Maybe Clancy was the friends we made along the way?

My theory has been that Clancy is Tyler, just like Blurryface is Tyler. Clancy is the good, idealized, strong version of him, while Blurryface is the dark, anxious, scared version of him.

I looked up the definition of the name "Clancy". It's Irish and means... "Son of the red warrior"

Tyler is ALL of this world. I’ve always thought that “lore” is not the right word to describe it. Lore is the building of a fantasy world based on fictional or fictionalized characters. This world is not fantasy, it’s a METAPHOR filled ALLEGORY in which all the characters are representations of different parts of Tyler’s very real psyche and experiences. It’s all him. He’s said this in many different ways in interviews over the years. He’s even talked about how not all lyrics are based on deeper layers of himself, but more on his response to external sources that impact him, like family, friends, the music industry, the writing process itself, and fans. I always try to look at everything in this world through that lens.

And the “Nobody Knows he’s alive” line at the end!! I feel like Tyler’s using this song in tour to kinda describe the events of the Overcompensate music video

Self titled is such a awesome album and I'm glad that it's coming back in concerts🎉

why are we all ignoring the fact that Tyler was introduced as just Tyler Joseph in the Livestream Experience?

What if the song from vessel The Run and Go, where he talks about "I, can't take them on my own, pa, I killed a man and all I know, is I, am on the run and go" is the person who's taken Clancy's identity, getting Keyons killed , and he's returning to Clancy's father informing him that he is not clancy and that's he's on the run. And, on top of that I think that the second verse where he says "I am up against the wall" is a direct foreshadowing of My Blood where he says "surrounded and up against a wall" but My Blood is being sung in almost the perspective of someone other than "Clancy" or who is become Clancy and also with the line before that where he says " you're facing down a dark hall" is in correlation with the line from the Run and Go that reads "Pa I hear them coming down the hall" which, once again, relates back to My Blood...so from this, I want to guess that My Blood is being sung by the real Clancy's father, whoever that may be. Dude I'm really excited for this album, it's gonna be peak, I can feel it.

Throughout TØPs music there are a bunch of references to getting or stealing another’s name, so Clancy is probably a name that has been used by many

AT LAST SOMEONE SAYS IT!!! I've been believing this since the BEGINNING of the lore. In the Trench Era, when people said "Tyler is Clancy" I thought "But they live different things, they have different Bishops, Clancy literally sees the events of Jumpsuit through the middle of the Trench". I say more. The dead guy we see at the end of Overcompensation Video, the redhead, IS Clancy. In the story, the citizens of Dema see that guy talking to them all the time, not Tyler. We can see Tyler to understand that he " seized" the corpse, but in the story, they don't see Tyler, they see Clancy.... the ORIGINAL Clancy.

Okay, we know that Tyler has been able to 'channel' BF/Nico from the git and that when he does this, his voice lowers considerably and his eyes turn red. Supposedly, when Nico needs to find him, he just grabs the bishops' set of antlers and does a location check, like he must have done during JS and during Levitate (although I don't recall Tyler's eyes turning red before Nico arrived in JS and/or before Tyler was snatched in Levitate)(although I •do• remember that in JS, he may have been feeling uncertain and in Levitate, he definitely was staring into the fire, contemplating stuff ('I've been thinking too much.. I've been thinking too much.. '), maybe when he was already vulnerable.. ) One stunning characteristic that Tyler and possibly Clancy, or Clancy and possibly Tyler, share, is the ability to 'be seized' (without being dead as a prerequisite). And now, he possesses the ability to seize others. Because N.E.D. gave him the tool/weapon that sets him on an equal footing to the bishops. The Necromancers' Antlers (a.k.a.: a Neural Expansion Device) So, when we see Clancy/Tyler (or Tyler/Clancy)'s eyes turning yellow, we know he is seeing through some freshly dead person's filmy eyes in order to wear their skin, and maybe, their identity. It's really startling that in Overcompensate, by the time he has been 'teaching' the Dema citizens for a bit, some are wearing red tape and others are wearing yellow tape. I've seen theories about how this means some are committed to fighting and others to supporting the fight. But I just find it to be a trip that these are the two colours Tyler/Clancy's brown eyes happen to turn into when he's occupying another or when he's being occupied by another. Seems like one powerful coincidence (correlation) I am actually blown away by the parallels with this song. •Nobody knows his real name, now he's just using one he saw on a grave• And the last line.. chilling.. •Cuz nobody knows he's alive•

I’m so undecided on this topic that it hurts to think about.

