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Throughout the Ben 10 franchise, various retroactive additions or alterations of the continuity (otherwise known as retcons) have been made. Below are listed some of the retcons made throughout the Classic Continuity, some of which were off-screen information subject to revision.

A retcon doesn't mean that a change is good or bad. A retcon is just new information that imposes a new interpretation of past events. Retcons aren't only limited to the changes that blatantly contradict on-screen information. Things can happen as the result of inconsistencies.

These retcons are usually made because the crews behind each show take what they want and ignore what they do not like.[MW 1] Different story editors and designers often want or need to change preexisting canon. Sometimes, canon can be a good guideline. Otherwise, it can be creatively restrictive especially when the needs of the audience change.[DR 1]

Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix[]

Merchandise Retcons[]

Ben 10: Alien Force[]

  • When introduced in the Original Series, it was established that the Plumbers were a secret government organization comprised of only humans,[2] several of which had a racist attitude towards aliens.[3] Beginning in Alien Force, the Plumbers are instead portrayed as an intergalactic police force with alien membership.[4]
  • The Omnitrix's hourglass-like symbol was previously a hallmark of Azmuth and his inventions, seen in his clothing and suit.[1] However, this was changed to the insignia for both the Plumbers (as seen on the Plumber Badges)[4] and the Galvan race.[5]
  • Gwen is revealed to be part alien, which explains her proficiency in magic, beyond her spellbook.[6]
  • In Secret of the Omnitrix, it was implied that Azmuth and Myaxx were among the very few involved in the creation of the Omnitrix.[1] A far different picture is shown in Alien Force, where the Omnitrix's creation is portrayed as a publicly known operation.[citation needed]
  • Kevin cannot create a shell of material without a substantial amount to absorb,[7] which contradicts past events that have shown with him mass-producing Taydenite.[8]

Crew Statements' Retcons[]

  • The positioning of the Omnitrix/Ultimatrix symbols are the result of the devices working properly compared to the symbols' locations in the Original Series.[DM 1]
  • Vilgax was originally stated to be 15 feet tall.[AC 1] However, Humungousaur at his base height of 12 feet is shown to be the same size as him.[9]
  • Originally, Kevin's stepfather Harvey's last name was Levin.[DM 2] This is changed, as it is revealed that the Levin surname belonged to Kevin's biological father. [10]
  • The Action Pack comics were originally considered to be canon during the Original Series.[DR 2] As of Alien Force, they are deemed non-canon.[DM 3][CF 1]

Pop-up Retcons[]

  • Gwen's mother's name is Natalie instead of Lily.[pop-up 2][11]
  • In the Original Series, the Forever Knights were like "Anti-Plumbers", exploiting unusual threats instead of fighting them.[pop-up 3][12] In Alien Force, the Forever Knights are revealed to be highly xenophobic.[13]
  • Originally, Null Guardians were the only indigenous lifeforms in the Null Void.[pop-up 4][14] This is retconned with the introduction of the Null Void Settlers.[15]
  • Originally, the Omnitrix only held thousands of DNA samples.[pop-up 5][16] This was retconned two ways in Alien Force:
    • Firstly, the Omnitrix was revealed to be a wireless receiver for the Codon Stream instead of containing DNA.[9]
    • Secondly, the Codon Stream contained over one million DNA samples.[5]
  • The Chimera Sui Generi have been changed from what was established in the Original Series:
    • All female Chimera Sui Generi had a dark "beauty mark" somewhere on their center face tentacle,[pop-up 6][1] but none of the females seen in Alien Force have them.[17]
    • Most Chimera Sui Generi were trained from birth for combat[pop-up 7][14][merch 2] and craved any chance for it,[pop-up 8][1] but in this series, Vilgax states that most of them are innocent people.[17]

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien[]

  • It was previously stated in Alien Force that the Codon Stream contains the DNA of every sentient species in the Universe.[18][9] This has been debunked in Ultimate Alien with the introduction of the Andromeda aliens.[19]
  • Eon was originally portrayed as a Chronian from the planet Chronia.[20] This has been retconned in Ultimate Alien, where he is revealed to be an alternate version of Ben Tennyson.[21]
  • The Microchip queen featured in Ben 10: Alien Swarm is revealed to be a decoy created by the real queen, who had been inhabiting Elena Valadis's body, to avert suspicion towards her. Elena's depiction is also heavily altered from what was shown in the film.[22]
  • The Omnitrix featured in the Original Series and Alien Force is revealed to be a prototype while Azmuth states that he has been working on the true Omnitrix, which Ben gains at the end of Ultimate Alien, since the timeframe of the former series.[23]

