Theories:People

The following are all of the published and fan theories that exist for characters on Heroes.

For help on adding theories, see the Help section.

To view disproven theories, see here.

Andrews, Charlie

For disproven theories, see here.

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Charlie's eidetic memory could be a result of the blood clot in her brain. As Chandra Suresh began his research thinking that defects in the brain could be corrected, they could possibly also cause a power to emerge.	Chandra's comments about Shanti Suresh	Charlie is on the list, indicating that she has the genetic markers of an evolved human.
Charlie is merely a victim of time. No matter how much Hiro bends time and space, Charlie dies at the same time.	Hiro tells Ando he couldn't save her, no matter how hard he tried
The Haitian visited Charlie and erased some of her memories.	In Seven Minutes to Midnight, she says that she had started only a week before reading the Japanese phrase book she received for her birthday six months earlier. In Six Months Ago, she started using the book right away. Altering her memory may have interfered with Hiro's efforts to save her — even though he bought her a ticket to Japan, her memory of being told to leave was erased.
Charlie knew of her impending death, and of Hiro in the changed time line. She simply did not acknowledge that she already knew Hiro. She accepted her death at the hands of Sylar because she was going to die of the blood clot anyway.	Ando doesn't remember anything differently.	This doesn't account for the changing photo, however.
Hiro's actions did create some changes in the past, but he is apparently unable to make a change that would create a causality paradox: he cannot change the past in such a way that it would prevent him from going into the past.	The different versions of Charlie's birthday photo (and Ando's reaction to the change) indicate the past has changed
Charlie's brain was not removed because Sylar noticed the brain clot and realized he couldn't use it.	The top of her skull was removed but the brain was not removed	The picture that Mr. Bennet showed Eden in Homecoming showed Charlie still had her brain, just not with the top of her skull.

Bennet, Mr.

For disproven theories, see here.

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Mr. Bennet is Claire's biological father and he knows it.	Tim Kring said "Claire's biological father just might be someone fans are already familiar with."
Mr. Bennet will be the next character killed off.	NBC's official description of episode 14: "Distractions" says "Sylar makes a shocking move against H.R.G.," which could be killing him. Promotional images of that episode show Sylar wearing a Primatech uniform, meaning he escaped. This is a perfect setup for HRG's death. Tim Kring stated "we actually do have plans for the character who's dying," plans which could be the episode "Company Man," an HRG flashback episode. Jack Coleman isn't starring in episode 15: "Run," which could mean that HRG is dead by that episode.	Sylar didn't use his powers to kill Hank who simply appeared to be beaten to death. If Sylar's powers are still weakened from the drugs and implant seen in the back of his head, he may not be able to kill Bennet but the possibilities of other "shocking moves" are endless. Also, in a promo, Bennet and The Haitian arrive in a house supposedly looking for Sylar. So, it would seem Bennet doesn't die in the cell at Primatech.

Bennet's Boss

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Mr. Bennet's boss is Mr. Linderman.	Linderman is connected to most of the heroes in some way. It would also explain how Mr. Bennet and The Haitian were able to get into Nathan's hotel room so easily and why the casino staff were so blasé about a guest disappearing from their room.	Neither character has ever been seen.
Mr. Bennet's boss is named Thompson.	Bennet received a text message from a "Thompson" in Wireless, Part 2	Bennet's boss has previously contacted him electronically. Writers have stated in a CBR interview that Thompson is an associate of Mr. Bennet, not his boss.

Deveaux, Charles

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Charles has a power similar to Sanjog's, like a sort of "spirit guide".	Peter had a dream about the same time Charles died.	Peter's dream was most likely his power of empathy in action; he connected with Charles' feelings and emotions.
Charles had the power of Astral Projection.	Charles was in a coma for an extended period and real-world Astral Travelers are said to physically enter such a state while their mind travels elsewhere. The description Charles gives of what he had been doing while asleep (flying around the world, seeing things happening) closely resembles the sensations Astral Travelers claim to experience while projecting.

Gitelman, Hana

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Hana’s power may be the ability to hear and receive electronic communication signals without any sort of aid such as a radio.	In Wireless, Part 1 , which introduces her character, Hana, while working as an intelligence officer for the Israeli military, says that “At my best, it seemed as if I knew the enemies’ moves before they did.”, which may be an indication of her ability to pick up on their communications. The series of graphic novels' name, “Wireless” may also be a reference to this ability.	Hana is able to receive and send electronic communications (Wireless, Part 2), though it is only after a period of study and treatment by Mr. Bennet's organization that she manifests this power unambiguously.
Hana is Claire's mother and the webcomic Wireless is something that has already taken place.	This is speculative, but an interview with one of the writers said that two of the characters would be revealed to be related, and this would be revealed in the second half of the season. It also seems odd to have Claire in the webcomic unless she has some direct connection to Hana.	It would be difficult to fit Hana being Claire's biological mother into the chronology since Claire would have to have been born around 1990 and Hana doesn't seem to have had any children as of 1997. Claire is also seen in Wireless, Part 3, calling Mr. Bennet Dad, while he is on the phone with Hana. A woman living in Kermit, TX claims to be Meredith Gordon, Claire's birth mother.
Hana has a list of evolved humans.	She knew where Ted was. She had saved a document containing the needle that made "the mark", so she could've saved a list of evolved humans.	Hana could also have tracked Ted using her powers quite easily, assuming Ted left some kind of electronic trail in reaching Nevada. Even if the DHS kept Ted's escape and existence out of the media, their own e-mail and phone-calls would still be accessible to Hana. And according to How Do You Stop an Exploding Man?, Part 1, Hana did get to Ted just before Homeland Security did, making it more than likely she was piggy-backing off their recon.
Hana is the hacker who is a part of the Heroes 360 experience, and she is using her power to do so.	Hana can intercept emails and texts as well as responded to them...	...So why can't she use it to hack into the files?

