- FNAF Toy Bonnie Guide - August 9, 2023
- Why The FNAF Movie Will Be A Hit - July 16, 2023
- Movies To Watch Before Five Nights at Freddy’s - July 11, 2023
I’ll admit it: Five Nights at Freddy’s interested me for its horror aspect but hooked me on its mysteries. The franchise makes you work to understand its lore, and as an amateur sleuth, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Since I started FNAF in 2016, I have filled countless pages piecing together the lore, with occasional help from YouTubers and Reddit threads.
Over the years, some puzzles have received explanations through official games or books, while others remain unsolved. Golden Freddy is among the most cryptic mysteries in FNAF, and I’ve spent years speculating on his story – even wondering if he has any purpose in the franchise at some point.
Now that we know the basics of Golden Freddy, we can dive into the nitty-gritty details. However, if you’re short on time, do not worry! Here’s the summary.
Bottom Line Up Front
Before we dive deeper, though, here’s some basic knowledge of Golden Freddy.
- He is a yellow animatronic bear who bears a remarkable resemblance to both Freddy Fazbear and Fredbear.
- Golden Freddy is haunted, but fans are divided on which spirit (or spirits) haunts him.
- He first appears in FNAF 1.
Golden Freddy is the perfect character for anyone who likes mysteries. Even though he has a significant role in the games, we must fill in the gaps ourselves or through fan theories.
Golden Freddy’s Looks
As I mentioned earlier, Golden Freddy is a cross between Fredbear and Freddy Fazbear. However, his appearance differs between FNAF 1 and 2. In FNAF 1, the animatronic wears a top hat and bowtie resembling Freddy and holds a microphone in his right hand.
His eye sockets are hollow, though you can see pinprick-like pupils. He sits slumped as if decommissioned, with a slack jaw and his palms facing up.
In FNAF 2, Golden Freddy is in a decrepit state. His left ear is gone, with only wires sticking out of the socket. Wires also stick out of his shoulders and other exposed parts.
Like the Withered Animatronics, you can see his upper teeth, and his head is fairly thin. The animatronic’s endoskeleton is also visible at the knees and shoulders. This time, you can’t even see his pupils; the eye sockets are entirely hollow.
Golden Freddy’s looks also change in FNAF AR: Special Delivery. In that game, he resembles his FNAF 1 form. However, he is now a shiny golden color; even his teeth are gold.
Golden Freddy Lore
This character’s lore is among the least straightforward in the franchise – I tore my hair out several times trying to make sense of his presence, especially in the earlier games.
So, let’s break this section down into two parts (the official video game lore and the lore from the novels) and make sense of everything. Buckle up because this part might leave your head spinning as it did to myself and countless other FNAF fans.
Video Game Lore
There is precious little lore on Golden Freddy from the video games. Either FNAF creator Scott Cawthon wanted us to put on our thinking hats for this character, or he had little idea how to tie in the character to the video game’s lore and wanted us to fill in the blanks.
Let’s start with what we know.
Golden Freddy appears as a mysterious character in several FNAF games. For example, in FNAF 2, he attacks the security guard, Jeremy Fitzgerald, on the sixth and seventh nights. He gets mad when he sees Jeremy and promptly attacks.
In the FNAF 2 post-death minigame, “Give Gifts: Give Life,” you play as the Puppet and have to give presents to four dead children. When you approach a child, an animatronic head appears over their head. However, a fifth child appears in the middle of the room, and a Golden Freddy jump scare comes from them.
If the children in the minigame are William Afton’s victims, they likely possess the animatronics that appear on their heads. So, seeing a fifth child in the room means Afton had another victim, and this is who possesses Golden Freddy.
In Ultimate Custom Night, completing the game in 50/20 mode reveals a snippet of lore. We see a cutscene where Golden Freddy is twitching. The game implies that the animatronic is the one William Afton shouldn’t have killed and is the mastermind behind Ultimate Custom Night, which could be a hellscape for Afton for his crimes.
Books Lore
The Silver Eyes
The FNAF books have taken a bigger crack at explaining Golden Freddy than the games. Since they follow a different continuity, their lore differs from the games. For instance, the characters in “The Silver Eyes” refer to Golden Freddy as Yellow Freddy.
