From the pilot in 2007 to the last episode in 2012, audiences were enthralled with the question “Who is Gossip Girl?,” and the eventual Gossip Girl reveal caused a fair bit of confusion. Gossip Girl graced the screens of viewers around the world and could draw the audience into their televisions each week to find out what the Upper East Side elite was up to. As audiences know, the mystery around Gossip Girl’s account and what their ultimate plan was for the young and rich was very enveloping. Serena (Blake Lively), Blair (Leighton Meester), and all of their friends were only in high school, but their secrets and drama-filled lives were intriguing and very far-fetched from the normal lives of average Americans.

So, now that audiences know that Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) was Gossip Girl, it makes sense that the identity of the troublemaking blogger would be the official outsider. Taking a look back at all the breadcrumbs along the way, viewers completely missed several tell-tale signs that he was the mastermind behind the takedown of friendships and wreaking havoc on the rich. Showrunners tried to throw viewers off the trail with red herrings like Michelle Trachtenberg’s Georgina Sparks or Hilary Duff’s Olivia Burke, but the ending put the question “Who is Gossip Girl?” to bed. It’s safe to say that Dan got a pretty fitting ending, while others did not.

The Initial Gossip Girl Site Reveal Features Dan

Season 1, Episode 1, “Pilot”

He was the one who turned out to be everyone’s nemesis in the end

Gossip Girl had audiences asking “Who is Gossip Girl?” straight from the pilot — and it is the pilot that reveals their identity. When viewers are first shown the pairing of Gossip Girl to the website, audiences are given a deeper look into how serious this blogger is. This is also the point where the anonymous blogger says their identity will remain a secret, but then Dan shows up. The shot literally turns to Dan in his apartment on his computer. Despite this clear indicator, it was such a shock to audiences when he was the one who turned out to be everyone’s nemesis in the end.

Dan Is At Grand Central Station When Gossip Girl Arrives

Season 1, Episode 1, “Pilot”

It all starts with the Gossip Girl pilot episode when Serena is coming back from boarding school and is “spotted”. A huge clue is given out about the “Who is Gossip Girl?” question then and there. It’s a bit suspicious that Dan is the only other main character at Grand Central station, at the exact time viewers first hear from Gossip Girl. Audiences are made to think that it is the first time Dan spots his major crush throughout the series, but it’s known more as a major clue, rather than a major scene. After all, Dan had been watching her from afar before that.

Dan Shows Up Everywhere The Main Characters Are

Season 1, Episode 1, “Pilot” – Season 6, Episode 10, “New York, I Love You XOXO”

Before viewers know that Dan is Gossip Girl, it is made to look like his character is becoming part of the small circle of elite students because he is now attending the same school as them. However, now, his presence can be seen in a different light. It is shocking that Nate Archibald and Chuck Bass are even on public transportation in the pilot episode, but is pretty normal for Dan since he lived in Brooklyn. The way Dan hovers and lingers is a true clue to how he got the gossip early on. He spends a lot of time trying to look like he’s not paying attention.

Dan Takes Serena’s Phone

Season 1, Episode 1, “Pilot”

It was always so back and forth with Dan and Serena, but when the Gossip Girl couple first meet, it is clear they have chemistry. However, upon meeting each other in the pilot, Serena leaves her phone at the Palace Hotel and Dan doesn’t return it until the next day. Before passcodes and touch IDs, it is easier to gain access to a phone, which Dan does. All he has had to do is open it up. The number of conversations and personal information on Serena’s phone is probably a gold mine, and provides an immediate clue for audiences to answer “Who is Gossip Girl?” so early in the series.

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Dan Avoids Talking About Gossip Girl

Season 1, Episode 1, “Pilot”

Though Dan is Gossip Girl, he makes a big show about not knowing what the blog is when Jenny mentions it to him in the pilot episode. Once the cat is out of the theoretical bag, everyone is buzzing about this mystery person and how they have so much sordid information about the lives of the Upper West Side elite. All of Dan’s friends and acquaintances bring it up, and at every turn, Dan manages to keep a straight face and claims he never read the blog. He also didn’t seem to want to talk about it, which makes it seem like he’s dodging the whole topic in general.

Dan Shouldn’t Have Been Part Of Gossip Girl’s Narrative

Season 6, Episode 10, “New York, I Love You XOXO”

One of the most obvious clues to suspecting Dan is Gossip Girl all along is because he is included in the take-down of Gossip Girl. Sure, toxic friends Blair and Serena get spotlighted a lot, but to nickname Dan “Lonely Boy” and give him a reason for being recognized is huge. Gossip Girl hones in on the rich and elite, so if it wasn’t Dan, why would he even be included? Dan isn’t a member of the elite and shouldn’t have been on the radar, but he doesn’t want to be looked at as an outsider anymore. Between his moniker and his otherness, it’s no wonder he started the blog.

Dan Constantly Has To Remind People Who He Is

Season 5, Episode 4, “Memoirs of an Invisible Dan”

Dan didn’t grow up with the filthy rich students that surround him, so it makes sense that it takes a while for his classmates to know who he is, to a point. Dan is the ultimate wallflower and consistently has to remind people of who he is and why he is around. This is never more obvious than his book reveal in season 5, Memoirs of an Invisible Dan. However, when asking “Who is Gossip Girl?” this clue stands out as a real indicator. Dan writes about everyone in his book, not just his blog, and the answer remained hidden in plain sight all along.

Finding out Dan Humphrey is Gossip Girl is a significant part of the series, but it turns out that another character was almost given this role.

Dan Shows Up At Just The Right Moment For A New Blog Post

Season 1, Episode 1, “Pilot”

Being that Dan isn’t exactly well-liked at first, it would seem that he would be spending his time in his Brooklyn apartment rather than creeping around VIP parties and such, but that isn’t the case. As Dan becomes acquainted with his new classmates, he gets the low-down on what parties are happening and embeds himself into the drama, and the first clue to answer “Who is Gossip Girl?” occurs in the pilot when Dan is in attendance at one of the best parties on Gossip Girl, Blair’s Kiss on the Lips party. With that type of information and visibility, it is the perfect situation for him to gather content and upload it later once he is home.

Some Events Could Only Be Reported By The Few People There

Season 1, Episode 1, “Pilot”

Sometimes, in Gossip Girl, there are intimate moments that only a few people would know about making it into the blog, such as the fact that Serena gate-crashes Blair’s Kiss on the Lips party. While people could send in tips to Gossip Girl, there are some incidents when it seemed unlikely that would happen. In the same episode, Jenny is caught in a compromising situation with Chuck, and Serena gets wind of it and saves the day. There are only a few people who witness the situation, and the answer to “Who is Gossip Girl?” is easily given once it’s considered that Dan is the only other one there.

Dan Mentions Saving A Tree And Starting A Blog

Season 1, Episode 1, “Pilot”

For many fans, Dan’s reveal as Gossip Girl comes out of left field

On a scale from one to ten of Gossip Girl parents, Dan and Jenny’s dad, Rufus, is pretty great. He might try to soak up every ounce of his once-famous music career, but he is likable. He just isn’t always completely in tune with what his kids are actually up to. It seems so clear that Dan is living a double life and is the obvious answer to “Who is Gossip Girl?” when Dan all but dangles the fact that he has a blog of his own in the pilot when he tries to cover up the assertion that his father should “save some trees, start a blog” while he promotes his band’s next gig with posters. For many fans, Dan’s reveal as Gossip Girl comes out of left field, but there are a surprisingly large number of clues early in the show teasing Dan as the anonymous blogger.