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For many gamers, one thing that's about as fun as playing the game is coming up with theories to explain said game's events or characters. Conspiracy theories are a great way for video game fandoms to get together and discuss what theories they came up with and what conclusions they arrived at.
Coming up with theories is a good way to keep engaging with some of our favorite games long after they've been released. Some theories are backed by evidence in-game which makes them plausible, while others are about as believable as North Korea and South Korea becoming one country again.
There are some theories out there that are so mind-boggling that it's almost hard to believe that someone took the time to come up with a conclusion like that. But once you read the theory, you'll never look at the game the same way again, especially if someone comes out as a dark theory for a seemingly fun and innocent game. So, maybe once you finish this list, you'll never look at the games mentioned in this article the same way again. But hey, it's fun to mess with people's minds though, right?
If you want to take a look at some of the craziest theories gamers have come up with, then check out this list of 15 mind-blowing video game theories that will change everything you know. WARNING: This article may contain major spoilers.
Mary From Silent Hill 2 Is In The Trunk
via:denofgeek.com
As if Silent Hill 2 wasn't already dark enough, someone had to make a theory about Mary's true whereabouts. An ill Mary writes to her husband, James Sunderland, before she dies, asking him to meet her at their special spot. The theory says that Mary didn't die of an illness but that James murdered her and stuffed her in the trunk of his car. She was in the trunk the entire time.
The theory was partially confirmed by Masahiro Ito, one of the designers for Silent Hill, who revealed that James did murder Mary, but Mary's body was actually in the backseat of the car. James couldn't see it because of how much he repressed the memory of the murder. One of the game's multiple endings has James drive his car into a lake, saying that he and Mary can be together now, which meant that he knew where Mary was.
Kirby Lives In A Post-Apocalyptic World
via:youtube.com
You might never have guessed that such a cute and lovable pink fluff ball like Kirby could inhabit a post-apocalyptic world, but it's possible. In Kirby 64, there is a level known as Shiver Star, an ice level which is believed to be planet Earth in nuclear winter after a global catastrophe annihilated mankind. There's a lone moon orbiting Shiver Star and silhouettes that appear to represent Earth's continents. A shopping mall is the location of one of the levels and the boss battle with the giant robot takes place in a desolate metropolis.
There's also a random sign at the level select that reads "No trespassing," which is believed to be an artifact from Earth's earlier history. It may be worth noting that in Dreamland 3, Kirby meets Samus, and the Metroid series is believed to take place in a dystopic and futuristic setting long after Earth is finished.
Animal Crossing Is About A Child-Abducting Cult
via:animalcrossingworld.com
Much like Sunnyside Daycare from Toy Story 3, the charming and innocent world of Animal Crossing is believed by some to belly a dark secret—child abduction. Your character is forced to live in a village full of animals by a creature named Kapp'n, who is based off the Kappa, a Japanese mythological creature that abducts children. You wake up in the back of Kapp'n's car in some games, who tells you that he's going to make you work off the "booty for yer fare" so you can make a living in the village.
There's already a house ready for you in the village, a small and plain house, and your animal neighbors are quick to make you work to pay it off (especially Tom Nook). You can't leave the village and "the mayor always has his eye on you," so you basically have no choice but to continue completing tasks for your captors.
The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask Symbolizes The Five Stages Of Grief
via:gamersheroes.com
The true plot of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is thought to be Link's journey through the five stages of grief. After Link gets knocked off by Epona during the game's opening sequence, he falls unconscious, and the rest of the game takes place inside his head. The citizens of Clock Town represent Link's denial that Navi is really gone, the first stage of grief. The king of Woodfall and his people represent Link's anger over Navi leaving him, the second stage of grief.
Darmani represents bargaining, the third stage of grief, and Lulu represents depression, the fourth stage of grief. Link fights four forms of himself at Ikana Canyon, who represent the first four stages of grief and earns light arrows at the end, completing the final stage of grief, which is acceptance. Since he never finds Navi at the end of the game, the theory is made more plausible.
