The Enigma Unraveled: Decoding Five Nights at Freddy's ending

For those unfamiliar with the Five Nights at Freddy's series, the movie offers a plethora of intricate elements to dissect. In this article, we delve into a comprehensive clarification of the ending.

Given that the video game franchise originated in 2014, Five Nights at Freddy's continues to evolve, this time venturing into the realm of cinema with its debut film.

Starring Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, and Piper Rubio, this movie revolves around a troubled security guard who starts working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. However, as he experiences his first night on the job, he quickly realizes that surviving the night shift at Freddy's will not be a simple task.

Directed by Emma Tammi, it is evident that the film pays homage to various aspects of the video game series. Now, let's delve into the complete explanation of the ending of Five Nights at Freddy's. Caution: This analysis contains significant spoilers!

Five Nights at Freddy’s ending explained: It’s all about the missing kids

Similar to the storyline of the initial installment of the gaming franchise, Five Nights at Freddy's centers around the disappearance of five youngsters in the 1980s, resulting in the closure of Freddy Fazbear's pizzeria.

Unbeknownst to him, Mike (Hutcherson), who is down on his luck, is fervently searching for a new job following his dismissal from his previous security role. Despite his Aunt Jane (Mary Stuart Masterson) seeking legal action to assume custody of his younger sister Abby (Rubio), Mike remains the sole caretaker. In a desperate attempt to secure employment, Mike turns to career expert Steve Raglan (Matthew Lillard) for assistance. Unfortunately, Raglan informs Mike that his only option is to accept a poorly paid, unstable security job at an abandoned pizzeria.

During his initial night shift, fans gain insight into Mike's past. While dozing off on the job, he has vivid dreams about his younger brother Garrett, who was snatched during a family camping trip in his childhood. In one of his dreams, Mike encounters five menacing children who attempt to harm him. Another police officer named Vanessa pays him a visit during his second night and sheds more light on the history of the pizzeria. It turns out that the five children Mike sees in his dream vanished from the restaurant in the 1980s, their cases remaining unsolved.

As the children in his dream inflict harm upon Mike, he also suffers real-life injuries, raising suspicions about the abandoned pizzeria. At the same time, Aunt Jane plots to undermine his job by recruiting Abby's babysitter Max and her brother to intentionally wreak havoc in the restaurant, hoping that Mike will lose his employment. When the group, which includes Carl and Uncle Hank, enters the venue, they fall victim one by one to the animatronics. Additionally, fans witness the demise of a former security guard at the hands of Freddy and Co. in the movie's opening scene.

Five Nights at Freddy’s ending explained: Abby is in danger

Universal Pictures

Consumed by grief and love for Garrett, Mike becomes oblivious to Abby's situation. Abby, an introverted child with a penchant for imaginary friends and drawing, reluctantly accompanies Mike during his third shift after Max's disappearance. Unbeknownst to them, the children have a unique connection with both Mike and Abby. In a dream, the children offer Mike information about his missing brother in exchange for unspecified desires, while Abby is compelled to interact with animatronics that house the spirits of the vanished children. Joined by Vanessa, Mike and Abby playfully engage with the characters, even constructing a fort. However, when it's time to part ways, Vanessa warns Mike that returning with Abby will have dire consequences.

Having shared his emotional baggage with Vanessa, Mike is aware of his limited knowledge about her. Simultaneously, he senses that Vanessa is involved with the pizzeria more than she lets on. Additionally, Mike discovers that Abby's drawings prominently feature the dream children, who serve as her imaginary companions. In the midst of all this, Mike proposes Aunt Jane as a caretaker for Abby, which only fuels Abby's resentment towards him. Frustrated, Abby isolates herself in her room, while Mike embarks on another perilous encounter with the animatronics, nearly escaping death's clutches.

Five Nights at Freddy’s ending explained: Yellow rabbit goes down

Having narrowly escaped a fate similar to that portrayed in the Saw movies, Mike regains consciousness in a police outpost where Vanessa, who has tended to his wounds, unveils her knowledge of everything that has been happening. This includes the fact that the children desire Abby in exchange for information, or perhaps misguided dreams, pertaining to Garrett. Vanessa goes on to explain that her own father used to work at the pizzeria dressed as a yellow rabbit, a characteristic that is evident in the abandoned restaurant through children's drawings and in the discussions of the dream children. Vanessa's father, William Afton, was the individual responsible for abducting the five children, concealing them in the animatronics to ensure their discovery would be unlikely.

To Mike's astonishment, it becomes clear that Afton is not only accountable for the disappearance of his own brother, Garrett, but he is also the same individual as Steve Raglan, the careers expert encountered earlier. While Mike was unconscious, an out-of-order version of Freddy makes its way to the house to retrieve Abby, unfortunately resulting in the death of Aunt Jane. Upon returning to the restaurant, the animatronics engage in a lethal onslaught against Abby. Just in the nick of time, Mike rushes back to the scene, armed with tasers, managing to temporarily hinder the majority of the dolls before the yellow rabbit makes its grand entrance.

In a showdown against the animatronics, Afton confesses to being responsible for the abduction and murder of Garrett. He then encourages the ghost children to kill Mike. Vanessa arrives to offer assistance, but Abby devises a plan to expose the truth once and for all. Through a drawing, she conveys to the children the true actions of the yellow rabbit, leading them to use the animatronics to bring him down instead. Skipping ahead in time, Abby appears settled in school but occasionally requests to see her friends again. Mike acknowledges that anything is possible. The child version of Freddy is shown back at the restaurant, witnessing Afton's slow demise in the rabbit costume.

Five Nights at Freddy's is currently playing in UK cinemas, and the movie will be released on Peacock and in US theaters on Friday, October 27, 2023. For more information about the film, please refer to the articles below: