Comprehensive Guide to the Characters in 'Five Nights at Freddy's'

After years of being stuck in development hell, the murderous mascots of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria are finally ready to entertain moviegoers with the highly anticipated Five Nights at Freddy's film. Produced by horror powerhouse Blumhouse Productions, this long-awaited adaptation of the popular video game series has been in the works for almost a decade, going through multiple directors and creative teams. The story takes place in a nightmarish version of Chuck E. Cheese, where a struggling security guard named Mike Schmidt (played by Josh Hutcherson) slowly uncovers the dark secrets behind the seemingly harmless animatronic animals he's been hired to protect. Despite starting as a humble indie horror game, the Five Nights at Freddy's series surprisingly boasts a complex lore and captivating backstory for its beloved characters. The recently released trailer suggests that the film stays true to its source material, likely thanks to the involvement of series creator Scott Cawthon in the screenplay.

Five Nights at Freddy's will premiere in theaters and on Peacock streaming service on October 27, 2023. Read below for our guide to the cast and characters to discover which humans and robots will be featured in this highly anticipated project.

Five Nights at Freddy's

Release Date October 27, 2023Director Emma TammiRating PG-13Runtime 110 minutesMain Genre Horror

Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt

Image via Universal Pictures

Matthew Lillard as Steve Raglan

Josh Hutcherson takes on the lead role in Five Nights at Freddy's, marking his first major film based on an established IP since his appearance in The Hunger Games series. In the game, Mike Schmidt assumes the role of the courageous substitute for the player character. Similar to the gamers, Schmidt is hired as a night guard at the once-thriving Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, which now has a complex and sinister past. Unlike the nameless protagonist in the games, Schmidt is more developed as a character, driven by the need to support his financially struggling family. Upon discovering that the place he is tasked with protecting is infested with possessed animatronics, he starts questioning whether the risks of this perilous job are truly worth the monetary reward.

Image via Universal Pictures

Matthew Lillard, the beloved Scream actor, is making a thrilling comeback to the horror genre with Five Nights at Freddy's. However, his seemingly straightforward supporting character, Steve Raglan, may have a deeper connection than meets the eye. In the trailer, Raglan is portrayed as a plain career counselor who assists Mike Schmidt in securing the position of a security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. While this may seem uncomplicated, fans initially speculated that Lillard would be an ideal fit for the character William Afton. Whether this assumption holds true or not, we will delve into the complexities of William Afton in a later section of this guide. For now, it's intriguing to witness Raglan's peculiar enthusiasm upon Schmidt accepting the job as a night guard for the eerie establishment.

Elizabeth Lail as Vanessa

Image via Blumhouse

Piper Rubio as Abby

Elizabeth Lail, known for her role in the television series "You," portrays the character of Vanessa in the Five Nights at Freddy's games. Vanessa is a complex character with a troubled past. The trailer showcases her as a friendly police officer who teams up with Mike to unravel the mysteries surrounding the murders connected to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. She even entertains the idea that the restaurant's animatronics may be possessed by the souls of the deceased children. In the game "Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach," Vanessa, voiced by Heather Masters, makes her official debut. Initially, she is depicted as a strict yet ordinary security guard who is diligently trying to locate Gregory, a young intruder. However, it is later revealed that Vanessa herself has transformed into Vanny, a homicidal mascot, and has been influenced by William Afton, ultimately assuming the name Vanny.

Image via Blumhouse

The final prominent human character introduced in Five Nights at Freddy's is Abby, portrayed by Piper Rubio, known for her role in Unstable. Abby is depicted as a relative under the care of Mike Schmidt, although their precise relationship remains undisclosed. She joins Mike during his shift at the pizzeria, initially anticipating a serene evening in the presence of seemingly amiable inanimate characters. However, everything takes a drastic turn when these characters reveal their animation, apparently yearning to transform Abby into one of them. Additionally, at some point in the movie, we witness Abby forming a strong bond with the enigmatic and elusive Golden Freddy.