Hawkins, D.L.

Theory	Evidence	Notes
D.L.'s power may involve more ways of manipulating the molecules of his body than just phasing.	At the end of the video about Niki and D.L. on the official NBC site, D.L. is called a "shape-shifter."	They also refer to Niki's power being "Good and Evil" which seems unlikely. Niki Sanders has thus far not revealed any indication that her powers have something to do with the divide between ultimate good and ultimate evil. Therefore, it is possible that the editors simply made an error, since he hasn't displayed any other power than phasing to date. It is also possible that the editors did not make an error. Just because he hasn't displayed any other power than phasing, doesn't mean he can't.
D.L. will take advantage of Micah's ability of Technopathy to break into the Mental Institute and Free Niki.	He got really mad when he went in to see her. He said that he wished that he could get her out. Micah also misses his mother, so he will follow along with his father.	Micah is developing his parents' morally ambiguous tendencies.

Iyer, Sanjog

For disproven theories, see here.

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Iyer may have the power to see the past, not just entering other's minds while they dream.	He was able to see the murder of Mohinder's father, for example. This event, as far as we know, was not witnessed by either Mohinder or Sanjog. Sylar's stopped watch seems enough to suggest that the vision is accurate, as neither Mohinder nor Sanjog had seen that watch either.
Sanjog was murdered by Sylar, and Sylar obtained his ability. This is how Sylar appeared in Peter's dream when he was in his cell in Fallout.	Nathan changed from Nathan to Sylar in Peter's dream in Fallout	Sanjog was most definitely still alive during the events leading up to Homecoming, because Mohinder met him. It's possible that Sylar killed Charlie in Midland, flew to India, killed Sanjog, and flew back to Odessa, but it seems unlikely. Another reason is because Sylar was in the metal room at the time at Mr. Bennet's company. The Haitian would have prevented him from using his powers.

Jumpsuit

Theory	Evidence	Notes
The Exterminator works for Mr. Bennet, and his appearance was a ruse for Mohinder to meet, and trust, Eden.	Eden was planted by Mr. Bennet, and the gun the exterminator uses is the same style as the weapon Eden attempted to use on Sylar.

Linderman, Mr.

For disproven theories, see here.

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Linderman will eventually play a bigger part in the series.	He is already connected to most of the heroes
Linderman may be funding the AWI.	He has money, and is connected to most of the heroes. His interest in Isaac Mendez's paintings may indicate his knowledge of their significance and of the existence of superhuman powers.	This would also explain how Mr. Bennet and The Haitian were able to get into Nathan's hotel room so easily and why the casino staff were so blasé about a guest disappearing from their room.
Linderman could be Hal Sanders.	He's never seen, he has quite a bit of money, and he lives in Vegas.	He would have had to have sent men to collect from his own daughter, and have blackmailed her into sleeping with a married stranger. Hal, while an abusive, murdering alcoholic, doesn't seem that depraved (yet).
Linderman is Mr. Bennet's mysterious employer.		See "Linderman is funding the AWI"
Linderman is an evolved human.	Linderman appears to be a key "villain" in the series, who already has somewhat sinister connections to most of the heroes.	A villainous superhuman would be an appropriate enemy for the heroes.
Linderman is Nathan and Peter Petrelli's actual father.	None	Nathan's campaign is funded by Linderman. Linderman was an associate of Mr. Petrelli, Nathan and Peter's - supposed - father. Linderman appears to know a lot about enhanced humans. Nathan and Peter, being siblings, may have inherited their powers from a parent. Mrs. Petrelli does not appear to have any powers.
Mr. Linderman is Claire's father		In the preview for Distractions seen after The Fix, Claire's father was seen in some kind of office wearing an expensive watch and what looks to be diamond-studded ring. Mr. Linderman is presumably in his office most of the time and has a ton of money. Spoilers indicate that Claire's father is a familiar character and Linderman is as familiar as it gets.
Mr. Linderman is Hiro's father.	He has some amount of workers under him, and they refer to him as "Big Boss." Also, this would help to connect Linderman's ownership of the sword to the thug who kidnapped Hiro and Ando, saying the Big Boss (Hiro's father) wants him to stop his quest.
Mr. Linderman is a Shapeshifter.	None.	Linderman may have been Sylar's Cockroach and Mohinder the Lizard. He may also have shapeshifted into Hiro's dad to trick him. And if a live dinosaur is to battle Hiro, it could be Linderman.
Linderman has powers and he is recruiting to have world domination.	Maybe Mr. Bennet works for him and captures evolved humans them to monitor them until needed.

Masahashi, Ando

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Ando has the power to focus or amplify other people's powers.	Every time Hiro uses his powers near Ando he is able to do what he wants. When Hiro is not near Ando his powers are unpredictable. Also, when Isaac was around Ando, he was able to paint the future successfully without drugs.	Very Unlikely. When Hiro attempts to go back in time and save Charlie in Episode 8 ("Seven minutes to midnight"), he moves back 6 Months to April, far further than the day he intended to, despite his proximity to Ando. If Ando's ability is just developing it might explain this though. Also, Ando is next to Hiro at the Museum of Natural History, and Hiro is only able to slow time, not completely stop it (Godsend).

Nakamura, Hiro

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Hiro is Takezo Kensei	The picture of Takezo in the museum looks a lot like Hiro in the future.	He can manipulate time, and he does end up in the past. It cannot be a far off idea that he is the "Godsend" after he teleports into ancient Japan.

