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Fantastic Beasts 2 Theory: Is Credence Tom Riddle with His Memories Wiped?


Ezra Miller's Credence Barebone didn't seem like much when he was introduced in Fantastic Beastsand Where to Find Them, but some fishy evidence suggests that he could be more than meets the eye.

WB had just dropped this new featurette showing more on the story of The Crimes of Grindelwald, and it gives out some info on Credence that suggests that he's actually a young Tom Riddle with his mind wiped. For one, Credence seems to be at the center of the plot, as everyone going to Europe is all because of him. There's also something that Dumbledore said that Credence ‘doesn't know who he is yet,' and Credence himself saying, ‘I wanna know who I am.'

The theory fits when you count that Credence has a close relationship with the animagus Nagini in the trailers. Why else would Voldemort be so close with a snake if he didn't have any history with it?

My guess is that Credence is Tom Riddle post-Hogwarts who had his mind wiped by Grindelwald so he could control him better. The first movie already showed that Credence had a relationship with Grindelwald, and by the looks of the featurette, Grindelwald is not done with him yet.

I'm aware that there are already a lot of holes in the theory, like the fact that Dumbledore was a lot older when he found Tom Riddle in the orphanage. Plus, the story takes place in the exact year that Voldemort was born (1926), so it's not possible for him to be as old as Credence here. We just have to take in mind that sometimes, the plot is way more important than sticking to canon, and if Rowling wants Credence to be Voldemort, she could just say that this movie canon won't adhere to the details in the book—whatever it takes to form a more intriguing plot.

Of course, this is all just a theory (but I'm already pretty convinced myself).

Catch Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in theaters Nov. 13.

See Also: Ezra Miller is Coming Back for Fantastic Beasts 3

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