Circus Baby (Five Nights at Freddy)

 Reading Time: 7 mins

To step into the world of "Five Nights at Freddy's" is to embrace a thrilling blend of horror, intrigue, and memorable characters, each with their own unique stories. Among the standouts is Circus Baby, an animatronic that has captured the hearts and imaginations of fans worldwide. 

Circus Baby, known by fans simply as 'Baby', first came to the spotlight in the fifth installment of the series, "Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location". Created by Scott Cawthon, the creator of Five Nights at Freddy's universe, Baby's character provides an eerie sense of thrill and horror. 

Backstory

To truly understand Circus Baby's character, we need to take a journey back in time, to where it all began. Circus Baby was part of an entertainment franchise called Circus Baby's Pizza World, which, like Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, was meant to be a paradise for children. 

Circus Baby was created by William Afton, the co-owner of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. She wasn't just any animatronic; she was special. Afton designed her in the image of his daughter, Elizabeth, who tragically lost her life to Circus Baby. The curious child, unable to resist the allure of the colorful, playful animatronic, was captured and killed by Baby's built-in ice cream dispenser, an unfortunate incident that led to the closure of Circus Baby's Pizza World.

This tragic event changed Baby forever. She became haunted by the spirit of Elizabeth, leading her to behave in unpredictable ways. Afton, in an attempt to control the animatronics, ended up creating an underground rental service named Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rentals. Despite the changes in setting and management, the spirit of Elizabeth continued to influence Baby's actions, adding a hauntingly human touch to her animatronic persona.

Appearance and Design

Her towering stature, standing at 7.2 feet tall, is a feature that immediately grabs your attention. Clad in a vibrant red and white clown ensemble, her design heavily reflects her circus theme. Complementing her outfit are her shiny red shoes and vibrant red hair, which is tied up into two large, playful pigtails on either side of her head. The jester-inspired attire is completed with a ruffled collar and a pair of matching wrist cuffs, embodying the true essence of a classic clown.

Her facial design, too, is a striking feature. Beneath the glossy green eyes and the painted, bright red lips, a mechanical shell hides - a reminder of the character's animatronic nature. Baby's eyes are a subject of intrigue. They are bright green, mirroring the eyes of Afton's daughter Elizabeth. But Circus Baby is more than a pretty face. Hidden within her are a number of contraptions, including a helium tank and a claw designed to capture unsuspecting children.

Personality

On the surface, Circus Baby lives up to her role as a performer. She's outgoing and captivating, a natural when it comes to drawing in the audience. Her voice, mellifluous and expressive, has an uncanny ability to keep you on the edge of your seat. But under this veneer of entertainment and charm, there's a darker side.

Circus Baby is manipulative. In "Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location," she consistently guides the protagonist, demonstrating a high degree of cunning and strategic thinking. She knows when to play the caring guide and when to deceive. Her ability to manipulate is a chilling reminder of her true purpose as a predatory machine designed to lure and capture.

But there's also a sense of tragedy about Circus Baby. She displays moments of emotional depth, especially when she talks about the incident that resulted in her possessing Elizabeth's spirit. There's a hint of melancholy, a yearning for freedom from her mechanical existence. The fact that she's aware of her situation adds a layer of pathos to her character, making her one of the most emotionally compelling characters in the "Five Nights at Freddy's" universe.

Circus Baby's Goal

Towards the end of the game, it's revealed that Circus Baby's ultimate goal was to escape the facility by merging with other animatronics to form Ennard, and then using the player's body as a disguise to blend in with the human world.

Abilities

The first standout feature of Circus Baby is her size. She's the biggest of the Sister Location animatronics, standing at a towering seven and a half feet tall. Her size alone is enough to inspire fear, but Circus Baby isn't just large - she's smart too. She displays a level of intelligence and cunning far beyond that of her counterparts, using her manipulative skills to influence the player's actions in her favor.