Parkman, Matt

For disproven theories, see here.

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Matt is Claire's biological father and he does not know it.	Tim Kring said "Claire's biological father just might be someone fans are already familiar with."	When Mr. Bennet abducted Matt, Mr. Bennet may have recognized Matt from 14 years ago.

Petrelli, Monty and Simon

Theory	Evidence	Notes
It is possible that Monty and Simon might have powers inherited from Nathan.	Micah is a second-generation evolved human, as is Claire Bennet and possibly Molly Walker. Nathan and Peter are evolved siblings.	Molly Walker has not yet demonstrated any superhuman ability.

Petrelli, Mr.

Theory	Evidence	Notes
It is possible that Mr. Petrelli had powers.	Mrs. Petrelli said that his depression involved delusions of grandeur, which is the same way Nathan describes Peter. His sons are evolved siblings. He worked for Mr. Linderman, who is probably aware of the recent evolutionary developments
The Fake Petrelli Suicide Theory:Mr. Petrelli is not dead, but in hiding from Mr. Linderman, possibly as a part of the Witness Protection Program/Witness Security Program. He faked a suicide with the help of Nathan Petrelli to protect his wife and family and so not to be put into a position either against his son or against Mr. Linderman.	Nathan was the one who told Peter that his father was dead, yet when Nathan was almost killed, he felt it. Peter also sensed when Charles Deveaux passed on, while he didn't sense his own fathers passing. Their mother stated that Nathan was the one who found his father dead.	Peter's not sensing his father's death could be explained by his powers just developing; however, since Peter's father supposedly committed suicide after Nathan's accident, he had already experienced his first vision. This theory requires that nobody other than those in on the fake suicide, like Nathan, had seen Mr. Petrelli's body, an unlikely scenario that has not been indicated in the show. While Nathan tells Peter that their dad is dead from a heart attack, Angela Petrelli told Peter in the hospital that his father suffered delusions of grandeur and had committed suicide.

Petrelli, Nathan

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Nathan is Claire's biological father and he knows it.	Tim Kring said "Claire's biological father just might be someone fans are already familiar with."	Claire's birth mother Meredith Gordon supposedly calls Claire's father, who wears a ring very similar to one Nathan has been seen wearing. (The Fix) Claire is only 15 at this point in the show, Nathan is in his early 30's- meaning he would have been in his teens when he had a child with Meredith. Also, Meredith calls the person to let them know that their daughter found her- so this person must know about Claire. Nathan is about the same age as Meredith, so he could be Claire's father.

