Real-world origin of Serpo Aliens featured in DAN DA DAN

DAN DA DAN has quickly emerged as one of the most captivating anime of the Fall 2024 season with its unique blend of humor, supernatural themes, and intense action. The series doesn’t shy away from incorporating real-world paranormal folklore, cleverly transforming well-known legends into vivid, larger-than-life antagonists. For instance, the Serpo Aliens that abducted Momo Ayase.

But like other entities featured in the anime, these aliens aren’t merely the product of creative fiction. They are inspired by a real-world conspiracy theory.

Serpo Aliens in DAN DA DAN

The Serpo Aliens in DAN DA DAN is an all-male species that reproduces via cloning, resulting in a singular genetic make-up. Their original form is a slug-like humanoid with prominent lips and protruding eyes. They also have numerous line patterns running along their arms, legs, and torsos. However, they only unveil this form when engaging in combat or unleashing their abilities. The Serpo, also called Serpoians, usually don a human disguise, which resembles an average middle-aged man with an unusually large head.

Furthermore, the Serpo is a race of technologically advanced alien species. They have a lot of high-tech weaponry in their arsenal in addition to their psychic abilities. However, due to their method of reproduction, they now seek a way to further their species. As such, they harbor great hostility toward humans.

The infamous Project Serpo

The origin of the Serpo Aliens is rooted in a widely circulated UFO conspiracy known as Project Serpo. First gaining traction in 2005, Project Serpo alleges that a secret exchange program took place between the U.S. government and an extraterrestrial species, the Ebens, in the 1960s. The aliens were supposedly from planet Serpo, which was located in the Zeta Reticuli star system.

According to the story, following the infamous Roswell incident in 1947, U.S. officials made contact with the aliens. The aliens supposedly offered to exchange knowledge and technology with humans. As part of this agreement, a team of 12 human astronauts was sent to Serpo. There, they lived for over a decade, studying the aliens’ way of life and culture. In return, the Ebens were said to have visited Earth, contributing to technological advancements that have since been hidden from the public. Interestingly, all 12 had already perished due to the aftereffects of the two suns’ increased radiation levels.

The alleged “leaked” documents about Project Serpo describe the Ebens as short, gray-skinned beings with large, dark eyes. These descriptions fit the archetype of the classic “gray aliens” that populate much of UFO lore.