| “ | Don't worry. I'm a coward, so I never start fights I can't win.
— Gray Yeon, Episode 117
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” |
Gray Yeon (연시은, Yeon Sieun; "Sieun Yeon") is the central protagonist of Weak Hero. Currently a first year at Eunjang High School in Class 1-5, he also attends Hero Cram School in the afternoons. Known by the epithet of "Eunjang's White Mamba" on the Shuttle Patch, he is also notorious for his fighting methods and is currently ranked 6th on the website.[1]
Appearance
Measuring in at barely over 5' 2'[2], Gray is one of the shorter characters in the series. He has silver-gray hair with bangs that often hang down across his forehead and purple-pink eyes that have a blankness to them unless he is feeling intense emotion. Due to his facial features, such as his long eyelashes, Gray's appearance is often described as feminine by other characters. Comparatively, he also possesses a much skinnier frame than other characters due to his poor athletic ability, having once likened his own body to "...a skeleton, barely walking around..."[2]
Gray is seen throughout the series wearing the Eunjang High uniform, which consists of a white shirt with a blue collar, black pants, a belt, and a blue tie. Underneath his uniform Gray has been shown wearing a white shirt sometimes. Gray is often seen wearing Nike 'Air Force 1's throughout his time in the series.
In the third season, Gray has grown a bit and is now 5' 4.5" tall.
Personality
In class and outside of school, Gray appears as the model high school student: quiet, diligent, and hardworking. He is very responsible as a student and follows instructions to the letter, listening to any instructions given to him.
However, underneath this façade of a model student is a certain emptiness, which Gray felt especially clearly during his time in Byuksan. He had no clear goal for which to reach at, all he did was blindly follow what others would tell him, without regard as to his own opinions.[3] Gray's emptiness would eventually be filled by his friendship with Stephen Ahn, who became Gray's best friend and allowed Gray to open himself up to other people.[4] Following Stephen's hospitalization however, Gray suffered from a deep depression before undergoing a massive personality change, becoming the person he is in the series.[5]
Cool, logical, and cunning, the current Gray Yeon is not afraid to speak up or move to action should things get violent. He is also asocial, choosing not to speak unless spoken to. Soon after the showdown between Eunjang and Yoosun however, Gray has been shown to open up more to other people he is close to. He even opened up and told the story of his past to Ben.[6]
During fights, Gray utilizes all resources at his disposal to his full capabilities, harnessing his knowledge of the human mind to intimidate and psychologically scar his opponents. He has shown a habit of going overkill against an opponent, exhibiting unusually cruel and merciless behavior when confronted by challenges of any kind. Gray has also proven himself to be extremely patient and aware of his situation and surroundings, willing to bear multiple provocations from Teddy Jin to bide his time for revenge.[7] However, he still has a tendency to become reckless should the heat of the moment overtake him. For example, picking a fight with five Yoosun High students in the underpass before Gerard Jin, Ben Park, and Alex Go intervened.[8]
Although, Gray seems like a cold individual, he began to warm up again after befriending Ben Park and his group. Because of that, he also became protective of his new friends ever since the horrible accident that befell Stephen. When Eugene gets assaulted by Dongha Baek to the point of needing medical attention, Gray angrily hunts him down and exacts brutal retribution on the arrogant thug. He made sure Dongha suffered manifold for the pain he inflicted on Eugene that he basically hospitalized him. Had Alex not stopped him, Gray would’ve beaten Dongha to death.
After witnessing Donald's death, Gray falls into a deep depression. He thinks that he brings misfortune to everyone around him and blames himself for Stephen falling into a coma, Eugene being beaten into a coma, and Donald getting hit by a truck and dying.
History
Gray Yeon attended Byuksan Middle School prior to the beginning of the series. In that time period, he was consistently the best in his class and at the top of his entire grade.[3] Gray would frequently study many subjects because of his belief that if he knew enough, he could dispel the feeling of emptiness he felt. Later on, he would go on to befriend Stephen Ahn in his third year, and eventually Bryce Oh.
