History Characters / FiveNightsAtFreddysWilliamAfton

* InvincibleVillain: [[JokerImmunity Afton is just too integral to the series' lore to be killed off permanently]] and [[CameBackStrong every time he's "killed", he comes back stronger than ever]]. Gets crushed by the springlock suit? He comes back as Springtrap. Gets burned alive in the third game? He comes back as Scraptrap. Gets burned alive ''again'' and sent to Hell? Fazbear Entertainment scans Scraptrap's remains for their new VR game, inadvertently creating a digital version of his soul called Glitchtrap. Manage to force a hard reset when Glitchtrap tries to possess your body? It doesn't kill him; it just traps him in the game and it's implied he'll find some way out eventually, and the Halloween DLC implies that he has an accomplice ready to help him. To quote the man himself:

** It's implied in ''Ultimate Custom Night'' that the game is William's personal hell, as he is tormented by the animatronics (both real and imagined) that he helped create, his various victims for all eternity, and ''two versions of himself'', cursing the names of Henry and Michael or screaming for Mike to help him for eternity. A horrifying fate, but for him, ''fitting.''

* RasputinianDeath: He is crushed to death with several of his limbs exploded or torn apart, his skull is split open down the middle, and his eyes have been pushed out in favor of the bulging eyes of the animatronics. After decaying in a sealed room for anywhere from a few months to ''decades'', he is eventually freed. Unfortunately for him, his freedom is short-lived, as the attraction ignites from faulty electrical wiring and burns down, presumably with him still inside it. And the ending of ''Sister Location'' reveals that [[UpToEleven he survived]] ''[[UpToEleven that]].'' And then, ''another'' building (the setting of ''Pizzeria Simulator'') burns down, this time a maze with no exit so he can't escape, to do him in. And even then, [[Literature/FiveNightsAtFreddysFazbearFrights "The Man in Room 1280"]] implies that '''that still wasn't enough to kill him''' (although in that case his survival was due in large part to Andrew's spirit keeping him alive to continue suffering). And in the same story, [[ItMakesSenseInContext he fucking exploded]]. His soul, despite all that, is still alive.

* CutLexLuthorACheck: Downplayed, since the animatronics he creates are at least ''superficially'' part of an ([[CorruptCorporateExecutive loosely, anyway]]) honest business, but the fact still stands that the end goal that he puts his practically ''revolutionary'' skill in mechanics towards is killing people, [[RageWithinTheMachine usually ruining the credibility of the business said skillset goes towards in the process]].

* TooCleverByHalf: Shows this quite frequently. While incredibly cunning and manipulative, a prodigy in mechanical engineering, and scarily competent at everything he does, his overconfidence and lack of improvisational foresight is his downfall many times throughout the series. Perhaps his two most glaring instances include hiding in the Springlock suit while literally ''surrounded'' by moisture that could ([[CruelAndUnusualDeath and does]]) loosen the locks and investigating the pizzeria from the sixth game even when he knew ''something'' was up.

[[quoteright:345:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/williamafton.png]]
[[caption-width-right:345:[[ForegoneConclusion He will come back]]. '''[[JokerImmunity He always does]].''']]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/purpleguy.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[ForegoneConclusion He will come back]]. '''[[JokerImmunity He always does]].''']]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/williamafton.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[ForegoneConclusion He will come back]]. '''[[JokerImmunity He always does]].''']]

''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation'' reveals more information on him. He's William Afton, owner of the company, Afton Robotics. He designed the animatronics for Circus Baby's Pizza World, secretly giving them features that would allow them to kidnap and murder children. Unfortunately, his daughter became one of the first victim of the "Funtime animatronics".

----

* AscendedExtra: His role seems to become larger with each game (with the exception of the fourth game). In the first game, he is only mentioned in newspaper clippings that you are unlikely to look at in one of the rooms. In the second game, he appears in several of minigames you may end up playing after you get killed, and is alluded to in Phone Guy's phone calls. In the third game, he is the BigBad. In the fifth game, he designed the animatronics trying to kill you -- and the one animatronic who's ''not'' trying to kill you ''[[EatsBabies engulfed a young girl]]'' against its own will, meaning he literally designed them to ''kill people.'' And lastly, in the sixth game, he is [[BigBadDuumvirate one of the two Big Bads]] and has influenced his daughter to follow his murderous ways. And in the VR game, he's the sole BigBad once again, ''[[TheBadGuyWins and actually wins]]''.