Retcons From Previous Series Explained[]

  • During her appearances in both the Original Series and Alien Force, Charmcaster's motivation were never made clear. This would eventually be explained in detail during Ultimate Alien, as the driving force behind Charmcaster's past actions is heavily implied to be a desire to be reunited with her father.[24][25]
  • In the Original Series, Kevin stated that he was kicked out of his house sometime prior to meeting the Tennysons for having powers.[26] However, this backstory gets elaborated in Ultimate Alien, as Harvey Hackett explains that Kevin ran away after losing control of his powers and accidentally destroying the Levins' house. Furthermore, it is revealed that Kevin's account from the Original Series stems from misguided anger towards Harvey.[27]
  • While Azmuth's change in characterization in Alien Force compared to what was seen in the Original Series had not been explained prior, his entire demeanor is shown not to be the case of time's passage due to flashbacks.[28]

Crew Statements' Retcons[]

  • Originally, Alien X was not the most powerful being in the Omnitrix.[DM 4] This is retconned in Ultimate Alien, as absorbing the abilities of a Celestialsapien such as Alien X would grant Osmosians and other beings like Darkstar access to nigh-unlimited power.[29]
  • The Omnitrix symbols' grey and white coloration in the Original Series is stated to have been caused by a malfunction.[DM 5]
  • Originally, Harvey was implied to have been deceased.[DM 2] This has been changed in Ultimate Alien, as Harvey is shown to be alive.[27]
  • In Alien Force, it was originally stated that Kevin was about five years old at the time of Devin's death.[DM 6] This was slightly retconned in Ultimate Alien, as Harvey states that Kevin was four years old when he married his mother.[27]
  • In Alien Force, Patrick was the Forever King of the line that directly flowed from the Knights' formation.[DM 7] This is retconned in Ultimate Alien, as it is revealed that Sir Cyrus' faction was the only faction that followed the way of the First Knight, Sir George.[30]
  • The events of Race Against Time were originally canon to the Prime Timeline.[DM 8] They have been retconned into an alternate timeline.[21]
  • The Anur System aliens that Ben obtained during the Original Series (Blitzwolfer, Snare-oh, and Frankenstrike) were unlocked when the Werewolf, the Mummy, and Viktor's DNA were transferred into the Omnitrix by touch.[31][32][33] This has been changed to having the Omnitrix "sample" their DNA, thereby unlocking transformations using DNA that already existed in the watch.[DM 9]

Pop-up Retcons[]

  • In the Original Series, it was stated that the Plumbers fought mostly paranormal and dimensional trouble until Eon appeared on Earth in the early 1800's.[pop-up 9][12] This is slightly retconned as the events of Race Against Time are stated to take place in an alternate timeline.[21]
  • Initially, female Galvans had hair while male Galvans did not.[pop-up 10][34] This is retconned with the introduction of Zennith, a female Galvan who does not have any hair at all.[28]

Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens[]

  • In Alien Force, Gwen states that she never performed a tracking spell before.[35] This was retconned in Destroy All Aliens, as she is seen performing a tracking spell for the first time.[36]

Ben 10: Omniverse[]

