Random Mind-Blowing Fan Theories About '90s Cartoons (13 items)

(#11) In 'Caillou,' Caillou Is Terminally Ill With Cancer

This theory is pretty dark, but why else would a young child be completely bald? Surely Caillou's parents didn't shave his head. Also Caillou's sister Rosie has red hair, despite both his parents being brunettes.
The explanation here is that she was adopted, as Caillou's parents knew they were both high risk for cancer, and didn't want another child to go through what Caillou did.
(#8) The Children In 'Ed, Edd n Eddy' Are In Purgatory

According to one very popular fan theory, the children in Ed, Edd n Eddy are all actually dead and trapped in purgatory. This explains why there are no adults in the show, why the entire series seems to take place on their little cul-de-sac, and why the children have blue-tinted tongues (tongues can turn a blueish tint upon death).
According to this theory, the children from the show all come from different time periods. Johnny died in the early 1900s, which is why he has a plank the board as a toy. Eddy was a fast-talking swindler from the Great Depression era, and Double D died in the '80s, hence his love for technology.
(#10) Dr. Claw Is The Real Inspector Gadget In 'Inspector Gadget'

Inspector Gadget was a great show with a memorable theme, and the villain Dr. Claw was a mysterious figure whose face we never got to see. According to one fan theory, here's a good reason for that, and that is that Dr. Claw is actually the original Inspector Gadget. Supposedly the original Inspector Gadget was a cop who died on the job, and since he was such a valued part of the police force, the chief decided to build a robot that looked and acted exactly like the original.
The problem is that the man they modeled Inspector Gadget after actually survived, and after seeing how he was replaced by a robot, he became the nefarious Dr. Claw. Why do you think you never see Dr. Claw's face? It's because he has the same face as Inspector Gadget.
(#3) The Strange Events In 'Courage the Cowardly Dog' Are All Normal

Courage the Cowardly Dog first aired on Cartoon Network in 1999. The concept of the show is simple: Courage the dog lives on a farm with his owners Muriel and Eustace, and every episode a scary creature, person, or monster visits the farm and terrorizes the family. Courage eventually confronts his fears and foils the monster's plans, thus saving the family. One fan theory, however, presents an opposing viewpoint: what if the "monsters" that visit the family each week are merely regular people being seen through the eyes of a dog?
In other words, the show is not about literal monsters who are haunting the family, but the overactive imagination of a dog and how it perceives the world around it.
(#2) In 'Pinky and the Brain,' Pinky Is Actually The Genius

In the theme song for Pinky and the Brain, the lyrics specifically tell us that "one is a genius, the other's insane." However, have you ever wondered why they don't specifically tell us which mouse is which? One fan theory argues that Pinky is, in fact, the genius of the bunch, and Brain is the insane one.
If you think about it, it totally makes sense - the insane megalomaniac brain is trying to take over the world every day, and by playing dumb, Pinky is able to thwart him time and time again, saving the world and leading Brain to believe it was only an accident.
(#6) Helga Is The Main Character In 'Hey Arnold!'

Hey Arnold! was one of Nickelodeon's most popular cartoons in the '90s, but who is truly the main character of this series? The obvious answer is Arnold, but if you dig a little deeper you can make a case that Helga Pataki is indeed the show's protagonist. Helga is the only character in the show with extended monologues, and is basically the only character that is ever going through an internal struggle.
The show's title, Hey Arnold!, is actually a quote from Helga, as seen in the show's intro.