** Did he really love his daughter, or was he planning on making her his successor? He is a sociopath, after all, and ''Pizzeria Simulator'''s cartoon cutcenes imply that he has problems in forming a genuine smile, so he might not actually feel anything. Baby's motive in ''PS'' doesn't exactly help his case.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: It's implied that he framed the day shift guard in ''2'' (assuming the two aren't one and the same), and ultimately went completely unpunished... and then his last trek on covering his tracks ended poorly. ''[[HairRaisingHare Very poorly]]''. On the other hand, being a murdering asshole is what [[LaserGuidedKarma got his children killed]]; it's implied that [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes he genuinely cared about at least one of them]], so he didn't get away ''entirely'' scot-free. He finally gets everything he deserves in ''6'' when the father of the child inside the Puppet (implied to be the game version of Henry) lures him into a trap and incinerates him completely, finally sending him to Hell where he belongs. [[NotQuiteDead Until the VR game]].

[[caption-width-right:350:[[ForegoneConclusion He will come back.]] '''[[JokerImmunity He always does.]]''']]
->''"With all due respect, those aren't [[HomicideMachines the design choices]] we were curious about, [[WhamLine Mr. Afton.]]"''

''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation'' reveals more information on him. He's William Afton, owner of the company, Afton Robotics. He designed the animatronics for Circus Baby's Pizza World, secretly giving them features which would allow them to kidnap and murder children. Unfortunately, his daughter became one of the first victim of the "Funtime animatronics".

* AscendedExtra: His role seems to become larger with each game (with the exception of the fourth game). In the first game, he is only mentioned in newspaper clippings that you are unlikely to look at in one of the rooms. In the second game, he appears in several of minigames you may end up playing after you get killed, and is alluded to in Phone Guy's phone calls. In the third game, he is the BigBad. In the fifth game, he designed the animatronics trying to kill you -- and the one animatronic who's ''not'' trying to kill you ''[[EatsBabies engulfed a young girl]]'' against its own will, meaning he literally designed them to ''kill people.'' And lastly, in the sixth game, he is [[BigBadDuumvirate one of the two Big Bads]] and has influenced his daughter to follow his murderous ways. And in the VR game, he's the sole BigBad once again, ''[[TheBadGuyWins and actually wins.]]''

* AxCrazy: From what we can tell, he seems to be ''very'' violent and sadistic. Contrary to what his actions might imply, however, his [[SuddenlyVoiced sole appearance]] in ''Sister Location'' depicts him as FauxAffablyEvil, and he ''maybe'' [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes deeply cared about his daughter.]]

* BrainUploading: ''Help Wanted'' implies that the circuitboards uploaded into the VR game somehow contained pieces of William's soul, allowing him to manifest as the glitchy Spring Bonnie animatronic.

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: C.E.O. of a robotics company, and a serial child killer.

* DemotedToExtra: Appears briefly in the fourth game, simply doing his day job as a Fazbear Entertainment security guard. Justified, as he has no role in torturing the child and [[AmbiguousSituation whoever we play as in the nights]]... but he ''is'' heavily implied to be [[LukeIAmYourFather their father.]]

* DyingAlone: William's eventual fate as revealed in the pixelated ending movie of ''3''. The revenant children scare him into donning the defective Spring Bonnie suit, the locks fail when he mocks the ghosts from inside a wet room and a possibly wet suit, and he is mangled from the inside out -- still twitching even as the children fade away. No one is there to witness his final, agonizing moments. He dies for the second (but not final) time in ''Pizzeria Simulator'', but he's [[SubvertedTrope accompanied]] by his daughter, his son, his old business partner, one of the children he murdered, [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and Molten Freddy.]]

