Overthinking Michael Afton's Monologue

In which we look into how Michael Afton is characterised through his monologue at the end of Sister Location's Custom Night. This is neither a character analysis nor a theory video... it's a secret third thing.
Sources included at the end of the video.
If I made you go “wtf is this guy talking about”, that means I did good.

[@shyguymike]

Words cannot describe how much I love this video. I always thought people ignore a lot of Mike's character, just because it's subtle. 20 minutes of just analysing him from just his speech is just 🤌 What I would like to mention (since I too like to analyse these speeches) is specifically the use of the word "Father." Personally, the way I interpret it is a little different than a sign of respect. To me, it's a sign of distance and *past* respect. "Father" is the most basic word to describe the man who raised you, or at least impregnated your mother. It isn't a diminutive, it isn't a pet name, it isn't a short form. But it's also not an insulting word. It is simply factual. Diminutives and pet names are for friends, colleagues, allies. Or they can be used as mockery. Dad, pops, papa. These inherently show some form of affection. Not just respect, but love. Michael doesn't feel close to William. He doesn't feel paternal love from him and doesn't really show any for William. He feels detached. And judging by how you would still probably call your father "dad" out of habit, even if you just found out he did something horrible, I'm willing to bet it wasn't just a recent development. Although, yes, he still calls him a completely neutral form. There are more insulting forms of this noun. Even diminutives can be mocking at times. But he doesn't use them. And no other insults at any point either. To me, it shows some latent respect for his father still. He may not have felt love, but he still recognised William as someone worth following. Someone worth helping. Someone worth doing the bidding of, even after his old bunker duped him out of a cash basket. He doesn't respect what William has done, but he cannot help but see him as impressive. He is the man who managed to do all that, the impossible. Someone more than himself. There is also the tone. You usually don't shorten people's names outside of casual conversation, and the same goes with these kinds of titles. You could call a doctor "doc" when you're just there for a check-up, but not when you just found out someone has cancer. Similarly, here we have a man who, maybe even for the first time in decades, realised that his father killed his sister. He may add in some snarky or sarcastic comments and remarks, but he is taking all of this completely seriously. Which might not seem significant, but gains more weight when you realise that Mike, inherently, seems like a rather playful, unserious person, judging by his other appearances. This might have been an overinterpretation on my part; this is just one simple word after all, but I really do believe the words used to address others are often the best way of telling the relationship between two characters. A lot of subtle storytelling is often done that way.

[@bonkboy4386]

Exactly! It's not intimate, but it's not inherently demeaning. 'Distant' is the best way to put it I think. And nah, the energy of your comment is kinda exactly what I wanted to capture with the rambling in my video, you might have actually done it way better than me lmao. I think this monologue is the epitome of subtle storytelling - just 50 seconds with Michael and you already get what he's all about by reading between the lines, hell, just with the FIRST WORD he says. Wow!

[@number4493]

Hello the other Mike

[@Failur3YT]

​@@bonkboy4386the tone, how high he makes his voice sound (on purpose), pronunciation, vocabulary or the words he chooses to use and how fast he talks can say a lot about the character (not really but let's say) And the emotions that are in the monologue, first is confusion where Mike is not sure or just doesn't understand something, uncaring (the parts you specified) could've mean he didn't care about those as he just did his job, maybe afraid of the new things happening around and the "just like you told me to.." (or something like that) where it turned into whisper or mumbling like it maybe wasn't true but he was afraid to tell William that because he wanted him to be proud, it also seemed to me that at 1 or 2 lines he was happy or a little excited because he knew or thought that what he said would make william happy. Long story short, when you try to make a character or voice one it really depends on the key factors I said (and other maybe)

[@ciboria1]

This is a Hell of a well-written comment. Now to twist it; How much would change if we swapped his word of choice towards William, for Elizabeth's? As in; "Daddy, it's me, Michael"

[@lieeeleeee]

This is how I’ve always interpreted the use of father by Michael. While in theory father is a formal way of addressing your father, in reall life when people refer to their dad as “father” it always denotes a certain distance. It’s not hatred, Michael would use a diminutive sarcastically if he was angry or bitter like you stated, we know Michael is a sarcastic character that make wry jokes from the logbook and foxy bro. this is jsut my interpretation and extrapolation but I feel like the boy who called his brother “little man” teasingly might bitter call his evil father his “dear old man” or soemthing like that. It really is a moment of realisation where Michael is expressing the truly complex nature of his feelings for William. He doesn’t know how to feel about William he respected him even if it was misguided but now he is truly cognisant of his father’s corruption. He’s not angry yet he’s resigned.

[@Eviyl]

For some reason, Scott can write amazing speeches. Despite not technically being a writer, he should write more dialogue, if he doesn’t write the majority of it anyway.

[@buihelgason]

Phone guy in the first game is SO well written. Scott is so good at corporate backspeech. My favorite example is from Pizzeria Simulator "A risk that comes with a 100% chance of success in some cases"

[@phillebrave6429]

I'm a bit late to this comment but Scott has actually written a novel before FNAF named The Tearing, sadly it's lost media

[@Campballs]

​@phillebrave6429 ah damn that actually is sad it would show alot of Scott's old ideas that got put into fnaf

[@dmk_yt]

Scott actually co-wrote the masterpiece film "Stawinsky and the Mysterious House" in 2012. If anything, he's one of the greatest writers of our time

[@phillebrave6429]

@@dmk_yt This is not true, it's a popular rumor but he is only credited in the special thanks. Scott was busy working on Jesus Kids' Club and Bible Plays at that time.