When recalling her past, the main character, Charlie, remembers Freddy with yellow fur, not brown. He was the leading entertainer at the small Fredbear’s Family Diner that William Afton and her dad, Henry Emily, started before they opened Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Sometimes people wore the suit to entertain the kids, while other times, Emily put the suit on robots.
Presently, security guard Dave Miller (William Afton in disguise) traps one of Charlie’s friends, Carlton, in a spring lock suit. However, Golden Freddy appears in the same room and talks to Carlton. Carlton thinks it’s the body of Michael Brooks—a boy who went missing ten years ago and was never found—inside the suit.
The teenagers learn that William Afton murdered Michael Brooks and other kids; he stuffed their bodies into animatronic suits. Golden Freddy appears just in time to rescue them, meaning Michael’s soul isn’t full of rage like the others.
The New Kid
In the Fazbear Frights story, “The New Kid,” Golden Freddy is mainly a plot device. The story follows Devon, who has an unhealthy obsession with a girl called Heather.
He soon meets a new kid named Kelsey, whose good looks and easygoing personality have made him incredibly popular in school. Devon’s jealousy grows, and when he finds an abandoned Freddy’s Fazbear Pizzeria in the woods, he gets a sinister idea.
Devon invites Kelsey and his best friend, Mick, to the restaurant. They find an old Golden Freddy spring lock suit, and Devon persuades Kelsey to wear it. Unfortunately, Kelsey starts dancing and unwittingly triggers the spring locks, making the suit skewer him.
Devon reveals to Mick that he’d tried on the suit earlier and accidentally triggered the spring lock on his hand. Then he got the idea to get Kelsey to fully put it on.
Devon convinces his best friend to leave the crime scene and forget about the incident. However, after a week, Devon returned to the crime scene to confirm that Kelsey had died.
He reaches his hand into the mouth of the Golden Freddy suit, but it clamps down on his arm and sucks him inside. Before he succumbs, Devon sees the corpse of a curly black-haired boy. Devon goes missing, but sometime later, Kelsey reappears, seemingly okay.
My Theory
There are similarities between the games and books, like how the spirits possessing animatronics are William Afton’s former victims. However, I think Golden Freddy’s possession is the most extreme we’ve seen in the franchise (Especially in the games).
After William Afton murdered Cassidy, she possessed Golden Freddy and bided her time as her rage intensified. When the other animatronics took down Afton, she didn’t think his death was enough.
So, she tortured him in a personal hell where his animatronics tried to kill him every waking moment – this hell is Ultimate Custom Night. She could also have left Golden Freddy and possessed Afton after he supposedly burned to death to keep his heart pumping and mind alive.
However, I also think Cassidy will return because even though she got her vengeance, William Afton’s soul wasn’t exclusively in his body. His digital consciousness became Glitchtrap, who possessed security guard Vanessa. Perhaps this is what the next FNAF game will be about: Afton will return through Vanny but Cassidy will find him, rain down her vengeance, and take him out for good.
That’s my take on Golden Freddy, but I suggest you scour the internet and find countless other opinions. Just believe the one you find most convincing.
Appearances
Five Nights at Freddy’s 1
In FNAF 1, Golden Freddy appears in a minor role. You can see him on the Freddy poster through CAM 2B if you’re lucky. When you shift back to the Office view, the animatronic will teleport in front of you. The words “IT’S ME” will appear as images flash on your screen.
This is weird stuff, and you’ll get a jump scare if you’re too scared to take swift action. To avoid the jump scare, you must bring up the monitor the instant you see him.
Quick note: “IT’S ME” doesn’t just appear when you accidentally summon Golden Freddy. You can also see the words during in-game flashes, on the East Hall walls, or during the hallucinations on the Pirate’s Cove “Out of Order” sign.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
Your first encounter with Golden Freddy is in the End-of-Night hallucinations. You wear a Freddy Fazbear mask, and on night 3, Bonnie and Chica glare at you while Golden Freddy appears in front, looking directly at you.
You will next encounter Golden Freddy on Night 6 or the Custom Night. He will appear ghostly in the Hallway, or his crumpled figure will appear in the Office. If you see him, quickly wear the Freddy mask to avoid a jump scare.