The Bug Jars From The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Could Bring About The End Of The World
via:ebgames.com
If you've played The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for long periods of time, then you may have noticed the endless bug jars scattered everywhere. While many players initially thought that the jars served no purpose beyond adding a little more detail to the fantasy world, others came up with the theory that those jars have a much more ominous purpose. These players have speculated that the bug jars show one how to summon an apocalypse, thanks to runes inscribed on each one of the jars.
When the runes are translated from the language of the dragons into English, the translations describe locations in Skyrim. Multiple theories abound after this point, but one theory states that one has to place the bug jars on certain spots in the Shrine of Talos, commit genocide in certain cities, kill the dragons at the dragon areas, and activate the stone tower to initiate the apocalypse.
The Ex-Cop From Max Payne 3 Isn't Real
via:maxpayne.wikia.com
Max Payne was somewhat different from the previous Max Payne titles, one of those differences being that Max Payne 3 offers up much more drug violence than previously seen. And when the titular character is hopped up on alcohol and medications, it can lead to some interesting hallucinations. Max Payne 3 features a man named Anders Dedling, a fat and (relatively) joyful ex-cop who has a wife and daughter who he is fond of.
He is believed by some Max Payne fans to be a ghost or a figment of Max's imagination who haunts Max of the life he could have had if he hadn't lost his wife and daughter. One of the biggest pieces of evidence for this theory is when Anders locks himself in a toilet cubicle during a firefight but is nowhere to be found when the stall is opened.
The World Of Minecraft Is A Dead Star
via:itunes.apple.com
You probably never wondered much (or at all) about the origins of the Minecraft world, but someone else did, and they did a lot of research and science to come up with an elaborate theory on the origins of the Minecraft world. The sun that rotates around the Minecrafters' world is their old world. In their old world, they saw that their sun was dying, so they blew up their world to create a new sun.
They moved to their old and dying sun, which they were able to inhabit by coating the surface with stone, dirt, and life. The theory explains the position of the planet compared to everything else in space and why you can't dig very far beneath the ground due to the extremely solid rock. You can't dig any further because you can't dig into a dying star. So if you play Minecraft and you look up in the sky at the sun, you're actually looking up at your old world.
Shepard From The Mass Effect Series Was Possessed By Aliens
via:ea.com
Many Mass Effect fans weren't exactly happy about the ending to Mass Effect 3. At the end of the game, players have to choose one of three options: control the Reapers, destroy the Reapers, or become one of the Reapers. But it doesn't matter which route you take because you die in each scenario, which is why so many Mass Effect players were miffed. However, there is one theory for this: Shephard was being indoctrinated by the Reapers the whole time.
The theory is pretty elaborate so you'll need to do some research if you want more details. But basically, Shephard was indoctrinated due to exposure to the Reapers throughout the three games, and the Mass Effect 3 ending is the Reapers' final attempt to assimilate Shephard. The decision to become a Reaper is deemed the "good choice."
The Boy Is The Villain In Limbo
via Photobucket
In Limbo, you control a nameless boy who wakes up in a dark and nightmarish world on the "edge of hell" (hence, the game's title) and has to search for his missing sister. While the boy appears as the hero of the game, one theory says that he's actually the villain. The spider boss was actually a guardian of sorts in this world and only wanted to restrain the boy by encasing him in webbing. Unfortunately, the boy dismembers the spider and rolls its body through the forest in order to advance.
The boy is believed to have caused his sister's death and that his passage through limbo is one of rage, and all the other children he meets during the game run away from him because they're afraid of him as he's the true villain of the entire story.
All Nintendo Characters Inhabit The Same World
via:elrincondelpixel.com
When it comes to video games, Nintendo has a long and storied history.With so many iconic video game franchises hailing from them, would you believe that they all take place in the same universe? Zelda's goddess, Hylia, created the Nintendo world from scratch, which gave life to Pokemon. Eventually, the Pokemon evolved over time and became more intelligent, turning into the Animal Crossing characters.