Petrelli, Peter

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Peter's power is empathy. This would give him the ability to channel powers and would explain his prophetic dreams about Nathan, and explain how he knows what he felt.	According to Tim Kring: "Peter’s [power] is based on his empathy and his ability to connect with people and when he’s around them."	This would also match the theory that their abilities are based on their personalities...or personality on abilities. Peter became a nurse to help people, so gaining empathy would just further his wanting to help.
Peter has some unknown additional power that is or causes these dreams and blackouts.		According to the writers, each character has only one innate power.
Peter's impending explosion, foreseen in Fallout, may be caused by the proximity of many other evolved humans, whose power he absorbs all at once; it's too much power for him to handle.	After being in close proximity to several others in a short time, Peter appears weak and sickly. (Fallout)
Peter's vision of himself exploding may not be a prophecy; it may be form of empathic communication, like some of his other dream experiences seem to be.	His dream about Charles Deveaux was not prophetic. Neither was his dream about Nathan and Heidi's accident, which was occurring at the same time Peter was asleep.	If so, Peter is wrong to think he will be the cause of the explosion. Also, Claire is alive in the vision, implying that this cannot be the actual end of the world. In Godsend, more of Peter's vision is seen, including scenes with Claude laughing while stealing money. These portions of Peter's vision, at least, have definitely proven to be prophetic.
Peter may use the vision as a warning that he needs to learn how to better control his powers in order to prevent a disaster like the explosion. He may now start making an effort to learn to control his powers in order to prevent the explosion from happening or to limit its destruction.	Spoilers indicate he will gain a mentor who helps him control his powers.
As seen in a painting in the background of Isaac's room at Primatech Paper Co, Peter could evolve into something akin to the Human Torch.	Isaac's painting
If Peter's power is mimicking/copying the special abilities of others, why did he stick just to Claire's healing power when he was very close to Sylar (and a bit farther away from Eden and the Haitian)?		We don't know how close Peter has to be to another superhuman to duplicate their powers, or how long he has to be near them. It is possible he didn't get Claire's healing power until after she came close to him after he fell off the bleachers. Also, he may be unable to duplicate the acquired powers of Sylar (as opposed to his innate power of intuitive analysis). Also note that Sylar used his acquired ability of telekinesis to launch lockers that did not hit Peter. It is possible that Peter unknowingly used telekinesis to prevent damage to himself. This was suggested in the Q & A session with the writers. It also looks like the lockers are just flying around him. It is probable that Peter had access to all of Sylar's powers, but did not know how to wield them and he was using the telekinesis reflexively.
In the vision, Peter explodes from mimicking too many powers at once.	All the known heroes are near him before exploding	From the way the other heroes are responding to him, this seems most likely. Claire says she is sorry, Simone is running to him, Nathan is walking towards him determinedly, etc... The dream may also not be prophetic in nature at all, but merely a means for his body to explain its dilemma; that it cannot mimic so many powers simultaneously, probably causing damage similar to what is occurring to Sylar. It would explain why Peter suddenly "blows" when his brother gets too close. The New York setting as well as serving the content of Issac's painting may be his subconscious linking real life events to a dream. This would also explain the shorter Nathan/Sylar dream, though it doesn't explain how Peter could render images of Micah, Niki, D. L. and Hiro whom he has never met, as well as Sylar, who he had seen very briefly. It also doesn't explain the other Heroes' reactions to him in his dream.
In the vision, Peter sees himself as Sylar, who loses control of Theodore Sprague's power after stealing it.	His trench coat and watch are similar to Sylar's	Peter has been shown to wear a trench coat since the beginning of the series, and many characters wear watches. Peter's watch in the vision is not broken and is a different shape than Sylar's. In Godsend, more of Peter's vision is seen, including conversation between himself and Nathan. Nathan addresses him as Peter.
Peter is manifesting the abilities of a female human torch whom we have not yet met	"A new female hero is joining the cast for a mini arc, and this person's power is unlike anything we've seen on the show so far. All I'll say is, she'd come in very handy on Survivor." Source: Ask Ausiello @ TV Guide)	In Peter's vision, the others act afraid of him, even before anything happens. If they knew he was going to "explode", they would be running away a much faster.
Peter exploding may be a self-fulfilling prophecy	Some of Isaac's paintings have happened because the paintings were seen	Peter will contact the others and tell them he is the one who is going to explode. They'll believe this because of the exploding man painting and barricade the city, etc. Then since he will be by all of them at once he will explode because of it. And he would not have if he hadnt contacted them all.
Peter's Regeneration after his encounter with Sylar was incomplete.	When we see Peter in Fallout, he is coughing and sickly. It would appear that he did not heal completely.	Peter's illness could also be attributed to overuse of his powers or coming into contact with too many other heroes in too short a timespan.
Peter can still duplicate powers that he has copied, even when the original source is gone.	In an interview, Tim Kring has implied that Peter may be able to reproduce powers that he copied previously.
Peter has visions of himself as Nathan since, as brothers, they share the same blood. When Peter falls with Sylar, their blood becomes mixed thereby giving Peter visions of himself as Sylar.	None whatsoever.
Future Hiro contacted Peter because Peter is the only person who can hold a conversation with him while he has stopped time.	Peter's experience with Claude supports the theory. By duplicating Claude's invisibility power, Peter made himself immune to it. Duplicating Hiro's space-time manipulation power may have a similar effect.	It is still unclear whether Future Hiro has enough control of his power to exclude other people from the time-stopping effect.
Peter's Empathy may function like a power tool - the amount of time he spends with a person (i.e. the charger) and how close he gets to them physically determines the duration and strength of what powers, if any, Peter manifests. As the series has progressed, Peter's range appears to be increasing as the time he needs to spend with a person decreases.	Peter first mimics, albeit weakly, the flying powers of the brother he usually only sees for a few minutes at a time on a regular basis in Genesis. In Don't Look Back, he manifests a weaker form of Issac's precognitive drawing when he draws a picture of himself levitating while Nathan watches after briefly treating Issac before am ambulance arrives. We also find out that Peter only manifested true flight powers after touching his brother's hand for several seconds. In Hiros, Peter is able to manifest Issac's powers after spending several minutes talking to him in close proximity. In Homecoming, Peter only manifests Claire's ability after touching her briefly while fleeing Sylar and spending only a few seconds with her. It is possible that the healing power does not fully kick in until Claire returns to find Peter badly wounded. In Fallout, Peter manifests the same headaches Matt has (a side-effect of his telepathy) before Matt even enters the room and discovers telepathy once Matt is in the same room. In Godsend, Peter copies the powers of Claude (the Invisible Man) from several yards away.

Rains, Claude

Theory	Evidence	Notes
The "Invisible Man" is not Claude Rains Theory: In the episode "The Fix" the man that Peter Petrelli had dreams of he meets. This man has the power of invisibility. When Peter demands to know his name the man snaps back "You don't know me! I'm the Invisible Man... I'm Claude Rains!". Peter takes this as the man telling him his name, but he is actually referring to the name of the actor who first portrayed the role in the original movie "The Invisible Man" in 1933. This man then does nothing to dissuade Peter from this misconception. It will be revealed later that he is on the run and does not want anyone knowing his true identity so he can stay hidden.	The man who Peter Petrelli calls Claude was trying to get away from Peter and was very concerned about how it was that he could see through his invisibility. It is very unlikely that he would tell a person he just met, especially in this state of mind, his real name. Also he did not say "I'm Claude Rains and I am the Invisible Man" he said it in such a way as to suggest that he was referring to the movie.
Claude is Claire's birth father.	Spoilers seem to suggest that the woman who will play Claire's birth mother (Jessalyn Gilsig) and Claude (Christopher Eccleston) are connected.	Previews of episode 14 show the left arm and torso of a man sitting down when the voiceover talking about Claire's birth father is playing. The man is wearing a nice white button-down shirt with the cuffs unbuttoned and rolled up. He is also wearing a nice looking watch. Considering the life Claude seems to be living (homeless), someone else is likely (i.e. Nathan Petrelli).
Claude taught Sylar how to control his powers.	When Peter Petrelli asked Claude if he had trained anyone else, Claude gave him a look and then blew off the question without providing an answer one way or another.
Claude works for HRG, and is the one monitoring Peter.	In Fallout, HRG implied that he'd help Peter in some way, perhaps by helping him to control his powers. In Godsend, the Haitian mentions that Peter is being monitored. Upon awakening from his coma, Peter encounters Claude Rains, who clearly knows a lot about evolved humans and who has obviously also mentored other heroes in learning how to control their abilities.	HRG promised Isaac he'd help him to control his precognitive abilities, and also seems to have helped both the Haitian and Eden learn how to use their own powers. This may be due to Claude's mentoring.

