The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie adaptation proved to be a delightful treat for avid fans of the long-standing game and novel series. It delivered all the evil animatronic scares and clever easter eggs that gamers eagerly anticipated. At the center of it all was William Afton, played by Matthew Lillard in the film.
But who exactly is William Afton? Why is he such a big deal? How is he able to control the animatronics? How does it all connect to the games? Read on as we dive into the FNaF lore and explain everything you need to know about William Afton.
William Afton’s Story in the Games
In the games, William Afton is initially known as the “Purple Guy,” derived from his pixelated appearance as a purple figure in the mini-game players encounter after they die. Over time, players pieced together the fact that William Afton was not just a co-founder of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, alongside his business partner Henry Emily, but also a psychopathic serial killer who murdered children. Afton was also depicted as a family man with an unnamed wife and three children — Elizabeth, Mike, and Crying Child. This was changed in the movie; Mike is no longer the son of William Afton. But Vanessa, initially introduced as a friend to Mike, is later revealed to be the daughter of William Afton.
The games provide limited insight into the motivations behind Afton’s gruesome murders. Nevertheless, fragments of his backstory are revealed, including the murder of his business partner Henry’s daughter, and five other children. Afton often dons the Yellow Rabbit costume to lure unsuspecting children into the depths of the pizzeria. In fact, a pivotal moment in the FNaF lore occurs when Afton discovers that the act of killing children releases something known as “remnants” — the lingering souls of the deceased children. These remnants attach themselves to inanimate objects like animatronics and come to life. Afton harbors a twisted belief that by harvesting these remnants, he can attain immortality.
Driven by this dark ambition, Afton makes his way to the restaurant to collect the remnants of his first five victims. However, his misguided efforts inadvertently awaken the vengeful spirits of the deceased children. In an attempt to frighten the spirits, Afton puts on the decaying Yellow Rabbit costume. Unfortunately, the worn-out mechanisms inside the costume malfunction, resulting in a gruesome and ironic demise as his body is mutilated inside. But in true video game fashion, no matter how many times Afton is defeated or killed, he never reaches his permanent end. This is why his final line in the movie — “I always come back!” — is all the more terrifying.
William Afton’s Story in the Movie
In the movie adaptation, William Afton is introduced as a career counselor named Steve Raglan (Matthew Lillard). After Afton recognizes Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson), the protagonist, as the elder brother of one of his earliest victims Garrett Schmidt (13 years prior to the events of the movie) — he persuades Mike to accept a security job at Freddy’s, all while employing his daughter Vanessa (played by Elizabeth Lail) to keep an eye on Mike’s activities.
Afton has already committed the heinous act of murdering five children before the restaurant shut down, and the animatronics are possessed by their souls. However, unlike his game counterpart, Afton has control over these animatronics. He influences them to target Mike and Abby (Piper Rubio) and kill them. The pivotal element connecting William Afton to the children inhabiting the animatronics is the Yellow Rabbit suit (same as the game). When Afton dons the costume, he gains extraordinary powers that enable him to control the animatronics.
The children don’t seem to recall that Afton is the one who killed them, but they still recognize the power and leverage he holds over them through the suit. The Yellow Rabbit suit also serves as a deceptive disguise, putting a seemingly harmless face on Afton’s malevolent identity. This disguise fosters a sense of trust, as the children perceive the Yellow Rabbit as a friend rather than a threat. The ending of the movie (spoiler ahead) is similar to the games. The children realize Afton is their killer, and they turn on him. In a confrontation, the spring-lock mechanisms inside the suit are activated, and William dies a gruesome death (or so it seems).
The Biggest Theory About William Afton’s Motivation in Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie Adaptation
One of the movie’s most prominent changes from the games was the absence of William’s three children and the lack of mention of Henry Emily, his business partner, who is a crucial character in the game and novel. However, FNaF fandom holds the belief that nothing is a mere coincidence; and everything is interconnected. So it would be cool for the FNaF movies to uphold this tradition — if it isn’t already planning to. This is how:
An ongoing theory suggests that the three siblings in the movie — Mike, Abby, and Garrett — could be Henry Emily’s children. This theory gains traction by drawing parallels between these characters in the game series. Much like the Crying Child in the games, Garrett meets a tragic fate at the hands of the animatronics. Similarly, mirroring Elizabeth from the games, Abby harbors a unique fascination with animatronics. And Mike is the same security guard protagonist from the games.
This twist explains the absence of the Schmidts’ father in the movie and introduces a far more sinister undertone to Afton’s motivation for recruiting Mike as the night guard. The more profound connection to Fazbear Entertainment, rooted in the characters’ familial ties, could add layers of complexity to Mike’s mission to break the cycle of harm in future FNaF movies.
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