- This article is about the film version of the character. For the Bates Motel version, see Mr. Bates (Bates Motel).
Mr. Bates was the husband of Norma Bates and the father of Norman Bates.
Biography
As youths, both Norma and Emma Spool were in love with Bates. However, he decided to marry Norma, which caused mentally-unstable Emma to kidnap his and Norma's son, Norman as an infant, believing him to be the son Bates and Emma should have had. Norman was returned and Emma was institutionalized.[1]
When Norman was six, Bates died from being stung to death by bees. The stings disfigured him so much that his face was covered by a silk handkerchief at his funeral.[2]
Behind the scenes
In the original novel, Norman's father is not said to have died. Instead, it is stated that he abandoned his family when Norman was an infant.
Newspaper article reporting Bates' murder
There are two different accounts for the means of Bates' death. In Psycho III, it is stated that Emma Spool murdered him, while Psycho IV: The Beginning states he was stung to death by bees.