* EvilIsBigger: Relative to the other characters -- especially his cameo in ''4'', where we see him next to another adult -- his sprites indicate someone ''tall.''[[note]]To be clear: no matter what shot he's in, he utterly ''dwarfs'' every other character on-screen. This includes ''[[LeanAndMean the Puppet.]]''[[/note]]

* EyesAreUnbreakable: The images in ''3'' with Springtrap pulling his head off, effectively showing the face of the murderer's corpse, show that his eyes are still pretty intact. Although they're oddly bulging and cartoony looking, which could be a stylistic choice... or a sign that they've been [[EyeScream replaced in some way by the eyes of the Spring Bonnie costume.]]

** To Phone Guy. They're polar opposites in many respects. William's actions would imply [[RageWithinTheMachine he detests and despises everything]] the Freddy's Restaurants stand for. He cunningly murders children out-of-sight in a place where they are supposed to be happy, all with a constant smug grin. He's the C.E.O. of a robotics company, and carefully chooses his words with a menacing voice. Phone Guy's lectures, however, show he ''adores'' the animatronics and the establishment, knowing they hold a special place in children's hearts. He breaks no rules and [[TeachersPet enjoys reminding others about the rules.]] He's only a lowly worker and while his speech is informal, it's very cheerful. [[DeathByIrony And they both die because of what they do.]]

* FreudianExcuse: If - repeat, '''''IF''''' - he is the child of the [[AbusiveParents abusive orange man]] in the ''Midnight Motorist'' minigame, it could come to show how he slowly but surely grew to become TheSociopath he is now. [[FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse This of course hardly if at all excuses his actions, however.]]

* HiddenDepths: For a brutal and sadistic SerialKiller, he appears to be one heck of a technician, if ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation'' is of any indication.[[note]]This matches up with the idea that he tampered with the Toy Animatronics' facial recognition in ''2'', even if not fully confirmed.[[/note]] He's also [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes not completely heartless,]] since it's revealed he had [[MoralityPet a daughter]] that he loved enough to try and keep safe from his murderous creations. [[LaserGuidedKarma He failed.]][[note]]However, that last bit could have been [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] according to ''Pizzeria Simulator'', which implies that he ''deliberately'' killed off Elizabeth to make her into DaddysLittleVillain.[[/note]]

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: It's implied that he framed the day shift guard in ''2'' (assuming the two aren't one and the same), and ultimately went completely unpunished... and then his last trek on covering his tracks ended poorly. ''[[HairRaisingHare Very poorly]]''. On the other hand, being a murdering asshole is what [[LaserGuidedKarma got his children killed]]; it's implied that [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes he genuinely cared about at least one of them]], so he didn't get away ''entirely'' scot-free. He finally gets everything he deserves in ''6'' when the father of the child inside the Puppet (implied to be the game version of Henry) lures him into a trap and incinerates him completely, finally sending him to Hell where he belongs. [[NotQuiteDead Until the VR game.]]

* TheSpook: Who is he? Where did he come from? Why does he kill children? Why does he target a very specific pizzeria for his murders? Why does he come back to destroy the animatronics? Why/how does he come back as Springtrap? ''Sister Location'' adds a little more information on him: his name is William Afton, he built the Circus Baby gang (to abduct children, of course) and he [[HiddenDepths had a daughter.]] ''[[EatenAlive Had]]'' being the keyword here. That said, his motives are still a mystery.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Played with. Whilst the stuff that happens during gameplay and the story are as a result of his actions, apart from killing the children, he has nothing to do with the Bite of '87 and had absolutely no clue about the haunted animatronics... [[TheReveal until]] [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys3 the third game,]] [[ArtificialZombie possibly.]] Although, considering what's shown in SL, it's possible that the [[CreatingLife children's possessing the animatronics was intended after all]].

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9d747fd97ae05e3a345d1f51b6d74988.png]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[ForegoneConclusion He will come back.]] [[HistoryRepeats He always does]].]]

* DirtyCoward: After seeing the ghosts of the children he killed, he panics, bolting down a hallway and getting backed into a corner. He tries to hide in an animatronic suit, accidentally killing himself in the process.

* DirtyCoward: After seeing the ghosts of the children he killed, he panics, bolting down a hallway and getting backed into a corner. He tries to hide in an animatronic suit, accidentally killing himself in the process.

