When thinking about, what the Top 10 Scariest Moments of the first 3 Walten Files were going to be, I knew it was going to give me nightmares. I feel like this was an article, that was inevitable. So I might as well discuss why the scariest moments of the first 3 episodes, of The Walten Files, are so scary, and which I believe, to be the scariest so far.
The honourable mentions: Billy and Banny segments from the third Walten Files video. They would be number 12 and 11 respectively. Simply, the build-up to these moments was good but a bit predictable. We saw what happened with Billy in the previous Walten Files, so despite it being scary and dreadful, it was lost, in the deep lore, from the rest of the third Walten Files video. For the Banny moments, it’s horrific, and horrible to think about. However, the Bon jumpscare is not as rememberable, as other moments. Sadly, you could guess, what was coming next, for poor Susan. But, she will appear later in this list.
Ultimately, their shocking and scary moments in Walten Files 2, surpass the moments of Walten Files 3.
Below are the 10 scariest moments from the Walten Files, in my humble opinion. I’m probably wrong, and that is ok. Tell me what was your scariest moment. But obviously, spoilers for the Walten Files videos, are below. If you don’t want to spoil the Walten Files for yourself, then check out the Walten Files episodes, here. Otherwise, enjoy the list below.
10. TV Glitch – Walten Files 1
The first big jumpscare of the Walten Files, maybe at the bottom of this list, but like a good appetiser, it prepared us for what was to come. And before we knew it, Little Bon was trying to light the lighter, and an evil Bon, standing in the darkness would appear. But what really adds to the tension of this moment. Are the little jumpscares that lead up to Little Bon in the dark. From first seeing Billy the Clown (that always causes a strong reaction in YouTube reaction videos) to seeing Jack’s distorted photo, not once but twice, is not enough to make you tense up, I don’t know what will.
All this to then seeing the message, “let me out of here” on the television for a brief second. Then the screen goes dark. Then the animatronics are asleep, and I cannot be the only person tricked by Little Bon’s eye mask. That was spooky! Until it raised the eye mask at least. Then, I was alright, until it started to move through to the darkness, before looking at the glitching television. The distorted face of Jack Walten, on a missing poster, was creepy. As a horrid noise is heard coming from the tv. Before Little Bon, turns on a lighter, and the picture changes, to the damaged Bon standing behind Sophie.
Not the scariest moment on a rewatch, but it is a moment that illustrates how the web series would use, suspense and tension, to lead to a jumpscare. However, using misdirection on the audience, so nobody knows what the jumpscare will be. Old, evil Bon, was not seen before this moment. Neither was Sophie. This moment was not just scary, but it appears to be a crucial moment, for understanding the overall story. An essential reason why the Walten Files, is so good.
9. Rocket and the Red Children – Walten Files 3
The same effect of being scary, but telling an essential part, of the overall story, this moment can sum that up completely. The moment before this gets its own place on this list, but this moment was so unexpected, for shock value alone, this needs to be in the Top 10. Rocket sat on a wooden chair, immediately after a jumpscare, with the music slow, like the video is finally over. This makes the viewer feel like, this is a final moment of calm. But still with emotion, after a very tense moment.
The sound design, once again lets the viewer’s heartbeat slow, after a very chaotic couple of moments. After all of Walten Files 3, and the emotional turmoil of the last 30 minutes of the video, a moment of calm, was needed. But Martin wanted to give us one last jab, at the end of his longest video.
And once again, a jumpscare, that you just cannot expect. If you expected two black and white faces, appearing behind and on either side of Rocket, like they are breaking through the background of the image, then buy a lottery ticket. This is such a different jumpscare, in effect, that it is quite rememberable. Not a teeth-chattering moment, but still a shock to end the Walten Files, thus far.
8. Rabbit is Starving – Walten Files 2
A moment that I doubt many expect to be on this list, as it is not really a jumpscare. Seeing a purple animated rabbit walking through doorways sounds mundane, and repetitive. But team it with the psychotic audio, transforms this moment, completely.
