Author: yellowthundersnail

Woo boy, this is something I’ve been wondering about Papyrus for a long time now. Okay, so we all get that Papyrus is this confident and headstrong skeleton who thinks he’s a hotshot, but every now and then in the game, we catch hints that Papyrus has secret insecurities and self-doubts. On top of that, we also get the feeling he’s lonely. And lastly, it’s almost like wants to join the royal guard to prove to everyone that he’s so much more than a cloud cuckoo-lander. Your thoughts on this?

simonsoys:

Well, I think you nailed it. Probably the best supporting dialogue for that point is one of the phone calls where Papyrus says something like “Ugh! Grillby’s! It’s too greasy and gross!”, Undyne says “Yeah! Grillby’s! I love that kind of food!”, and Papyrus says “Uh… I mean, Grillby’s is great!”

Later on there’s another exchange like it, about anime. Pap: “Isn’t anime for little kids?” Undyne: “NO WAY IT’S GREAT.” Pap: “…wait, do YOU like anime? UHHH MAYBE I LIKE IT TOO.;;”

He picks up a different opinion just to agree with Undyne, and that’s a big clue that he just wants to fit in with others and be liked. He admires Mettaton unconditionally for being handsome and popular, not necessarily for his good character (and we know from experience that he’s kind of an ass :V).

So I think while he’s confident and talks a big game, like, it’s not the same way Undyne does. Undyne is 100% unapologetic about the person she is, and the bits we get about her childhood make me inclined to think she’d be that way whether she was a good person or not, whether anyone agreed with her or not. Part of me wonders if Papyrus actually picked up some of his boastful tendencies from being around HER.

It’s… actually kind of lucky Undyne has as good a heart as she does, because she could be a REALLY bad influence over Pap, I think. She’s really careful to encourage him to think for himself and feel okay with his own opinions, even if they’re not the same as hers. It’s implied that they’re relatively newer friends, so I think the longer Pap is around her, the more he’ll learn to be okay with himself and figure himself out. He’s just not totally there yet.

Papyrus probably makes Undyne behave a little more responsibly than she has in the past too, haha. They’re so good for each other. Aw man, I just, *runs hands down face* they’re perfect friends and I love them.

I think a lot of Papyrus’ gentler nature probably comes from his insecurities though. Like, he knows what it feels like to be lonely and to want to be LIKED, so he can picture other people feeling the same way. He thinks just having one friend would solve anyone’s problems, since that would just about solve all of his.

Undyne doesn’t give a crap about being liked, so doesn’t give a crap if other people want to be liked. It’s a more genuine confidence, but ends with spears to the face instead of hugs, and with less human friends.

I don’t know if I agree fully with the last part though, about him wanting to prove himself to be more than the “loser” people think he is. I’m not sure his motivations are about proving himself to anyone. The royal guard position is just something he sees other people praise, like Mettaton’s popularity, so he mimics it. He thinks that once he gets the title, everyone’s opinions of him will just change instantly and they’ll talk about him like they talk about Undyne.

I think he’s just aching to have someone say that he’s done the correct thing and will totally mold himself into someone he’s not in order to get that validation. If he were proving himself, I think that would mean he’d have already accepted himself, but is trying to make others see it.

So it’s a small blessing that he’s got Undyne telling him he’s doing the right thing by being exactly who he is.

See, when I say I want more strong platonic relationships in fiction, THIS is what I’m talking about.

An Examination of Leitmotifs and Their Use to Shape Narrative in UNDERTALE – Part 1 of 2 – Music, Melee, Miscellaneous

overthinkingvideogames:

On Leitmotifs:

To quote Wikipedia: “A leitmotif is a short, constantly
recurring musical phrase associated with a particular person, place, or
idea.” Perhaps the best example of this in popular culture is in Star
Wars—when the Imperial March plays, you know Darth Vader is going to
show up. The Imperial March is a leitmotif that is associated with the character of Darth Vader.

UNDERTALE is full of leitmotifs that fit all 3 definition types.
There are leitmotifs that refer to certain characters, certain areas of
the game, and larger ideas and themes that run through the game as a
whole. My goal with this article is to show the different ways
leitmotifs are used in UNDERTALE, how they affect one’s experience with
the game, and how a game soundtrack can do much, much more than just
provide catchy background music.

On leitmotifs in the music of Undertale (with sound clips). OP’s post is only the link to Part 1; Part 2 is here.

I personally tend to wonder if the Ruins theme isn’t meant to reference the war itself and its related human-monster conflicts, as it’s most recognizable at key points related to that conflict (the Ruins where monsters first fearfully packed themselves in to get as far from the entrance to the Barrier as possible, Waterfall with its placards detailing the history of the war, neutral ending phone call where the conflict has failed to be resolved) and in Undyne’s fight (where Undyne’s anger at humanity for the ongoing effects of the conflict, and belief that your death will save monsterkind, fuel her determination to kill you- Undyne is effectively a soldier still fighting the Human-Monster war, even though it was long before her time!). It even sounds a bit like an old war song in Ruins, and a dirge in Waterfall. I could see some variation on the Ruins theme being an old Monster soldier’s drinking song.

An Examination of Leitmotifs and Their Use to Shape Narrative in UNDERTALE – Part 1 of 2 – Music, Melee, Miscellaneous