* DirtyCoward: He gets backed into a corner by the spirits of his victims and tries to hide in an animatronic suit, accidentally killing himself in the process.

* InvincibleVillain: [[JokerImmunity Afton is just too integral to the series' lore to be killed off permanently]] and [[CameBackStrong every time he's "killed", he comes back stronger than ever]]. Gets crushed by the springlock suit? He comes back as Springtrap. Gets burned alive in the third game? He comes back as Scraptrap. Gets burned alive ''again'' and sent to Hell?[[spoiler:Fazbear Entertainment scans Scraptrap's remains for their new VR game, inadvertently creating a digital version of his soul called Glitchtrap. Manage to force a hard reset when Glitchtrap tries to possess your body? It doesn't kill him; it just traps him in the game and it's implied he'll find some way out eventually, and the Halloween DLC implies that he has an accomplice ready to help him. To quote the man himself:

* KarmaHoudini: After all the shit he's done, he survived and has a follower that will murder children for him (even if reluctantly).

For his other forms, see [[Characters/FiveNightsAtFreddysThirdGeneration Springtrap]], [[Characters/FiveNightsAtFreddysSixthGeneration Scraptrap]] and [[Characters/FiveNightsAtFreddysVRGeneration Glitchtrap]].

[[quoteright:150:[[labelnote:Click for his appearance in the SAVE THEM minigame]]\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9d747fd97ae05e3a345d1f51b6d74988.png]]
[[caption-width-right:150:[[ForegoneConclusion He will come back]]. [[HistoryRepeats He always does]].]][[/labelnote]]
[[quoteright:315:[[labelnote:Click for his appearance as Springtrap]]\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/springtrap_6.png]]
[[caption-width-right:315:[[SoleSurvivor I am still here]].]][[/labelnote]]
[[quoteright:126:[[labelnote:Click for his appearance as Scraptrap]]\\
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[[caption-width-right:126:"[[CallBack I]] '''[[CallBack always]]''' [[CallBack come back]]."]][[/labelnote]]
[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:Click for his appearance as Glitchtrap]]\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/glitchtrap.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:'''[[WhamLine I ALWAYS COME BACK]]. [[SealedEvilInACan LET ME]] ''[[SealedEvilInACan OUT!]]''''']][[/labelnote]]

** Mr. Afton what did you ''think'' was going to happen when you hastily climbed inside of a potentially hazardous animatronic suit? The same suit that goes off with just the slightest bit of breath and moisture. [[FailedASpotCheck In a dilapidated room filled with rain and rainwater]]?

* TraumaCongaLine: A villainous version. First, his [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation daughter died simply out of curiousity]], by meeting a specific animatronic while she was completely alone -- allowing it to kill her (and to add insult to injury, [[LaserGuidedKarma the animatronic was one of his own killing machines]]). Second, he [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys1 got found out by the ghosts who he murdered]] and met the same fate as with his own children. Third, [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys3 the restaurant he worked with turned into a scare mansion]], turning his life's work into nothing more but a widely-hated urban legend and a mere profit scheme. And finally, [[KarmicDeath karma comes back to bite him]] in the form of Cassette Man/Henry, his old friend, and Mike, his ''own son he left to die'', when they leave him and his daughter Elizabeth/Baby in an inescapable maze to be immolated. Let's just say there is no sympathy to the monster to begin with.

* VillainsOutShopping: His appearance in the fourth game show him putting someone in a suit... but seeing how there's another person wearing a Golden Freddy suit nearby, it's entirely possible that William is simply helping out a fellow employee.
* WouldHurtAChild: Six of them. There is a possibility that it extends to eleven (to account for the ambiguous placing of the minigames in ''2'' and the Toy animatronics), but after ''2'', the idea seems to have [[AbortedArc gone nowhere]].[[note]] the "Happiest Day" minigame only shows six children ghosts and ''Pizzeria Simulator'' likewise ends the story with six gravestones.[[/note]]

[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9d747fd97ae05e3a345d1f51b6d74988.png]]
[[caption-width-right:150:[[ForegoneConclusion He will come back]]. [[HistoryRepeats He always does]].]]

