Five Nights at Freddy’s: Why are the animatronics haunted?

Five Nights at Freddy’s is a nightmare for anyone who grew up going to Chuck E Cheese as a kid. The game franchise and horror movie puts the spotlight on the original animatronics at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza in Five Nights at Freddy’s – who murder in a blind rage at night.

The original games is all about the players trying to protect themselves and evade Freddy Fazbear and his musical team of animatronics. By night, they come alive and murder any adult within the abandoned restaurant. The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie follows the same guidelines. A new security guard learns the horrid truth behind the once-loved animatronics.

Robotic animal-based robots coming to life seems nearly impossible. But the original games have a good explanation of why they kill and come to life at night, and their connection to their creator.

Here’s a breakdown of why the animatronics in Five Nights at Freddy’s go on their murderous rampage, and how the movie adapted it. Warning: Some spoilers ahead!

Freddy and the animatronics are possessed by souls

In the Five Nights at Freddy’s games, the animatronics are haunted and come to life thanks to the souls of the children William Afton murdered.

It’s not just really good robotics that brings the animatronics to life, but the souls of the children inhabiting them. Known as “The Missing Children,” they were five young kids who were lured into the Safe Room at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Creepy right? They were lured by William dressed as Spring Boonie, a yellow bunny animatronic suit.

Afton then does what any serial killer would do, and murders them. But what happened to the bodies? Fans learn that William was apprehended by police as the main suspect, but they could never find the missing children. It’s revealed that he stuffed one of the children into each of the animatronic suits – no one ever thought to check there. Over time the smell of decay and ooze caused Freddy’s to go downhill. That, and the owner being accused of murder and kidnapping.

In return, the souls of the five children remained at Freddy’s in the suits and have haunted the place ever since. At night, they become enraged by what happened to them and kill any adult within Freddy’s after hours. The PG-13 Five Nights at Freddy’s movie follows the same story about the animatronics.

Mike (Josh Hutcherson) learns that the once-popular establishment closed up after a series of child abductions at Freddy’s. The police searched every inch of the place and never found traces of them. It’s then revealed that the owner hid the bodies away in the animatronic suits and why they come to life.

Their thirst for revenge is also somewhat the same as they kill any adult, unaware of who really killed them. By the Five Nights at Freddy’s ending, William Afton is actually Steve Ragland (Matthew Lillard), Mike’s career counselor. The drawings on the wall have them believe the yellow bunny (Afton) is their friend. Mike’s sister draws a new picture of what really happened to them and being murdered by Afton.

For more on the movie, check out the below articles:

• Five Nights at Freddy’s trailer and plot
• How long is Five Nights at Freddy’s?
• Emma Tammi on staying faithful to the game
• Which YouTubers are in Five Nights at Freddy’s?
• Looking out for FNaF Easter eggs
• Markiplier puts Freddy’s rumor to bed
• Why director wanted creators in the movie
• How to watch Five Nights at Freddy’s – Is it streaming? 
• Does Five Nights at Freddy’s have a post-credits scene?
• Will there be a Five Nights at Freddy’s 2?
• Five Nights at Freddy’s ending explained