Sanders, Micah

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Micah will build a suit similar to Iron Man's.	None	There's no evidence that Micah's abilities extend to building new technology. He's only been shown repairing existing technology.
The most likely power that Micah was exhibiting is known as technopathy, or the ability to control technology with one's mind.	His repair of the payphone in Nothing to Hide and manipulation of the ATM in The Fix fit with a power of this description.
Micah will build a cybernetic limb, like Forge and Cable; a time machine like Forge and Cable; an evolved human tracking or detecting device.	None	There's no evidence that Micah's abilities extend to building new technology. He's only been shown repairing existing technology.
Micah will become a first-class computer hacker.	None	His abilities shown to date could all be hardware, not software, related. However, his abilities, as shown hacking the ATMs in The Fix could have involved influencing the software of the ATM computer.
Micah is unusual because he exhibits powers as a child. This is because both of his parents are also evolved humans.	Micah used an out-of-order pay-phone to call his mother. He places his hand on ATMs and they dispense money	The next youngest character to have powers is Sanjog Iyer -- who seems to be Micah's age -- followed by Claire Bennet, who is 15. Both of Micah's parents are evolved humans; at least one of Claire's biological parents was evolved; nothing is known about Sanjog's parents. All other powered characters did not become aware of their abilities until well into adulthood.
Micah is the one who distorted the recording of Niki and Linderman's thugs in the video camera.	None	Micah was at Tina's house when Niki first watched the video and saw that it was scrambled. Since his power seems to require physical contact with the device he would have no way to scramble it.

