Top 10 Biggest Unsolved Cartoon Mysteries
#10: Mr. Roman
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“The Spectacular Spider-Man” (2008-09) The final episode of “Spectacular Spider-Man” was a roller coaster of tension and plot twists. Norman Osborn is unmasked as the Green Goblin and supposedly perishes in the middle of a fight with Spidey. However, in the very final shot of the series, he’s seen at the airport in disguise, cryptically saying “Don’t apologize, I never do”. This shocking cliffhanger left too many questions – is this “Mr. Roman” a clone, or did Norman actually survive the fatal battle? And if so, how? We may never know since the show was robbed of a third season, and nothing short of a revival will give fans the answer they desperately need.
#9: Spike’s Parents
“My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” (2010-19) Many of us are still annoyed that we never got a resolution to the “Are Pinkie Pie and Applejack” related plotline. But there’s another familial mystery in “Friendship is Magic” we never got an answer to – who were Spike the Dragon’s real parents? All we really know about Spike’s past is that Twilight hatched his egg for her school entrance exam, and he became her surrogate little brother and number one assistant. Other than that, the mystery of who his egg belonged to remains unsolved. It’s made even more frustrating in the episode where the opportunistic Sludge tricks poor Spike into thinking he’s his father, which ends up being a HUGE waste of time for everyone.
#8: The Treasure Chest
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“Steven Universe” (2013-19) & “Steven Universe Future” (2019-20) Among her many other secrets, Rose Quartz -Steven’s Mother- kept a few treasures in a pocket dimension in Lion’s mane. We’ve learned the history of every item hidden in the dimension except for one – the treasure chest. Throughout the original show, that chest has remained locked, and outside of one failed attempt, no one has tried to open it. However, in “Steven Universe: The Movie” we see that the chest was opened off-screen…. But its contents were never revealed. It must not have been important enough to show the audience, but we can’t help but ponder what other secrets Rose was hiding.
#7: The Great Mushroom War
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“Adventure Time” (2010-18) No matter how much we learn about our favorite citizens of Ooo, there’s always one overarching mystery that’s hung over “Adventure Time” since Season One – the Great Mushroom War. This conflict took place 1000 years before the series, ultimately ending in the world’s devastation and the near-total annihilation of the Human Race. While we’ve seen the aftermath of the war, there’s so much about it that’s still shrouded in mystery. What started the war? How did they create a weapon deadly enough to devastate the Earth? And arguably the most frightening question of all – how far along are we from making the Mushroom War a reality?
#6: Terra’s Revival
“Teen Titans” (2003-06) Fans are still rightfully upset about the original “Teen Titans’” cancellation; mostly because the series finale left too many unanswered questions. One of the biggest is how Terra returned from the dead. When we last saw her in Season Two, she had been turned to stone after heroically sacrificing herself. In the series finale, she appears to have returned to normal with seemingly no memory of her previous life. But how DID she break out of her tomb? Did she somehow break out on her own, or was she set free by outside forces? Is she truly amnesiac, or is she still burdened by her past sins and desperately trying to leave her old life behind?
#5: Timmy’s Parents’ Real Names
“The Fairly OddParents” (2001-17) In the original “Oh Yeah, Cartoons!” shorts, Timmy Turner’s parents had their faces hidden from the audience. Once “The Fairly OddParents” got its own show, their faces were revealed, but now their real names were hidden. They’re mostly referred to as “Mom and Dad”, “Mr. and Mrs. Turner” and so on. Anytime their real names are about to be revealed, they’re hilariously cut off by outside forces. It’s become a running gag within the show, but after a while, you could call them something other than “Timmy’s Parents.” The only other names we could refer to them as are their code names from their “Poltergeek” years, but those hardly count.
#4: Bill Cipher’s Final Words
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“Gravity Falls” (2012-16) Seeing the insidious Bill Cipher being destroyed in the “Gravity Falls” finale was extremely satisfying. However, as he fades out of existence, Bill screams out a strange, gibberish message before Stan punches his lights out. If you play his dying words backward, they translate to “A-X-O-L-O-T-L! My time has come to burn! I invoke the ancient power that I may return”. Had the show continued, this could’ve been a hint that Bill could return. If this is true, how could he pull it off? What ancient power was he referring to? Should we be worried about the cryptic shots of his petrified form? Hopefully, we’ll never have to find out, but we should still be wary of another Weirdmageddon.
#3: Double D’s Hat
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“Ed, Edd n Eddy” (1999-2009) Double D is unarguably the most sensible of the Eds. But there’s one dark secret he’s keeping from the rest of the cast and the audience – what’s he hiding under his hat? He is never seen without something covering or obscuring his head, and he’s desperate to keep his secret hidden from the world. Whatever he’s hiding, it’s enough to leave Ed and Eddy speechless and give Eddy plenty of blackmail material. We were promised a reveal in the movie, but that didn’t happen. For Double D’s sake, it may be best that we never find out.
#2: The Secret Formula
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“SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-) We could sit around all day and ask how Mr. Krabs can possibly have a whale for a daughter. But there’s an even bigger mystery in the SpongeBob franchise – what is the Krabby Patty secret formula? This one mysterious ingredient is the key to Krabs’ success, and Plankton is desperate to uncover the mystery. Over time, the audience has become curious too. It doesn’t help that every time we come close to finding out, it turns out to be a dead end or misdirection. There have been several theories, but it seems like the only one who could decipher the blessed recipe was the series’ late creator, Stephen Hillenburg. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
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#1: Where IS Springfield!?
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“The Simpsons” (1989-) With such a colorful cast of characters, anyone would be dying to visit the Simpsons’ home city of Springfield. There’s just one problem…. We have no idea where Springfield is. The state in which the iconic city is set is purposely left vague within the show, with a few misdirecting clues. The exterior and layout are almost never consistent, and it’s been said that it borders Ohio, Nevada, Maine, and Kentucky… a placement that would give any geography expert a migraine. It’s clear the show is having too much fun with its intentionally contradicting location, but it never stops fans from trying in vain to unravel the mystery of the iconic cartoon family’s home.
