Contradictory Retcons (Classic)

Throughout the Classic Continuity, various retroactive additions or alterations of the continuity (otherwise known as retcons) have been made. This is because the crews behind each show take what they want and ignore what they do not like. 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.
Below are listed some of the retcons made throughout the franchise which contradict established continuity, some of which were off-screen information subject to revision.
==Retconned In-Series Information==
===Ben 10===
*When the Plumbers were first introduced, it was originally stated that they retired sometime after Vilgax was defeated in the 70s.Truth However, it is later revealed that the Plumbers were active a few years prior to the Original Series, long enough for Joel and Camille to have met.Big Fat Alien Wedding
===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. Beginning in Alien Force, the Plumbers are instead portrayed as an intergalactic police force with human and alien membership.Ben 10 Returns: Part 1
*The Omnitrix's hourglass-like symbol was previously a hallmark of Azmuth and his inventions, seen in his clothing and suit. However, this is changed to the insignia for both the Plumbers (as seen on the Plumber Badges) and the Galvan race.War of the Worlds: Part 1
*It was originally stated during the Original Series that Ben and Gwen's grandmother was deceased.Max Tennyson (Race Against Time Timeline)Ben 10: Race Against Time However, this is retconned in Alien Force, as she is revealed to be alive.What Are Little Girls Made Of?
*Gwen's proficiency in magic during the Original Series was originally interpreted as her being skilled with her spellbook due to having a magical aura.A Change of Face In Alien Force, it is revealed that she descended from a race of energy-based aliens who can manipulate mana.
*Alien Force initially revealed that magic does not exist. However, this was changed later in production, with Dwayne McDuffie stating that just because Frank believes magic does not exist, doesn't mean it's true. Magic would later be reintroduced on-screen with reappearances of Charmcaster and Hex.In Charm's WayTime Heals
*Vulkanus' body was previously described as naturally being the way it appeared.The Galactic Enforcers This has been retconned in Alien Force, with Vulkanus being revealed to have always been small.Kevin's Big Score It has also been explained that he wore flesh-colored prosthesis in the Original Series.
*At the end of Alien Force Season 1, it was heavily implied that the Omnitrix had rebooted with an all-new roster of aliens.War of the Worlds: Part 2 However, this is completely ignored during Season 2, with every transformation discovered and/or acquired during the previous season still being available.Vengeance of Vilgax: Part 1
*In the Original Series, Max and Kevin were portrayed as being unfamiliar with one another.Kevin 11 However, this is retconned with an Alien Force flashback which reveals that, through his partnership with Devin, Max has known Kevin since the latter was a young child.Vendetta
===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.AzmuthPrimus This has been retconned in Ultimate Alien with the introduction of the Andromeda aliens, as the Ultimatrix has to scan them to add their DNA to the Codon Stream.Fame
*Initially, an Osmosian's absorption ratio was proportional, as shown with Pyronite Kevin and Tetramand Kevin. Meanwhile, the Kevin 11 mutation held only 1/11th of a component's abilities. However, it is established in Ultimate Alien that Osmosians gain the fixed amount of 1/10th of a lifeform's abilities, regardless of the circumstances.Escape From Aggregor
*In Alien Force, Paradox's Chronologger was destroyed in the past by Gwen. This is retconned in Ultimate Alien, where it appears fully intact.
*In the Original Series, absorbing energy from the Omnitrix granted Kevin the ability to transform into the aliens who were unlocked in the active playlist at the time. Furthermore, he only mutated into Kevin 11 after losing control of his rage.Framed However, as of Ultimate Alien, absorbing energy from the Omnitrix or Ultimatrix causes Osmosians to immediately mutate into an amalgamated form.The Forge of Creation
*Eon was originally portrayed as a Chronian from the planet Chronia. This has been retconned in Ultimate Alien, where he is revealed to be an alternate version of Ben Tennyson.Ben 10,000 Returns
===Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens===
*In Alien Force, Gwen stated that she had never performed a tracking spell before.Ben 10 Returns: Part 2 This is retconned in Destroy All Aliens, as she is seen performing a tracking spell for the first time.Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens
===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.X = Ben + 2 In Omniverse, all three have to agree.So Long, and Thanks for All the SmoothiesUniverse vs. Tennyson
*The original Earth Plumbers are revealed to have been a separate group until they joined the intergalactic Plumbers at some point.Malefactor
**Correlating with this, the design of the Plumber Badges have been reversed to look like their depiction in the Original Series.
