10 Darkest Disney Animated Movie Fan Theories, Ranked

Fan theories can range from the magnificently layered to the simplistic and dull. As Disney is one of the largest entertainment companies in the world, inspired fans have created hundreds of possible theories stemming from their entire catalog. However, although most of these theories can be bright and cheery, some theories can get dark and upsetting.

The theories that Disney fans have come up with can sound surprisingly realistic, given the evidence. Judging by how many theories fans have created from these classic films, it's hard to ignore the ones that sound the most terrifyingly true.

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10
Did Captain Hook Kill Ariel’s Mom?
Peter Pan (1953) and The Little Mermaid (1989)

Fans of Disney's most classic films have pointed out a major possible connection between two of their greatest movies. In the 1953 classic Peter Pan, Neverland is home to many wondrous people and places, such as Mermaid Lagoon. In a scene where Peter takes Wendy to the lagoon to meet the pushy mermaids, many fans notice that one of the mermaids bears a striking resemblance to Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

In the prequel film, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, Ariel's mother is crushed by an oncoming pirate ship. King Triton, fueled by rage and grief, begins his hatred of humans because of this fatal crash. With this knowledge, fans have connected the dots between Peter Pan and The Little Mermaid, saying Captain Hook might've been steering that fateful ship. There isn't any hard evidence to justify this idea other than the striking similarities in looks between the mermaid in Peter Pan to Ariel's mother, but it's still a theory that holds a lot of water.

9
Is Mother Gothel the Evil Queen?
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Tangled (2010)

In the 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, audiences saw the daring finale in which the Evil Queen, disguised as the Old Hag, falls off a cliff when lightning strikes. Supposedly, to add insult to injury, a boulder fell on top of her. For decades, this was the last fans saw of the Evil Queen. , However, after 2010's Tangled, audiences began to draw similarities between that film's antagonist, Mother Gothel, and the Evil Queen.

Both villains sought to stay young and beautiful, both used magical means to achieve it, and both were involved in princess tales. With these clues, fans have speculated that Snow White leads perfectly into Tangled. After falling off the cliff in Snow White, the Old Hag possibly came across the magical flower that was used to bring Rapunzel into the world in the first scene. The ending of Snow White fits perfectly into the beginning of Tangled, leading fans to believe that Mother Gothel and the Evil Queen are the same.

8
Is Nemo Dead?
Finding Nemo (2003)

Many fan theories stemming from beloved children's movies and television have seen a common theory that a starring character had been dead the whole story, and the adventure that audiences had enjoyed was just in one of the character's heads. When it comes to Finding Nemo, that dark theory does begin to make some sense.

In the opening scene, Marlin, Coral, and their many unhatched children are attacked by a barracuda. Marlin and one egg, who will eventually grow up to be Nemo, are the only ones to survive. However, a fan theory suggests that Nemo was never actually real, and Marlin simply imagined the fake son out of grief. Unfortunately, the theory is fairly thin, seeing just how many sea creatures Nemo interacts with and how nobody seems to mind that Marlin could be talking to no one.

7
Is Aladdin in the Future?
Aladdin (1992)

This theory is born from the wild and incredibly entertaining antics of Disney's most charismatic character, the Genie, played by the late, great Robin Williams. In the 1992 film Aladdin, the titular character comes across a magical lamp that is home to the wonderful Genie, who is willing to grant Aladdin three wishes. Throughout the film, the Genie would go on to make so many different '90s cultural references that some fans would begin to believe that Aladdin took place in a dystopian future.

Although a bit random, the theory does make sense, seeing as how the Genie declared he'd been trapped in the lamp for at least "10,000 years!" Combined with the numerous pop-cultural references, such as Rodney Dangerfield and Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions, fans have been led to think Aladdin might be a dystopian future where humanity has reverted to older ways.

6
Is Boo the Witch in Brave?
Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Brave (2012)

The Pixar Theory is a massive and vastly layered idea that all the Pixar films are connected in some way or another, which created some of the strongest and darkest Disney fan theories to date. One of these theories has surprisingly connected Monsters, Inc. to Brave. In Brave, Princess Merida searches for a magical solution to her problems with the help of a Witch in the woods. This Witch's home holds a lot of small Easter eggs from other Pixar films that lead fans to believe that she might be the elderly version of Boo from Monsters Inc.

