The Missing Delta

REORGANIZING THE PROPHECY

— part 1: introduction to the prophecy —

THE PROPHECY, WHICH WHISPERS

AMONG THE SHADOWS.

THE LEGEND OF THIS WORLD.

<DELTARUNE.>

A WORLD BASKED IN PUREST LIGHT.

BENEATH IT, GREW ETERNAL NIGHT.

THE LIGHT AND DARK, BOTH BURNING DIRE.

A COUNTDOWN TO THE EARTH'S EXPIRE

— part 2: introduction to the heroes —

BUT LO, ON HOPES AND DREAMS THEY SEND.

THREE HEROES AT THE WORLD'S END.

THE FIRST HERO.

THE CAGE, WITH HUMAN SOUL AND PARTS!

THE SECOND HERO.

THE GIRL, WITH HOPE CROSSED ON HER HEART.

THE THIRD HERO.

THE PRINCE, ALONE IN DEEPEST DARK.

— part 3: the heroes adventure —

THE POINTY-HEADED WILL SAY

"TOOTHPASTE," AND THEN "BOY."

THE QUEEN'S CHARIOT

CANNOT BE STOPPED.

THE LORD OF SCREENS

CLEAVED RED BY BLADE.

THE FLOWER MAN,

TRAPPED IN ASYLUM.

JOCKINGTON GROWS THE BEARD.

— part 4: THE ROARING + THE ROARING KNIGHT —

IF THE FOUNTAINS FREED, THE ROARING CRIES.

AND TITANS SHAPE FROM DARKENED EYE.

THE KNIGHT WHICH MAKES

WITH BLACKENED KNIFE.

SHALL DUEL WITH HEROES

STRIFE BY STRIFE.

THEY'LL HEAR THE RING OF HEAVEN'S CALL.

THEY'LL SEE THE TAIL OF HELL TAKE CRAWL.

— part 5: the final prophecy —

AND THEN, WHEN ALL HOPE

IS LOST FOR THE TALE.

THE FINAL TRAGEDY UNVEILS.

LOVE FINDS ITS WAY TO THE GIRL.

TO SAVE THE WORLDS,

THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY.

[Line destroyed by Susie]

THE ANGEL, BANISHED, WILL

FINALLY MEET WITH ITS DESIRE.

ONLY THEN,

WILL THE WORLDS BE SAVED.

— part 6: the end —

AND LAST, WAS THE GIRL.

AT LAST, WAS THE GIRL.

THE LAST PROPHECY.

THE STORY'S END.

But the section we’ll focus on the most is this one:

AND THEN , WHEN ALL HOPE IS LOST FOR THE TALE. THE FINAL TRAGEDY UNVEILS. LOVE FINDS ITS WAY TO THE GIRL. TO SAVE THE WORLDS, THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY. [LINE DESTROYED BY SUSIE] ONLY THEN, WILL THE WORLDS BE SAVED. THE ANGEL, BANISHED, WILL FINALLY MEET WITH ITS DESIRE. AND LAST, WAS THE GIRL. AT LAST, WAS THE GIRL. THE LAST PROPHECY. THE STORY’S END."

Interestingly, Undertale already showed us that prophecies can have multiple interpretations.

The Delta Rune prophecy in Undertale says:

"The Angel... The One Who Has Seen The Surface... They will return. And the underground will go empty."

This line can mean two completely different things:

The monsters will be freed and reach the surface.

The monsters will be killed, leaving the Underground empty.

And depending on the route, both interpretations can be true.

Because of that, I think this might be the same narrative trick Toby Fox is using with the line on the Steam page that says:

“…only one ending…?”

For that reason, I don’t think the prophecy’s main focus is who the heroes are. After all, they could be anyone.

"But, like, what's amazing, is how, like, these heroes, are like, oh my god, they're like... The thing is, they could be like, any one of us, you know?"

The prophecy doesn’t name anyone directly. Instead, it describes roles:

THE CAGE /// THE GIRL /// THE PRINCE

And who fills those roles may depend entirely on the context of the story.

However, we still need to consider the clues the game gives us:

When Susie reads the final prophecy, she interprets it under the assumption that she herself is The Girl.

SUSIE AS THE GIRL

When Susie reads the prophecy and Ralsei tries to stop her, everything in that moment is framed under the assumption that Susie is the second hero described in the prophecy.

However, there are already some inconsistencies. For example:

Susie doesn’t equip ribbons.

She doesn’t use a sword, unlike the figure depicted in the mural.

Because of that, it’s possible that Ralsei himself doesn’t actually know who the heroes of the prophecy are.

He may only know that they’re supposed to be a human and a monster

So when the first human and monster appear, he assumes they must be the Delta Warriors, even if Susie doesn’t perfectly match every detail.

With that in mind, I’ll explain my theory from Susie’s point of view, since that’s the perspective through which the prophecy is first interpreted.

To do that, I’ll break down each section of the prophecy that I organized earlier.

1) "THE FINAL TRAGEDY UNVEILS

LOVE FINDS ITS WAY TO THE GIRL"

I organized this section like this because I think it makes more sense when we look at the events of the Weird Route.

In that route, it seems like Noelle may end up occupying the role of The Girl in the prophecy.

We’re slowly bringing her further under our control, in a way that feels very similar to the Sword Route in the Mantle Game. In that route, the White Cloak (who looks very similar to Noelle in the Dark World) uses ice magic and does everything we command.

On top of that, the Mantle Game strongly resembles Dragon Blazer, the game mentioned on Noelle’s blog.

And if Dragon Blazer is based on the prophecy… then maybe we can start drawing some parallels.

As the game says:

“The forbidden path begins with ice magic.”

So the moment The Girl encounters L.O.V.E., by using ice magic, might be the moment the story begins to shift into a darker path.

But L.O.V.E. can also be interpreted as an emotion, not just as an acronym.

And that interpretation could apply to both Noelle and Susie, without necessarily being romantic.

For example:

Susie

She spent most of her life isolated, without friends. But now she’s finally met people who care about her and accept her as she is.

Noelle

Even if she never admits it directly to Susie, we can see from her blog that she and Kris used to be very closer.

I believe Dess Holiday’s disappearance may have been the catalyst that caused the distance between them and even between their families.

It’s not only the Dreemurrs dealing with a divorce. At one point Rudy Holiday asks Toriel not to refer to Carol Holiday as “your wife"

And there’s also Berdly. Even though he and Noelle are always shown studying together, they never seemed particularly close before. But now, through the Dark World, everyone seems to be growing closer

One moment that really stands out is that Noelle, someone who once couldn’t even hear her sister’s name without freezing up, is now able to enter Dess’s room and even let someone touch her sister’s guitar.

So looking at this interpretation, it doesn’t really seem like finding love would be a tragedy, right?

Well…

That depends.

2) TO SAVE THE WORLDS

THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY

[Line destroyed by Susie]

ONLY THEN

WILL THE WORLDS BE SAVED.

THE ANGEL, BANISHED, WILL

FINALLY MEET WITH ITS DESIRE.

There’s a theory that’s been widely discussed (and even somewhat accepted) that each chapter of Deltarune mirrors the areas of Undertale in reverse order.