  • In Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, two out of Alien X's three personalities needed to agree in order to perform an action.[37] In Omniverse, all three have to agree.[38]
  • In Alien Force, Gwen states that Elena was Ben's first crush when he was in middle school.[39] This has been retconned in Omniverse, as Rook Blonko reveals that Patty Berkenfeld was Ben's first crush when he was in the third grade.[40]
  • In Ultimate Alien, Way Big's cosmic ray attack was executed by crossing his arms in an "L" shape, with his right forearm vertical and left forearm horizontal in front of it and the thumb edge of his hands facing his body.[41] In Omniverse, this move is slightly revised, as Way Big now crosses his arms in an "X" shape.[42]
  • Mr. Baumann once stated that he has not seen Ben since the latter was 12 years old.[43] This is retconned with an Omniverse flashback featuring 15-year-old Ben and Mr. Baumann interacting with each other.[44]
  • The Lewodans have been changed from what was established in Alien Force:
    • Firstly, the Lewodan race was originally stated to be an empire.[45] However, this is no longer the case in Omniverse, as they are stated to be a republic.[46]
    • Secondly, the term "Tiffin" was originally used as the title of the Prince of Lewoda.[45] However, the context of that name has been altered in Omniverse, as it is revealed that all baby Lewodans are called Tiffins.[47][48][49]
  • In the Original Series, Ditto's clones shared a link to keep track of each other,[pop-up 11][50] making it so that if one Ditto was hurt, all the others would feel the same pain. Therefore, if one Ditto got killed, the others were automatically killed as well, thus negating the ability to form an army of clones. This is no longer the case in Omniverse, as each clone is independent from each other's pain.[51]
  • In Ultimate Alien, Ben mentioned that a clown at a circus scared him when he was four.[52] In Omniverse, Ben's fear of clowns came from seeing Max in clown make-up when he was five.[53]
  • In Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, Kevin needed a lot of whatever he copied to use his matter absorption powers.[7][DM 10] However, in Omniverse, he is shown coating his entire body with small amounts of material.[54][55]
  • Although it was established in Alien Force that Ben last saw Vilgax when he was 10,[56] a flashback showed that he had an encounter with Vilgax was when he was 11.[57]
  • The Celestialsapiens were previously stated to spend most of their time debating,[29] but Omniverse establishes that they have actively partaken in other matters, such as changing the art style of the universe at least twice.[58]
  • The Plumbers' Helpers now have different origins compared to what was mentioned in Alien Force.[59] In Omniverse, they are shown to be humans whose appearances and DNA were altered when Kevin used his powers on them and their alien donors.[55]

Retcons From Previous Series Explained[]

  • The retcons made to the Omnitrix symbols' positioning in Alien Force are reversed. The limited positioning of the symbols were technical glitches in the original Omnitrix and Ultimatrix that caused the transformations to come out naked and cold. These errors were corrected in the current Omnitrix.[DJW 1]
  • The retcons made to the Omnitrix symbols' coloration differences are also reversed. The reason the symbols were colored grey and white was because of a scratch guard that Ben did not know how to remove, which fell off off-screen after Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens.[DJW 2]
  • The retcons made to the Plumbers in Alien Force are explained and/or fixed. The original Earth Plumbers were a separate group until they joined the intergalactic Plumbers at some point between the events of the Original Series and Omniverse flashbacks.[60]
    • Correlating with this, the design of the Plumber badges have been reversed to look like their depiction in the Original Series because the hourglass symbol design used in previous series did not make any sense to the crew.[DJW 3]
  • The retcons made to Kevin in Alien Force are reversed. While Kevin is still considered an Osmosian, the term actually refers to a subspecies of human with a unique genetic component that gives them powers rather than a different species of human-like aliens with absorption powers.[61]

Crew Statements' Retcons[]

  • In Alien Force, Galvan B was an artificial moon.[DM 11] This was retconned in Omniverse, as Galvan B is portrayed as a natural moon.[62]
  • Originally, Tetramands seemed fairly Bronze Age-y for their level of technology.[MW 2] This was retconned in Omniverse, as Tetramands are shown to have a far more advanced civilization than humans.
  • Initially, Ultimate Echo Echo did not have the ability to duplicate himself.[DM 12] This is explained and/or fixed, as he can only duplicate himself using his sonic disks[DJW 4][DJW 5] and was unable to do so in Ultimate Alien due to a glitch with the Ultimatrix.[DJW 6]
  • The events of Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens were previously non-canon to the Prime Timeline.[MW 3] They have been canonized to tie in with the Omniverse flashbacks.[DJW 7]
  • In the Original Series, Blitzwolfer's tongue retracted and stowed itself away when his muzzle split.[TP 1] This is slightly revised in Omniverse, as his tongue stays in place and splits in half.[63]
  • In Alien Force, it was stated that the Omnitrix can accept Osmosian DNA.[DM 1] Much like everything regarding Osmosians, this has been altered in Omniverse, as the Omnitrix cannot accept DNA from mutants (arguably including Osmosians) because they do not count as aliens.[DJW 8]
  • In Alien Force, SixSix and SevenSeven had no relation with each other.[DM 13][DM 14] This was retconned in Omniverse where it was revealed that they are brothers.[64]

Pop-up Retcons[]