Cory Williams as Taxi Driver

Image via Blumhouse

One of the key factors contributing to the immense success of the Five Nights at Freddy's series is the involvement of popular YouTube personalities. Among them is Cory Williams, widely recognized as CoryxKenshin on YouTube. In a cool twist, Williams makes a cameo appearance as a taxi driver in Five Nights at Freddy's. Towards the finale of the main trailer, he can be seen giving a ride to Abby, who has likely had a challenging night battling dangerous animatronics. To his surprise, Abby is accompanied by a towering Golden Freddy, but he dismisses it as an odd late-night occurrence.

Freddy Fazbear

Image via Blumhouse

Freddy Fazbear, the eerily unsettling frontman of the Fazbear Trio, holds the coveted title of Chuck E. Cheese at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. On the surface, this seemingly innocuous, family-friendly mascot captivates the crowds with his melodic tunes. However, beneath the permanently etched smile and robotic exoskeleton resides the anguished spirit of a once-cherished child, tragically slain by Fazbear Entertainment co-founder, William Afton. This grim fate also befalls the other mechanized characters within the establishment, transforming them into relentless predators that prey upon any adult who enters their realm. While they harbor a peculiar affinity for children, Freddy and his comrades have a rather unorthodox way of expressing their fondness – by cramming anything that possesses a heartbeat into disused animatronic suits. The lifelike movements and appearances of Freddy and his companions are masterfully brought to life by the talented artisans at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

Bonnie

Image via Blumhouse

Secondly, we have Bonnie, the guitar-playing bunny, who is another possessed animatronic. Bonnie is actually one of the initial adversaries that players encounter in the original Five Nights at Freddy's game. He slowly advances towards the security room, ready to give the security guard a sudden fright. Bonnie often accompanies Chica, as they both attempt to gain entry into the security office from different hallways. Although these three abominations are indeed terrifying, they are not the primary threat at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza during nighttime.

Chica

Image via Universal Pictures

Meet Chica, the third member of the Fazbear Trio. Just like her fellow animatronics, Chica appears to be a regular animatronic during the day, although her unnerving teeth may give you a different impression. However, when night falls, she becomes a relentless seeker of intruders within the pizzeria, with the sole purpose of finding the person responsible for denying her a peaceful afterlife. Chica is often seen accompanied by Mr. Cupcake, a cute yet possibly haunted cupcake with a face, who, like her, is longing for tranquility.

Foxy

Image via Universal Pictures

Springtrap

A distinctive character among the animatronics at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, Foxy stands out for his relentless pursuit of his prey. While most of the other animatronics in Five Nights at Freddy's move around at a leisurely pace and only change positions when the security guard is not looking, Foxy, the one-eyed pirate with a hook for a hand, does not adhere to these rules. Instead, the guard must constantly keep an eye on Foxy, as failure to do so will result in Foxy darting towards their target with incredible speed. Foxy is undoubtedly the fastest animatronic in the building and poses one of the greatest threats.

Image via Blumhouse

Among the many villainous animatronics in the film, the surprising inclusion of Springtrap stands out as one of the franchise's most important characters. It wasn't until Five Nights at Freddy's 3 that Springtrap made his first appearance, in a horror attraction based on the infamous pizzeria. According to the lore, the shocking twist revealed that Springtrap is actually the reanimated corpse of William Afton - the former co-owner of Fazbear Entertainment who turned into a serial killer. It is a strangely fitting fate for the man responsible for the horrifying events in the Five Nights at Freddy's Universe.

Golden Freddy

Image via Blumhouse

Golden Freddy is undoubtedly one of the most enigmatic figures in the series, frequently appearing unexpectedly throughout the games. Based on the trailer, it appears that Golden Freddy is the sole amicable animatronic character in the movie, developing a bond with the young character Abby (although there might be more to Golden Freddy's identity than what meets the eye).

Catch Five Nights at Freddy's on Peacock.