The Message of Undertale

Warning: The following analysis contains spoilers for the story of Undertale. Do not read this if you have not completed Undertale to its full true ending.

I’ve already done an analysis of what Undertale taught me, and while thinking about it, I can think of another thought I gained from this experience; something that I feel is the main and core theme of the tale of Undertale. And that little message was, well, simply put, that we’re all human, and that there are no monsters deserving of pain and violence.

Actually, a better way to phrase this would be that it’s the main theme of the Pacifist story in Undertale. To that end, I will walk through the story briefly, pointing out what I think the key theme was one step at a time, little by little. 

Undertale’s beginning perfectly sets up the moral dilemma of the entire story with Toriel. She teaches you how to not fight monsters, and how to even befriend them and show them mercy, and encourages you too! She perfectly shows a peaceful happy way to interact with others, and it makes the entire first area feel like a nice fun time as you learn to befriend all, and even make a friend in Napstablook.

The battle against Toriel then is the first great challenge, in which the player is truly tested in their values, and how strongly they believe in sparing others. Thankfully, this test is done with Toriel, a character the player tends to have strong feelings for, so it’s someone they don’t want to kill, thus they try hard for mercy. The battle perfectly establishes the theme that being merciful isn’t always easy, and that it can cause for terrible conflicting moments. But you know deep down she doesn’t want to fight, and if you stay true to the idea of sparing, you can spare her, and get through the entire area killing no one.

This then begins the significant cutscene with Flowey that sets up the entire game’s main dilemma. Can you be kind and show mercy, even when dealing with an unstoppable  all powerful killing monster? This question hung in the back of my mind during my entire playthrough, and it comes up so many times in the game’s significant moments, it’s wonderful.

I think the first time we see this theme truly tested is in the battle with Undyne. All you’ve learned up to this point is that she’s a mad killing machine that will do anything to stop you, and she seems like an unstoppable force. And indeed, it reaches a great climax in which you’re unable to get by her the same way you did Toriel and Papyrus, and have to resort to a new method; that being fleeing, and avoiding confrontation until you’re in an environment and moment that allows you to establish a connection with her.

Afterwards, you can learn more about her and befriend her, and the more you learn about her, the more you see she’s actually not so different from you. No, she’s someone with feelings, goals, insecurities, and more, and by the end you and her have a fun time and become friends. You learn that she had her own reasons for being so cold with you, such that you can understand and sympathize with her. This entire exchange really touched me, and I feel this set the stage for the rest of the story, which follows a similar pattern. 

The central theme comes up again in Mettaton, who is literally a killing machine, in which another method is presented to overcome a killing machine….friendship. Indeed, the way you’re able to constantly defeat Mettaton and get past him is with the help of Alphys. The bond you two share and your combined force allows you to be able to handle the strength and power of Mettaton, such that you’re able to overcome it.

What’s cool here is that we see this theme conquered in two different ways, showing that there are multiple ways to overcome this dilemma. And at the same time, this gives us hope that we can overcome mad killing machines, which sets things up perfectly for the final battle against…Flowey.

I’ll be honest, while I would sometimes have a tiny desire to slay my enemies, I was never so tempted to kill than I was with Flowey after the final battle. That (pardon my language) shit was downright terrifying, horrifying, and felt like it scarred me. What a monster he must be, to be so evil and do such terrible things. A part of me really felt like I should end his life, and that it would be for the best.

But I didn’t, because….I remembered Undyne, and Asgore, two who I learned are very good normal people, yet could be cold killers, but for easy to understand reasons. It was weird but, in that moment, I didn’t think “god I hate this creature and want them to pay.” I thought “wow, to be so evil and cold and do such cruel things…who are you, what happened to you, and how do I help you?”

The magic of Undertale taught me something, something which I think is the true answer to this moral dilemma. And as I played through the True final dungeon and ending, it all became clear. For in this dungeon, you get to learn more about Flowey, what he really is, and why he’s so heartless and cold. I had no reason to think he was someone with a reason for all that he did, yet, from the game’s message of everyone having reasons, of there being truly no monster, I gave him a chance….and what do you know.

This is my favorite part of how this question is tackled. First we see that through running and waiting for favorable circumstances we can overcome a killing monster, then we see that we can do it through friendship, and then the final wonderful way to tie it all up and answer this question is that: there are no monsters. Not even Flowey, the most evil and heartless thing in the underground, could be a monster. Even he has his story, his own reasons, and his own pain and hurt he’s hiding inside, that needs to be healed. It makes the final exchange between Frisk and Asriel incredibly powerful and perfect I feel, as it perfectly answers the question posed at the start of the game. Even Mettaton has his reasons for what he did, and in the end, what I hope that above all else sticks with me from Undertale, is that no one is a monster. We had no reason to spare any of the bosses, since we never learn their stories until later, but that’s the point! You don’t know their story, why Undyne was so intent on killing you, why Flowey was so heartless, how can you judge whether to kill them or not, if you don’t even know who they are?

This is the paradox, which I feel is a clever additional answer to this question. If you cannot have the right to end someone’s life without understanding them, then you never will kill someone, because once you understand someone, you know they don’t deserve to die. Undertale takes the question of “how to stop a killing machine?” and simply laughs at it. That right there is a wrong and silly way of seeing things, because the simple truth is that, in this world of ours, there are no killing machines. Everyone has their reasons and motives for doing what they do, their pain that haunts them and warps them into hurt creatures. The problem isn’t that killing machines exist, the problem lies in the fact that we label other people as killing machines, which is very very wrong.

This I feel, is the heart and soul of Undertale, its most core theme, and I think is a beautiful beautiful message that really speaks to me. That even if people seem cold, evil, and deserving of no mercy, no, they have their story, their reasons, their pain, no, the truth is that, no one is a monster, and as my guardian angel says, we all deserve to be shown a little kindness. This is how you overcome a killing machine with mercy. Stay firm, don’t be tempted to do dark things, and find the human side to them, and heal it…that’s how you can use your power to “save” everyone.

Ah Undertale, I love this game so much… ♥