Fran Bow: The Story Explained

Fran Bow is a young girl who experiences a horrific trauma when her family is taken from her one night. She finds herself in an asylum and manages to escape, seeking to find answers to the crime that befell her parents. The journey Fran Bow embarks on takes her to many fantasy realms and much of this story seems to make very little sense. So in today's horror game explained video we take a careful look at the plot of Fran Bow, it's symbolism and greater meaning, in hopes to make sense of it all. This is the story of Fran Bow explained.

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[kitkats]

i was sad at the second theory until i remembered that little misfortune proves that fran isn’t just hallucinating

[ladylunaginaofgames]

Just so you know, Fran Bow's surreal world of F.R.E.E is considered real, as Little Misfortune takes place in the same universe about 40 or 50 years later. You also the first person who named the 5th reality correctly when explaining this game

[takkycat]

I don’t believe the “it’s all in her head” theory. There is too much that doesn’t add up. A big one to me is her parents were PERFECTLY dismembered (something that is pointed out in the game). That would be impossible for a little girl, crazy or not. She knew about the doctor’s abusive childhood even though that should be impossible. She is able to interact with items we know are real, for example keys, in ways that should be physically impossible without the red pills, like returning the keys right in front of the nurse or getting the knitting needle.

[sagesaria]

A friend of mine made an interesting point about gaslighting, and how if you're manipulated long enough, you start to genuinely believe it. They theorize that it was Grace who killed Fran's parents, and told Fran she did it to gaslight her and keep her unstable and locked away as a key witness to it. She might have even taken Mr. Midnight away or even killed him to keep Fran under control.

[intelegintaxolotl]

12:13 the amphibian is an axolotl. the healing lake is a reference to how axolotls have an amazing regeneration ability

[StonedHunter]

I honestly go with the first interpretation of the ending, especially given the events of Little Misfortune which kind of expands on the realms of reality introduced here. Plus it's a happier ending XD

[irvs]

Thankfully, we know that these fantastical elements are actually “real” due to little misfortune.

[akowgoeswoof]

I still don’t think Fran killed her parents. I think it was her Aunt Grace who did it out of anger for her sister’s decision to separate herself from the asylum. I think the two characters at the beginning who take Fran from the forest into the asylum are Grace, and possibly Dr. Harrison (yes I know he’s in a wheelchair, but who knows how long he’s actually been in one).
Edit: I don’t think it could have been Remor because there is a lot of symbolism in the game. She most likely hallucinated him as a result of the medication, as he’s pretty much a ghost. It’s quite possible that Fran actually saw the person who killed her parents and Remor represents the manipulative “monster” who killed them.

[Shan-lpiu]

Itward= Intensive Treatment Ward, the ward Fran was on
Remor= Remorse.
PINEal Gland:The reason Fran sees pinecones is because the doctors are experimenting on the PINEal gland, which is named that because it's a gland in the brain that looks like a pinecone.

[TheCanadiangirl]

I'm not ready to accept that Mr Midnight died. He was way too sweet of a kitty.

[phadenswandemil]

Okay here's my theory on Clara and Mia:

It wasn't Itward who trapped them in the world of disconnections. It was themselves. They are in denial of their own deaths, so their souls are trapped in the world of disconnections.

Itward told them, "I will give you nothing but what you already have and one last chance to understand the purpose of life."

In Fran Bow, you can't die as long as you love / are loved. I think that's the purpose of life, to love and be loved. Clara and Mia were not loved by their parents. It was hinted that their mother gave them away to the asylum to experiment on. And the twins hated each other. So they don't have love in their lives currently.

Itward is giving them one last chance to learn to love the person who has been there for Clara and Mia all long — each other.

Even though it seems the twins ran out of time, i think by performing the ritual she found in the well, Fran set the twins free.

The last time we see Clara and Mia is in Itward's strange vehicle. And they're holding hands, probably off on a journey of their own, together.

(Also i don't know who is who. Which twin has the mole?)

[everwildart]

I like how it kinda hinted in the picture in Fran's closet that Fran and Alice might be friends

Both are little girls that went to weird worlds so just imagine how interesting their conversation might be XD

[evansgagne]

The whole “she’s crazy” theory is based on some clever observations but unfortunately for peoples who like it we already know from little misfortune that at least a significant part of what happened was literal.

[Z-zs]

I always wonder how "kids" in horror games manages to complete the game although they are very young.
If I was them I would've already died from a heart attack the first time I see the monsters

[elena]

Natalia Martinsson, the artist, animator and dialogue writer for the game said the game is almost autobiographical and was very therapeutic for her. I’m sure the game is packed with symbolism from her life

[TableTurnip]

I can’t believe palontras from fran bow was so famous that they made it in real life! I think they call them... axolotls? Ya, that’s it

[brielledemartin]

I personally think that Fran wasn't the one who killed her parents. Instead, I think the demon-like entity clouded Fran's mind so that she would think she was the one who killed her parents and it was actually her aunt who killed Fran's parents.

Edit: Thanks for the likes. This is the most likes I've had in my life 😅

[punprincess]

When you get to the twin girls house you messed up this fact: Fran is in the house when she doesn't take duotine, but when she does she falls into the well

[IAmNotDiluc]

This has nothing to do with the main plot but i think Ithersta was such a nice place and where Fran felt the happiest especially without her pills, the entire place just felt so peaceful and nice

[niftyrobo]

With the recontextualization that Little Misfortune brings, I think the story represents something different. I think the mental hospital represents how people who are creative or even slightly neurodivergent are treated poorly, either in school and work environments. This can be shown by the artistic girl in the hospital, who is often abused simply because she wants to draw.
Fran's journey isn't one of hallucination and sadness, but rather one of overcoming your demons, rejecting oppression, and embracing your creativity