[@germpills]

pj heywood being envious of dave steele's voice acting is so thematically perfect since william was always envious of henry in some way

[@hannahs.7297]

putting a comment here so i can remember to come back to this because its amazing

[@dnaroseandthewolves]

​@@hannahs.7297that's so perfect

[@akarun45]

life imitates art

[@lemonqvartz]

henry just always has to one up him...

[@SquarahKat]

He's damaged. He's sarcastic. He's morally grey. He's perfect! -love that

[@charliebann5605]

I like how Micheal "died" by something going inside of him while William "died" by going inside of something

[@Lumbago-box]

Freddy doesnt Faz-fuck around in bed

[@voiky752]

"by something going inside of him" Your wording is funny

[@lunaa143_]

Polar opposites.

[@lunaa143_]

​@@voiky752OMG 😭😭😭

[@theflyingspaget]

PLEASE PHRASE THAT DIFFERENTLY MY MIND IS NOT TAKING THAT CORRECTLY Also technically both of them died by having robotic parts inserted into them because that's kind of what a springlock failure is

[@KitKatt11]

Like you’ve listened to Michael’s monologue an unhealthy amount of times, I’ve watched this video an unhealthy amount of times

[@KitKatt11]

Uh- as well as the monologue, I love his voice

[@TriplePupil]

Glad to see more people just as obsessed with the broken, baby boy, morally grey purple guy of the saga. This rambling and just loving a character wihout trying to tie it into a big theory is just what I needed... A Michael Afton appreciation post.

[@bonkboy4386]

He is everything to me..

[@Lunakuna08]

Hes just soooo relatable in some way. No i didn’t kill my brother but the tiredness in his voice just feels. Nostalgic?

[@mellohikay]

glad to see others with this opinion i love mike so much,,,,

[@epicgamer-qh3vc]

​@@Lunakuna08oh so you got your organs scooped out?

[@MrDespair1983]

Hello person who decided to start waffling about me because of a speech. ​@@bonkboy4386

[@Rosewater2]

I always thought that the, "They thought I was you [laugh??]" was less of Michael finding humor in the situation, but more like chuckling because he doesn't even know how to feel about that. It's a really short, dry laugh that almost sounds sarcastic in a way. I think you're completely right with the unsaid, "Maybe they're right," because (at least to me) the laugh sounds kind of defeated but just laughing for the sake of laughing

[@lilypaigeham]

I really love how distinct Michael and William's vibes are. Like, when you were doing the comparison in voices at 9:20 it was clear as day! When i hear Michael he sounds tired, depressed, even defeated in his speech until he states his mission of looking for William But with his father, Afton sounds bitter, angry, and smug in his dialog. Im really impressed what the voice actor was able to do with them both!

[@sirunicorn7291]

Michael Aftons voice is so fine,,,,

[@bonkboy4386]

I need more people need to understand this.

[@sillygoofyguyy]

i think that the reason some of his lines can be seen as loyalty to william is because he still wants (or is hanging on) to the idea that william could love him and be proud of him. but as he goes on he starts to feel more hostile to william, like he is remembering all that he has done to him and his siblings. especially that it is implied (and straight up shown in the books) that william was abusive physically, emotionally, and was neglectful to his children

[@sunysid3up]

okay off topic but i love your pfp !!!

[@sillygoofyguyy]

@@sunysid3up thank you!! :3

[@starbee2262]

Exactly!!! RAHH I get William is sad that his kid died, sad. Womp womp. But Michael relationship to his brother and father and even possibly seeing the dynamics between both him and his father and how it’s different than his. I think that’s something lots of people ignore. Kids are sponges of information and I think that it’s very likely he knew how this family worked. And he’d do anything for just a little normality.

[@sillygoofyguyy]

@@starbee2262 yeah!!!! every child wants their parents to love them, even if they hate their parents

[@lieeeleeee]

EXACTLY! Michael doesn’t know how to feel about his father in this speech. It’s almost as if as he’s talking he’s realising the true depths of his fathers’ evil towards not just his victims but also Michael and the aftons (also victims). As mike goes on he starts to shed the need for Williams approval and growing more bitter and angry

[@everyghoul]

I DESPERATELY need SteelWool Studios have our boy PJ Heywood read out a dialogue between William and Michael.

[@bonkboy4386]

Can he please just have another speaking role in ANY CAPACITY 😭😭

[@ThiccFurryBoi34]

@@bonkboy4386 well I’m not sure how he play gltichtrap I’m more of a fan of dawko interpretation even if it is mimic i guess mxes could be a cool character for him to voice

[@user-ue9ej5nl7n]

one of my favorite parts of the speech is that "something is wrong with me" part, because of what's left unsaid in it: he doesn't tell his father what Elizabeth did, or mention her being involved at all. That feels like a learned behaviour from an eldest sibling in a bad home, obscuring blame when something bad happens to avoid putting someone's head on the chopping block. I do like to think even after everything he's still hoping to protect his baby sister

[@ruthie4197]

I've never thought about it like that augghhh... This comment singlehandedly killed and then revived me, thank you

[@secondchance5914]

More British man content

[@bonkboy4386]

You talking about me or Michael lol

[@realbrobo]

@@bonkboy4386yes.

