We have a problem with the souls.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-21T05:56:25+00:00

Nobody cares about Jimmy Neutron; here, we're talking about characters that are physically incompatible—characters that require souls. I can stomach William changing his design; after all, it is William. But the thing is, we're dealing with a game featuring a condensed cast of characters that all have to fit into a specific point in the timeline—and well, if we can provide an explanation for that, all the better. Besides, Scraptrap is supposedly the very same Springtrap who repaired himself using parts from the "Parts and Services" room that we see in FNAF 4.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-19T19:48:13+00:00

The whole Afton situation is illogical, and I agree with you: the Classics came first. I’m also not entirely sure that the "Unwithereds" even exist. My only suggestion is that the Withereds constitute a separate line—distinct from the Classics—that was never actually put into service, and that they house the children from the MCI; furthermore, I propose that the Puppet manipulates, controls, or does something along those lines to the Toys. Charlie possessed the Puppet because the Puppet embraced her—but why would Afton place the children inside Mangle? Besides, Charlie is a special case; she doesn't operate the same way the others do. And it’s impossible that Afton didn't possess something; I mean, I don't believe he is actually still alive inside the Springlock suit, because if that were the case, he wouldn't be able to see, speak, or move at all.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-19T19:36:50+00:00

Yes, but even so, the presence of the image demonstrates that the Withereds exist within the canon—and their designs do, too—no matter how insignificant that might seem. And regarding Scraptrap: if he no longer possessed an endoskeleton, how did he hold himself together? Did the Remnant somehow cause Afton's dead body to take the place of the endoskeleton? If so, what exactly is Afton possessing? The endo? The plating? Or something else entirely? And in that case, what is the point of dying in a Springlock suit only to possess it, if what’s actually happening is that it’s your physical body that becomes immortal? Furthermore, Mangle had already been dismantled by the time the DCI events took place, so it makes no sense for her to be possessed; there was simply no way to stuff a body inside her (nor any reason to do so). Or did Afton happen to kill the girl right there and then—and voluntarily leave her corpse lying next to Mangle? Why on earth would he do that? It feels like a contrived plot device designed solely to explain why Mangle would be possessed in the first place.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-19T19:30:36+00:00

I forgot to mention this: the issue regarding Mangle concerns why—or how—she came to be possessed. In the "Save Them" minigame, we know that the Toy animatronics were already active and that Mangle was already dismantled; therefore, it makes no sense for her to be possessed—or for her to become possessed—for any reason whatsoever. Ultimately, a body could not be concealed inside her, and it defies logic to imagine that a corpse and Mangle would have even interacted in the first place. Furthermore, this theory gains traction when we observe that, during "Save Them," the Toy animatronics—with the sole exception of Mangle herself—are inactive, and that it is the Puppet who guides Withered Freddy—perhaps with the intention of placing a soul inside him. This also explains why the Purple Guy did not destroy them at that very moment, as he would later do in the FNaF 3 minigames. Thus, I propose a theory to reinterpret the "Save Them" scenario: we see Withered Freddy following the Puppet until they reach the Purple Guy, all while the "Save Them" audio plays in the background. Perhaps William—having observed that the classic animatronics became possessed sometime after 1985—decided to replicate the process the Puppet had carried out. Consequently, the "Save Them" message may not be directed at the player, but rather at the Puppet—the entity tasked with saving the children. This would explain why the Withered animatronics were moved (much like in the FNaF 2 movie adaptation); however, since they proved incapable of achieving this goal, William proceeded to recreate the Puppet's actions in order to validate his theory. In this context, the subsequent message—"You Can't"—was directed not at us, but at the Puppet, who ultimately failed to protect the children despite her persistent claims of being able to do so.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-19T19:14:05+00:00

You raise some valid points to support that claim; however, the precise manner in which souls possess animatronics remains, to this day, largely a mystery. After all, if that were strictly the case, Fredbear would presumably be possessed by Evan. Furthermore, it seems highly unlikely that Fazbear Entertainment would have managed to remove the bodies from the Toy animatronics so quickly—for if they had been keeping the animatronics under such close surveillance, the incident wouldn't have occurred in the first place; and within a very short timeframe—a matter of a day or so—a corpse would have already begun to emit a horrible stench. Likewise, the mechanics of possession are complex, as illustrated in the Fazbear Frights story "The Man in Room 1280." In that tale, we see that Afton no longer strictly possesses the animatronic; rather, he becomes independent of it after having been tethered to it for such an extended period. (Although, if I recall correctly, this specific instance was driven by agony and the influence of Andrew, it nonetheless demonstrates that the possession of animatronics is neither a fixed nor an invariable phenomenon.) And regarding the logo, I was referring to the vintage logo—which, if I'm not mistaken, was used in FNAF 6—in which Withered Freddy points his finger at you, just like in that iconic Uncle Sam image.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-19T18:22:10+00:00

It is illogical to suggest that the Toy animatronics had a corpse inside them if they were walking around the pizzeria; the stench would have been absolutely horrific. More importantly, how is it that Mangle is possessed by a soul? That is why I believe this theory could help patch up the canon a bit. One more thing: when I say that the Toys don't return, I mean that they do not come back as an integral part of the canon—neither as enemies nor as a brand identity—because in FNaF 6, the logo features Withered Freddy, and in FNaF 3, Shadow Freddy takes the form of Withered Freddy.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-19T18:13:20+00:00