Somewhere along the line, the Zelda series gives way to the Mario series. Star Fox and Metroid take place thousands of years in the future after thousands of years of evolution. The theory is further supported by the fact that references to certain Nintendo games are found in other Nintendo games, such as a portrait of Mario found in Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and characters from Ocarina of Time wearing medallions with Bowser on them.
Metal Gear Solid 3 Is A Virtual Mission
via:metalgearinformer.com
Everything isn't as it seems, especially when it comes to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Whereas earlier installments in the Metal Gear franchise featured Solid Snake as the protagonist, Metal Gear Solid 3 took a turn in the franchise as the main character becomes Naked Snake, Solid Snake's future nemesis. Another turn in the franchise may be that Metal Gear Solid 3 is a virtual simulation if the theory is true.
At the beginning of the game, Major Zero tells Naked Snake that he is being sent on a "virtuous mission," but the latter mishears him and replies, "Virtual mission?" While this isn't particularly strong evidence, it has caused some to believe that the game's designers did this on purpose to hint at the fact that the entire game actually takes place inside a virtual reality and isn't real.
The Pokemon World Was Ravaged By War
via Amino Apps
What appears as a lighthearted quest to become a top-notch Pokemon trainer is a lot darker than some might believe. One popular theory among Pokemon fans is that the Pokemon world was ravaged by a war that wiped out most of the adult population, namely the males. Your father is never addressed, Gary is an orphan with no backstory that explains why, and most of the remaining men are gym leaders and military personnel.
During the game, you have a conversation with Lt. Surge who says that electric Pokemon saved him during the war; supposedly the same war that killed off a large portion of the adult population, including your father, and left the kids to run around, collecting Pokemon and battling each other for something to do.
Aeris Wasn't Supposed To Die In Final Fantasy 7
via:finalfantasy.wikia.com
Many Final Fantasy 7 fans were upset at Aeris' death, especially since it came out of nowhere and felt rushed. Eventually, Final Fantasy fans came up with two similar theories concerning Aeris' death. One theory states that Aeris was never meant to die originally, but the game's designers made her die so they could shake things up.
Another theory states that the designers intended for Aeris to die but they meant to resurrect her later in the game. Tifa says in a conversation that she's positive that Aeris will come back, that the final battle area has an empty stone section where Aeris could have stood, and that there's even an artwork in the game's instruction booklet that shows the flower merchant looking up at the Highwind, even though that scene never occurs in the game.
Donkey Kong Country Is Anti-American Propaganda
via:rarefandabase.com
According to this theory, the true villain of Donkey Kong Country isn't King K. Rool; it's American imperialism. Following the Spanish-American War, the U.S. gained control of several Caribbean countries such as Honduras and Nicaragua, where they overthrew local businesses in order to monopolize the banana trade. The world of Donkey Kong Country symbolizes one of those Caribbean countries, which is being invaded by a foreign military force who is stealing all the bananas.
King K. Rool represents Teddy Roosevelt, the president during the Banana Wars who was known for his active stance in American imperialism and his desire to cement America as a global power. There's also the fact that many of the game's enemies dress like American soldiers. And there's a level in the game that shows the crocodiles turning large areas of the landscape into desolate oil fields, an indication towards America's foreign policy.
Mario Prevents Luigi From Destroying The World
via:play.nintendo.com
It's a well-known fact that Luigi is the cowardly one between him and Mario, but it's possible that he's one of the most powerful and potentially threatening characters of the Mario universe. It is implied in Super Paper Mario that Luigi is the reincarnation of Count Bleck's great grandfather and the perfect host of an object that can destroy every world in existence known as the Chaos Heart. Luigi's side story in Paper Mario: Thousand-Year Door had him leave ruin in his wake in the kingdom he was traveling in.
It's believed that Luigi fears losing control over his world-destroying powers and that he sticks close to Mario so that if he would ever lose control, his brother could stop him. Luigi's intense fear of ghosts ties in with this theory. Ghosts can possess the living, and if a ghost were to possess Luigi, the damage would be devastating.
Sources: cracked.com, reddit.com, gamesetwatch.com, kotaku.com, screenrant.com, reddit.com
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