In the world of The Simpsons, Homer Simpson is a comically inept employee. He's almost destroyed Springfield multiple times, only keeping the city safe by accident or by pure dumb luck (as in Season 3, Episode 5 "Homer Defined"). He's often quick to take up a new career in a heartbeat, usually with little warning. And yet each time, he's able to easily return to his typical role at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.

There have been many theories about how Homer pulls this off over the years, ranging from the source of his true wealth to the idea that Mr. Burns benefits from having a buffoon in such an important position as safety inspector. But a new theory -- while it has some holes in it -- does create a viable reason why Burns would keep Homer around for years. The theory suggests Burns keeps Homer on his payroll as it allows him to get revenge on his rival Abe Simpson by proxy.

RELATED: How The Simpsons 'Killed' an Unlikely Side Character - and Then Revived Him

How Abe Simpson & Mr. Burns Became Rivals

The Simpsons Homer Burns Abe Fan Theory 3

The theory -- courtesy of Reddit user thisishardcore_ -- argues that Burns hired Homer specifically because he's the son of Abe Simpson. Previous episodes like Season 7, Episode 22, "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in 'The Curse of the Flying Hellfish'" and Season 17, Episode 9, "Simpsons Christmas Stories" revealed that Burns and Abe served in the same unit in World War II, and that Abe had been Burns' hard-nosed commanding officer. The theory argues that Burns would still want to honor his wartime comrade and keeps his son at the nuclear plant out of nepotism.

The problem with that idea -- which is voiced in the Reddit comments -- is that Burns is far too petty and casually cruel to ever want to help Abe Simpson. He's previously gone out of his way to humiliate Abe whenever he got the chance, as in Season 24, Episode 8, "To Cur With Love." The only time he seemed to actually like Abe was when he discovered the man had been his wrestling icon Glamorous Godfrey in Season 24, Episode 14, "Gorgeous Grampa," so it's unlikely he'd keep Homer around out of kindness. But there's plenty of evidence to support that Burns has Homer on the payroll to spite Abe.

RELATED: How The Simpsons Brought a Notoriously Reclusive Author to TV

The Simpsons' Mr. Burns Gets Revenge by Making Homer Miserable

The Simpsons Homer Burns Abe Fan Theory 1

Homer has fulfilled some very humiliating and painful roles at the nuclear plant -- being forced to eat nuclear waste, used as a brush to clean the cooling towers and Employee of the Month being awarded to everyone in the company (including an inanimate carbon rod) ahead of him. All of this seems strangely targeted from someone who always seemed to forget Homer's identity. But it's possible that Burns sees enraging and humiliating Homer as the next step in getting even with Abe, on top of having someone around who is easy to manipulate for his company's success. By making Homer's life miserable, Burns gets to enact some petty revenge on one of the few people who ever fully ignored Burns' wealth and status.

This even has a notable effect on Abe. Homer's paltry wages and miserable job meant he could only afford to send Abe to a lackluster retirement home and he's quicker to lash out at his father due to his frustrations in life. It even adds another layer to Burns' horror that an unemployed Homer no longer fears him in Season 3, Episode 11 "Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk" -- with one of Burns' first acts upon repurchasing the nuclear plant being to rehire Homer to continue antagonizing him.

The theory also makes his sign for Homer in Season 6, Episode 13, "And Maggie Makes Three" all the more dour, as Burns is hinting he'll keep torturing Homer as long as he can. By belittling him at every potential chance, Burns may have found a way to get even with one of the few men who never feared him -- explaining why someone as lazy, accident-prone, and dumb as Homer never gets fired for good.

The Simpsons is now streaming on Disney+.