If that’s true, then the structure might look something like this:

Chapter 4 → Waterfall

Chapter 5 → Snowdin

Chapter 6 → Ruins

Chapter 7 → ??? (but it’s very likely where the final prophecy unfolds)

It is in Waterfall that:

We hear about the prophecy in Undertale

We see a statue that resembles a Titan

There is an unusual scene where a character (unused) very similar to Kris appears in Frisk’s reflection (in debug mode)

That is, it's in Waterfall that the connection between the two worlds happens

And guess which song also connects the two worlds in Deltarune?

“It’s Raining Somewhere Else.”

So, when we think about what the parallel in Undertale would be for Chapter 7, we have to ask what happens before Undertale begins. The story of the war between humans and monsters + the story of Chara and Asriel (the event that triggers everything).

In that sense, Chara created a plan to free the monsters. Asriel had to absorb their soul so that they could cross the barrier and collect six other human souls. However, the plan failed.

Now, if we look at the other meaning of LOVE in the prophecy, perhaps the “final tragedy” is precisely related to the need to absorb a human soul in order to create a creature with enough power to put an end to the Roaring.

And yes, we have several indications that one of the interpretations of the prophecy points in that direction:

1. Kris and their connection to hands

There are several mentions of Kris losing their hand, EVEN IN THEIR NAME IN WINGDINGS. As if that weren't enough, the first hero is represented by a soul surrounded by two hands.

The soul being absorbed still keeps the illustration on the mural accurate:

Even if the soul is absorbed by a monster, its still trapped. It has only changed bodies.

Kris not seeing their own hand (when using the Shadow Crystal) can also be explained by the fact that, once the Red Soul is absorbed, it may only be a matter of time before they cease to exist.

2. Susie also has a connection to hands

Her name in Wingdings has the image of a hand, a cross, and blood. This, combined with the fallen triangle shown in the prophecy being purple in color.

Because of these parallels, I believe that the interpretation of the panel destroyed by Susie is that The Girl will commit an act of violence in order to absorb the soul of The Cage.

Why would this interpretation be relevant to the story?

Because of this line from Susie:

"Gotta be honest, Kris. I've never... I've never really gotten picked... for anything before. No one ever wanted to be my partner in class. ... Even got chosen last in gym. But this...? This is like... Something else, y'know? Something... important. Kris... before, I didn't think I could be a hero. I wasn't good enough. I mean, I was... bad. I still kinda am bad. In some ways, I guess. But now, I... I got hope crossed on my heart. Hope, written in truth. Written somewhere... Written somewhere no one can erase!"

When I read this line from Susie, I felt that Toby Fox was creating an expectation that would later be broken. How ironic would it be that Susie, who was always feared and excluded, now that she finally has friends, is chosen for something great in the prophecy, is learning to be kinder, even learning Heal Magic... only for, in the end, all her progress to mean nothing, since the prophecy says she will commit something terrible.

As if the world were saying that being violent is part of her nature. It doesn't matter. She will not change. No one can choose who they are in this world.

And worse, when she is finally chosen for something, it is precisely to be a sacrifice.

3) AND LAST, WAS THE GIRL.

AT LAST, WAS THE GIRL.

After the end of the Roaring, I placed this line afterward because I believe it will make more sense if, in the end, only The Girl remains, left alone. Despite being a heroine, the victory cost her the companions of her journey.

And if we continue thinking about parallels with Undertale, Chapter 7 would also correspond to the war between humans and monsters.

In that sense, just as the monsters were sealed away, the Dark World would also be sealed. It would still exist, but it would no longer be accessible, in order to prevent a new Roaring from ever happening.

Another detail is that I specifically chose this part of the prophecy to appear after the tragedy because I feel that the main leitmotif of Deltarune should also be present in the prophecy. And this verse would be precisely an allusion to “don't forget, I'm with you in the dark”

Since Susie is the one who developed affection for the Dark World and the Darkners, she would now be the one responsible for sealing it and never seeing them again.

DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS + THE ANGEL'S DESIRE

So far, I have only presented a very sad interpretation of what I believe the structure of the prophecy might be.

However, my main point is that the prophecy allows multiple interpretations.

The first would be the literal interpretation, which I have already explained extensively throughout this post and which I believe is the one Susie had when she read the mural, and the one Ralsei probably believes to be the only version.

And while developing this theory, I believe the line destroyed by Susie might be something along the lines of what Spookydood suggested in a theory video:

“THE GIRL SHATTERS THE CAGE.”

Because:

It evokes Susie’s entire past of violence and being feared

It explains why Ralsei is so careful about Susie not seeing the final part of the prophecy, as well as his concern in Chapter 1 about her being left alone

It reinforces the idea that we should follow a path of kindness

It matches the bloody hand imagery that appears in Susie’s name in Wingdings, as well as her bloody hand during that scene.

It explains why Ralsei is surprised that we managed to defeat a Titan, since that should only have been possible after Susie had broken The Cage and that moment seems to give him hope that things can change.

It connects with what is currently happening in the Weird Route. If Noelle occupies the role of The Girl in the prophecy, now that she will spend more time by our side and it even seems that part of our soul is slowly being left within her, increasing our control over her. Then it is possible that in the Weird Route, Kris will be discarded with The Girl shattering The Cage. Or perhaps The Girl breaking the cage could mean removing us from Kris, shifting our control more toward Noelle, who would not resist as much as Kris does.

This outcome would fulfill the desire of the player who follows the Weird Route: to see what happens when their actions are cruel or when they act that way simply because they want to know what will happen, how the characters will react when confronted with increasingly violent choices until the end is reached.

The second interpretation would come from the ambiguity of that line.

Instead of “The Girl shatters The Cage,” it could mean “The Girl shatters the cage.”

In other words, the breaking of the prophecy itself might already have been considered as a possible outcome.

After all, is not The Girl the one who has the white pen known as hope? Is she not the one who can change the future? This characteristic of hers is already described in the prophecy and by Gerson.

And it would not be the first time that something like this isn't told to the heroes.

Spamton said that the heroes are strong, and with that strength perhaps they can free themselves from their strings.

And what strings would those be?

Coming from someone who fought and fought to be free, to no longer be controlled... I believe Spamton might have seen something like that in the heroes: that the prophecy already determines what will happen and what will be done

But they are strong. Perhaps strong enough to find a new alternative

And that would fulfill the desire of the Angel who follows this route: to see the characters you have grown to care about unite and manage to find a loophole that allows them, in some way, to change their destiny.

Even if it is a bittersweet ending once again

Even if we cannot save everyone and once again it would be Ralsei, a character who shares many similarities with Asriel in Undertale.

The Darkners would still exist. Even if their world can no longer be accessed by the Lightners… don’t forget they are with us in the dark.

So, in that way, Deltarune will always end with THE GIRL SHATTERS THE CAGE. But whether it is The Cage (as the first hero) or the cage (as if they free themselves from control) depends entirely on how we treat others.

Seam says that we'll encounter increasingly stronger enemies who possess a Shadow Crystal.

"... It seems that you didn't get another Shadow Crystal. Hm. I understand. It's no small feat to fight an opponent that has one.

If you can defeat more strong adversaries, you may find more Shadow Crystals. Try your best! It may be tough, but I'm sure it will be worth it!"

For a long time, I associated this simply with the idea that seeing this supposed future would itself be considered an advantage for its bearer.

OR that the Shadow Crystal might grant some kind of battle buff we simply weren’t aware of yet, since we only keep the Shadow Crystal stored in our Key Items, so we never equip or actively use it in combat, which could explain why we never see any buff applied to our party.

