The Angelica Theory That Changes Everything On Rugrats

"Rugrats" stands as one of the most iconic TV shows of Nickelodeon's golden years. It originally featured four babies named Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, and twins Phil and Lil DeVille, along with Tommy's bratty older cousin Angelica. "Rugrats" followed the kiddos on their adventures, which mostly took place in their wild imaginations, and typically threw in some poignant advice to round out each episode. Later in the series, Tommy's baby brother Dil joined the crew, along with Tommy's neighbor Susie Carmichael and Chuckie's stepsister Kimi.

While "Rugrats" is considered by most to be a heartwarming children's show full of life lessons and wholesome family dynamics, there are some disturbing theories floating around the internet that suggest there was something far more sinister at play. One of the most notorious "Rugrats" fan theories centers on Angelica, and it casts the entire series in a whole new (and much more creepy) light.

Perhaps one of the most creepy fan theories of all time started on Creepypasta, the home of internet folklore and scary stories. According to the originator of the twisted reimagining, the stars of "Rugrats" were simply figments of Angelica's imagination. Since her parents were pretty much absent for most of her life — we often saw Angelica's mom too busy with work to pay her much attention — her brain made up babies for her parents' friends and family members to keep her company.

The creepiest part about the theory is that it sort of makes sense. It uses real themes and scenarios from the show to justify how and why Angelica could have imagined the entirety of "Rugrats." The theory states that Chuckie's dad is a nervous wreck because Chuckie and his mom died at the same time, Tommy was stillborn, so his dad spends his days making toys for the baby he lost, and Phil and Lil's mom had an abortion, so Angelica never knew the sex of the baby and just invented one boy and one girl (via Entertainment Weekly). Though there are probably plot holes if you dig deeper into the theory, it's still creepy to think about, especially when you can see where the connections come from.

In case this fan theory wasn't bleak enough, the Creepypasta goes on to explain the spin-off "All Grown Up!" that follows the kiddos into their pre-teen years. It continues by suggesting that Angelica became addicted to drugs in her teen years, which aggravated her schizophrenia and led her to imagine more details about the babies she made up — which also apparently explains the jump in time from "Rugrats" to "All Grown Up!" She continued to abuse drugs so she could have the kids around for company. And why did "All Grown Up!" get canceled? Apparently, due to Angelica's overdose, as explained by Creepypasta.

The disturbing theory goes on to explain that Dil was the only baby Angelica didn't make up, but she abused and disfigured him. Chuckie's dad did eventually remarry, though Kimi was taken away due to her mom's drug abuse so Angelica imagined her as well. And Susie was Angelica's only friend, who did what she could to make Angelica feel better and even played along with her hallucinations. The bleak Creepypasta ends with the perfectly depressing note that "Angelica spent the last days of her life in the back of the school cafeteria, imagining friends around her and playing with the lives of her creations."

While this fan theory behind "Rugrats" is unbelievably upsetting, look on the "bright slide" — it's just a theory. Now, if you don't mind us, we'll be waiting for the upcoming "Rugrats" reboot to take our minds off this tragic alternate reality.