It should come as no surprise that the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is filled to the brim with characters from the video games, represented with varying degrees of accuracy. Originally created by indie game developer Scott Cawthorn, Five Nights at Freddy’s went from a single clever concept for a simple horror game to a massive multi-media franchise in the span of a decade. 2023’s Five Nights at Freddy’s is fairly game-accurate as far as movie adaptations go, shown off particularly well in the characters.

Obviously, the main draw to the series is the terrifying animatronics of Five Nights at Freddy’s, which are faithfully represented in the film with real practical effects that look ripped straight out of the games. However, most of the film’s human cast is inspired by characters from the source material, albeit adapted a little more loosely to fit in with the new narrative. Whether animatronic or flesh and blood, most of the characters of Five Nights at Freddy‘s can trace their origins to the games.

8

Mike Schmidt

Five Nights at Freddy’s’ silent protagonist

The central protagonist of the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is none other than Mike Schmidt, played by Josh Hutcherson of The Hunger Games fame. The very first character players could ever pilot in the series, Mike is a total blank slate of a first-person protagonist in the original game, having no lines of dialogue or clear personality traits. The only reason his name is even known is due to the check the player receives for their payment after making it through the titular five nights unscathed.

Of course, this didn’t give the movie much to work with when it came to adapting the first game. Five Nights at Freddy’s gave Mike an actual reason to continue coming back to work night after night in the terrifying abandoned pizza parlor for less than minimum wage. As far as the games go, Mike is only even seen in the “Game Over” screen, in which his eyes and teeth can be seen stuffed into an animatronic suit, and doesn’t appear again after the first installment.

7

William Afton

The overarching villain of Five Nights at Freddy’s

Perhaps the single most infamous human character from the original game series is none other than William Afton, also known as Purple Guy and Springtrap. “Human” may actually be a tricky word to describe the serial-killing animatronic afficionado, whose many deaths and revivals see him returning in all manner of profane new forms. Afton is the evil mind behind the original children abductions that began the series’ dark legacy, who eventually gets locked in his signature golden rabbit suit to become Springtrap.

In the film, William Afton is portrayed by horror veteran Matthew Lillard, known for his roles as one-half of the Ghostface killer in the original Scream as well as Shaggy in the live-action James Gunn Scooby-Doo movies. The movie is fairly accurate to Afton’s story, though it changes around the timeline to have certain events take place in the narrative present rather than the distant past. Afton will almost surely return in the upcoming sequel to Five Nights at Freddy’s.

6

Vanessa

A central figure to the Five Nights at Freddy’s Lore

Barring William Afton himself, Vanessa might be the most well-known human name in Five Nights at Freddy’s lore. In the games, Vanessa is a villainous character, despite being the perspective character in Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted. Though not as inherently cruel as William, Vanessa ends up following in his footsteps, being responsible for nine deaths before becoming a sadistic security guard for the latest iteration of the restaurant in Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach.

Though Elizabeth Lail is a dead-ringer for Vanessa’s appearance in the games physically, her character gets perhaps the most changes in the movie adaptation. Rather than being an initially reluctant villain who falls to corruption, Vanessa in the film has the opposite arc, eventually defying her orders to continue comitting atrocities in her father’s name. Speaking of which, Vanessa’s status as William Afton’s daughter is exclusive to the movie, with that unfortunate fate going instead to Elizabeth Afton in the games.

5

Freddy Fazbear

The face and titular animatronic of the game series

The single most recognizable face in all of Five Nights at Freddy’s is none other than Freddy himself, the charming animatronic bear in a tiny top hat that haunts his eponymous pizza parlor. The “main character” and mascot of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, Freddy has appeared in various forms, with secret golden and withered variations that each bear their own significant amount of lore. As far as the first game is concerned, Freddy is the primary antagonist and lead singer of the animatronic band that roams the halls of the abandoned restaurant.

