History Main / StockEpilepticTrees

** A subset of this is "all characters are actually ''part'' of the main character." For example, both ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' and ''VideoGame/Mother3'' had this idea, the latter for a character from a previous game.

* Any given pair of characters who played a big role in the backstory and then vanished (or one such character and a current character with a mysterious past) will have a theory postulating that they're the same person, usually latching onto minor details in both stories to "prove" it. (Granted, this is more likely than a lot of these theories to be true.)

* Character X is transgender and is now Character Y. Seems to be common among the fandoms of Western Animation shows that used models such as ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends''.

See Also: WMG/GrandUnifyingGuesses, WMG/PoisonOakEpilepticTrees

!!Theories common to general fandom

* The story is [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis actually being told]] by Character X, who may be an UnreliableNarrator. If the story ''actually is'' being narrated by one of its characters, [[UnreliableNarrator they can't be trusted]]; if the story ''admits'' they can't be trusted, [[SerialEscalation they're lying about different things than are implied]].

** The cast died in the first episode and now they're all in Purgatory. Explicitly {{Jossed}} by the creators of ''Series/{{Lost}}'', among other writers. There was an infamous (false) rumor that this was how ''WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons'' would end. After being explicitly {{Jossed}}, ''Series/{{Lost}}'' [[spoiler:actually ended this way. However, it was a case of the character ending up in Purgatory either during or after the series, rather than being DeadAllAlong]].

** The cast died in the first episode and now they're all in Purgatory. Explicitly {{Jossed}} by the creators of ''Series/{{Lost}}'', among other writers. There was an infamous (false) rumor that this was how ''WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons'' would end. After being explicitly {{Jossed}}, ''Series/{{Lost}}'' [[spoiler:actually ended this way, though its characters ended in Purgatory after they died, either during or after the series, rather than being DeadAllAlong]].

** A downplayed version of this is that only one or more episodes/chapters/seasons were dreams.

** The hero is insane and delusional, [[CuckooNest and the entire story is his hallucination in an]] [[BedlamHouse asylum]]. Usually with an element of Main/AndYouWereThere, with the other characters representing people from the heroes' life or staff and patients from the asylum.

** The hero is insane and delusional, [[CuckooNest and the entire story is his hallucination in an]] [[BedlamHouse asylum]]. Usually with an element of Main/AndYouWereThere, with the other characters being inspired by people from the heroes' life or staff and patients from the asylum.

** The hero is insane and delusional, [[CuckooNest and the entire story is his hallucination in an]] [[BedlamHouse asylum]].

* Any ManipulativeBastard or TricksterArchetype is [[Creator/HPLovecraft Nyarlathotep]].

* Any "Character X and Character Y are the same person" theories qualify, even when there's no clear reason for one or the other character to change his/her/their identity and they don't look anything alike. (''Lost'' gets this a lot, too). By extension, Character X is actually a ShapeShifter or BodySnatcher pretending to be Character X (in universes where they exist).

* Characters X and Y share the same last name, therefore are related. This one might fly in a world with MinimalistCast -- but the closer you get to LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, the less likely it is. Unless, of course, your name is Creator/CharlesDickens.

See Also: WMG/GrandUnifyingGuesses, PoisonOakEpilepticTrees

* Something awesome is powered by [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Spiral Energy]].

** There's also the one where character X is literally Jesus[=/=]God[=/=]Satan.

* Character X and Y share the same last name, therefore are related. This one might fly in a world with MinimalistCast -- but the closer you get to LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, the less likely it is. Unless, of course, your name is Creator/CharlesDickens.
* Any "Character X and Character Y are the same person" theories qualify, even when there's no clear reason for one or the other character to change his identity and they don't look anything alike. (''Lost'' gets this a lot, too). By extension, Character X is actually a ShapeShifter or BodySnatcher pretending to be Character X (in universes where they exist).

* Each character represents one of the SevenDeadlySins.

See Also: GrandUnifyingGuesses, PoisonOakEpilepticTrees

!!Theories common to TVTropes fandom

* LukeIAmYourFather. A legitimate trope, but fans take it way too far, especially with their tendency to assume that the BigBad is the father of TheHero, even when there is obvious evidence against it. This is probably influenced by the [[AllPsychologyIsFreudian widespread belief]] that FreudWasRight and that all conflicts can be reduced to [[OedipusComplex Oedipus]] CallingTheOldManOut.

** The cast died in the first episode and now they're all in Purgatory. Explicitly {{Jossed}} by the creators of ''Series/{{Lost}}'', among other writers. There was an infamous (false) rumor that this was how ''WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons'' would end. After being explicitly {{Jossed}}, ''Series/{{Lost}}'' [[spoiler:actually ended this way, being DeadAllAlong]].

** The Tommyverse is well-known outside of TV Tropes. Essentially Six Degrees of ''StElsewhere'' it postulates that every show that has ever crossed-over with ''St. Elsewhere'' exists in a shared universe wherein everything takes place entirely within the mind of autistic child Tommy Westphall, and the shows that crossed over with them, and so-on. This ultimately leads to a staggering number of television shows stretching from ''Series/TheXFiles'' to ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment''. On the other end of the spectrum it has sparked some fascinating (and pretentious!) discussions about the nature of intertextuality, metafiction, AsHimself, and other such post-modern concepts.

** The cast died in the first episode and now they're all in Purgatory. Explicitly {{Jossed}} by the creators of ''Series/{{Lost}}'', among other writers. There was an infamous (false) rumor that this was how ''WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons'' would end. After being explicitly {{Jossed}}, ''Series/{{Lost}}'' [[spoiler:actually ended this way, though its characters ended in Purgatory after they died, either during or after the series, rather than being DeadAllAlong]].

* The story is [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis actually being told]] by Character X, who may be an UnreliableNarrator.
** If the story ''actually is'' being narrated by one of its characters, [[UnreliableNarrator they can't be trusted]]; if the story ''admits'' they can't be trusted, [[SerialEscalation they're lying about different things than are implied]].

* Character X is a mole or traitor who will FaceHeelTurn.
** Alternatively, villainous Character Y is working for the heroes or will make a HeelFaceTurn. It used to be less common for a villain to receive enough development to make this one plausible ''unless'' it was bound to happen; these days, more creators are interested in humanizing the opposition, but that doesn't stop audiences from speculating.

** Any given pair of characters who played a big role in the backstory and then vanished (or one such character and a current character with a mysterious past) will have a theory postulating that they're the same person, usually latching onto minor details in both stories to "prove" it. (Granted, this is more likely than a lot of these theories to be true.)

* The protagonist is fighting on the wrong side. The [[GovernmentAgencyOfFiction agency]] they work for is secretly working for the enemies, or has a [[GovernmentConspiracy conspiracy]] going.