Classic Animatronics

Not what you were looking for? See Animatronic (disambiguation).

Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica performing during daytime.

“So remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay.” — Ralph, Five Nights at Freddy's

The classic animatronics are the local robot entertainers of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza and the very first animatronics to be introduced in the Five Nights at Freddy's series. The group consists of the big four: Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie the Rabbit, Chica the Chicken, and Foxy the Pirate Fox. They're implied to have been created around 1983, by the original owner of Fazbear Entertainment - Henry Emily. However, Freddy Fazbear is heavily implied to already have existed as a character for many years before.

The animatronics first appeared in the original Five Nights at Freddy's game as the main antagonists, then returned in Five Nights at Freddy's 2 as old and broken iterations referred to as withered animatronics. While appearing in Five Nights at Freddy's 3, Five Nights at Freddy's 4, Sister Location, Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator, Security Breach and Help Wanted 2 as cameos, they returned in Ultimate Custom Night, Help Wanted, and Special Delivery as prominent antagonists. As of now, they are the only iteration of Freddy Fazbear's band to have appeared in a movie.

Physical Appearance

The classic animatronics use a very simple design, with suits made of fabric and filled with crossbeams, wires and other animatronic parts placed on metal endoskeletons. Giving the impression of cartoon animals, they wear accessories and have four fingers per hand. They also have a single set of teeth on the lower jaw, with the exception of Foxy, who also has teeth on the upper jaw. Said teeth are square in the cases of Freddy and Chica, but are round for Bonnie and sharp & triangular for Foxy.

Functionality

Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy from the survival poster.

In the first game, the animatronics supposedly wander about Freddy Fazbear's Pizza after-hours in a "free-roaming mode" (due to their servos locking up if they stay in place for too long) and sometimes coming after the protagonist Mike Schmidt. This is confirmed by Ralph during his call on Night 1.

Because the security guard is at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza after business hours, the animatronics won't recognize him as a human; rather, they will think that the player is simply an endoskeleton without a costume on. As this is against the rules at the establishment, they will attempt to forcefully stuff the player into an animatronic suit (despite this, the animatronics often pass by the endoskeleton Backstage and make no attempt to stuff it inside a suit, which may simply be an oversight). Unfortunately, survival inside the suits is not possible as they are filled with crossbeams, wires, animatronic machinery, and other mechanical structures, especially around the facial area. The only parts of the human body that would be visible through the suit are the eyeballs and the teeth, which pop out of the front of the suit's mask. This ends up killing the player as seen on the "Game Over" screen in the first game.

In the second game, the original animatronics' pre-rebuilt versions aren't left on a free-roaming mode at night. Instead, during their construction, the robots were never given a proper night mode, so, at night, when they don't hear noise, they think they're in the wrong room. They then try to find the nearest source of noise in an attempt to find a room with potential customers - in this case, the Office, where either Jeremy Fitzgerald or Fritz Smith reside, depending on the night. However, similar to the first game, upon sighting a person after-hours, the animatronics will assume the person is an endoskeleton without a suit on. Thus, they will attempt to forcefully stuff them into an animatronic suit, killing them in the process.

History

Although it’s assumed by employees of Fazbear Entertainment that the animatronics attack people because of faulty designs and glitches, there is a secret reason for the animatronics' homicidal tendencies involving the paranormal. The animatronics are haunted by the the spirits of Gabriel, Jeremy, Suzie, Fritz and (presumably) Cassidy, who are all murder victims of the Purple Guy - a co-founder of Fazbear Entertainment, whose real name is William Afton. Due to the knowledge of this event, known as the Missing Children Incident, the eerie noises made by Chica and Bonnie in FNaF 1 are often speculated to be the cries and groans of Suzie and Jeremy - the dead children stuffed inside these animatronics. Another possible explanation for these noises' origin is that the rotting bodies of the poor children are releasing air.

Another iconic Freddy's character, known as the Marionette, is the mascot of the restaurant's Prize Corner and is implied to have been created even earlier than the core 4 animatronics. Despite this, it should be noted that the Puppet is inexplicably never referred to as part of the Classics group.

Haunted by Purple Guy’s first victim - Charlotte Emily - the Marionette is responsible for giving life to the classic animatronics. Following the 5 Missing Children Incident, she "gave gifts" to the dead children and put their restless souls into Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, as well as the mysterious Golden Freddy. It is implied that this was done in order to give the children a chance at vengeance.

The souls of the children who control the classic animatronics are blinded by pain and rage, presumably causing them to mistake adults for the Purple Guy. They will not rest until they have revenge on the man who took their lives and finally have their happiest day to be able to rest in peace.

