The truth is out there, along with 98 questions. This X-Files quiz covers Mulder, Scully, the Syndicate, famous monster cases, the Lone Gunmen, both films, and the revival seasons.
Keep watching with our TV show trivia, 1990s trivia, and pop culture trivia.
Mulder, Scully & the FBI
Q: Who plays FBI agent Fox Mulder in The X-Files?
A: David Duchovny. Source
Q: Who plays FBI agent Dana Scully in The X-Files?
A: Gillian Anderson. Source
Q: Which U.S. agency employs Mulder and Scully?
A: FBI.
Q: What does FBI stand for?
A: Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Q: What kinds of FBI cases are called the X-Files?
A: FBI cases involving unexplained or paranormal phenomena.
Q: Which X-Files agent is more open to paranormal explanations at the start?
A: Fox Mulder.
Q: Which X-Files agent starts as the skeptic?
A: Dana Scully.
Q: What medical specialty does Dana Scully have?
A: She is a physician and forensic pathologist.
Q: Why is Dana Scully initially assigned to work with Fox Mulder?
A: To evaluate Mulder’s work and give it scientific scrutiny.
Q: What phrase appears on the poster in Mulder's office?
A: “I Want to Believe.”
Q: What image appears on Mulder's “I Want to Believe” poster?
A: A UFO.
Q: Which slogan appears in The X-Files opening credits?
A: “The Truth Is Out There.”
Q: Which of Mulder's relatives disappeared during childhood?
A: His sister Samantha.
Q: What does Mulder initially think happened to Samantha?
A: He believes aliens abducted her.
Q: What event motivates Mulder's search for alien evidence?
A: Mulder's obsession with extraterrestrials and government secrecy.
Q: What subject did Fox Mulder study at Oxford?
A: Psychology.
Q: What nickname did Fox Mulder have at the FBI?
A: “Spooky Mulder.”
Q: Which religion was Dana Scully raised in?
A: Catholic.
Q: Which FBI supervisor becomes an uneasy ally of Mulder and Scully?
A: Walter Skinner.
Q: Who plays Walter Skinner in The X-Files?
A: Mitch Pileggi.
Q: What FBI rank does Walter Skinner hold?
A: Assistant Director.
Q: Does Walter Skinner always appear to be on Mulder and Scully's side?
A: No. His loyalties appear ambiguous at times.
Q: What role does Walter Skinner eventually play for Mulder and Scully?
A: A trusted ally who risks himself for them.
Q: Where in the FBI building is the X-Files office?
A: FBI basement.
Q: What romantic relationship develops between Mulder and Scully?
A: They become romantic partners.
Q: Who created the television series The X-Files?
A: Chris Carter. Source
Conspiracy, Cigarette Smoking Man & Aliens
Q: Which X-Files character is known for constantly smoking cigarettes?
A: Cigarette Smoking Man.
Q: Who plays the Cigarette Smoking Man in The X-Files?
A: William B. Davis.
Q: Which secret organization is tied to the alien conspiracy in The X-Files?
A: The Syndicate.
Q: What alien plan does the Syndicate know about?
A: Plans for extraterrestrial colonization.
Q: What is the “black oil” in X-Files mythology?
A: An alien organism or viral entity.
Q: Through which body openings does black oil enter people?
A: Through eyes, nose, or mouth.
Q: What do alien bounty hunters usually look like in The X-Files?
A: Human in appearance.
Q: What color is the toxic blood of some X-Files aliens?
A: Green toxic blood.
Q: Where must a special weapon strike certain alien bounty hunters?
A: The back of the neck.
Q: Who is Alex Krycek in The X-Files?
A: A deceptive operative who repeatedly betrays Mulder and Scully.
Q: Who plays Alex Krycek in The X-Files?
A: Nicholas Lea.
Q: What happens to one of Alex Krycek's arms in Russia?
A: It is amputated by villagers in Russia.
Q: Who is the Well-Manicured Man in X-Files mythology?
A: An older Syndicate member who sometimes helps Mulder.
Q: What happens to Dana Scully during an early conspiracy storyline?
A: She is abducted and later returned.
Q: Which serious health problems does Scully face after her abduction?
A: Cancer and infertility.
Q: What is the name of Scully's daughter linked to stolen genetic material?
A: Emily.
Q: Does Scully's daughter Emily survive?
A: No.
Q: What is the name of Mulder and Scully's son?
A: William. Source
Q: Why is William a target in The X-Files?
A: His unusual conception and potential abilities make him a target.
Q: How is FBI agent Jeffrey Spender related to the Cigarette Smoking Man?
A: He is the Cigarette Smoking Man’s son.
Q: What happens to much of the Syndicate in Season 6?
A: Rebel aliens destroy many of its members.
Monsters, Lone Gunmen & Famous Episodes
Q: What does “monster of the week” mean in The X-Files?
A: A largely standalone case with a distinct creature or paranormal event.
Q: Which stretchy humanoid villain appears in the episode “Squeeze”?
A: Eugene Victor Tooms.
Q: What organ does Eugene Victor Tooms eat?
