Five Nights At Freddy’s “I Always Come Back” Line Explained

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023).

William Afton says the line “I always come back” in Five Nights at Freddy’s, a quote that is equal parts menacing and foreshadowing. Five Nights at Freddy’s centers on the animatronics at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, which are possessed by the child victims of the restaurant’s owner, William Afton (Matthew Lillard). Even though the serial killer only appears on-screen for approximately 10 minutes of the movie, Lillard’s performance encapsulates the menacing and cruel personality of Afton, a man with zero remorse for killing children. The character goes down as one of the best Blumhouse horror movie villains.

Despite his power, William Afton gets taken down during Five Nights at Freddy’s ending. Upon realizing his betrayal, the animatronics turn on their killer, with Mr. Cupcake triggering the springlock mechanism in Afton’s suit. As he’s being impaled, he says the line “I always come back” before he puts his mask back on. This is the perfect final statement for William Afton, as it captures his menacing presence. Additionally, the quote has a meaningful connection to the Five Nights at Freddy’s video games, tying multiple parts of the franchise together.

What William Afton’s “I Always Come Back” Line Really Means

In Five Nights at Freddy’s, William Afton says, “I always come back,” signaling that he isn’t done with his reign of terror just yet. Afton’s quote could be written off as a sign of the antagonist’s hubris. His choice to verbally degrade Vanessa and the ghost children, even when they’re turning on him, reinforces this possibility. He feels confident that he’s still in control despite losing all his allies. However, this line has a different interpretation that’s much more likely. The quote “I always come back” foreshadows franchise plans for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and later sequels.

Back in February, Matthew Lillard told WeeklyMTG that he signed a three-movie contract when taking on the role of William Afton in Five Nights at Freddy’s. As such, the quote is likely literal. No matter how the movie ends, the villain of the video game franchise is bound to show up again in future Five Nights at Freddy’s films. Luckily, sequels won’t need to strain to get around Afton’s death because the video games already show the serial killer continuing to wreak havoc beyond it.

“I Always Come Back” Connects To The Five Nights At Freddy’s Games

Like other aspects of the movie, William Afton’s line “I always come back” is a video game Easter egg in Five Nights at Freddy’s. The quote originated with the Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 trailer, describing William Afton’s inevitable return. It says, “He will come back. He always does. We have a place for him.” The four main animatronics presumably say the line, as the trailer shows these characters between the second and third sentences. At this point in the video games, Five Nights at Freddy’s hasn’t established Afton’s many identities. As such, the quotation induces the feeling of being watched.

Down the line, the first part of the quote was adapted for the game Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator, where Scraptrap — another version of Afton — can say, “I always come back” after he jumps out to kill the player. This callback is fitting since Scraptrap is the version of Springtrap that survived the Burning of Fazbear’s Fright incident at the end of Five Nights at Freddy’s 3. Moreover, the taunt reinforces the feeling that the animatronics are omnipresent and a constant threat.

Ultimately, all variations of this quote tie into William Afton’s Five Nights at Freddy’s lore. Throughout the games and books, Afton goes by multiple names and possesses multiple animatronics. No matter how many times he dies, the serial killer finds a way to come back. Moreover, he manipulates and controls multiple other characters, like Vanny and the ghosts of his child victims. This gives him a looming presence that’s unshakable in the Five Nights at Freddy’s video games. Like Jigsaw in the Saw franchise, Afton seemingly has a hand in everything that happens, whether he’s physically present or not.

How William Afton & Yellow Rabbit Can Return In Future FNAF Movies

There are a few ways William Afton and the Yellow Rabbit can return in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. Firstly, the sequel could reveal that the serial killer didn’t die. While the glowing eyes hint at Afton’s transformation into Springtrap, Five Nights at Freddy’s doesn’t confirm his death. Secondly, they could create a prequel to the movie, a reasonable option since the game Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 takes place before the original.

Even if Afton does die at the end of Five Nights at Freddy’s, that doesn’t have to be the end of the character. Like the video games, the movie embraces the supernatural, already showing ghost children who possess animatronics. This means the serial killer could come back as any version of the character present in the Five Nights at Freddy’s video games.