  • Originally, XLR8 was the only Kineceleran on Earth because the slow rotation of the planet made other Kinecelerans sick after a few days.[pop-up 12][65] This is retconned, as several Kinecelerans reside in Undertown.[66]
  • In the Original Series, Peptos XI was originally described as a volcanic planet.[pop-up 13][67] This is no longer true, as Peptos XI generally has pink terrain.[68]
  • In the Original Series, Weird World was stated to be one of Ben's favorite shows.[pop-up 14][69] However, this was changed in Omniverse, as Ben stated he did not watch the show very often as it was on at the same time as Sumo Slammers.[70]
  • Originally, the Yeti was an individual creature stranded on Earth from another dimension.[pop-up 15][31] However, that has been retconned in Omniverse, as it is revealed that the Secret Saturdays are from the Prime Timeline.[70]
  • In the Original Series, it was stated that all Loboan cubs had green eyes, whereas adults had red and pale orange eyes.[pop-up 16][31] This is retconned, as the Loboans seen on Anur Transyl have eyes of varying colors.[71]
  • Originally, Max's lucky Hawaiian shirt was given to him by Gwen's older brother, Ken.[pop-up 17][72] However, this is retconned, as Max was shown to be wearing the shirt as a young adult, long before Ken would have been born.[73]
  • Hex's skull facepaint was the same as that worn by the warriors of Bezel.[pop-up 18][11] This is retconned in two ways:
    • Firstly, Hex's facepaint is revealed to be a tattoo.[74]
    • Secondly, Bezel is revealed to be a person, not a civilization.[75]
  • The Charms of Bezel were not magic. Instead, they were advanced Bezelian technology that seemed magic to Earth.[pop-up 19][11] This is retconned, as Bezel is revealed to be a person.[75]
  • Frankenstrike was originally considered to be Ben's second smartest alien.[pop-up 20][76] As such, he was credited one of the aliens Ben 10,000 used to build Ken's Omnitrix.[pop-up 21][77] This was retconned in Omniverse, as hyper-intelligence is not a common trait among Transylians. Therefore, Ben does not become any smarter as Frankenstrike.[DJW 9]
  • In the Original Series, Perk Upchuck was unable to consume human food.[pop-up 13][67][78] This is retconned in Omniverse, as he can now eat normal food as well as everything else.[DJW 10]

Merchandise Information Retcons[]

  • Rather than being brought to life by an environmental disaster,[merch 3] the Galvanic Mechamorphs were brought to life after one of Azmuth's projects went awry.[62]
  • Encephalonus IV was originally described as a gray, cloud-covered planet with lightning bolts constantly ripping through the sky in an unending electrical storm of spectacular cumulonimbus activity unrivaled by any in the universe.[merch 4] These storms were also the main source of power for the planet.[merch 5] This is retconned, as it is shown that the planet has relatively normal weather.[79]
  • Poiana Lüncas was originally described as a planet in the Andromeda Galaxy that got jackhammered into an asteroid belt by the Talpaedans.[merch 6] This is slightly retconned, as it is shown that Poiana Lüncas is an intact desert planet.[80]
  • The Necrofriggians used to be the only living beings on Kylmyys.[merch 7] This is retconned with the introduction of the Psycholeopterrans.[60]
  • Originally, nothing actually lived on Anur Transyl.[merch 8] This is retconned, as Anur Transyl is shown to be inhabited by many species native to the Anur System.[71]
  • Michael Morningstar was originally stated as a Vladat.[merch 9] This was retconned for him to be a mutated human.[DJW 11]

Ben 10 (Reboot)[]

In-series Retcons[]

Trivia[]

