The Three Community Ass-Crack Bandits Theory

The Unresolved Mystery of the Ass-Crack Bandit

Community Theory Reveals There Were Actually 3 Ass-Crack Bandits (& It Could Be Confirmed Soon)

The Ass-Crack Bandit wears black leather gloves while holding up a quarter behind Garrett in Community.

The upcoming Community movie could soon confirm the Reddit theory that three characters took on the role of the Ass-Crack Bandit. Community is a cult-classic comedy TV show that follows a group of community college students who form a study group. Networks and critics constantly underestimated this series, but loyal fans came through season after season to get Community renewed. In line with a joke Abed makes in Community season 2, #SixSeasonsAndAMovie became the rallying cry of the fandom who wanted more time with these characters. After six seasons with NBC and Yahoo!, Joel McHale provided confirmation of the Community movie, finally bringing the hashtag to fruition.

Troy, Jeff, Annie, Britta, Shirley, and Abed all hold each other while standing in the study room in Community.

This comedy series included multiple ongoing jokes and bits, but one of biggest unresolved Community plots that the movie needs to address is the Ass-Crack Bandit. First mentioned in Community season 2, the prankster gets an entire episode of season 5 dedicated to them and is brought up once again in the finale. Because the show never conclusively solved the mystery of the Ass-Crack Bandit's identity, the Community fandom is largely divided about who is the culprit. Multiple theories have circulated on Reddit, YouTube, and Tumblr about who committed the crackings and why.

Annie sits in the study room smiling in Community.

The Three Community Ass-Crack Bandits Theory Explained

Most Community Ass-Crack Bandit theories propose a single culprit for the pranks; however, none of these theories make complete sense. Garrett’s cracking interrupts Shirley’s sandwich shop opening, creating a flaw in the idea that Shirley is the Bandit. She couldn’t be in two places at once. Troy and Duncan got cracked, eliminating them from the suspect list. While Jeff might’ve pranked students by cracking them, he wouldn’t put forth the effort to create letters and hide his identity. Additionally, he finds evidence that would’ve incriminated himself if he was the Ass-Crack Bandit.

Abed sits in a chair pointing a remote at the TV in Community season 5.

While those characters are eliminated by concrete evidence, circumstantial evidence also eliminates the other members of the study group in Community. Britta seems unlikely because of a small detail in the Bandit’s first letter referencing God’s power (via The Film Theorists). As a staunch atheist, Britta wouldn’t ever reference God positively. If Abed were the Ass-Crack Bandit in Community, he would’ve had to crack his own best friend, which seems unlikely. Annie didn’t know Dave Matthews and was on the phone with the Bandit, both of which seem to eliminate her.

Danny Pudi as Abed looking intrigued while holding a dvd in Community

This knocks out all the prime suspects for the Ass-Crack Bandit in Community. Luckily, a theory by Reddit user u/EquivalentInflation proposes that there isn’t one ass-crack bandit but three. By including multiple Ass-Crack Bandits, most suspects go back into play. The theory specifically suggests Duncan was the original perpetrator, followed by two copycats – Annie and Abed. These three suspects have the most motive and opportunity. Their timelines also best align with the events of the Ass-Crack Bandit.

A roll of quarters sits on a shelf in front of textbooks in Community.

The First Ass-Crack Bandit: Duncan

In Community, Ian Duncan is one of the prime suspects for a good reason. As a teacher, he can crack three students within the ten-minute time period because he has access to the teacher’s lounge. He’s also a hardcore Dave Matthews fan, a crucial element because the Ass-Crack Bandit uses Dave lyrics in an old letter that Jeff finds. At the end of Community season 1, Chang punches Duncan with a roll of quarters before the first mention of the Ass-Crack Bandit. The anger from getting suspended and punched with quarters serves as motivation for Duncan to crack people, especially with the same type of coin.

Duncan looks up at Annie while sitting at his office desk in Community season 5

Moreover, the first episode of Community establishes Duncan as someone who makes foolish and irrational choices while drinking. The character drinks throughout most of Community season 2 when the Ass-Crack Bandit first takes action. Interestingly, John Oliver’s Ian Duncan leaves Community for seasons 3 and 4, which chronologically lasts around one and a half to two years. Dean Pellaton mentions in Community season 5, episode 3, “Basic Intergluteal Numismatics,” that there have been zero reported crackings for over a year.

