Summary
WhileFive Nights at Freddy’shouses several antagonists across its entries, one man always stands out as the driving force behind all the tragedy and horror that occurs in the franchise: William Afton. Across the series,he takes on many formsyet always remains a presence, as shown by his famous phrase, “I always come back.”
Fans debate whether William was always a monster or whether the tragic events of his life drove him to madness. Still, it is undeniable that by the time of the games, he is a murderer, and his merciless actions earned him a spot as the most evil and dangerous antagonist in the franchise.
8Neglected His Own Children
Afton Failed to Care for His Kids
Before William became a murderer, he was a family man who, according to most popular interpretations, had three children, which are seen inFive Nights At Freddy’s 4andFive Nights At Freddy’s: Sister Location. However, mini-games in the series clarify that William didn’t show enough concern for his children.
InFive Nights At Freddy’s 4, players witness a conflict between William’s younger son and his older brother, with the latter relentlessly bullying him and playing on his fears. The only time Afton is seen in the game, he is doing his job and pays no attention to his crying son. Similarly, inSister Location, he doesn’t watch his daughter closely enough for her to not get close to Curcus Baby, resulting in her death.
7Destroyed Henry Emily’s Life
He Held a Vendetta Against His Former Friend
William Afton and Henry Emily were close friends when they opened their first restaurant. They shared a passion for animatronics and entertaining children, and were willing to pour their talents into their projects. However, whether dueto a personal fallout or Afton’s further descent into insanity, William began to despise his friend and blame him for his problems.
Since then, William has been driven by his seemingly unjustified hatred for Henry. William took his child and business, turning his friend’s life into hell and driving him to desperate measures, so much so that Henry was more than willing to die in thePizzeria Simulator.
6Terrorized His Own Son
William Hunted Mike Down
It is uncertain whether the cause for William’s hatred towards was due to Mike accidentally taking his younger brother’s life orbecause Mike opposed his murderous father. Nonetheless, William ended up in a conflict with his own son across multiple games in theFive Nights At Freddy’sfranchise. This conflict soon turned deadly as the father attempted to ruthlessly murder his own son.
This conflict is seen inFive Nights At Freddy’s 3andPizzeria Simulator, where William hunts Mike after becoming the thirs game’s main antagonist, Springtrap. He becomes an enemy of Mike, and therefore, the player has to constantly deal throughout the game, bringing this familial feud to its climax.
5Possessed A Virus
William Become Impossible to Destroy
Despite the sacrifices Henry and Mike had to go through to finally stop William’s rampage and end his bloodstained legacy, they couldn’t completely destroy William, as shown inHelp Wanted. This game’s primary antagonist is a virus named Glitchtrap, who slowly corrupting the tester’s experience and ending up taking control of their mind.
One of the most popular theories suggests that, due to its form and behavior, Glitchtrap is a reincarnated version of William’s spirit who managed to escape the purgatory he was put in by a vengeful spirit. Even without a body, William can cause chaos and destruction, bringing other people grief.
4Experimented With Remnant
He Toyed With Immortality
While William’s initial motives could result from his jealousy or desire for revenge, he became obsessed with cheating death and achieving heights that no one else could. This led to his experiments withanimatronic bodiesand remnants, which were mysterious sources of energy that could be formed from thoughts and emotions.
However, this energy was at its most powerful and useful during the moments of agony that a person felt as they were about to die. William used this to his advantage by luring multiple children into his traps and killing them for the sake of getting more remnants, showing how ruthless and selfish he is.
3Murdered Charlie
His Killing Spree Began
According to popular belief, William’s first murder was that of Charlie Emily, his friend’s daughter. This occurred before he had any information about the remnant and its abilities, making it a murder committed purely out of spite and a desire for revenge. This ended up in him taking Henry’s only child, beginning the murder spree he will be known for.
The murder itself was shown to be rather ruthless and cruel. As Charlie was forced to stay outside of the restaurant and could not get inside, William drove towards her and quickly killed the girl, disposing of her body by piling it up with the trash.
2Created Funtime Animatronics:
He Crafted Controlled Killing Machines
Afton did not commit all of his murders with his own hands; it was common practice for him to use animatronics to do his dirty deeds. Not only has he reprogrammed some animatronics, but he also created a line of machines specifically designed to capture children, known as the Funtime Animatronics.
The machines were officially used for private parties but were equipped with distraction devices and claws that could swiftly grab children and put them into their inner storage tanks, as shown by the death of Elizabeth Afton. The victims of those murders were used by William for further experiments.
1The Missing Children Incident
He Methodically Killed Five Children
William’s most famous crime, which occurs in every timeline, be itgames, novels, or movies, is the missing children incident. William used Spring Bonnie’s costume to lure five children into the safe room, where he murdered all of them, stuffing the bodies into animatronics so that they would not be found.
This act had consequences, as it not only undercut the lives of five children but also damned them to exist in a state of unrest in limbo for many years as their beings were tied to their respective animatronics, forcing them to roam the pizzeria at night, confined to their metallic prison.