A woman’s distorted voice, speaking without breathing, or pausing, and so quickly, that on a first watch, it sounds inaudible. Until the words, “The rabbit is starving.” Repeated, over and over again. This is psychologically scary, in tone, in delivery, and in execution. One word makes this terrifying. Starving. The idea the rabbit is starving, and in pain, and nobody is going to help it.
From being the monster, to the victim. And the backing music, making this, just sadistic! Until Banny cries. Psychologically scary, as it continues a precedent, of not knowing what is coming next, in the Walten Files. The rabbits are evil, but maybe they are not. Or at least Banny isn’t. Running in circles, no way out. Continuing to starve. It is unexpected, and makes you question, who really is the villain here? Not just a scary moment, but a great moment of production for Martin Walls.
7. Sha at K9 Storage Facility – Walten Files 2
The backing music to this section, sets up the viewer, for ruination. A little animated sheep, with a nice voice, guiding you around a creepy location, with glitches expected, after the whole, rabbit is starving, a segment that was directly before this section of the 2nd Walten Files. But, I doubt many expected it to go downhill, so badly for poor Sha and Rosemary Walten, even after what happened to Banny.
From mysterious shadow men appearing at different times to quick glitches that are designed to disorientate the watcher, as Sha continues around the facility, until glitching out, breaking the informative video, designed for employees of BSI.
The screen lands finally on Rosemary, where the narrator mentions how she went to the restaurant to find her missing husband. Instead, she found a rabbit. This animated version of Bon, is unsettling to me. Whether it is the eyes, with the distorted voice, or just how still he is, I don’t know, but I was right to fear this rabbit. He says, she will be beautiful.
This leads to the yet unrecognised Rosemary, being seen to be dismembered. A horrific scene (that may appear once again later in this list) but thankfully for my sanity, it was just an animated version of her corpse. This is the most gruesome death, known about in the Walten Files thus far. Further illustrated by the animatronic Sha, “But on the inside, it felt like every single part of her body was bleeding.”
The animatronic glitching, with Rosemary’s eyes visible from the Sheep, covered in blood. It is a terrifying moment, with the build-up leading to a gory scene, and a nightmare, for anybody to see somebody, who was concerned for a loved one, to get killed so viciously, it is horrific. Realising later, it is a wife and mother, look for her family, it is truly heartbreaking. It is scary, to think a loved one, can be slaughtered like this. Too scary to not be on this list.
6. What Was That Thing?! – Walten Files 1
The big climax to the original episode of the Walten Files episode, is it surprising to see a man die, get onto this list? But, there is much more to this moment, than the result, for poor Brian. From hearing the Bon animatronic glitch to seeing the eyeballs in the animatronic head, before they gush blood, giving three jumpscares, within 30 seconds.
This is quickly followed by Brian fleeing in the forest, before a thud from behind, knocks Brian Stells to the floor. Looking up, into the dark, we can see the eyeballs of the animatronic shifting quickly, watching Brian closely. Brian turns on his flashlight, illuminating Bon’s face, before he attacks, glitching out on the screen.
Big and sharp teeth, as well as the metal claw, presents a menacing presence, for Bon’s first visible attack on screen, in the Walten Files series. The twitching and glitching, of the entire body, immediately differentiating Bon, from the Five Nights at Freddy’s animatronics. And the disfigured face of plasticine after Bon glitches, is definitely an odd touch but does not change how scary the moments leading up are, at the end of the first Walten Files.
Basically, this is an advertisement for the Walten Files 2, and setting up the horror, that is to come. See you soon everyone, Bon will scare you more next time!
5. Finally Bon Arrives – Walten Files 3
The third Walten Files is a tense and horrifying marathon, but just when the finishline was insight, the big villain arrived. Throughout the third Walten Files, Bon was ever present as the player character, as Sophie went through the Bunnyfarm game. As well as Bon appearing in the backstories of Banny, Boozoo and Sha, as a grim reaper, of 1974.