But now, I no longer believe this logic fully addresses the issue.

Perhaps the core of the Shadow Crystal lies in the fact that it carries the power of will. And maybe, when Chapter 5 releases, we’ll see Seam continue this dialogue by calling it “the power of Determination,” especially considering the parallel it makes with Queen’s dialogue:

I say this because every character we’ve met so far who possesses a Shadow Crystal has something in common: a very clear, unwavering determination to pursue what they believe in, even in a world described as predetermined. They simply don't seem willing to follow their destined path passively:

JEVIL, after meeting a “strange someone”, starts saying things that don't seem to make sense, yet, at the same time, they make sense. I believe the Shadow Crystal showed him the inevitable future, and instead of succumbing to it, he declared himself the only one who is truly free, capable of doing anything, fully believing that to be true.

SPAMTON, whose destiny seems to be tragedy, to never be able to return to his days of glory, still fights desperately to become a Big Shot again.

GERSON, even while knowing the prophecy, doesn't share a rigid belief that it is immutable. On the contrary, he believes that stories can be retold.

As for the ROARING KNIGHT, well, their goals remain a mystery, especially since opening multiple Dark Fountains can bring the Roaring, which would cause exactly what's described in the prophecy to occur...

But if we assume that the Shadow Crystal carries a specific kind of power, we're forced to revisit an important point: Darkners do not possess the power of will that Lightners do.

Perhaps the Shadow Crystal exists precisely to serve as that stimulus for them.

Instead of merely showing the prophecy and driving its user into despair, it gives them the will… the resolve to change fate.

And you know what’s most interesting? It's how ch 4 is half about showing how the prophecy really describes everything that will inevitably happen and… in the other half, we have Gerson encouraging us to seek another path:

(and so many other examples)

But the dialogue that draws my attention the most is this one:

“I jus' think, those words shine a bit too bright.

A path so blue, it's all you can see.

So I say... why don't we go between the lines?

It's darker there... Geheh... geheheh!”

Here, there’s a clear contrast between light and dark. And it happens exactly at the moment when a panel of the prophecy is shattered, revealing a hidden path behind it.

The prophecy words shines so brightly that, just like the Light World, we only see things as they're and nothing more. But what if we go between the lines, where it’s darker? Maybe then we can reach the other side and, using what is already written (after all, nothing is created from nothing), form an alternate view of reality through the lens of shadow.

This is where the Shadow Crystal comes in. Not as it exists now, but as it will be once purified by Seam. When its shadow is refined until it becomes pure darkness, in other words, the Pure Crystal.

From there, it should become easier to see an alternative way to change the final prophecy.

Do I believe the Pure Crystal will be essential for this? Not necessarily.

Just as we can defeat the Roaring Knight without the Shadow Mantle, it should also be possible to alter the final tragedy without the Pure Crystal. But of course, without it, the task will be more difficult.

There’s a theory I read some time ago (which I’ve been trying to find again to properly reference) that pointed out how the prophecy rarely names specific characters (with the exception of Jockington’s prophecy). Instead, it speaks about roles to be played.

And that gave me a new perspective…

Maybe we’re making a mistake by focusing too much on trying to figure out WHO The Girl is, WHO the Prince of Darkness is, WHO the Cage refers to, and so on. When, in the end, that may not matter nearly as much as we think.

Perhaps this is precisely Toby Fox’s intention behind that damn question mark on the Steam page:

“… only one ending…?”

Deltarune will, indeed, have a single ending.

Yes, our choices don’t matter, because the prophecy will happen one way or another.

But if we are clever enough to reinterpret what is written, we can create different scenarios from the very words of the prophecy themselves, using double meanings.

And the way we choose to interpret those words is what will make Deltarune’s ending always the same as the one described in the prophecy…

My theory is that the opposite of Undertale’s war happened. Instead of humans sealing the monsters, both sides reached a peace agreement. However, with one condition: both humans and monsters had to seal away their magic. This way, neither side would have power over the other, and the fear that drove the war would disappear.

This pact explains certain details:

The existence of the book “How to Care for A Human” in Hometown. After all, if humans and monsters had been segregated, it wouldn’t make sense for such a small and remote town’s library to have a specific book about humans. Especially in a town where, if it weren’t for Kris’s adoption, all inhabitants would be monsters.

In addition, at no point is there any mention of monsters finding it strange that Kris live in Hometown. If a war had happened, there would probably be some mention of fear or distrust, or even parents keeping their children away from Kris. Or, at the very least, monsters would point out that Kris is an exception to their fear of humans, since they were raised among them.

However, I believe there’s another detail to this story: the magic wasn’t simply erased, it was sealed in the Dark World.

After all, the Dark World is a place where magic still exists and can be used freely.

Also, it isn’t absurd to talk about the Dark World either. My interpretation is that when you tell Undyne about the Dark World, she doesn’t deny its existence, she just finds it strange that there’s one in the school’s closet.

This makes sense, because the prophecy itself begins with the balance between the Light World and the Dark World, so this knowledge is part of Hometown’s religion.

Another point is that, Gerson’s words also change our perception of the war in Undertale... The story was presented as an one-sided defeat for the monsters, with humans being far too strong. But Gerson admits that not everything was written down and some things were purposely omitted, so it may be that not everything is 100% reliable.

At one point, his words may suggest that humans and monsters once fought side by side:

This means monsters weren’t weak, on the contrary, they were strong enough to stand alongside humans as equals on the battlefield.

If both sides were capable of such strength, it makes sense that instead of total defeat, the conflict in Deltarune ended in compromise: sealing away magic.

And without magic, humans and monsters became equals. In Deltarune, both share determination and even the ability to open Dark Worlds.

But there’s still one important detail: monsters in Deltarune seem to also be made of magic…?

The fact that elemental monsters exist may or may not be associated with magic… looking at it this way, what might have happened during the sealing of magic is the following:

Monsters: kept only the minimum magic necessary to exist.

Humans: sealed away all of their magic, because their survival doesn’t depend on it.

That’s why, when monsters enter the Dark World, the latent magic that gives them form, can manifest along with the magic in the Dark World, a world of fantasy.

Meanwhile Kris, as a human, who had ALL of their magic sealed away, has no trace of it to use. Even if their magic stat can be increased, it doesn't matter, there is simply no source to draw from…

And maybe this explains Kris’s curiosity about magic:

They aren't searching to learn about magic, but rather how to use magic.

They know it exists, they know monsters have it within their very being, but humans don’t… and consequently, magic is something they will never, ever have.

KRIS'S PAST

To understand Ralsei, we need to explore Kris’s past.

While little is known about their life before being adopted by the Dreemurs, we can infer some things from the idea that Deltarune is Undertale’s parallel story. In other words, we are presented with almost the same characters in different contexts, but leading to similar outcomes.

From that perspective, Kris has certain parallels with Chara: both are the first human child in the Dreemurr household, siblings of Asriel, and share a like for chocolate and knives, and a possible traumatic human-related event.

In Chara’s case, there is much clearer evidence of their anger towards humanity, though the motive is uncertain.

For Kris, this aspect is still debated with only one moment giving us a clue:

I say "debated" because this scene doesn’t necessarily imply that Kris fears other humans, but perhaps feels uncomfortable around other humans for not feeling like one of them. Since I believe Kris has parallels with Chara, I lean toward the first option, which may help explain later events.

