Of all the characters in Scott Cawthon’s smash hit horror series, FNAF’s Mike Schmidt might be one of the most important and most cryptic. With this in mind, we’ve put together a guide to the pizzeria worker protagonist, detailing his lore, relationship with other characters, and fate. Of course, there are spoilers ahead, so if you don’t want to know, look away now!
For more on this spooky series, be sure to check out our FNAF characters guide or try our detailed character biographies for FNAF’s Freddy, FNAF’s Chica, FNAF’s Bonnie, FNAF’s Roxy, FNAF’s Puppet, FNAF’s Foxy, and FNAF’s Gregory. Or, if you’re looking for something a little different, check out our guide to the best horror games on Switch and mobile.
Who is FNAF’s Mike Schmidt?
Mike Schmidt is the player character in Five Nights at Freddy’s. As a security guard working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, Mike has to fend off hallucinations and terrifying animatronics as he tries to make it to the seventh and final night. In the true ending, Mike survives, but the company fires him for tampering with the animatronics. Interestingly, we never actually see Mike while playing as him, and the only image available of the character is in the game over screen with human eyes visible inside the Freddy suit (yes, that’s Mike in there).
Before we get any further, it’s worth mentioning that we’re going to get pretty spoiler-heavy, so if you want to experience everything for yourself first, it’s time to bookmark this page and get back to the game. Ready? Okay, let’s go. After much speculation from the community, later games and additional media have confirmed that Mike Schmidt is the same person as Michael Afton, the middle child of the Afton family.
Schmidt and Afton being one and the same makes a lot of sense in the story. The reason for the animatronics attacking Mike in the first game is that they can’t distinguish him from his father, FNAF’s William Afton, who trapped the spirits of the children in the animatronic suits. Still, Mike’s intentions shift dramatically through the course of the series, going from an unsuspecting victim in the first game to becoming the man who wants to take down his father and his evil plans once and for all.
Things really take a turn for the worse for Mike during the events of Sister Location. If you beat custom night on very hard mode, you unlock a cutscene showing Ennard transferring himself from Circus Baby to Mike’s body. The minigames that follow tell the tale of Ennard taking over Mike’s body, turning him into something that looks like Purple Guy before his body rejects Ennard and releases the evil spirit. This leaves Mike near death, only to somehow survive while swearing to find his father.
Eventually, Mike gets his wish during the events of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator. Mike works with Henry Emily, his father’s former partner, to lure in all the animatronics and William so they can face their ultimate demise in the fire. Unfortunately, the flames also consume Mike, seemingly ending his story.
How old is FNAF’s Mike Schmidt?
According to the FNAF lore boffins, Mike Schmidt’s age depends on which game you’re playing, but the general consensus is that he was born in 1975. This date of birth puts Mike at 26 years old in the original Five Nights at Freddy’s, and 56 in FNAF 3, provided he is the security guard we believe him to be.
What is FNAF’s Mike Schmidt’s personality?
As he’s mainly a player character, we don’t know loads about Mike’s personality, but we can garner some things from his entries in his logbook and his incentives. Mike seems like a laid-back and sarcastic kind of guy, taking the job originally so he can pick up some free pizza while working. However, his experiences with the animatronics change him, giving him the drive to find his father and to see if he can save his sister’s soul from Circus Baby.
FNAF’S Mike Schmidt game appearances
Mike’s appeared in quite a few FNAF games as both Mike Schmidt and Michael Afton. We’ve listed all of his appearances below.
- Five Nights at Freddy’s (as Mike Schmidt)
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 (as Michael Afton)
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location (as Michael Afton)
- Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator (as Michael Afton)
Is Mike Schmidt in the FNAF movie?
Yes, Mike Schmidt is in the FNAF movie. Josh Hutcherson plays the FNAF series protagonist, though there are a few differences between the game version of the character and that of the film. The biggest change is that Mike has a younger sister in the movie who we’ve never heard of in the games. We’re yet to see whether Mike returns in a possible sequel, but it seems likely.
There you have it, all you need to know about FNAF’s Mike Schmidt. While you’re here, check out another spooky title with our guides to Poppy Playtime characters, Poppy Playtime Chapter 1, and Poppy Playtime Chapter 2.