  • Dwayne McDuffie did not consider the changes made to the Plumbers in Alien Force to be an official retcon.[DM 15]
  • Most of the pop-up retcons seen in Omniverse are possibly due to the fact that the creative team on the show did not have all the information. Derrick J. Wyatt stated that he "tried to get a list of all those pop up facts a couple times but never got them"[DJW 12] and "[the creative team] want[ed] to be as in line with the Original Series as possible", indicating that some of the retcons might not have been made.[DJW 13]
    • For example, the creative team was unaware that Ben 10,000 had a daughter named Gwendolyn. When asked if Gwendolyn exists in the Omniverse Future Timeline, Derrick initially said she did not,[DJW 14] stating that he hated that she was named after Ben's cousin Gwen and ignored her existence.[DJW 15] Because of this, it was assumed by fans that she was retconned from existence.
    • Derrick would refute the above statement years later, admitting that he forgot Gwendolyn existed because the only mention of the character was in pop-up trivia that has since been recovered. He would also confirm that Gwendolyn does indeed exist in the Omniverse Future Timeline, but "was [active] off-screen" during the events of The End of an Era.[DJW 13]
  • It is unknown if any of the glitch powers Derrick has mentioned are canon, as Matt Wayne seemed to be unaware of their existence.[MW 4]
  • Many of the retcons seen in Omniverse had been made to have the continuity of the series become closer to what was shown in the Original Series. Derrick disagreed with the retcons that Dwayne and Glen Murakami made for Alien Force and Ultimate Alien because their retcons were not in line with the continuity of the Original Series.[DJW 16][DJW 17]
    • Regarding the Osmosians and Anodites, Derrick also mentioned that he did not want every aspect of Ben 10 lore to be derived from aliens as he considers that a misstep that consequently makes the overall universe of the franchise smaller and less interesting.[DJW 18][DJW 19][DJW 20]
  • None of the retcons seen in Omniverse were caused by Ben recreating the universe as Alien X.[38][DJW 21]
  • The retcon regarding Upchuck being able to eat Earth food was made was because the crew felt that not doing so was too limiting for the character.[DR 3]
  • Rocks and Squidstrictor were originally deemed non-canon aliens, primarily because the show's writers wanted to see the stage play first.[DM 16][MW 5]

See Also[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix
  2. Truth
  3. Big Fat Alien Wedding
  4. 4.0 4.1 Ben 10 Returns: Part 1
  5. 5.0 5.1 War of the Worlds: Part 1
  6. What Are Little Girls Made Of?
  7. 7.0 7.1 Darkstar Rising
  8. Kevin's Big Score
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Primus
  10. Vendetta
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Lucky Girl
  12. 12.0 12.1 Ultimate Weapon
  13. Be-Knighted
  14. 14.0 14.1 Back with a Vengeance
  15. Voided
  16. And Then There Were 10
  17. 17.0 17.1 Ghost Town
  18. Azmuth
  19. Fame
  20. Ben 10: Race Against Time
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Ben 10,000 Returns
  22. Revenge of the Swarm
  23. The Ultimate Enemy: Part 2
  24. Where the Magic Happens
  25. Enemy of My Frenemy
  26. Kevin 11
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 Absolute Power: Part 2
  28. 28.0 28.1 Solitary Alignment
  29. 29.0 29.1 The Forge of Creation
  30. The Creature from Beyond
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 Benwolf
  32. Under Wraps
  33. Be Afraid of the Dark
  34. Gwen 10
  35. Ben 10 Returns: Part 2
  36. Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens
  37. X = Ben + 2
  38. 38.0 38.1 So Long, and Thanks for All the Smoothies
  39. Ben 10: Alien Swarm
  40. Showdown: Part 1
  41. Absolute Power: Part 1
  42. Showdown: Part 2
  43. The Purge
  44. Special Delivery
  45. 45.0 45.1 Con of Rath
  46. Food Around the Corner
  47. Rook Blonko
  48. Ben Tennyson
  49. The Color of Monkey
  50. Divided We Stand
  51. O Mother, Where Art Thou?
  52. The Ultimate Sacrifice
  53. Something Zombozo This Way Comes
  54. Mystery, Incorporeal
  55. 55.0 55.1 Weapon XI: Part 1
  56. Vengeance of Vilgax: Part 1
  57. Bengeance is Mine
  58. Universe vs. Tennyson
  59. Plumbers' Helpers
  60. 60.0 60.1 Malefactor
  61. 61.0 61.1 The Rooters of All Evil
  62. 62.0 62.1 Trouble Helix
  63. The Secret of Dos Santos
  64. Vilgax Must Croak
  65. Ben 10,000
  66. The More Things Change: Part 2
  67. 67.0 67.1 The Visitor
  68. Tummy Trouble
  69. Game Over
  70. 70.0 70.1 T.G.I.S.
  71. 71.0 71.1 Rad Monster Party
  72. Perfect Day
  73. Blukic and Driba Go to Area 51
  74. Charm School
  75. 75.0 75.1 Third Time's a Charm
  76. The Return
  77. Ken 10
  78. Ben 4 Good Buddy
  79. Of Predators and Prey: Part 1
  80. Of Predators and Prey: Part 2

Crew Statements[]

Matt Wayne[]

Dwayne McDuffie[]

Duncan Rouleau[]

Charlotte Fullerton[]

Derrick J. Wyatt[]

Tom Perkins[]

Audio Commentary[]

Pop-ups[]

Merchandise[]

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