Theory:Niki Sanders

Main Article Theories about Niki and Jessica Sanders Main Discussion

The following fan theories are about Niki and Jessica Sanders.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Niki and Jessica 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.	None.	+ 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 and Jessica are experiencing things very differently from how we've been perceiving them. + Jessica's tattoo not existing on Niki's back 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.	Evolved humans' abilities are derived from the brain. (Chandra's research)	+ 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. • It should be noted this observation is questionable, but it appears to most that it is Niki who, in fact, snaps the baton. - In Run!, Matt Parkman is able to hear Niki and Jessica conversing with his telepathy. This seems to suggest that there really are two separate people living inside Niki's head. - In Five Years Gone, Niki seems to be in mourning for Jessica, counting her among all the loved ones she has lost. It seems doubtful this would happen were Jessica simply an aspect of Niki's personality. • The fact that Matt Parkman is able to hear two separate voices does not necessarily mean that there are two separate beings; it is not uncommon for personalities to converse, especially if the patient also suffers from schizophrenia. + Niki does seem to have been exposed to a number of the causes associated with MPD: overwhelming stress, and lack of nurturing in childhood to name a few. In addition, studies have shown that 85% of MPD sufferers were abused as children. However, Niki does demonstrate some of the common symptoms, but not all; for example, she demonstrates depression, anxiety, time distortions and amnesia, substance use and abuse (she is a recovering alcoholic), but she does not show any visible signs of phobias, panic attacks, fluctuating levels of function, sexual dysfunction, eating disorders, suicidal preoccupation, or episodes of self-mutilation. • It is also possible that Niki separated her ability from her own personality for any number of reasons. - Niki having this disorder would not explain the fact that she gets a tatoo when Jessica's in control. - When Niki fought Candice disguised as Jessica, the real Jessica told her that Candice was an imposter. I doubt that Jessica would be able to tell Niki that if she wasn't real. Niki would probably just assume that the person in front of her was Jessica. + The "Jessica" personality would likely realize that the two were the same physical person, as she seems to be aware of what's going on with Niki. She would know that the other person attacking Niki could not be Jessica. + Bob states that Niki has multiple personality disorder. (Fight or Flight)
Niki had control of her powers at one point, but Mr. Bennet captured her, and had the Haitian wipe her memory. The old personality might not have been fully erased, which explains her alter-ego.	None.	- This hypothesis does not explain why all of her friends/family know her as Niki and not as Jessica. + This would explain how Bennet knew her and D.L.'s names when he and Matt needed their help getting to the tracking system. (Landslide) - Parkman could have gotten their names from reading their minds. - Bennet has previously been associated with Niki (Collision) when he and the Haitian took Nathan from Linderman's hotel. He obviously knew who they were, as he would not randomly take anyone from the hotel.
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.	None.	+ The Jessica persona definitely believes it's the dead sister. In Six Months Ago, the way the Jessica persona 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. + In Run!, Matt Parkman is able to hear Niki and Jessica conversing with his telepathy. This seems to suggest that there really are two separate people living inside Niki's head. + In Five Years Gone, Niki seems to be in mourning for Jessica, counting her among all the loved ones she has lost. It seems doubtful this would happen were Jessica simply an aspect of Niki's personality. • It is possible that Jessica was also an evolved human who could transport her mind to different bodies and did so to Niki when she died. Niki is actually the personality with enhanced strength. - Bob states that Niki has multiple personality disorder. (Fight or Flight)
Jessica is a sleeper agent for the Yamagato Corporation's Genetic Research Division, which is headed by Hiro's father, Kaito Nakamura.	None.	+ 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 and 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. - If the symbol is related to Yamagato Industries, Hiro or Ando would have recognized it on the sword as that and not as sai yo. - Jessica seemed to believe herself to be Niki's dead sister when talking to Hal in Six Months Ago
Jessica is a spirit. Her presence caused the interference on Niki's tape.	None.	+ Spirits reputedly cause static interference. - Linderman's tape, showing Jessica committing adultery with Nathan, showed no static interference. - Bob states that Niki has multiple personality disorder. (Fight or Flight)
Niki's power is enhanced strength. Jessica's power is the ability to possess other bodies, like a symbiote. When Jessica died, she jumped into Niki's body.	None.	+ In Godsend, it appears that Niki snaps a guard's 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. • Niki's super-strength has been confirmed as of How to Stop an Exploding Man, but Jessica's power/existence is still in question. - Bob states that Niki has multiple personality disorder. (Fight or Flight)
Niki's power involves absorbing and calling forth the souls of dearly departed. She has absorbed both Jessica and DL. If she absorbs the soul of a person with a power, she can use that herself. The power of enhanced strength is Jessica's.	None.	+ It would explain how Jessica can reside in Niki's body. + Jessica was the first to be seen using the enhanced strength power which hints that it's hers rather than Niki's. + Niki has also been seen using the power of enhanced strength. This would be explained if Niki also absorbs any power that the person may have. + Considering the part DL played in the first season it's pretty likely that the director's wouldn't just cut him out of the show just like that, without even showing how and why he died. It is likely that DL was absorbed by Niki and will make a comeback later on in season two. • Absorbing DL would mean that Niki now possess the power of phasing. + If she has absorbed DL, it would explain what she meant when telling Micah that whenever he wants to see his father she will make that happen. • When leaving Micah in New Orleans, she states that she has to do something. It is possible that she's got the Shanti virus, which stops her from calling forth Jessica and DL and that she needs to find a cure for them to be together. - Peter absorbed the power of enhanced strength from Niki in How to Stop an Exploding Man. If that isn't her real power, Peter shouldn't have been able to absorb it. + Peter absorbed telekinetic powers from Sylar even though, Sylar's real power is intuitive aptitude - Bob states that Niki has multiple personality disorder. (Fight or Flight)
Niki has placed herself within the Company as part of HRG's plan to destroy it and/or take down its leaders.	None	+ In the episode "Fight or Flight", Niki broke through the Company's internal security and tried to strangle Bob to death. + Despite the events of season 1, there has been no indication that Jessica is still a presence in Niki's life besides her own word that she "is sick".
Niki is sharing Jessica's body, instead of Jessica sharing Niki's body. Jessica brought Niki's soul into her body when Niki died. Their family believe that it is Jessica who had died, but it was really Niki. Niki's personality was either active in Jessica's body at the time of Niki's death, or Jessica was pretending to be Niki when Niki died.	None	+ Throughout Season 1 and 2, we have seen the duality of personalities, mainly from the perspective of Niki, and how Niki feels that Jessica is an intruder in her body. It may be that when Niki approaches the Company to ask them to remove Jessica from her, that she discovers that she is actually the intruder or guest within Jessica's body. In Season 1, when Niki and Jessica are talking through Niki's bedroom wardrobe mirror, Jessica asks Niki whether or not she really believes she (Niki) is a hallucination (even though Niki was referring to Jessica as being the hallucination).

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