* BigBad: He is the main antagonist of the entire series, killing multiple children at the Fazbear establishments, therefore kickstarting the events of the entire franchise.

* DirtyCoward: He gets backed into a corner by the spirits of his victims and tries to hide in an animatronic suit, accidentally killing himself in the process.

* FinalBoss: Chronologically, he serves as this alongside the Puppet, Baby and Freddy-as-Ennard.

** To Phone Guy. They're polar opposites in many respects. William's actions would imply [[RageWithinTheMachine they detest and despise everything]] the Freddy's Restaurants stand for. He cunningly murders children out-of-sight in a place where they are supposed to be happy, all with a constant smug grin. He's the C.E.O. of a robotics company, and carefully chooses his words with a menacing voice. Phone Guy's lectures, however, show he ''adores'' the animatronics and the establishment, knowing they hold a special place in children's hearts. He breaks no rules and [[TeachersPet enjoys reminding others about the rules.]] He's only a lowly worker and while his speech is informal, it's very cheerful. [[DeathByIrony And they both die because of what they do.]]
** He's also this to Cassette Man. While Cassette Man is doing what he does to release the soul of his daughter and the other troubled souls in the animatronics, William accompanies Baby/Elizabeth in trying to kill Mike and several more children. Afton is also an example of the worst of humanity (violence and cowardice), while Cassette Man demonstrates the best of humanity (atonement, justice and sacrifice).
* FreudianExcuse: If - repeat, '''''IF''''' - he is the child of the [[AbusiveParents abusive orange man]] in the ''Midnight Motorist'' minigame, it could come to show how he slowly but surely grew to become TheSociopath he is now. This of course hardly if at all excuses his actions, however.

* GeniusBruiser: Smart enough to build animatronics with facial recognition hooked up to a criminal database in 1987, and strong enough to overpower and disable the animatronics, though he had the element of surprise.

** He's the BigBad of the third game and possibly the VR game.

* HiddenDepths: For a brutal and sadistic SerialKiller, he appears to be one heck of a technician, if ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation'' is of any indication.[[note]]This matches up with the idea that he tampered with the Toy Animatronics' facial recognition in ''2.''[[/note]] He's also [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes not completely heartless,]] since it's revealed he had [[MoralityPet a daughter]] that he loved enough to try and keep safe from his murderous creations. [[LaserGuidedKarma He failed.]][[note]]However, that last bit could have been [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] according to ''Pizzeria Simulator'', which implies that he ''deliberately'' killed off Elizabeth to make her into DaddysLittleVillain.[[/note]]

** After surviving the third game, he managed to stumble upon yet another pizzeria which could contain possible victims, accompanied by his equally bloodthirsty daughter. However, it was all a ruse by his "old friend" Henry/Cassette Man and Mike to end his reign and legacy of terror once and for all.

* InvincibleVillain: [[JokerImmunity Afton is just too integral to the series' lore to be killed off permanently]] and [[CameBackStrong every time he's "killed", he comes back stronger than ever]]. Gets crushed by the springlock suit? He comes back as Springtrap. Gets burned alive in the third game? He comes back as Scraptrap. Gets burned alive ''again'' and sent to Hell? [[spoiler:Fazbear Entertainment scans Scraptrap's remains for their new VR game, inadvertently creating a digital version of his soul called Glitchtrap. Manage to force a hard reset when Glitchtrap tries to possess your body? It doesn't kill him; it just traps him in the game and it's implied he'll find some way out eventually, and the Halloween DLC implies that he has an accomplice ready to help him.]] To quote the man himself:

** In fact, he may well have come back in ''multiple ways'': "The Man in Room 1280" implies that he is the true identity of the malevolent spirit possessing the various animatronics in the ''Fazbear Frights'' books... if the books are canon.

