Spoilers ahead for the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie and some franchise lore.
Even though the Golden Freddy cameo in the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is much more than a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, scores of FNAF viewers have overlooked the character’s inclusion. A mega-successful media franchise created by Scott Cawthon, Five Nights at Freddy’s began as a straight-forward, point-and-click survival horror game, but has since spawned plenty of video game sequels as well as tie-in comics, books, and a feature-length film. Borrowing largely from the original 2014 installment, the FNAF movie centers on Mike (Josh Hutcherson), a security guard tasked with surviving the homicidal animatronics that roam the abandoned Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza restaurant.
Like in the first game, four main animatronic characters haunt the halls of the movie’s Fazbear’s Pizza: Freddy Fazbear, the franchise’s top hat-wearing bear mascot; Bonnie, a menacing-looking bunny; Chica, a toothed bird wielding a maniacal cupcake; and Foxy, a pirate-fox with a hook for a paw. However, that’s not where the Five Nights at Freddy’s lore stops. There are tons of other animatronic characters that crop up throughout the series, with the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie boasting several cameos, from the jump scare that is Balloon Boy to the menacing Golden Freddy.
Golden Freddy’s Role In The Five Nights At Freddy’s Movie Explained
In the FNAF movie, Mike is haunted by the long-ago abduction of his brother, Garrett. The main character of Five Nights at Freddy’s believes that dream theory is the key to unlocking his memories of Garrett’s kidnapper. At night, Mike forces himself to relive the day Garrett was taken. Eager to learn more, Mike heads to Freddy’s for a day shift and overdoses on sleeping pills. Meanwhile, his younger sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), is at home with their treacherous Aunt Jane (Mary Stuart Masterson). While Mike is preoccupied, a broken-down, yellow version of the Freddy animatronic appears at the siblings’ home to take Abby back to the restaurant.
In the original video game, Golden Freddy isn’t seen all that often. Players catch glimpses of the character, but he disappears just as quickly as he surfaces. The movie version of Golden Freddy is much the same. After Abby clambers out of a taxi with Golden Freddy, she stares up at the pizzeria. When she looks back, the yellow version of Freddy is gone. However, that’s not the only ode to the Golden Freddy of the games. At one point, the phrase “It’s Me” is scrawled on a surface, teasing Golden Freddy’s appearance. While there are plenty of theories about the phrase, it’s most often connected to Golden Freddy.
Audiences Are Confusing Golden Freddy & Freddy Fazbear
Even with his yellow hue, missing eyeball, and other noticeable signs of disrepair, Golden Freddy is being mistaken for Freddy Fazbear by viewers. To be fair, Abby also incorrectly identifies the character as the regular version of Freddy when he turns up at her house. The Ghost Kid (Grant Feely) who’s possessing the Golden Freddy suit replies, “Not Freddy.” For viewers who are unfamiliar with the Five Nights at Freddy’s characters, the line is not only a tad confusing, but a throwaway moment. Even so, it’s meant to be an exciting Easter egg for FNAF diehards.
Golden Freddy’s Cameo Solves A Five Nights At Freddy’s Mystery
Not only is the Golden Freddy cameo a fun moment for FNAF players, but it also solves one of the biggest Five Nights at Freddy’s movie mysteries. While forcing himself to relive the day of Garrett’s disappearance, Mike sees five mysterious children in his dreams. While it’s not yet clear what happened to Mike’s brother Garrett, the security guard believes the kids can help him. Given what the children are wearing (one sports bunny ears while another carries a hook) it’s not hard to piece together that each of them is connected to one of the Freddy Fazbear’s animatronics. However, the numbers don’t add up — not right away.
In Mike’s dream, there are five Ghost Kids, but the movie introduces just four homicidal, possessed-by-children’s-spirits animatronics. The deployment of Golden Freddy clears things up. The fifth Ghost Kid, who’s blonde in an ode to Golden Freddy’s signature look, appears to Abby when Golden Freddy arrives at her home. Clearly, the FNAF movie took this plotting into deep consideration, turning the Golden Freddy Easter egg into a fun cameo with an in-movie explanation. While not much is known about the film’s version of Golden Freddy, it would be wise for any Five Nights at Freddy’s sequel to continue using the character.
Currently playing in theaters nationwide, Five Nights at Freddy’s is also streaming exclusively on Peacock.