[@secondchance5914]

@@bonkboy4386 both

[@v1ct0rygames32]

12:06 I never processed what Michael wrote here. It kinda reads like the childish excuse he probably came up in a fit of panic during the bite of 83

[@CloudMouth27]

my headcanon is he's making fun of the news headline about the bite of 83

[@vanyadolly]

I think it's in line with his dialogue so far. He has a very dry, self-deprecating sense of humour as an adult. He's bitter and jaded, but still finding amusement in things.

[@askerror1987]

Okay but why was my first thought when I saw the thumbnail "this is literally me" 💀

[@bonkboy4386]

Oh to be locked in a room with Michael Afton and listen to him talk incessantly..

[@askerror1987]

@@bonkboy4386 A dream come true honestly... :']

[@mayoDmayo]

When the humans are treated like humans is when we get the best scenes.

[@bonkboy4386]

Henry's Insanity speech is possibly my favourite sequence in the whole series because of how it does exactly that. Very rarely does the series acknowledge the actual emotional impact of these events, even if it's literal child murder lol

[@mayoDmayo]

So does this mean we'll get an hour in depth video on Henry's speech? /J

[@bonkboy4386]

@@mayoDmayo Don't tempt me...

[@meh7973]

I personally have always interpreted that breathy noise he makes as that sort of tired humorless laugh you do like when everything that could have possibly gone wrong *did* and there's nothing you can do about it? I can't explain it exactly but I hopefully it makes sense This is probably one of the best FNAF analysis videos I've ever seen! It's a breath of fresh air to just pay attention to the characters and narrative that are ignored instead of losing it over the lore, Micheal is so interestng to me especially because he is so commonly regarded as just a personalityless narrative tool when he so clearly isn't! if only people would look at him for more than 2 seconds. Thinking about him and his parallels with William and how they're the same but so entirely different makes me want to bark and bite people. Scott overall put so much thought into the characterization, not just Micheal's, and it's saddening that it's so glossed over by the fandom. Henry has 1 appearence _ever_ , he's not even on the Silver Eyes trilogy, but his speech(es) tell everything you need to know about him. But this isn't about him lol. I apprecate this video so much you have no idea, I'm really bad with putting my thoughts into words especially about a character I'm so passionate about but you were able to not only put my feelings about him down perfectly into a cohesive character analysis but make me even more cray cray about him. My wording might be weird, english isn't my first language, but I think I could get it across that I"m completely in love with your interpretation of my little pathetic wet rag of a man

[@unkarsthug4429]

The noise in question reminds me a bit of a sort of disgusted snort or scoff. Like he's disgusted with the idea of even being compared with his father.

[@nichikananakusa]

This is, by far, my favorite video on KZbin ever and I am not even joking. I am so validated that somebody else thinks this ungodly hard about Michael as I do. Thank you

[@scribblecloud]

what is your pfp 😂

[@nichikananakusa]

@@scribblecloud Family!

[@emmaxly_9362]

​@@nichikananakusaThat's actually so cute.

[@Takejiro24]

Your pfp: William just wants to hug his son. 🥹 But, Michael's just like, "Dad, stop! Youre embarrassing me!" Pfft. Teenagers.....☠️

[@Piiiiiiiiit]

Me fr

[@onlycat5132]

I’m a Michael Afton enthusiast (self-titled) and this was absolutely on the nose!! I’m an over-thinker when it comes to him. I always thought the part of his monologue where he mentions they thought he was William, and he makes that noise, that it was a laugh. Like an appalled “how dare they.” Realizing how bad of a person his father was, he does not want any kind of association with him, even if it’s just in appearance. I might honestly be projecting, because I was always proud of looking like my father until I realized who he really is, and knowing I look like him now disgusts me. Daddy issues lmao. I fking loved this vid. Thank you so much for making it

[@JellySquidAKAMiku]

I always thought that the “they thought I was you” ended with a scoff. In annoyance and a tone of mockery. Not only does it fit his character, but it would show that he hated his fate. An undertone of pure rage, hidden under tired stillness.

[@1_Cherry_1]

I love Michael afton a normal amount (I’m lying) (I’m actually obsessed) (he’s just a silly little guy) (a little goober)

[@soomi5667]

Honestly this was an interesting way of how you can see Mike’s character. Like you say at 15:26.. it could say something about Mike’s morality. To be fair though.. he is there to just free Lizzie. So it makes sense he wouldn’t necessarily care about the funtimes. It’s goes into the whole “can you see them as human”. There’s always gonna be some moral ambiguity there so you might right anyway. I guess it’s why people think Gregory is a demon child for what he does LMAO. But this comes into question what Mike knows and doesn’t know. It’s kinda frustrating but also a bit fun there’s stuff that’s not so cut and dry about him. Like did he know about the “killing kids” thing? How much info did he know on the funtimes? It gives you a lot to think about. All in all, I loved this and probably will be rewatching it a bunch of times as I did with the accent one lol. Also 19:48.. the truth. We got two hands guys, use them. ❤️ Hope in the future your able to make videos like these on the other characters as well! These type of videos aren’t as common in the community. Cause really only so much we know about the characters. But at the same time.. there’s a lot you can get from speculating on what certain choices for a character can mean. More of that would be lovely to see. But anyway, thank you for spreading the Michael Afton agenda. 🤩 hoping to see you upload more.