** It's implied in ''Ultimate Custom Night'' that the game is William's personal hell, as he is tormented by the animatronics (both real and imagined) that he helped create, his various victims for all eternity, and ''two versions of himself'', cursing the names of Henry and Michael and screaming for help in vain for eternity. A horrifying fate, but for him, ''fitting.''
* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: It's implied that he framed the day shift guard in ''2'' (assuming the two aren't one and the same), and ultimately went completely unpunished... and then his last trek on covering his tracks ended poorly. ''[[HairRaisingHare Very poorly]]''. On the other hand, being a murdering asshole is what [[LaserGuidedKarma got his children killed]]; it's implied that [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes he genuinely cared about at least one of them]], so he didn't get away ''entirely'' scot-free. He finally gets everything he deserves in ''6'' when the father of the child inside the Puppet (implied to be the game version of Henry) lures him into a trap and incinerates him completely, finally sending him to Hell where he belongs. [[NotQuiteDead Until the VR game.]]

** Dies for the second time at the hands of Henry/Cassette Man (the father of the Puppet, one of William's victims) and Mike, his own son, in ''Pizzeria Simulator''. Cassette Man even states there's a special place in Hell for his kind of evil.

** He betrayed the trust of his friend Henry/Cassette Man and sent his own son to die in ''Sister Location''. That more than comes to bite him in the ass when ''both of them'' orchestrate a plan that destroys him once and for all and undo his evil legacy.
** While it's not clear which position he had in the first Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria (he was probably the day shift security guard), it's very likely that he took full advantage of the very lax policies of the management regarding injuries and disappearances, even possibly getting away with his murders and causing someone else to took the blame for them. This however ends up biting him back when the management decide to wall his corpse in the safe room instead than retrieve it, effectively forcing him into to languish there for decades in the guise of an undead monstrosity.

* LukeIMightBeYourFather: Alongside Phone Guy, he is one of the most likely people to be the Child's father... which may also make him this, thanks to [[EmergencyTransformation circumstances]], to Golden Freddy.

* MesACrowd: If the Man in Room 1280 really is William, then he seems to have become a form of this after being brought to the Fazbear Entertainment Distribution Center, as he is now simultaneously possessing what's implied to be dozens, if not ''hundreds'', of distinct robotic entities.

* NotQuiteDead: ''Fazbear Frights'' heavily implies this to be the case, as it's revealed in "The Man in Room 1280" that William (or rather, someone heavily implied to be him, ''or'' a metaphor for William) survived the fire at the fake pizzeria, courtesy of Andrew ('''possibly''' Golden Freddy's spirit) possessing his body and forcing his soul to remain in his horrifically burned corpse, even long after it should no longer have been able to sustain him. He seemingly loses his body for good come the end of the story...but by that point [[MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning he's already gotten]] [[NiceJobBreakingItHero exactly what he wants]].

* RageWithinTheMachine: While an employee of the Fazbear restaurant chain, he maintains a ''pathological hatred'' of the establishment. This ultimately kills him when he returns to the last restaurant, which had been closed for decades, specifically to dismantle the animatronics.
* RasputinianDeath: He is crushed to death with several of his limbs exploded or torn apart, his skull is split open down the middle, and his eyes have been pushed out in favor of the bulging eyes of the animatronics. After decaying in a sealed room for anywhere from a few months to ''decades'', he is eventually freed. Unfortunately for him, his freedom is short-lived, as the attraction ignites from faulty electrical wiring and burns down, presumably with him still inside it. And the ending of ''Sister Location'' reveals that [[UpToEleven he survived]] ''[[UpToEleven that]].'' It ultimately takes burning down ''another'' building (the setting of ''Pizzeria Simulator''), this time a maze with no exit so he can't escape, to do him in. And even then, [[Literature/FiveNightsAtFreddysFazbearFrights "The Man in Room 1280"]] implies that '''that still wasn't enough to kill him''' (although in that case his survival was due in large part to Andrew's spirit keeping him alive to continue suffering).

* SanitySlippage: Turns out he didn't take the events of ''Sister Location'' -- and the death of [[MoralityPet his daughter]] -- well. William Afton (pre-SL) is still a killer, but he seems more [[AffablyEvil affable]] and prefers to let his creations do the killing (or at least most of the work). The Purple Guy (post-SL) is more psychotic and a ''lot'' more unstable, preferring to kill his prey himself, and his sanity as Springtrap isn't much better either.

