Humans make better banks than piggies.
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— Ass Crack Bandit, "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics". |
The Ass Crack Bandit is the alias of an unidentified serial prankster on the Greendale campus. Their nickname was given due to their odd modus operandi. It involved stalking unsuspecting students and waiting for them to bend over. Once the valley of the derrière was exposed, the Bandit would deposit a quarter there which would sometimes roll down too far. The three campus newspapers, after a twelve hour session at Denny's, finally coined their moniker. They were seen wearing black gloves and a dark coat with a hoodie. Although a massive investigation was launched, the Bandit's true identity was never discovered and they remain at large. |
Character history[]
Season Two[]
In the study group's second year together at Greendale, Annie Edison was running for student body president. It was a hastily thrown together election by Dean Pelton necessitated by the imminent arrival of the Vice President who was set to visit the school. In a debate with Jeff, one of the many other candidates, Annie presented her plans as president if she won. One of her talking points included dealing with a campus terror who was assaulting students with coin slot shenanigans. Annie proclaimed she would bring to justice the assailant known only as the "Ass Crack Bandit." Even though she ultimately dropped out of the election, she never forgot about the Bandit and became obsessed with figuring out who it was ("Intro to Political Science").
Season Five[]
For the next few years Annie secretly conducted an investigation with a particular theory in mind. She created a special file on the Bandit collecting various news clippings of their crimes. A number of people were suspected of being the ACB including the notorious "Fountain Pooper", but they were eventually cleared. The Bandit continued their crimes, now known as "cracking", even brazenly slotting three students during a Greendale and City College baseball game. All the while, school administration officially denied their existence. This led Annie to believe that a cover up was taking place and the culprit might actually be a faculty member. It wasn't until the study group's fifth year at school that Annie was given a chance to try and confirm her long-held suspicions.
After a year of no ACB incidents being reported, the Bandit struck again. This time their victim was Garrett Lambert who barged in on Shirley's Sandwiches grand reopening ceremony to alert everyone to the ACB's return. An emergency meeting of the "Save Greendale Committee" was held to deal with the matter. Pelton showed them a letter sent to him by the Bandit which stated that more "crackings" were going to occur. Professor Duncan was asked to join them as Dean Pelton hoped he could create a psychological profile on the Bandit. Feeling that her theory about a faculty member being the Bandit would be ignored, Annie asked Jeff to help carry out a separate secret investigation. He refused at first but changed his mind when Annie was kicked off the official investigation and he saw how much the cause meant to her.
Jeff determined that the culprit had to be a "Dave Matthews Band" fan as one letter the ACB sent contained many references to their songs. Searching Facebook, they came up with a short list of teachers who were fans. They eliminated all their suspects but caused major collateral damage during their investigation. Pelton punished them and told them to stop pursuing the case. It was then that the Ass Crack Bandit phoned Dean Pelton, mocking all their efforts to find them. After tracing the call to an extension at the campus stables, Jeff, Pelton and Annie rushed over there to catch the ACB. They were shocked to discover Alex "Star-Burns" Osbourne, whom they believed had died two years ago. Pelton had the formerly deceased student admit to being the Ass Crack Bandit in exchange for dropping the illegal meth lab charges Star-Burns faked his death to avoid. A large press conference was held to announce this, but while the rest of the attendees bought the lie, Jeff remained skeptical. Despite Annie's protest that he drop the matter, Jeff interrogated Star-Burns and discovered the deal he had made with Pelton.
Meanwhile, Annie started to believe that Ian Duncan was the actual perpetrator after learning he was a Dave Matthews Band fan and had a roll of quarters on his file cabinet. Duncan did not appear on the initial shortlist of "Dave" fans because he reveals he uses an older, British version of Facebook. She shared with Jeff her suspicions and found that he had discovered something significant as well. Inside a hallway closet, he found that the ACB's phone call was in fact a prerecorded message. It was on a laptop which was linked to a switch board that rerouted the call. When Annie tells Jeff about Duncan they rush off to apprehend him only to hear him get "cracked". The two see the real culprit rounding a hallway and give chase only to run into Shirley. When she informs them that Pierce Hawthorne just passed away, the pursuit is immediately forgotten. After Duncan, the "crackings" stopped and Star-Burns recanted his confession despite the school officially recognizing him as the culprit. No investigation on the Ass Crack Bandit is currently open ("Basic Intergluteal Numismatics").
The Investigation[]
Suspects[]
- Why: He's psychotic and unpredictable. It's clear from his past that he is capable of this sort of activity. He misrepresented qualifications to become a teacher at Greendale ("English as a Second Language"), led a bizarre investigation into an imagined crime that resulted in a fire in the cafeteria ("Competitive Ecology"), kidnapped Dean Pelton and attempted to burn down the school ("First Chang Dynasty"), faked amnesia for several months in order to take down Greendale from within ("Advanced Documentary Filmmaking"), and punched Duncan with a roll of quarters ("Pascal's Triangle Revisited").
- Why not: Wasn't a faculty member at the time of the previous bandit activity ("Anthropology 101"). Was eating in the cafeteria when Garrett enters and announces the bandit's return.