[@bonkboy4386]

Sometimes less is more! Michael has only one speaking role and yet that's all you need to know basically everything about his personality. It's also all you need to fall in love with him. It is pretty ambiguous how much he knows about his father's work, but at least that can lead to fun headcanons. I will gladly spread the gospel of Michael Afton for as long as I live!

[@krustylesponge6250]

my guess is he connected the dots about the missing kids a little bit after sister location, then began his quest to help get rid of william and free the souls

[@matchalattee679]

this is random, but idk why when you brought up that they kept elizabeth's voice consistent by just casting a british actor I laughed my ass off at the little british "ello?"

[@nichikananakusa]

Another comment: I REALLY appreciate not having a theory tied to him, just stating super obvious clues left about his character, which a lot of people who try tying him into the narrative just blatantly disregard for... some reason? Also, the fact that you were able to talk about Michael without talking about CC as well like everyone does, going on and on about his mistake without going over how and why he's grown-especially when they don't even go into how his bullying of CC was likely out of his father's sudden neglect-it's just. So refreshing. I adore your Afton content more than anything! Also, if you'd ever want to make a sequel, going over what we learned from the logbook about him and maybe even throwing a fact about Jeremy's survival into the 1990s and presumably still being in touch with Michael in order to have something printed into his notebook from (presumably) his perspective would be so good. You already went over his dry humor but the logbook is off the charts with it and how badly he relates to Foxy even now is just. Hilarious. There's really so much to him that gets overlooked. We may be cringe but we are free

[@poptarts8278]

Regarding the "They thought I was you [???]" question at 12:12 I have always thought that the sound was a laugh. One of those laughs that you do when you know something isn't funny but you can't seem to express your overwhelming emotions in any other way. It also feels pretty self-deprecating to me, like he sees the irony in being killed for murders that he didn't do, rather than what he did to his brother. I also think it does fit with the rest of the speech and Michael's character pretty well, we know Michael has always had a pretty morbid, gallows humour from his other appearances, and he is seemingly realising a bunch of messed up stuff that happened to him that he is only now processing, whilst simultaneously realising the full extent of his father's misdeeds, it seems like just the situation for Michael to find a bit humorous. Realising that his father and himself are more alike than he first thought, that (to his father's victims) they are interchangeable, that feels like the sort of situation that brings feelings that can't be acknowledged through anything but a sad chuckle. Edit: Loved the video by the way, glad people love this speech as much as I do!

[@starshiny3399]

I find it interesting that he said that THEY didn't recognize me at first. I think a lot of people miss that Baby isn't the only spirit there. That is how I read that line anyway.

[@violetroy6875]

This is what is going on in my brain 24/7 with Michael like give me character crumbs

[@shadowingfas6792]

Y’know, I’ve always thought there was more to Michael Afton than just a mentally damaged walking corpse; who hates his father, *after* finding out what he did. In fact. I think the him “finding out” only in sister location was always a little off. Story wise. With that new FNAF movie out I think it’s become even clearer for me. I think he knew almost the whole time, that his father was killing. The relationship between William and Vanessa character isn’t that game story driven (besides having obvious connections in security breach). But if you look a little farther than that. It’s weird that they made the decision to have Vanessa be specifically his daughter. What if, hear me out… what if, Venessa’s relationship with William in the movie was supposed to represent Micheal’s relationship with Willam! That Micheal’s not completely ok with it but was shamed into being his father’s helping hand. Only to finally break off from the manipulation after his father sent him down to ’help’ his sister. I think it’s an interesting take. Makes the whole story more interesting as a whole. Specifically making Micheal’s character more interesting in that morally grey way, like you said!

[@salvadorelastname9095]

In this comment section, I have found my people 💛 Michael's word choice here, to me, also indicates a very poetic, gothic sort of personality- not "I'm alone" or "I'm on the outskirts of society", but _"living in shadows"_- it's such a dramatic way to put it, and laden with imagery. I think Michael demonstrates a sort of righteous anger compared to how morose Henry is- he's absolutely depressed, but I read him as almost this young upstart firebrand, a man of action whose first move is "I'm gonna FUCK THIS OLD BASTARD UP" while Henry is paralyzed with guilt. I completely agree he should have gotten _something_ in FFPS; even just a smug "You heard him, Father, give it up" or anything would've been so nice to hear. Even if he was kind of done dirty by the writing, I'm glad people appreciate what characterization we did get!

[@hannahs.7297]

MEE TOOOOO I'VE FOUND MY PEOPLE!!!

[@scribblecloud]

i feel like it could be a mix between a sigh and a laugh, like a sort of exasperated laugh of "haha.. geez this is kinda mad isnt it.."

[@StrangerInTheSnow]

Oh my god I’ve found someone that’s just as obsessed with my boi as I am. 11:40 I’ve always interpreted it as a scoff. Like the idea (in retrospect) disgusts or annoys him after he knows what has happened. Or maybe he has always gotten comments on their similar appearance and is annoyed by them, and that is only exemplified here since it got him killed. Anyway, great video. I love it when people ramble on about this sort of thing since it gets brushed over. You can find a lot of character in him if you just listen, and I’m glad I found someone that does this too.