Always the possibility that Clancy isn't a name, more so a "title" of someone taking up that role within Dema. Hence why multiple people could be "Clancy" just a thought

This idea: that Tyler, and we all become Clancy by taking on his name, his mission, his identity, echoes Christian theology. The main and huge significance difference being followers of the Christ believe Him to have died to save others, but not to have remained dead. But I don't think Tyler and Josh are writing an allegory as say, CS Lewis did The Chronicles of Narnia. However, I think it's reasonable to see how they have and are weaving Christ concepts into the lore. And I deeply believe their goal is to give everyone who internalizes their music and their lore, tools of hope; of coping mechanisms; of guidance toward Good.

2:59 “he told me I’m a copy” Morph

Creating a diversion, and letting everyone escape while Tyler is left behind - that's practically the "Heathens" mv!

It think people have forgotten that: Neds Cozy Fireplace was an anagram for “Clancy Seized for EP”. An EP has from 4-6 tracks so it can’t be referring to the album Clancy. I Recently published a video about it, including when an EP could release.

This is by far my favorite theory because this proves the point than a man can die, but not his ideas, and fighting dema and the bishops as a symbol Tyler becomes stronger as he ever was

Clancy is the one with his head shaved (hds, jumpsuit ending, overcompensate) but in levitate the banditos cut his hair.. maybe an impostor idk haha

In "I am Clancy" he kept repeating the phrase, and it felt like he was trying to convince us of who he is. I was and still am skeptical. May 24th will tell us.

Who was Tyler possessing during the Overcompensate music video. Maybe that was the real dead Clancy he was controlling. But then how long had his body been rotting for the SAI era for Tyler to possess it?

I've thought since a little after the "I am Clancy" video that he's taking up the mantle of Clancy. DEMA also talked about this saying that Clancy is just a name that all the escapees use to mask their identity. I'm wondering who the original is. I have a sneaking suspicion that Josh's character is going to be more important like maybe he's some mystical being that was once the original Clancy or something crazy like that. I know that may be crazy, just throwing out some theories

Did you see the video Keons pointed out about Simone Weil?? Tyler even gave a seemingly admitting response when she asked him about it in person. The writings of Simone Weil are very similar to Clancy’s letters, and she did die via what most seemed to deem as a suicide, but it was by ‘doing what was right’ by not eating in solidarity to those at war. This has become known today as ‘Weilism.’ It’s hard to know though if she is Clancy or if her theories are considered Weilism because they oppose each other in the lore… The biggest difference is the Bourbaki group are named after Gen. Bourbaki who was a coward in how he tried to commit suicide after being defeated in the Franco-Prussian war, but failed. Tyler seemed to have referred to him since the Math group took his alias. But what he did was cowardly, and the math group stifles the creativity of math by trying to give a foundation for the empty set and wash away creativity beyond math by trying to ‘prove god’ through math’s structural foundation (which they did not). Whereas Simone Weil did propose something similar in theory by purporting emptying yourself ( or kenosis) in order to be penetrated by the divine grace. She ended up trying to use this for ethical or good purposes, but what seems to have happened is that people forget that when one empties him/herself or ‘dies’, divine grace isn’t the only thing that can ‘seize’ you. So can forces for evil (the bishops). Still trying to figure out how the Ned’s fit into this- maybe the holiness they represent? The bread of grace or hope? If that is the case, then their power to seize would be the Holy Spirit when it is used for good and to communicate hope… it really depends on what your aim is or attention ( another concept by Simone Weil). Maybe Weilism was supposed to be something else, and now people are co-opting it by glorifying suicide so the wrong forces can seize people… idk- it’s still very muddy, but it definitely seems to relate. I know that was a mouthful… I hope it may help spark connections.