Now, what caused Kris to have some apprehension toward humans is very uncertain, but the outcome is known: they were adopted by the Dreemurs.

Why is this important for my theory? Because I believe the art therapy Kris did was not only to deal with trauma related to the Bunker/Dess’ disappearance, but also to cope with older traumas.

And there's an important event in Undertale that happened but has not yet been mentioned in Deltarune - the buttercup flower incident. My theory suggests that Kris, as a child, accidentally poisoned a human in the past. It wasn’t fatal, as it would require a larger amount to cause death, but their guilt was real. Whether it was for revenge, to scare, or simply an accident, we don’t know yet.

This even explains ERAM’s line in ch 4:

This line has always felt strange to me because it implies that Kris is enjoying a game where they have to “kill” representations of their friends. And the Mantle mini-game also mirrors the Weird Route. However, when actually playing the Weird Route, Kris never enjoy it, it’s quite the opposite...

This makes me think these lines might be reflecting an earlier, hidden part of Kris’ past... as if their counscience is nudging them about a darker action they once took.

From what we know about Kris, they were indeed a mischievous child, but suggesting they enjoy the Sword Route or Weird Route would be an exaggeration.

Adding to this, the Dark World in ch 3, set in the Dreemurs’ house, seems to mirror Kris’ traumas, with Tenna reminding them of their adoptive family’s divorce. So these lines from ERAM could, in fact, reflect Kris’ human family past, where the guilt over causing a poisoning (a violent act and a side of Kris we haven’t seen yet) continues to haunt them. In this sense, ERAM functions as Kris’ own conscience, subtly nudging them.

Furthermore, in ch 4 there is a panel labeled “Roots” with a house between two trees, placed right before we find an egg room that reveals Kris’s did art therapy.

This suggests that the therapy was meant to address the deeper roots of Kris’ trauma. Curiously, if it were only about the Bunker incident (where Kris is hesitant even to enter the Mantle mini-game) why is the image of a house used instead of the Bunker?

This implies that Kris’ traumas are more complex and extensive than a single event.

Perhaps the truth is:

The house represents trauma related to Kris’ original family.

The house represents trauma regarding the divorce experienced by their adoptive parents.

The house represents the trauma of seeing how, after the Bunker incident, the Hollidays and Dreemurs were never the same.

Thus, the house symbolizes that the roots of Kris’ trauma are deeply tied to family, while the trees represent the state of their mind before undergoing art therapy. But through art therapy, Kris was able to cover up some of this trauma, symbolically drawing a tree over it.

Yet, as the phrase goes, “you can never wash it all away”. So Kris still has moments when they remember their traumas and regrets.

I'm also inclined to believe that the eggs given by the Forgotten Man represent the traumas Kris tried to suppress. This even connects to the fact that we can store an egg in Asgore’s fridge, which is significant for two reasons:

In the fridge is a photo of Toriel and Asgore’s wedding, symbolizing the trauma of their adoptive parents' divorce

The fridge is situated in a place overrun with flowers, potentially linking back to the regrets in Kris’ past.

Moreover, Kris avoids the Flower Shop in ch 2, smartly claiming they cannot enter because the flowers are in the way, as if it were a significant obstacle...

This could be either because flowers remind them of the buttercup incident, or because with Asgore working with Carol, Kris prevent us from discovering something we shouldn't.

If art therapy were meant only to address the Bunker incident, then ERAM’s lines about Kris’ violent tendencies wouldn’t make sense, nor would Asgore’s behavior. Asgore wants to show the truth in hopes of restoring his family, but if Kris were directly responsible for Dess’ disappearance, he likely wouldn’t pursue this.

Despite distancing themselves, Kris still maintains a good relationship with the Hollidays. If they feel any guilt, it's likely tied to not being able to to help Dess, adding one more regret in their life.

So while Dess’ disappearance may have been a catalyst for Kris’ art therapy, it wasn't the only trauma it sought to address.

HOW THIS EXPLAINS THE NATURE OF RALSEI

As concluded earlier, Kris’ traumas appear deeper and older than we imagined, stretching from childhood experiences with humans to their adoptive parents’ divorce and Dess’ disappearance. Art therapy, therefore, is not only to address the latter event, but the “roots” of their traumas.

My central theory is that Ralsei is a representation of the drawings Kris made as a child. But Ralsei is more than just a “monstersona” or drawing, he is a collection of drawings in which Kris poured all of their emotions.

It isn't necessarily the drawings made during art therapy, but those made to materialize what they felt trapped inside. I believe that art is how Kris learned to express themselves, whether through drawing or playing piano.

Here’s how the “Ralsei = Kris’s drawings PLUS EMOTIONS/DESIRE/TRAUMA” may connect all the points:

1. The most direct evidence of Ralsei’s origin could be the Fangamer Hat Ralsei plush, containing a crayon drawing inside it. In other words, Toby Fox may have given us the answer to Ralsei’s origin a long time ago.

2. Ralsei’s name is an anagram of Asriel, and his appearance is similar to Asriel, although Kris denies it.

This resemblance could reflect Kris’ childhood wish to grow horns and be a monster like the rest of the Dreemurs and Hometown. So, when creating Ralsei, Kris based him on their brother, with whom they had a close relationship, resulting in an idealized version of themself.

3. Kris’ fast, detailed denial of the resemblance might come from knowing exactly what inspired Ralsei, what they altered, and what Ralsei developed on his own. After all, who could know Ralsei better than his own creator?

4. Kris initially seeming distant from Ralsei may be from how much he reminds them of the past. But as Ralsei develops his own personality, Kris begins to see him more as an independent being and even encourages him.

5. Ralsei firmly states that if there is something he likes about himself, it’s his own face. This makes sense since his face was given by a Lightner (Kris), who poured their hopes and dreams while creating him.

6. Ralsei’s knowledge of the prophecy and the game’s mechanics may not be random or just a way to create a “Flowey” counterpart in Deltarune. Instead, it could represent Kris’ desperate desire to better understand the world of Deltarune and the Dark World itself. If Dess is truly the one lost within the game’s code, then Kris might have manifested not only their regret over being unable to prevent her disappearance (because they didn’t understand what was happening) but also their longing for the knowledge that could help them find her.

There is even a suggestion that Kris have been in a Dark World before we arrive in Deltarune:

It means that Kris already have a pre-existing save file, despite this supposedly being their first time in a Dark World.

7. Toby Fox’s twitter: “Ralsei shirt!!! He's always getting mixed up with flowers, isn't he ... (that hasn't happened)” may even be an allusion to the confusion we feel at the beginning of Deltarune, when Ralsei serves as a tutorial and even delivers lines similar to Flowey’s. However, their philosophies are different:

Flowey believes the world runs on “kill or be killed.” Ralsei, on the other hand, discourages the use of FIGHT and believes the purpose of Darkners is to serve Lightners.

Flowey initially presents himself as harmless, only to reveal his true intentions later. While Ralsei, suspected to be secretly malicious in the previous years, has proven instead to be someone who simply struggles with the heavy burden of knowing the prophecy's outcome.

