For most people, Disney movies are a great escape from the ordinary. They bring color, storytelling, and humor to the screen through strong characters and silly voices. Their movies deal with everything from love to grief to self-discovery and usually end on a happy note. Some people, however, feel like some of their characters wind up a little too happy, and that's where things get interesting.
Fans of every movie franchise love to speculate on Reddit. For instance, Star Wars fans love to talk about why the new trilogy should be considered non-canonical. Disney definitely has its share of passionate Redditors, and many have come up with their own dark theories of what happens to their favorite characters after the credits roll.
Simba Would've Turned Into Scar If Mufasa Was Alive
There are theories all over Reddit about how it was actually Mufasa or Simba who ruined the pride lands in The Lion King, but this one goes into detail about how Simba would have eventually become just like Scar had his father still been alive. The argument is that Simba is, essentially, a spoiled brat at the beginning of the movie and even brags to Scar he's going to be king one day.
Since Simba already shows signs of narcissism (poking fun of Zazu or brushing off Nala, for instance), it could be inferred that his greed and immaturity would only get worse as he got older. As an adolescent, he would then have to battle an aging Mufasa for supremacy and potentially plan to kill his father, just as Scar did.
Pinocchio Could Become God
One of the most well-known characteristics of Pinocchio is that his nose grows when tells a lie. This is played to comedic effect in the Disney movie, but it also raises some interesting physics questions. This Reddit user suggests that if Pinocchio can create new matter (wood) to grow his nose, then, theoretically, he can make enough new matter to conquer and even destroy the world.
Alternately, if Pinocchio is still adhering to the laws of physics, then the matter in his nose cannot be created or destroyed. If that's the case, he must be pulling the matter from somewhere, implying that he's able to transport wood through space or time. Either way, Pinocchio had more power than anyone around him realized.
Ariel Is A Paranoid Schizophrenic
For any Disney fanatics who grew up in the '80s, The Little Mermaid is definitely a canonical movie not to be missed. One theory, however, is that Ariel was a schizophrenic who imagined the whole thing. The voices in her head of Flounder and Sebastian were there to convince her that the world is better inside her head than out in the world.
Diving even deeper (pun intended), Ursula is actually Ariel's doctor and gives her medicine (her legs) to deal with the voices. Since Ariel doesn't know how to walk, she's unable to deal with the outside world and reverts back to her introverted life in the sea. The theory states that she can only break free once Prince Eric helps her see herself for who she really is. It's a dark fate indeed.
Beauty And The Beast Were Executed During The French Revolution
Fans know that Beauty And The Beast took place in France, but the time period of the movie is unclear. This has led some Redditors to believe that Belle and the beast were eventually killed during the French Revolution. Through the 1700s, rising food prices combined with an exploding population led to civil unrest and some civilians took it upon themselves to dethrone Louis XVI.
The theory is that the film takes place around 1760 and, with the uprising beginning in the late 1780s, Belle and the beast would be murdered by their own townspeople if they were still in power in the castle.
Grumpy Lost His Partner, Which Made Him Grumpy
The seven dwarfs seem to be a cheerful bunch, save for one: Grumpy. Why is he so mad all the time? This theory claims that Grumpy started as a good guy but turned sour when a partner either died or broke his heart.
The TV show Once Upon A Time even addressed this theory, depicting Grumpy as a dwarf named Dreamy who turned into Grumpy after realizing that he wasn't able to love a fairy named Nova. Some things from Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs haven't aged well, this theory lives on.
The Toys In Toy Story Were Never Actually Alive
The entire premise of the Toy Story franchise is that toys come alive when nobody is looking. This theory debunks that notion by suggesting that the toys are actually never alive and that the whole thing is made up by Andy and Bonnie when they play with their toys, hence the word "Story" in the film's title.
There are also a million theories on Reddit about how Andy's Dad (or the lack thereof) affects him psychologically. Some suggest that imagining toys are alive is one way that Andy deals with his father's death, or his parent's divorce, if either of those things happened. In the first Toy Story movie, viewers see the family moving from a larger house to a smaller one, so either scenario seems plausible.
Sully Died And Became A Toilet Seat Cover
At the end of Monsters Inc., fans see Mike and Sully prospering at the Scare Factory after discovering that children's laughs generate much more energy than their screams. So Sully lived happily ever after, right? This Reddit thread seems to think otherwise.
Partysaurus Rex is a Pixar short that played before the theatrical re-release of Finding Nemo in 2012. Keen moviegoers quickly noticed that Boo's toilet seat cover is the same fuzzy, spotted material that Sully has. Does this mean Sully met some unfortunate end? You be the judge.
Sofia Grows Up To Be Rapunzel's Mom
Tangled is about Rapunzel's desire to break free from Mother Gothel and find her birth parents. At the end of the movie, she breaks the evil witch's spell and is reunited with her mom and dad. One keen viewer noticed the physical similarities between Queen Arianna and popular Disney channel character Sofia the First, suggesting that Sofia might be Rapunzel's mom.
Sofia and Queen Arianna have a striking resemblance, with their hair, jewelry, and dress all looking similar. The theory doesn't quite hold up with timelines though. Combined with the fact that Rapunzel appeared on Sofia The First, the theory is an interesting but ultimately impossible one.
Baymax Survived And Will Come Back to Kill
Big Hero 6 was a different kind of movie than Disney is used to making. It featured an unconventional group of superheroes tasked with saving the world from a secret enemy wearing a mask. In the end, Baymax sacrificed himself in order to get Hiro out of a wormhole. Hiro takes Baymax's personality chip to create another version of Baymax, but viewers don't actually see the first Baymax, with a combat chip installed, die.
This Redditor believes that the original Baymax is still out there. The theory states that if he comes back in a potential sequel, he'll still have the combat chip installed and will be out for revenge. It sounds like a great plot with a ton of potential. Unfortunately, Disney doesn't have any plans for a sequel that the public knows about.
Kristoff Is A Reindeer Killer
Kristoff is one of the most lovable, goofy characters in the Frozen franchise. He's constantly doting around his reindeer buddy Sven, imagining that Sven can talk and having adventures with him wherever they go. But this Disney theory suggests that Kristoff has a dark side.
As the Redditor points out, Kristoff wears a pelt made of reindeer skin. Perhaps Kristoff killed Sven's parents when Sven was young and kept their hides as a trophy. Maybe Kristoff felt bad and took in Sven as his own so that he wouldn't be an orphan. It's a far-fetched and morbid theory, but an interesting one nonetheless.