- Why: Was banned from the Greendale campus ("Repilot") and this could be revenge. Has shown disregard for the well-being of others and a willingness to terrorize students and friends alike ("Advanced Dungeons & Dragons"). Not afraid to get his hands dirty. Once performed "complicated acts of psychological revenge" on other study group members ("Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking"). Publicly insulted Vicki until she dropped out of the student election because she wouldn't loan him a pencil ("Intro to Political Science"). Set Jeff up to get shot in paintball ("A Fistful of Paintballs"). Capable of faking his own death, which would throw investigators off his trail, after all, Star-Burns was presumed dead but has returned and Evil Pierce also convincingly faked his own death ("Advanced Introduction to Finality"). His psychological profile showed very high potential for extreme antisocial behavior.
- Why not: Currently assumed dead, and the GPS tracker Abed had planted on him showed that he was indeed buried ("Cooperative Polygraphy"). Was in a wheelchair around the time of the previous bandit activity ("Aerodynamics of Gender"). Doesn't seem likely to hide his identity. His well-known ban from the Greendale campus would make it more difficult for him to disappear into a crowd. Probably lacks the physical fitness and agility to sneak up on people and escape. Lack of technical skills make it doubtful he could pull off the prerecorded phone call and fake the location.
- Why: He's a Dave fan and faculty member. His absence from and return to Greendale coincides somewhat with the cessation and resumption of bandit activity. He had a roll of quarters in his office.
- Why not: He was cracked during the “We Caught The Ass Crack Bandit Dance.” The prerecorded phone call lacked his British accent, though the voice was disguised.
- Why: As Duncan gets cracked, he yells "Get Britta". Accidentally typing "Britta" instead of "Bandit" when writing a psychology paper about the bandit could be a Freudian slip. Vividly imagined other study group members being gruesomely murdered ("Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps"). Has a history of performing lame pranks that end with emotional fallout (“The Science of Illusion”). Her psychological profile showed high potential for extreme antisocial behavior.
- Why not: It seems doubtful that she could pull it off. She'd probably just Britta it. Probably wouldn't target Troy, even though he broke up with her last year ("Basic Human Anatomy").
- Why: Has the intelligence and knowledge to execute this behavior while remaining undetected. Has exhibited superior physical conditioning necessary to commit the crimes ("The Politics of Human Sexuality"). Although his psychological profile indicates low anti-social tendencies ("Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps"), he often roleplays and goes too far in whatever persona he is portraying ("Introduction to Finality"). He is also shown to be very practiced at handling a quarter ("Basic Intergluteal Numismatics"). The main reason that made Annie thought the ACB was a faculty member is that they managed to crack three people in a row in ten minutes, on a path that Annie could only do in twenty minutes. However, Abed is shown to be faster than Troy, who was the star athlete of his and Annie's high school, making it possible that Abed is faster than Annie. When Abed is offered the chance to play the detective and solve the case, Abed is uncharacteristically uninteresting in participating, almost as if he's already playing a role. At the beginning of the scene where Troy speaks at an assembly advocating Pelton's plan to put cameras in the bathroom, Abed can be seen sitting against the window. After the ACB strikes, Abed is no longer there. Abed's handwriting also seems to match the ACB's handwriting in the two notes that were seen. ("Contemporary American Poultry")
- Why not: Troy was cracked and it doesn't seem likely that Abed would target his best friend, unless this is a misdirection.
- Why: She has shown a willingness to take revenge on others, going so far as to cause damage to possessions and property ("Introduction to Statistics"). She was the only person seen walking in the dead end hallway into which Jeff and Annie chased the Bandit. She profited from the no-coin policy, probably by rounding up the prices at her sandwich store to the dollar and also sold ACB related T-shirts. Her psychological profile showed high potential for extreme antisocial behavior. The original ACB letter also had an unread line which states that it was not "my hand" that did the crackings, but "God".
- Why not: She was in the cafeteria running her store at the time of Garrett's cracking. Her usually kind disposition and Christian faith makes her an unlikely suspect for such premeditated misdeeds ("Contemporary American Poultry").
- Why: Provides a socially acceptable premise to spend time with a much younger girl. Has the intelligence and physical fitness to perpetrate the crimes. High social IQ and willingness to manipulate others could help him remain undetected. His behavior sometimes borders on the sociopathic in its disregard for other people ("Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps"). His psychological profile showed high potential for extreme antisocial behavior. Admitted to being a Dave fan.
- Why not: Jeff is rarely willing to put that much effort into anything. Unclear how previous ACB activity would have benefited him.
- Why: Gives her an excuse to have another adventure with Jeff. Displays the high intelligence and organizational detail exhibited by some serial killers. Has shown the capacity to "snap" when pushed ("Cooperative Calligraphy") and the secret identity could be a mechanism for coping with the stresses of college life. Campaigning against the ACB's activities during the school election could have been an attempt to increase fame and notoriety ("Intro to Political Science"). Her ACB scrapbook resembles a "trophy" scrapbook. Pointed out that the ACB could be a "her." Her psychological profile showed high potential for extreme antisocial behavior. In the series finale ("Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television"), Jeff asks if the group remembers the ACB, which makes Annie start laughing suspiciously.
