Draft:Ballora

Ballora
Five Nights at Freddy's character
First appearance	Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location (2016)
Created by	Scott Cawthon
Voiced by	Michella Moss
In-universe information
Species	Ballerina animatronic
Gender	Female

Ballora is a fictional character featured in the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise, first appearing in Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location, voiced by Michella Moss. In the series, she is an anthropomorphic ballerina animatronic created and designed by William Afton as part of the funtime animatronic lineup, alongside Funtime Freddy, Circus Baby, and Funtime Foxy. She is one of the first humanoid animatronics to be introduced in the franchise, the first two being Balloon Boy and JJ.

Ballora's design and mechanics in Sister Location have received praise from critics, citing her as one of Sister Location's highlights. Ballora is often regarded as one of the franchises' best characters and scariest animatronics, prominently cited for her music, jump scare factor, and the state of her eyes always being closed.

Reception

Ballora is often regarded as one of the more iconic secondary characters of the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise, being just as recognizable as characters like Bonnie, Chica, and Springtrap. She is often regarded as one of the scariest animatronics and characters in the series, noted for her quiet demeanor and aptitude for silence. Ballora's Dance Hall in the second game is often noted as one of the scariest levels in modern horror games.

Quentin Hardy for Game Rant commented on Ballora's role in Sister Location as one of the most tense and scariest aspects of the franchise, writing: "In Ballora's night, the player has to traverse a pitch black room while avoiding a dancing animatronic who would murder them if she hears or sees the player. Players can't use their sight at all and must rely on faint music box sounds to help them avoid the enemy. It's a tense moment unlike anything else in the franchise." John Sapienza mentioned Sister Location being a "underwhelming" video game, with praise only directed towards Ballora's role, stating: "The most memorable time in the game was when the player has to avoid Ballora in a dark room with only a camera's flash. All other parts were not as charming." Additionally, Courtney Syed for Gamer's Decide ranked Ballora the seventh best Five Nights at Freddy's character, mentioning her creepy songs and jumpscare plates as character highlights.

Due to her popularity, Ballora has been a character of high demand for the Five Nights at Freddy's 2 film, which is scheduled to release in 2025. Dani Odom for Screen Rant ranked her the best choice for the new character of the film, stating "Ballora would be the best option. This character has multiple abilities, such as misdirecting people and playing audio to lure them in. Ballora could also introduce a human-like animatronic into the mix of characters in Five Nights at Freddy's 2."