[@empyrean3036]

This video was just brilliant. Subtitles? Jokes and memes sprinkled throughout but never taking away from the overall tone? Michael Afton? This checked all of my boxes for a perfect video

[@WizardFishProductions]

I gotta say, you kinda slipped up at 12:30, there's actually a line from a bidybab in (I think) night 2. It says, "is it the same person," heavily implying that they think it's William.

[@bonkboy4386]

*To be fair*,,, I only recently thought to make the connection that the "someone who came before you" was William, considering we do see other unnamed technicians later in the game. But I will take the L on this, in hindsight it is a little obvious,,

[@jackal0p]

always nice to find other people who are also obsessed with the sopping wet cat that is michael afton

[@Ace.t177]

I love videos like this, that instead of just analyzing the lore and timeline, instead analyze the characters themselves that make the story so great in the first place! also i think a video analyzing the fnaf ost would be great! becuse i think the tracks (at least their names) are more inportant than people think. Also they are so good and honestly one of my favorite parts of the franchise.

[@bonkboy4386]

I love the naming conventions for the songs in the OST! I definitely wanna talk more about that because there's absolutely more to those names than just sounding cool.

[@lilypaigeham]

Theres so much I wanna say so Im gonna cram it all in this comment FIrst off, FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE WHO LOVES MICHAEL AS MUCH AS ME! THIS SPEECH FROM HIM IS GENUINELY SO FREAKIN GOOD! Second, I love that the song that plays during his speech is called "Demolition Inevitable" not only for the tragedy that had occurred in the past but also because Michael goes on to light Fazbear Frights on fire! Third, regarding the sigh/laugh debate, it could be that Michael laughed cause he heard that comment of "They thought I was you" several times growing up cause it's mentioned he looks just like Afton. But a sigh could be possible as well, I just prefer the tired laugh cause it adds a lot to Michael's personality Michael is my favorite human/non animatronic character cause of his redemption arc. He killed his brother accidentally and then died cause of an order given by his father. He then goes on trying to help free the spirits of the MCI victims and tries to kill Afton. Genuinely love Michael so much

[@dylanemery9855]

So happy I found this channel. Michael has been my favorite character since Sister Location released, and is the sole reason that game is my favorite of the franchise. To me, that's where the story got interesting. And with the movie focusing entirely on Michael, I'm so excited to have the character fleshed out and realized, and to see an influx of Mike fans. He's always been kind of an underdog character in the fandom. He's the main protagonist, but only talks once and most of his story is out of order and convoluted and has to be inferred. Most fans latch onto the Animatronics, or characters with more lines like Henry, Gregory, and now Cassie. But the mystery of Michael despite being the main character, and having such a great arc really makes him stand out. So I'm glad to see others care about the character the same way. He definitely deserves more love and attention, and hopefully he gets it with the movie. It's long overdue.

[@ProdigalSunlite]

I love Michael. He’s like, 90% of the reason I like FNAF to be honest. He’s a really fascinating character with a lot of guilt and trauma that is so interesting to explore, and as someone who believes that he’s the protagonist of all the original six games, it really builds out an incredible story of him coming to understand how horrible his father was, and to try and undo what harm he can. Its a very tragic but well-told story.

[@violetroy6875]

You are as insane as me this is great

[@bonkboy4386]

This is but a peek into my twisted Afton obsessed mind...

[@violetroy6875]

@@bonkboy4386 I spin the Afton's around in my head like they are being microwaved

[@elzzebells]

hes my perfect boy

[@kxndii_]

love love love this video glad to see more people that overly analyze members of the afton family as well, i find their entire situation, and the characterization of Michael and William specifically my absolute favorite bits of the lore

[@PurpleGhoul87]

I'm not even half way through but your video has already seriously impressed me. (I am very much walking around my kitchen saying YES YES YES! to myself as I listen to this hahaha) I had to comment before I forgot my thoughts. It astounds me how many people willingly choose to very incorrectly interpret the scenes of Michael we do receive. So many things you have brought up I've also had in my head for the longest time, and to hear you repeat them it brought the biggest smile to my face. .... and then you brought up even more evidence (AKA from the PJ AMA) that I hadn't even seen yet.(Gosh. PJ saying William is "up to no good" and Michael is "broken" is TOO GOOD of a summary). Absolutely wonderful video, I agree with pretty much everything you are saying, subscribed. I will always support a fellow Michael enthusiast. Thank you for making this video, I seriously appreciate it.

[@bonkboy4386]

Being vindicated feels great, I feel you there lol. I'm happy the video that effect. And I agree - it's so simple but when I first read PJ's summary of William and Michael I thought it was absolutely sublime. Being infatuated with the tiniest things is just par for the course with being a Michael fan.

