Theory:Sylar's victims

Main Article Theories about Sylar's victims Main Discussion

The following fan theories are about Sylar's victims.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Sylar may need to physically see the functioning brain (or believe he does) in order to give himself that power.	He is removing and taking brains, not merely observing their owners. (Don't Look Back, Seven Minutes to Midnight, Homecoming)	+ He was unable to consume Eden's power, as she destroyed her brain by shooting herself. + Sylar has seen enough brains by now that he knows exactly where to look in the brain for the use of the DNA mutation to figure out how the evolved human's powers function. + Sylar's intuitive aptitude would allow him to analyze how a power works very quickly
Sylar eats brains.	None.	+ An NYPD detective asks Hiro if he ate Isaac's brain, possibly making a reference to Sylar's power theft. (Don't Look Back) - Sylar is always on the move, and hasn't been shown lugging around a giant sack of brains. + Zachary Quinto, the actor who plays Sylar, said he was under the impression that Sylar actually consumed his victim's brains. + Molly claims that Sylar eats his victims' brain. (The Hard Part) - In The Second Coming, Claire makes reference to brain eating, to which Sylar replies, "That's disgusting." + Sylar said it was disgusting not that he didn't do it. - When one finds something disgusting, they usually refrain from doing it. - Sylar did not eat Claire's brain when he took her power.
Sylar must know beforehand what an evolved person's power is in order to take it.	None.	+ Sylar has never been shown to kill someone without knowing their ability first. • It is clear that Sylar was watching Charlie and waited to kill her until after she demonstrated her ability (Seven Minutes to Midnight). • Sylar did not kill Molly even though he could have very easily (One Giant Leap). Perhaps he had no clue what her power was and he was dragging her off so he could figure out what it was. - Sylar killed Jackie and removed her brain, but obviously she didn't show any ability. - Sylar thought Jackie was Claire, who has rapid cell regeneration. - Sylar had no way of knowing that regeneration was how the mysterious cheerleader survived the train fire. - If a person is reported as walking into a fire, staying in there for a while, and walking out completely unscathed, it would be kind of obvious... + Gabriel was able to figure out Knox's ability by simply fighting him. This was without any obvious concentration or brain-viewing. He even understands it to the point where he knows that Knox's strength comes from absorbing fear.
Sylar's hunger derives not from his addiction to power but more from a desperation to fully understand how things work.	In I Am Become Death Gabriel tells Peter that he now has an insatiable hunger to understand how things work.	+ Maybe Sylar's current resistance to his hunger is the realisation that he doesn't need to know how it all works. - Arthur Pettreli said that Sylar's hunger isn't for knowledge or abilities but power. Not power in the sense of peoples powers but just power. After activating Sylar's ability and fighting with Sylar, Peter said "I know why you do this now, all this power, it feels good."