However, the most bone-chilling ability of Circus Baby is her built-in ice cream dispenser, used in a gruesome way you'd least expect. In a haunting backstory revealed in Sister Location, we learn that Circus Baby was able to use her ice cream dispenser to lure and tragically eliminate a little girl. 

Circus Baby is also capable of changing her voice to mimic that of the girl she trapped. This allows her to manipulate others by using the voice of an innocent child, highlighting her deceptive nature. Circus Baby also has the ability to control the other animatronics in Sister Location, exerting her power to command her creepy comrades.

Ice Cream Dispenser

Circus Baby's ice cream dispenser serves as a deadly weapon. The device plays a pivotal role in the animatronic's tragic backstory, serving as a lure for an innocent little girl - who happens to be the daughter of Circus Baby's creator, William Afton.

In the game's lore, Circus Baby uses her built-in ice cream dispenser to attract the little girl. The moment becomes incredibly grim when the dispenser turns into a mechanical claw, pulling the girl inside Circus Baby in a horrifying moment of unexpected terror.

This ghastly functionality of the ice cream dispenser highlights the dark twist on seemingly innocent things common in the Five Nights at Freddy's series. It's a stark reminder that under the vibrant, kid-friendly surface, there's a chilling darkness lurking.

Relationships

One of Circus Baby's most interesting relationships is with Ballora, another animatronic. In the Sister Location, there's an intriguing power dynamic at play. Baby seems to serve as a leader or a guide, often advising the player on how to avoid Ballora's deadly dance. The dynamic is neither friendship nor hostility but an uneasy alliance built on shared experiences and common goals. Yet, there's tension. Circus Baby's control isn't absolute, and there are hints of internal struggles. There are instances where she seems to be in conflict with Ballora. For example, she describes Ballora as uncooperative, indicating possible resentment or rebellion.

Funtime Foxy and Funtime Freddy are other animatronics Circus Baby interacts with. There seems to be a hierarchical relationship here as well. Baby often takes the role of a mediator and guide, trying to keep them in line, further highlighting her authoritative role among the animatronics.

Finally, we can't overlook Circus Baby's relationship with Ennard, the terrifying amalgamation of animatronics. This relationship is quite complex, with Baby being a part of Ennard, but also being expelled later on. Circus Baby's control module becomes a part of Ennard, symbolizing the loss of her autonomy. However, in a later part of the game, it's revealed that Ennard and Baby have separated due to a conflict, showing Baby's individualism and refusal to succumb to collective will.

The Voice of Circus Baby

We've spoken a lot about Circus Baby as a character, but have you ever wondered about the voice behind the character? Yeah, me too! So, let's dive into it. Circus Baby's captivating, yet eerie voice is given by none other than Heather Masters. 

Heather is a voice actress who's lent her voice to a bunch of characters across different media, but for many of us, she'll always be known as the voice behind Circus Baby. Now, it's not just about having a unique voice. The job of a voice actor is to bring a character to life, and Heather does this spectacularly with Circus Baby. 

You see, Circus Baby isn't your run-of-the-mill villain. She's manipulative and cunning, but there's also a hint of melancholy to her. She's a tragic character, and this needed to be reflected in her voice. Heather Masters does a stellar job of bringing all these layers to Baby's character. 

Sources:

Cawthon, S., & Breed-Wrisley, K. (2015). Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes. Scholastic Inc.
Cawthon, S., & Breed-Wrisley, K. (2017). Five Nights at Freddy's: The Twisted Ones. Scholastic Inc.
Cawthon, S. (2016). Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location [Video game]. ScottGames.
Scholastic, & Cawthon, S. (2019). The Freddy Files: Updated Edition (Five Nights At Freddy's). Scholastic Inc.
Cawthon, S. (2019). Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted [Video game]. ScottGames.
Cawthon, S. (2018). Five Nights at Freddy's: Survival Logbook. Scholastic Inc.
Reddit Inc. (n.d.). Five Nights at Freddy's. https://www.reddit.com/r/fivenightsatfreddys/