[@mothysjar]

i love videos that are just unapologetic gushing about something that the person loves, no matter how small. i understand the feeling of wanting to rant for twenty minutes about a minute long monologue from a video game, and your affections for these games and for michael as a character really shines through! it was lovely to listen to

[@askerror1987]

I'm probably going to be coming back to this video often. It's the youtube equivalent of spinning my blorbo in my head like a cube. I've never seen those reddit comments that Mr. Heywood made, which was honestly pretty interesting to see his own insights about playing what became a personal comfort character for me. Your ending did bing up a good point- I'm a little worried for how Movie Mike is going to be portrayed but I choose to see them as two separate characters for now, since the trailers haven't given us much to go on about his relationship with Movie William

[@vanyadolly]

Such a fantastic character. Even with how little information we have, we can see how he's both changed and kept many traits from childhood. He's worn down and damaged, but that proud little "I did it" and the dry, snarky humour shows a hint of the charm and confidence of the kid he used to be. I think he became more codependent and obedient towards his father after the incident, but I just can't see Michael as an abused, downtrodden victim yearning for his father's approval the way some people theorize. His tone is pondering, but still defiant and confident. I think "living in shadows" refers to more than just his current state of being; he's been living in the shadow of his father, the death of his siblings, and of his own guilt. Now that he knows the truth, he's stepping out of the shadows and setting his own course.

[@drcheesenut896]

It always makes me so happy to see other Mike enjoyers

[@afterthought1110]

You mentioned the sigh/laugh as something going through Mike’s head he can’t bring himself to say. I interpreted that as him realizing the horror of what William had done to all the kids down there. What horrible atrocities do you have to commit to make your own daughter want to turn you, not the other 2 workers, but you, into a rotting skin suit? To me, that sigh/laugh was the moment Mike turned on his father

[@nidgithm]

12:50 to me the "i put her back together" also sounded like hes kind of unsure if what he did really was "putting her back together", or if he got it wrong.

[@bonkboy4386]

That's a really good point, I always saw it as him being *morally* confused but that makes a ton of sense. Especially considering he sounds very sincere saying "she's free now" when Elizabeth is very much still trapped in Baby. It would also explain him tacking on "just like you asked me to", because while he may not know if what he did worked, he does know that he followed William's instructions.

[@lunaa143_]

This is like being at school and not understanding the assignment the teacher gave me so I'm like "Oh yeah, I did this right didn't I? This is how it's supposed to be done right? I mean I think I did it right, but did I..?"

[@yaraveragewatcher]

Oh man, I see Michael Analysis I instantly click. This was such a treat! Absolutely love the deep dive analysis of his character solely base from his rare voice line. It's stuff like this that makes me appreciate a character even more for the way they are, such a great video! Would love to see more Mike analysis from you from whatever aspect of his character it may be (maybe like analysing deeper to the logbook and such) but this was an absolute blast!

[@lumpymilktea]

This is a very refreshing FNAF analysis video, just a simple character overview that are rather uncommon due to the scarce characterisation in the games. I've always wondered what was up with Michael's sarcastic remarks in the Security Logbook but watching this does make it all add up perfectly

[@vtp1223]

mycle

[@EpicFroggz]

Lovelovelove this video!! You overanalyze Michael the same way I do William aha! Michael is criminally underused, every time I think of fnaf6 I'm in pain cuz Scott could've given Mike anythiiing but he said "naahhh it'll be fine", Henry has more voice lines than Mike and Will combined *sob* (you don't even go here, it was supposed to be an afton family affair- *sobs more*) Tangent about 6 aside, I agree with what you say about the movie--let the Mikes coexist, they're both lovely and going to be awesome!!! ^^ I guess this is the first time Mike fans have had to deal with an alternate universe, this isn't our first rodeo for Will lmao

[@e-man8097]

I’ve always loved big-brother redemption arcs 💜

[@sillygoofyguyy]

i love michael so dearly THANK YOUUUUUUUU

[@user-ys8ib5we6o]

I love videos like this. Fnaf is an... odd franchise. It has, although very hidden behind theories and uncertainty, a super emotional story about evil, its consequences, and revenge. The only thing I miss are some more emotional or "cinematic" moments, that show us how these characters are humans, have feelings, and are going through all of this, instead of pixel characters talking through pixelated text, instead of being just mere plot devices used for theorizing. This is why I think one of the best moments in all of fnaf are obviously Henry's insanity ending speech, and Michael's monologue. We finally get to know how *he's* feeling behind all the mess that happened throughout his life to him and his family, we really feel the tragedy of the story. I'd just like it if there were more moments like this, because when they do happen, they're so short. I'd love to see, for example, how Henry'd react at his business partner, his friend's betrayal. A person he trusted (presumably) for a big part of his life, backstabing him with such a horrible action. So, I loved this overthinking of one of the most beautiful moments of the story. You're really underrated, I feel like this video is something not all theorists do, look into the emotional part of the lore lol.

[@HyperMurder]

Michael's voice is calm and collective but his mind is shattered. While william's voice is loud and has a innocent voice acent but it feels that it has a different look from the inner voice, something sinster.

[@marsb0t]

I love this video. Just by watching I could tell that you truly care about this character, and as a fellow Michael fan, I agree with everything you've presented. I was getting so tired of people in the FNAF community making fun of Michael fans because he's a "bad character" or seeing video essays on how Michael doesn't have any character to begin with. This video puts on full display just how much there is to him.

[@xharerae]

best video on yt, related to michael afton. hands down best video.

[@papercookiez]

genuinely love the interpretations of the laugh/scoff/sigh he makes. every time i see someone discuss it its very interesting to hear why they think that, but ultimately it never feels like an incorrect idea-just another in a happy little pile of them.

