Top 10 Most Evil Disney Fan Theories

“The Little Mermaid” (1989) & “Peter Pan” (1953)
Now this is a cursed crossover. The idea for this theory is based on the fact that mermaids exist in the “Peter Pan” universe. One redhead mermaid even looks quite a bit like Ariel, and could well be Ariel’s mother. And indeed, according to the prequel film, Ariel’s mother, Queen Athena, is killed when pirates crash their ship into the lagoon. Could one of those pirates have been the infamous Captain Hook? He must have had a life in the human world before he became trapped in Neverland. Fortunately for us, this looks like a case of coincidence rather than creating a twisted shared universe. Or, at least, that’s how we prefer to think about it.

“Finding Nemo” (2003)
A father’s journey to find his missing son can make for a powerful narrative. But what if the son isn’t missing, but instead never existed? This sad fan theory posits that Nemo was a figment of Marlin’s imagination. Traumatized by the death of his wife and their unborn children, Marlin copes with the pain by creating a son in his mind. Very intriguing. Of course, other characters interact with Nemo, and the film even follows his point of view a number of times. Still, Marlin’s journey to find his son does tend to mirror the process of healing from trauma. No doubt that this is what makes this theory attractive, if very dour.

Various
This iconic, easily irritated duck has appeared in countless cartoons and films. But why is Donald Duck the spitting hothead we know and love? This particular meta asserts that Donald Duck didn’t used to have such a temper, particularly in the earlier Disney films. From war propaganda cartoons, we know Donald has served in World War II. In one comic strip, he has a war flashback and even tries to kill his nephews! Perhaps Donald’s personality changes are due to him dealing with some form of post traumatic stress. He’s always been irritable, but this theory provides some extra layers to his temper.

“Winnie the Pooh” franchise (1977-) & “Pinocchio” (1940)
Did we really need an explanation for Eeyore’s doldrums? And must it be this horrific? This fan theory posits that the glumness of Winnie the Pooh’s donkey friend has everything to do with his past. The thought goes that Eeyore was once a child lured to Pleasure Island and turned into a donkey. One sadistic — er, clever — YouTuber even created a crossover edit. He would eventually escape to the Hundred Acre Wood, but would retain his donkey form and gain a somber attitude. As if the whole concept of Pleasure Island weren’t creepy enough, linking it to the good-natured stories of “Winnie the Pooh” is just dark.

“Frozen” (2013) & “Tarzan” (1999)
Okay, this one is partially Chris Buck’s fault. The “Frozen” and “Tarzan” co-director opened up a can of worms by suggesting in 2014 that Tarzan could be Anna and Elsa’s long-lost brother. The theory goes that the sisters’ parents survived the shipwreck and washed ashore somewhere in Africa. They were eventually killed by a leopard, and their young son is left an orphan before being adopted and raised as Tarzan. It’s a very creative crossover, and so tragic. But unfortunately for theorists, Buck himself went back and debunked the story. “Frozen 2” puts the theory to rest as well, revealing the true way the king and queen of Arendelle perished.

“Up” (2009)
The opening montage of “Up” is one of the most memorable and touching sequences in animated film. Sadly, Ellie dies before she and Carl can fulfill their Paradise Falls trip dreams, and her husband becomes a bitter widower. When ordered to leave his home, Carl opts to use thousands of balloons to fly away — or does he? This fantastical feat may have been but a dream. According to this dark fan theory, Carl actually dies in his sleep. His whole adventure is about a different kind of paradise — the afterlife. This theory has definite holes, of course. For one thing, we see Carl back in his town at the end of the movie. Still…ouch.

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)
This classic fairytale seems like an open-and-shut case of a princess getting her true love’s kiss and living happily ever after with her prince. But the ending’s very beautiful visuals could suggest a different kind of interpretation altogether. Maybe Snow White actually does succumb to the poison apple, and her prince is more Grim Reaper than good guy. The Prince’s kiss, then, is that of death, spiriting her away to the afterlife. Yikes. Let’s just be relieved that the dwarfs also see the Prince. That means he must definitely be human, right?

“Peter Pan” (1953)
A lot of Peter Pan’s picaresque personality seems amoral as it is. In J. M. Barrie’s original play, he is even worse — a cautionary tale of the dangers of arrested development. This fan theory goes even further, suggesting that Pan has nefarious methods for preventing his Lost Boys from growing up. At a certain age, he just murders them. Captain Hook and his crew are, in fact, former Lost Boys who somehow escaped Pan. The theory is definitely dark, but compelling. The idea has even been played with in the TV series “Once Upon a Time.”

“Frozen” (2013)
At first blush, this theory might seem far-fetched. Anna’s charming prince is the surprise villain in the film, no question. That said, let’s be honest: The twist did come out of nowhere. There is a shot of him gazing admiringly at Anna, and he also didn’t allow his guard to kill Elsa, even when her death may have benefited him. But this interpretation posits that Hans’ treachery may actually be due to Kristoff’s match-making troll friends. There’s a line in “Fixer Upper” about removing Hans from the picture — maybe that had a little more power behind it, and Hans was manipulated into sabotaging his relationship with Anna.

“The Lion King” (1994)
This theory could have made it into the film itself, and actually did come up in the musical adaptation. In “The Lion King,” Nala tells Simba that she left Pride Rock to find help. But a deleted scene suggested that she actually fled because of Scar’s inappropriate behavior towards her. The scene, complete with an unreleased villainous track, was likely cut due to its heavy themes. This is, after all, a kids’ movie. But considering Scar did plan to make Nala his queen, the rationale that Nala left Pride Rock to avoid his attention becomes more than plausible.




Which Disney fan theory do you believe? Let us know in the comments down below!