Killing Eve: Who is Anna?

Killing Eve fans rejoice as the series is now available to watch on Netflix — but who is Anna? Here’s everything you need to know.

Back in 2018, the BBC took a thrilling turn by adapting the novella series by Luke Jennings into the sapphic-fuelled spy drama that is Killing Eve. Starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer in its lead roles, the show follows Eve Polastri (Oh) who is tasked with bringing down notorious assassin Villanelle (Comer).

However, as good TV shows tend to, things get a little more complicated than that. Eve and Villanelle become embroiled in a transatlantic love affair, resulting in an eventual end that fans are still bitter about to this day.

Now that fans can enjoy watching the series again on Netflix, who is Anna, and what does she have to do with Killing Eve?

Who is Anna in Killing Eve?

Anna is a Russian teacher who teaches Oksana — aka Villanelle — languages and later becomes her lover in Killing Eve.

BBC

In 1990s Moscow, Anna worked at the city’s university teaching English, French, and German. Villanelle — then going by her birth name Oksana — was one of Anna’s more troublesome students, choosing to give her extra credit support and attention after she started acting out.

The more time they spent together, the more their relationship became “romantic,” with Oksana buying Anna gifts and desperately trying to spend more time with her. Oksana saw Anna’s husband Max as a threat and chose to hate him. In a last-ditch attempt to be Anna’s main partner, Oksana decorated Anna’s apartment with balloons, killed Max, and castrated him.

This led Oksana to be imprisoned for his murder, with Constantin telling Anna she had died — however, a month later, Anna received Oksana’s fancy coat in the mail.

What happened to Anna?

In Killing Eve Season 1 episode ‘God, I’m Tired,’ Anna kills herself to avoid being murdered.

BBC

In Season 1, Eve’s investigation of Villanelle leads her to Anna, which is how fans find out about Oksana’s backstory and the truth behind the fancy coat — there’s a fake passport sewn into the lining.

Around the same time, Villanelle kidnaps Constantin’s daughter, while Anna lets her hide out at her apartment. Trying to retrieve her fake passport, Villanelle heads for the coat, instead finding a note from Eve reading “Sorry Baby x.” When Anna reappears, Villanelle pulls a gun on her.

With Constantin driving Eve to the apartment, Anna pulls a gun on herself to avoid being killed by Villanelle. Villanelle takes Anna’s wallet and phone in response.

Was Anna in love with Villanelle?

Anna might have genuinely cared for her, but she wasn’t in love with Villanelle, instead largely keeping things sexual.

While Anna denies sleeping with Oksana in Season 1, it is confirmed in the series that the pair had sexual relations. During their final standoff, Villanelle tells Irina that the pair used to sleep together, even though Anna had previously denied this to Eve.

From Anna’s point of view, it’s more likely that the teacher aspect of being nurturing was at the forefront of her relationship with Oksana, refusing to leave her husband even if things did later become sexual.

If Killing Eve isn’t enough on its own, find even more amazing movies, TV shows, true crime documentaries, and K-dramas to stream this month.