The Phineas And Ferb Theory That Makes Doofenshmirtz More Tragic
The various adventures of "Phineas and Ferb" have always famously been divided into two distinct sections. There's the primary plot, about Phineas and Ferb's latest over-the-top scheme in their endless pursuit of summer-time fun. Then there's the secondary plot, which almost always focuses on their pet green platypus, Perry. Unbeknownst to the brothers, Perry is actually a secret agent who is constantly tasked with thwarting the evil plans of Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, a middle-aged mad genius from Drusselstein who is usually (but not always) in the business of taking over the Tri-State Area.
As the series goes on, we learn that most of Doofenshmirtz's takeover plans stem from some trauma he faced during his rough childhood in his home country. Whether it's due to parental neglect, or something else, Doofenshmirtz's plans almost always hinge on an absurd "-inator" machine that reflects his traumatic experiences. In many ways, he is a tragic and sympathetic character who fans end up rooting for despite his evil plans.
As with any popular series, however, you can always bet that fans will come up with theories to explain any questions they have. In Doofenshmirtz's case, a lot of those questions deal with why he even wants to rule the Tri-State Area. Oddly, the theories that fans have cooked up to answer these questions make Doofenshmirtz even more tragic than before.
Doofenshmirtz just wants to goof (enshmirtz) with his pal
Fans aren't wrong for wondering why Doofenshmirtz even bothers trying to take over the Tri-State Area after a certain point. He almost never succeeds. Almost every time he has tried, Perry has busted in and un-inated whatever Doofenshmirtz just used his newest inator on. For many fans on Reddit, it's almost like he wants to be stopped.
"Doofenshmirtz isn't incompetent; he *plans* his inventions to fail," wrote user u/BlueJ5. "Because it was never about the inator. He just wanted Perry to show up so he could talk to him about his past struggles." In the end, it's a solid theory. After a certain point, Perry and Doofenshmirtz do establish a bit of a bro-ship. Even in the context of their battles they have gone out to lunch together, and Doofenshmirtz has kindly invited Perry inside his own house on multiple occasions. There's also evidence to support the idea that it's just Doof's way of overcoming trauma.
"This makes perfect sense; it's why, in the movie, the parallel universe Doof is so successful," wrote u/Thatperson077. "It's explained he has none of the childhood baggage that regular Doof does, only being evil because he loses his toy train, so he uses his genius to actually take over the Tri-State Area, instead of pretending to."
With all that in mind, it's no wonder fans have a soft spot for Doof. He's just a sad guy trying to get over his past.