So similar to what I’ve been noticing too, I think Clancy has become more a title than a physical person for all the reasons you said. An understanding of what they stand for staying with the same name.

Have any of y'all seen the video about this by Dema?? She says that multiple people are Dema, and that it is just a pseudonym used by everyone who attempts to leave the city. She uses Redecorate to show how multiple perspectives are used and highlights the line "She had planned to change her name, just not the traditional way". So that means that Tyler IS Clancy, but he is not the only Clancy out there. And the "Clancy is dead" anagram that you get from Scaled and Icy just means that the original Clancy died. There are still other Clancy's out there.

i just thought deeply into that theory like two days ago, it's definitely not coincidence that they're playing trapdoor NOW after never playing it in live, and then of course the hole verse the theory is based on

I think Dema did a longer video with this theory. I absolutely love this theory

It’s like taking the ‘I am the enlightened one’ (illuminated knowledge man) mentality reborn as the ‘I am Spartacus’ (warrior and equality man) referenced in the 20th Century; and rebirthing it through music as ‘I am Clancy’ (re-enlightened or re-elevated man) in the modern era 21st Century.

This is really good! Dema (the KZfaq channel) made a video on the identity of Clancy that has a lot of the same points as this and is also great. It’s probably the strongest theory imo

I always thought clancy was like the princess bride pirate. Like the name holds power but the man changes.

"Propaganda doesn't have to be false to be propaganda" I literally said exactly this in my FIRST video years ago. It's fun to watch my theories come to fruition 😁

My theory is that Clancy's letters dictate his first escape attempt, something that, if I'm not wrong, he says is the first time he will try to escape from Dema. In the clips we see his 4th or 5th attempt, something we can see by the yellow flowers left by Tyler in the natn clip. And about the letter that Clancy says he sees the same events in a jumpsuit, it is just a report of Clancy seeing another fugitive from Dema, Clancy is not the only one to flee, what makes Clancy different is his powers to defeat the bishops, hence the bandits They went to look for him in person. You may ask "so why is Clancy's report exactly the same as the clip?" Well, let's remember that the story that Tyler is telling talks about cycles, so in my interpretation, many who run away from dema, follow in a certain way the same path

this entire time my theory was that Clancy was Tyler's alter ego, another personality but since the I Am Clancy Video and when i started to look back at the older songs, the theory you talked about grrew stronger on me. i truly believe on this theory and i think it would make even more in the end. can't wait to see how they're going to finish this story

Tyler is all of them. The whole world is him. That's the whole point. "My name's Blurryface and I care what you think," "I created this world to feel some control, destroy it if I want," etc.

I think you nailed it. One point you missed that would back this theory is at the end of overcompensate when Clancy falls over and is unmasked and we see it’s not Tyler. Then the cut to Tyler seizing him from Voldsoy

strangely, every time I am in my car and tell Apple Music to play my twenty one pilots playlist, Trapdoor ALWAYS comes on first. And I am like WTH? Could be coincidence but interesting.

This is why Keons betrayed Nico, because Keons was fond of Clancy so when they killed him he rebelled to help Tyler!

seems legit. I coulddn't get behind the discontinuities between the letters and the I Am Clancy video, this is a logical explanation.

Your videos are amazing! Please keep up the good work friend!

Clancy might just everyone who involved in the movement. You can kill a person, but you can't kill an idea.

Maybe your theory is right because in that case even the “Vessel album meaning” would emerge (a dead person’s vessel disappears but a dead person’s message/purpose remains and can be maybe embodied, and tyler refers even to his and josh’s grandpas which are on the album cover) and so in my opinion tyler is embodying Clancy, because clancy has really died and he wants to propagate his purpose to takeover dema and stuff.. (sorry for my bad english)

Well I don't really think like that. I have a theory too hear me out please. I think we don't only have one body and a mind that is in that body for Tyler in DEMA lore. I think Tyler is Clancy but bishops took his mind from his body from his original vessel at the very first begining of all lore. And kinda replace his mind in different vessels so they can use him and keep him under control. And the original vessel, i mean Tyler we see in the music videos is kinda lost because he can't really think it's blurry for him, he can't escape from Nico, he just runs around because he can't think. This theory really suits with morph, jumpsuit MV and trapdoor too. I mean Tyler doesn't use a name that he selects but bishops kinda give his mind different vessels. I'm really trying to tell people about this idea I have so please if you see this just make a comment cause I really need to know if there is other people thinks like that. And sorry for my bad English ❤

THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE!!! i feel like i finally understand things now 🙏🙏 i think this has a huge chance of being true

You are definitely on to something here. Well done.