Fate

Following the Missing Children Incident, the original pizzeria was closed. The animatronics were transferred to a location that became the "new and improved Freddy Fazbear's Pizza", but were deactivated and retired due to their "ugly" designs and inability to be retrofitted. By 1987, these animatronics had fallen into severe disrepair, and were replaced by their new counterparts - the Toy animatronics. After years of rotting in the "Parts & Service" room, the Classics became "withered" due to being used as spare parts for their corporate replacements. As shown in the SAVETHEM death minigame in FNaF 2, the Puppet reactivated Freddy Fazbear due to William Afton's return, and the animatronic bear attempted to save the children at the restaurant (be it the original 5 children, one of whom possessed Freddy himself, or the potential new victims of the Purple Guy). Freddy was then attacked and presumably deactivated by the Purple Guy, but by the time of FNaF 2's in-game events, Withered Freddy and his bandmates are evidently active again.

After the Bite of '87 and the subsequent untimely closing of "the new and improved Freddy's", the unstable Toy animatronics were scrapped, while the Withered animatronics were kept "in hopes of a possible reorganization of the company". They were then somewhat fixed up and fully refurbished for the reopening of the original pizzeria, as of the events of the first game.

However, years after the closure and abandonment of said pizzeria due to the company's bankruptcy, the animatronics were lured in the safe room and dismantled by William Afton. It is theorized that Afton then took their broken endoskeletons out of the costumes, melted them down, and fuzed the molten haunted metal with the endoskeletons of the Funtime animatronics, giving them life with the remnant of the Missing Children.

Years later, the hollow suits and unused spare parts of the classic animatronics were collected and used as decorations for Fazbear's Fright, but most of them are implied to have burned down after the horror attraction caught fire, while the surviving parts were put on auction. Following the events of FNaF 3, the spirits of the 5 Missing Children that had haunted the animatronics were finally set free, as evidenced by the Good Ending.

Many years later, some of the costumes and related relics that survived the fires (like Freddy or Bonnie's foot, Chica's Mr. Cupcake and parts of Foxy's costume) were placed on display at the Rockstar Row museum inside Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex, where they rest to this day (their fate in the destroyed Pizzaplex during the events of the RUIN DLC is currently unknown).

Animatronics

Freddy Fazbear

Main article: Freddy Fazbear

“A light brown bear animatronic with a black bow tie and top hat, singer in the animatronic band, and the mascot of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. When his face is enhanced, it reveals a handprint on his right eye and another across his lower jaw. His eyes change color from brown to blue when he appears outside the office door.” — The Ultimate Guide, Page 270

Freddy Fazbear is an animatronic bear, the main mascot of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza and as well the titular character of the franchise. The leader and singer of the animatronic band on the show stage of his restaurant, Freddy first appeared in Five Nights at Freddy's as the main antagonist, where he normally becomes active on Night 3. , but can activate and end the game on as early as Night 1 if the player runs out of power. Unlike his bandmates, Freddy seems fully aware of the player's strategy and hides in the shadows to avoid being seen by the security cameras. He is possessed by the spirit of Gabriel, who is implied to have been the birthday boy of Freddy's on the day of his death.

Bonnie

Main article: Bonnie

“A bluish-purple animatronic rabbit with a red bow tie, plays guitar in the animatronic band. Typically approaches from the left, but it should be noted that Bonnie doesn't seem to abide by the laws of physics.” — The Ultimate Guide, Page 264

Bonnie is an animatronic rabbit and guitarist of the animatronic band on the show stage of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. He first appeared in Five Nights at Freddy's as a secondary antagonist, where he becomes active as early as on Night 1. He is possessed by the spirit of Jeremy.

Chica

Main article: Chica

“A yellow animatronic chicken, wears a bib that says LET'S EAT! Chica carries a plate with an anthropomorphic pink cupcake that seems to have a life of its own. Chica can often be found in the kitchen in various games, and generally approaches players from the right. Chica was confirmed to be possessed by Susie in the Fazbear Frights story "Coming Home."” — The Ultimate Guide, Page 265

Chica is an animatronic chicken and a food-themed backup singer of the animatronic band the show stage of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. She first appeared in Five Nights at Freddy's as a secondary antagonist, where she initially becomes active on Night 1. Her companion is Mr. Cupcake. , whom she carries on a plate in her left hand. She is possessed by the spirit of Suzie– the first victim in the Missing Children incident.

Foxy

Main article: Foxy

“An animatronic pirate fox with an eye patch over his right eye and a hook for his right hand. Foxy is housed on his own stage, Pirate Cove, separate from the other animatronics. The stage notes that Foxy is out of order, and his plush suit is damaged in places. He operates differently from the other animatronics, advancing in phases before attacking.” — The Ultimate Guide, Page 269

Foxy is an animatronic fox and discontinued pirate entertainer from Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. His first appearance was in Five Nights at Freddy's as a secondary antagonist, where he resides in his Pirate Cove and becomes fairly active on Night 2 , although there is a rare chance he will activate on Night 1. He is possessed by the spirit of Fritz.

