It happened in 2015. Markiplier, one of the biggest names on YouTube, was screaming at his monitor while playing the fourth installment of Scott Cawthon’s indie horror juggernaut. He saw a giant animatronic jaw crunch down on a child’s head during a pixelated cutscene and yelled, "Was that the Bite of '87?!"
The internet exploded.
For many, it was just a funny reaction. For the Five Nights at Freddy's (FNAF) community, it became a battle cry, a meme, and a source of endless lore-based headaches. Honestly, it's kinda wild how a single sentence uttered in a dark room by a guy with pink hair changed the way millions of people looked at a video game franchise. But here is the thing: Markiplier was actually wrong.
The Confusion Behind "Is That the Bite of 87?"
If you're looking for the short answer to the question is that the bite of 87, you have to look at the timeline. In the FNAF universe, there are two major incidents involving animatronics and human heads. The first is the actual "Bite of '87," which was mentioned way back in the first game by Phone Guy. He told us that an animatronic bit someone, and they lost their frontal lobe, but surprisingly survived.
Then came Five Nights at Freddy's 4.
The game showed us a horrific event where a group of teenagers shoved a crying child into Fredbear’s mouth. The animatronic’s jaw malfunctioned and crushed the kid's skull. Because this game was released after years of fans speculating about who caused the '87 incident, everyone—including Markiplier—assumed this was finally the reveal.
Except the dates didn't match.
The game had subtle clues, like a TV screen showing a date: 1983. This led to the community realizing there were actually two separate tragedies. One was the Bite of '83 (the one Markiplier reacted to) and the other was the original Bite of '87 (which happened at a different location during the events of the second game).
Why the meme stuck around anyway
Memes don't care about factual accuracy. Even though hardcore theorists like MatPat from Game Theory spent hours explaining why the FNAF 4 event was the Bite of '83, the catchphrase is that the bite of 87 was already too big to stop. It became a way to mock the convoluted nature of the story. It turned into a "if you know, you know" moment for the gaming community.
Think about the impact of that. One guy’s mistake became more famous than the actual lore of the game itself. You can find shirts, stickers, and thousands of TikTok remixes of that one soundbite. It’s a testament to how creator culture influences the way we consume media. We don't just play the game; we play the community's reaction to the game.
The Real Victim: Who Actually Got Bit in 1987?
So, if the FNAF 4 kid wasn't the victim of the '87 bite, who was? This is where things get genuinely murky. Scott Cawthon, the creator, is notorious for being cryptic. He doesn't give you answers; he gives you breadcrumbs.
The leading theory for a long time has been that the victim was Jeremy Fitzgerald.
Jeremy was the security guard during the first six nights of Five Nights at Freddy's 2. On Night 7, he’s moved to the day shift for a birthday party. Phone Guy tells him to stay close to the animatronics to make sure nobody gets hurt. Then, the restaurant is shut down. The implication is that Jeremy, being right there in the "danger zone," was the one who lost his frontal lobe to one of the "Toy" animatronics.
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Mangle vs. Toy Chica
Who did it?
People argue about this constantly. Mangle is the top suspect. Look at Mangle’s jumpscare—the animatronic swings down from the ceiling and bites directly at the player's head. It fits the description perfectly. Others think Toy Chica is the culprit because she loses her beak, making her jaw look much sharper and more dangerous.
It’s almost funny how much mental energy people have spent on this. We are talking about fictional robots in a fictional pizza parlor, but the stakes feel real because the mystery is so well-built. The phrase is that the bite of 87 is the entry point into this rabbit hole. Once you ask that question, you’re stuck looking at 8-bit sprites and source code for hours.
The Cultural Impact of a Single Scream
Let’s talk about Markiplier for a second. His influence on the success of FNAF cannot be overstated. When he yelled that line, he wasn't just reacting; he was branding the game. The "Bite of '87" meme is a prime example of how "Let's Play" culture creates a secondary narrative that runs alongside the actual game.
- It created a "Mandela Effect" for casual fans.
- It solidified FNAF as a meme-able franchise, not just a horror one.
- It gave the community a shorthand for whenever something unexpected happens in the lore.
Even years later, when the Five Nights at Freddy's movie was released in 2023, people were still sitting in theaters waiting for someone to say the line. They wanted that meta-connection. It shows that sometimes, the "wrong" interpretation of a story becomes more important than the "right" one because it’s the one that people connected with emotionally.
Deciphering the Lore: Why Does the Date Matter?
You might wonder why fans get so worked up over 1983 versus 1987. It seems like a small detail. But in FNAF, the timeline is everything.
If the bite in the fourth game happened in 1983, it means the tragedy started much earlier than we thought. It means the "Afton" family's downward spiral began years before the main games. The Bite of '83 was the catalyst for William Afton's madness. It wasn't just a random accident; it was the death of his son.
The Bite of '87, on the other hand, was the reason the animatronics were no longer allowed to walk around during the day. It was the "safety" incident that led to the decline of Fazbear Entertainment.
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Separating these two events is the only way the story makes sense. If they were the same event, the internal logic of the games would crumble. That’s why the question is that the bite of 87 is so loaded. It’s a test of how much you actually know about the world Scott Cawthon built.
Actionable Steps for Exploring FNAF Lore
If you are just getting into this or if you've been away for a while and want to catch up, don't just take the memes at face value. The story is much deeper than a single scream.
Watch the original source
Go back and watch Markiplier’s "FNAF 4 Part 7" video. Seeing the moment happen in its original context helps you understand why it felt so impactful at the time. The raw shock in his voice is what sold it.
Check the "Survival Logbook"
This is a real-world book released by Scott Cawthon. It contains hidden messages that confirm the name of the "Crying Child" from the 1983 incident is likely Cassidy or Evan (depending on which theory you subscribe to). It’s one of the few pieces of "hard" evidence we have.
Compare the animatronic designs
Look at the difference between the "Nightmare" animatronics in FNAF 4 and the "Toy" animatronics in FNAF 2. The Nightmare versions represent a child's trauma—the Bite of '83. The Toy versions represent a corporate failure—the Bite of '87.
Follow the community hubs
The FNAF subreddit and specialized lore YouTubers like Sire Squawks or ID's Fantasy are still active today. They use modern software to analyze every frame of the games, proving that the mystery of is that the bite of 87 is far from over.
The most important thing to remember is that FNAF lore is a puzzle that isn't meant to be "solved" in a traditional way. It’s meant to be discussed, debated, and even laughed at. Whether you're a hardcore theorist or just someone who enjoys a good meme, the "Bite of '87" remains one of the most iconic moments in digital history. It’s the perfect example of how a community can take a creator's work and turn it into something entirely new.
Next time you see a giant robot jaw, you’ll know exactly what to ask. Just don't be surprised if the answer is more complicated than you expected.
To dive deeper into the timeline, your best move is to play through Five Nights at Freddy's 2 and pay close attention to the phone calls on Night 5 and 6. They contain the most direct references to the actual '87 incident. From there, you can piece together the rest of the Fazbear tragedy on your own terms.