Nickelodeon used to be the king of children’s television. What they started in the 90s became a massive empire of beloved cartoons that have slowly faded away. While they’ve had powerful shows like Danny Phantom and Avatar: The Last Airbender, those fantastic projects ended too soon in favor of more reruns of SpongeBob SquarePants.
Some of their most maligned decisions came from the cancellation of shows that were still hitting their stride. The sad part is that many of them ended without a proper ending, and fans still have no closure to this day. Thankfully, Nickelodeon is starting to put out some TV movies that answer these nagging questions, but they’re about a decade later than they should’ve been.
There are still several questions we have about the Nickelodeon shows that we love. To make matters worse, there are current Nickelodeon shows that still garner some questions. Whether leaving these threads open was an intentional decision by the executives or some sort of accidental issue, they still exist and bother us to this day. Back when we were kids, these questions were mildly irritating, but nowadays, they’re agonizing when we start to think about them. We need answers now!
Get your nostalgia glasses ready as we go back in time to explore 25 of the biggest mysteries and questions that Nickelodeon has yet to answer. To be fair, they probably won’t be answered anytime soon because Nick is too busy figuring out which SpongeBob episodes to air for the rest of the week.
24 What Is The Krabby Patty Secret Formula?
This is the biggest question for fans of the yellow sponge and all his friends. SpongeBob works at the Krusty Krab and makes the world-famous Krabby Patty. However, there’s something special that Mr. Krabs puts in those burgers that make them irresistibly delicious. It’s so effective that his enemy, Plankton, has been after it for years.
The secret ingredient isn’t freshly ground Plankton
Several times throughout the show, Nick has teased what the Secret Formula is, even going so far as to cut off an episode before we can be told. To this day, even we don’t know what goes in those Krabby Patties. All we can do speculate. One thing is for sure, though: the secret ingredient isn’t freshly ground Plankton. Perhaps, one day, we’ll finally figure out what it is.
23 Where Is Zuko’s Mom?
Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the best cartoons of all time, having such a gripping story with powerful plotlines. By the finale, most of the threads had been tied up and we got our answers to several questions. However, there is one that audiences never got: where is Zuko’s mother?
When it was revealed that something happened to Ursa after the passing of Fire Lord Azulon, most of us assumed that she was deceased. However, Zuko put two and two together to figure out that she was just gone. The show never answered the question, and its sequel series almost gave us the answer before giving us a giant middle finger. If you want the answer, you’ll have to read the graphic novel.
22 What Happened To Arnold’s Parents?
The reason this is on the list is to give Nickelodeon fans some hope that the network actually cares about what we want. In the original run for Hey Arnold!, the show ends with Arnold reading the journal about his parents’ trip to a jungle village. However, it never states what happened to them in the end, and before Nick could put out a TV movie to answer the question, the show was canceled.
Still, the scrapped Jungle Movie just recently made a return in late 2017. We finally got proper endings for Arnold and the rest of his friends. Not only did we learn what happened to his parents, but we found out what would become of Arnold and Helga’s relationship. If you’re a fan of the show, you need to watch it.
21 Do Danny And Sam Last?
Danny Phantom is one of those few shows that actually got a proper ending. After seeing Danny turn into a ghost and fight all sorts of bad guys throughout the years, it culminated in an event that put the entire world at risk. Vlad was finally revealed to be a villain, and Danny told the entire world that he had been the ghost superhero all this time.
Do they get married?
Near the end, Danny and Sam share a kiss and then take off for a romantic flight at the end of the series. The only question we have is this: do they last? Do they get married? We got an answer for Tucker’s future, as he became the Mayor of Amity Park. Yet, Danny and Sam’s relationship is left open to interpretation. We’re probably just supposed to assume that they have a happy life together.
20 Will Zim Conquer Earth?
Some people would argue that one of the only shows better than The Last Airbender is Invader Zim. This dark comedy has one of the most loyal fanbases in cartoon history. Directed by Jhonen Vasquez, the show stars a failed Irken Invader who’s assigned to the unheard of planet, Earth. It’s there that he puts a plan in place to take over the world with the help of his defective robot, GIR.
Despite how well-written and fantastic the show was, Nickelodeon canceled it for not reaching their target audience. The problem is that we never got an end. Does Zim conquer Earth, or does he end up fighting the Irken army to protect it? Moreover, what does the “G” in GIR stand for? So many questions!
19 Does Jenny Save The Earth?
Another show that was canceled without a proper end was My Life as a Teenage Robot. Starring the artificially created, XJ-9, otherwise known as Jenny Wakeman, she was powerful enough to fight against incoming invaders while still trying to manage high school.
