In Poppy Playtime, players fend off the monstrous Huggy Wuggy in Chapter 1, and it looks like they'll do the same with Mommy Long Legs in Chapter 2, but Poppy herself could be the real villain of the series. Although seemingly fragile and innocent, there could be a sinister heart beating inside that porcelain chest of hers. Whether she's the overarching antagonist or just a hapless doll yearning for freedom can't be said for certain right now. As the series unfolds, however, players may find themselves facing off against an evil Poppy Playtime.
The Playtime Co. Toy Factory of Poppy Playtime has created many toys, a lot of which were turned into monstrous creatures with an appetite for flesh by horrific human experimentation. The first and smartest of them all was the game's namesake, Poppy. Poppy Playtime's monsters are inspired by classic toys, with Poppy bearing no small resemblance to the Raggedy Ann doll of the early 1900s. The entire goal of the game is to free her from her case deep within the factory, after which the game ends. Chapter 2's plot is unknown, it would appear that freeing Poppy from her case did not allow the player to escape Playtime Co. right away.
There are a few hints that point to Poppy being the overarching antagonist of Poppy Playtime. Her absence in the Chapter 2 trailer is very telling, as are a few small details in Chapter 1. Even if she is a villain, however, she might not be the main villain. Anything could happen at this point in the series, since it's still very much in its early stages. It's possible that an even greater evil will emerge as more entries are released, but for now, theories abound. Poppy Playtime Chapter 2's Mommy Long Legs might not even be the villain of the second game.
Clues To Poppy Playtime's Villainy
There are a few hints that Poppy is a villain hidden throughout Poppy Playtime. The most prominent is the writing in the factory's ventilation system, presumably made by Huggy Wuggy. Phrases like "I'm Starving" and "This Isn't My Body" appear frequently, which makes sense since Huggy Wuggy is a monstrous experiment that apparently does not require sustenance, if the Experiment 1006 VHS is to be believed. However, there are also things like "She Can't Be Trusted" and "Don't Let Her Out." Kids love Poppy Playtime's Huggy Wuggy, and it's possible that he's not quite the killing machine he's portrayed as. It's almost like Huggy is trying to warn those unlucky enough to enter the factory against trying to find someone, and given the scarcity of characters in the game, it certainly seems like that someone is Poppy.
There's also a hint, at least vaguely, in the Chapter 2 trailer. In it, the player is seen navigating the Playtime Co. factory once again, this time trying to evade the flexible Mommy Long Legs. The entire time, however, Poppy is nowhere to be seen, only heard providing some cryptic narration. If the player frees her at the end of Chapter 1, then it seems odd that she wouldn't accompany the player in their bid to escape Playtime Co. since she herself is apparently trying to do the same. Everything about Poppy Playtime's Mommy Long Legs isn't known yet, but she certainly doesn't seem friendly, and the rest of the factory is presumably just as dangerous for a small doll all by her lonesome. It's possible that Poppy does follow the player, or that they carry her like a backpack, but her lack of screen time in the trailer still speaks volumes.
Why Would Poppy Want To Be The Villain?
Of course, any good antagonist needs some sort of motivation. Evil rarely comes from nowhere, so if Poppy is Poppy Playtime's villain, she needs a reason to be. The question of why she would be the antagonist does have a pretty good answer; she's been locked inside a display case for at least 10 years. Poppy Playtime was designed to be hyper-intelligent, smart enough to hold dynamic conversations. She's also an experiment just like Huggy Wuggy, as evidenced by the maintenance video that MOB Games released. Most of Poppy Playtime's lore is still unreleased, and playing the game won't reveal everything that's known so far. In the video, a voicebox dripping with blood is removed from Poppy's neck, showing that she does have some organic component to her. The experiments likely made her even smarter, maybe even sapient, and that intelligence certainly seems like it could lead to bitterness and a desire for vengeance due to her imprisonment.
The experiments themselves could also be the motivation for Poppy's evil. Huggy Wuggy's scrawlings have shown that some remnant of the humans that were used to make him are still alive somewhere deep inside of him. In addition, the note that brings the player to the factory in the first place, which was presumably written by Poppy, says "We're Still Here." Poppy is referring to herself as well, so it's possible that the human beings who make up her organic parts want revenge against whoever performed the experiments. What happened to Poppy Playtime's Playtime Co. employees is still largely unknown, but it would appear that they're not gone for good. Even if they're not in the driver's seat, they could be influencing Poppy with their lust for revenge against whoever combined them with the game's titular doll.
What Does It Mean For The Series If Poppy Is The Villain?
If Poppy is indeed the main villain of the Poppy Playtime series, then there are a few implications. The first is that Huggy Wuggy may not be as evil as previously thought. If Huggy's writing in the vent is about not trusting Poppy, then he could be trying to keep people away from her specifically instead of simply keeping them out of the factory. Huggy may become an ally at some point if he didn't die at the end of Chapter 1, charging in to destroy Poppy Playtime just before she can kill the player character. If Kissy Missy is Poppy Playtime Chapter 3's monster, then the two of them could fight if one is allied with Poppy. Mommy Long Legs may be trying to help the player as well, or if Poppy's warning about her can be trusted, then there could be animosity or some kind of politics among the monsters of Playtime Co.
There's also the possibility that Poppy isn't the main villain. She could be a villain without holding the title of overarching antagonist. That honor could go to the founders of Playtime Co., Elliot Ludwig and Laith Pierre. One piece of evidence for this is another of Huggy Wuggy's messages, "She's On Their Side." Poppy may be a pawn in the founders' games, perhaps even an unwilling one. Elliot and Laith may be using her as bait to lure more people into the factory in order to use them to continue their experiments. Playing Poppy Playtime Chapter 1 before Chapter 2 isn't necessary, but it might offer some previously unknown hints. Poppy may end up leading the player to them somewhere inside Playtime Co. at the start of the game, or even throughout it if she stays by their side after being let out of her case. Anything can happen in Poppy Playtime right now, but it certainly doesn't look like Poppy is as innocent as she's supposed to be.
