History AlternativeCharacterInterpretation / BendyAndTheInkMachine

* Is Ink Bendy really evil, or just a mindless product of Joey's experiments with the occult? Dark Revival confirms that the Ink Demon is pure evil.

* Is Ink Bendy really evil, or just a mindless product of Joey's experiments with the occult?

** Is Joey TheAtoner, or is he subscribing to NeverMyFault and blames Henry for not being around to be his MoralityChain? Dark Revival confirms he had the latter mindset during his creation of the Henry clone in the cycle, but turned to the former after the creation of Audrey/

* Did Henry leave thirty years ago willingly, did he strike, or was he fired or drafted? If the breakup was less than amicable, does Henry feel there's enough water under the bridge, or does he want closure from Joey?

* Is Sammy just a cultist nutso who went insane for Bendy for no good reason, or was it a side-effect of TheCorruption caused by the ink machine and he's actually a [[JerkassWoobie victim of the horror]]? Or perhaps [[TakeAThirdOption some middle ground between the two]]?

** Did Joey intentionally trap Henry in the loop? If so, why? Is he trying to fix everything he helped cause or is he trying to come up with a perfect story at his best friend's expense? Does he have [[RealityWarper reality warping powers,]] as hinted at with the storyboards that can be found in his house? The storyboards support this interpretation, as there's one depicting a "Ink Bendy Wins" scenario involving the "The End" reel, among others.
** How aware is any given Henry of the loop? Is this the reason for his DullSurprise? Does he forget every time a new loop starts? There must have been at least one loop where he realized what was happening, hence all the secret writing in Chapter 5 and during a NewGamePlus.

** Is Joey TheAtoner, or is he subscribing to NeverMyFault and blames Henry for not being around to be his MoralityChain?

** Is the studio and the Ink Machine itself even real? During TheStinger an Ink Machine can be seen in Joey's house. During what we ''presume'' to be a flashback, Henry transitions from opening a door in Joey's house to entering the studio. Is Joey's house made BiggerOnTheInside by the Ink Machine he has hidden within? Is the studio and its Ink Machine false and really just a warped room within Joey's home, created by the "true" Ink Machine? If not, then why on Earth does Joey have an Ink Machine within his own home in the first place?

** Who was the little girl that was talking to Joey during TheStinger?

** Is the Henry we play as even the ''real'' Henry Stein, or is he another creation of Joey, meant to play the hero? Doesn't help that we never get to see his face.

** How aware is any given Henry of the loop? Is this the reason for his DullSurprise? Does he forget every time a [[spoiler:new loop starts?]] There must have been at least one [[spoiler:loop where he realized what was happening, hence all the secret writing in Chapter 5 and during a NewGamePlus.]]
** How in control is Henry of his own actions? For that matter, how in control is [[spoiler:Ink Bendy?]] Is [[spoiler:he]] really evil, or is [[spoiler:he]] being forced to play the villain?
** Is [[spoiler:Joey]] TheAtoner, or is he subscribing to NeverMyFault and blames [[spoiler:Henry]] for not being around to be his MoralityChain?
** Joey has [[spoiler:a letter from Allison Pendle-Connor and Thomas Connor.]] Is it a forgery? Were they turned into toons after it was written? If not, then who in the world are [[spoiler:the good Allison Angel and the Tom-Boris?]]
** Is the studio and the Ink Machine itself [[spoiler:even real?]] During TheStinger [[spoiler:an Ink Machine can be seen in Joey's house. During what we ''presume'' to be a flashback, Henry transitions from opening a door in Joey's house to entering the studio. Is Joey's house made BiggerOnTheInside by the Ink Machine he has hidden within? Is the studio and its Ink Machine false and really just a warped room within Joey's home, created by the "true" Ink Machine?]] If not, then why on Earth does [[spoiler:Joey have an Ink Machine within his own home in the first place?]]

