands, Lucky Cyan finally ditches the stark white robes and the mask she’s been forced to wear by the orphanage’s stern Director to offset the vibrancy of her iconic green hair. Lucky Cyan and Calamity share the stage to perform one of her inspirational songs for the very first time, and their heartfelt performance shines even more brightly than the idol’s debut performance despite being a far more humble production than her concert setup in To Be Hero X Episode 6.

To Be Hero X Reveals That Lucky Cyan’s Savior is Actually Queen’s Father

Liu Zhen’s Surprising Connection to Queen & Lucky Cyan is a Major Twist

Liu Zhen is introduced as the covert reporter who discovers Lucky Cyan at the site of a mysterious plane crash before secretly transporting her to the Director’s care at the orphanage, yet the other side of his character is somehow even more fascinating. To Be Hero X Episode 8 stuns fans by revealing that Lucky Cyan’s empathetic savior is also the strict father of Queen, the No. 2 Hero. Teasing her origins in the midst of Lucky Cyan’s backstory is a fun lead-in for To Be Hero X‘s upcoming arc dedicated to Queen, and it’s a completely unexpected surprise that works seamlessly.

Fans are already well-acquainted with the curious journalist character archetype, which makes Liu Zhen’s connection to Queen the far more interesting part of his character composition. To Be Hero X‘s first three protagonists haven’t had parents around to influence them, so Zhen’s introduction to the story is inherently noteworthy because of his relationship to Queen, even if not for anything else. Based on the awards and accolades scattered throughout his house, it seems clear that Queen’s father has high expectations for his daughter, but her radical sense of ambition may exceed even his highest hopes.

Although Liu Zhen begins the episode employed as a reporter with a strong sense of justice, he’s freshly unemployed and searching for something new to latch onto by the end of To Be Hero X Episode 8. Zhen promptly quits his job after his boss shuts down speculation about the potential conspiracy behind Lucky Cyan’s mysterious plane crash, suggesting that he’s right to be suspicious. To Be Hero X‘s towering pile of mysteries grows bigger than ever once Queen’s father teams up with someone who seems to be tied to the terrorist group behind Fear Value amplification known as the Spotlight Organization.

To Be Hero X Surprises Fans With Queen’s Fabulous Debut Sooner Than Anticipated

Queen’s To Be Hero X Debut Instantly Makes Her a Female Anime Icon

To Be Hero X Episode 8 stuns fans with Queen’s anime debut in a dramatic plot twist nobody could’ve seen coming. To Be Hero X is checking in on Liu Zhen five years after rescuing Lucky Cyan when Queen nonchalantly walks through the door as a clip of her impassioned public speech about the corruption of the Trust Value system appears on TV. Queen’s conversation with Lucky Cyan’s savior reveals his identity as her father in addition to her grand ambition to earn the title of Hero X. Queen’s character effortlessly embodies boldness and poise wrapped into one, instantly opening the door to her rise to fame as a female anime icon.

Queen and Lucky Cyan may not have met face-to-face yet, but their respective connections to the former reporter have already linked their stories irreversibly. Perhaps even more importantly, Queen has already begun to influence Lucky Cyan’s hero journey in To Be Hero X Episode 8. After befriending Calamity at the orphanage, he introduces Lucky Cyan to Queen’s radical ideas by playing her a recording of one of the hero’s speeches, potentially laying the groundwork for her big breakup from the orphanage in pursuit of a new life she defines for herself. Now that Queen has also entered the story, To Be Hero X fans have even more to look forward to with each upcoming episode.

To Be Hero X Episode 8’s Hype Finale Unleashes a Cold-Blooded New Anime Villain

To Be Hero X’s New Arc Introduces the Anime’s Most Dangerous Villain Yet

The hype climax of To Be Hero X Episode 8 comes in the episode’s finale sequence after the credits have already started rolling across what appears to be Lucky Cyan’s escape from the confines of the orphanage. To Be Hero X Episode 8 makes a violent pivot from hopeful to dreadful once the orphanage’s Director makes his chilling debut as the anime’s newest villain. The Director’s villainous pivot and a brief glimpse of his Lovecraftian powers make for an absolutely chilling finale, and the story leading up to it all makes it that much more compelling when it finally happens.

To Be Hero X negatively characterizes the Director’s influence on Lucky Cyan from the start without outright defining him as a villain, which works to the benefit of the anime’s latest exciting plot twist. Instead of putting an end to Lucky Cyan’s exploitation once he becomes aware of Miss Zhao’s schemes to benefit financially from the child’s luck, the Director scales up the scam so he can profit from her even more. After more than a decade of cultivating Lucky Cyan’s identity as the orphanage’s sacred idol, the Director is hellbent on stopping her escape, and he makes it clear he’s willing to do so with ruthless force in the manner of a true anime villain. Lucky Cyan and Calamity are poised for a showdown against the Director in To Be Hero X Episode 9, teasing a thrilling second act for Lucky Cyan’s already captivating three-part arc.

To Be Hero X is now streaming on Crunchyroll.