The man, the mystery, the… secret love child?!

With a new Behind The Sims episode comes new Sims 4 lore! We’ve gotten shocking details about some fan favourite premade Sims in past Smore Lore segments on Behind The Sims. Like how Katrina Caliente is a clone of Nighat Caliente using alien technology! The latest Smore Lore segment focused on the true identity of none other than Johnny Zest and his mysterious family connection to the power-hungry Landgraab family!

Read on to dive deep into the mystery of Johnny Zest and uncover secrets about his true parentage!

The Sims 4 Lore: Johnny Zest’s Secret Identity

To understand Johnny’s connection to the Landgraabs, we first need to take a brief look at the Landgraab family history, which, if you can believe it, spans even before the time of the original Sims! How is that possible? Well, let us explain.

A History of the Landgraab Family

The Landgraab family tree can be traced back as far as medieval times! The wealthy guildsman, Demetrius and his son, Dacian Landegraab from The Sims Medieval are the first known members of the modern day Landgraab family.

We see the Landgraabs again in The Sims 1 and every incarnation of The Sims since, whether as actual Sims in the game or through being mentioned. For example, a lot of companies and buildings in earlier Sims games have the Landgraab name on them.

As their name might suggest, the Landgraabs built their massive fortune by grabbing up land. They have an impressive real estate portfolio that includes giant corporations, rental properties, and other valuable land assets. They have lived in huge mansions in every Sims game they’ve been a part of and they have always been filthy rich.

So where did Johnny come from and why is he broke and living in a run-down trailer at the edge of Oasis Springs?

Johnny’s Mysterious Roots

Although it’s been common knowledge that Nancy and Geoffrey Landgraab have a son named Malcolm for years now, Johnny kind of just popped up out of nowhere in The Sims 4. We’ve never seen him mentioned at all in any game prior to The Sims 4.

However, his bio clearly states that he is a disowned Landgraab who was kicked out of the family for dropping out of school to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. If he was disowned, that would explain why his family tree is empty; the Landgraabs don’t show up anywhere in Johnny’s lineage. As for how and why he suddenly exists in The Sims 4 when he didn’t before? Well, The Sims 4 doesn’t follow the chronological events of past Sims games. It’s on its own timeline and is widely considered to be an alternate universe. Bearing this in mind, new faces like Johnny could exist in this alternate universe.

We also know that Johnny Zest is his stage name, so it’s perfectly plausible that his real name is Landgraab. And since the Landgraabs are not known for shortening names, it’s likely that Johnny Zest real name in full is Johnathon Landgraab.

But how exactly is Johnny related to the Landgraabs? Is he a long-lost son? A distant cousin? A weird uncle? No one really knows and that’s where The Sims 4 lore segment from Behind The Sims comes into play.

A Secret Love Child?!

Mersea suggested during the latest Smore Lore segment that Johnny Zest is the result of an affair between Nancy and some unknown partner outside of her marriage to Geoffrey. She also suggested that Geoffrey does not know of Johnny’s existence.

However, we have a hard time swallowing this information as fact. Unlike the cloning explanation for Katrina Caliente, which makes more and more sense the longer you think about it, the theory that Johnny Zest is the product of a secret affair has more and more holes the longer you contemplate that possibility.

For one thing, we know for certain that Johnny was only thrown out of the family recently, as a young adult. He quit college to become a comedian and that’s what got him disowned. It’s very unlikely that Geoffrey would not know about Johnny. Even if Geoffrey isn’t Johnny’s biological father, it’s far more likely that he either believes he is or decided to raise him as his own anyway. Either way, Johnny would have grown up as a Landgraab, making it almost impossible for Geoffrey to not know about him.

And while we can’t completely discount the idea that Johnny’s father is someone other than Geoffrey, Johnny looks almost identical to Malcolm, whose parents are confirmed to be Nancy and Geoffrey. It’s not impossible for half-siblings to look as similar as Malcolm and Johnny, but it is a lot more uncommon.

So Who is Johnny Zest?

So what does all this mean? Who is Johnny Zest, really?

Well, taking into account the confirmed history and timeline we have for Johnny, his uncanny resemblance to Malcolm Landgraab, and the Smore Lore segment pretty much confirming without a doubt that Johnny is Nancy’s son, it’s pretty safe to say Johnny is confirmed to be Malcolm’s older brother and that his birth name is probably Johnathon Landgraab.

As for Johnny being the result of an extramarital affair? Well, we suppose that’s still technically up for debate. Although, if you ask us, we’re pretty confident in stating that Geoffrey is probably Johnny’s father. It just makes the most sense when you think about Johnny’s history and how closely he resembles his younger brother.

Want to create some Sims 4 lore of your own? Check out our guide to causing both harmony and chaos in the lives of your Sims using Neighbourhood Stories!