Sanders, Niki

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Niki & Jess are not merely split personalities in the psychological disorder sense, but a temporal anomaly, trapped between near identical temporal paths. When Niki has control in one reality, Jessica is in control in the other reality. This alternate reality is different only in what the other alter has accomplished in that reality	They can see one another through mirrors. Neither alter has described what it's like when not in control, suggesting there is no jarring difference in environment for the recessive personality.	If this theory is true, this means both realities exist simultaneously, and Niki & Jess are experiencing things very differently from how we've been perceiving them. Jessica's tatoo simulates the symbol on the sword Hiro is seeking, which may mean a temporal connection between the characters.
Niki has Dissociative Identity Disorder and Jessica is her alternate personality. For some reason, only Jessica is able to tap into her powers for now.	Apparently all superhuman powers are based in the brain, including Jessica's superhuman strength. Since the power is in her brain, not her muscles, it is plausible for only one personality to be able to access it.	Niki's psychiatrist has diagnosed her as a classic case of Multiple Personality Disorder, the older term for DID. However in Godsend Niki snaps a guard's baton in half with her bare hands
Niki had control of her powers at one point, but HRG captured her, and had The Haitian wipe her memory. Her old personality, that The Haitian erased might not have been fully erased, which explains her alter-ego.	Other characters that the AWI has studied (Ted Sprague and Matt Parkman) have a distinctive mark, and Jessica has a tattoo of the Symbol.	This hypothesis does not explain why all of her friends/family know her as Niki and not as Jessica. The mark and the symbol are not necessarily connected.
Niki will go to the "dark side".	None
Niki's other personality is actually her sister Jessica, who may have had an ability before dying and somehow came to take over Niki's body so she could continue protecting her.	The Jessica persona definitely believes it's the dead sister. In "Six Months Ago", the way Jessica (Personality) speaks is as if she is Jessica.	A dead twin still being able to talk to or influence their "other half" is a common idea in many stories involving twins.
Niki is a medium. She can talk to the dead and channel spirits, but has so far only had contact with her sister Jessica, who takes over Niki's body when she has things to take care of.		Spirit communication/channeling is a common power claimed by many real-world mystics, along with levitation (or flight), telekinesis and Space-time manipulation. If levitation, telekinesis and space-time manipulation are genetically possible in the world of Heroes, why not the power to talk to the dead?
Niki may have a power of her own, probably something related to motherhood or nurturing (or the Madonna side of the Madonna/whore dichotomy). She may have used a healing touch on Micah after Jessica threw him into the rocks in Fallout. This would explain why Micah suddenly stopped favoring his arm when she touched him and suffered no further distress from it.
Given that Niki is a close analogue to Marvel Comics' Incredible Hulk, if this homage continues, we may see an even stronger rage based personality or a full integration of the two (via hypnosis?) in the future.	Both characters were abused as children, have physical and personality changes brought on by stress, and powers only accessible to one personality state
Niki can theoretically tap into the same power, but doesn't know how.	The source of Jessica's superhuman strength is somehow a part of her brain, as are the abilities of other evolved humans, and the personae share a brain	In Godsend Niki snaps a guard's baton in half with her bare hands
Jessica is a sleeper agent for the Yamagato Corporation's Genetic Research Division, which is headed by Hiro's Father (played by George Takei in a January 29th episode).	Niki Sanders is the quiet little web-stripper from Las Vegas whose marriage has gone sour and has left her stranded, alone and desperate...or is she? Niki Sanders may be a sleeper agent for the Yamagato Corporation. Since it is possible that Hiro receives his katana from his father, it is also likely that the symbol on the handle of the sword (the RNA symbol) is the Corporation's Genetic Division logo, who has a hand in the creation of the evolved humans, or at least funded Suresh's research and used the logo after it appeared in repeating patterns in the results. The logo also appears on Suresh's book, which supports this theory, since the financial backers would probably want themselves included on the cover. When Jessica appears, the same symbol appears on Niki's back, tying her to the source of the symbol in some way. The ink used to make this tattoo could be temperature controlled, and when the personality switch occurs as an identifying mark, Niki's body temperature increases or decreases causing the mark to appear. Like all sleeper agents, Niki likely has a trigger that switches her from suburban stripper mom to super hero assassin. Someone like Niki should have no knowledge of where to find or how to operate military hardware. Jessica, however, was precise in her shooting of D.L. Hawkins- she knew where to find/buy weapons off-the-market and how to conduct herself on a hunt. If Niki were exhibiting schizophrenic behavior, there still would be no way for her to know about all these things. With the stress of her sister's death, Niki's trigger seems to have been damaged, and the layers of mental conditioning and brainwashing that she has undergone has eroded, allowing her to switch from Niki to Jessica in moments of duress or pressure. Jessica knows about her powers, has had obvious combat training and knows about the Niki persona, while Niki had no knowledge of her alter-ego until recently- all of these things are characteristic of a sleeper agent. But why would Niki choose the name of her sister for her sleeper persona? It is possible that Jessica is the real personality, and used her twin sister's name as a cover- since Niki could get close to someone as an unassuming woman, where Jessica's name could be recognized.	There is no indication that Yamagato Industries has a genetic research division. There is no evidence that the Symbol is in any way associated with Yamagato Industries.
Jessica (possibly Niki's twin sister) is a soul/spirit existing inside Niki's brain.	Suresh once stated that if a soul does exist scientifically, it will most likely exist in the brain. (Six Months Ago). If Jessica is Niki's twin sister, and it is true that twins tend to have the strongest psychological links, Jessica's soul most likely exists within Niki's brain.
Jessica is a spirit. Her presence caused the interference on Niki's tape.	Spirits hypothetically cause static interference.	Linderman's tape, showing Jessica committing adultery with Nathan showed no static interference.
The sword that Hiro is trying to obtain isn't for him, it's for Niki. The sword will allow her two sides to be integrated and bring balance to her personality, giving her full access to her power.	The samurai that originally possessed the sword was feared by everyone because he was brutal and powerful, just like Jessica.
In order to get out of prison, Jessica Sanders will make a deal with Mr. Linderman and as a result, will become his newest assassin.	Spoilers seem to suggest that in episode 14 (Distractions), Mr. Linderman will be recruiting a new assassin. Jessica wants out of prison, thus she will be person.
Niki's powers are her enhanced strength. Jessica's power is the ability to possess other bodies, like a symbiote.	In Godsend, Niki breaks a cop's nose and snaps his nightstick in half.	Although the cast commentaries on NBC.com indicate that Ali Larter believes this was Niki's first display of enhanced strength, it's also possible that Jessica took over to protect Niki.
The Twins Super-Switching Theory: As children Jessica had the power to jump into Niki's body and possibly visa versa. Through this the stronger willed Jessica could be the hero and always protect her vulnerable weaker sister by switching bodies. Being twins, their drunken abusive father never noticed the difference. Unfortunately when Jessica died, she out of desperation did one last instinctual attempt to body swap to save herself, but since there was no place for Niki to go she stayed in the body she was and Niki was trapped in the same body. It is also possible that the body that they are in is actually Niki's.	In the episode "Six Months Ago" Hal Sanders, Niki and Jessica's alcoholic father tries to reconnect with Niki. Jessica then takes over and goes to Hal's Hotel Room and tells him that he should be apologizing to her, not Niki since she took all the beatings for her and then wouldn't let Niki remember the ones after she had originally died. This may mean the contempt that Jessica now has for Niki may be due to her alcoholism, weakness, and her getting to have a regular life. Also many children of abusive or controlling relationships look at the aggressor and the victim, in this case Hal and either his wife, Niki, or both, and think the following. I care for all involved, but what the aggressor is doing is wrong and I will never be like that, but I will never let myself become the victim. They so overcompensate to not being the victim, they become more like the aggressor and don't see it. Jessica is like this, and doesn't realize she is hurting people this way. When Niki was an actively drinking as an alcoholic, this was possible self medicating pushing Jessica who needs control, into a position of no control for an extended period of time, turning her into what she could not stand being. When Niki became sober it would allow for Jessica to come out, and although she loves her sister, she probably would be really angry and resentful too. Especially if Micah is Jessica's biological son.	The likelyhood of only one twin being the "Target of Opertunity" all the time of a drunken/ abusive parent is very unlikely, especially twins at the age of 10 to 11 years, the age on Jessica's Grave. In her reflective visions of Jessica, Niki has seen Jessica in bed with DL and protective of Micah, in Jessica's own way. It is possible that Jessica considers them hers, and if Jessica can influence Niki's memories, they very well may be. This may not be what DL thinks though. Hal may have been the straw that broke Jessica's back because Niki would let her (Jessica's) abuser near Micah in any way after all she had done for Niki. D.I.D. (Disassociative Identity Disorder) is a more likely explination, but in a world where men can walk through walls, fly, time travel, and explode, it is not impossible.

Sprague, Ted

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Theodore is the source of the explosion in New York. (He isn't the explosion but his powers are the source)	Ted says he doesn't know what would happen if he were shot, that "Maybe I'll wipe out this whole city like an atomic bomb!"	Ted being the cause would be consistent with Isaac's "Exploding Man" painting.
Theodore is the bomb. Peter absorbs his power to contain radiation. Peter then becomes the bomb.	As above	Peter's second vision (as seen in Godsend) of himself exploding touches on this theory. Before exploding, Peter tells Nathan that he took "his" power. Peter did not specify whom, however he is most likely referring to Ted (as Ted is the only known character with a radioactive power).
Theodore is the individual who sent Hana the e-mail regarding Mr. Bennett.	The sender's handle appears to be "TEDDYBEAR," the nickname Ted's wife had for him.

