Line #3 Main/StockEpilepticTrees


1	Things that are frequently proposed in [[EpilepticTrees fan theories]] at a rate [[DeadUnicornTrope disproportionate to their occurrence in actual works of fiction]].
2
3	See Also: WMG/GrandUnifyingGuesses and WMG/PoisonOakEpilepticTrees.
4	----
5	!!Common theories with their own pages:
6
7	* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory:
8	** 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/DungeonsAndDragons1983'' would end. After being explicitly {{Jossed}}, ''Series/{{Lost}}'' [[spoiler:actually ended this way. However, it was a case of the characters ending up in Purgatory either during or after the series, rather than being DeadAllAlong]].
9	** There's also the one where character X is literally Jesus[=/=]{{God}}[=/=]Satan.
10	** Inversion: pick ''any'' character who died. [[SortingAlgorithmOfDeadness They aren't really dead]] / [[HesJustHiding they'll come back]].
11	** Another death one is the (usually tongue-in-cheek) theory that a character who [[PutOnABus left]] offscreen or [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome disappeared]] was killed by another character, even if said character is definitely not a killer.
12	** Any AmbiguouslyAbsentParent will be speculated as dead. If it's the mother, people will often speculate that she [[DeathByChildbirth died in childbirth]].
13	** {{Absent Animal Companion}}s are often theorised as being dead too, especially if they belong to a short-lived species like mice.
14	* DelusionConclusion: This sometimes reflects either some fans' lack of faith in the writers or their lack of imagination; revealing that the whole story was AllJustADream as a DeusExMachina has been a DeadHorseTrope for quite a while. Variations of this include:
15	** The main character is insane and delusional, [[CuckooNest and the entire story is their hallucination]], with them either suffering from some mental illness (usually schizophrenia) or downright being in an [[BedlamHouse asylum]]. Usually with an element of AndYouWereThere, with the other characters representing people from the hero's life or staff and patients from the asylum.
16	** DyingDream is a very commonly speculated form, especially if the work starts with a near-fatal accident.
17	** The Tommyverse is well-known outside of TV Tropes. Essentially Six Degrees of ''Series/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.
18	** There's also the theory that one or more characters are just hallucinations or dreams or imaginary.
19	** A downplayed version of this is that only one or more episodes/chapters/seasons were dreams. Notably, if a specific part of the story is canonically a dream/hallucination/virtual world/whatever, it will be assumed that the rest of the story is, too.
20	** An inversion is the theory that a character who's a [[DreamPeople dream person]], ImaginaryFriend or hallucination is real.
21	** There's the theory that all the events were the hallucinations of the protagonist or an OriginalCharacter, who is on drugs or drunk.
22	** The lovechild of the Delusion Conclusion and the DeadAllAlong theory is "Most of the characters are all dead and Character X (usually the protagonist) is either having grief-induced hallucinations or [[CopeByPretending pretending they're still alive to cope]]".
23	* FanonWelding: A type of theory which argues that Show X is set in the same universe as Show Y.
24	** Inversion: The spin-off is not really set in the same universe as the original.
25	** Or sometimes: The spinoff IS set in the same universe as the original
26	*** Alternatively, the SpiritualSequel is set in the same universe as the previous work, thus being a StealthSequel.
27	* 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 Freud was right and that all conflicts can be reduced to the UsefulNotes/OedipusComplex.
28	* EarthAllAlong: Any fantasy setting is often presumed to be Earth either far in the future or far in the past, the epileptic trees even covering up cases where the dates are explicitly stated through an Unreliable Narrator. For stories that take place in a ConstructedWorld (which isn't supposed to have anything to do with our world): Show X takes place AfterTheEnd, or else in the distant past and two of the characters are [[AdamAndEvePlot Adam and Eve.]] Often crops up in stories where all the characters are {{Funny Animal}}s.
29	* DiagnosedByTheAudience: Sometimes done out of a desire for representation, especially among people who actually fall under the relevant categories, the idea that one or more characters has a mental disorder, alternate neurotype, etc. Common variations include:
30	** The genius/loner/{{Cloudcuckoolander}} is [[HollywoodAutism autistic]].
31	** The nervy character has an anxiety disorder.
32	** TheEeyore is depressed.
33	** The cloudcuckoolander or TheDitz has a learning disability.
34
35	!!Other theories common to general fandom:
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37	* The BigBad is actually a pawn of the [[TheManBehindTheMan real Big Bad]], who is [[TheDogWasTheMastermind the character you would least suspect]] (for example, the [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter ridiculously cute]] NonHumanSidekick).
38	* The story is [[DirecTLineToTheAuthor 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]].
39	* The [[VillainProtagonist protagonist is the villain]].
40	** Sometimes paired with "[[DracoInLeatherPants the antagonist is the hero]]".
41	* 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.
42	* The protagonist is fighting on the wrong side, because the "evil" characters are actually in the right and the protagonist is too blind or prejudiced to notice.
43	* 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.
44	** TheDitz, the CluelessBoss, or some other [[ObfuscatingStupidity seemingly-incompetent character]] is actually a double agent working for whatever side benefited from their “mistakes”.
45	* Characters X and Y share the same last name, therefore are [[SameSurnameMeansRelated related]]. This one might fly in a world with MinimalistCast -- but the more characters there are, the less likely it is. Unless, of course, your name is Creator/CharlesDickens (or if the last name is particularly unusual).