- Why not: Claims to have been unable to cover the necessary distance between two "crackings" as fast as the Bandit (could have lied to cover her tracks). Too young to have been a true "Dave" fan.
- Why: Knows police procedure and had inside knowledge of the investigation to avoid detection. Teacher. Shown in Basic Story have knowledge of the music of Dave Matthews. Is angry as Professor Duncan suggests.
- Why not: He says Dave Matthews but fans call him Dave.
- Why: Keep refusing to admit that the Ass Crack Bandit is real, both during the initial slottings, and during the episode. Also, major pervert. He also knows Garrett's underwear brand (Hanes). He claims it is mentioned in the ACB's letter, but it is not.
- Why not: Probably would never cheat on Jeff. Was freed from Chang by the study group in Season 3 and has clearly shown that he loved them and that he considered them as his personal best friends and favorite study group by the way. Seems illogical that he would attack Troy. Was in the subway with Shirley.
- Why: Has a boring job, and might want some excitement. Knows her way around a quarter, and is able to bounce them off a table and into a shot glass.
- Why not: No known reasons.
Lunch Lady
- Why: Has access to large amounts of change from job. Only person in final montage who lacked an appearance in the episode.
- Why not: Currently N/A. Will follow further leads.
- Why: He is a prankster, and he also does not like the study group. Has shown that although he is physically old, he his clever and lecherous.
- Why not: He lacks the physical ability to pull it off.
- Why: He is suicidal and since Jeff and the study group were the only ones to like him, it could be his revenge and he could be the ACB.
- Why Not: He was the one who appeared before Garrett was cracked and seems doubtful that he could then make a reappearance so quickly. Also, would not have crack Troy for the reason cited above.
- Why: He is seen an episode earlier and is known to still be active. He is known for putting together elaborate projects (Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design) He also recorded a voice call in that episode where it had a similar voice to the recorded voice of the ACB. He also managed all of that in Season 2, when the bandit was first active. He also only appears in Season 2 and Season 5, which may be a coincidence. He is also old enough to understand Dave Matthews Lyrics and is a teacher, which means he does have a shortcut through faculty and has no real alibis for the crackings. Also, it is weird to note that many of the people cracked were also in his theatre group (Competitive Wine Tasting)
- Why Not: He's not that big of a character and doesn't really have a reason to crack people in the season's that he's in. He does crack three people that were actually in his Theatre Class, which is also a suspicion but also a negative, I mean why crack students that were in your class 2 years ago. It also doesn't really benefit him in any way to commit a crime like this. In Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design he had a reason, he made a small explosion in the mini car of the better tomorrow diorama Annie was working on because she was onto him. Him being the ass crack bandit, just doesn't make sense.
Known victims[]
Victim | Activity when slotted |
---|---|
DeMarcus Chen-Santuchi | Removing flier from his windshield |
Kendall Montiel | Picking up litter |
Donald Berl | Watching Greendale vs City College baseball game |
Garrett Lambert | Picking up folders he dropped |
Troy Barnes | Sees a teddy bear on the study room floor and picks it up |
Vicki | Listening to an Ass Crack Bandit assembly |
Ian Duncan | Tying his shoelaces |
Clues[]
Due to the locations and timing of previous attacks, Annie hypothesized that the bandit has access to the Faculty Lounge.
Both Britta and Professor Duncan attempted to shed some light on the Bandit's state of mind:
- “The nature of the Ass Crack Bandit's crimes would suggest that he's angry or just fell in love.”— Professor Duncan
- “We know that he hates money or loves it or doesn't care about money and hates butts or loves them.”— Britta
The bandit has provided several cryptic and possibly meaningless notes and messages. References to songs by Dave Matthews Band indicates the bandit may be a fan of the group.
Letter: "I am the Ass Crack Bandit. Humans make better banks than piggies. Whenever I get more change at the store I can't wait to drop it down your butts. I think I will go to the bank and get so much change and take all my dollars and make them into change and drop it all down there."
Note 1: "I hope you enjoyed my work again. You can't stop me because what are you going to do, not have butts?"
Note 2: "I am the mad hatter, if hats were butts. I am neither left nor right. I am the space between. To me you are all like ants marching to class, freaks on parade."
Phone call/recording (three parts):
- "This is the Ass Crack Bandit. I find it funny that you ever thought you could catch me."
- "I've enjoyed our game of cat and mouse. It's funny how close your two little helpers get to catching me. I liked watching them run in circles. Although sometimes I wonder, are they chasing me as an excuse to get near to each other? I mean, get a room already."
- "I am the bringer of change. I am the filler of cracks."
The Bandit revealed?[]
In the Season Six episode "Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television," The Ass Crack Bandit was referenced and Annie acted suspiciously. Community writer Alex Rueben was asked on his Twitter account about the odd reaction and he posted the following picture of the script: |
During the 2020 Community reunion on Zoom, Dan Harmon was asked the question. At first, Harmon gave a lengthy explanation about how the episode was intentionally written with the idea that any one of the study group could be the Ass Crack Bandit... but proceeded to declare it was Annie. |