What On Earth Is 'The Unknown'? Bizarre Willy Wonka Mirror Creature Explained

You've probably heard about the disastrous Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow: the 40-dollar event that was low enough effort to be considered a Dashcon-level failure and a prime example of false advertising that left kids in tears and parents angry and demanding refunds.

However, it was just the right amount of low effort to deliver hilarious, memeable moments such as the depressed Oompa-Loompa bartender and, of course, "The Unknown," a completely made up character who supposedly lurks in the walls of the chocolate factory and seeks to steal Willy's "anti-Graffiti gobstopper."

What exactly is The Unknown supposed to be and why are people fascinated with them? Find everything in our brief explainer.

What Is 'The Unknown' From Willy Wonka Experience?

The fallout of the failed Willy Wonka Experience had irate attendees sharing photos and videos of what was happening at the lackluster event on social media. One of the clips that was shared on X / Twitter showed some sort of creature with long black hair and wearing black robes and a silver mask emerge from behind a mirror, spooking the kids.

As the creature emerged, Willy McDuff — the event's knock-off version of Willy Wonka — introduced the character as "The Unknown."

What is that? It's The Unknown!

It appears that The Unknown, who, of course does not appear neither in Roald Dahl's book, nor in any of its film adaptation, was created for the event specifically. The character comes from a 15-page script that the organizer of the event generated with AI, just like he did with promotional materials.

Some excerpts from the script, which was leaked on Facebook by one of the actors, shed some light on what "The Unknown" is supposed to be.

The official lore of the character says that The Unknown is an evil chocolate maker lurking in the walls of the chocolate factory who covets one of Willy McDuff's creations, the "Anti-Graffiti Gobstopper" (yes, that's the name). According to the script, an epic battle is supposed to ensue between Willy McDuff and The Unknown, which, of course, did not happen. The Unknown did emerge out from behind the mirror in a spooky sort of way, though.

Is The Unknown In 'Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory'?

The Unknown does not appear in either Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" or in any of the film adaptations of the book. The character was created specifically for the Glasgow event by its organizer.

Who Plays The Unknown?

The Unknown was played by a young actress whose name is currently unknown. On February 28th, news account Discussing Film reported that the actress will be making a statement on TikTok in the future.

What Kind Of Memes Are People Making About 'The Unknown'?

After footage of the character was shared on social media, "The Unknown" became a popular subject of memes on X / Twitter alongside with other memes from the event. Notably, users mixed The Unknown into other recently popular memes, involving the character into Kate Middleton's conspiracy theories and imagining Pete Davidson sliding into The Unknown's DMs and dating the character.

There's more, of course. Some people double downed on the spooky factor, imagining children getting seriously traumatized by the mirror creature.

the unknown saying goodbye to their customers at the end of the willy wonka experience in glasgow pic.twitter.com/SL4bVYknUk

— 💛 (@ChanelBeige) February 29, 2024

Others thought that The Unknown would make a pretty neat Halloween costume, if anyone still remembers the debacle six months down the road. And there's been some neat fan art, too!

For the full history of The Unknown, be sure to check out GotFunnyPictures's encyclopedia entry for more information.