Who Possesses Ballora? A FNAF Mystery Still Unsolved

As an avid fan immersed for years in the lore and theories of Five Nights at Freddy‘s, even I cannot reliably determine who controls the haunted Ballora animatronic. Across countless Reddit threads and web forums, no consensus arises on whether Elizabeth Afton, Mrs. Afton or someone else inhabits the freaky ballerina bot. In this deep dive article, I analyze the leading arguments to showcase why this remains an enthralling mystery still to be revealed.

The Unknown Soul Within

Before assessing the various theories on Ballora‘s possessor, let‘s establish the key known facts about her background:

• Introduced as entertainment animatronic in Circus Baby‘s Rentals
• Primary dancer programmed to entertain and interact with children
• Strong motherly personality but also sinister underlying traits
• Combined with other SL animatronics into hybrid Ennard bot
• Continues murder sprees now as part of Ennard conglomerate

Notice nothing in her canonical backstory hints at exactly who controls Ballora. This crucial detail remains frustratingly vague…but allows endless debate and speculation amongst we diehard fans!

The Case to Be Made For Mrs. Afton

The most common presumption from the community is that the soul of Mrs. Afton (Clara), William Afton‘s wife and the mother of his children, embodies Ballora. Many observations support this:

A Matron‘s Love Shared With Children

• Ballora‘s caring personality mirrors that of a loving mother – she wants to protect, teach and embolden children, much like a maternal spirit might.
• Her soothing singing voice and graceful dancing aims to entertain kids, unlike the aggressive approach of Freddy, Foxy and other adult animatronics.

Resemblance to Immortal & The Restless

• In SL, the show "The Immortal & The Restless" features a purple-tinted "Clara" character. Many theorize this Clara could represent Mrs. Afton.
• The similarities between her disconnected domestic life and Ballora‘s unknown backstory imply a shared identity.
• Even their names – Clara and Ballora – contain distinct letter overlaps.

A Woman Scorned For Revenge?

Some of the darkest theories suggest Mrs. Afton now seeks vengeance against her killer husband William. Possessing Ballora grants her supernatural strength to exact that revenge as part of Ennard.

However – these connections, while intriguing, still rely heavily on speculation. Plenty of counter-arguments challenge the idea that Clara Afton controls Ballora.

Poking Holes in the Mrs. Afton Theory

Several flaws crop up when scrutinizing Ballora as Clara Afton:

Lacking Firm Motive for Possession

• No evidence suggests specific motivation for Mrs. Afton‘s soul to possess Ballora over other animatronics. Why not Baby or Funtime Foxy?
• Unlike her daughter, no definitive proof shows Ballora‘s body housing her soul. Her presence lacks substantiation.

Ennard‘s Chaos Hints Other Souls

• Ennard exhibits behavior far more chaotic than a grieving mother might demonstrate.
• Baby and other murder-victim souls seem to drive Ennard‘s objectives for revenge & violence.

Novel Canon Cannot Apply Completely

• While the novel trilogy confirms Clara inhabiting Ballora, the novels tell an alternate universe from the games. So that fact alone lacks firm relevance as evidence.

This casts reasonable uncertainties on the Clara Afton-Ballora theory. Next we‘ll assess the counter-arguments for Elizabeth Afton lying within.

Evaluating Elizabeth Afton as Ballora‘s Soul

If Clara seems doubtful as Ballora‘s spirit, might her vengeful daughter Elizabeth rest within? Potential clues lend credence:

Aligned Motives with Vengeful Ennard

• Elizabeth‘s soul certainly lingers among Sister Location bots after her gruesome murder by Baby and manual recovery by William.
• Ennard‘s clear mission involves murdering more children. Elizabeth would share these dark motives.
• Evidence shows Baby leading Ennard activities, so could that leadership extend to Baby/Elizabeth dominating Ballora too?

Chaotic Traits Match Murdered Children More

• Ballora exhibits a sinister and chaotic side more aligned with tortured souls like Elizabeth rather than a grieving mother.
• Murdered children souls seem to exert strong influence commanding other animatronics they co-habit.

Some Evidence Ballora Amalgam Contains Baby

• Ennard combines remnants of all SL animatronics, so some part Baby/Elizabeth could permeate Ballora too.
• In Fourth Closet novel, Elizabeth‘s soul inhabits both Baby and Ballora bots. Perhaps this extends to the game continuity too.

But again – these connections while enticing lack direct confirmation from Scott Cawthon himself. Doubts around Elizabeth emerge as well…

Lingering Questions Around Elizabeth Theory

Despite a surface-level appeal for Elizabeth Afton controlling Ballora, we must again consider contravening factors:

Lacks Concrete Proof of Possession

• No definitive statements or imagery confirms Elizabeth‘s soul inside Ballora specifically.
• Evidence shows Elizabeth possessing Baby/Circus Baby bot instead – so she may be confined only to that vessel.

Personality Differences

• Ballora exhibits maternal tendencies distinctly different from Elizabeth‘s childlike persona.
• Voice lines delivered by Ballora contrast in tone/maturity compared to Elizabeth‘s dialogue.

Could Exist Separately If Clara Controls Ballora

• Even if we assume Clara inhabits Ballora, Elizabeth could persist in Ennard regardless by possessing Baby alone.
• The two spirits may act independently across different animatronic bodies.

Without further input from Scott Cawthon himself, no amount of debate can guarantee Elizabeth Afton controls Ballora either. We seem destined for eternal speculation.

A Summary of Theories on Ballora‘s Soul

Before sharing my own theories on Ballora‘s mystery possessor, let‘s recap the contending spirits that may inhabit her stolen robot body:

My Best Guesses at Ballora‘s Soul

Despite the unclear and contradicting evidence, I still believe one of these two tragic Afton women controls Ballora. In my opinion, the strongest overall case rests with Mrs Afton as the soul inside.

Her maternal personality aligning closely with Ballora seems the most compelling observation. Rationally, would Scott Cawthon craft such a strongly motherly character without an equally maternal soul behind the madness? This also supports the motive of a womsn scorned by tragedy seeking chaotic revenge now for her suffering.

Yet so many uncertainties remain that I cannot disregard Elizabeth Afton either. Her soul persists within the molten mess of Ennard somewhere… so why not embody Ballora? With equal parts murderous rage and longing for approval, I envision Elizabeth‘s fractured childlike psyche yearning for the control and maturity manifesting as Ballora.

Ultimately, short of definitive answers from Scott Cawthon himself, the mystery of Ballora‘s soul persists as an enthralling centerpiece of FNAF lore for fans like us to eternally discuss and debate. And for me as a fan content creator, that suspense keeps me endlessly engaged and enthralled by this franchise!

Let me know which theories convince you below!