Poppy Playtime's New Villain Is Its Most Terrifying Yet

Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 is bringing a new villain into the story of Playtime Co., and he might be the most terrifying character that players have come across yet. Each chapter has the unnamed protagonist travel deeper into the abandoned Playtime Co. factory where they used to work and slowly uncover more mysteries about what was happening at the factory, why it shut down, and what happened to the missing employees. This Poppy Playtime chapter promises to be the darkest yet, which means that the horrors uncovered will be worse than those already found.

Naturally, the teasers for Chapter 4 are filled with hidden details and what seem like references to previous content, including Project Playtime, a multiplayer co-op spinoff. The most recent trailer for Chapter 4 makes it clear that Doctor Harley Sawyer, also called The Doctor, is going to be making an appearance in the deeper levels of the factory, which is likely where holding cells for experiments like The Prototype are located, along with other facilities required to carry out experiments. However, it seems that The Doctor will be able to watch every move of the protagonist.

Who Is The Doctor In Chapter 4?

Playtime Co.'s Vicious Researcher

The teasers for Chapter 4 aren't the first time that The Doctor shows up in Poppy Playtime, although they may be the most direct appearances he's had so far. The Doctor can be heard on VHS tapes--as he was most notably heard in a tape, Log 24459, interrogating the Prototype--and he's referenced in tapes and notes that can be found around the factory. It's likely that all the experiments knew Harley to an extent, considering that he was the head of special projects at Playtime Co.

The Doctor is the person behind Playtime Co.'s most notorious experiments.

As the head of special projects, The Doctor is the person behind Playtime Co.'s most notorious experiments, namely the Bigger Bodies Initiative. Log 24459 reveals that the Prototype isn't fond of the Doctor, and they seem to be enemies, which is further shown by the Prototype later saving a child who would've been experimented on, even though he was unable to save him from that fate indefinitely. However, it looks like even Harley wasn't able to avoid becoming a test subject.

The Doctor Might Be Impossible To Hide From

Harley Sawyer Is No Longer Human

The latest trailer shows fragmented images, security camera clips, and features words like "Rebooting" and "My creations." Having "Rebooting" at the start of the trailer against a black screen is particularly interesting, as it's nearly the same as "Wake up," one of the phrases that appears on-screen when the player is going back into the game after dying. Rebooting an electronic is basically the same as a human falling unconscious and waking up, creating an eerie parallel with these messages.

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The implication is that the Doctor is somehow connected to the digital systems of Playtime Co., which lets him look through the security cameras. This is further implied by the cameras surrounding the figure at the end of the trailer, and the narration for the story so far using Harley's voice, but making it seem like he's been watching the player the entire time. It seems like that might've been the case, and him mentioning that the ending of Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 was a trap could be a result of his plans.

Chapter 4 Continues To Blur The Lines Between Friend And Foe

The Toys Have Created Factions

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With each new chapter, there's a new enemy. However, it never gets easier to figure out the alliances between various enemies, or how they seem to know the protagonist, aside from him being a former employee who was supposed to be present during the Hour of Joy. Now, the Doctor is being introduced, and he not only started the Bigger Bodies Initiative and certainly made a number of the toys into enemies because of it, but he has access to the security system.

At the same time, the player has restored power to the factory, which would be a big benefit to somebody linked to the security system. So, even as an antagonist, the Doctor might have a measure of gratitude for the player, whom the Prototype seems to have a grudge against. Because of this, Chapter 4 could turn into two entities working together against a common enemy, or the Doctor could see the player as a new test subject ready to be experimented on.

The story of Poppy Playtime has been dark from the first chapter, which is fitting for a horror game. With each chapter digging into heavy topics and heinous experiments, the promise of Chapter 4 being the darkest yet is both exciting and terrifying. Playtime Co. is the perfect place for an evil scientist to work, and it looks like the Doctor is in and ready to treat patients once again in Poppy Playtime Chapter 4.