Toby Fox also stated that“it didn’t happen yet”. In this sense, another crucial flower-related reference from Undertale that could resurface in Deltarune is the buttercup incident. And Kris may have manifested their remorse through drawings of flowers, placed within the same pile of drawings where Ralsei appears. In this way, Ralsei is quite literally “mixed up with flowers”

8. All of Kris’ drawings that eventually gave rise to Ralsei were probably stored by Toriel in the school closet. We never actually see this closet in the Light World, but it’s possible that the pile of Kris’ drawings was the only thing left outside cabinets and drawers. If so, this would make Ralsei the only Darkner there = the Lonely Prince of that Dark World.

And there's even more evidence for this, when Kris and Susie opened the door to this Dark World, many drawings were scattered across the floor.

Notice also that the closet seemed long abandoned. That’s why, when Kris and Susie entered, they first encountered dust-like imagery and Titan eyes, symbols of how dark and forgotten the place had become.

9. Ralsei may also be connected to the green crayon, perhaps Kris used it specifically, or it was simply their favorite and most used color. This would explain why this crayon is missing from their drawer in the Light World, yet coincidentally appears in the Dark World drawer, organized by none other than Ralsei himself.

In other words, Ralsei knows Kris expresses their feelings most clearly through art. That’s why, in the Dark World, a place where Kris is meant to “forget” their problems, Ralsei left behind a drawer full of green crayons.

10. Ralsei’s ability to travel between different Dark Worlds may stem from the same reason he says that his Dark World fountain is made from pure darkness, allowing him to enter any Dark World without turning to stone.

11. I’ve never been convinced that Ralsei is an item Kris or even Susie carries. After all, Ralsei seems to remain in Castle Town even after Kris leaves the Dark World and stays with Susie

Even if he didn’t stay there, it would be impossible for him to continue reforming Castle Town without Kris or Susie being there.

12. As a drawing, this also explains certain mechanics:

Why he can become a horse in ch 4:

And why, when he loses all HP, he drops his clothes on the floor. It’s because he turns back into a sheet of paper.

13. Castle Town can house all Darkners without them turning to stone may be due to it being a place of pure darkness. Or perhaps because it's, quite literally, a closet, making it a easy environment for Darkners to adapt to, since a closet's very purpose is to store things.

CONCLUSION

Is Ralsei Kris’s monster-persona? Yes, but with the added detail that he also embodies Kris’ emotions, expressed through their drawings, as well as possibly other sketches stored in the closet.

Is Ralsei Kris’s headband horns? Almost certainly. Kris’ desire to grow horns and be like the rest of their adoptive family manifested in the form of giving Ralsei horns.

Is Ralsei the green crayon? Indirectly, yes. The green crayon may have been Kris’ favorite and/or most frequently used crayon for their drawings. That's why this crayon isn't in the Light World drawer and, by an incredible coincidence, it’s the one we find in their Dark World drawer, organized by Ralsei himself.

In short, Ralsei is the manifestation of Kris’ childhood drawings and desires:

The dream to be a monster like the Dreemurs and the rest of Hometown.

The wish to grow horns.

The hope to gain knowledge to find Dess.

The remorse from the buttercup incident.

All these emotions and drawings were stored by Toriel in the school closet, where darkness gave them forms and as a result, Ralsei was born as the Lonely Prince of this long-abandoned Dark World made of pure darkness.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

This idea came to me when we use the Shadow Crystal in front of the prophecy's text:

"The prophecy's text does not warp in the crystal's lens" 

That line sparked a thought in my mind: what If the Shadow Crystal reveals a glimpse of the future based on what you're looking at.

I know the idea that the Shadow Crystal shows the future has been brought up before, but I believe it points to something more precise and deliberate: It reveals the future of a world where the prophecy was truly followed, without interference or distortion.

In that sense, the Shadow Crystal reveals, through the shadows it casts, what should happen in the near future, not necessarily what will happen if the world continues down its current path, but what was destined to occur if the prophecy had remained intact.

I emphasize this point - a world where the prophecy remained untouched - because later on, I’ll argue that the world of Deltarune has already strayed from the prophecy FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. No one in the game seems to realize it, especially since the prophecy is still treated as absolute.

When we speak with Seam, the Shadow Crystal is portrayed almost as an asset, something that grants a notable advantage, which would explain why formidable opponents seem to possess them:

"... It seems that you didn't get another Shadow Crystal. Hm. I understand. It's no small feat to fight an opponent that has one." "If you can defeat more strong adversaries, you may find more Shadow Crystals. Try your best! It may be tough, but I'm sure it will be worth it!"

If we consider the idea that the Shadow Crystal allows one to get a glimpse of the future (a future that follows exactly the course determined by the prophecy), then, Seam’s thought that powerful enemies might possess it, wouldn't be surprising. After all, this would give them a significant advantage, since they could prepare in advance for what is to come.

Another detail is that every enemy who has a Shadow Crystal so far shares one thing in common: their attacks can cover the entire screen. I don’t believe this trait comes from the Shadow Crystal itself, but rather from the fact that these enemies are inherently strong enough to unleash such large-scale attacks.

A clear example would be Noelle’s Snowgrave, an extremely destructive attack that covers the whole screen, and yet she doesn’t even have a Shadow Crystal.

With these details about the Shadow Crystal’s possible properties established, we can move on to another key point: no character in Deltarune seems to have realized that the prophecy is no longer unfolding as it was meant to. Throughout this theory, I will discuss what was originally destined to happen in a reality that follows the prophecy, and explain why Deltarune’s world is no longer heading in that direction.

It’s important to clarify that this doesn’t dismiss all the prophecy’s predictions, it just means not everything will happen exactly as described, after all:

THE PROPHECY HAS CHANGED

After the release of ch 4, it became a popular theory that the prophecy isn’t being fulfilled exactly as it's depicted on the Dark World murals of that chapter.

But I decided to incorporate this theory into my post to help explain my train of thoughts, so I’ll summarize the key ideas:

Analysing the second hero, as many have already noticed, the description resembles Noelle far more than Susie, and there are several implications that reinforce this:

The image resembles Noelle;

Noelle can equip swords;

"LOVE FINDS ITS WAY TO THE GIRL" - feels like a direct reference to how Noelle gets stronger d uring the Weird Route. In ch 4, it even seems that by forcing her to equip the Thorn Ring, we embed part of our human soul into her.

Susie, on the other hand, could be represented as "And last, was the girl":

The symbol shown in that panel strongly resembles Rude Buster’s.

2. While some argue it simply looks like the ACT symbol, it’s important to note that Susie is the one who introduced R-ACT and S-ACT in ch 2... Which means she broke an in-game mechanic!!!

3. Also, the rug in Susie’s Castle Town room looks exactly like this symbol. That’s a very peculiar design choice, possibly implying that Ralsei already knows at this point that Susie isn't the “The girl with hope crossed on her heart”.

This leads to the conclusion that the prophecy is off-course from the very beginning. Why?

The vessel we created was discarded, then we had to begin the story as Kris instead;

Noelle should have been our companion from the start, not Susie;

Susie, possibly symbolizing the Dragon from Dragon Blazer, was meant to be one of the antagonist, not a hero from the prophecy.

If that’s true, then the Weird Route may represent an attempt to return to the path laid out by the prophecy, bringing Noelle under our control and exercing more direct influence over Kris, turning them into something more akin to our original discarted vessel.

