History YMMV / FiveNightsAtFreddys3

** During a play of ''[=FNaF3=]'', [[AchievementHunter Achievement Hunters]] Creator/GavinFree and Creator/MichaelJones wonder about what Purple Guy is after beating the third night (and getting Chica killed). Michael says he looks like "a purple mummy". This, as it turns out, is really not that far off the mark ''at all'', now that Sister Location is out ([[spoiler:although the cutscene itself was a RedHerring, as it was Michael Afton that ended up a living mummy, rather than his father]]).

** Fazbear Entertainment almost had another instance of this trope on file. There was a period where they tried retrofitting the animatronic suits to fit humans and robots alike. The human settings were so badly designed that they could crush the person wearing it if he so much as ''breathed wrong''. After one implied casualty, they hastily dumped the idea. It bears repeating that ''[[CorruptCorporateExecutive Fazbear Entertainment]]'' [[EveryoneHasStandards thought this was a stupid idea]], to the point [[OrwellianEditor Jeremy and Mike never heard about it]].

* SequelDifficultyDrop: Compared to the second game, the third seems to be easier, with only one animatronic. However, the game still has its curve-balls, such as having a new maintenance mechanic to take care of and relying on much more hallucinations to mess the player up. Furthermore, [[spoiler:because Fazbear's Fright burnt down after the sixth night]], there is no custom night. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], because there's only one animatronic to deal with, while the difficulty of the 4/20 and 10/20 modes was based on the A.I. of several animatronics.

*** Some fans like to see Springtrap (as in ''Spring Bonnie'', the animatronic/mascot character himself) as a sort of unfortunate victim, or even a HeroWithBadPublicity, considering he [[spoiler:seemed to put the killer down, at least for a while.]] In the former case, others also see him as a victim of {{Grand Theft Me}} at the hands of said killer, made to murder his own loving audience against his will ([[spoiler:making the springlock failure that killed the Purple Guy [[TheDogBitesBack Spring Bonnie's way of finally getting revenge on him]]]]). You'll see artwork that shows him as almost having puppy dog eyes, as though the mascot figure itself is the true tragic figure; conversely, you can find artwork that play up his nightmarish design so hard that he looks less like a rabbit and more like a jackal.

*** Some fans like to see Springtrap (as in, the animatronic) as a sort of unfortunate victim, or even a HeroWithBadPublicity, considering he [[spoiler:seemed to put the killer down, at least for a while.]] You'll see artwork that shows him as almost having puppy dog eyes, as though the mascot figure itself is the true tragic figure. Conversely, you can find artwork that play up his nightmarish design so hard that he looks less like a rabbit and more like a jackal.

** "The Bad Ending" [[labenote:Explanation]]A meme that has frequently made the rounds since mid-2020, featuring a FauxtivationalPoster with the image of the supposed "bad" conclusion of a meme, trend, or cultural phenomenon. While largely inspired by the MultipleEndings trope present in many games, they usually take special inspiration from FNAF 3, using the same OminousMusicBoxTune music as the game's Bad Ending]].

* MemeticMutation: People trying to find a SequelHook by messing with the contrast of an image of Freddy's hat posted to Scottgames.com sometime after the game's release. Many pictures supposedly contain hidden words or images in the pictures, but it's clear that it's not intentional. This died down once [[Videogame/FiveNightsAtFreddys4 an actual prequel]] was announced.

*** Is he just malfunctioning like the previous animatronics or [[spoiler:is he possessed by the vengeful spirit of the murderer]]? There are also theories that [[spoiler:the murderer in that suit is somehow still alive]].

** As of ''Pizzeria Simulator'', there's a theory that [[spoiler:the protagonist of this game is the Cassette Man, due to the similar endings (Purple Guy burning, and when it failed, [[HeroicSacrifice he ensured that it worked the second time]], making it seem he was mostly after his old friend). It would also explain the phantoms being from different eras; he remembers them all. Not to mention that he is the only guard the puppet doesn't just kill when she reaches him. On the other hand, he should be really old by the events of ''3'' if this were true.]]

** During a play of ''[=FNaF3=]'', [[AchievementHunter Achievement Hunters]] Creator/GavinFree and Creator/MichaelJones wonder about what Purple Guy is after beating the third night (and getting Chica killed). Michael says he looks like "a purple mummy". This, as it turns out, is really not that far off the mark ''at all'', now that Sister Location is out.

* MemeticMutation: People trying to find a SequelHook by messing with the contrast of an image of Freddy's hat posted to Scottgames.com sometime after the game's release. Many pictures supposedly contain hidden words or images in the pictures, but it's clear that it's not intentional. This died down once [[Videogame/FiveNightsAtFreddys4 an actual sequel]] was announced.

