So much changes so quickly on Jane the Virgin, but one constant element has been the "Latin Lover Narrator." Fans might currently be more concerned about whether Jane will pick Rafael or Michael in the end than anything else, but another major mystery is who is the narrator on Jane the Virgin. They make the show in a major way, but what do we really know about them?
Showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman has noted multiples times that the narrator's identity will be revealed before the end of Jane the Virgin, telling TVLine that this reveal will go down in one of the last two scenes of the entire series. Jane the Virgin will finish with exactly 100 episodes, so there are 15 episodes to go after April 17's "Chapter 85." But over the course of the series, fans have come up with wide-ranging theories on the identity of the narrator.
Anthony Mendez is the real person behind the lovable and charismatic narrator and he's a Latino male. But magical realism is one of the defining characteristics of Jane the Virgin. So when considering all of the options for the narrator, fans — like on this Reddit "megathread" of narrator theories — have expanded their theories to include people who don't match Mendez's gender or ethnicity. And based on the below March 2018 tweet from Snyder Urman herself, that's definitely the way to go when it comes to narrator theories.
As the series winds down, keep an ear out for any clues the narrator drops about his (or her) identity. But until then, here are some of the most interesting theories about the Jane the Virgin narrator.
1Mateo
The earliest theory that gained traction was that the narrator is Mateo as an adult telling his mom's story. This theory has lost some steam over the years, but it would explain why the narrator knows Jane's life so well — even if Mendez's accent doesn't match how a grown-up Mateo would sound. (A factor Mendez noted in a 2015 interview with TVGuide.)
2Jane's Grandfather
Jane's son is named after her deceased grandfather. Mateo was an immigrant from Venezuela, so he would have an accent. And since he's dead, he could be serving as an omniscient angel figure. One potential clue that Reddit user contrakoul noted was how the narrator may have insinuated that June 12 is an important date for him — the same day as Mateo Villanueva's death. But as TVLine pointed out, the narrator noted not having kids in "Chapter 84," so this theory could be debunked.
3Rogelio
Another person who shares the same qualities as Mendez is Jane's father and telenovela star Rogelio. While even fans of this theory think it's unlikely, Mendez and Jaime Camil certainly share the same flair for the dramatic. And as Reddit user supertinylatte noted, this could be like a Ted Mosby situation in How I Met Your Mother where the narrator version of the character is voiced by a different actor than the one who portrays him onscreen.
4Luisa
Rafael's sister absolutely loves sharing every intimate detail of a story, so could Luisa be the narrator? This is admittedly a long shot, but in "Chapter 77" Jane did tell her story from Luisa's perspective. And Jane claimed, "This might be the point of view I've been looking for."
5Jane
The publication Slate is fully on board with the theory that Jane is the narrator. After all, Jane is the main character and has written about her life before in her fictionalized novel Snow Falling.
6A Character Jane Created
An even more credible take on the "Jane is the narrator" theory is that the narrator is a character Jane has created. She could even be the writer of her own show since she has experience writing for telenovelas. And this way Jane is responsible for the words that the narrator says, but the actual voice doesn't have to be hers.
7Jennie Snyder Urman
One more off-the-wall theory courtesy of redleafqueen from Reddit is that Snyder Urman is the narrator. It's admittedly a stretch, but she's responsible for Jane the Virgin, so it would be fun, meta twist that connects the show to the real world. Plus, Snyder Urman clearly enjoys teasing fans about the narrator's identity.
The point of the narrator isn't necessarily who he or she is. But their identity being confirmed at the end of Jane the Virgin will serve as another exciting reveal that's part of the show's signature style — and that surely will make the narrator proud no matter who they are.
