This Convincing Corpse Bride Theory Makes Emily’s Story More Tragic (& Solves 1 Mystery)

Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride presents a one-of-a-kind love triangle between Victor Van Dort (voiced by Johnny Depp), Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson), and Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), and a convincing theory suggests a link between the latter two that makes Emily’s story even more tragic. In 2005, Tim Burton returned to the world of stop-motion animation with Corpse Bride, a dark fantasy movie very on-brand with Burton’s works. Corpse Bride was a critical and commercial success, and became one of Burton’s most popular and beloved movies.

Corpse Bride takes the audience to a fictional Victorian town to meet Victor Van Dort, the son of “new rich” fish merchants, and Victoria Everglot, the daughter of impoverished aristocrats. The families arrange the marriage of Victor and Victoria, which would raise the social class of the Van Dorts and restore the wealth of the Everglots. However, after accidentally ruining the wedding rehearsal and fleeing to the forest to rehearse his vows, Victor accidentally revives a dead woman named Emily, who proclaims herself his new wife. Viewers have pointed out the physical similarities between Emily and Victoria, making way for a convincing theory.

There Might Have Been A Strong Link Between Emily & Victoria

Emily rises from her grave in her wedding dress after Victor, rehearsing his vows, places his wedding ring on an upturned root, which happens to be Emily’s ring finger. Convinced that he’s now her husband, Emily spirits Victor away to the Land of the Dead, where he and the audience learn Emily’s backstory. Emily came from a wealthy Victorian family, and one day, she met Lord Barkins Bittern, with whom she fell in love. However, as Barkins was poor, her family didn’t approve of their relationship, and Barkins was rejected her hand in marriage.

As Barkins only wanted to steal the fortune of Emily’s family, he convinced her to elope with him, telling her to meet him under the cover of night at 3 am under an old oak tree in the forest and bring a gold satchel filled with her family’s jewels. Emily did as told and was killed by Barkins, who took the jewels and more. Emily vowed to stay under the tree until her true love set her free – and she thinks Victor is the one.

The theory explains Emily is either the sister of Victoria’s mother or the sister of her father, thus being an Everglot.

Although the name of Emily’s family is never revealed, her physical similarities to Victoria make way for a theory that suggests Emily is Victoria’s aunt. The theory, shared on Reddit, explains Emily is either the sister of Victoria’s mother or the sister of her father, thus being an Everglot. Emily stealing her family’s fortune to elope with Barkins is what started the Everglots’ financial troubles, thus why they want Victoria to marry Victor. Victoria doesn’t recognize Emily because her family covered her death and “betrayal” up – and there’s also the fact that she’s a decomposed body.

Emily’s Return Takes A Sadder Turn If She’s Victoria’s Aunt

Emily’s story in Corpse Bride is already sad as it is, but if she’s Victoria’s aunt, it takes an even more tragic turn. The Everglots either never learned that Emily was killed, believed she had successfully eloped with Barkins while also stealing their fortune, or simply didn’t care that she died, just that their fortune was stolen. Either way, the Everglots did their best to cover what happened with Emily and acted like she never existed, thus why Victoria had no idea she had an aunt Emily who met a tragic fate.

Not only has she been completely forgotten and virtually erased from her family tree, but Emily falls for the young man who is to marry her niece – and through whom her family seeks to fix her mistakes. If the theory is true, Emily’s story would have always taken her back to her family and her troubled past with them, now adding the extra drama of believing she’s now married to her niece’s soon-to-be-husband.

Corpse Bride Theory Leaves Emily With 1 Unfinished Business

Emily Shouldn’t Have Crossed Over At The End Of Corpse Bride

Barkins is later chosen by the Everglots to marry Victoria after Victor disappears, as he poses as a wealthy man when in reality he is still poor. Barkins ends up exposing his lies and Victoria rejects him, and when he tries to kidnap her, he comes across Emily. Emily intervenes when Victor duels Barkins and the latter tries to kill the former, and a defeated Barkins mockingly toasts Emily for dying unwed – however, he doesn’t know his drink is the poison Victor was going to drink so he could marry Emily.

The theory suggests Barkins has changed his identity over the years, and as a lot of time passed, the Everglots wouldn’t recognize him.

With her murderer now paying for his crimes, Emily is free to cross over and transforms into a swarm of butterflies that fly into the sky. Emily finds eternal peace with Barkins’ death, but if the theory is true, she would have still had one unfinished business: her family. The Everglots acted as if Emily had never existed and surely resented her for what she did to their fortune, so reconciling with them would have been her final step to entering Heaven.

Source: Reddit.