** [[spoiler:The corpse in Springtrap.]] ''Urrrrrgh.''

** ...Really guys? You wanted to make an attraction based off the Fazbear legends? The description for the game says that whoever developed this managed to get a hold of an actual animatronic, which implies they underwent some sort of research in order to get said machine. Which means that they had to have realized that this not only really happened, but that chances are those animatronics aren't good news... ''and they still thought it was a good idea to go through with this?!'' Hell, even if they were skeptical of the supernatural elements, wouldn't they be hesitant to do this on the grounds that they'd essentially be making TheThemeParkVersion of a dark and messed-up tragedy that cost quite the amount of lives, while also profiting off of said tragedy? It either comes off as completely foolish with the former or completely callous with the latter, or even both.* It's actually not that unheard of to turn a profit off a horrible tragedy; just look at cases involving Lizzie Borden, Jack the Ripper, or even the Titanic. Although, even with it having been 30 years in the past, creating a horror attraction centered around a child murderer, urban legends of haunted animatronics or not, could still be considered in very poor taste.

** [[SubvertedTrope A Subversion.]] Before the release of ''Sister Location'' [[spoiler: Purple Guy's actions in the minigames could have been considered outright idiotic, as he decided to return to the scene of crime seemingly without reason. ''Sister Location'' heavily implies that he sent his son to find and repair something, and presumably take the fall for him. ''Pizzeria Simulator'' josses that, but implies that ''he knew that dying in the Springtrap suit would enable him to continue to live as Springtrap!'']]

* HilariousInHindsight: Also counts as a FunnyAneurysmMoment - like Foxy's jump scare in the first game, people thought Balloon Boy wasn't that scary in his first appearance. [[http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20150302084841/freddy-fazbears-pizza/images/thumb/a/a0/Guesswho%21.jpg/212px-Guesswho%21.jpg Scott fixed that]], just like he fixed Foxy's attack in the sequel.

** There's a fan theory that the phantom animatronics knew of the fire and were actually trying to help you by scaring you away. As of ''Sister Location'', there is an another theory that [[spoiler: Springtrap wasn't actively trying to hurt the guard, but accidentally kills them when he tries to ask them for help. If this is true, ''none of the animatronics in the entire game'' actually wanted to hurt you.]]
* ItWasHisSled: Even those who haven't played the game yet are aware that [[spoiler:ol' Springy's William Afton himself]].

** Springtrap is scary most of the time... except for when he's peering into the room. It looks more like he's perving on you than about to attack you. Also, most of his kills make him look like he's merely checking you out rather than attacking. [[spoiler: On the other hand, he's the spirit of the child murderer, or his son who might be looking for help.]]

* RonTheDeathEater: A fairly popular fan theory before the game's release was that Phone Guy was the killer. This game makes it ''extremely'' unlikely, [[spoiler:as he canonically died before the murderer did]], but a good number of fans still insist he's the killer anyway.

* SpecialEffectFailure: The Phantom Puppet follows your gaze and blocks your vision, but it skips while it follows your head turning. Instead of it being smoothly frozen in front of your face, it looks like it's sliding, dragging, or limping across the floor. This was likely intentional, though. If anything, it makes the Puppet even creepier. Compound with the threat of Springtrap lurking near you office, and you got a pretty unsettling combo.

* UncannyValley: The new animatronic seems to be more articulate in its facial expressions than its predecessors. Also there is just something a bit too lifelike about its eyes. The fact that it looks like a stitched-together ''corpse'' does not help. [[spoiler:As it turns out, there's a good reason for all this...]]

* WhatAnIdiot: ...Really guys? You wanted to make an attraction based off the Fazbear legends? The description for the game says that whoever developed this managed to get a hold of an actual animatronic, which implies they underwent some sort of research in order to get said machine. Which means that they had to have realized that this not only really happened, but that chances are those animatronics aren't good news... ''and they still thought it was a good idea to go through with this?!'' Hell, even if they were skeptical of the supernatural elements, wouldn't they be hesitant to do this on the grounds that they'd essentially be making TheThemeParkVersion of a dark and messed-up tragedy that cost quite the amount of lives, while also profiting off of said tragedy? It either comes off as completely foolish with the former or completely callous with the latter, or even both.* It's actually not that unheard of to turn a profit off a horrible tragedy; just look at cases involving Lizzie Borden, Jack the Ripper, or even the Titanic. Although, even with it having been 30 years in the past, creating a horror attraction centered around a child murderer, urban legends of haunted animatronics or not, could still be considered in very poor taste.