* SerialKiller: One of the most notable things -- that is, [[TheFaceless one of the]] ''[[TheGhost only]]'' [[TheSpook things]] -- we know about him. He's murdered anywhere from five to a grand total of ''eleven'' [[WouldHurtAChild children,]] and is [[GreaterScopeVillain directly responsible, one way or another, for 90% of the bad things that happen in the franchise, thanks to said murders.]] Mr. Hippo's dialogue in ''Ultimate Custom Night'' implies that he and Orville Elephant were a [[ElderAbuse couple of old men]] that were killed.

* TheSociopath: Mr. Afton ticks off all the boxes: Lack of empathy? Check; he doesn't care who he kills, and even his friends and family are at most pawns to be used (with the ''possible'' exception of Elizabeth). Lying manipulator? Check; his intro speech in ''Sister Location'' is ''really'' well composed, but also doesn't address the question asked of him at all. Constant need for stimulation? Check; the only reason that seems to be given why he kills children is because he likes it and he's able to. Brilliant but also lacking foresight? Check; while he is behind the creation of the animatronics and springlock suits, he displays a severe lack of forward thinking: [[spoiler:he decides to run inside the springlock suit even when the condition it's in makes it highly likely to kill him, and even as Scraptrap '''knows''' the pizzeria isn't what it seems but can't resist the opportunity to kill more kids. Both of these examples lead to his death.]]

->''"With all due respect, those aren't [[HomicideMachines the design choices]] we were curious about, Mr. Afton."''

A serial killer who murdered at least six[[note]]with some evidence suggesting ''even more than that''[[/note]] children, possibly by stuffing them into the animatronic suits in part of the backstory for all five games. Though he makes minimal appearances in the actual games, he appears prominently in most of the minigames, depicted solely as a tall, grinning purple man.

''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation'' reveals more information on him. He's William Afton, owner of the company, Afton Robotics. He designed the animatronics for Circus Baby's Pizza World, secretly giving them features which would allow them to kidnap and murder children. Unfortunately, [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes his daughter]] became one of their first victims.

** While he cares for his daughter, his son is not so fortunate, as he seemingly sent him to die in his place.
** It's also possible that he was on the receiving end of this, growing up with a physically abusive and alcoholic father. If you buy the theory that the orange man from ''Pizzeria Simulator'' is his father.

** In [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys4 the fourth game]], we see him putting someone in a suit. Whether this was him framing someone or helping someone while doing his day job is unknown. Knowing Purple Guy, it's probably the former... someone ''was'' arrested, after all, and it wasn't him. He also could be the father of the Child from ''4''.
** After the Custom Night update for ''Sister Location'', a debate was sparked, as to whether he, or his son, Michael, was possessing Springtrap... although [[WordOfGod Word Of God]] implicitly confirmed William as the one inside Springtrap in response to [[WebVideo/GameTheory MatPat's]] final FNAF theory.

* AndIMustScream: His agonizing death was slow and painful, but afterwards his soul was left trapped in Springtrap's suit, which was [[SealedEvilInACan barred up and left to rot]] for ''decades''.

* ArchnemesisDad: To Michael, if Mike really is the protagonist of ''Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator''; even more so if he is the protagonist of the other games.

** The same goes for his [[NotQuiteDead maybe-final death]] at the hands of Henry/Cassette Man and presumably Mike.

* BringIt: The shape is deliberately vague, but either Purple Guy is holding some sort of weapon as he pounces on Freddy (see middle image), or holding his palm out in a beckoning gesture. Either one fits a predator who leads children astray. After the third game's reveal of the springlock suits, it's also possible that he's holding the hand-crank used to switch the suit into "costume mode". This is made more likely by the knowledge that the springlock suits were part of Purple Guy's M.O.

* TheCorrupter: A possible theory as to the reason why Baby[=/=]Elizabeth now aspires to be a SerialKiller like him. It's also heavily implied that he ([[VirtualGhost or a variation of him]]) is responsible for [[JackTheRipoff Vanny]].

** Purple Guy disguised himself with the Spring Bonnie suit and used it to kill six children without setting off the springlocks that kept the endoskeleton in the suit from skewering him. Then in a fit of panic, while being cornered by the ghosts of the first five children he murdered, he hides in said springlock suit. [[TooDumbToLive The same suit that goes off with just the slightest bit of breath and moisture. In a dilapidated room filled with rain and rainwater.]]