*In Alien Force, Gwen stated that Elena was Ben's first crush when he was in middle school.Ben 10: Alien Swarm This has been retconned in Omniverse, as Rook reveals that Patty Berkenfeld was Ben's first crush when he was in the third grade.Showdown: Part 1
*The future established in Ultimate Alien is no longer the true future of the Prime Timeline, as it has changed.
*Mr. Baumann once stated that he had not seen Ben since the latter was 12 years old.The Purge This is retconned with an Omniverse flashback featuring 15-year-old Ben and Mr. Baumann interacting with each other.Special Delivery
*During Omniverse's early run, Rook used contractions sporadically for some time.Outbreak However, it is later established that Revonnahganders consider using contractions as bad language.While You Were Away
*The Lewodans have been changed from what was established in Alien Force:
**Firstly, the Lewodan race was originally stated to be an monarchy.Con of Rath However, in Omniverse, they are stated to be a republic.Food Around the Corner
**Secondly, the term "Tiffin" was originally used as the title of the Prince of Lewoda. However, the context of that name has been altered in Omniverse, as it is revealed that all baby Lewodans are called Tiffins.Rook BlonkoBen TennysonThe Color of Monkey
*In the Original Series, Ditto's clones shared a link to keep track of each other, making it so that if one Ditto was hurt, all the others would feel the same pain.Divided We Stand Therefore, it is inferred that 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, meaning a clone can be killed without harming the others.O Mother, Where Art Thou?
*In Ultimate Alien, Ben's coulrophobia came from being scared by a clown at the circus when he was four.The Ultimate Sacrifice This was changed in Omniverse, as Ben's coulrophobia came from seeing Max in clown make-up when he was five.Something Zombozo This Way Comes
*In the Original Series, Perk Upchuck was unable to consume human food.The VisitorBen 4 Good Buddy This is retconned in Omniverse, as he can now eat normal food as well as everything else.
*In Alien Force, Ben stated that he had last seen Vilgax when he was 10, referencing the events of Secret of the Omnitrix. However, this has been retconned by an Omniverse flashback showing that he had an encounter with Vilgax was when he was 11.Bengeance is Mine
*In Ultimate Alien, Carl Nesmith had plastic surgery to change his appearance to the point where he was no longer easily recognizable.Catch a Falling Star However, in Omniverse, his present-day appearance is the same as how he looked in a flashback set five years earlier.The Vengers
*"Osmosian" is revealed to be a term coined by Servantis referring to a subspecies of human with a unique genetic component that gives them powers that vary between individuals rather than a different species of human-like aliens with absorption powers.The Rooters of All Evil
**Correlating with this, Max's partnership with Devin Levin is revealed to have been a series of fake memories that Servantis had implanted in his head as a means of watching over Kevin. Similarly, it is also revealed that neither the planet Osmos V nor the sun Osmos exist because they were both made up by Servantis.
*The Celestialsapiens were previously stated to spend most of their time debating, but Omniverse establishes that they have actively partaken in other matters, such as changing the art style of the universe at least twice.Universe vs. Tennyson
*The Plumbers' Helpers now have different origins compared to what was mentioned in Alien Force.Plumbers' Helpers 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.Weapon XI: Part 1
*The flashback portion of Blukic and Driba Go to Area 51 introduces several retcons to various details regarding Max, Colonel Rozum, and Professor Paradox:
**Firstly, in Ultimate Alien, it was shown that Max's first meeting with Verdona was his first time meeting an alien.Moonstruck In the aforementioned flashback, which takes place before his meeting with Verdona, he meets Blukic and Driba.
**Secondly, in Ultimate Alien, Rozum looked significantly younger than Max. However, in Omniverse, he is seen as the boss of a teenage Max in a flashback and looks almost the same more than 40 years later.
**Thirdly, Rozum originally had no idea who Professor Paradox was when they appeared together on-screen.Ultimate Aggregor This has been changed in Omniverse, which reveals that they used to work together at Area 51.
**Fourthly, it was established in Alien Force that Paradox's experiment in 1952 had caused him to be stuck out of time.Paradox In the aforementioned flashback, he was shown to be working for Area 51 when Max was a teenager in the 1960s.
*Rather than being naturally small, Vulkanus is revealed to have originally been large and muscular like the rest of his kind, until his fight with Ben lead him to being caught in an Element X-induced explosion. Vulkanus survived, but his body was destroyed, leading him to be put into a regeneration suit until he finally grows to full size.The Ballad of Mr. Baumann
*It was previously shown with Rook Shi and Rook Ben's early appearances and later explained by Rook Blonko that Revonnahganders start off having tails (known as b'inthaks) at a young age before they eventually fall off at puberty.Bros in SpaceArrested Development Similarly, Rook Ben was initially named Young One because he had not gone through his naming ceremony. It is later established that the naming ceremony occurs after a young Revonnahgander's tail has fallen off,Rook Tales contradicting Shi's early appearances, in which she had both a name and a tail at the same time. Correlating with the change, Shi later appears without a tail.