So when the three animatronics reappeared, sat around a gift at the end of the video, I don’t expect many foresaw the arrival of a dilapidated and much larger game sprite of Bon. A distorted version of a children’s nursery rhyme, and Bon glitching in red, as he seems to be trying to scream or shout, as his eyes twitch in the animatronic skull. The hands over the face, and the teeth very visible from the jaws, leads the viewer to see a crazy Bon, full of energy and emotion.
On a first watch, this is much scarier than on repeated viewings, as, on a first-watch, it feels like Bon is waiting to attack the viewer, with some sort of jumpscare, or reveal something even more horrific, hiding underneath his artificial casing. This ends up not going the extra step that Bon, has taken in the past. But that does not change the tension up to this moment, set up by the previous 50 minutes. This is definitively the killer animatronics, whereas the others have not been shown as attackers of the living. Bon is inherently the one the audience fears, and for good reasons.
4. Missing – Walten Files 3
Now it is finally time for Boozoo to make us scared. Boozoo is one of the more unknown characters in the Walten Files, as the audience is less certain who possesses the ring top leader, not in a ring top? There are a few mysteries around Boozoo, but there is no doubt that the animatronic is possessed after, Walten Files 3
After playing Memorize, and spot the differences, there is no doubt that the viewer is already uncomfortable, seeing a distorted face of a man, through various different pictures. Then the game glitches out, and it is time for your prize.
We see another image of the man’s face, this time in Black and white, with his lips removed. All as we hear a voice getting louder, repeatedly say “7-14 missing.”
The subtitles tell us that someone, likely the individual possessing the Boozoo animatronic, went missing on July 14th 1974. This is followed by an eyeless Boozoo head, covered in red stains, breathing heavily. Quickly this turns into Boozoo with bloody red eyes, and human teeth, almost staring forward at Sophie, as a voice repeatedly says, “Missing.”
The quick edits from Martin Walls, is what gives this moment, its shock value, as Boozoo is not inherently a scary looking animatronic, unlike Billy the Clown to some viewers. But Boozoo went from a fun character in the background, to a bloody horror character in less than 60 seconds, as the words missing, call out from the arcade machine. Boozoo will likely get more scary moments in future of the Walten Files, as his backstory is explored, but Martin may struggle to make something scarier than this moment from Walten Files 3.
3. Ashley’s Fatal Curiosity – Walten Files 2
Bon attacking poor Brian Stells was the horrific conclusion to the first Walten Files. It makes sense that Martin Walls would want to go one step better, for the end of its sequel. Out of all of the animatronics, Billy was the most suspicious of the characters after the first Walten Files, being a clown. Pennywise or the Joker, could be the reason why, but in the end, it was not Billy who was the scariest of them all.
Curious Ashley would start going through the backdoors of the K9 Storage Facility, at night, alone. Every viewer knew, at this moment, she done goofed. But, when she said, she was not going near that clown thing, what a sigh of relief. She would come back with more people the next day. Was this a miracle, would she survive. And then, she found a cassette tape.
The Glitchy happy birthday song, Billy saying names, like their a hit list, Ashley’s squeal, and then the reaper of this series, Bon coming out of the dark. The cherry on the cake, hearing her screaming, before Bon removes Billy’s face, to show Ashley’s face, with her jaw-breaking on screen in the last second. You don’t think the Walten Files have horrific and scary moments, you tell poor Ashley that. I cannot describe how fast my heartbeat was. It just wouldn’t end, as the horror, would keep going. The big climax to Walten Files 2, definitely was a sucker punch to the gut! One of the most memorable moments of the Walten Files, so far. And definitely one of the scariest!
2. Jack Walten’s Face – Walten Files 2
This scary moment, I don’t expect many to rank very highly, in their personal Top 10. I expect, everybody thought the death of Ashley, would be the highest moment of the 2nd Walten Files episode, on this list.
But this moment just creeps me out, so much. The silence of the video, after the light-hearted music, starting the video. The initial weird animated picture of Jack, with his extra-long smile, in his grey suit, is odd.