We never got a final conflict
However, there were nearly invincible foes who came to the Earth to try and destroy it. The only people who could stop it were Jenny, Sky Patrol, and her dorky friends Brad, Tuck, and Sheldon. However, we never got a final conflict that would signal the end of Jenny’s story. Instead, the entire series was left open and canceled without a second thought. The end is left to our imagination. We need closure for a much-beloved show!
18 What Happened To The Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Movie?
One of the creepier shows in Nickelodeon history was Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. This series saw the adventures of some monsters in school learning how to scare the people of the real world. There was a certain Tim Burton-esque charm to the project, and it gained a cult following in a short amount of time.
Due to the nature of the show, there wasn’t really a bombastic finale. However, there were plans to release a TV movie as a way to end the series. Yet, the movie never made it to the small screen. Still, some people have claimed to have seen it, while others state that it was never finished. No one is sure what happened to the movie, and some still doubt that it ever existed.
17 Who Is The Real Old Man Jenkins?
One of the biggest running gags in SpongeBob SquarePants involves Old Man Jenkins. The only problem with this is that, throughout the series, he has had four different designs. Some portray him as a massive blue fish, while others show him to be a decrepit, thin, brown fish.
Old Man Jenkins is canonically THE Old Man Jenkins
While Nickelodeon stated that the Old Man Jenkins is canonically THE Old Man Jenkins, that’s not a good enough answer. There are still the multiple other versions of the character that can’t just go away. Some insane theories have proposed the idea that there are a few Old Man Jenkins who are constantly fighting each other for all-time dominance. We’d love to see an episode of that in the near future, where all the Old Man Jenkin’s battle it out!
16 Do Cosmo And Wanda Leave Timmy?
Next to SpongeBob, The Fairly OddParents is one of Nickelodeon’s biggest shows that was recently canceled. It featured 10-year-old Timmy with a crummy life. In compensation, he was rewarded with two Fairy GodParents, Cosmo and Wanda, to help him lead a much better life.
However, there comes a time when kids are too old to have Fairy GodParents. There’s always a time where they have to leave and wipe the child’s memory for good. Without a proper finale, we’re never told if this happens to Timmy. Channel Chasers gave us a potential future as well as the live-action movies, but the show has never specifically addressed this question. Is there an end to Timmy’s story? It would be a bittersweet ending to be sure…
15 What Happened To Sokka?
Most of the characters in The Last Airbender get conclusive stories between the show and The Legend of Korra. Katara became one of the best healers in the world and helped watch over the new Avatar. Aang passed away at an early age. Zuko became the Fire Lord. Toph started her own metalbending academy. The only one that has no answers is Sokka.
Sokka became a councilman for Republic City
We know that Sokka became a councilman for Republic City, but that’s about it. We’re told that he’s passed away but never how it happened. Moreover, we’re not given a clear answer as to whether he and Suki remained together or not. He’s the only character that the writers felt didn’t need any conclusion, we suppose. That doesn’t make us satisfied.
14 What Became Of Republic City?
The Legend of Korra showed us the world after the days of the legendary Avatar Aang. In the wake of four Nations was a city uniting them all, called Republic City. This location is where a lot of the action was in the series. Terrorists, villains, and comrades, all made their home in Republic City. As such, Korra spent a lot of her time there protecting its people.
Republic City goes through a lot of change, as the series does as well. Not only are spirits integrated with it, but it eventually gets covered in vines. At the end of the show, another Spirit Portal opens in the heart of the city. However, we’re not sure what happens to Republic City after that point.
13 Jenny And Brad (Or Sheldon)
My Life as a Teenage Robot dealt with romantic attraction more times than one. Jenny’s best friend, Brad, lived close to her and they spent a lot of time together. Many viewers assumed that the two would eventually form a relationship and fly off into the sunset.
However, a wrench was thrown into that idea with the introduction of Sheldon. Being a huge nerd, Sheldon adored Jenny and did everything he could to try and make her notice him. The two shared some heartfelt moments, but they never formed an official relationship. Because the show was canceled prematurely, we never learned if Jenny would end with one or the other (if anyone). Our money was on her eventually falling for Sheldon as well.
12 Do Dib And Zim Work Together?
Zim’s worst enemy in Invader Zim is the science kid known as Dib. Being the son of an esteemed scientist, Dib has always had a fascination with the cosmos. He initially intercepted the Irken Conference that warned him about Operation Impending Doom II and Zim’s arrival. Because of this, the two had constantly been at war with each other from the start.
