The Five Nights at Freddy's timeline is one of gaming's most complex and mysterious narratives. Spanning decades of in-game history and nine mainline games, the FNAF story weaves together tales of tragedy, murder, possession, and supernatural horror. In this comprehensive guide, we'll break down the entire FNAF timeline in chronological order, helping you understand every major event from the very beginning to the latest installments.
Whether you're new to the franchise and want to understand the story before playing, or you're a veteran player looking to piece together the puzzle, this timeline covers everything you need to know about the Five Nights at Freddy's universe.
The Early Years: Fredbear's Family Diner (1970s-1983)
The FNAF story begins long before Freddy Fazbear's Pizza existed. In the early 1980s (with some evidence suggesting the late 1970s), two business partners opened Fredbear's Family Diner. This small family restaurant featured two animatronic characters: Fredbear, a golden bear, and Spring Bonnie, a golden rabbit. These animatronics used a special "springlock" mechanism that allowed employees to wear them as suits.
🎭 Key Characters Introduced:
- William Afton - Co-founder and the future "Purple Guy"
- Henry Emily - Co-founder and animatronic designer
- Fredbear - The original golden animatronic bear
- Spring Bonnie - The golden rabbit suit William would later use
William Afton, despite being a successful businessman, harbored dark secrets. He began committing unspeakable crimes against children, using his Spring Bonnie suit to lure victims. His first known victim was Charlotte Emily, the daughter of his own business partner Henry. Charlotte's death would have far-reaching consequences, as her spirit would later become the Puppet - a protective entity that would give life to other murdered children by binding their souls to animatronics.
The Bite of '83
One of the most significant events in FNAF history occurred in 1983, known as "The Bite of '83." William Afton's youngest son, often referred to as "Crying Child" or "Evan," was terrified of the animatronics. His older brother Michael and his friends thought it would be funny to force the crying child into Fredbear's mouth during a birthday party at the diner.
The prank went horribly wrong. Fredbear's springlock mechanisms malfunctioned, and the animatronic's jaws crushed the child's skull. The boy survived briefly but succumbed to his injuries days later in the hospital. This tragedy would haunt the Afton family and set Michael on a path of redemption that spans the entire series.
The Golden Age: Freddy Fazbear's Pizza (1983-1987)
Following the incident at Fredbear's, the restaurant rebranded and expanded. Freddy Fazbear's Pizza was born, featuring new animatronic characters: Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie the Bunny, Chica the Chicken, and Foxy the Pirate. The restaurant became incredibly popular with families, but darkness lurked beneath the surface.
🍕 The Missing Children Incident
William Afton, wearing his Spring Bonnie suit, lured five children into the back room of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza and murdered them. He hid their bodies inside the animatronic suits. The restaurant tried to cover up the incident, but rumors of blood and mucus seeping from the animatronics led to declining attendance and eventual closure.
The spirits of these five children became bound to the animatronics, thanks to the Puppet (Charlotte Emily's spirit). Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and Golden Freddy became haunted vessels for these lost souls. Their anger and confusion at their murders would make them hostile toward adults, especially during the night hours when they roamed freely.
The New and Improved Location (1987)
In 1987, Fazbear Entertainment opened a new, "improved" location with redesigned animatronics known as the "Toy" animatronics. These new versions - Toy Freddy, Toy Bonnie, Toy Chica, and Mangle - featured facial recognition software and were designed to be more child-friendly. The original animatronics were kept in the back for parts.
This is where Five Nights at Freddy's 2 takes place. You play as Jeremy Fitzgerald, a security guard working the night shift. The Toy animatronics' facial recognition system was tampered with (likely by William Afton), causing them to view adults as threats. Combined with the still-active original animatronics, the nights became incredibly dangerous.
The Bite of '87
The 1987 location is also the site of the infamous "Bite of '87," referenced throughout the series. During a birthday party, one of the animatronics bit a person's frontal lobe. The victim survived but suffered severe brain damage. While the exact animatronic responsible is debated, many believe it was Mangle based on evidence from the game. This incident led to the animatronics no longer being allowed to walk around during the day.
The Horror Attraction: Fazbear's Fright (2023)
Thirty years after the original incidents, someone decided to create a horror attraction based on the legendary Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Fazbear's Fright was designed as a haunted house experience, featuring authentic memorabilia from the original restaurants. The attraction's owners found something they didn't expect: Springtrap.