In the death minigame, “Give Gifts: Give Life,” you can also encounter the animatronic.” As I mentioned, you must give gifts to the ghosts of four kids as the Puppet. A Golden Freddy jump scare comes from a fifth child, who might be Cassidy.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 3
In FNAF 3, Golden Freddy only appears in a minigame, “Happiest Day.”
To access the minigame, click Camera three and look for two posters on the room’s right side. Once you find them, double-click on the left poster.
Like “Give Gifts: Give Life,” you play as the Puppet. Walk past the partygoers (grayed-out kids in animatronic masks with colored balloons above them) until you reach the last room. Here, a child doesn’t have cake and is crying. When you give them a cake, their tears stop, and they get a Golden Freddy mask. The kids then vanish as their masks fall.
Ultimate Custom Night
In Ultimate Custom Night, Golden Freddy is among the 50+ animatronics you face. As he does in FNAF 2, Golden Freddy randomly appears in the Office. When you see him, quickly wear the Freddy mask or put up your monitor/tablet. He will jump-scare you and end your progress if you don’t.
The animatronic also appears in the game’s final cutscene. To reveal it, you must first unlock all the other cutscenes. Here, Golden Freddy sits in darkness. He twitches violently, approaches the screen, and fades away.
FNAF AR: Special Delivery
Golden Freddy’s movements in Special Delivery are erratic like he’s malfunctioning. He switches between most of the animatronics’ AI and takes on some of their characteristics, which makes him extra challenging.
You must shock him three times to beat him and use the combination of the right tools like the shock and mask, the flashlight and timer, or the battery and sound meter.
However you play Special Delivery, Golden Freddy is among the most intimidating characters.
Counterparts
Freddy Fazbear
Freddy Fazbear is the titular character in FNAF and Golden Freddy’s chief counterpart, so their appearances are pretty similar. He replaced the original Fredbear and became the mascot of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.
He is active in several FNAF games and is possessed by the ghost of a child called Gabriel, one of William Afton’s victims.
Withered Golden Freddy
Golden Freddy appears in his withered form in FNAF 2. Like the other Withered Animatronics, he is severely damaged with exposed wires and missing body parts. He also appears in Ultimate Custom Night, and his movement and attack patterns are similar to Golden Freddy.
Phantom Freddy
Like the other Phantom Animatronics, Phantom Freddy has serious burn marks and miniature white irises. Like Withered Golden Freddy, he is also missing an ear.
He appears in FNAF 3 and has similar movements to Golden Freddy. When you see him, taking no action will make Phantom Freddy disable your systems, making Springtrap easier to reach you. Phantom Freddy’s typical movement is to walk across the Hallway window and then appear in your Office. When you encounter him, watch the maintenance panel or cameras until he passes; otherwise, a jump scare awaits.
In Ultimate Custom Night, Phantom Freddy slowly materializes. It would be best if you shone your flashlight at him before he becomes fully formed, or he will jump-scare you.
Great Escape Golden Freddy
Great Escape Golden Freddy is a skin in Special Delivery. He has the same erratic movements as his counterpart. However, he is no longer shiny. Instead, he looks worn out with torn ears and a hat. Most importantly, he resembles an escape artist. His arms and torso are tied with a straitjacket, and most of his body is chained up with multiple shackles, padlocks, and balls and chains.
FAQs
Question: Does Golden Freddy Appear In FNAF 1?
Answer: Yes, he appears in FNAF 1 in a small role. If you keep looking at CAM 2B, you can randomly see him on a Freddy poster. He will transport to your Office and jump-scare you if you don’t act fast.
Question: Can Golden Freddy Teleport?
Answer: Yes, he can teleport to the Office if you see him in the Hallway or through the camera. In Special Delivery, he can also possess other animatronics.
Question: Who Possesses Golden Freddy?
Answer: This remains a source of debate because most people have their own theory on who possesses Golden Freddy. However, one of the names that keep popping up is Cassidy.
FNAF Golden Freddy: Conclusion
Golden Freddy is an intriguing animatronic. He doesn’t attack like the other animatronics, as he appears randomly. He also has a mysterious backstory which should appeal to any mystery buffs.
Because he offers something you don’t get from most animatronics, I recommend playing the FNAF games I listed above. If possible, play Ultimate Custom Night because I found that the most challenging–and the game’s final cutscene also includes him.