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The Secret of Monkey Island was a core mystery within the Monkey Island series, with many characters speculating and questing to learn its contents.
After the release of "Return to Monkey Island," Ron Gilbert stated in a successive interview that the true secret, as conceived during development of the first installment of the series, was that Guybrush was in fact in a pirate-themed amusement park.
SoMi Possibilities[]
Giant Monkey Head[]
The Giant Monkey Head probably belonged to some extinct form of giant monkey.
Inside it was an enormous maze through the fires of hell.
Three Headed Monkey[]
The Three Headed Monkey was a creature only seen on the island, but referenced by many as a distraction technique.
Monkey Island and The Voodoo Storm[]
Monkey Island was a location that was a mystery to many due to the voodoo storm that surrounded it. Some method of bypassing or getting through the storm safely was required, but few knew the secrets. Therefore Monkey Island itself may be the secret. 'The Secret of Monkey Island' may refer to 'the secret that is Monkey Island' as opposed to the generally accepted interpretation: 'the secret that belongs to Monkey Island'.
MI2 Possibilities[]
Underground Tunnels Connecting Every Island in the Caribbean[]
The tunnels in which Big Whoop were hidden may have been connected to the Secret.
The Ending[]
The ending suggests that Threepwood's adventures could merely be the imagination of a child. This theme continues in RtMI.
CoMI Possibilities[]
EfMI Possibilities[]
A Giant Monkey Robot[]
The Giant Monkey Head was revealed to be a giant robot. However, in SoMI the giant monkey was clearly biological with a spine. It is possible that the robot was constructed along with the Theme Park.
Monkey Kombat[]
Underground Gold[]
ToMI Possibilities[]
A secret was concealed in a small wooden case in the Thieves Den of the Crossroads.
RtMI Possibilities[]
The entire game revolves around Threepwood's hunt for the true secret of Monkey Island.
A chest is found which is told to contain the secret, and LeChuck began a ritual designed to open it and discover its contents. The ritual opened a door, which LeChuck went through, and Threepwood followed him into.
Inside Threepwood found that he was once again in a pirate themed attraction, and that the secret was merely a T-shirt, much like the The Legendary Lost Treasure of Mêlée Island.
An older Threepwood muses that the secret could have been all sorts of things such as treasure, or simply the friends he made along the way.
Ron Gilbert later confirmed in an interview this was indeed the true secret of Monkey Island; that Guybrush was in fact in a pirate-themed amusement park.
Trivia[]
- In Flight of the Amazon Queen a joke is made that the real secret of Monkey Island is that "Elaine is really a guy".
- In Ron Gilbert's latest adventure Thimbleweed Park you can find a book in the mansion's library dealing with the Secret of Monkey Island. The book ends before the secret can be revealed.