The Simpsons has introduced plenty of characters across over 700 episodes, but there's been a solid base of recurring characters in the orbit of the primary cast for over 30 years. This includes Ned Flanders, the Simpsons' religious and perpetually upbeat neighbor. Flanders has served as Homer's foil for the entire run of the series, but it hasn't always been sunshine and rainbows for him.

Usually held up as one of Springfield's nicest people, he's also suffered a series of tragedies across the series more befitting of a drama than the animated comedy. One fan theory explains why Flanders has suffered so much across the course of The Simpsons -- and quietly lays the blame at Homer's feet.

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Season 3, Episode 3, "When Flanders Failed" was one of the show's first attempts to explore Flanders and Homer's relationship. Generally jealous of Flanders -- especially with the revelation that he'll soon be opening his own business, the Leftorium -- a bitter Homer ends up joining a picnic with his neighbor. When they split a wishbone, Homer silently wishes for the Leftorium to go out of business so Flanders can suffer some misfortune in his life. Over time, the Leftorium fails to draw in business, resulting in the store closing and the Flanders family falling into serious debt, eventually having their home repossessed. Guilty over the turn of events, Homer is able to drive up business for Flanders and a major purchase from Mr. Burns results in the family getting their lives back on track.

The episode's themes include an acknowledgment that "luck" often has to do with the actions one takes towards themselves and others, with Flanders only having his business saved thanks to Homer (who'd earlier refused to tell anyone about the store, in one of his earliest acts of spite) informing the rest of the town. This seemed to break Flanders' streak of bad luck -- however, a fan theory from the TVTropes WMG page suggests that Homer's wishbone actually left his kindly neighbor with an increasingly grim life. Before Homer and Flanders split the wishbone, Flanders was portrayed having a nearly perfect life, boasting far more stability in his marriage and with his finances than Homer. But as the years have gone on, Flanders has endured a lot of heartache and pain.

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Season 8 saw his house destroyed in "Hurricane Neddy," and his resulting breakdown revealed a well of rage within him. Season 11, Episode 14, "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" -- caused by a contract dispute off-screen -- resulted in the death of his wife Maude. His attempts to forge a new romance have often been doomed, with the most successful -- his marriage to Edna Krabappel -- ultimately left him a widower again. And while the Leftorium has remained open, Flanders has been frequently shown having slower business than his initial success would suggest. There have also been hints that his sons Rod and Todd are growing up to be strange young men whose sheltered upbringing them will leave them ill-prepared for the harsh world around them.

All of these hardships explain why Flanders became a harsher character for a time, with his fundamentalist side becoming his primary character motivation for a number of seasons. But the theory adds a layer of tragedy, as it ties together much of Flanders' troubles with the brash and mean action taken by Homer. Over the course of The Simpsons, Homer and Flanders have truly become friends, with Homer going to extreme lengths to appease his neighbor when their relationship becomes troubled. If Homer even remembers the wishbone incident, he's likely to find a new source of guilt -- the sort of emotion other theories have argued made him into a bigger jerk at various points. While it does undercut some of the themes of "When Flanders Failed," the theory gives an interesting (and tragic) undercurrent to Homer and Flanders' friendship.