A ‘Seinfeld’ Fan Theory Suggests the Main Characters Are Grownup Versions of the ‘Peanuts’ Characters

Seinfeld was a hit pretty early on in its tenure. Its focus on the mild inconveniences of everyday life certainly made it a unique concept in the 1990s. Still, the characters weren’t exactly unusual. A fan theory suggests Jerry Seinfeld and his pals were all inspired by members of the Peanuts gang. When you think about it, the idea makes a lot of sense. 

A fan theory suggests each of the ‘Seinfeld’ characters is based on a ‘Peanuts’ character 

A Reddit user suggested that the Seinfeld gang are just live-action, grownup versions of many of the characters who inhabited the Peanuts comic strip. It makes a lot of sense when you look at each character and how they interact with each other. The cartoon characters’ more unique personality traits appear to line up almost perfectly with the characteristics of Jerry and his friends. 

While Charlie Brown is often thought of as the gang’s ringleader, the user doesn’t think Jerry Seinfeld is the grownup version of Charlie Brown. Instead, they theorize that George Costanza is the group’s Charlie. The theory notes that George is pessimistic like Charlie and is perpetually unlucky just like Charlie. George is often made fun of by his friends, just like Charlie Brown, too. The two characters share a physical feature, as well. Charlie Brown and George are both bald. 

So, which characters would Jerry and Elaine Benes be? According to the theory, Jerry is most like Linus. Jerry, just like Linus retains habits and interests that he should have long outgrown. Jerry’s obsession with sneakers, superman, and cereal is considered rather immature. Linus’ attachment to his blanket was considered similarly age-inappropriate. The theorist notes that Jerry, just like Linus, is a deep-thinker. 

Elaine has a lot in common with Lucy, claims the fan. Her shoulder-length dark hair makes her look like Lucy, but the personality similarities are striking, too. Lucy spends most of her time making fun of Charlie Brown in the Peanuts comic strip. Elaine spends much of her time poking fun at George. Like Lucy, Elaine often tosses around random observations and suggestions to her pals, similar to how Lucy holds psychiatry sessions. 

There is a great deal of debate about which character Cosmo Kramer would be, though

The original fan theory suggests that Pig-pen is the inspiration for Cosmo Kramer. Pig-Pen is the Peanuts character best known for his messy nature. He’s certainly eccentric like Kramer, but they don’t share many other attributes. Pig-Pen was the least developed Peanuts character, which was not the case for Kramer. According to Fandom, Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, ended up regretting creating the character and often avoided using him in strips.

Other fans have suggested Kramer is closer to the character of Snoopy because of his mysterious nature and his tendency to be pretty much everywhere. Snoopy also shares Kramer’s fanciful imagination and often misguided belief in his abilities. Snoopy, because he’s a dog, also has absolutely no daily responsibilities, just like Kramer. 

A case can also be made for Kramer being the live-action version of Peppermint Patty. Peppermint Patty had a unique style of dress, just like Kramer. Peppermint Patty was also prone to developing obsessions that never turned out, similar to Kramer. In the end, it could be argued that Kramer is actually a mashup of several Peanuts characters. That makes sense, though. He was certainly the most unique of the Seinfeld characters.