HOW THE PROPHECY TIES INTO THE SHADOW CRYSTALS

If Noelle were by our side from the beginning, all Dark World battles would’ve unfolded differently. That’s why so many of the dialogue revealed through the Shadow Crystal in ch 1-4 felt strange at first, but now begin to make sense in hindsight:

"You thought you saw Susie glaring at you, coldly..."

If Noelle had always been by Kris's side, they might never have formed such a strong bond with Susie. That relationship was forged during their shared journey through the first Dark World. So, seeing Susie glare coldly through the Shadow Crystal could be a glimpse into the prophecy's reality (the reality where they don't become friends).

"You thought you saw through your hand."

In the Mantle Game, we find the lines:

"The ice key was used up / She was used up / YOU WERE USED UP."

Thus, Kris seeing through their own hand may symbolize they were meant to be "used" in the final moments of the prophecy (I'll go into more detail later).

Another point is that there are also many other strange moments in Deltarune that reference hands... which led to a popular theory suggesting that Kris might eventually lose theirs:

And of course, there are all those hand-related visuals throughout the game…

Not to mention that the mural depicting the first hero is surrounded by hands:

This clearly shows that “hands” are a significant symbol in Deltarune. The fact that Kris can see through their own hand, paired with the idea that they are going to be “used,” could imply the following:

a) As the chapters progress, especially in the Weird Route, Kris increasingly finds ways to resist our control. The moment that disturbed me the most was in ch 4, when Susie asks what Kris and Noelle talked about. The screen changes color and we’re presented with no dialogue options, as if Kris has forcibly found a way to prevent anything from being said.

So, an extreme way for Kris to resist our commands might be to lose their hand, preventing themselves from doing what we order.

b) OR it could be us who end up forcing Kris to lose their hand (something I believe would happen in the Weird Route, precisely because of how cruel it is). If we pay attention to the mural depiction, what keeps the “CAGE” locked are hands. So, removing them might symbolize us being completely free to exert our control… free to choose whether we control Kris or Noelle. After all, Kris uses their hands to remove us from their body when they are able to, so making them lose their hand would be a cruel way of taking away their power of choice, preventing them from removing our control even for a moment.

c) We could also consider that Kris is simply fated to lose their hand, especially given the repeated references throughout the chapters, perhaps a form of foreshadowing. I don’t rule out the possibility that Kris might lose their hand regardless of the route, but the reason behind it could chang: in the Weird Route, it might be an act of rebellion against our control or something we force upon them. In a neutral / pacifist route, it might be an unfortunate event that occurs.

"You thought you saw Undyne frozen in ice" (unused)

Though this message was replaced by "You thought you saw the television get smashed to pieces," it could indicate that if Noelle had been with us all along, she could have cast Snowgrave and frozen Undyne... However, this remains speculative, perhaps Toby Fox changed the moment that Undyne appears in this scene. After all, whe we see Undyne, she's already being taken by the Roaring Knight, so we don't even fight her, making It uncertain whether Noelle would even have had the chance to use Snowgrave If she had been with us from the beginning.

"You thought you saw Noelle close against you, whispering."

In this message, I see two possible interpretations: the first follows the same logic discussed earlier, if Noelle had been with us from the beginning, she might already be deeply influenced by the control exerted by the ThornRing. The second interpretation is that this could be a scene we'll see happen in a future chapter of the Weird Route, since now Noelle has the ThornRing equipped.

In every case so far, when using a Shadow Crystal in the Dark World, it reveals an image of the corresponding Light World location. For example: "You thought you saw the computer lab", or "You thought you saw toys strewn on the floor."

This seems to reflect the expected outcome that the fountains will be sealed and everything will return to their Light World form.

But then, why does nothing happen when we use the Shadow Crystal in Castle Town?

I believe it’s due to the nature of Castle Town's fountain - it's made of pure darkness. And in order to cast a shadow, first, we need to obstruct the light, but how can we form a shadow if Castle Town is made of pure darkness?

WHY DOES KRIS WANT THE SHADOW CRYSTALS?

During the Mantle Game, the boss (ERAM) suggests Kris is searching for the Shadow Crystals.

I believe Kris is interested in gathering the Shadow Crystals in order to form the Pure Crystal. If the Shadow Crystal casts a shadow, then the Pure Crystal may allow one to see through places covered in pure darkness.

Note: Although Castle Town's Dark Fountain is made of pure darkness, if you look at the walls of Castle Town, there are some kind of torches, perhaps that explains why we can see there.

Dess is strongly associated with the idea of “find her” and the unused dialogue in the game's code points to someone lost in a place “dark, so dark” (likely Dess). Then, it's very likely that to find her, we need something that allows us to see through utter darkness. In this sense, the Pure Crystal could precisely be what Kris is seeking for this purpose.

Furthermore, the fact that the Shadow Crystal can be purified and used to form powerful weapons can also be seen as a potential advantage. For now, we can only use the Pure Crystal combined with the ThornRing to create the TwistedSword, but nothing prevents new weapons from being introduced in the future, as Deltarune is still a game in development.

However, I must also explain why Jevil and Spamton ended up going insane.

WHY DID JEVIL GO INSANE?

Seam tells us that Jevil met a strange someone, and from that point on "started saying bizarre things that didn't completely make sense - but didn't completely not make sense, either".

After defeating Jevil, we obtain a Shadow Crystal, hinting that "strange someone" gave it to him. I believe they were the one who told Jevil the truth: that everything is predetermined.

That revelation shattered Jevil’s worldview. He realized that everyone is trapped: pawns in a game already written. He realized the world is just a board, and everyone on it mere pawns in a script already written. Nothing he does can alter the outcome.

So why play by the rules? Jevil chooses instead to revel in CHAOS, declaring himself “the only one who’s free”.

WHY DID SPAMTON GO INSANE?

Spamton’s case is more complex. It’s not enough to say he went insane from becoming “meta-aware” like Jevil. There’s more behind his breakdown. It took me days of revisiting his dialogue to piece it all together.

This part turned out longer than expected, but that’s because I created two versions of it (however, after finishing, I realized that one version doesn’t necessarily exclude the other):

VERSION 1:

Spamton is interesting and complicated to explain because it's necessary to be able to explain the following:

His obsession with FREEDOM and HEAVEN:

"STAND UP TALL AND SEE PAST THE DARK. STAND UP WITH OUR HEADS IN THE CLOUDS AND LOOK INTO H E A V E N"

2. Why he constantly projects himself onto Kris, seeing them as another lonely, string-bound puppet:

WOAH!! IF IT ISN"T A... LIGHT nER! HEY-HE Y HEY!!! LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE [[All Alone On A Late Night?]] ALL YOUR FRIENDS, [[Abandoned you for the slime]] YOU ARE? SALES, GONE DOWN THE [[Drain]] [[Drain]]?? LIVING IN A GODDAMN GARBAGE CAN??? WELL HAVE I GOT A [[Specil Deal]] FOR LONELY [[Hearts]] LIKE YOU!! IF YOU'VE [[Lost Control Of Your Life]] THEN YOU JUST GOTTA GRAB IT BY THE [[Silly Strings]] WHY BE THE [[Little Sponge]] WHO HATES ITS [[$4.99]] LIFE WHEN YOU CAN BE A     [[BIG SHOT!!!]]”

“KRIS!!! TAKE THE DEAL!!! TAKE IT!!! [Chained Heart III #1] DO YOU WANNA BE A [Heart] ON A [Chain] YOUR WHOLE LIFE!?”