In the movie, Freddy starts out in a similarly antagonistic position, but starts warming up to Mike thanks to his relationship with Abby. Just like the other animatronics, Freddy is possessed by the spirit of one of the children William Afton murdered, forced to then carry out his orders in the movie. In the games, his real name is revealed to be Gabriel, and is the first child to finally be freed from the curse of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria in the afterlife.

4

Chica

The only female animatronic of the original quartet

Known for her trademark bib that reads “Let’s Eat!”, Chica is a giant yellow bird animatronic and the only female in the original group of Five Nights at Freddy’s animatronics. The backup singer of Freddy’s band, Chica is known for her intelligence, ravenous appetite for pizza, and her animatronic companion, Mr. Cupcake, who she can be seen carrying around on a tray in the first Five Nights at Freddy’s. Chica is a persistent threat in the first game who may take longer to appear, but will linger in the doorway of the security office for far longer than her companions.

In the games, the child possessing Chica’s real body is revealed to be named Susie, and is heavily implied to be the very first murder that William Afton committed. The movie is very faithful with her adaptation, even including her stalwart companion Mr. Cupcake, who gets some of the best kills in the film. Like the other animatronics, Chica eventually overcomes her malicious programming to strike back against her killer.

3

Bonnie

The burly rabbit rounding out the original quartet

Bonnie the Rabbit is the third member of Freddy’s band, rounding out the stage in the original Five Nights at Freddy’s. A massive purple rabbit in a red bow tie, Bonnie is the instrumentalist of the group, known for rocking out on his electric guitar before putting it away to join his compatriots in murdering any hapless intruders at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. In the first game, Bonnie is one of the most relentless enemies Mike has to face, being the first to make it to the security office while staring dead into the cameras as an intimidation tactic.

In the movie, Bonnie can be seen holding his signature guitar, though his killing style is quite a bit different from the video games. Preferring ambushes and stealth tactics, Bonnie hides out in rooms before striking at the perfect moment, rather than the aggression he displays in the game. That being said, he also seems to have one of the goofier personalities of the four animatronics, as shown during the scene in which Abby plays with them. In the games, the child possessing Bonnie is revealed to be named Jeremy.

2

Foxy

The murderous pirate

Unlike the other animatronics of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, Foxy isn’t a musician. The skinny red Fox robot instead hides out in his Pirate’s Cove, themed with a hook hand and eyepatch to match. A discontinued model, Foxy has already fallen into disrepair by the events of Five Nights at Freddy’s, with his metallic endoskeleton being visible in certain spots. By far the most terrifyingly fast animatronic, Foxy goes for a dead sprint on all fours to the security office soon after leaving his stage, making him particularly deadly.

The movie presents a faithful adaptation of Foxy complete with a fraying animatronic shell and a particularly high number of horrifying appearances. Interestingly, the child possessing him, revealed to be named Fritz in the games, is shown with a cardboard hook hand in Mike’s dream visions, matching with Foxy’s pirate theme. Foxy is the one to ultimately drag William Afton away in the ending of Five Nights at Freddy’s, presumably killing him.

1

Golden Freddy

The most powerful of the original animatronics

Though he’s almost identical to Freddy Fazbear save for his color, Golden Freddy is an entirely separate entity in Five Nights at Freddy’s that bears distinction. In the original game, Golden Freddy was a rare sight, appearing only under special circumstances. His arrival is heralded by cryptic scrawled writing, bearing repeated instances of his signature catchphrase, “IT’S ME.” Unlike the other animatronics, Golden Freddy’s origins are still something of a mystery in the games, with the child possessing him never given a name.

In the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie, Golden Freddy is distinguished for his ability to actually leave Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, allowing him to follow Abby to her house and murder her aunt in cold blood. The golden-haired kid in Mike’s dream visions seems to be the one possessing him, and might be something of a ringleader of the original group of murdered children, possibly even the one controlling Mike’s visions. Golden Freddy’s origins are just as big a mystery in the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie as they are in the games.