Lilo and Stitch dark fan theory will make you rethink the plot
2 June 2025, 16:59
This could be the real reason Cobra Bubbles has gone from CIA agent to social worker for Lilo and Nani.
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As Disney releases the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch in 2025, fans are returning to the original 2002 animated film with fresh eyes — and in some cases, darker interpretations.
Beloved for its quirky humour, heartfelt storytelling, and the unlikely friendship between an outcast Hawaiian girl and a destructive extraterrestrial fugitive, Lilo & Stitch won audiences over with its Elvis Presley soundtrack, island setting, and themes of family and belonging. But a resurfaced Reddit post from a decade ago has cast a shadow over the film's lighthearted tone, sparking discussion among fans.
The theory, originally posted in a Reddit thread approximately ten years ago and recently revisited amid the buzz surrounding the live-action remake, presents a far more complex backstory for Lilo and Nani's parents, as well as social worker Cobra Bubbles, than the film ever explicitly offers.
"I'm basing this solely off the first film, having not seen the sequels or series, so I could be wrong from the start here — and if I am, I'm sorry," the post begins.
The premise of the theory hinges on the character of Cobra Bubbles, the stern but sympathetic social worker assigned to Lilo’s case. During the final scene, the leader of the Galactic Council recognises Cobra and references his past CIA involvement at Roswell. While the film presents this as a humorous add-on, the theorist argues it's more than just a throwaway line.
"We"re led to believe a CIA agent who was involved in alien contact just walked away to become a social worker? I think not. Not without a damn good reason," the post reads.
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They go on to explain that Cobra Bubbles' sudden career change could instead have been prompted by the death of a close friend and fellow agent — Lilo’s father. Cobra could have been tasked with quietly watching over his partner's surviving children, making sure that Lilo and her older sister Nani remain under the radar and protected.
Fans of the hit Disney film have been intrigued by the theory, and have even found their own evidence to back-up the original suspicion.
"To add to this, Lilo's father has the same glasses as Cobra. You can see it at the end of the first movie with the picture of their family," one person commented.