*The flashback episode From Hedorium to Eternity introduced several retcons to details about Kevin that were established in Alien Force:
**Firstly, Ben and Gwen were unaware that Kevin was acquainted with Cooper and vice versa.Undercover However, Kevin and Cooper become acquainted for the first time in the episode, with Ben and Gwen being present.
**Secondly, Ben was unaware that Kevin could absorb matter until their reunion at age 15. However, Ben first witnesses Kevin absorbing matter and demonstrating its use at age 11.
==Retconned Series Bible Information==
===Ben 10: Omniverse===
*Originally, Gourmands were stated to have four physical stomachs. In Omniverse, this is changed, as they are connected with a trans-space bladder dimension where they store all the "food" they eat.Tummy Trouble
==Retconned Crew Statements==
===Ben 10: Alien Force===
*During Alien Force's early run, it was originally stated that Kevin's surname Levin belonged to his stepfather Harvey. This is changed in the series proper, as it is revealed that the Levin surname belonged to Kevin's biological father.
===Ben 10: Ultimate Alien===
*It was originally implied that Harvey was deceased. This is no longer true, as Harvey is shown to be alive.Absolute Power: Part 2
*The events of Race Against Time were originally canon to the Prime Timeline. They have been retconned into an alternate timeline.
*In Alien Force, Patrick was the Forever King of the line that directly flowed from the Forever Knights' formation. 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.The Creature From Beyond
*During Ultimate Alien's early run, it was previously stated that the Ultimatrix could passively scan aliens it already had and move them to active playlists. This has been changed in the series proper, as aliens that the Ultimatrix has DNA sampled in its database can only added to an active playlist when they are directly scanned, as shown when Ben unlocked Chamalien by scanning Prisoner 775.Prisoner Number 775 is Missing
===Ben 10: Omniverse===
*In Alien Force, Galvan B was an artificial moon. This was retconned in Omniverse, as Galvan B is portrayed as a natural moon.Trouble Helix
*Originally, Tetramands seemed fairly Bronze Age-y for their level of technology. This was retconned in Omniverse, as Tetramands are shown to have a far more advanced civilization than humans.Many Happy Returns
*In Alien Force, SixSix and SevenSeven had no relation with each other. This was retconned in Omniverse where it was revealed that they are brothers.Vilgax Must Croak
*In the Original Series, Blitzwolfer's tongue retracted and stowed itself away when his muzzle split. This is slightly revised in Omniverse, as his tongue stays in place and splits in half.The Secret of Dos Santos
==Retconned Pop-Up Trivia==
===Ben 10: Alien Force===
*Galvan Prime was first described as a "tiny but highly advanced planet".Ultimate Weapon This is retconned in Alien Force, as it is of normal size.
*In the Original Series, the Forever Knights were like "Anti-Plumbers", exploiting unusual threats instead of fighting them. In Alien Force, the Forever Knights are revealed to be highly xenophobic.Be-Knighted
*When Gwen's mother was referenced in the Original Series, she was originally named Lily.Lucky Girl When the character is introduced in Alien Force, she is instead named Natalie.
*Originally, the Omnitrix only held thousands of DNA samples.And Then There Were 10 This is retconned two ways in Alien Force:
**Firstly, the Omnitrix was revealed to be a wireless receiver for the Codon Stream instead of containing DNA.
**Secondly, the Codon Stream contained over one million DNA samples.
*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, but none of the females seen in Alien Force have them.Ghost Town
**Most Chimera Sui Generi were trained from birth for combat and craved any chance for it, but in this series, Vilgax states that most of them are innocent people.
*In the Original Series, the Charms of Bezel were required to make the spells from the Archamada Book of Magic real. This is no longer true in Alien Force, as Gwen is able to cast the time travelling spell from the book without the charms.Time Heals
===Ben 10: Ultimate Alien===
*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. This is slightly retconned as the events of Race Against Time are stated to take place in an alternate timeline.
**Curiously, this retcon would reconcile the concept of Verdona being deceased for her counterpart in the film's setting.
