I'm Not Convinced About Making The Mimic The Next Main FNAF Villain

Five Nights at Freddy's is pivoting to the Mimic in its next game, which is reasonable if you consider that there's not a lot left to explore about the original villain: William Afton. Even in Security Breach, Afton's return as Glitchtrap was already pushing it, so creating another game with his presence in any way would be too unbelievable and not that interesting anymore. Afton definitely fulfilled his role at this point, and he was interesting as a villain, but now there's nothing left to learn about him.

The Mimic has appeared on and off in various FNAF games. However, it tends not to be the primary villain when it appears, with Security Breach: Ruin being the game where it has the biggest role so far. Now, it gets the main role in Secret of the Mimic, but I'm not convinced that it has the qualities to fill the primary villain role that's been left vacant with Afton's story being over.

What Is The Mimic And How Can It Be A Villain?

An Animatronic That's Not Possessed

The Mimic was created by Edwin Murray to act as a playtime companion for his young son, David, so that Edwin could work without being interrupted by him. Of course, the intention was good, but the actual result was that the Mimic wasn't entirely able to take care of David and keep him safe, which resulted in David dying young. Naturally, Edwin didn't handle his son's death well, and he ended up taking his anger out on the Mimic.

FNAF Secret Of The Mimic creepy characters

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Because the Mimic was designed to imitate the behavior it saw, the violence that Edwin unleashed on it after his son died taught the Mimic to be inherently violent, starting the beginning of its villain arc. This makes it different from most villains you encounter in the FNAF series because it's not possessed by a vengeful spirit. As a result, it's believable that the Mimic could be a decent villain to use in a game or two, but it doesn't have the long-term potential that Afton had.

Why The Mimic Doesn't Feel Like Other Villains

Its Origin Isn't The Same

Animatronics from Five Nights at Freddy's look menacing.

Most enemies you face in FNAF are connected to William Afton, and he shows up more than once as an enemy himself. This means that the Mimic faces a unique problem that most villains haven't had to deal with in past games. Unlike most villains, the Mimic doesn't have a long history with mysteries that you uncover as you play, which has fueled countless FNAF fan theories over the years. Because of this, it might not be as interesting as a villain compared to the others we've seen over the years.

The Mimic could be a great villain to use as a transition to a new storyline.

There's nothing wrong with using a villain that's simply an enemy due to its nature, but it might not feel as compelling in a series that gained a lot of popularity from its lore being perfect for theorists, creating a community based on analyzing the smallest details in each game. I believe it's possible to still include depth to Secret of the Mimic, especially if we're finding lore that sets up whatever story could be next and using this game as more of a transition to that point.

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Since the Mimic doesn't have the history other villains have had, it doesn't have the same long-term potential to be a villain across multiple games, at least not without a lot of new developments happening for it in the next game. However, the Mimic could be a great villain to use as a transition to a new storyline that doesn't rely as heavily on Afton, opening up the franchise to more possibilities. Otherwise, it might become difficult to keep the series as alive as it is now.

Maybe It's Time For A New Story In FNAF

The Start Of A New Generation

Animatronics from Five Nights At Freddy's.

The series is at an interesting point right now, considering that the main villain for the past decade has more than fulfilled his role. One option would be a FNAF remake to change the games and how the story plays out. However, it might be better to shift to a new story instead of continuing or remaking the original one. Surely, there could be other franchises or companies in the FNAF universe that have had serious ethical violations.

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After a decade, it's inevitable for a series like FNAF to reach a point where it has to decide how to approach the next story arc. Right now, the Mimic can act as a transitional villain, but it would need more depth added for it to take the place of Afton. If it's left as it is, then it would be best for there to be a new villain developed to take over in Five Nights at Freddy's.