It's high time you learn about the big bad of chapter 4 in Mob Entertainment's horror series. Poppy Playtime's The Doctor is truly one of the most heinous characters in this world, so it's unsurprising that there's quite a lot to unpack with him. Luckily for you, we're on hand to fill you in on the details, as we dive into his backstory, how he plays into the narrative of Safe Haven, along with various other things.
Mind you, it's futile to learn about The Doctor if you've yet to reach Poppy Playtime Chapter 4, so make sure you check out our Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 guide to learn how you can beat Poppy Playtime's Catnap to delve further into the factory.
Here's what you need to know about Poppy Playtime's The Doctor:
Who is Poppy Playtime's The Doctor?
You already know The Doctor, to a certain degree, anyway. While Chapter 4 is the first time he appears physically, you actually learn about Harley Sawyer in previous chapters. Sawyer is a despicable human being who's responsible for much of the horror plaguing Playtime Co. and the factory. To truly understand The Doctor, you need to know about Sawyer, so let's start there.
Harley Sawyer
When he was a young lad, Sawyer decided to join the Young Geniuses Program, and his smarts and personality attracted the attention of Poppy Playtime's Elliot Ludwig. However, Ludwig did have some reservations about the young scientist, namely his lack of humility. The fact that Sawyer was all for experimentation, essentially, for the fun of it, shook Ludwig to his core, as he's a man of principles who believes in doing such things for the greater good only. Sawyer's diabolical nature saw him make an early exit from the program when Ludwig expelled him; his abrasiveness and lack of care outweighed his impressive intellect for the founder.
Ultimately, Sawyer's first stint with Playtime Co. would come to an abrupt end after Ludwig realized he had no choice but to expel Sawyer from the program. No matter how intellectually superior Sawyer was, Ludwig couldn't get past his abrasiveness and lack of care.
However, Sawyer would one day return to the factory. In 1990, he rejoins as a neurosurgeon following an invitation from Leith Pierre, going on to become the Head of Special Projects, which, as you might guess, directly involves him with some of the heinous activities that take place in the forsaken factory. Sawyer created the Bigger Buddies initiative, to which many of the toys you encounter belong, including Poppy Playtime's Kissy Missy.
Sawyer would go on to take a unique interest in one particular orphan from Playcare: Quinn Navidson, the child who becomes Poppy Playtime's Yarnaby. Sawyer found Navidson's loyalty rather nauseating, but that didn't stop him from taking advantage of Yarnaby, turning the toy into a bodyguard. He deserved no such care from the toy, as he actually got a kick out of the noises Yarnaby would make when locked away in isolation.
The Doctor even has ties to CatNap and Poppy Playtime's Boxy Boo, considering both experiments to be a huge success, though perhaps his most prized experiment is 1006, also known as Poppy Playtime's Prototype. It's no wonder that the mysterious toy is so evil; he learned from the best in Sawyer.
The Doctor
Luckily, for all of his heinous crimes and lack of compassion, Sawyer made one too many mistakes, leading to an incident that his colleagues, Leith Pierre, Eddie M.N. Ritterman, and Stella Greybar, couldn't ignore. However, they can't simply remove him; he has a remarkable brain. So instead of killing a man who knows too much, they put Sawyer through an experiment, just like the scientist did to many subjects before him. To be honest, The Doctor ought to be thankful he has such a brilliant intellect. The backup plan his colleagues had was to feed him to Boxy Boo.
Sawyer was, unsurprisingly, outraged that what happened to him, yet he couldn't fight back; he had no choice but to comply with every request Pierre made, the biggest of which was for Sawyer to answer all the questions the scientists might have, divulging whatever information he could.
In the end, Sawyer should be somewhat happy he wound up being an experiment, as that's what saved him during the 1995 massacre. Still, there's a lot of tension between The Doctor and the Prototype, yet neither has the means to do anything about the other. In fact, they grudgingly need each other, something the Prototype most certainly hates.
What is Poppy Playtime The Doctor's role in the story?
From his backstory, you know that he was an important figurehead who was responsible for many of the horrific experiments Playtime Co. subjected the children to before becoming one himself. In the game, he serves as the main antagonist of Safe Haven, watching you as you make your way around the prison. In line with his sadistic personality, he taunts you on occasion, even sending the Poppy Playtime Nightmare Critters and mini Huggy Wuggys after you for his own amusement, only calling the toys off after giving you a real fright.
Eventually, The Doctor decides that he's done playing games, opting to send Yarnaby after you, though that doesn't exactly pan out for the villain. After the wanna-be lion fails to kill you, Sawyer traps you in an area with a Bigger Bodies Baba Chops. When you survive that encounter, The Doctor gives you a choice, wanting you to kill an innocent Simon Smoke toy, no doubt wanting to prove that you can be as selfish as he is. However, you can actually escape without murdering the toy - while there's no consequence for this choice yet, perhaps it'll come home to roost in future chapters.
As you continue to progress through Safe Haven, you end up having a final showdown with The Doctor, during which time you get to learn some interesting things about Elliot Ludwig, the Playtime Co. founder. To us, it sounds like The Doctor played a pivotal role in whatever happened to Ludwig, but only time will tell if we're right about that. Defeating Sawyer doesn't conclude the chapter; you still have one more boss fight to go.
Poppy Playtime The Doctor's Personality
Selfish narcissist. We don't really need to say more than that; just those two words sum up The Doctor. Okay, you should probably chuck the word 'evil' in there, too, and 'unfeeling.' The man has no regard for any life besides his own, not even second-guessing his choice to conduct such awful experiments. His only regret is becoming one himself. While we hate this man, it's clear why he did so well at Playtime Co., an evil scientist with no morals was just what the company needed for such proceedings.
Poppy Playtime The Doctor appearances
Safe Haven marks The Doctor's first physical appearance, though previous ARG experiences sprinkle mentions of Harley Sawyer, along with Chapter 3. It's clever, really, as while you don't meet him before Chapter 4, he has subtle appearances that can clue you in. His first proper appearance is actually in Project: Playtime, the spin-off game.