* Chapter 5 leads to several of these. The possibility that Henry is [[spoiler:trapped in a GroundhogDayLoop]] in particular brings a lot into question.
** Did Joey intentionally trap Henry in the loop? If so, why? Is he trying to fix everything he helped cause or [[spoiler:is he trying to come up with a perfect story at his best friend's expense?]] Does he have [[RealityWarper reality warping powers,]] as hinted at with [[spoiler:the storyboards that can be found in his house? The storyboards support this interpretation, as there's one depicting a "Ink Bendy Wins" scenario involving the "The End" reel, among others.]]
** How aware is [[spoiler:any given]] Henry of the [[spoiler:loop]]? Is this the reason for his DullSurprise? Does he forget every time a [[spoiler:new loop starts?]] There must have been at least one [[spoiler:loop where he realized what was happening, hence all the secret writing in Chapter 5 and during a NewGamePlus.]]

** As with at the start of the game, is Ink Bendy evil? [[spoiler:As the above interpretation of Joey indicates, he may not even be in control of his actions.]]
** If he IS evil, then was he [[GoMadFromTheIsolation driven insane from forced isolation?]] Audio logs in this chapter indicate that [[spoiler:upon his creation, he never did anything to hurt anyone, just wander around aimlessly and creep people out. ...Then Joey apparently had him locked up out of fear of bad PR for who knows how long somewhere in the studio.]] Going further, did his apparent [[spoiler:lack of a soul help lead to him becoming the monster we fear throughout the game, or did it just mean he was an empty vessel? Does he even actually lack a soul, or was that just a theory made by Thomas Connor to explain to Joey why he came out off-model?]]
** Does Ink Bendy want [[spoiler: Henry's human soul]], or [[spoiler: his creator to otherwise complete him]]?
** How involved was Thomas Connor in Joey's misdeeds? The only thing we know for sure is that he [[spoiler:was aware of Ink Bendy's existance, likely even being there when he was "born."]]
** During [[spoiler:Ink Bendy's death]] he reaches out to Henry. Was it one last attempt to kill the man, or was he scared and looking for comfort from [[spoiler:his creator?]]
** Who was [[spoiler:the little girl that was talking to Joey]] during TheStinger?
** There's several instances throughout the game, especially in Chapter 4, where Ink Bendy has opportunity to kill Henry, but doesn't. He even ''saves'' Henry at one point. Add the [[JumpScare jumpsscares]] he commits throughout the game and one has to wonder if he was even really out to get Henry, or if he [[spoiler:was just trying to scare the man off to prevent him from using "The End" against him, only resorting to violence when Henry had the reel in his hands.]] Alternatively, if you go with the implication that Joey is controlling everything, then is it all an in-universe example of Joey doing an AssPull to keep the story going?

* The ink monsters. Considering that Sammy seems almost made of ink in episode two... [[FridgeHorror are these]] [[BodyHorror former employees?]] [[spoiler:Chapter 5 later all-but-says this, with one of the secret messages on the walls: "Once People, Now Fallen Into Despair".]]
* Twisted Alice/[[spoiler:Susie Campbell]]. Was [[spoiler:Susie]] forced to [[spoiler:assimilate with Alice and become a monstrous toon-human hybrid]], or did she do so willingly after [[spoiler:she was replaced by a different voice actress that Joey liked better]], to become the "true" Alice? Was [[spoiler:Susie]] twisted into her current state because [[spoiler:she was fired from the role of Alice and turned evil]], or did [[spoiler:combining with Alice]] drive her insane and murderous? When she claims "I had to do it. She made me", who is really saying that -- Alice or [[spoiler:Susie]]? And are the two still [[spoiler:separate and self-aware personalities in the same body]]? It would explain Alice's mood swings between murderous and outrage, and what sounds like fear and despair.
** With Susie's menacing tape in Chapter Four, one might say it's actually Alice who's despairing and the one who's good, but [[spoiler: Susie is the evil one here, drawn and driven insane by the ink]].

** Did Joey [[spoiler:intentionally trap Henry in the loop?]] If so, why? Is he trying to fix everything he helped cause or [[spoiler:is he trying to come up with a perfect story at his best friend's expense?]] Does he have [[RealityWarper reality warping powers,]] as hinted at with [[spoiler:the storyboards that can be found in his house? The storyboards support this interpretation, as there's one depicting a "Ink Bendy Wins" scenario involving the "The End" reel, among others.]]