However, following Bryce's descent into delinquency, Gray and Stephen were frequently bullied by their other classmates.[9][10][11] This bullying eventually culminated into an incident that would comatose Stephen via falling from the school's rooftop, which sent Gray into a deep depression. Shortly after the incident, Gray would skip school for two months in order to undergo physical training and to plan his revenge against Bryce and the others.[12]
After he had taken revenge, Gray was expelled for assaulting said students, among which one was the son of the city representative Oscar Yang, Oswald Yang.[13] After the expulsion, he had problems being accepted into local high schools because of the incident, but due to the efforts of Ms. Lee, a teacher in Byuksan, he was eventually enrolled in Eunjang.[13]
Relationships
Stephen Ahn
Stephen Ahn is Gray's first friend. Stephen approached Gray one day after noticing that Gray had no clear goal. At first, Gray considered Stephen to be a weird guy, but after he helped Gray experience the fun life outside of studying, Gray saw a light in Stephen. The two often played Takken together with Gray always winning due to memorizing the manual. Stephen said that he felt like Gray could understand him, all of him, for who he is.
Gray was angered when Stephen became a target of bullying, but Stephen told him not to get involved. Stephen thought to himself that it'd break him if Gray got hurt. Gray was distraught and became depressed after Stephen fell into a coma, to the point where he missed two whole months of school. Gray managed to channel his rage into avenging Stephen by beating up Bryce, Oswald, and Oswald's friend, despite knowing that Oswald's father was a city representative. Gray was unbothered by the repercussions of being blacklisted from local high schools.
Gray was saddened when Stephen's guardian transferred him to a different hospital and he now had no idea where he was. The trauma of Stephen's accident deeply affected Gray to the point where he became terrified of rooftops.
Ben Park
During their first meeting at the underpass, Gray rejected his invitation to hangout, claiming that he had things to do unlike Ben, Alex, and Gerard. After the fight against Yoosun, Gray has warmed up to him more and accepted his invitation to the pool hall. Gray became close friends with Ben and the others. He trusts Ben to the point that he opened up about his middle school trauma to him. Gray also cares deeply for Ben and was furious when Ben was kidnapped.
Alex Go
Alex and Gray didn't know each other until Gray had the showdown at the underpass with Yoosun students. It was revealed that Alex fell for Gray back then, however it's unclear if Alex harbors the same feelings now. Alex and Gray got closer due to fighting alongside each other, and like Ben, has also welcomed Gray during their meetings. When Gray was hospitalized after his confrontation with Wolf, Alex makes sure to pay visits to Gray every once in a while to bring food and check to see if Gray's recovering.
Eugene Gale
Gray and Eugene sat in the same class from the very start, however at first, Gray was very confrontational with Eugene, even asking Eugene why he was staring at Gray in the beginning. Later in the chapter, Eugene has cared for Gray's well being on multiple occasions, holding onto Gray's bag when Teddy was bullying Gray, and getting pizza when Gray was hospitalized. Gray was furious upon discovering Dongha had beaten up Eugene, and Alex had to hold him back from going too far.
Rowan Im
Gray met Rowan through mutual connections with Eugene Gale. At first, Gray thought Rowan as a sporadic airhead, however they have gotten close after the Hyeongshin showdown. Gray has waved at Rowan on multiple instances, and Rowan has paid trips to where Gray was being hospitalized to bring food or check up on Gray.
Gerard Jin
At the beginning, Gray was suspicious of Gerard's intrigue of him, but as they fought together with Ben's gang, Gerard and Gray had developed strong connections with each other. In episodes 56-57, it was apparent when Gerard ran to Gray's location and helped him beat the Hyeongshin mob. Both have a very strong bond with each other.
Teddy Jin
Teddy was assigned to bully Gray in the beginning by Phillip Kim in an attempt to bolster Phillip's image. However, Teddy has lost the fight, making him fear Gray. Gray has felt disdain for Teddy, especially when Eugene was first jumped by Team Three from Hyeongshin. Teddy and Gray, however, fought together against the Hyeongshin mob and since then, Gray has forgotten about the incident. When Gray was hospitalized, Teddy took the time to check up on Gray, and Gray thanks Teddy for his dedication and time. Eventually in the later episodes, Gray and Teddy become really close, and this is especially evident in Episode 116.
Jeremy Park
Jeremy is Gray's classmate from Byuksan Middle School. He is the only other student that dared to go against Oswald Yang, although it was secretly. When the class created a group chat without Stephen and Gray and proceeded to insult the two, Jeremy informed Gray despite the bullies ordering them to keep it a secret from Gray and Stephen. After Stephen falls from the roof, Jeremy sends messages to him and informs him of the hospital Stephen was being taken to. At the end of the series, Jeremy sees Stephen working at a cafe at Donghae Rest Stop and informs Gray via message.