🐰 The Origin of Springtrap
Years earlier, William Afton returned to the abandoned Freddy Fazbear's Pizza to destroy the animatronics and free himself from the haunting spirits. However, the spirits cornered him, and in desperation, he hid inside the old Spring Bonnie suit. The springlock mechanisms failed catastrophically, crushing and killing him inside the suit. His spirit, like his victims, became trapped inside the animatronic - creating Springtrap.
In Five Nights at Freddy's 3, you play as a security guard at Fazbear's Fright, trying to survive against Springtrap - who is essentially William Afton's corpse animated by his evil spirit. The attraction eventually burns down, but Springtrap survives.
The Nightmare: A Child's Perspective (1983)
Five Nights at Freddy's 4 takes us back to 1983, but from a different perspective. You play as a child (likely the Crying Child before his death) experiencing terrifying nightmares about monstrous versions of the animatronics. These "Nightmare" animatronics - Nightmare Freddy, Nightmare Bonnie, Nightmare Chica, Nightmare Foxy, and the terrifying Nightmare Fredbear - represent the child's deep-seated fears.
The game reveals more about the Afton family's troubled home life and the events leading up to the Bite of '83. It's a psychological horror experience that shows how the trauma of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza affected even children who weren't directly harmed by William Afton's crimes.
Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental (1980s)
FNAF Sister Location introduces us to another Afton family tragedy. William Afton created a separate animatronic rental company featuring his most advanced creations: Circus Baby, Ballora, Funtime Freddy, and Funtime Foxy. These animatronics were designed with hidden compartments - built specifically to capture and kill children.
William's daughter Elizabeth was warned to stay away from Circus Baby, but her curiosity got the better of her. Baby's hidden claw mechanism killed Elizabeth, and her spirit became trapped inside the animatronic. The facility was eventually moved underground and became a storage and maintenance location for the dangerous animatronics.
Michael Afton's Mission
Michael Afton, William's oldest son, was sent by his father to find and "free" Elizabeth from Circus Baby. During his time at the facility, the animatronics combined into a single entity called Ennard and used Michael's body to escape. They eventually left his body, but Michael, somehow still animated, survived as a walking corpse. He vowed to find and stop his father.
Pizzeria Simulator: The Final Plan (2023)
Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator appears to be a simple restaurant management game, but it's actually Henry Emily's elaborate trap. Henry, consumed by guilt over his daughter's death and William's crimes, created a plan to gather all the remaining haunted animatronics in one place and destroy them for good.
You play as Michael Afton, unknowingly helping Henry collect Springtrap (William), Scrap Baby (Elizabeth), Molten Freddy (Ennard), and the Puppet (Charlotte). In the game's ending, Henry sets the building on fire, freeing all the trapped souls and finally ending the nightmare. Or so it seemed...
Help Wanted and Beyond (2023+)
The "Fazbear Entertainment Virtual Experience" in Help Wanted was meant to rebrand the company, but something went wrong. William Afton's consciousness, in the form of a digital virus called "Glitchtrap," was accidentally transferred into the VR game. He manipulated a beta tester named Vanessa, essentially possessing her will.
Security Breach: The Mega Pizzaplex (2030s)
The latest chapter takes place in the massive Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex, a shopping mall-sized entertainment complex. You play as Gregory, a young boy trapped in the building overnight with the Glamrock animatronics hunting him. Strangely, Glamrock Freddy helps Gregory survive, suggesting not all animatronics are hostile.
Vanessa, now working as a security guard, has a dark alter-ego called Vanny - William Afton's puppet who continues his killing legacy. The true ending reveals that William Afton has survived in some form, now a burned amalgamation called "Burntrap," still trying to continue his evil work.
Experience the latest FNAF horror in Security Breach, playable for free on our website!
The Ultimate Challenge
For those who have mastered the FNAF games and want the ultimate test, Ultimate Custom Night brings together over 50 animatronics from across the series. Many fans theorize this game represents William Afton's personal hell, where he's tormented forever by the characters he created and the children he murdered.
Play the Games Yourself
Now that you understand the complete FNAF timeline, why not experience the horror yourself? All games are available to play for free on our website: