Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Officially Debunks the Original Movie’s Biggest Fan Theory

Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off!A long-held Scott Pilgrim movie theory has been officially debunked by a clever detail in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. While Scott Pilgrim vs. the World wasn’t a financial success, the film ended up becoming a cult classic among fans with its fast-paced humor and epic action scenes. However, one theory has been pondered over the years regarding whether Scott was actually killing the Exes in battle when they turned to coins. Now, the new anime has officially addressed this question and completely debunked it.

In the seventh episode of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, titled “2 Scott 2 Pilgrim,” the story focuses on Scott and his older self in the future to address what he was doing while Ramona was looking for him. While there, he’s shocked to learn that Old Scott has actually befriended the Katayanagi Twins even though he’s from the timeline where he actually beat all seven Evil Exes. Old Scott addresses this by mentioning to his younger self that the two never actually died, but respawned back at their house.

This revelation completely dismantles any theories fans had about the fate of the Exes as they never truly died. Rather, they simply end up back where they started.

Scott Pilgrim Author Already Explained What Happened To The Defeated Exes Before

They don’t die, they simply respawn.

What’s interesting about this revelation surrounding the fate of the League of Evil Exes is that it’s actually canonizing something that Scott Pilgrim author Bryan Lee O’Malley confirmed over a decade before the anime first premiered. According to O’Malley on his Tumblr page RadioMaru, after being defeated, the Exes “ respawn in their homes, having learned their lesson. CANON.” It’s clear that O’Malley wanted to use this new anime as a way to officially end the theories once and for all by canonizing it in an official piece of Scott Pilgrim media.

The Exes’ Respawn Canon Opens Up New Questions About Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Scott Pilgrim can actually die.

With this huge theory officially debunked, it would seem like there would be no more questions surrounding the battle between Scott and the Evil Exes. However, there is one huge question that remains that pertains to the series’ big twist. If Scott was supposedly beaten in battle by Matthew Patel, why did his friends immediately assume he was dead? After all, if people in this world can respawn after being defeated in battle, there shouldn’t have been as much shock at the Rockit since his friends would assume he’s probably just back at Wallace’s place. However, this is addressed with a fairly simple answer: Scott isn’t like the Exes and could die in battle.

Unlike the Evil Exes, Scott has been shown to die in both the original comics and the 2010 film. The only way he was able to escape death was from an extra life he picked up during his journey to defeat the Evil Exes. This is likely because he’s seen as the “hero” of this story, and, as such, he has a limited number of “lives” before it’s a game over for him. Villains are capable of respawning to continue coming at the hero, but Scott doesn’t have that privilege. If he fails after a certain number of tries, he stays dead for good.

Regardless of the logic behind Scott’s ability to live or die in his world, it’s great to see such a huge theory finally addressed by an official entry in the franchise. It’s been something that fans have questioned for the longest time, and until now, the answer was only known to those who were in the loop on O’Malley’s Tumblr page. Now, everyone knows about the truth behind the Evil Exes’ fate after being defeated in battle, and it’s one of many clever details and Easter Eggs incorporated in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off that makes it such a defining entry in the franchise.

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