[@EvieTheNut]

Me at the 2 minute mark: HOW DOES IT GO ONE FOR 20 MINUTES? Ima just buckle up for this one

[@ReachSkyla]

We love Michael in this household 🥹

[@ScapeVEVO]

NAH FR I LOVE MIKE'S CHARACTER it's overlooked or misunderstood I think from a lot of the fanbase cause it's so subtle, and our few sources are one monologue, some FNAF 4 dialogue, and the Logbook, but he's soooooooooooo interesting.

[@Purpl6816]

i think michael is my fav human character in fnaf i hate that he got scooped

[@FoxGG411]

I don't know how to describe Michael but I think he has become one of my favorite Fnaf characters after all, and over time I gave him several designs that changed during the games, and now that I have a clear idea of ​​how fnaf is developed and I imagine that Michael is one of the main protagonists of this whole franchise makes me happy to feel like it's there at all times, and one of my favorite cutscenes in all the games, we're Michael really says something THAT important to the lore, really gives me chills every time I hear it, it's so beautiful

[@KirbyatYT]

I’d love to see an overanalyzation of Henry’s speech from FNAF 6

[@lunaa143_]

YES YES *YES*

[@sofiaxxxx2375]

you are so real i also listen to a few sentences of a monologue hundreds of times to analyze and grasp everything i can, i thought i was crazy for doing this thanks

[@StudyWithFai]

Micheal and Henry’s speeches are AMAZING, tells you so much about their characters and motivations without ever telling you.

[@Takejiro24]

Your analysis about Demolition Inevitable is another example that makes me wonder how music ties into the lore/narrative of the games. It's really fascinating.

[@mostlyghostey]

As a damaged, sarcastic, possibly morally grey person myself I’m glad to know somebody out there will think I’m perfect.

[@robodinosaur5990]

Bonk boys is ALIVE!!! Thanks for another great fnaf video :3

[@noahswartz6357]

I would say that Mike saying “it was right where you said it would be” is him almost incredulous at the fact that his father’s instructions led him to such an intriguing place… even the little laugh/sigh when he says “they thought I was you” is an extension of his inability or struggle to grasp the situation…

[@texasbootybandit8462]

MORE MICHAEL PLEASE 🙏

[@buudoesstuff8069]

As someone who is a big fan of Michael Afton, and has ever since his introduction in the SL cutscene, I simply adore this video! It had me grinning and laughing. I legit think about him to this degree and still do. One thing I'd like to mention is that in the monologue, when he's talking about Elizabeth, I actually interpret it as him showing care for her. That he was glad to free her. Sure, he's doing this at William's request, but I don't think it's a stretch that he has a big brother instinct for Elizabeth as well. It's shown that he does care for his younger brother, too, in FNaF 4, so why not.

[@andtheniforgotit]

I think I'd really like another video analyzing all we can glean from Micheal's character from the security logbook.

[@coldandghostly]

On Micheal somehow knowing the animatronics thought he was William, I always assumed that was something he learnt while they were puppeting his corpse. God knows long his movements weren't his own

[@sausumsfm]

Thank god I’m not the only one who went as far to ripping the games files to have the .wav file for his monologue. Right?

[@graceyang-ss6dh]

AHHHH I absolutely loved your videos on the Afton’s accent and I doubly love Michael Afton so I’m so glad you’ve made this video bc I’ve thought just as much about this monologue as you seem to have 😂

[@e9440]

oh my god thank you so much for this video i think about this man every damn day……. your thoughts on him were not only interesting but similar to mine AND enlightening at the same time. this is my equivalent to finding the holy grail

[@salt_factory7566]

19:00 How poetic that Afton's VA is jealous of Henry's VA

[@lunaa143_]

I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO THOUGHT THAT

[@alexfulcrumart]

great video! I interpret the michael sound as an exasperated, sardonic sort of smile. a scoff and smirk. an exhausted chuckle. "they thought i was *you* (negative, incredulous)"

[@cryptidcorviid]

i love this analysis! i had some different takes (as someone with experience having a... not great dad) michaels speech is hollow. broken, empty, and bitterly sarcastic. he seems unaffected and distant until the music kicks in, and you hear his voice shake. the pained laugh/sigh at the end of 'they thought i was you' verrrry much feels like he grazed an open wound in his psyche. realizing you are similar to a parent who did so much harm, to the point that others mistake you for him, is devastating. even if he is following his orders, there is a sense of confusion, of now knowing what is happrning around him. when he says i did as you asked, it feels tense. i can feel that he believes putting elizabeth "back together" was the right thing to do, even when prompted by a madman. as he reveals that he is no longer able to live, to have a life seperate from his father and his crimes, living in shadows, he has clearly given up on seeking amything but the end to this story. the sorrow and pain goes away, replaced by single-minded determination and anger. he will find his father. he will get answers. or at least thats what he hopes. he comes across as a man with nothing left, who had everything ripped from him, trying desperately to have some semblance of control or knowledge, wanting to find the end of this nightmare. god its just such an excellent performance. kudos to pj heywood, he knows what he is doing.

[@buttlord5007]

On the subject of the dichotomy between Michael and William, I found the theory that Michael's soul inhabited Glamrock Freddy during security breach interesting, because william is known to be spring trap, and so it creates another parallel between these characters, both gain the appearance of an animatronic character, with william being a rabbit and michael a bear, like the first 2 mascots under the Fazbear brand.