* InternetBackdraft: The statement that there would only be one animatronic in ''3'' caused uproar in the fanbase. [[spoiler:Scott kinda-sorta fixed/met this issue with the phantom hallucinations.]]

* BrokenBase: [[BrokenBase/FiveNightsAtFreddys See here.]]

*** The ending of ''Sister Location'' adds an entirely new perspective to him: [[spoiler:If he's really the (presumably) innocent son of the murderer, are his pleads for help and sounds of pain genuine? What if he ''really'' is looking for help, yet his sudden appearances in the office give the guard a heart attack?]] This has beem jossed by Scott.

* InternetBackdraft: The statement that there would only be one animatronic in ''3'' caused [[{{Understatement}} some slight uproar]]. [[spoiler:Scott kinda-sorta fixed/met this issue with the phantom hallucinations.]]

* MostWonderfulSound: The WestminsterChimes that sound once you reach 6 AM, reused from the previous game.

** During a play of [=FNaF3=], [[AchievementHunter Achievement Hunters]] Creator/GavinFree and Creator/MichaelJones wonder about what Purple Guy is after beating the third night (and getting Chica killed). Michael says he looks like "a purple mummy". This, as it turns out, is really not that far off the mark ''at all'', now that Sister Location is out.

* ItWasHisSled: Even those who haven't played the game yet are aware that [[spoiler:ol' Springy's William Afton himself]]

** Phantom Freddy creeping around outside of your window. He looks like a cartoon villain sneaking around. [[spoiler: Just don't watch him directly for too long.]]

* ThatOneSidequest: If you want to get the good ending on the mobile version, you'd better pray that you don't screw up any of the minigames, especially STAGE 01 since all of them apart from BB's Air Adventure aren't selectable whenever you wish, having taken the place of the post-night minigames. Fail to gain the cake ending on any of them and you'll need to restart from night one. It's also a lot easier to screw yourself over due to the altering of the stages and the removal of the jump button.

** The same argument could be made for the [[spoiler:Balloon Boy teaser, particularly since he looks like he's drenched in ''blood''. And still with that ever present grin.]]

** The management is right up there (which seems to be a theme in the FNAF games); they purposely use faulty wiring in their attraction in order to make the horror-theme more authentic, but even worse, they know the ventilation system doesn't work and if it shuts off, it can cause patrons to hallucinate. It's so bad even a ''single person'' suffers from it, let alone thinking what it would do to a whole group of paying customers. Such an oversight is a blatant lawsuit waiting to happen.

** [[SubvertedTrope A Subversion.]] Before the release of ''Sister Location'' [[spoiler: Purple Guy's actions in the minigames could have been considered outright idiotic, as he decided to return to the scene of crime seemingly without reason. ''Sister location'' heavily implies that he sent his son to find and repair something, and presumably take the fall for him.]]

*** Is he just malfunctioning like the previous animatronics or [[spoiler:is he possessed by the vengeful spirit of the murderer]]? There are also theories that [[spoiler:the murderer in that suit is somehow still alive.]]

** The nature of the hallucinations: are they just caused by the shoddy ventilation system and the guard's fear of the animatronics or are they related to the children the murderer killed? If they are the children than that gives another one where [[spoiler: after completing Nightmare Mode a news article appears saying that the attraction burned down. This can be either interpreted as the faulty wiring which was foreshadowed, the guard committing arson for one reason or another, or if the spirits of the children themselves burned the place down]].

** As of ''Pizzeria Simulator'' there's a theory that [[spoiler:the protagonist of this game is the Cassette Man, due to the similar endings (Purple Guy burning, and when it failed, [[HeroicSacrifice he ensured that it work the second time]], making it seem he was mostly after his old friend) It would also explain the phantoms being from different eras; he remembers them all. Not to mention, that he is the only guard the puppet doesn't just kill when she reaches him. On the other hand, he should be really old by the events of 3 if this were true.]]

** Springtrap looks like a corpse, has GlowingEyesOfDoom, and [[spoiler: contains the murderer's body.]] He also has a cool design and is the most brutally violent of the animatronics, not counting ''4''.

* HarsherInHindsight: ''Sister Location's'' Custom Night reveals that [[spoiler: Purple Guy is (presumably) not dead. The ghosts (may have) killed his almost identical son, presumed to be innocent. For all we know, Springtrap might not even be trying to kill the MainCharacter, instead giving him a heart attack while trying to get help.]]

