5 Shocking Reasons He Is Purple: Unmasking The Twisted Lore Of The 'Ourple Guy'

The question "He is purple because" is one of the most iconic and enduring mysteries in internet culture and video game lore, specifically tied to the massively popular *Five Nights at Freddy's (FNaF)* franchise. As of the current date, December 17, 2025, the subject of this vibrant, unsettling color is William Afton, the franchise's primary antagonist, known universally by the fanbase as the Purple Guy. His color is not a simple design choice; it is a complex narrative device that reveals his identity, his horrifying actions, and his ultimate fate within the dark Fazbear Entertainment universe. This article dives deep into the lore, breaking down the definitive reasons why the infamous serial killer is rendered in the color of royalty and shadow, exploring everything from technical 8-bit limitations to the modern, viral "Why He Ourple?" meme that has cemented his legacy across TikTok and YouTube.

The Definitive Biography of William Afton: The Man Behind the Slaughter

To understand why "he is purple," one must first understand *who* he is. William Afton is the central figure of evil in the *Five Nights at Freddy's* universe, a brilliant engineer and co-founder of the original company who descends into madness and serial murder.

Full Name: William Afton

Aliases: The Purple Guy, Springtrap, Glitchtrap, Scraptrap, The Man Behind the Slaughter.

Co-Founder: Fazbear Entertainment and Fredbear's Family Diner (with his business partner, Henry Emily).

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Primary Crimes: The Missing Children Incident, where he murdered at least five children, stuffing their bodies into the animatronic suits, which caused the ghosts of the children to possess the robots (Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and Golden Freddy).

Family: His family is tragically central to the lore, including his son, Michael Afton (often theorized to be a different "Purple Guy" at one point), his daughter, Elizabeth Afton (killed by Circus Baby), and his youngest son (The Crying Child/Bite Victim).

Ultimate Fate: He is killed by a Springlock Failure inside the aging Spring Bonnie suit, becoming the terrifying, decaying animatronic known as Springtrap.

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5 Shocking Reasons Why the Purple Guy Is Purple

The color purple is a deliberate, multi-layered choice by *FNaF* creator Scott Cawthon. It serves multiple purposes across the franchise's timeline, from a technical necessity in the early games to a symbol of decay and pure evil in the later installments.

1. The 8-Bit Shadow Representation (The Primary Reason)

The most widely accepted and canonical reason for William Afton’s purple coloration comes from his appearances in the 8-bit minigames found primarily in *FNaF 2* and *FNaF 3*.

• The Technical Constraint: These minigames are rendered in an ultra-simplistic, Atari-style aesthetic with limited color palettes. The background of these scenes is often pure black or a very dark color.
• The Solution: To represent a shadowy, sinister figure—a person hiding in the darkness—the developers needed a color that would contrast with the black background. Black on black is invisible. Therefore, a dark purple was chosen to signify a shadowy silhouette or a person obscured by the dark environment.
• The Entity Link: This concept is reinforced by the presence of Shadow Bonnie and Shadow Freddy, who are also rendered in dark purple/black, symbolizing entities tied to the dark, forgotten corners of the restaurants.

2. The Symbolism of Sinister Intent and Mystery

Beyond technical reasons, purple carries a heavy symbolic weight in the *FNaF* narrative. Historically, purple is the color of royalty, but it also represents mystery, ambition, and the unnatural. William Afton is a man of extreme ambition, creating dangerous animatronics like the Funtime series and pursuing the dark secrets of immortality through Remnant (a metaphysical substance that allows souls to possess objects). His purple color immediately sets him apart as an abnormal, sinister presence in the otherwise colorful world of children’s entertainment.

3. The Decaying Corpse Theory (The Darker Interpretation)

As the lore progressed, particularly in the later minigames, the purple coloration took on a much more gruesome meaning. In some appearances, such as the sprite seen in the *FNaF 4* minigames, the purple is a dark, maroon-like hue. This led to the theory that the color represents the rotting corpse of William Afton.

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• The Springlock Failure: William Afton's story culminates in him being crushed and killed inside the Spring Bonnie suit due to a Springlock Failure. This event seals his fate, turning him into the undead, decaying villain Springtrap in *FNaF 3*.
• Post-Mortem Color: A rotting human body can develop a dark, purplish-maroon discoloration due to decomposition and bruising. The purple sprite, therefore, visually foreshadows or represents the state of his body after this horrific incident, long before the reveal of Springtrap.

4. The Distinction from Other Characters

The color purple also serves as a critical narrative tool to distinguish William Afton from other characters, especially his son, Michael Afton. Early fan theories often confused the two, as Michael Afton is also shown in a purplish sprite in the custom night minigames of *Sister Location* after he is scooped and his body begins to decompose.

• William's Hue: William Afton's purple is typically a vivid, bright purple in the *FNaF 2* and *FNaF 3* minigames, marking him as the active murderer.
• Michael's Hue: Michael Afton's discoloration is often a more sickly, bruised, and decomposing shade of purple/blue, directly related to his body’s decay after the "scooping" event, reinforcing the difference between the original killer and his son's unfortunate fate.

5. The Evolution into Glitchtrap

In the modern *FNaF* games, particularly *Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted*, William Afton’s purple essence takes on a new, digital form: Glitchtrap. This is a sentient computer virus based on Afton's consciousness, trapped inside the game's code.

• Digital Purple: Glitchtrap is a tall, stylized rabbit character wearing a purple vest and bow tie, rendered in a highly saturated, digital purple. This shows that the color is now intrinsically linked to Afton's soul and consciousness, persisting even after his physical body is destroyed and his spirit is digitized. It is the color of his eternal, digital evil.

From Pixelated Killer to Viral Meme: The 'Why He Ourple?' Phenomenon

The question of William Afton's color transitioned from a serious lore debate into a cultural phenomenon with the rise of the internet meme "Why He Ourple?"

The meme is a humorous, intentional misspelling of "Why is he purple?" and is directly linked to the *FNaF* character. It gained massive traction on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, often featuring exaggerated, low-quality images of the Purple Guy sprite or parodies of the character.

The Meme's Impact and Spread

• Humorous Origin: The phrase itself is a testament to the community's long-standing, often confusing, discussions about the character's appearance. The simple, slightly absurd misspelling made it instantly shareable and hilarious.
• Musical Connection: The meme is frequently paired with the iconic *FNaF 1* song by The Living Tombstone, or a beatbox remix of it, further cementing its connection to the franchise's nostalgia.
• Pop Culture Entity: "Ourple Guy" has become a recognizable entity in its own right, spawning countless fan animations, parodies, and even a popular mod for the game *Friday Night Funkin'*, demonstrating how the original lore question has evolved into a piece of modern, self-aware internet humor.

The enduring fascination with why "he is purple" is a perfect encapsulation of the *Five Nights at Freddy's* phenomenon: a simple visual element that hides layers of dark lore, technical history, and a vibrant, meme-driven fanbase. Whether he is a shadowy figure, a rotting corpse, or a digital virus, the Purple Guy remains the most iconic "ourple" antagonist in gaming history.