Suresh, Mohinder

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Mohinder has lived in the US prior to Genesis.	Mohinder has a license to drive a taxi cab. To acquire such a license in the 36 hours the show leaves him is impossible. Therefore he must have acquired the license, or at least its prerequisites, at a previous date.	Mohinder may have been awarded the license illegally. Mohinder's license expires on a day that doesn't exist. It's probably a fake, but this could merely be a production gaffe.
Mohinder is on the list	Mr. Bennet asks him if he's on the list and he hesitates. His sister Shanti was described as special; if this means she had powers, then the fact that the Petrelli brothers both have powers would suggest that Mohinder should have powers as well.	He doesn't know but it's a possibility

Sylar

For disproven theories, see here.

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Sylar is dying because he attained his powers unnaturally or because his mutation ("power") was fatal, and the only way he's staying alive is by consuming the brains of other evolved humans.	None	While it's possible that either Sylar's power or his acquired powers are damaging him in some way, there's no evidence to support such a conclusion. Additionally, it's confirmed that he is taking (but not necessarily eating) brains to absorb powers.
Sylar's powers have something to do with emotion, due to what Chandra says to him and his intonation in Six Months Ago.	None	Sylar may have some sort of emotional power in addition to his others, but there's little evidence to support such a theory.
Sylar can alter his brain by studying the physical characteristics of other brains, which is why he is able to alter his own abilities.	Sylar's gift of fixing objects and the profound instance when Sylar noticed his first victim's 'defect' supports this theory. Sylar can fix intricate devices, and brains, specifically his own. Micah seems to have a similar gift.	Sylar's Intuitive Aptitude was confirmed in Fallout, but there's no clear evidence how he absorbs powers. Knowing how things work and being able to alter his own brain seem like two distinct powers. He has not yet fixed anything, mechanical or biological, other than manually. In Fallout, Mr. Bennet said it was his DNA he was altering.
Sylar takes the brains and somehow figures out how to take the parts with the ability and place it in his brain. He has convinced himself that either all the Heroes are broken or incapable of their abilities, or that he needs the powers just to satisfy his hunger for power.	Sylar's Intuitive aptitude	His comments to Mr. Bennet in Fallout support the idea that he is acquiring powers to be more "special".
Sylar believes all the Heroes need to be "fixed".	Sylar's Intuitive aptitude Episode 13 is titled The Fix	To get "a fix" is also a term used by drug users, meaning to satiate their need for their drug of choice. This could be a reference to Isaac or perhaps Sylar's own need for power.
Sylar may be heeding to the Evolutionary Imperative to kill dying Heroes and augment their powers to his for the sake of efficiency.	This would explain Charlie, who is dying from a blood clot, and possibly Brian Davis.	However, Evolutionary Imperative doesn't state anything about greed, so he might kill people out of his lust for being "special"
Sylar may also be a thematic foil to evolution itself.	His profession of watchmaker is often used as an analogue to an intelligent designer. Rather than following an Evolutionary Imperative, he appears to be redesigning himself using existing powers as a template which he then improves upon.
Sylar is meant to be Peter's literary/thematic antithesis.	He has a similar motivation (to be special), similar looks, (perhaps) similar powers, and both men have even talked to a Suresh who ultimately gave up on him before he could prove that he was special. One major difference between them is that Sylar's main power depends upon logic and Peter's power depends upon emotion - a common theme in many literary conflicts
Sylar is suspected to have learned one or more of the following powers from his victims: cryokinesis, concussive resistance or bullet-proof skin, super-jump, or flight:	Molly's father is frozen solid while eating dinner, mid bite, with the top of his skull removed. (Don't Look Back) In an unaired scene, Audrey and Matt discover a police officer frozen solid. (One Giant Leap) After being hit by several of Matt's bullets, Sylar rises a minute later, almost "lifting" himself from the floor, seemingly unharmed. The sound of metal hitting to the floor is heard, as if Sylar was able to shield himself from the bullets. (One Giant Leap) Sylar escapes, possibly by leaping up the wall or flying. (One Giant Leap) Sylar is relatively unharmed after a fall which badly mangled Peter. (Homecoming) Sylar tells Eden that bullets can't harm him. (Fallout)	Sylar could have used his telekinesis to stop the bullets, lift himself up (giving the appearence of flight), and could have possibly protected himself from the fall with the same power. He could even, assuming his telekinesis is powerful enough to work on an atomic level, possibly flash-freeze people by slowing the molecular motion of the air around the person. Also, Mr. Bennet confirmed that Sylar had more than one power. (Fallout)
Sylar may have unwittingly gained Charlie's blood clot when he killed her to acquire her power.	None	Given Sylar's ability to understand complex systems and repair them, he would probably have detected the clot and not duplicated it in himself. He may also not have gained Charlie's power as her brain was not removed.
Sylar is the anti-Chandra, much like he would be the antithesis to Peter.	He finds the special people, much like Suresh did. He has a map like him. He even worked with him.	While Chandra found the special people and helped them harness their own abilities, Gabriel would steal their abilities to become even more one of them.
Even if The Haitian were to remove the memories of Claire from Sylar, Sylar would not be effected because of the memory power he gained from Charlie.		There is no reason to think that Charlie's exceptional memory capacity would grant special resistance to the Haitian's power to erase specific memories.
When Sylar fell from the bleachers in Homecoming, he lost a power which Peter then absorbed. This is why Peter appeared sick in "Fallout." He doesn't yet know how to handle the new power.	None
Sylar could have the ability of shadow travel as a power.	In the episode "One Giant Leap" when Matt corners Sylar, Sylar disappears without the camera watching and it didn't sound like he jumped. Also it was dark on the floor and on the side of the building. In the episode "Homecoming" when Peter tells Claire to go find people, when he turns back Sylar is in his face and when Peter was talking to Claire they didn't look like Sylar was approaching or else they would have looked at him. Sylar could have slithered through the shadows that were on the bleachers.	In all the dark areas he seems to move faster than normal.
The Doctor Sylar Theory : Sylar has developed the power of Psychic Surgery. He has done this either through the combination of his intuitive abilities and telekinesis or by acquiring it from a victim.	In the episode Godsend the AWI doctor that was running tests on Sylar claims the only power they can trace in him is telekinesis, in spite of his victims show the signs of other abilities being used against them. In an earlier episode Mohinder Suresh broke into Sylar's apartment and found medical books seeming to focus on medical procedures, primarily on the brain. This is perhaps a sign that his telekinesis is powerful enough and precise enough that he can use it to do intricate procedures on others and himself. Additionally, Sylar had to smash his victim's head open with an ornamental crystal to acquire his first stolen ability; now he seems to carry no tool or weapon.	He could be using this ability to heal his injuries on the fly and to transplant the grey matter of his victims with special abilities to his own body, thus gaining their "specialness".
Sylar has a limited form of tissue regeneration as a side-effect of his ability.	At one point, Sylar is able to alter his physiology enough to fool Hank into thinking that he is dead. He then appears to recover from the condition. (The Fix)
Sylar is only able to use one stolen ability at a time. He collects brains so he can use them to reconfigure himself for different abilities.	Hank is only able to identify the codons responsible for telekinesis, but Sylar almost certainly has taken more than one power. It's possible that telekinesis is the ability Sylar had "loaded" when he was captured. Without access to his brain collection, he's unable to change to another power.	In some cases, Sylar seems to use multiple powers (telekinesis and speed, or telekinesis and flight/super-jump. The Walker crime scene showed evidence of both cryokinesis and telekinesis in action, but the attack itself was not shown, so it's possible he had time to switch powers between kills.

