Markiplier looked at the screen, jaw dropped, eyes wide, and screamed a question that would haunt the internet for a decade. "Was that the bite of 87?" It's a phrase that has been remixed, deep-fried, and plastered across every social media platform imaginable. Honestly, if you’ve spent more than five minutes in the gaming side of YouTube or TikTok, you’ve seen it. But the weirdest part isn't even the meme itself. It’s the fact that, technically, Mark was wrong. He wasn't even looking at the Bite of '87.
The Five Nights at Freddy's (FNAF) lore is a chaotic mess of sprawling timelines and haunted animatronics. For the uninitiated, the "Bite of '87" was a legendary event mentioned in the very first game by Phone Guy. It was the moment an animatronic bit off a human's frontal lobe. Gruesome? Yeah. Iconic? Absolutely. But when Markiplier had his famous meltdown in 2015 while playing Five Nights at Freddy's 4, he was actually witnessing the "Bite of '83."
Context matters.
The Moment a Meme Was Born
Let’s set the scene. It’s October 2015. Scott Cawthon had just dropped the fourth installment of his horror juggernaut. Fans were scrambling to figure out where this new game fit into the timeline. Mark Edward Fischbach, known to the world as Markiplier, was doing what he does best: screaming at jump scares and getting way too invested in the story.
He reaches the end of Night 5. A 8-bit minigame plays out. You see a crying child being bullied by his brother and some friends wearing animatronic masks. They shove the kid’s head into Fredbear’s mouth. The machinery locks up. Crunch. Mark's reaction was instantaneous. He leaned back, hands on his head, and yelled the line. It was pure, unadulterated shock. Because it felt so genuine, the internet latched onto it immediately. It wasn't just a gaming clip; it was a vibe. It captured the exact feeling of finally seeing a mystery solved—even if the mystery he thought he was seeing wasn't the right one.
The was that the bite of 87 memes started small. It was just a funny reaction clip used in FNAF compilations. Then, the internet did what the internet does. It broke it down, sped it up, slowed it down, and started applying that audio to literally anything involving a mouth or a bite.
Why Markiplier’s Mistake Was Perfect
If Mark had said, "Oh, that must be a different bite," the meme wouldn't exist. The confidence in his voice is what sells it. He was so sure. And in that moment, most of the fanbase was right there with him. We all thought Scott Cawthon was finally showing us the 1987 incident. It took weeks of pixel-hunting and hidden easter eggs (like the "1983" code on the TV in a different minigame) for the community to realize we were looking at a completely different tragedy.
The mistake added a layer of irony that fueled the meme's longevity. It became a way to poke fun at the convoluted nature of FNAF lore. If even the "King of Five Nights at Freddy's" couldn't keep the bites straight, what hope did the rest of us have?
The Anatomy of Was That the Bite of 87 Memes
Memes don't survive this long by staying the same. They evolve. The was that the bite of 87 memes have gone through several distinct "eras" of internet humor.
First, there was the Sincere Era. This was 2015 to 2017. People used the clip in actual theories. It was a staple of the "Let's Play" culture. You'd see it in "Try Not To Laugh" challenges. It was a classic "loud equals funny" moment.
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Then came the Post-Ironic Era. This is where things got weird. People started editing the audio over videos of dogs snapping at treats, toddlers bumping their heads, or scenes from other movies. Think Jurassic Park but when the T-Rex eats the guy on the toilet, it’s Markiplier’s voice. Or the scene in Twilight where Edward bites Bella.
The TikTok Renaissance
Around 2020 and 2021, the meme saw a massive resurgence on TikTok. Why? Because the FNAF fandom never actually dies; it just hibernates. A new generation of kids discovered the games, and with them, they discovered Mark’s legendary freakout.
The format changed again. Now, it was about Extreme Distortion. You've probably heard the "earrape" versions where the audio is blown out so much it sounds like a jet engine. Or the versions where the video is cropped so tight on Mark’s face that you can only see his nostrils. It’s a form of "Gen Z humor" that relies on absurdity and sensory overload.
Real Lore vs. The Meme: What Actually Happened?
To understand why this is funny, you kinda have to understand the tragedy of the actual lore. Scott Cawthon is a master of "show, don't tell."
In the real 1987 incident, an animatronic (widely believed to be Mangle) bit a security guard or a patron during the day. This led to the animatronics no longer being allowed to walk around during the daytime.
The 1983 incident—the one Mark saw—was different. It was the "Fredbear Family Diner" era. It was a prank gone wrong. It resulted in the death of the "Crying Child," who is heavily implied to be the son of the series antagonist, William Afton. This event is what arguably kicks off the entire haunting of the pizzerias.
So, when Mark yells the line, he’s actually looking at the origin story of the whole franchise, not just a random bit of lore mentioned in the first game. The stakes were actually much higher than he realized.
