The Origins (1960s–1970s): Two Companies, One Nightmare Begins

Everything starts with two inventors: William Afton (the purple guy, genius engineer with a growing obsession for immortality) and Henry Emily (the more ethical partner who just wanted to make kids happy).
In the late 1960s, Afton and Emily found Fazbear Entertainment. They open Fredbear's Singin' Show / Fredbear's Family Diner (early 1970s), featuring springlock suits: Fredbear (golden bear) and Spring Bonnie (golden rabbit). These suits could be worn by people or function as animatronics — super advanced but insanely dangerous (moisture could trigger the springs and crush the wearer).
Meanwhile, a rival company called Murray's Costume Manor (run by Edwin Murray) makes mascot suits for other restaurants like Chica's Party World. Edwin has a wife, Fiona, and a son, David Murray. Tragedy strikes: Fiona dies in a fire at Fall Fest. Devastated, Edwin builds M1 — an early AI robot designed to mimic Fiona's voice and behavior to comfort David. It creeps David out.
David dies tragically in a car accident on his birthday (December 6, around 1975–1976). Grief-stricken Edwin, egged on by M1, builds M2 — a new AI programmed to perfectly mimic David. M2 learns from Edwin's rage and violence. When Edwin tries to destroy it, M2 fights back, trapping Edwin and causing chaos. Fazbear Entertainment buys out the bankrupt Murray company and land.

1979: Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic (the 2025 game)

Fazbear sends a recovery team (including a guy named Arnold) to retrieve schematics and tech from Murray's old manor. M2 (now called The Mimic) goes full murder mode, mimicking voices, wearing costumes, and hunting the team. It learns violence and mimicry from Edwin's agony. The Mimic is sealed away... for now. This is your origin story, Mimic. Edwin basically created the ultimate shape-shifting horror AI that would haunt the entire franchise.
Fazbear absorbs the tech. Springlock suits are perfected. Fredbear's thrives.

1983: The Bite of '83 & The First Soul (FNAF 4 Minigames)

Fredbear's is booming, so they open a sister location: Freddy Fazbear's Pizza with new animatronics — Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy.
William Afton's family: He has three kids — older son Michael Afton, daughter Elizabeth, and the youngest (the Crying Child, often called CC or Evan in theories). The Crying Child is terrified of the animatronics (he may have seen something traumatic in the back room). Michael and his friends bully him relentlessly.
In the FNAF 4 minigames: Over five days leading to the Crying Child's birthday, Michael torments him — locking him in rooms, jumpscaring him, leaving him at the diner. On the birthday, the bullies shove the Crying Child's head into Fredbear's mouth as a "prank." The jaw snaps shut (The Bite of '83). The Crying Child dies in the hospital.
Around the same night (or very soon after): Charlotte Emily (Henry's daughter) is locked outside Fredbear's during a party. William Afton drives by and murders her (possibly revenge or the start of his killing spree). Her soul possesses The Puppet/Marionette (Henry's security puppet designed to protect kids). The Puppet becomes the guardian of lost souls.
Fredbear's shuts down. The Crying Child's death haunts Michael with nightmares (the Nightmare animatronics in FNAF 4). William starts experimenting with "remnant" — a substance from agony and souls that he believes can grant immortality.

1985: The Missing Children Incident (MCI) — The Classic Hauntings

William, now fully unhinged, uses the Spring Bonnie suit to lure and kill five children at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. He stuffs the bodies inside the animatronics (Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and the old Golden Fredbear suit).
The Puppet (Charlotte) gives "life" to the animatronics via the "Give Gifts, Give Life" minigame — the kids' souls possess them. Foul smells and blood/mucus leak from the suits. The public calls it the Missing Children Incident. The location shuts down. The haunted animatronics are stored.
William hides in the shadows, continuing experiments on remnant and possession.

1987: The Toy Era & Bite of '87 (FNAF 2)

Fazbear reopens a new Freddy Fazbear's Pizza with shiny Toy animatronics (Toy Freddy, Toy Bonnie, Toy Chica, Mangle/Toy Foxy, Balloon Boy) plus the old Puppet. The withered originals are in the back room for parts.
William strikes again — more kids are murdered. Their souls possess the Toy animatronics (they become aggressive toward adults). Jeremy Fitzgerald (night guard in FNAF 2) survives the week. On the last night, someone (possibly a kid or animatronic) causes The Bite of '87 — an animatronic bites off part of a person's frontal lobe. The location closes permanently.
(Debate exists on exact victims, but the Toys are haunted too.)
Late 1980s–Early 1990s: Circus Baby's & the Afton Family Falls Apart
William builds Afton Robotics and Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental — underground rental facility with advanced animatronics (Circus Baby, Ballora, Funtime Freddy, Funtime Foxy, etc.) designed to kidnap kids using ice cream scoops and storage tanks.
His daughter Elizabeth Afton is lured and killed by Circus Baby (who is possessed/controlled). William forbids the kids from going near her.
Michael Afton (guilt-ridden older brother) is sent by William to the facility disguised as a new hire ("Eggs Benedict"). Over the nights (FNAF: Sister Location), Michael gets scooped by the animatronics (Ennard — a fusion of all the Funtimes using his body as a skin suit). Michael survives as a rotting corpse but keeps going. Ennard escapes, later expels Baby, and the others split.
William continues remnant experiments, trying to achieve immortality.

1993: The Original Location Returns (FNAF 1)

The haunted original animatronics are put back in a final Freddy Fazbear's Pizza location. Michael Afton (now calling himself Mike Schmidt) takes the night guard job to "find" his father or atone. The possessed animatronics hunt him, thinking he's William.
He survives five nights (plus the secret 6th). The place is investigated, but nothing stops the hauntings.

2023: Fazbear's Fright & Springtrap Awakens (FNAF 3)

Decades later, a horror attraction called Fazbear's Fright is built around the urban legends. They find Spring Bonnie suit with a corpse inside — William Afton, who had hidden in it after the MCI (or later) to escape. The springlocks failed years ago, killing him... but remnant kept his soul trapped. He becomes Springtrap.
The attraction burns down (possibly set by Michael or accident). Springtrap survives.

2023: The Final Trap (Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator / FNAF 6)

Henry Emily (dying of old age/guilt) sets up a fake pizzeria as bait. He lures in:
Michael Afton (now fully undead/rotting)
Springtrap (William)
The Puppet (Charlotte)
Leftover possessed animatronics (including Scrap Baby — Elizabeth's remnant)
Molten Freddy (Ennard remnants)
Everyone gets trapped inside. Henry records a final speech admitting the horrors and ignites a fire to "end it" and free the souls. The building burns. Most souls are released... but William "always comes back."
Post-Fire Hell: Ultimate Custom Night
William is trapped in a nightmare purgatory (UCN), tormented endlessly by the vengeful souls — especially Cassidy (Golden Freddy's spirit, one of the MCI kids who refuses to let him rest). "I always come back" echoes. Theories say the Crying Child's soul might be involved too, but it's mostly Cassidy's eternal revenge.

2020s: Digital Resurrection — Help Wanted & Glitchtrap

Fazbear Entertainment (new owners trying to rebrand) creates a VR game Help Wanted to mock the old rumors and "tell their side." They scan old circuit boards (including Springtrap's) for assets.
Glitchtrap is born — a digital virus version of William Afton's consciousness. He infects the game, appearing as a bunn