*When the Rustbucket 2 first appeared in Alien Force, it was originally assumed its naming was because the original Rustbucket was destroyed by Eon in Race Against Time. Much like other lore established in that film, this is slightly retconned in Ultimate Alien as the events of Race Against Time are stated to take place in an alternate timeline.
**Because of this retcon, the current canon explanation for the original Rustbucket's destruction is currently unknown.
*Initially, female Galvans had hair while male Galvans did not.Gwen 10 This is retconned with the introduction of Zennith, a female Galvan who does not have any hair at all.Solitary Alignment
===Ben 10: Omniverse===
*Originally, XLR8 was the only Kineceleran on Earth because the slow rotation of the planet made other Kinecelerans sick after a few days.Ben 10,000 This is retconned, as several Kinecelerans reside in Undertown.The More Things Change: Part 2
*Originally, Florauna were said to be savage by nature, and have little intelligence other than pure instinct. This behavior has been shown to not be absolute as of Omniverse, as Pax is an example of a very social and intelligent Florauna.
*Originally, the Yeti was an individual creature stranded on Earth from another dimension. However, that has been retconned in Omniverse, as it is revealed that the Secret Saturdays are from the Prime Timeline.T.G.I.S.
*In the Original Series, Weird World was stated to be one of Ben's favorite shows.Game Over However, this is 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.
*In the Original Series, Peptos XI was originally described as a volcanic planet. This is no longer true, as Peptos XI generally has pink terrain.Tummy Trouble
*In the Original Series, it was stated that all Loboan cubs had green eyes, whereas adults had red and pale orange eyes.Benwolf This is retconned, as the Loboans seen on Anur Transyl have eyes of varying colors.Rad Monster Party
*Hex's skull facepaint was the same as that worn by the warriors of Bezel. This is retconned in two ways:
**Firstly, Hex's facepaint is revealed to be a tattoo.Charm School
**Secondly, Bezel is revealed to be a person, not a civilization.Third Time's a Charm
*The Charms of Bezel were originally described as being advanced Bezelian technology that seemed magic to Earth's inhabitants. This is retconned, as Bezel is revealed to be a person.
*Frankenstrike was originally considered to be Ben's second smartest alien.The Return As such, he was credited one of the aliens Ben 10,000 used to build Ken's Omnitrix.Ken 10 This was retconned in Omniverse, as hyper-intelligence is not a common trait among Transylians. Therefore, Ben does not become any smarter as Frankenstrike.
==Retconned Merchandise Information==
===Ben 10===
*It was previously stated that SixSix is a highly advanced android developed as a weapon of war. In the series, it is revealed that he is actually a mutated Sotoraggian.Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix
===Ben 10: Alien Force===
*During Alien Force's early run, it was previously stated that Crystalsapiens come from MorOtesi. This is retconned later during the show in two ways:
**Firstly, Sugilite is revealed to be the only Crystalsapien in existence (aside from Chromastone).The Secret of Chromastone
**Secondly, Sugilite is stated to come from Petropia whereas MorOtesi itself is revealed to be merely a legend.
*In his earliest appearances, Kevin was presented as having absorption powers, without being specified as a mutant. However, according to Derrick J. Wyatt, the creators intended for Kevin to be a mutant human, with this detail persisting in merchandise released during the Original Series. Pop-up trivia and merchandise released during the first season of Alien Force referred to him as a human.Back With a Vengeance In Alien Force proper, Kevin was revealed to be a human/alien hybrid.
===Ben 10: Ultimate Alien===
*It was previously stated that Celestialsapiens come from Zvezda. In Ultimate Alien, this has been retconned in two ways:
**Firstly, Celestialsapiens are revealed to come from the Forge of Creation.
**Secondly, Zvezda is stated to not officially exist.
===Ben 10: Omniverse===
*Rather than being brought to life by an environmental disaster, the Galvanic Mechamorphs were brought to life after one of Azmuth's projects went awry.
*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. These storms were also the main source of power for the planet. This is retconned, as it is shown that the planet has relatively normal weather.Of Predators and Prey: Part 1
*The Necrofriggians used to be the only living beings on Kylmyys. This is retconned with the introduction of the Psycholeopterrans.
*Originally, nothing actually lived on Anur Transyl. This is retconned, as Anur Transyl is shown to be inhabited by many species native to the Anur System.
==Other==
===Ben 10: Alien Force===
*The positioning and coloring of the Omnitrix/Ultimatrix symbols are explained as the result of the devices working properly compared to what was shown in the Original Series.
*When Big Chill first appeared, he was shown being able to turn invisible. However, this ability is removed for the rest of his appearances due to being considered an animation error.
