Is The Intern an Anomaly in Animal Hospital? – DEEP DIVING INTO LORE!

In favour of the Intern being an anomaly, I’ve created this one-shot article to answer one question every overworked animalian staff member has on their mind. Is the Intern an Anomaly in Animal Hospital? Find out why I think the answer is yes based on what we know of this… creature… so far.

Let’s get into it.

Is The Intern an Anomaly in Animal Hospital?

First, let me introduce the Intern.

This humble default Class is where all new players begin, most recognisable by its strange facial features, depicting a rabbit with a wide, hollowed smile and tiny, beady black eyes. Its outfit looks somewhat unusual for a hospital setting, being a white jumpsuit with front pockets.

I’m certain these aren’t just white scrubs, as every other class has a visible divide between where their tops end and pants begin. Take the Nurse, for example, who is wearing blue scrubs. It’s easy to see where their shirt stops. This proves to me that the Intern has an intentional design and outfit.

I theorise that they stumbled into the hospital, much like every other anomaly, but were instead kept on as staff. After all, they pose no threat and seem capable of aid. That, or they were an experiment of Dr Harlow’s which turned into a pacified anomaly happy to perform cheap labour. (Though I’m getting ahead of myself).

What IS an Intern?

Interns are new graduates who undergo supervised work experience to gain practical hands-on training. In short, they’re new hires without professional experience or years’ worth of service under their belt.

In this context, and knowing we as the player are a new hire at the hospital (regardless of Class), we learn that the Intern isn’t used to this line of work. They’re very recently interested in hospitality, and, as we know, anomalies seem drawn to the hospital too, be it to prey on the sick, challenging the sanity of already stressed workers, or to get coffee.

Coffee Is A Clue

Coffee has a lot of significance for survival and interactions within Animal Hospital. Take Barney, for example, a serial killer anomaly who becomes pacified with coffee and rewards helpful players with a second machine for free if they complete his storyline.

If you’re not convinced Barney is an anomaly, despite his photo, remember that the headbangers will also leave calmly if you give them coffee.

Consider also that the Intern’s buffs are sanity-related. We see that anomalies will become calm with coffee, regaining some sanity and acting normal. All Classes need coffee to remain sane, including the Intern.

It may seem like an argument against anomaly Intern theory that it begins with more sanity at higher levels, but think of the game as a flat timeline instead of per campaign. Each clock in (new campaign), the Intern becomes more and more conditioned to the hospital’s shenanigans, as depicted through the levelling system. And, it knows coffee will be freshly brewed and waiting for it at the turn of each shift (fresh shift and new campaign starts).

The concept of coffee keeps them returning saner each time, as well as progressively becoming accustomed to the hospital day-to-day horrors. Anomalies are drawn to the hospital, but they’re also drawn to and calmed significantly with coffee. Hopefully, you see where I’m going with this.

Addressing the Anomaly in The Room

You may think it’s obvious that the Intern is an anomaly based on its face, which is absolutely a fair argument. After all, one tell-tale sign you’re in the presence of an anomaly is their uncanny facial features.

Hollow Face anomaly expressions are the most similar to the Intern, with the main difference being a smaller, frowning mouth and larger hollow eyes. The total reverse of the Intern.

Whilst removed now, the game once had a Jumpscare All gamepass, which would depict the Intern as a Hollow Face anomaly shaking wildly on a player’s screen during the jumpscare cutscene. To me, this is pretty clear evidence they’re acknowledged as similar, even if this feature doesn’t exist anymore. The hollow-faced Intern variant could be the predecessor to today’s calmer Intern.

Dr. Harlow

As for Dr Harlow, if he created the Intern, why? I believe it’s to have renewable staff, or as a faux and failed curing attempt of other anomalies. After all, the Intern is the default Class, making it the most populated by default. If most players are Interns, and all begin as one, they’re a swarm of renewable staff to keep the hospital running so Dr Harlow may continue his experiments and surgeries.

Also, when looking in the lobby, we also see Dr Harlow as a hollow-faced anomaly. If the intern was once the same, Dr Harlow may be experimenting to find a cure for himself. This also explains why, despite status, Dr Harlow never sticks around to help with patients in the hospital. He doesn’t want to reveal himself.

The Final Theory – Intern’s Motive

The Intern doesn’t pose a threat, unlike other anomalies. Others, except the Stalker, which is shy and doesn’t attack players. And, as mentioned, the headbangers, which has the hollowed expression and will leave calmly with coffee.

I think the Intern IS a hollow-faced headbanger, but one with their sanity in check. Perhaps one taken under the care of Dr Harlow and surgically modified into a pacified variant who will work at the hospital to continually replace the staff who fail. They’re recyclable and abundant, which is why they’re so simple and the “default Class”.

The ties between coffee and sanity are obvious, but think also of how headbangers take 20 Sanity if you don’t offer them coffee when asking them to leave, but will leave calmly if you do have coffee for them. They’re slamming their heads on the side of the glass where they see the machine but are separated, as though they’re mindlessly trying to reach it without knowing how. Unlike them, the Intern has more autonomy because of their Sanity, and therefore knows how to keep themselves pacified and retrieve coffee.

Note: Of course, there are other headbanger variants, but I think all anomalies benefit from coffee in some regard. For the purpose of this purpose, I’m drawing attention to hollow faces since they’re most similar to our Intern.

The Intern’s modifications are exactly WHY it has more sanity, despite appearing as an anomaly. This is the same as Barney, who isn’t mindless or aggressive by fault, despite his… killer instincts. What I’m saying is, Barney, is an anomaly in the same way that the Intern is. Capable of acting independently and not mindlessly killing, unless without coffee.

We’re Almost There…

The Intern is a new hire, one designed to replace the last headbanger that didn’t survive. They’re the same as the previous, genetically speaking, and Dr Harlow keeps a close eye on the new Intern each time they begin a new campaign. He’s watching his latest modification to see how well they respond to the hospital environment and learning. Potentially to see if he’s ready to cure himself?

Remember, Interns are supervised by fresh faces, carefully monitored by a supervisor with experience. In this context, the Intern is supervised by Dr Harlow. Not very groundbreaking knowledge, but stuff to remember.

Dr Harlow himself appears as a HOLLOW FACED anomaly, but only in the lobby before entering the main game.

I feel a little bit like that one Pepe Silvia meme where he’s cross-referencing a board connected by many strings.

What Do You Think?

I wish we had comments here on GZ, because reading your theories and thoughts would be awesome. I’m super invested in the lore and gameplay of Animal Hospital, and the Intern is but a chip off the iceberg.

Anyway, if you enjoyed my article, thank you for reading! Now it’s time I let you go…

Check out Animal Hospital via Roblox, or have a read of more Animal Hospital content in my Animal Hospital Anomaly Storylines guide, covering Barney, Ratthew, and Ron.

Sho Roberts

Editor

It seems you've stumbled upon my bio! I'm Sho, your local weeb. Off the clock I am typically watching anime, reading manga, or doing art. I think it's safe to say that all my unpaid thoughts revolve around anime... That said, watch One Piece! (Or don't, I'm just a biography.)