John Oliver sits at a desk while playing Professor Ian Duncan in Community.

If the Dean theoretically caught Duncan, he might have gone on a sabbatical as a consequence – explaining why he disappears for two seasons. This makes more sense than him going back to England to care for his sick mom since he mentions seasons earlier having a negative relationship with his mother and being forced to move away from her at a young age. Duncan being the original Ass-Crack Bandit would also provide a solid reason for Duncan to join the Save Greendale Committee, an otherwise out-of-character choice.

Annie stands in the rain with a hooded coat in Community season 5.

The Second Ass-Crack Bandit: Annie

According to this theory, the next character who picks up the mantle of the Ass-Crack Bandit is none other than Annie Edison – the most theorized culprit of the prank. If u/EquivalentInflation is correct, Annie becomes the Bandit for two primary reasons. Firstly, Annie wants to create a case that only she can solve. As a forensic science student, this would boost her reputation and credibility. This would explain why she takes the lead in investigating the Ass-Crack Bandit. Additionally, by reigniting the Ass-Crack Bandit case, Annie gets to spend more one-on-one time with Jeff.

It wouldn’t be the first time Annie put her educational ambitions ahead of the well-being of others. She agreed to have the space modulator towed to transfer schools. She continued pushing a story as an investigative journalist when told to drop a story. She even put together a terrarium without telling her biology partners. Based on these examples, it wouldn’t be a stretch for Annie to create a crime just to solve it in Community.

Cracking Troy would’ve gotten the Ass-Crack Bandit more attention, giving Annie’s investigation more traction. She has already betrayed her friends many times, so her relationship with Troy wouldn’t matter. This would explain how and why she finds the note from the Bandit in the butt of the bear so quickly after Troy gets cracked. Unfortunately, this choice is her biggest mistake.

The Third Ass-Crack Bandit: Abed

By betraying Troy, Annie brings Abed into the case of the Ass-Crack Bandit. Abed is extremely observant, allowing him to clock Annie’s secret identity. In an effort to make life more like TV, Abed takes over the role of the Bandit. This explains why the episode shifts in tone from the rally forward. At this point, the episode gets grittier and faster paced, like the TV shows Hannibal, The Bridge, and Johnny Spectrum – the three shows Abed deletes off his DVR at the end of the episode.

The phone calls from the Ass-Crack Bandit further this theory because the speech cadence and pattern match that of Abed. His taking on the helm of the Ass-Crack Bandit also explains why he disappears from Troy’s side in the rally. Community season 1 establishes Abed as fast enough to get from the stage to under the bleachers. The Greenhouse and Stables having a role in the Ass-Crack Bandit’s plan point to Abed. He and Troy are the only suspects who lived in campus dorms, making it likely they knew about these never-before-discussed locations.

Lastly, Abed is tasked with making a documentary on the life and death of Alex “Starburns” Osbourne. As a diligent and thorough filmmaker, he likely would’ve discovered that Starburns faked his death in Community rather than really dying. The other characters wouldn’t have the information to frame Starburns for the Ass-Crack Bandit pranks.

The Community Movie Can Finally Solve The Ass-Crack Bandit Mystery

Due to two incidents, many fans consider the Ass-Crack Bandit case closed. In Community season 6, Annie acts bizarrely when Jeff asks the group if they remember the Ass-Crack Bandit. In response to questions about this, writer Alex Rueben tweeted a picture of the script which included the parenthetical, '(was probably the ass crack bandit).' However, the image is far from conclusive. If the writers wanted to end the mystery once and for all, they would've made the statement concrete. In the Community reunion 'Six Seasons...And A Zoom Call,' Dan Harmon also says it was Annie; however, this is in response to a joke made by Alison Brie moments earlier.

Though Rueben's tweet no longer exists, the screenshot can be found on Reddit. Rather than leaving the mystery unsolved, the upcoming Community movie has the opportunity to wrap up the storyline of the Ass-Crack Bandit. They could include a one-off comment confirming the identity of the Bandit. Alternatively, if this theory is correct and multiple people take on the title throughout Community, they can include a more theatrical scene that unravels the identities. For instance, it could be a comical homage to Dead Poet Society where the culprits admit their identity. This would obviously have to start with Abed. No matter the method, the Community movie must put the Ass-Crack Bandit to rest once and for all.