There’s a seriously dark theory about what each Winnie-the-Pooh character represents

Every now and again, when you’re doom scrolling through X, some kind of bizarre theory suddenly has you entering an absolute rabbit hole.

Whether it’s about a celebrity’s dating history, a TV character's backstory or something wilder like Eminem being replaced by a clone, they can get rather weird.

But it can really suck you in if it’s trying to convince you your childhood ‘was a lie’.

And what’s more nostalgic of our childhoods than good old Winnie-the-Pooh? Well, prepare to have the tales of the honey-loving bear by this pretty upsetting fan theory:

Pooh first appeared in a children’s story back in 1925, before going on to feature in books, Disney shows and films.

But nearly a century on, there’s a seriously dark theory about what each of the characters in the nostalgic stories actually represent.

Turns out people reckon that the likes of Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore (let’s not pretend, you know all the names) are supposed to represent various mental disorders.

Yeah, dark.

It’s a long-running popular theory that the animals living in Hundred Acre Wood represent this, although it’s never been proved as the actual intent of the Winnie-the-Pooh creator A.A. Milne.

The theory first came about back in 2008 in a light-hearted paper in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The BBC reported back then that the primary author Sarah Shea’s intention was to ‘remind people that anyone can have disorders’ – rather than suggesting the characters definitely do.

Planet One Images/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The paper showed the ‘Dark Underside’ to this world and gave diagnoses for the characters.

This included Winnie-the-Pooh having ADHD, OCD and Borderline intellectual functioning – he does go on about having ‘very little brain’.

Then Piglet has anxiety, Owl has dyslexia, Rabbit is a narcissist and Eeyore is depressed.

It also claims that Tigger has ADHD, hyperactivity-impulsivity subtype and that Christopher Robin has gender identity disorder of childhood.

There are also theories elsewhere that little Christopher Robin has schizophrenia or that the animals all represent his different personalities.

John Keeble/Getty Images

Users on X call it a ‘great’ theory while others say: “You could make this theory about anything tbh.”

While some say it’s ‘wonderful if true’, one wrote: “C’mon!!! Don’t ruin this for me!!!”

Many also continue to point out: “The theory that characters in Winnie-the-Pooh represent mental disorders is a creative interpretation, suggesting allegorical connections between the characters and various psychological traits.

"It's important to note that this is not an official or endorsed perspective but rather a speculative analysis.”

Topics: Conspiracy Theory, Weird, Disney, TV and Film, Social Media

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_