===Ben 10: Ultimate Alien===
*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.Under WrapsBe Afraid of the Dark During Ultimate Alien's run, the context behind these scenarios has been changed to having the Omnitrix "sample" their DNA, thereby unlocking transformations using DNA that already existed in its database.
===Ben 10: Omniverse===
*The limited positioning of the symbols was a technical glitch in the original Omnitrix and Ultimatrix that caused the transformations to come out naked and cold. These errors were corrected in the current Omnitrix.
*The events of Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens were previously non-canon to the Prime Timeline. They have been canonized to tie in with the Omniverse flashbacks.
*The Omnitrix symbols being colored grey and white in the Original Series was because of a scratch guard that Ben did not know how to remove. As such, the symbols were "recolored" green when the scratch guard fell off off-screen sometime after Destroy All Aliens.
*In Alien Force, it was stated that the Omnitrix can recognize and accept Osmosian DNA. Much like everything regarding Osmosians, this has been altered in Omniverse, as the Omnitrix cannot accept DNA from mutants because they do not count as aliens.
**Tying into the retcons made to Osmosians, Aggregor is revealed to be a lab experiment created by the Rooters.
*While it was only established on-screen that Max's partnership with Devin Levin was a fake memory, it would eventually be revealed that Devin never existed altogether.
**Furthermore, the photo of Devin and a young Kevin featured in Alien Force is revealed to have been faked.
==Trivia==
*Dwayne McDuffie did not consider the changes made to the Plumbers in Alien Force to be an official retcon.
*The decision to introduce Anodites and mana in Alien Force was influenced by Dwayne's opinion that magic and science fiction should not mix.
*The reason the design of the Plumber Badges in Omniverse is reversed to look like their depiction in the Original Series is because the hourglass symbol design used in previous series did not make any sense to the crew.
*According to Derrick J. Wyatt, Primus was erased from continuity by the Annihilarrgh during the events of So Long, and Thanks for All the Smoothies.
**However, Matt Wayne stated that this is not definite as Primus' whereabouts were never addressed on-screen at any point during the series. 
**When the crew started production on Omniverse, one of the mandates they got from the higher-ups was to clean out a lot of the pointless and convoluted continuity that had been turning viewers off from the franchise. According to Derrick, the Omnitrix serving as both a literal way to walk in the shoes of another life form and a database for all known sentient life is a much cleaner concept.
**In Dwayne's pitch for Omniverse, Primus was to have been destroyed by Annihilus Stalk (who became the basis for the character Khyber) using the Predatrix (which became the basis for the Nemetrix).
**When made aware of Matt's statements on the matter, Derrick stated there was a 0% chance that Primus was not erased from continuity. He would later be elaborating that, since one of the Omnitrix's functions is as a storage device, there is no need for a backup.
***Derrick later stated none of the retcons featured in Omniverse were caused by Ben recreating the universe as Alien X, putting his original statement into question. However, it is implied by Dan Riba that the universe being recreated was the reason for some of the retcons.
*Most of the retcons to pop-up trivia seen in Omniverse are possibly due to the fact that the creative team on the show did not have all the information. Derrick stated that he "tried to get a list of all those pop up facts a couple times but never got them" 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.
**For example, Derrick initially said Ben 10,000's daughter Gwendolyn did not exist in the Omniverse Future Timeline, stating that he hated that she was named after Ben's cousin Gwen and ignored her existence. When made aware that Gwendolyn's existence was revealed via pop-up trivia years later, Derrick admitted that he forgot she existed. He also explained that the reason she was never used in Omniverse is because the crew, who had studied the Original Series episodes, did not have access to the pop-ups. Therefore, they were not aware that Ben 10,000 had a daughter.
*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.
**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.
**Kevin's backstory was changed in Omniverse to make things more in line with the concept of him being a mutant and so not everything was derived from aliens.
==Notes==
==References==
===Production Material===
====Cartoon Network====
====Alien Force Series Mini Bible====
====Omniverse Series Proposal====
===Crew Statements===
====Matt Wayne====
====Duncan Rouleau====
====Derrick J. Wyatt====
====Dwayne McDuffie====
====Dave Johnson====
====Thomas Perkins====
====Peter David====
====Dan Riba====
===Pop-Up Trivia===
===Merchandise===
====Bandai====
====DVDs====
====Ben 10: Alien Force (Video Game)====
====Guide Books====
==See Also==
*Wikipedia:
**Sequel
**Retroactive continuity
**Reboot
*Ben 10 Planet:Longstanding Misinformation
Category:Content