Dib and Zim work together against common foes eventually
However, we had seen Dib and Zim work together against common foes eventually. One question remains: when the Irkens inevitably came knocking on Earth, would Dib and Zim unite forces once more to save the planet, or would it just be Dib fighting for Earth? Looks like we won’t know until that TV movie comes out at some point.
11 Timmy And Tooty
Timmy Turner is no stranger to love. Early on in the show, we were shown his crush: the endlessly popular Trixie Tang. Countless times, he tried to get closer to her but to no avail. There are episodes that play around with their relationship, but she wasn’t the only girl in Timmy’s life.
Tooty was the little sister of the evil Vicky and had an obsessive crush on Timmy. She would constantly try to smother him with love, to which Timmy would give her the cold shoulder. However, the show has played around with the idea that they could potentially end up together, as she genuinely cares about him, regardless of how creepily she chooses to display it. After all, the two were close in that rather odd live action movie.
10 What Becomes Of Jimmy’s Friends?
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was a classic show, albeit with slightly disturbing animation that doesn’t hold up. Still, the adventures of Jimmy, Carl, and Sheen, were always a delight for us kids. However, this show was canceled before we could get a proper ending. As such, there are several questions that we’ll never get the answer to. One of the big ones is what becomes of Jimmy’s friends?
Will Carl become a llama farmer?
We already know that Jimmy will probably be one of the smartest people in the world, but what about Carl and Sheen? What will they end up doing? Furthermore, will Sheen and Libby last as a couple? Will Carl become a llama farmer? There are so many questions and so little answers.
9 Where Do The Rugrats Live?
We’re not sure what it is with reality cartoons being ambiguous about location, but it’s remained constant in animation. First, there was The Simpsons who were purposefully vague about where Springfield was actually located. The same can be said of the town that the Rugrats live.
There are several episodes that hint at where the show takes place, but it’s consistently unclear. As you might imagine, there have been multiple theories that attempt to place the setting of The Rugrats, but there is no definitive answer, as the creators haven’t come out and said where our favorite talking babies lived. There have been a few films that take place in well-known locations, so we know the Rugrats’ world is a carbon copy of ours. Hopefully we’ll find out someday.
8 Does Manny Become A Hero Or Villain?
El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera was a very niche show about a kid with super powers. His father was the legendary hero, White Pantera. His grandfather was the evil supervillain, Puma Loco. The show, as such, dealt with his foray into both heroic and sinister actions.
Perhaps he does a little bit of both?
There was a finale to the series, but we’re never given a final answer as to the type of career Manny takes in the end. Does he follow the route of his father and continue to be a superhero, or does he go down the path of villainy? Perhaps he does a little bit of both? That being said, we did get an answer as to whether he and Freda would end up a couple.
7 What Happens To Norbert And Dagget?
If there are two brothers who fight more than Norbert and Dagget from The Angry Beavers, then we’d love to hear it. These loud and obnoxious brothers made the move to a separate location where they could start their own life. Put in some clever beaver humor, and you’ve already created a show that basically writes itself.
However, the show was canceled without a proper end. There were plans to have a finale where Norbert and Dagget make jokes about shows that end being re-ran on the network, but we never saw the episode. The sad part is that we’ll never know what the end game is for these brothers. As of right now, they’re endlessly living in that dam without any sort of closure.
6 Jimmy And Cindy
Jimmy Neutron’s greatest rival was Cindy Vortex, a fellow student at his school. Together, the two constantly had horrible things to say about each other and could never get along. That said, the show put their relationship in a different light when they were stranded on a deserted island together. They grew to respect and even love one another. However, they went back to being rivals after they got back to their hometown.
Due to the show’s early cancellation, we’ll never know if Jimmy and Cindy ended up together. As the nature of most shows go, though, it’s safe to assume that they eventually formed a relationship and married each other in the end. After all, the show alluded to that outcome several times.
5 What Is Ned’s High School Survival Guide?
One of the most beloved live-action shows on Nickelodeon (other than Drake and Josh) was Ned’s Declassified: School Survival Guide. The show followed the adventures of Ned Bigby, Cookie, and Jennifer Mosley, as they made their way through middle school. Ned wrote a guide on how to live through the three years of that school. It was funny, exciting, and a darn good time.
After the show ended, plans were put together to do a sequel show on how to survive high school, but those plans were scrapped. It’s extremely sad considering the finale of the show left it open for future episodes. Ned and Moze finally got together and Cookie got the attention of the girl of his dreams.