You absolutely convinced me! Very well argued!

I thought it was pretty obvious since Overcompensate Clancy isn't Tyler and personally I've thought it was obvious someone else(Tyler) wrote the Clancy letters since SAI era

Just listened to the whole album. DELUSION

My theory is that I somewhat agree with this one but I think that the original Clancy may be Josh himself. Like in Morph, Clancy is questioning when he'll die and how he's not done, Josh Dun. And in the nico and the niners Josh is the one to greet Tyler from the Banditos, indicating some sort of leadership like in the judge. And somehow I think he may have died, but he remained a ghost to guide Tyler either metaphorically by giving him the idea of this role, or even physically by vialism or idk. And even in overcompensate Tyler says done running, come up with Josh Dun, aka Clancy who he says he is now.

I definitely thought it was goofy when it was revealed that Tyler was Clancy. As I thought about it, I now am very onboard with the idea that Clancy was a man, he died, Tyler in the story took on the mantle of his name, and now Clancy is a concept.

I LOVE this theory, I totally agree with it! This makes a LOT of sense, and I can't really think of anything that contradicts it.

I don’t know if anyone will see this, but I rly think that Josh is the original Clancy. The more I think abt it the more it makes sense. He’s the one who’s been leading tyler in all the trench videos and seemingly the leader of the banditos. So it would make sense for the bishops to kill him. And then in the sai music videos he’s always with Tyler, almost as a ghost. Especially in the outside music video it seems that way. So it makes sense to me that the original Clancy is Josh, and then the boshops killed him and he basically became a ghost leading Tyler to take his place I would love to hear what others think tho

Tyler is dead. Clancy morphed to him. Scaled and Icy = Clancy is dead, because he is Tyler now?

I never believed Tyler was the original Clancy.

I always had this same theory!! I totally agree with what you’re saying

This is a super cool theory. This is gonna be what I'm believing until we get the full story.

maybe tyler was given the mask? like the og clancy gave him the mask cuz like he knew he was gonna be killed so he gave it to tyler cuz he probably known that "hey! he may carry down my message of escaping dema" and stuffs like that and that ever since he got it hes been trying to convince people that you should try to escape dema and stuffs. or my theory is not true and im going crazy

epic

to me this quote from one of the letters "It all begins to make sense... the out of body account of the rider in the river" makes it sound like the narrator of the original jumpsuit letter was seeing themself from an outer body perspective. obviously ive seen plenty of other convincing evidence that theyre seperate people but I keep getting stuck on not being able to interpret the use of the words "out of body account" to mean anything other than that clancy/tyler was just seeing himself as he got taken by nico/keons, and thus is one person. anyone else feel me here?

I was stressing about this Trapdoor reference when Overcompensate first dropped. CLANCY DROPPED DEAD at the end of Overcompensate, and then we see Tyler bringing down the antlers, which we know helps him to seize a body. ONLY DEAD BODIES (except Tyler) CAN BE SEIZED!

They said it themselves, Clancy represents hope

Completely agree with your theory!

the realization is wild, not a bad theory and kinda convince me

YES! I'm so happy that there is a possibility that Self-Titled has some lore to it.

But how he could say « i shouldn’t have done ‘Saturday’ if its not him ? In the Backslide. And Tyler saying its like doing in the interview its like Creating again when he did on one of the first albums ?

I like what you do

Yo stolen potential I have an idea. What if Clancy being dead was never propaganda by the bishops what if it was Tyler trying to expose the bishops for what they did because we know that the bishops let Tyler name scaled and icy.