* ItWasHisSled: Even those who haven't played the game yet are aware that [[spoiler:ol' Springy's the Purple Man. Until it was revealed that he isn't. [[AmbiguousSituation Maybe]].]]

* BreatherLevel: It is impossible to die on Night 1 as there are no animatronics in the place yet.

*** The ending of ''Sister Location'' adds an entirely new perspective to him: [[spoiler:If he's really the (presumably) innocent son of the murderer, are his pleads for help and sounds of pain genuine? What if he ''really'' is looking for help, yet his sudden appearances in the office give the guard a heart attack?]]

*** Not only that but he's also [[spoiler:part animatronic, part murderer.]]

** Fans continue to run with this, even after the Murderer [[spoiler: is revealed in Sister Location to be an ''EvilBrit'', meaning he wouldn't have the MinnesotaNice voice of the Phone Guy]].

** During a play of [=FNaF3=], [[AchievementHunter Achievement Hunters]] Creator/GavinFree and Creator/MichaelJones wonder about what Purple Guy is after beating the third night (and getting Chica killed). Michael says he looks like "a purple mummy", which is not far off the mark, especially come Sister Location.

*** "Stage 01" uses the main motif of ''SwanLake''

* HellIsThatNoise: Like its predecessors, the new animatronic [[spoiler:and the Phantoms]] make a horrible distorted screech when it catches you. Arguably it's even ''worse'' now.
** Sometimes when the audio system malfunctions, a blaring sound rings out from your room, which also alerts Springtrap to your position.
** When you get [[spoiler:The Puppet]]'s hallucination, a grating buzzing sound plays through the entirety of it.
** [[spoiler:Mangle's hallucination comes complete with an even ''worse'' rendition of the original's static.]]

*** The Custom night of ''Sister location'' adds an entirely new perspective to him: [[spoiler: Since he is the (presumably) innocent son of the murderer, are his pleads for help and sounds of pain genuine? What if he ''really'' is looking for help, yet his sudden appearances in the office give the guard a heart attack?]]

* AwesomeMusic:

* HarsherInHindsight: ''Sister Location's'' Custom Night reveals that [[spoiler: Purple Guy is (presumably) not dead. The ghosts killed his almost identical son, presumed to be innocent. For all we know Springtrap might not even be trying to kill the MainCharacter, instead giving him a heart attack while trying to get help.]]

* ItWasHisSled: Even those who haven't played the game yet are aware that [[spoiler:ol' Springy's the Purple Man]]. [[spoiler: Until it was revealed that he isn't.]]
* MemeticMutation: People trying to find a SequelHook by messing with the top hat images' contrast. Several pictures on the wiki have been uploaded, supposedly finding hidden words or images in the pictures, but it's clear that it's not intentional.

** Did the Purple Guy only [[spoiler:dismantle the old animatronics to get some kick out of visiting his old crime scene, is he trying to [[EvenEvilHasStandards destroy the murdering abominations]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he unknowingly created]], or is he just trying to cover his tracks?]]

* ItWasHisSled: Even those who haven't played the game yet are aware that [[spoiler:ol' Springy's the Purple Man]].

** Springtrap is scary most of the time... except for when he's peering into the room. It looks more like he's perving on you than about to attack you. Also, most of his kills make him look like he's merely checking you out rather than attacking. [[spoiler: On the other hand, he's the spirit of the child murderer.]]

** [[spoiler:The Murderer's corpse in Springtrap.]] ''Urrrrrgh.''

* RewatchBonus: After playing the game to completion, take another look at [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdHlIy0W4uU the trailer]]. [[spoiler:It flat out shows what appears to be Purple Man's death, but you won't realize it until you see the game's ending.]]
** The text even functions in the same way. [[spoiler: It features twitching yellow letters in a more {{Retraux}} style that suddenly turn red with a pool of red lines appearing underneath them, much like the style in which the murderer's death was rendered.]]

** During the between-night minigames, it's possible to make it so The Murderer rushes through a wall or the boarded up doorway.

** Amusingly, this can even be applied towards [[spoiler:the [[BigBad Purple Man.]] He had absolutely no reason to return to the Fazbear pizzeria as far as it's known, but does so anyway, destroys the Animatronics, and [[HoistByHisOwnPetard unwittingly releases the ghosts of the children he killed from them.]] [[KarmicDeath Which promptly leads to his own demise in Springtrap]].]] [[spoiler:He was most likely trying to destroy incriminating evidence. Also, it's not like he (or anybody else for that matter) could have expected vengeful spirits suddenly appearing and chasing after him.]]