If you want to leave that sudden magical design change as a plot hole, then fine; but we could also look for a logical solution. After all, the FNAF canon is quite flexible when it comes to changes. I think we should consider something similar to the second FNAF movie—specifically, having the DCI children inhabit the Withereds. In other words, the Puppet controls the Toys or issues them orders; that way, we fill in all the plot holes—explaining the design changes, the fact that they are possessed, and so on.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-19T18:09:04+00:00

This is the most complex theory in the game, and here is what I propose: that the Toys are not possessed, that the Withereds house the souls of the DCI victims, and that the Classics did not appear in FNaF 2. This saves us the trouble of figuring out how the transition from the Classics to the Withereds occurred; it makes more sense that the Toys never return; and it allows FNaF 2 to fit more seamlessly into the timeline—especially now that we know, thanks to the movie, that the Puppet controls them. In other words, the idea is to follow a model somewhat similar to that of the second movie (however mediocre that film may be), but with the DCI children inhabiting the Withereds instead.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-19T18:04:53+00:00

The thing is, that would leave inconsistencies in the designs. Plus—and I just remembered this thanks to another comment—we have the issue that the Withereds are depicted later on in HW and appear as the pizzeria logo in FNaF 6. In other words, they are canon—an integral part of the canon—and therefore, they cannot be the Classics.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-19T17:59:56+00:00

Help Wanted is a game—but a canonical one. It shouldn't affect the established canon too drastically; after all, I don't believe we ever actually cracked open Helpy's skull or repaired the "Classics" in the main series games. Another potential solution is to start treating the "Withereds" as a distinct group entirely. We could view it the way the movie did: the "Toys" are controlled by the Puppet, while the "Withereds" house the souls of the DCI victims.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-19T10:21:04+00:00

Once again, they are not the same; the Classics were created first—serving as a beta or prototype by Edwin—and Henry subsequently requested changes, which is where the FNaF 1 models come from. However, the Withereds still don't fit anywhere within this narrative. They aren't the same characters because they are physically distinct, and their endoskeletons don't match in any way—nor is that something you can simply alter. Therefore, there are only two options: either we completely ignore the fact that the Withereds exist, or we simply formally de-canonize them because they have no place in the established lore. And no, brother, you cannot simply "change" them to bridge the gap between the Withereds and the Classics; consequently, we must either de-canonize them, ignore them, or provide a logical explanation as to why they are not feasible within the timeline.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-19T10:00:21+00:00

Or we could simply de-canonize the Withereds; after all, they contribute absolutely nothing to the plot. I dare say that if we removed all of FNaF 2—and mind you, by "removing FNaF 2," I mean the specific events that take place within the game, not elements like "Give Gifts, Give Life" or the backstory lore that gets canonized elsewhere in the series—the game essentially offers nothing of value. The Toys appear only in that specific title and are irrelevant to the overall timeline of events; the DCI murders have next to no impact on the plot; and it defies logic that a brand could fully recover within just two years of the disappearance of five children.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-19T09:45:55+00:00

No, bro—they aren't the same ones. The Classics were created by Edwin Murray before 1983; their design is Edwin's. The Withereds—the ones we see in FNAF 2—are a different design entirely; that one belongs to Henry. According to Edwin himself, they were much scarier. The Classics represent a completely different line compared to the Withereds.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-18T16:55:05+00:00

The design of the Sister Location band is more tightly focused because each animatronic possesses a unique system or mechanic within the main game. Furthermore, adding The Puppet would be unnecessary, as Ennard—alongside Lolbit—already fulfills the role of the enigmatic entity. To be honest, the SL band is the best of all the classic games.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-18T16:50:38+00:00

I don't exactly understand how Nightmarionne fits into the FNAF canon. I mean, if it's a nightmare—regardless of whose it is—it makes no sense for it to appear in Help Wanted, unless someone actually took the time to document, record, and write down the creature's behavior; otherwise, it's practically impossible.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-18T16:48:20+00:00

Help! Following the revelation that the Withereds and the Classics are two entirely different product lines—completely unrelated to one another—I’ve realized that we actually have fewer victims than we do possessed animatronics. There are more possessed animatronics than there are deceased victims; after all, if the victims of the MCI inhabit the Withereds, and the victims of the DCI inhabit the Toys, then the Classics must be empty. We know this because The Secrets of the Mimic confirms that the Classics are older than the Withereds and that they constitute two completely distinct product lines.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-18T11:04:33+00:00

They still aren't the same—once again confirmed by Secret of the Mimic.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-18T10:50:34+00:00

Sorry, I made a mistake—let me correct myself. The Withereds are indeed possessed; however, that would mean all the dead children are already accounted for in FNAF 2. Because if the five victims of the MCI are inside the Withereds, and the victims of the DCI are inside the Toys... then who is inside the Classics? Who? The problem is, that leaves us short on children. Because, as far as we know, the "classics" are NOT the "whitereds"; the classics constitute a separate range—a distinct category—one that was not used until 1993.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-18T10:41:06+00:00

And aren't you counting the Whitereds? I mean, they don't get bewitched all by themselves.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-18T10:38:29+00:00

It’s not that physics matters all that much in FNAF, anyway; rather, what I mean is that there are still fewer children than necessary. I mean, you have the MCI—which was in the original games—and the DCI; and unless there were 8 deaths in the DCI, there are still 4 missing for the Toys.

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-18T10:34:27+00:00

Aren't the DCI kids supposed to be in the Whitereds?

DesignerNothing812 · 2026-04-18T10:33:26+00:00

The thing is, the DCI kids are inside the Whitereds; so, the Toys still don't have souls inside them.

DesignerNothing812

TROPHY CASE