Who is Gregory‘s Father in Five Nights at Freddy‘s? Examining the Prime Theories

I‘m Mike, a passionate gamer and animatronic aficionado reporting on the latest FNaF news, lore, and fan theories circulating the community. Today, we attempt to solve the question haunting every Security Breach player since 2021 – who exactly is Gregory‘s mysterious father?

Let‘s first recap who Gregory is for any unfamiliar readers:

Gregory is the protagonist of Five Nights at Freddy‘s: Security Breach. He‘s a young boy of unknown age, trapped overnight alone in Freddy Fazbear‘s Mega Pizzaplex while being hunted by violent animatronics. His background and family ties are left completely unexplained throughout the game events.

This ambiguity, of course, has led to endless debate among fans speculating answers to Gregory‘s past. But the most burning question remains: who are Gregory‘s parents, and who is his father?

I‘ll be documenting the two most likely theories speculated, comparing their evidence, and discussing why this reveals so much creativity in the FNaF fandom. Let the examination begin!

Theory #1: William Afton is Gregory‘s Father

William Afton is the murderous main villain spanning the entire Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise. Could this notorious purple killer also have a secret biological son named Gregory?

William Afton Background

For any newcomers, William Afton is the founder of Fazbear Entertainment and creator of animatronics like the Glamrocks chasing Gregory in Security Breach. He also has a long murderous history, being known as "The Purple Guy" killer shown in mini-game cutscenes of past entries.

The key info about William is he‘s confirmed to already have three children:

• Eldest son Michael Afton
• Daughter Elizabeth Afton
• Crying Child (youngest son, unnamed)

Could Gregory potentially be an unknown 4th child? Motive isn‘t an issue for William‘s cruelty. Now let‘s examine the evidence hinting at this paternal connection.

Evidence William Afton is Gregory‘s Father

• Motive: William is clearly capable of having multiple children, not above murdering them, and lacks morality in general. Nothing contradicts the possibility of another son.

• Special Survival Skills: As William‘s child, it would make logical sense why Gregory displays advanced survival skills, technical knowledge, and gritty persistence in evading the hunting animatronics across such a complex pizzaplex layout overnight. He takes it completely in stride.

• Sam Haft Fan Theory: A well-known super fan proposed William built Gregory as a robot to lure more kids to the Pizzaplex. This would still technically make William his father/creator!

While no smoking gun yet, could these puzzle pieces match up? Now, for the opposing side…

Evidence Against William Afton Fatherhood

• Lack of Confirmation: Nowhere explicitly in Security Breach or existing FNaF canon is William‘s relation to Gregory hinted at or confirmed.

• Timeline Issues: William should be dead in his Spring Bonnie suit by the time of Security Breach. So when would he have conceived/created Gregory then?

• Why Stay Hidden? If Gregory is another Afton kid, why doesn‘t he or Freddy reference this? You‘d think it relevant info when fighting William‘s influence!

Theories and Speculation

If William did turn out to be the father down the line, fans have already thought of possibilities for how the awkward timeline and lack of reveals could make sense:

• Gregory could be an older brother to Elizabeth/Crying Child. He may predate the recorded tragedies.
• Perhaps he was created by William, but got lost/damaged long before Security Breach events.
• Or could William have had him with a secret 4th mother?

While the theorists work overtime covering bases, it still remains highly speculative.

My Takeaway

William Afton being Gregory‘s father fits the personality and motive well. But lack of hard evidence, odd fit in timelines, and Freddy himself not referencing this connection makes me doubt William‘s direct parentage here. Still, William created the animatronics hunting Gregory, so paternal or not, that rivalry runs deep in his "family"!

Theory #2: Michael Afton is Gregory‘s Father

What if William‘s eldest son Michael took guardianship over Gregory instead?

Michael Afton Background

While lacking his father William‘s cruelty, Michael Afton still has his own troubled history interwoven with Fazbear Entertainment. He‘s the night guard protagonist in Five Nights at Freddy‘s: Sister Location, and ultimately gets scooped by animatronics to become an undead amalgamation.

If any Afton had the means and motive to care for a child named Gregory, the more sympathetic Michael seems the mostly likely candidate. But is even that believable?

Evidence Michael Afton is Gregory‘s Father

• Appearance: Some fans argue Gregory bears a slight visual resemblance to Michael Afton‘s original human form.

Unfortunately, that‘s already scraping the bottom of the barrel for credible evidence here…

Evidence Against Michael Afton Fatherhood

• Lack of Meaningful Connections: Nowhere in the lore or gameplay are Gregory and Michael shown interacting, referencing each other, or implying any prior relationship.

• Loose Motive: While Michael leans more moral than his serial killer father, he still lacks a clear motive for adopting an abandoned child out of the blue.

• Unexplained Circumstances: When and how would Michael have become Gregory‘s caregiver? What happened to Gregory‘s birth parents? Left unexplained.

Theories and Speculation

Perhaps the weakest attempt at fan theories exist trying to tie Michael and Gregory together as family. But for thoroughness, here were some attempts:

• Gregory could be Michael‘s son he had with an unnamed woman before becoming an undead being. Gregory‘s mother left Michael due to his condition, abandoning the boy? (But no evidence Michael ever had a wife)
• Michael discovered Gregory orphaned (by William‘s killings?) and took pity on him?

These attempts to string connections are incredibly thin even by FNaF theory standards.

My Takeaway

While Michael Afton as Gregory‘s caretaker allows for some moral feasibility, in practice it makes little logical sense and lacks plausible details. With no alluded backstory between them, the "evidence" feels forced to fit a preset conclusion. If Scott reveals this direction officially, he‘ll have a lot of explaining to fill in!

Conclusion: Is Gregory‘s Father Still a Mystery?

Reviewing the facts, neither William Afton nor Michael Afton can be strongly concluded as Gregory‘s father with enough certainty. The theories above raise more questions than answers. Gregory‘s origins stay stubbornly obscured for now even after some brilliant fan speculation and debate.

But this is the Five Nights at Freddy‘s franchise – endless mysteries that leave us forever guessing and theorizing as more breadcrumbs appear! As Security Breach DLC and future lore develops, we may get firmer answers. Scott Cawthon surely has more cryptic plot twists up his sleeve.

For now, the hunt persists for who this pivotal young boy‘s elusive family could be. We welcome more theories moving forward! Who do you personally think is Gregory‘s dad? Or is it someone completely new? Let the speculation and debates continue thriving!

This has been Mike reporting latest in FNaF secrets – stay tuned for more Security Breach lore analysis!