I believe Tyler is both Clancy and Blurryface. "I've created this world to feel some control." This is clearly a case of Dissociative Identity Disorder. These are personas he's created to cope with trauma. It's all in his head. Look at the map of Trench...it looks like a brain. Voldsoy means "violent island" (insert Migraine lyrics here). The way the events we see in the Jumpsuit video are described in the journal entry is actually him having an "out of body experience" (depersonalization). The reason Blurryface is never present during the SAI writing sessions with the bishops is because he is a Blurryface, and both personas can't be present at the same time. Listening to Clancy has solidified this theory for me. Mainly Routines In The Night, Navigating and Snap Back. The delusions/hallucinations we see in the videos for My Blood (though not directly lore related) and Navigating (fake Josh) are further evidence of this. There are so many more examples, lyrically and visually, across all the albums that point in this direction. Now go have fun falling down this rabbit hole and looking at things from this perspective (if you haven't already) 😉

Definitely agree with this, except maybe the part about "Clancy is dead" coming from the bishops. Maybe it was Tyler who hid the message/warning to us in the title of SAI. Maybe Clancy refused to perform for them, and they used Tyler to pretend to be him. But after he escaped, he decided to use that momentum and take up the mantle

I really like that theory👍🏻

Promise me this. If I lose to myself. You won't mourn a day. And you'll move on to SOMEONE ELSE

It's a solid theory, but then again, the differences in writing could simply be a change in writing of Clancy, or the effect of the circumstances, as the bishops have him and therefore it may not be as easy to write and publish letters. Plus, it's not insane to think the bishops would lie about his death as A) - they still are the bishops, and B) - Clancy is the name and selling point of the new album, if it was an adopted name I feel like it would be a detail in the story, and not the entire narrative. Besides, you say yourself that self titled was before Josh was in the band, and therefore it has a lower likelihood of being lore related. So yeah, it's a good theory, but you need more official clues towards it being true, since it's slightly far fetched in my opinion.

I think you’re correct tbh

Clancy could be his alternate personality as in Multiple Personality disorder

Anyone else going to the Columbus show next week??

But doesnt this mean they also had to kill the torchbearer/ josh?

But if you look at one of the letters it talks about clancy having a out of body experience during the jumpsuit letter so i still think that tyler and clancy are one and the same

05:56 Nico And The Niners We'll win but not everyone will get out. No, no.

What is the song in your outro?

I am Clancy. 0:14

Might be more sinister thing happening because like some of the songs are encrypted in soptify app

I KNEW IT

i like to think clancy is a mindset, not one particular person

I could definitely see this being true!

Hard agree.

It's a really good theory, but it doesn't explain how tyler can also take over bodies. Only the bishops and Clancy can do that

All I know is it sounds like a lot of parallels to the gospel and spiritual rebirth vs the flesh

I dont think the name tyler has ever been mentioned in the lore, has it? Idk this theory would make sense if it wasn’t based on trapdoor, the fact he’s playing it now doesn’t give it a different meaning

okay but Sally and Dan were creepy asf tho

Could Clancy not be an alter? Tyler say has multiple personalities and another alter helped write the letters 4:25

Anyone else getting a joyboy/luffy vibe from Tyler/clancy

Hmmm, 🤔 are we all Clancy?

Clancy is great album. True fans will not be disappointed

bro's talking about ATROBD for drop drop drop drop

Wait. Is the dead body in compensate Clancy? Oof.

Me

HQ leaks, Paladin Strait final Whit The Blurryface voice it's soo good and mysterius

Great theory man! The reason it's called propaganda is because it's FAKE. You did an awesome job and put a lot of thought into this. I haven't been in any discussions about Clancy identity, but I could easily go with your theory. Thanks❤️✌🏻

i think the ending will be tyler ultimately going back to blurryface cause battles will never stop with humans so bluryface will always live in us its a yeng and yang really. tyler is blurryface and you cannot kill a section of yourself without killing yourself also. blurryface needs tyler and tyler needs blurryface

just because clancy isn't tyler doesn't mean mean tyler isn't clancy. stop your nonsense right now!