3. Spamton when talking seem to refers to Kris, as if he didn't know that they're being controlled by us - both through the dialogues we said above, and also when visiting him, he says:

KRIS!!! YOU [Little Sponge]! I KNEW YOU'D COME HERE [[On A Saturday Night]]! AFTER ALL, YOU WANNA BE A [Big Shot]! EAHAHAHAHAA!!

This is reinforced when we think that if Spamton knew that Kris was already being controlled by us, why does he constantly suggest making a deal to get Kris's SOUL?

This sounds contradictory, because if Spamton acquired Kris's soul, we would be able to control him too, going completely against his desire to be free.

“KRIS. IF YOU GIVE ME THAT [Soul] I WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING I HAVE. [Eyes, Nose and Mouth #2]”

“KRIS, DON'T YOU WANNA BE [Part] OF MY BEAUTIFUL [Heart]?! [Chained Heart I] OR... DID YOU NEED A LITTLE [Specil Tour]? ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS [Big.] [A Call For You I] THEN WE'LL BE THE ONES MAKING THE [Calls], KRIS!”

Moreover, how would you offer a puppet the chance to be free right in front of the one controlling it? In this way, Spamton doesn’t seem to be aware of Kris’s full situation, he only knows that Kris has strings and wants to be free, without realizing that we are right there, listening everything and controlling them, leaving Kris no chance to even accept Spamton's deal if they wanted to.

Well, what Spamton really desires is the power of the SOUL, trying to convince Kris, someone with the same desire for freedom, to make a deal.

But what is the power of the SOUL that Spamton craves so much? I was able to get a better idea about it after reading a post made by millsbudy on Reddit, which even mentions Spamton in the middle of the theory.

THE POWER OF THE SOUL

When we speak to Swatch, he gives us some interesting information:

"That robot was the embodiment of a Lightner’s dream. A dream I helped create… once. Splashing color from the motion of their hand. The Lightner filled it with their own hope, giving it an incredible power. …but, in the end, nothing ever came of it. And it was left in the basement with the rest of the corrupted data. …But that crooked salesman! Somehow, he learned about the robot, And thought he could use its power to fulfill his own twisted dreams. What a pity. To think he was once a valued customer…"

We learn, then, that Spamton, after his downfall began, started spending all his time in the basement, praying. And it was there that he found that robot:

“Spamton? This used to be his room… Though it's not like he used it, after a while. Eventually, he just spent all his time in the basement… praying. When things went downhill, he became obsessed with that artifact."

Also Seam says something noteworthy:

“Well, what have we here! You managed to find another Shadow Crystal… Oh, is that so? That salesman had found the crystal in the old machine…? I wonder… if perhaps, long ago, that old machine was very important to someone. A certain Lightner, perhaps… or maybe it's just a hunch. Haha! At any rate, it's truly unfortunate a Darkner decided to steal that power… Or, is it fortunate? Because of that, you found a new Crystal. Here, let me hold on to that for you. Ha ha ha!”

Artifact is a vague way to describe what Spamton became obsessed with, it was with the robot itself, or with the Shadow Crystal (assuming it was already within it. since the Shadow Crystal might not have been there from the beginning).

I believe that what happened was once everything started to collapse around him, and despair took hold, the same “strange someone” who met Jevil left the Shadow Crystal inside the robot.

Now imagine being Spamton: discovering that everything is predetermined, that your rise and fall had been scripted, that you were allowed a taste of greatness only to have it ripped away. That’s cruel. And worst of all, there’s nothing you can do to stop it.

But unlike Jevil, Spamton refuses to accept it. He wants to change it. He believes that if he uses the power stored within the machine, he might gain enough strength to make his dream come true.

According to the Hopes & Dreams theory, there’s a symbolic connection: Darkness parallels Dreams, and Light parallels Hope. So, this could explain why, when Spamton fused with that robot, nothing changed.

“HA HA HA ... THIS POWER IS FREEDOM.  WON'T HAVE TO BE JUST A PUPPET ANY MORE!!!! ... OR... so... I... thought.” WHAT ARE THESE STRINGS!? WHY AM I NOT [BIG] ENOUGH!? It's still DARK... SO DARK!

That machine had once been infused with great power, created by a Lightner’s Hopes and Dreams… but eventually, it became just a broken, discarded dream. That’s likely why Spamton says it was “still Dark.” Because Hope without Dream doesn’t manifest reality, and Dream without Hope remains trapped in darkness.

But Kris is a Lightner, and therefore carries a power that shines within them. If the Dark World is shaped by the Dreams of a Lightner, then it can only be illuminated by the Hope that resides in the SOUL of the dreamer. With enough light, HEAVEN might be reached.

But it goes deeper: if all Spamton needed was a Lightner’s SOUL, he could’ve tried to steal Susie’s, Noelle’s, or Berdly’s. Yet he offers the deal only to Kris.

Why? Because it’s not enough to just have hope that your dream will come true - you also need determination to make it real.

Spamton longs to be free from his strings. He wants to be powerful enough to strike his own deals and reclaim his identity as a Big Shot. He wants to live by his own will.

Kris wants to be free of their strings too, the ones tied to us. They want to be free to live on their own terms.

And Kris is the Lightner who shares Spamton’s same yearning for freedom - that’s why it has to be them.

But in the end, we know what happened to Spamton when he tried to cut his own strings...

And then he says something that truly caught my attention:

“Maybe you three can break your own strings…”

Here, Spamton implies that the so-called heroes of the prophecy (as seen from the Darkners’ perspective) have their own strings:

The string that Spamton sees binding them is the prophecy itself OR

That Kris, Susie and Ralsei seem to have their own strings that binds them, which we'll still discover in the next chapters (except Kris, since it appear their strings is our control, and perhaps, to some extent, the promise they made)

VERSION 2:

There’s also a second possible interpretation, one I believe is equally valid, of why Spamton sees himself in Kris. In truth, they seem to share a lot of parallels.

My perception of Spamton’s backstory changed after the dialogue we get from Tenna in the Mantle game:

“IF ONLY HE HADN’T ABANDONED ME. MY OLD PARTNER… I WAS GONNA PUT HIM ON TV! MAKE HIM A STAR! I GAVE HIM EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING I HAD! MY LIFE ADVICE! ALL, HE HAD. TO DO. WAS TELL ME WHAT HIS LITTLE SECRET WAS. HIS SECRET TO BEING A BIG SHOT… IT TOOK A LITTLE SWEET TALK… BUT JUST WHEN I HAD, FINALLY, FINALLY ? HA HA – GOTTEN HIM TO SIGN THE DEAL. HE SUDDENLY HAD TO TAKE A PHONE CALL. BUT WHEN HE PICKED IT UP, HIS FACE TURNED PALE… AND HE RAN RIGHT OUT OF THE ROOM WITH THE RECEIVER HANGING! SO I WENT TO PICK IT UP… THINKING IT WAS FINALLY MY CHANCE TO BE A BIG SHOT. …BUT THERE WAS NOBODY THERE!”

This dialogue with Tenna contains so many parallels to Spamton NEO’s speech in the Snowgrave Route that I was stunned...

If we consider the idea that Spamton is projecting himself onto Kris… it makes even more sense. He’s telling his own story through Kris.