* DeathIsCheap: He's been killed at least two times, first by being crushed inside a metal animatronic suit and left to rot for twenty years, only to then burn in an electrical fire. And, as ''Sister Location'' reveals, he's ''still alive after that.'' Subverted in the sixth game, where he finally meets his end and is sent to Hell.
** Double subverted in Help Wanted where he appears to have somehow transferred his consciousness into a piece of malware in an effort to escape Hell.

* {{Determinator}}: Credit must be given where it is due - the guy is an absolute monster, but he simply ''won't stay down''. He managed to come back after dying. Twice. It takes being completely incinerated to finally destroy him for good and send him to Hell. Apparently ''not even falling into the deepest part of Hell'' can keep him down -- it's heavily implied that part of his consciousness lives on as the Virtual Spring Bonnie that targets you throughout ''Help Wanted''.

* DraggedOffToHell: Is finally completely incinerated in the sixth game and the Cassette Man makes it clear this is what's waiting for him instead of the peace awaiting his victims on the other side.
* DyingAlone: William's eventual fate as revealed in the pixelated ending movie of ''3''. The revenant children scare him into donning the defective Spring Bonnie suit, the locks fail when he mocks the ghosts from inside a wet room and a possibly wet suit, and he is mangled from the inside out -- still twitching even as the children fade away. No one is there to witness his final, agonizing moments. He dies once again (for good this time) in ''Pizzeria Simulator'', but he's [[SubvertedTrope accompanied]] by his daughter, his son, his old business partner, one of the children he murdered...[[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and Molten Freddy.]]

* EvilSoundsDeep: "Mr. Afton" in ''Sister Location'' has a deeper voice than most other male characters in the game. Coupled with his EvilBrit accent, he sounds quite menacing. His voice sounds even deeper in the sixth game, where he is already Springtrap.

* FauxAffablyEvil: Wears a smile wherever he goes, and death usually follows. When we finally [[SuddenlyVoiced hear him speak]] ,his voice is full of this, too.

* AlasPoorVillain: Played both ways: his demise in [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys3 FNAF3]] is nowhere pretty, and after that, there's no indication that what's left of him is something more than a mindless monster and, if he is still consciously there, that he may be happy of what he ends up becoming. However in [[VideoGame/FreddyFazbearsPizzeriaSimulator the sixth game]], not only we learn that he is still 100% himself and completely in control of Springtrap (to the point of being able to talk, repair himself, and remember his past) but that he is mostly unconcerned by his new form and STILL out for children's blood.

* EvilGenius: As of ''Sister Location's'' intro, he's smart enough to build high-tech intelligent robots that can dispense ice cream, inflate balloons, and grab children inside them and kill them. Heck, this is just building upon [=FNaF2=], which heavily implies that he tampered with the animatronics' facial recognition.

** In the final cutscene in ''[=FNaF=] 3'', you play as one of the dead children. You can find and corner William, along with the souls of the other four children. In a panic, he will jump into the Spring Bonnie suit that he wore while luring the children away. Everything seems fine and dandy for him, until... [[HoistByHisOwnPetard well, let's just say there's a reason it's now called]] ''[[CruelAndUnusualDeath Springtrap]]''. Though, death turns out to be more of an inconvenience for him.

** As shown in the ''Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator'' Fruit Maze mini game, this is part of his MO as a serial killer-- gaining the trust of children so they would follow him, allowing him to kill them without alerting anyone. It's implied that he's been observing the little girl who frequents at the pizzeria's arcade, exploiting the child's emotional vulnerability over the tragic death of her dog by telling her that [[HopeSpot her dog's not dead]] and [[OhCrap he can show her where her dog is if she follows him]]...

* MysteriousWatcher: Spends much of ''FNAF 2'' casing the joint for future crimes, and always portrayed with a SlasherSmile.

* ReturningToTheScene: He returns to the [=FNAF1=] location to destroy the animatronics and therefore rid himself of any remaining evidence. This ultimately led to his death.

[[Characters/FiveNightsAtFreddysWilliamAfton William Afton]]\\