Rugrats is about babies getting into shenanigans and is one of the greatest '90s cartoons of all time. But what if that warm, nostalgic picture of Nickelodeon's favorite babies was shattered by the realization that every Rugrat was dead? Well, except for Angelica. And no, this isn't a joke - it's a messed up Rugrats fan theory that actually makes a lot of sense in a terrifyingly realistic way.
The theory contends that the main cast of babies are a figment of Angelica's imagination (with a couple of exceptions). Tommy, Chuck, and others have manifested as a means of coping with a traumatic childhood. Are you bewildered yet? You haven't even scratched the surface. Let's dive into one of the darkest Rugrats fan theories.
The theory begins with the premise that Angelica's mother was a drug addict. She got high while pregnant with Angelica, which caused her daughter to suffer from bipolar schizophrenia. As Angelica was growing up, her mom died of a heroin overdose. This is supported by Angelica's attachment to her doll, Cynthia, which serves as a reminder of her mother. Cynthia has patchy hair and worn clothes, signifying the way Angelica saw her drug addict mother before she ODed.
Angelica Created An Imaginary World As A Coping Mechanism When Her Mother Died
When her mother died, Angelica was but a child and couldn't cope. With a b*tch of a stepmom and the devastating feeling of loneliness, Angelica created an imaginary alternate universe as a safe haven. The babies were added to her fictional world as they died in the real world. The characters of the babies were shaped by her limited understanding of actual adults in society.
Nearly all of the babies in Rugrats are actually dead in reality. Angelica had a hard time understanding death, especially with her bipolar schizophrenic condition. Thus, when she overheard adults talking about tragedies in the neighborhood, like how Tommy, the Pickles' baby, was stillborn, she simply added him to her imaginary world.
Evidence that Tommy is dead lies in Stu Pickles. The man is always in his basement, tinkering with toys like a madman because he went crazy after his son was stillborn. He's feverishly creating all those toys for the son he desperately wishes he had. That's pretty terrible.
Yes, according to this fan theory, Chuckie is also dead in the real world. There are numerous theories as to how Chuckie and his mother died simultaneously. Some think they died together in a car accident, while others believe they both died during birth. Regardless, the theory is that they are both dead, explaining why Chas Finster is such a Nervous Nellie all the time. Anxiety rules over his life because he lost two precious people at once.
Angelica creates an imaginary Chuckie to populate her alternate universe. Like Chas Finster, Chuckie is a ball of worry and lacks confidence.
In the real world, the DeVilles decided to abort their baby. Because Angelica didn't know the sex of the baby, she imagined one of each. Thus, twins Phil and Lil were brought to imaginary life.
So how do you explain Kimi? Is she a figment of Angelica's imagination, too? Well, yes and no.
Kimi is the result of Chas's relationship with his new wife. He went to Paris and came back remarried to a French sex worker named Kira. Kira really did have a daughter named Kimi, but she was taken away by the French government because they determined Kira was unfit to raise a child. Kira told stories of Kimi to Angelica, which allowed Angelica to imagine the French-Asian baby. While Kimi is alive somewhere in France, the Kimi you see on Rugrats is a figment of Angelica's imagination.