Speculation

"I was the first! I have seen everything!" This section archives a lot of theories and speculation, which usually occurs from pre-release media, or just things that are still unknown, so please keep that in mind while reading. The page will continue to be updated with the most accurate information as more solid evidence is supplied.

The following information contains spoilers. To view them, click the [show] tag.

The animatronics are implied to have been possessed by kids named Gabriel, Jeremy, Susie and Fritz respectively as seen in the Completion Ending. This is evident by how the tombstones line up in correlation to how their masks are lined up in the Good Ending; however, their names have not been entirely confirmed. Chica's real name was confirmed to be Susie; this is further supported by both the novels and Fazbear Frights, which confirms that Susie possessed Chica. This gives the other names for the animatronics' souls further credibility. After being dismantled by their killer William Afton, in the end-of-night minigames, it's unknown if the animatronics' souls were actually freed. However, by evidence from the Good Ending and the Happiest Day minigame, it's confirmed that their souls were able to get free and rest by the Console Achievement where it’s stated the good ending is the ‘’true end’’ to the game. There was an early theory by many fans that Freddy was possessed by a girl, this theory was created by two reasons. Freddy can be seen in the female restroom on CAM 07. If Freddy's laugh is sped up to a higher pitch, one can note that it sounds like a little girl laughing. However, this theory seems to have been slightly debunked as seen in Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator; it's evident that Freddy was possessed by a male named Gabriel, however, this is controversial as Gabriel is a unisex name.

Trivia

• The designs of the classic animatronics are based on and resemble the animatronic mascots from Chuck E. Cheese's and Showbiz Pizza Place. Freddy's design in particular seems to be a mix of Billy Bob's bear features, Chuck E. Cheese's classic red derby hat & bowtie, and Uncle Klunk's charismatic, yet creepy smile.
• According to Scott's hidden messages found from the newspaper during Five Nights at Freddy's 3's nightmare ending, the animatronics' names are nicknames as they were originally intended to be given with official names but Scott decided to choose the names he first thought up as soon as the first game completed its development.
• In the first game, the order in which the animatronics become threats to the player is alphabetical: first Bonnie, then Chica, then Foxy, and, finally, Freddy Fazbear.
• Golden Freddy shares the same model as Freddy Fazbear (but recolored), although due to being considered a ghost-like entity rather than an actual animatronic mascot and performer, he is not relevantly a part of the classic animatronic group.
• Freddy Fazbear and Bonnie's models share the same torso and limbs, although Freddy's overall model is much more detailed.
• In the Classic Home Invasion unlockable for Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery, Balloon Boy and Endo-01 are featured and listed as "classic animatronics" while not being part of the classic line of animatronics, with Balloon Boy not even being part of the first game.
• Despite their official debut in Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, Freddy and Bonnie have technically existed prior as Fredbear and Spring Bonnie - the forgotten main mascots of Fredbear's Family Diner and the earliest known iterations of Freddy Fazbear and Bonnie. Freddy is also strongly implied to have been the same character as Fredbear at one point, possibly decades prior to the main story's events, which would establish him as the single oldest mascot of the franchise.
• In the sourcecode of a teaser for Sister Location, Chica is heavily implied to have once been the main mascot of her own restaurant - "Chica's Party World". This mysterious location was referenced again in a scrapped design for an arcade cabinet in Security Breach. Beyond this, nothing is known about it, although some speculate that it is a rental establishment, similar to "Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental", and is the location where Funtime Chica performed (rather than Classic Chica).
• Although unconfirmed, Freddy/Gabriel seems to have a particular connection to the Marionette, more so than the other Classics/Children. In the SAVETHEM minigame of FNaF 2, the Puppet specifically chose to reactivate Withered Freddy rather than any other withered mascot. In the pre-night interactive cutscenes of the same game, which seem to happen from Gabriel's perspective within Freddy, the Puppet and the animatronics are constantly staring Freddy down. At the end of the Fazbear's Frights story You're the band, Freddy (whose seemingly lifeless and hollow head is the story's primary antagonist) is shielded by the Puppet, who suddenly emerges out of nowhere to protect Gabriel (this story's canonicity is debatable, however).
• Despite having no apparent relevance and exposure in the games prior to RUIN, Mr. Cupcake is featured as a prominent character in the "Five Nights at Freddy's" movie, being the primary cause for William Afton's death in the Yellow Rabbit suit.
• The scrapped Faz-Facts from Special Delivery suggest that the Rockstar animatronics were created using recovered parts of the Classics. However, the canonicity of this is unlikely, due to a developer confirming that the scrapped Faz-Facts should not be used for theorising.