| “ | "What the f%&#? How did the beak come off?" | ” |
―TheDarkLordK | ||
TheDarkLordK (also known as "DarkLord") is an American YouTuber, animator, video editor, and voice actor.
About[]
TheDarkLordK is a well-known YouTube personality that works as an animator, video editor, and voice actor. Renowned for his unique creations, he specializes in creating terrifying discovered footage "cassette tapes" inspired by Scott Cawthon's renowned franchise, Five Nights at Freddy's. On December 14, 2019, the dramatic video "Voice Box Test" was released, propelling his rise to fame to new heights. This particular release acted as a catalyst, attracting a large number of viewers to DarkLord's channel, drawn in by the terrifying and suspenseful content.
His captivating "cassette tapes" have piqued the interest of his audience, causing many to look into the huge collection he has produced. Beyond the domain of terrifying storylines, DarkLord's channel features a varied spectrum of animations that demonstrate his versatility and creative range. This multifaceted approach has contributed to TheDarkLordK's content's broad appeal, engaging viewers not just for the spine-chilling cassettes but also for the range of animations that supplement his portfolio.
Early History[]
One of DarkLord's initial uploads that garnered notable attention, including views, clicks, and subscribers was a 3D animated music video adaptation of "Five Nights at Freddy's Song" by The Living Tombstone, but in this music video, it was modified to fit within its subject. The video in question is "Five Nights at Monster's". Presented as a music video, the production cleverly blends My Little Pony characters with the stylized style of the animatronics from Five Nights at Freddy's. Among the main cast members of this cartoon project are figures like "Monster," "Space Finder," "Silent Song," "Blueberry," and "Blacklight Sorane."
Although DarkLord isn't fond of the video today, he decides to keep it up on his channel since he thinks it's a necessary part of the channel's growth. For him, "Five Nights at Monster's" represents a critical turning point in the development of his content platform.
After releasing his first SFM (Source Filmmaker) music video, the content producer expanded his portfolio by venturing into other genres, which included short animations, gaming, and other types of video material. This diverse spectrum is exemplified by works such as "(SFM) chinken nunget", "I'm Just Riding On My Bike", and "Fax Machine". These endeavors were unsuccessful in making a major difference in the channel's performance, even with the variety of material. The creator realized that there was a clear preference among his audience for Source Filmmaker animations and came to the conclusion that this was the genre that subscribers were most interested in. As such, after releasing a number of other films, he purposefully returned his attention to creating more Source Filmmaker animations for his channel, understanding that viewers have different tastes and trying to meet those expectations.
"Just An Attraction" is the first completely developed music video for Five Nights at Freddy's (FNAF) that DarkLord has created for his channel. The musical composition accompanying the animation was curated by the renowned YouTuber musician TryHardNinja. DarkLord continues to express gratitude for the video, even with a few faults in the animation. Recognizing its influence, he claims that it acted as a spark, motivating him to continue making more FNAF animations. "(SFM) Halloween and Freddy's" is the second fully animated music video using a song from TryHardNinja again. Despite the small improvements that can be seen in this performance over "Just An Attraction," DarkLord freely acknowledges that he was still learning. Every animation project provides him with an opportunity to hone his abilities to use the Source Filmmaker program, which helps him to continuously improve the caliber and performance of his artistic attempts.
Five Nights at Freddy's VHS[]
On the 25th of July, 2019, an upload surfaced on the Squimpus McGrimpus channel, titled "Fazbear Entertainment Video Manual". This specific movie was a major turning point in the formation of the FNaF VHS genre and played a vital role in its establishment. Inspired by this development, DarkLord went on to publish "Endoskeleton Test", his first work in the genre. It was mainly a test with getting the old 80's aesthetic with visuals and audio filters.
The follow-up to DarkLord's first venture into the FNaF VHS tape genre appeared as "Bonnie Maintenance Tape." After releasing these two unique "tapes" on his channel, DarkLord was constantly receiving notifications on his phone, indicating the significant and ongoing attention that these works sparked among the FNaF community.
Encouraged by the first two tapes' success and the growing passion of his fan base, DarkLord saw a chance to try something new and decided to add a new song to his repertoire. Unbeknownst to him at the time, this project would turn out to be a turning point in his life, permanently changing the course of his artistic journey.
As of 2025, TheDarkLordK is currently creating a new FNaF/VHS series called "The Unmarked Collection", which strives to create something entirely new from both canon and prior fanworks. The Unmarked Collection will take place during a reimagined early-to-mid 1990s version of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, while visually similar to real world counterparts like ShowBiz Pizza Place. The first episode, titled "Animatronic Stage Debut" is under-construction and will kick off this new timeline.
Voice Box Test[]
DarkLord's artistic path took an interesting detour when he considered making a third FNaF VHS video, with Chica the Chicken at its core. Seeing the unique character variations featured in his previous tapes—Unwithered Freddy from Five Nights at Freddy's 2 in "Endoskeleton Test" and Bonnie from Five Nights at Freddy's 1 in "Bonnie Maintenance Tape"—he made the decision to add a new level of complexity to his works by making Toy Chica from Five Nights at Freddy's 2 the main character for the next tape.
After deciding on the character and theme, DarkLord had to come up with a story that would stand out from the typical "character goes bad, tape ends" cliché that is common in the genre. Collaborating with a friend, a script was developed to introduce innovative elements into the storyline, injecting freshness into the narrative structure.
Finally, on December 14, 2019, "Voice Box Test" finally debuted on his channel. The tape has received over an astounding 7 million views as of December 18, 2023, confirming its popularity among the FNaF community and securing its status as a significant addition to the FNaF VHS tape genre.
TwelveMan_OP[]
Though DarkLord was only a modest animator at the time, his growing passion for voice acting encouraged him to pursue this artistic endeavor more. Even though he had already provided the voice for another FNAF SFM series, he was driven to return to voice acting. Fortunately, a chance arose when a newly aspired creator TwelveMan_OP posted a voice actor casting need for a new FNAF VHS tape. DarkLord thrilledly accepted the casting request, seeing it as a chance to show off his vocal abilities and lend a hand to a project directed by a well-known member of the FNAF community. The possibility of working with TwelveMan_OP gave his artistic endeavors a thrilling new angle and enabled him to fully engage himself in voice acting and animation, enhancing his skill set as a whole. DarkLord's artistic path reached a turning point with this venture, as he aimed to increase his contributions within the FNAF community.
When TwelveMan first entered the FNAF VHS scene, their debut tape, "mangle_vhs_674321106141987.mpg" (reuploaded by Scottworld), caught DarkLord's eye. DarkLord was inspired by TwelveMan's distinct approach to the genre and eventually became involved in TwelveMan's projects as a result of their work.
When the casting call for TwelveMan's new tape became available, DarkLord jumped at the chance and decided to audition for the role of William Afton. This was the start of his partnership with TwelveMan, and DarkLord has been contributing his voice to the character of Afton in TwelveMan's FNAF VHS series ever since. Within the FNAF community, his performances, particularly in "Fazbear's Collection 2," have been regarded as remarkable.
However, with TwelveMan's latest revelation about redesigning his FNAF VHS series, questions about DarkLord's continued role in voicing Afton remain. The question of whether DarkLord will retain his part in the new plot remains unanswered while the series undergoes metamorphosis, creating an air of expectancy to this dynamic collaboration within the FNAF VHS community. Only time will tell.