Sumith Prasad
When Abby befriends the boy with blonde hair in Peacock/Universal Pictures’ horror film ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s,’ she hears a lot about a certain “Yellow Rabbit.” Abby’s brother Mike Schmidt comes across the Yellow Rabbit in a drawing of Abby, in which he is a pleasant presence among a few children. While Mike and Abby’s lives get threatened at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, Vanessa tells him the secret regarding the Yellow Rabbit and its connection to not only the haunted animatronic mascots of the pizzeria but also his brother Garrett. So, who or what is the Yellow Rabbit? Let us unravel the mystery behind the character! SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Serial Killer
Yellow Rabbit is really Vanessa’s father William Afton, the serial killer who kidnapped and murdered Mike’s brother Garrett and five other children in the 1980s. After the murders, William has been leading his life as a career counselor using the name Steve Raglan. He is the man who leads Mike to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. When the pizzeria was operational, William, who also seemingly owns the place, used to entertain kids wearing the Yellow Rabbit, also known as “Spring Bonnie,” suit. He must have lured his victims using the suit, only to kill them and hide their remains in the other animatronics at the pizzeria.
When William wears the Yellow Rabbit suit, he becomes one among other animatronics at the place. The suit gives him a strange power to influence other mascots. That’s how he uses them to kill others. The supernatural power also enables him to lead the mascots to hunt Mike and Abby down. Freddy and others then try to kill the brother and sister to satisfy William’s murderous impulses. The spirits of the children who were killed by William are unaware that the person who murdered them is the one who wears the suit and pretends to be their friend.
Mike saves himself, Abby, and Vanessa from William by creating a twist to his sister’s Yellow Rabbit drawing. He asks the girl to draw the mascot killing the children so that the boy with blonde hair and others, who possess Freddy and other animatronics, realize that the Yellow Rabbit is none other than their murderer. After learning the truth, Freddy and others turn against William.
William Afton’s Afterlife
William’s Yellow Rabbit suit, the same one that enabled him to kidnap and murder children, ends up killing him gradually. After Freddy and other animatronics turn against him, the cupcake mascot triggers the springlock mechanism in the suit, only for the same to pierce through his body. William starts to bleed heavily and he gets banished to the back room, where he is locked up by the boy with blonde hair. William is expected to die in the room due to the heavy blood loss. Having said that, his spirit may possess the Yellow Rabbit suit and he may remain in his pizzeria as a haunted mascot.
The words, “Come find me,” at the end of the film can be said by William, who has become the Yellow Rabbit for good. He must be seeking revenge against Mike, Abby, and Vanessa for turning his “loyal servants” against him, which results in his death. Matthew Lillard, who plays William, already revealed that he signed a three-movie deal with Universal and Blumhouse Productions. If a sequel to the movie gets officially greenlit, we can expect to see the Yellow Rabbit causing havoc in the pizzeria once again.
Read More: Five Nights at Freddy’s: Mid-Credits Scene, Explained