Donald Na
Although he learned Donald was the leader of the Union after being informed by Ben, Gray didn't have any particular hostile feelings towards Donald prior to him ordering Eugene to be hunted down and brought before him. After Eugene was hospitalized and comatose, Gray became furious towards Donald. He began digging up any info he could find about Donald in order to win in the upcoming fight. He even went as far as to bring up Donald's dead mother.
Abilities
Physical
Gray is shown to have almost no physical power whatsoever compared to the other characters of the series, instead relying on unexpected methods and his knowledge to overwhelm his opponents. Up until his expulsion from Byuksan, his physical abilities were considered to be below average, as he was shown struggling during a physical test.[3] However, while skipping school for 2 months, Gray finally pulled his physical abilities to be comparable to that of the average human being.
Mental
In terms of grades, Gray is shown as one of the smartest characters throughout the series, repeatedly scoring at the top of his class and even being ranked 5th in his grade during his time at Byuksan.[3] He was also part of Byuksan's Science Olympiad team, winning the grand prize at a competition.[12]
Gray also possesses a vast wealth of knowledge not limited to simply academic topics, which he is able to dutifully apply in any situation. He has shown high degrees of proficiency in miscellaneous subjects such as video games, being able to execute the Perfect Electric Wind God Fist 4 times in a row,[6] and Tarot Readings, being able to figure out what style of card reading Gerard Jin is attempting.[14]
While he is fighting, Gray's quick-thinking and resourcefulness have also allowed him to consistently gain the upper hand and secure victories over opponents that otherwise he would not have been able to defeat: i.e. tying up Colton Choi with his backpack straps,[15] beating Teddy Jin into submission by using a can of Coca-Cola[16] and even performing a tag-team with Rowan Im utilizing a can of V7.[17] During these fights, he is also able to use his wealth of knowledge about the human body to predict an opponent's next attack, as shown when he was able to dodge two of Jimmy Bae's punches without any warning beforehand.[18]
Fight Record
- Colton Choi (Eunjang): WIN
- Eddie Moore (Eunjang): WIN
- Evan Yoo (Eunjang): WIN
- Harper Ha (Yoosun) [Team Play]: WIN
- Teddy Jin (Eunjang): WIN
- TEAM PLAY (Yoosun) [Team Play]: WIN
- Oswald Yang (Byuksan Middle): WIN
- Bryce Oh (Byuksan Middle): WIN
- SEARCH TEAM (Hyeongshin) [Team Play]: WIN
- Sam Lee (Hyeongshin) [Team Play]: WIN
- Phillip Kim (Eunjang): WIN
- Wolf Keum (Ganghak): WIN
- Hayden Ma (Ganghak): WIN
- Dean Kwon (Daehyeon): WIN
- Jailbreak [Team Play]: WIN
- Dong-gyu (Cheongang): WIN
- Doyun Kim (Cheongang): WIN
- Mok-Ha Duo [Team Play]: WIN
- Hayden Ma (Ganghak): WIN
- Donald Na (Yeo-Il): LOSE
Gallery
Trivia
- He is the only character with a confirmed height growth.
- He has a motorcycle license.
- He likes to drink milk.
Quotes
| “ | Did you call my ways underhanded? My body, a skeleton barely walking around. My height, just over 5' 2". A fight couldn't even start on equal grounds to begin with...I'm well outnumbered and outclassed, you disgusting meatheads.
— Gray to Royce Na, Eddie Moore, and Colton Choi, Episode 1
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” |
| “ | One, there's no reason for me to apologize. And two, I have no idea who the fuck you are.
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| “ | ” |
| “ | In order to face a demon like Teddy Jin, I must become an even crueler demon myself.
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| “ | If you guys don't wanna shed any more blood... stop whining and get the fuck outta here!
— Gray to Hyeongshin mob, Episode 59 [17]
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| “ | Denial isn't a healthy thing.
— Gray to Dean Kwon, Episode 120
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” |
References
- ↑ Chapter 87
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chapter 2
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Chapter 26
- ↑ Chapter 27
- ↑ Chapter 33
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chapter 70
- ↑ Chapter 16
- ↑ Chapter 4
- ↑ Chapter 30
- ↑ Chapter 31
- ↑ Chapter 32
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Chapter 34
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Chapter 37
- ↑ Chapter 65
- ↑ Chapter 1
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Chapter 17
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Chapter 59
- ↑ Chapter 23
- ↑ Chapter 10
- ↑ Chapter 5