Here’s a list of four differences between the Vanessa seen in the Five Nights at Freddy's (FNAF) movie compared to the original video game series.
The character is a recent addition to the franchise, and she wasn’t around for the original games on which this new film is based. She didn’t make her first physical appearance until 2021’s Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach, which came nearly eight years after the franchise's inception.
Despite that, the FNAF movie found a spot for her, bringing the character into the franchise’s story as early as possible. While the movie is generally very accurate to the lore set up in the original games, this new version of Vanessa is quite different from her digital counterpart.
The Differences With Vanessa in the Games
Vanessa’s Parentage
In the movie, Vanessa is the daughter of William Afton, the man who killed the children possessing the animatronics in Freddy’s.
In the original lore, there’s no such confirmation. Instead, her connection to the killer comes in the form of being heavily influenced by Glitchtrap, a virus that is Afton in a different form.
It is worth noting there is a common theory that Vanessa is Afton’s daughter. If that is the case, the new movie beat the games to the punch and revealed the information first.
Vanessa is Not So Nice
The Vanessa audiences meet in the Five Nights At Freddy's movie is pretty nice. Sure, she can be questionable at times, but she doesn’t seem to have any ill intent towards Josh Hutcherson’s Mike.
In the games, however, she is quite mean and rude to the player. This makes sense since she’s the primary antagonist of Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach, where she spends her time chasing down the main character, Gregory.
Her different personality leads to another big change that doesn’t make an appearance in the recent movie: she’s a killer.
Vanessa is Actually a Killer
The FNAF movie ends with Vanessa finally helping Mike and going against her father. If anything, she doesn’t seem like the same bloodthirsty maniac that William Afton is.
In the games, this differs as she is depicted as a killer, with one of the multiple endings of Security Breach suggesting that she’s murdered up to nine children.
There are some big questions left in the air about Vanessa in the movie. If it took her this long to turn against her father, what has she done in the past with him?
Could she turn out to be the same killer she is in the game, or did she spare herself that change of fate by helping Mike?
Vanessa Has Her Own Suit, Vanny
In the games, Vanessa has a scary suit known as Vanny.
Vanny is a creepy, feminine, Harley Quinn-esque humanoid bunny. She is white and has sewn-in patches throughout, sporting a blue bow tie, and has bright yellow eyes.
The suit isn’t classically animatronic like Freddy and his bandmates but is instead a costume meant for a human, like William Afton’s Springtrap.
What’s Next for Vanessa?
When the film comes to a close, Vanessa is lying in a coma, wounded from being stabbed by her father. It’s clear that Blumhouse wants the franchise to continue and, with it, her story.
But what’s the next step in Vanessa’s journey?
Well, it’s important to note just how neat and scary the Vanny bunny suit is. With that in mind, it’s hard to believe it won’t be used in a future sequel, meaning Vanessa might not be the good-spirited person she seems to be for very long.
Perhaps, while in this comatose state, Vanessa could be supernaturally corrupted by William Afton’s spirit—or something crazy like that. It might seem way out there, but it is par for the course when it comes to FNAF's continuity.
This would allow for a believable change in her character and give Josh Hutcherson’s Mike a reason to be involved once again with his fellow haunted animatronic friends.
Five Nights at Freddy’s is now streaming on Peacock and playing in theaters worldwide.