Is it Mangle or Toy Bonnie?
For years, the "Bite of '87" was the JFK assassination of gaming. Everyone had a theory. Some said it was Foxy because of his broken jaw. Others pointed to Mangle because of its weird biting animation in FNAF 2. The meme acts as a bridge between these intense, often heated debates and the lighter, sillier side of the community.
When someone posts a was that the bite of 87 meme today, they aren't usually debating the lore. They’re participating in a shared cultural shorthand. It’s a way of saying, "I grew up on the internet, and I know exactly how loud Markiplier can get."
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The Cultural Impact of a Single Scream
It’s hard to overstate how much this one moment helped cement Markiplier’s legacy. He was already big, sure. But this clip became a "soundbite" in the literal sense. It’s a piece of digital history.
It also highlights the power of the "Reaction Video." In the early 2010s, people questioned why anyone would watch someone else play a game. The was that the bite of 87 memes provide the answer. We don't watch for the gameplay; we watch for the human connection. We watch for the "oh crap" moments that we can share with millions of strangers.
The "Bite of 87" in the FNAF Movie
When the Five Nights at Freddy's movie was announced, fans were obsessed with whether they’d see the bite. When the movie finally came out in 2023, there was a bite scene involving a character named Max and a certain animatronic suit.
The theater experience for many was just a chorus of people whispering, "Was that the bite of 87?" under their breath. It has become an involuntary reflex. You see a bite, you say the line. It’s basically the "That's what she said" of the gaming world.
Why the Meme Won't Die
Most memes have a shelf life of about two weeks. This one is going on a decade. That’s an eternity in internet years.
There are a few reasons for this staying power:
- Versatility: It fits any context where something unexpected happens.
- Audio Recognition: Mark’s voice is distinct. You don't even need to see the video to know what it is.
- The FNAF Cycle: Every time a new game, book, or movie comes out, the meme gets a fresh coat of paint.
- Nostalgia: For many, this represents the "Golden Age" of YouTube.
Honestly, it’s just fun. There’s no political agenda, no controversy, just a guy getting really excited about a pixelated bear eating a child’s head. It’s pure, chaotic internet energy.
Misconceptions and Fact-Checking
People often get confused about whether Mark actually thinks it’s the Bite of '87 now. In later videos, he acknowledged the mistake. He knows. The fanbase knows. But the meme is more powerful than the truth. At this point, even if Scott Cawthon came out and said "It was actually the Bite of 87," it wouldn't change anything. The joke is built on the error.
Some people also think this was a scripted moment. It really wasn't. If you watch the full VOD, you can see the genuine confusion and excitement on his face. He was trying to piece the story together in real-time, just like everyone else.
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How to Spot a "Bite of 87" Meme in the Wild
You'll usually find these memes in a few specific formats:
- The Bait-and-Switch: A video starts normally, maybe a nature documentary or a cooking show, and right as someone bites into food, it cuts to Markiplier’s face.
- The Slowed + Reverb: A melancholic version used for "core" aesthetic videos, making the moment feel weirdly cinematic or tragic.
- The Character Swap: Animating other characters (from Genshin Impact, Minecraft, or Roblox) to recreate Mark's movements and audio.
- The Silence: A video of a bite happening, followed by a long pause where the viewer knows the line is coming, but it never does. This is the "advanced" version of the meme.
It’s a language. And like any language, it has its own slang and nuances.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this rabbit hole or even create your own content around it, here’s how to handle it without looking like a "normie."
Understand the Timeline
Don’t go into a FNAF forum claiming the 1983 bite is the 1987 bite unless you want a 4,000-word essay written at you in the comments. Know the difference. 1983 is the Fredbear bite (FNAF 4). 1987 is the Mangle/Toy animatronic bite (FNAF 2).
Respect the Source
Markiplier is a legend for a reason. If you're making a meme, keep it lighthearted. The reason this meme survived is that it comes from a place of affection for the creator, not mean-spirited mockery.
Check the Audio Quality
If you're making a video, the "classic" audio is key. Don't use a re-recorded version. You need that 2015 microphone quality to really sell the nostalgia.
Watch the Original Video
Seriously, go back and watch Mark’s Five Nights at Freddy's 4 Part 7. It’s a masterclass in tension and payoff. Seeing the meme in its original habitat makes you appreciate how perfectly timed it actually was.
The was that the bite of 87 memes are more than just a joke. They are a testament to how gaming communities build their own history. We take these small, accidental moments and turn them into monuments. Whether you're a lore hunter or just someone who likes funny screams, that moment in 2015 changed the way we talk about FNAF forever.
Next time you see a dog snap at a fly or a friend take a big bite of a burger, you know what to do. Lean back, put your hands on your head, and ask the question that defined a generation. Was it the bite of 87? Probably not. But it’s a lot more fun to pretend it was.