[@ahemahem8106]

god i NEED the survival logbook to collect those juicy crumbs on his personality. i nearly shrivelled up into a ball when i found out my local bookstore fucking ran out of supply and im gonna expldoe because i need to EXPERIENCE that amazing book being felt on my fingertips. this comment section is a michael afton appreciation page and i love that. michael afton fans unite

[@cloudieskay3674]

Tightly gripping my phone because I've always been obsessed with Michael Afton as a character.

[@scribblecloud]

*stares and listens at this video intensely in curiosity* 👂👁👁👂

[@porcelainchips6061]

It always sounded like to me that Michael is calling a phone number he has memorized (most of my friends, before smart phones, could remember a handful; it was sort of telling if your schoolyard friend seem to not be able to remember your number, but totally could call that other person.). He knows William is probably not there, but he lacks a better means of contact at that point in time. Maybe it's his father's old office number. He wants to convey his resentment, intention; He will find him. The post-shift sections to me always looked like Michael had ended up with the family home; the era of the décor matches FNAF4. Remember that most people don't re-decorate often; most of the time you sort of "set up" your house and then roll with that until divinely-inspired to "update" the look. Michael doesn't hit me as a decorator, just a man who lives were he always has lived; but it's empty now. He eats popcorn in front of the TV because no one is going to scold him for leaving crumbs on the shag carpet. He watches soaps because, as a stereotype, soap operas often appeal to people who feel socially isolated or lonely; it invoked a parasocial response long before we had social media to be able to watch a new episode every week, or multiple times in one week. After getting scooped he may have stopped going outside entirely, sneaking out of the house only at night like an undead vampire. His steady transformation, into a living corpse probably scared all of his friends away. As a side note, I think the post-scooped scenes suggest that the Afton's home use to be at the edge of town on a large lot, but that overtime more houses were build around it. It could be a smoking gun clue of SL being later in the timeline instead of earlier.

[@Everettisepic]

Call it rambling but I actually love this and wish I could see it more. People don’t like to overthink things sometimes even if it could either give new ideas or literally find the answer. Big fan of this!

[@vsmumu]

Ah, im not alone in obsessively thinking qbt michael :3

[@grassnoodles]

i love you 😭 i love michael, why are all of your videos so good??

[@erikawithaknotac]

Michael’s voice sounds both afraid and confused to me, I feel like Scott was trying to imply that William had known the Funtimes and Elizabeth would mistake Michael for him, and so he sent Michael down there to appease the angry children’s spirits. He intended for Michael to die all along, and Michael is finally realizing that in this monologue, and THAT’S what he sighs about. He’s been in denial that his father would do any of this on purpose for so long, but he’s finally having his fears confirmed.

[@bright3944]

This, is me breaking down a conversation with a random person to figure out if they hate me or not

[@mztikys]

i subscribed the second you said you liked mikes character. he needs more love

[@ReBufff]

Imagine English class giving things like this for students to analyze

[@bonkboy4386]

We need a FNaF class, can schools get on this please?

[@ritasaha6587]

One more thing, Mike is canonically shown to be playful. He draws baskets of exotic butters and casual bongos and baskets of money for God's sake...

[@RandomNerd654]

I absolutely adore this video, it’s great to find another passionate Mike fan!! I agree with most of the things you’ve stated here, but my interpretation of Mike is only a little different in some aspects. When you say that he’s ‘easy to trust people’ I won’t say you’re wrong, I’d just change something. He’s easy to trust CERTAIN people, and at the stage of his life he was in before the events of Sister Location, I’d say William was definitely one of those people. I see Mike as stoic, relating to how calm he seemed in regards to the Funtimes, and this could do with past trauma. There is a very vulnerable part within him which he doesn’t want people to notice. However, when William manipulated him, he hit that part of his son right on the dot. Like an arrow perfectly hitting a target and shattering his heart into a million and one pieces. And it had to do with his family, as Michael is finally given the chance to desperately make up for his sins which have been throwing him off his rockers since that dreaded day in 83. A chance to save one of his siblings, instead of killing one, as we know he’s there to find Elizabeth, and importantly, make his father proud. I don’t think William was abusive, but neglectful, and now Mike finally has the chance to do something for him and get his attention. For me, this kind of explains how heartbroken he sounds during his speech, and how he seemed to only mention ‘saving’ Elizabeth. The others, he didn’t fully understand, or he wasn’t as passionate about. I can’t help but hear this underlying tone of utter sadness in his speech, even with all of those little details that could mean so much.

[@botOxymoron]

I really enjoy this video! I've memorized Michael's monologue and will sometimes playfully annoy my friends be repeating it during voice calls just to tease, but the mixture of the specific lines and the music make for a monologue that really sticks to the mind. I wish we'd heard more from Michael in the series. I also really like your analysis of Michael, and it gives more to chew on despite the small amount of dialogue there is to work with.

[@yasmineh.1333]

Nothing I love more than hearing people get so passionate about things they love. I know I'd jump on the occasion to make something similar about my own interests, if I didn't have such terrible pronunciation lol. Fantastic stuff

[@L-o-l-b-i-t]

Oh, I'm SO glad i'm starting to find folks who are just as excited over this wet dog of a man as I am

[@trash_lol]

12:22 the bidybabs ask “is he the same person?” on night 1 fantastic vid btw