Thompson

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Thompson is Mr. Bennet's boss.	Mr. Bennet received a text message from "Thompson" asking if Hana Gitelman had "manifested" while she was being trained at the Alaskan facility.	Mr. Bennet received a cell phone call from an unidentified superior in Fallout who gave him instructions regarding Sylar.
Thompson is the leader of the party that tries to apprehend Ted Sprague in the graphic novel ...exploding man, part 2.	The man's face, especially on page 4, bears a resemblance to that of Eric Roberts, who will be portraying Thompson. The GN also made a point to indicate that the leader escaped from the explosion that killed his team.

Walker, James

For disproven theories, see here.

Theory	Evidence	Notes
James Walker was killed using cryokinesis before his brain was taken.	James was frozen in mid-bite while eating breakfast; he would not be in this position if he wasn't frozen before his brain was taken.

Walker, Molly

For disproven theories, see here.

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Sylar believes Molly is an evolved human	It's not yet clear what Sylar's interest in Molly or her parents is, or whether any of them are evolved humans, but he did attempt to kidnap her. However, since the only other of Sylar's victims shown with their brains removed have been evolved humans (Isaac Mendez in the future, Charlie) or believed by Sylar to be an evolved human (i.e., Sylar thought Jackie Wilcox was Claire Bennet), it's quite likely that at least her father, who was on the list, possessed superpowers.	Mohinder Suresh mentioned James Walker when listing those his father believed to have powers. Sylar could have been taking Molly somewhere to take out her brain in seclusion and away from security.
Molly might have the ability to amplify powers, thus making her a highly desirable target for Sylar.	This would explain Matt's ability to hear thoughts from well outside the house, at a time when his powers were new and unfocused.
Molly may have the power of cryokinesis.	The only times victims were frozen are when Sylar was trying to get to Molly. She may be attempting to freeze Sylar (intentionally or by instinct) and Sylar may be avoiding or deflecting it causing her to accidentally freeze innocent people.	In an interview Zachary Quinto believes that Sylar has cryokinesis.

Zach

For disproven theories, see here.

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Zach has an unknown ability.	None
He is killed because of Claire.	None	He no longer remembers Claire's power or friendship, having been mind-wiped by the Haitian in Fallout.
He is gay.	Confirmed by NBC as not gay, but not yet confirmed in show, so there is a chance that that may change in future. Also his blog was supposed to be designed to be alternate lifestyle friendly	Confirmed off screen by Tim Kring in an interview with Out magazine. This most likely means that Zach is not and never will be gay in the show or graphic novels, but this may change at any time.
He has deeper feelings for Claire.	None, except that he seemed to care for her a great deal before his mind wipe
Zach will be the one who eventually saves Claire, possibly with his theoretical ability.	None	Claire has already been saved once, by Peter Petrelli in Homecoming. When Claire asks if this fulfills the prophecy, The Haitian simply responds that she is saved "for now."
Zach is actually Claire's twin brother. He knows it, but she doesn't.	He won't date her and yet tries to be very close to her.
Zach is actually Claire's twin brother. But neither knows it yet.	They were childhood friends. He can't remember where he heard of Kermit Texas. He has had his memory erased once, and possibly more than once. When he and Claire start hanging out again, Mr. Bennett appears both suspicious and interested in Claire being nice to Zach.	The newspaper article about the fire that supposedly killed Claire's real mom mentioned only a daughter. However, the whole accident, the alleged deaths, and the separation of the parties was clearly part of a conspiracy. Perhaps a lost brother could have been in the mix too a la Luke and Leia.