I'm suspecting the big guy, and not waffles, is actually the hero.
But by making Waffles so strong, he has to acknowledge him as such, waffles joins the team, and the big guys heart opens up to letting other people join him as well, such as the people acknowledged by Waffles.
Actually, alternatively, what if the sister was the hero? That would be an interesting twist, and would explain why she was targeted and killed.