While the titular blue alien from Lilo & Stitch has become a beloved character, most viewers do not know that Stitch may secretly be a cyborg. Released in 2002, Lilo & Stitch told the story of the unlikely friendship between a young Hawaiian girl and a supposedly evil alien that crashed into Earth. Due to Lilo & Stitch’s heart and adventure, the animated movie spawned an entire franchise. Stitch! The Movie and Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch were both direct-to-video sequels. The first of these even served as a pilot for a Disney television show, Lilo & Stitch: The Series, which ended with the television movie Leroy & Stitch. However, none of this Lilo & Stich content fully explained Stitch’s origin.
In the first Lilo & Stitch movie, the opening scene established that an alien scientist named Jumba Jookiba created Stitch through illegal genetic experiments. Created for destruction, Stitch was originally only called Experiment 626 before Lilo adopted him as her “puppy” and renamed him. Although Stitch slowly became good due to Lilo’s influence, many of his abilities were specifically designed to make him as dangerous as possible. Stitch was fire and bulletproof, incredibly strong and intelligent, and could even see in the dark.
Even with all of this information, there are no specific details about how Jumba created Stitch. According to one theory (via Reddit), Stitch is a cyborg, meaning that he is part machine. To engineer Stitch, Jumba combined the DNA from multiple dangerous aliens. This theory would suggest that he then added mechanical elements to enhance Stitch’s intelligence and physical capabilities. This made Stitch a hybrid of not only different aliens, but of organic life and machine. Although Jumba never confirmed that Stitch was a cyborg, there is evidence for this theory in both the original Lilo & Stitch film and other shows and movies throughout the Stitch franchise.
Cyborg Stitch Clues in the Original Lilo & Stitch Movie
Many of the clues that Stitch was a cyborg were introduced in the first Lilo & Stitch. For example, Jumba described Stitch as having a brain “faster than a supercomputer.” While this could have simply meant that Stitch processed information quickly, it also could have been literal, meaning that Stitch actually had some computerized parts in his brain. This idea was reinforced by Jumba repeatedly referring to Stitch’s “destructive programming” driving him to do evil, but Lilo was able to “reprogram” him. More specifically, Stitch also had the unusual ability to play records by placing his claw on the disc and opening his mouth, suggesting that he had electronics in his body that could carry the sound. Stitch being a cyborg would also explain one of his key weaknesses. While trying to surf, Stitch nearly drowned due to being too dense to float or even swim. Since many animals can swim, it would make sense if this was because Stitch’s body contained heavy metals that weighed him down in water.
Cyborg Stitch Clues from Other Lilo & Stitch Media
A variety of other Lilo & Stitch media has also hinted that Stitch might be a cyborg, such as the animated short, The Origin of Stitch. While this short described some of the aliens whose genes Jumba used to create Stitch, it did not explain where Stitch gained all of his specific abilities and limitations. For example, Jumba explained during his trial in Lilo & Stitch that Stitch could lift 3000 times his own weight. Lilo & Stitch: The Series season 1, episode 13 “Swirly” expanded upon this ability by showing Stitch lift a platform with two bulldozers on top. However, when someone threw a ticket on top of the bulldozers, they instantly became too heavy and crushed Stitch. This means that even with exercise, Stitch had a strict limit on how much he could carry, similar to a machine rather than an organic lifeform.
In addition, the entire premise of Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch suggests that Stich must be part machine. Taking place a year after Lilo & Stitch, this sequel revealed that Stitch’s molecules had not been fully charged before he was captured in Jumba’s laboratory. Due to this, Stitch began experiencing “glitches,” which were seizures that caused him to temporarily revert to his destructive programming. Given that Lilo had to fully charge Stitch to save him, this implies that Stitch was partially made from electronic materials. Although Jumba never fully revealed how he created Stitch throughout the Lilo & Stitch series, Stitch’s unique abilities and weaknesses hint that he may have been a cyborg, combining both organic alien DNA and robotics.