Summary
Undertaleis an adventure RPG with quirky characters, branching pathways, and a thoughtful narrative. It has become somewhat of an indie classic since its 2015 release, garnering both a cult following and many award nominations. One of its main characters, Sans, evenappears inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateas a Mii Fighter costume.
The writing inUndertaleshifts between lighthearted comedy and deep introspection across its various pathways, keeping player engagement high throughout and complimenting the game’s emotive storyline. The following list highlights the most impactful quotes from the game - specifically those that evoke the most thought and emotion in players.
10"(A box of kids’ shoes in a disparity of sizes.)"
A Sinister Side To Toriel Or Deep Loneliness?
This dialogue box appears when players interact with the shoebox in the spare bedroom of Toriel’s Home. Upon the first playthrough,players garner some suspicion of Toriel at this pointin the game and this text box only accelerates that with its suspicious implications.
However,once players have completed the game, it has a very different and more saddening meaning. In actuality, the shoes symbolized the children who had previously passed through Toriel’s home and tragically lost their lives. Toriel’s wish was to keep any child who fell into the Ruins safe from the dangers of the Underground, and the shoes symbolized her welcoming of all children who entered her home.
9"It’s a beautiful day outside. birds are singing, flowers are blooming … on days like these, kids like you … Should be burning in hell."
Sans At His Most Powerful
This quote isthe introduction to Sans' infamous genocide fight. As (arguably) the hardest fight in the game, this introduction sets the pace for the battle perfectly with its tonal volta.
Not only does it reflect the fight, but it also reflects Sans' experience of life in the Underground. In the genocide route, it is implied that the Underground was a peaceful place before the player arrived and decided to wipe it out. Thus, Sans’s statement that the player should “burn in hell” incites both great fear and shock, as he had not been physically confrontational in the game until that point.
A Lesson To Not Underestimate Sans
At this point in the game, players usually sense that there is more to Sans than meets the eye, and this quote only emphasizes that. In the quote, he reveals he made a promise to Toriel to protect the human, and that if that promise hadn’t been in place, he would have killed the human at first interaction.
The threat of Sans' power only truly becomes evident with knowledge of the genocide route, but this quote in itself is enough to strike fear into any pacifist player. While saying this line,Sans' eyes disappear, and the sound of the text disappears along with his usual zany music. Sans’dialogue tends to have a lot of voltas in tone, as previously mentioned, so his dialogue tends to be more impactful than other characters in the game.
7"But nobody came"
A Welcome Sight On The Genocide Route
To complete a genocide run properly, players must defeat all available monsters in the designated areas and keep track of the remaining number through savepoints. Once this has been done, the phrase “But nobody came” will appear in the place of a random fight encounter.
The eeriness of this text box combines with the eeriness of the “But Nobody Came” music, which is actually the track “Your Best Friend” (Flowey’s theme) slowed down by 1200%, to create a very unsettling atmosphere for players.
6"You’re not really human, are you? No. You’re empty inside. Just like me."
Introspective Social Commentary
Undertaleas a whole greatly questions what it is to be human andFlowey is usually the outlet for this theme. Here, once the player has completed the first stage of the genocide route after the Ruins, Flowey associates the player character with himself - someone who does not have a proper soul.
The external implications of this quote in real life are what makes it so profound, in that to be human is to be empathetic and kind, not heartless and ruthless. Within the context of the game, it also poses the question of whether or not the player has control over the character they play with the direct use of ‘you’ in the quote.Is the ‘you’ the character, or the player?Undertalecontinuously leaves this up to interpretation.
5"Excuse me … Yes, you, with the striped shirt. Can you do something about your friend…? Yes, your friend… The one behind you, with the creepy smile. Hmm? Where’d your friend go?"
A Secret Dialogue Box With A Deep Meaning
With minor file manipulation, room_water_prebird can be accessed in Waterfall, where some rather unsettling dialogue takes place. The first of which is this quote, from an unknown figure, in the tall grass. The implication of this is that Chara (Undertale’s genocide character) is following the player character at all times, but cannot be seen. However, even if players don’t know who Chara is, this quote is deeply unsettling in itself!
The developer ofUndertalelaced the game with double meanings, as is evident by the complexity of some quotes on this list, and this quote is no exception. If looked into, it can be interpreted that all humans carry with them the darkness that comes with humanity -the death and destruction of Chara lives in the capability of all Undertale players.
4"(You’re filled with DETERMINATION.)"
The Best Repeated Motif
ThroughoutUndertale, the phrase “You’re filled with determination” repeats in many different iterations at savepoints, game over screens, and in dialogue. In the pacifistand neutral routes, this culminates in Asgore’s fight - where the player uses determination to defeat what is supposed to be the final boss of the game.
As probably the most popular and well-known phrase fromUndertale,its reference to self-worth, self-confidence, and self-reliance allows players to feel a great emotional impact. Knowing that the player’s character can accomplish anything with the power of determination translates into the real world, creating a lighthearted and hopeful message players can take away from the game.
3"Take care of yourself, kid. ‘cause someone really cares about you."
Sans' Promise Of Friendship
Only Sans could have two of the most impactful quotes in the game within one section of dialogue! Following on from his threat of “you’d be dead where you stand”, Sans concludes the conversation with this quote.
It is unclear whether this quote is referencing Toriel, Sans, or someone else caring about the human. But, the generality of the quote means it can be applied to both the player character and the player, which is a very thoughtful and sweet message. The quote in itself is a promise of friendship, creating a nice feeling of warmth and comfort.
2"Have you ever thought about a world where everything is exactly the same… Except you don’t exist? Everything functions perfectly without you… Ha ha… the thought terrifies me."
A Bout Of Existential Pondering
With a ‘Fun Value’ of over 90, Goner Kid appears in the Quiet Area of the Waterfall on both the Pacifist and Neutral routes. InUndertale, a ‘Fun Value’ is simply a random number that is generated at the start of each playthrough determiningwhether the player sees certain special events. Goner Kid can be found by walking backward as far as possible after the spear fight with Undyne.
This quote is quite peculiar as the initial interpretation of this is that it is an existential thought, but upon a second glance, it can be seen to refer to the other open pathways ofUndertaleand how the Underground would have gone unaffected if the player hadn’t chosen to play the game.The quote becomes both a meta-commentary about the game and a bout of existential pondering- making it greatly impactful on players.
1"Despite everything, it’s still you."
Choosing Kindness Keeps A Person Human
Towards the very end of the game, players encounter Asgore’s Home, which is identical in size and layout to Toriel’s Home. Both include a mirror at the end of the corridor. The mirror at the beginning of the game in Toriel’s Home reads: “It’s you!”. As a parallel to this, Asgore’s mirror reads “Despite everything, it’s still you”, which serves as a charming callback for True Pacifist players.
This text is a reminder that despite the battles lost and won, distance traveled, and hardships on the human’s journey, they remain the same person in the end. This quote can be very empowering for the player, as it can remind them that difficult times and situations do not define one’s identity.The quote creates a commentary on the inevitability of overcoming tough times, remaining “you” despite it all. It is a truly beautiful message thatperfectly delivers one of Undertale’s main themes: that choosing to be kind keeps a person human.
