Emmerdale fans, brace yourselves—because the village’s most sinister villain, John Sugden, may not be gone for good. In a twist that has left viewers both shocked and intrigued, John’s dramatic exit

in the back of a lorry bound for Roderdam seemed to close the chapter on his reign of terror—but fans and critics alike are now convinced that the story isn’t over. With a trail of destruction,

heartbreak, and unanswered questions left in his wake, several loose ends suggest that John Sugden’s return could be one of the most explosive storylines Emmerdale has ever seen.

While many soap villains face prison cells or grisly ends, John’s departure was disturbingly clean. No confrontation, no poetic justice, just an escape. And that escape leaves a village full of characters with unfinished business—and scores to settle. Here are the seven key loose ends that strongly hint at one final, emotional showdown for John Sugden.

1. McKenzie Boyd: The First Victim of Torture

At the top of the list is McKenzie Boyd, who endured unspeakable terror in John’s bunker. Psychologically manipulated and trapped, McKenzie’s time in captivity left scars that will not easily heal. Though John eventually “rescued” him, it was little more than a calculated act, serving John’s own twisted sense of control rather than any real redemption.

McKenzie was the first to grow suspicious of John’s manipulations, and for viewers, it seems only right that he should have his chance at revenge. The story has built him up as a survivor, a fighter, and a character whose journey to reclaim his strength could be central to John’s dramatic return. This is McKenzie’s moment to turn the tables, and fans are eager to see him exact justice in his own way.

2. Aaron Dingle: Denied Final Closure

Aaron’s arc with John has been one of the most emotionally wrenching in recent memory. Over a year, he was manipulated, isolated, and convinced that his abuser was his savior. While last week’s confrontation at the gorge revealed John’s truth, Aaron had to maintain a facade of calm in order to coax a confession. Fans were left feeling robbed, denied the moment when Aaron could finally unleash the fury he has harbored for so long.

The emotional weight here is significant. Aaron’s trauma isn’t just a subplot—it’s central to the emotional stakes of the show. The longing for a real confrontation, one where Aaron can verbally and psychologically hit John where it hurts, is a loose end begging for resolution. A return for John Sugden almost guarantees this dramatic payoff.

3. The Dingle Code: Cain’s Justice Deferred

No one in Emmerdale messes with the Dingles and gets away with it—or at least, that’s the rule. John’s cold-blooded murder of Nate Robinson shattered that rule, yet Cain Dingle’s legendary wrath has been notably absent. While viewers have seen Cain grieve, they have not yet witnessed the full force of his retaliation.

Tracy, Nate’s partner and mother of his child, also deserves her moment. She turned to John for comfort, only to have her trust brutally violated. Both Tracy and Cain have unfinished business, and John’s return could ignite a conflict that fans have been waiting for: an unflinching Dingle-style reckoning.

4. Moira and the Slurry Leak: A Catastrophic Oversight

One of John’s more insidious acts was orchestrating the slurry leak at Butler’s farm, an event that poisoned Victoria’s young son Harry and threatened Moira’s livelihood. Months of tension, threat of bankruptcy, and emotional turmoil have yet to see any resolution onscreen.

Fans expected an explosive confrontation, perhaps even Moira delivering her iconic Glasgow kiss. Instead, John’s involvement seems to have vanished from the narrative. This unresolved storyline is a glaring loose end, and its eventual confrontation could provide a dramatic and satisfying payoff if John returns.

5. Aiden: The Forgotten Victim

John’s pattern of manipulation extended to Aiden, his ex-boyfriend, who ended up in a coma due to John’s jealousy and interference. Aiden’s brief awakening prior to John and Aaron’s wedding was chilling, only to see him returned to unconsciousness by John’s interference.

As one of John’s earliest victims, Aiden represents both a tragic prelude and a potential catalyst for new storylines. His eventual recovery could not only bring justice to his own suffering but also provide Aaron with a trusted ally who intimately understands John’s capacity for evil.

6. Ella: The Scapegoat Left Behind

Then there’s Ella, Liam’s ex-girlfriend and former receptionist, who became collateral damage in John’s manipulative schemes. Framed to protect John’s status with Chas and to cover his own misdeeds, Ella’s reputation was destroyed, yet no one in the village seems to have fought for her exoneration.

Fans are rightly outraged, and her storyline represents another unresolved thread that could intersect dramatically with John’s potential return. Viewers are eager to see Ella finally reclaim her dignity—and to confront the man who ruined her life.

7. Robert Sugden: A Hollow Victory

Finally, Robert’s arc with John remains incomplete. Much of John’s villainy stemmed from extreme jealousy toward his brother, exploiting Robert’s PTSD and attempting to destroy him from within. Robert’s release from prison was a muted victory at best, leaving him without true confrontation or closure.

John’s return could set the stage for a final, high-stakes showdown between the Sugden brothers—one where psychological warfare, revenge, and truth collide. Fans have long waited to see Robert face John directly, holding him accountable for years of manipulation and cruelty.

What This All Means

John Sugden’s departure to Roderdam may have seemed like the end, but the number and magnitude of loose ends left behind suggest otherwise. McKenzie’s trauma, Aaron’s denied catharsis, Cain’s deferred vengeance, Moira’s poisoned farm, Aiden’s coma, Ella’s tarnished reputation, and Robert’s incomplete victory all point to a potential return—one that could redefine Emmerdale’s dramatic landscape.

In soap opera storytelling, loose ends are rarely accidental. They are the hooks that keep viewers invested, waiting for the moment when chaos returns, relationships are tested, and justice—of a sort—is served. John Sugden’s story is perfectly poised for that return: emotionally charged, morally complex, and packed with the potential for explosive confrontations across multiple families and storylines.

For fans, the takeaway is clear: while John may have physically left the village, his presence still looms large. His shadow stretches across Emmerdale, touching each character who has suffered because of him, leaving them—and us—anticipating the day he finally faces the consequences of his actions.

In short, John Sugden isn’t gone—he’s just waiting. And when he returns, Emmerdale will be a village transformed by vengeance, justice, and the emotional reckoning that fans have been waiting for.