But then the animated pictures disappears to leave a black screen. However, if you look into the darkness, you realise it is not just a black screen. Look Closer! The teeth are just visible, and the cheekbones showing the outline of a face, staring back at you. Brighten up the image, and you see Jack, in all his glory? Face glitched, as if he is pressing through, into the video. Both the regular image and the brightened up image are, on initial realisation, terrifying. The idea he is haunting the videos, always watching. That even when you can’t see him, he might be there, hiding away in the video.
Many have spoken about, just how creepy Jack Walten’s face is, at different times in the series. But this face shows to me, it is not his face that is scary. It is how it appears, with intent. Haunting the Walten Files, and showing, what can only be described as anger. The anger of Jack Walten, who has this indescribable amount of power, across the Walten Files videos, is scary. These few seconds show that the viewer never knows, what Jack is going to do next. The unexpected is something that has always been scary, in horror. Jack Walten, sets up that notion in the Walten Files, with this moment, highlighting it, better than any other.
It is so creepy.
Number 1 – Rosemary Walten’s Screams, Walten Files 3
For me, I knew this was Number 1, as soon as I wanted to make this list. The moment that made me take a break. Made MatPat take a break. Made 8-Bit Ryan cry real tears, and made so many others, pause their reactions, to the 3rd Walten Files video.
The big moment of the 3rd Walten Files video was not the Lore heavy ending, which is the saddest moment of the Walten Files, but nothing is really scary about that moment. It is a different set of emotions. But also, the viewer is drained of being scared, by the proceeding moments of the 3rd Walten Files video. Billy glitching, making Susan beautiful, the letters of Linda, the Boozoo minigames of the missing, leading back to Sha.
The story of Sha was to some, the most distressing part of the 2nd Walten Files video. The story of Rosemary Walten, and her seemingly tragic fate, was horrific in the 2nd Walten Files, but somehow, Martin Walls found a way to make something scarier. The slow build-up, through the Hide and Seek section of the Bunnyfarm game, is disturbing and full of tension, but never pulls the trigger, until that final countdown.
Little Easter Eggs to the fate of Edd and Molly, mysterious eyes hiding in the dark, and even a bit of dream ballet, leads to the viewer, not know what is coming next, until the words appear, “I know where he is, Rosie. Follow me.”
Anybody who had watched the 2nd Walten Files, and had it fresh in their mind, knew the fate of Rosemary Aften, and as the counter ticked down from 10, to 1, it gave the audience the knowledge, that something bad was about to happen. And so, we heard the blood-curdling screams of Rosemary, with some horrific backing music, and the visuals of Rosemary’s blood fly onto the walls, and Sha glitching the game out, in her visceral agony.
Poor Rosemary
This moment is so intense because Rosemary has the most back story in the Walten Files. She is not a random employee of a company, she is a wife, and a mother. She was looking for her husband and was fatally tricked into a fate, some would argue, is worse than death. Hearing her scream, seeing her pain and knowing everything from the 2nd Walten Files, she is the character we know most about, and likely, care most about. That is why Sha and Rosemary, probably have the most fan artwork, and why the Walten Files fanbase, like the idea of Rosemary, not being alone as Sha. Often putting pictures of Bon with Sha, believing the duo to be husband and wife. But, would the loving husband, rip his wife apart, limb by limb.
The tragedy of Rosemary Walten is further pushed by the fate of her children, which happened before her eventual demise as well. More of the story of the Walten’s will be revealed, but I doubt that anything can be more scary and terrifying, than seeing a woman be killed and seeing her pain and torment 8 years later. They feel pain after dying, they have emotions, and no single moment hits harder than this one. It might not be scary in the jumpscare sense, but emotionally, can anything be more terrifying. I’m sure if there is anything, Martin Walls will try and find it.
And those are the Top 10 scariest moments in the first 3 parts of the Walten Files. I have not much else left to say, so Martin, you have scared me before, and you are probably going to do it again. I wish him the best of luck, with the 4th part, of the Walten Files.