The theory goes that Boo, obsessed with finding the Monster World she loved so much as a child, experimented with different kinds of wood and unlocked magical properties. This accidentally landed her in 10th-century Scotland, where she would become the infamous Witch. Different Easter eggs around her home suggest this, such as a wood-carved Pizza Planet truck and a depiction of Sully in one of her wood designs.

5
Is Peter Pan the Real Villain?
Peter Pan (1953)

It's a common theory for fans to turn the story of a movie on its head, looking at the tale from the villain's perspective and painting the hero as the true antagonist. That's no different in the Disney classic Peter Pan, where some fans have argued that Peter Pan himself is actually to blame for all the problems in Neverland.

Upon further inspection, Peter seems like the kind of person who enjoys the violence he encourages from the pirates. He also possibly kidnapped the lost boys from the regular world and made them his family. It's a bit of a stretch to say that he's the villain of the story, but there are hints toward a darker side to the boy who would never grow up.

4
Is Kristoff Wearing Sven’s Mother?
Frozen (2013)

Another theory that seems needlessly dark and upsetting, but one worth mentioning, is that some fans have speculated that Kristoff from Frozen might be wearing the murdered remains of his best friend's mother. In the film's opening, a young Kristoff can be seen playing with a young reindeer, Sven. When they're all grown up, Kristoff now has a furry, wintery coat that looks like Sven's fur. Coming from a family of ice harvesters, it would make sense if Kristoff's family made him a coat, one that was possibly made out of Sven's mother.

This theory brings a whole new perspective to the best friends' relationship. It would make sense that, as survivalists, the ice harvesters would use the dead remains of a reindeer to keep them warm in the harsh conditions. Although it's a bit extreme, it is an interestingly dark theory many Frozen fans have thought of.

3
Did Sergeant Calhoun Kill Her Husband?
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Wreck-It Ralph is the story of a video game villain searching for a home where he is appreciated and respected, traveling through many different arcade games. On the hunt for this villain, the hero of the video game, Fix-It Felix, joins forces with an arcade shooter protagonist named Sergeant Calhoun. As the audience discovers more about the character, they discover a backstory that is very dark and twisted.

Although more of an implied story beat rather than a theory, audiences learn that the alien Cy-Bugs from her game can be fused with something by eating it. In Calhoun's tragic backstory, her soon-to-be-husband is eaten by a Cy-Bug at the altar, prompting Calhoun to fire a fury of bullets at the creature. Knowing how Cy-Bugs operate in the game, audiences have discovered that this most likely means that Calhoun had to kill her husband, who was then fused with the vicious Cy-Bug.

2
Did Eeyore Escape from Pleasure Island?
Winnie the Pooh Franchise and Pinocchio (1940)

Another theory that is more fun than fact is that some fans have speculated that Eeyore might be an escaped donkey from the horrific trap of Pleasure Island in Pinocchio. In the movie Pinocchio, misbehaving children are terrifyingly transformed into donkeys and sold into labor. Truly a scary and dark fantasy that has haunted children for decades, and a reality that might have afflicted the lovable donkey from the Hundred Acre Woods. The theory suggests that the melancholic Eeyore could be an escaped child from this horrific trap.

This is probably the most unrealistic theory in Disney's entire catalog. Although the case can be made, it's clear that Eeyore is simply a childhood friend of Christopher Robin's and a toy that often loses his tail. Even still, just the very idea that Eeyore could've escaped from the terrifying Pleasure Island still sends shivers down fans' spines.

1
Tarzan Could Be Related to Anna and Elsa
Tarzan (1999) and Frozen (2013)

Other than the Pixar Theory, the fate of Elsa and Anna's parents is probably one of the most popular Disney theories of all time. During the opening of the groundbreaking hit Frozen, audiences see the King and Queen of Arendelle sink over a choppy ocean. While the movie ends their character's stories there, some fans have picked up the idea that maybe the royal couple escaped the sinking ship and traveled to a place where they would meet a much more violent end.

In Tarzan, the titular character discovers a portrait of his parents, and audiences also get a glimpse of the parents in the opening scenes. Tarzan's parents bear a striking resemblance to Elsa and Anna's parents. The theory suggests that instead of dying on the ship, Anna and Elsa's parents escaped the boat and swam to shore. From there, they had their third child and were tragically killed by a vicious leopard. The mere idea that Tarzan's true siblings will never know he exists is a terrifying fate stemming from one of the darkest Disney theories of all time.