A: Human livers.
Q: How often does Eugene Victor Tooms emerge to feed?
A: Every thirty years.
Q: Which family features in the X-Files episode “Home”?
A: Peacock family.
Q: What made the X-Files episode “Home” controversial on television?
A: Its disturbing violence led Fox to restrict reruns for a time. Source
Q: Which creature appears in the episode “The Host”?
A: Flukeman.
Q: Where is the Flukeman discovered in “The Host”?
A: In sewers and a wastewater-treatment facility.
Q: Which X-Files episode features a man with extraordinary luck?
A: “The Goldberg Variation.”
Q: Which episode retells a vampire case from conflicting viewpoints?
A: “Bad Blood.”
Q: Which actor plays Sheriff Hartwell in “Bad Blood”?
A: Luke Wilson.
Q: How do Mulder and Scully's accounts differ in “Bad Blood”?
A: They tell contradictory versions of the same case.
Q: Which black-and-white X-Files episode features a Frankenstein-like figure?
A: “The Post-Modern Prometheus.”
Q: Which singer's music is central to “The Post-Modern Prometheus”?
A: Cher.
Q: Does Cher appear on screen in “The Post-Modern Prometheus”?
A: No, though her music and persona are integral.
Q: Which episode traps Mulder and Scully in a haunted house at Christmas?
A: “How the Ghosts Stole Christmas.”
Q: Which actors portray the ghosts in “How the Ghosts Stole Christmas”?
A: Lily Tomlin and Ed Asner.
Q: Which episode puts Mulder on an ocean liner with time-slip imagery?
A: “Triangle.”
Q: Which filming styles distinguish the episode “Triangle”?
A: Long takes and split-screen sequences.
Q: Which three conspiracy-minded allies of Mulder publish a newsletter?
A: The Lone Gunmen.
Q: What are the three Lone Gunmen's surnames?
A: Byers, Frohike, and Langly.
Q: Which technical skills do the Lone Gunmen offer Mulder and Scully?
A: Hacking, surveillance, conspiracy research, and technical support.
Q: Did the Lone Gunmen receive their own TV spin-off?
A: Yes, in The Lone Gunmen.
Q: What happens to the Lone Gunmen late in The X-Files?
A: They sacrifice themselves to stop a biological threat.
Q: What ordinary explanations does Scully often consider first?
A: Disease, fraud, psychology, mutation, toxins, or ordinary crime.
Q: What sorts of causes does Mulder often suggest first?
A: Paranormal or extraterrestrial causes.
Movies, Revival, Romance & Hard X-Files Trivia
Q: What is the title of the first X-Files feature film?
A: The X-Files, also known as Fight the Future. Source
Q: In what year was the first X-Files feature film released?
A: 1998. Source
Q: Between which two TV seasons is the first X-Files film set?
A: Between Seasons 5 and 6.
Q: Which conspiracy story does the 1998 X-Files film expand?
A: Alien colonization and black-oil infection.
Q: What is the title of the 2008 X-Files film?
A: The X-Files: I Want to Believe. Source
Q: Is the 2008 film I Want to Believe centered on the alien-colonization conspiracy?
A: No. It is a largely standalone paranormal thriller.
Q: What is Mulder's FBI status in I Want to Believe?
A: He has left the FBI and is living in isolation.
Q: What is Scully's profession in I Want to Believe?
A: She works as a physician.
Q: In what year did the original X-Files TV run end?
A: 2002. Source
Q: In what year did The X-Files return for Season 10?
A: 2016. Source
Q: How many revival seasons did The X-Files have?
A: Two: Seasons 10 and 11. Source
Q: What season number was the final X-Files revival season?
A: Season 11. Source
Q: Which two agents investigate X-Files cases while Mulder is absent?
A: John Doggett and Monica Reyes.
Q: Who plays John Doggett in The X-Files?
A: Robert Patrick.
Q: Who plays Monica Reyes in The X-Files?
A: Annabeth Gish.
Q: What is John Doggett's initial attitude to paranormal claims?
A: Skeptical and evidence-focused.
Q: What interrupts Mulder and Scully's near-kiss in the first X-Files film?
A: A bee sting interrupts Mulder and Scully.
Q: What fandom term describes support for a Mulder-Scully romance?
A: “Shipping.”
Q: What does “MSR” mean in X-Files fandom?
A: Mulder/Scully Romance.
Q: What sound is prominent in The X-Files opening theme?
A: A whistling-like melody.
Q: Who composed The X-Files opening theme?
A: Mark Snow.
Q: Do some X-Files episodes change the opening slogan?
A: Yes.
Q: Which informant tells Mulder to “Trust No One”?
A: Deep Throat.
Q: Who is Deep Throat in The X-Files?
A: Mulder’s first secret government informant.
Q: Which mysterious informant succeeds Deep Throat?
A: X.
How Did You Score?
If the basement office, Tooms, black oil, the bee interruption, “Bad Blood,” the Lone Gunmen, Deep Throat, and the truth-is-out-there slogan all came easily, your X-Files knowledge is classified.
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