46	* 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 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 Y (in universes where they exist).
47	** A subset of this is "all characters are actually [[LiteralSplitPersonality ''part'' of the main character]]." For example, both ''WMG/FinalFantasyXII'' and ''WMG/Mother3'' had this idea, the latter for a character from a ''previous'' game.
48	** 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.)
49	** Character X is transgender and is now Character Y. Seems to be common among the fandoms of Western Animation shows that used models that were re-used a lot such as ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends''. Like the above, this is also more likely to be true than most "two characters are the same person" theories.
50	* The entire story is an AuthorTract regardless of WordOfGod. Common topics include sexuality, religion, politics, nukes or drugs.
51	* The future is actually in the past, and vice versa.
52	* Each character represents one of the SevenDeadlySins (or other theories which basically state "one or more characters represent an abstract concept").
53	** Another common "one character is an abstract concept" theory is the theory that any "voice of reason" character actually is just a representation of the protagonist's conscience.
54	* X Character is actually a robot/angel/witch/wizard/alien/ghost/vampire/etc.
55	* Any character with CharlieBrownBaldness (especially if they're a child) [[BaldnessMeansSickness has cancer]] (often specifically leukemia), and their lack of hair is due to them being a chemotherapy patient.
56	* All InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals are clones.
57	* Two best friends are actually a couple (this is especially common in same-sex best friends in stories with no gay or bi characters, since straight viewers may do this because GirlOnGirlIsHot or GuyOnGuyIsHot, while LGBT viewers do it because they want representation.). See also {{Shipping}}.
58	** A group of three very close friends (two of whom may be an OfficialCouple) is actually a OneTrueThreesome.
59	* The story is actually being made up by one of the characters to entertain themselves or another person, or the whole story is actually a play/video game/simulation, etc. Basically, Delusion Conclusion minus the idea of insanity or dreaming.
60	* An episode that involved a PlotHole took place in a parallel universe.
61	* Any work where the characters live somewhere crazy like under the sea or in a zeppelin will have people speculating that they live there for some dark reason like pollution or overpopulation. ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'' is a common one for this. Can overlap with the Earth All Along notion if the setting is not canonically Earth, and sometimes overlaps with the "the past is actually the future/the future is actually the past" theory.
62	* A pet actually has human-level intelligence and may be evil, or what appears to be an inanimate object is actually sentient.
63	* A character was actually an impostor during an OutOfCharacterMoment.
64	* Any work that involves children playing make-believe games will get theories claiming that the "games" are actually real. Conversely, any work that ''does'' involve magic or other unusual events, but which focuses on children, will get theories that the whole story (or the more bizarre/supernatural parts of it) is just a game being played by the children.
65	* Any gloomy, [[TheStoic serious]], or nervous character had something terrible happen to them in the past that made them that way.
66	* Any character who doesn't look like their parents will get theories that they're adopted or that [[ChocolateBaby their mother cheated on their father]].
67	* Child and teenage characters will often attract theories relating to having certain professions when they grow up, based on [[EarlyPersonalitySigns parts of their personality]].
68
69	!!Theories common to Website/TVTropes fandom
70	* WMG/TimeLord (that a certain character is a Time Lord from ''Series/DoctorWho'', especially any Time Traveller in the history of everything ever)
71	** Sometimes paired with "and Y is his/her TARDIS."
72	** The suggestion that X character is Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya (especially any RealityWarper or TheOmnipotent or any protagonist in the history of everything ever), is another epileptic tree specific to TV Tropes.
73	** And the idea that character X is a [[TabletopGame/GeniusTheTransgression Genius]] is becoming popular as well. In a similar vein, the idea that character X is a [[Webcomic/GirlGenius Spark]].
74	* Series X is just a hallucination taking place during [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Instrumentality]].
75	* Any [[TheTrickster trickster]] is [[Creator/HPLovecraft Nyarlathotep]].
76	* Every character [[DoppelgangerCrossover with the same actor/voice actor/]]name [[DoppelgangerCrossover as a character from another franchise]] ''is'' actually that other character. (Tongue in cheek, usually.)
77	** Subverted in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'': J.D. and Turk recognize The Janitor while watching ''Film/TheFugitive''. Creator/NeilFlynn (who plays The Janitor) actually had a minor role in ''The Fugitive''. In the ''Scrubs'' universe, it was The Janitor himself who played the part.
78	* Any FanFic which has gained fame for being poorly written is a TrollFic. Which is usually true, but that's not the point.
79	* Something awesome is powered by [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Spiral]] [[AwesomenessIsAForce Energy]].
80	* The Film/MenInBlack keep tabs on [insert odd character or creatures here].
81	* [insert genius, mad scientist or ''any'' inventor here] works/worked for [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 Gizmonic Institute]].
82	* X character is [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries Ash's]] [[DisappearedDad father]]. While an ubiquitous enough WildMassGuess ''in''-universe (to the point of [[WMG/PokemonAshsFather having its own page]]), crossover theories about Ash's father are also very popular, which can additionally overlap with other items in this section.
83	* [[WesternAnimation/VillainousCartoonNetwork Black Hat]] is TheManBehindTheMan for X character.
84	* X character is TheManBehindTheMan for [[WesternAnimation/{{Pibby}} The Darkness]].

Context Main / StockEpilepticTrees