Golden and Shadow Animatronics - What do they mean?
- Rowena Spinks
- Dec 16, 2023
- 5 min read
Authors Note: For this theory to work, you must understand Stand-in storytelling technique. This concept envisions the animatronics as metaphorical representations of ‘real people’ - in this case the fictional Afton family and supporting characters. Therefore, each character depicts the personality and actions of ‘real people’ through heavily fictionalised scenarios. Click here for more details
Tldr: The series borrows from the work of philosophist Jung’s discussion of the persona - including Golden shadows and Shadows.
Golden shadows represent enlightenment and achieving potential. In the series, this translates to achieving the best possible outcome (the greater good) and healing the wounds of the past.
Shadow represents the natural darkness and ability to harm innate within one’s self. In FNAF, it represents trauma created by that animatronic.
The debate over what the meaning behind Shadow and Golden animatronics has been raging since the days of the very first game. It’s posed a major mystery - a loose end the games have neglected to explain in any meaningful way for most of the series history.
To recap, we only had a few fleeting appearances of either sort to theorise around in classic FNAF.
FNAF 1 -
Golden Freddy, a pile of parts on the floor with no endoskeleton
FNAF 2 -
Golden Freddy - As in 1 and also appearing as a disembodied face in the central hallway
Shadow Freddy - Brief rare appearances on the camera
RWQFSFASXC (Shadow Toy Bonnie) - Brief rare appearances on the camera
Springtrap - Golden but appears in minigames as an antagonist
FNAF 3 -
Shadow Balloon Boy - Appearing in an 8-bit BB’s Air Adventure minigame
Shadow Puppet - Appearing in Mangles Quest 8-bit minigame
Shadow cupcake - Rarely appears on camera
Springtrap - Golden but appears as antagonist
FNAF 4 -
Fredbear (debatably another Golden Freddy) - appearing in the Bite of 83 cutscene
Springbonnie - appearing in the Bite of 83 cutscene
Fredbear Plush - The character that watches but befriends Crying Child. The character that promises to put him back together.
UCN
X.O.R (Shadow Dee Dee) - Appears in 50/20 mode
I believe that Ruin has finally presented us with evidence with which to decode their meanings.
This evidence comes in the form of Security Breach and Ruin collectables, where we finally see more Golden animatronics in merchandise form.
Security Breach:
Golden (Glam) Freddy Plushie - Behind the arcade machine in Monty's Room
Golden Chica Plushie - Old wrecked staff Cafeteria
Golden Monty Plushie - Bottom of the Staircase in Bonnie Bowl
Golden Roxy Plushie - S.T.A.F.F tunnel behind the gate with Janitor Bot
Golden Sun Plushie - Kid's Cove in the Lighthouse
Golden Moon Plushie - Daycare Attendent's room next to Balloon World Arcade
Ruin:
Golden Tragedy Mask - Ch 1: On the left of the first Node you encounter.
Golden Sun Plush - Ch 2: On top of the second playpen after the second camera puzzle.
Golden Comedy Mask - Ch 2: In the very back of the Lucky Stars Gift Shop
Golden Moon Plush - Ch 2: Behind the Foxy poster in the secret Daycare room.
Golden (Glamrock) Freddy Plush - Ch 4: Top the stairs in the server room.
Golden Plushbaby - C5: In a creepy hallway full of eyes
Golden Foxy Plush - Ch 7: Inside a stall of the right bathroom behind the Lil' Music Men in Bonnie's Bowling.
Golden Bonnie Plush - Ch 7: At the end of a hall near the Bonnie Bowl sign to the left in a pile of trash.
Why does this help solve the meaning of Golden and Shadow animatronics. Look at the list of animatronics represented. Why are some animatronics here but not others? For example, why is Baby - who isn't present at the Pizzaplex - there but not a Golden Monty in Ruin? Why have we got Golden versions of the animatronics now where we haven’t before?
I believe that the location of each collectible is indicative of moments where the ‘real people’ behind the animatronics achieved Golden status.
But what does this signify?
Jung’s persona theory - how it applies
In Jung’s persona theory, persona is envisioned as “the social face the individual presented to the world—"a kind of mask, designed on the one hand to make a definite impression upon others, and on the other to conceal the true nature of the individual.”
Complementary to Jung’s idea of the persona, which is “what oneself as well as others thinks one is” [CW9 para 221], the “shadow is that hidden, repressed, for the most part inferior and guilt-laden personality whose ultimate ramifications reach back into the realm of our animal ancestors…”. Breaking this down into simple language, it represents the unconscious harm we as human beings inflict by either ignoring or embracing dark or malicious elements of our personality.
Combining this with the idea that Remnant represents memory or strong emotion, this naturally lends to the idea that Shadow animatronics are a metaphorical representation of the trauma the animatronic stand-in person has caused.
On the other hand, Golden Shadows - another theoretical concept - is a person’s submerged greatness. Your Golden Shadow comprises a specialized set of disowned strengths that are reclaimed when you make the effort to heal the wounds from your past. It therefore represents a type of healing and enlightenment that roots from trauma and recognising our shadow side.
With this in mind, I believe it Golden animatronics represents an animatronic healing wounds and achieving the best possible outcome or -in some cases - the greater good despite the costs.
Applying the theory
How does this impact the story? Well, this approach elaborates on existing themes around memories and trauma (embodies within Remnant as a concept), physically representing the good and bad actions of the ‘real people’ represented by the animatronics.
It also explains the strange realities of Golden Freddy. I take Golden Freddy to be a symbol representing both the in-world and real life potential greatest good that Fazbear Entertainment can bring to the world (Freddy is a symbol for the company as a whole). It represents a goal for Mike and the other Aftons to heal the wounds the company has created, bringing about real change.
This is why Golden Freddy appears without an endoskeleton in FNAF 1. The potential of Golden Freddy - just via the game’s existence - exists but has not yet been realised. The shape of it is there but not the bones. This is why he appears in posters on Cam 2B (TO BE) - he doesnt fully exist yet.
In FNAF 2, he appears both as a withered version of his original self and as a disembodied face that appears on the central hallway. They represent Mike’s task of achieving ‘Golden Freddy’ haunting him, reminding him of the pressure he faces.
In FNAF 3, Mike makes his first attempt to achieve Golden Freddy by burning down Fazbear Frights and his father. This is represented by the Happiest Day minigame where a child is given cake and gains a Golden Freddy mask, causing all the masked souls to drop their masks and vanish. This represents the stand-in people behind the animatronics finally being able to remove their masks.
It can also be used to explain the golden colouring of Springbonnie/Springtrap. While he represents an antagonist to the missing children, his actions must have - in some way - helped create a greater good. The cost was five children but he was able to move towards a greater good through their sacrifice.
With this in mind, I believe this concept has been extended to the individual stand-in characters for the other animatronics. Their achievement of Golden Animatronic status relates to behaviour or actions that have helped heal the trauma created by the company. How do we know what behaviour or actions prompted this? Well, unless you understand what story FNAF is truly telling, that will remain a mystery…
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