Initially, Spamton was just a nobody, someone who couldn’t make sales. But then, one day, he made a call or was found BY someone and it changed everything. That call made him famous, his sales skyrocketed. Eventually, he became Tenna’s partner, someone who gave him everything, even life advice.

And of course, during the Snowgrave battle, when Kris tries to call for help. Spamton yells:

“WHAT!? YOU’RE CALLING FRIENDS!? YOU THINK YOU CAN BEAT ME WITH YOUR FRIENDS’ [Magic]!? GO AHEAD, [Kid]... CALL ALL YOU WANT! NO ONE WILL EVER PICK UP. GO AHEAD AND [Scream] INTO THE [Receiver]. THE [Voice] RUNS OUT EVENTUALLY YOU [Voice], THEIR [Voice] UNTIL YOU REALIZE YOU ARE ALL ALONE.”

But as Tenna says, just when Spamton was about to sign a deal, he had to take a phone call… I believe that the mysterious person that helped him succeed offered Spamton a final opportunity: a true Big Shot deal. But to hear the full terms, Spamton had to be alone.

The same entity that was responsible for his rise… was also the cause of his downfall.

During this crisis, Spamton was completely alone. His “friends”, the Addisons, abandoned him (whether out of jealousy or because they assumed Spamton no longer needed them now that he was a Big Shot).

But when Spamton accepted that deal to go even further, to become more than just famous, that’s when everything started to fall apart.

“THERE WILL BE NO MORE [Miracles], NO MORE [Magic]. YOU LOST IT WHEN YOU TRIED TO SEE TOO FAR… … YOU LOST IT…”

The one who helped him… was also the one who betrayed him.

“It seems like whatever was helping him… Disappeared. His sales dropped to zero… And everything came crashing down.”

This entity took advantage of Spamton’s trust and turned him into a puppet.

The sales kept rising, for a while, but eventually, Spamton was abandoned. And even after being discarded, the strings were still attached.

He couldn’t make deals anymore. He was no longer in control. He had made the deal, and now he could never break free.

Seen from this perspective, it's easier to interpret the lyrics of the song “BIG SHOT” (though still debated) in a more coherent way.

I’ll present the lines slightly out of order to better follow the logic:

“I can’t explain until you’re all alone”

A reference to what was said over the phone during his meeting with Tenna. The terms of the deal could only be explained when Spamton was all alone.

“It pulls the strings and makes them ring”

"Pulls the strings": directly evokes the image of a puppet. Spamton’s design is very clearly that of a marionette. It’s even possible that this is why Tenna didn’t recognize him in ch 3… his appearance had been completely altered after being manipulated.

"Makes them ring": may suggest that this someone/something would actively control him, ringing out sales and success while keeping him bound.

“Until your heart’s ripped out”

Spamton was deceived. This line represents the cost he paid. Used as a puppet until he collapsed. And what remained was just a broken marionette, which matches his current appearance.

“I think it’s coming for me, answer the phone” / “Fingers are coming for me, answer the phone”

Here it represents how Spamton is scared by this someone/something (fingers) that is controlling coming back to control him once again. He no longer has control over his life, and that terrifies him.

He tries to call for help, but… nobody came.

And that was the end of Spamton. Used like a puppet, until he was thrown away/ripped out. That explains why Spamton is so desperate for FREEDOM. He made a deal that literally bound him with strings.

This idea becomes even stronger when we cut his strings during the Pacifist route, where he says:

“IT’S TIME FOR SPAMTON’S [Comeback Special]! AND THIS TIME I LIVE FOR MYSELF!!!”

Strange, isn’t it? He declares his return to being a Big Shot, but there’s more.

This time, he’ll live for himself. He’ll return without strings.

Another detail I find important: I believe the “strange someone” who reached out to Spamton is not the same person who caused his rise and fall. Why?

Because of this dialogue from the Addisons:

“The day he was to be evicted from the Queen’s mansion, I went to his room to check on him… But he wasn’t there. There was only a phone hanging off the handle. He must’ve left in the middle of a conversation. Because I could still hear someone on the other end… But when I put the receiver to my ear, there was nothing but garbage noise.”

I believe that at the moment when Spamton had lost everything, when the career he fought so hard to build was crumbling, this “strange someone” (presumably Gaster, since the “garbage noise” matches the sound in Entry 17 from Undertale) left the Shadow Crystal inside the robot in the basement.

Spamton rushed to the basement to see what had been left for him.

Before, he had been begging for help and hoping someone would pick up and release him from the strings.

But when he realized he would never break free… that’s when he lost his mind and became obsessed with the idea of freedom and thought that maybe, with the power of a Lightner embedded in the NEO body that lay in the basement, he could finally be strong enough to cut his strings.

Then, how does all of this paralell with Kris?

Just like Spamton, Kris is also being controlled by someone. But from what the story seems to suggest, it’s not just us. There are signs since ch 1 that, in the past, another entity was also exerting influence over Kris, possibly even before we arrived in the world of Deltarune. However, this previous influence, may have started to fade/weaken the moment we entered Kris’s soul and began guiding their actions. It’s as if our presence has partially replaced or overwritten that older control.

This theory isn't mine, I started believing it after whatching HalfBreadChaos and MysticSlime's theories.

To summarize, since Kris (and Catti) are known to have studied occult together, this theory suggests that Kris may have attempted to summon a demon, and at some point they succeeded.

I always found it strange how Kris already seemed to have a cage set up in their room, and how they were suddenly able to rip their SOUL out and place it inside the cage, almost as if it weren't something new to them. They did it too naturally, too deliberately.

And when we consider that the cage has seen quite a few crashes and there are bloodstain on the carpet beneath it... this strongly implies that this wasn't the first time Kris has done this.

So, if this wasn't the first time Kris removed their SOUL, then there's a real possibility that they already gone through this process before we ever started controlling them in ch 1.

This detail might become even more important in the future, especially since the idea of Kris (and Catti) attempting to summon a demon has been referenced more than once, so it doesn't seen like a throwaway background event. That could later explain why we were even able to take control over Kris.

In summary, here are the parallels between Spamton and Kris:

Spamton

Made a deal with someone

Ended up being controlled by something/someone

Desires to be free from his strings

Kris

Made a deal with someone (presumably a demon)

Is controlled by us (and perhaps was already being controlled before ch 1, as implied by the preexisting birdcage and bloodstain)

Desire to be free from the control imposed on them

The World of Deltarune

The prophecy in Deltarune is framed as something absolute (a sequence of events that WILL inevitably come to pass).

However, there's one critical detail that no one within the world of Deltarune seems to realize:

The future shown through the Shadow Crystal is not necessarily the future that will come to pass.

Yes, I’m not denying that some of the events it shows might occur exactly as predicted

And yes, it might still align with key moments described in the prophecy. But that doesn't mean EVERYTHING will follow that path.

Because, as I mentioned at the very beginning the world of Deltarune had already been changed.

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Now comes a series of speculations, trying to prove that the Weird Route is, in fact, the foretold path. Until now, I have only stated without presenting concrete evidence.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Upon Deltarune’s release, and especially when revisiting the lines of Entry 17 from Undertale, it became increasingly clear that Deltarune is the next experiment conducted by none other than Gaster himself:

DARK DARKER YET DARKER  THE DARKNESS KEEPS GROWING  THE SHADOWS CUTTING DEEPER  PHOTON READINGS NEGATIVE  THIS NEXT EXPERIMENT SEEMS  VERY  VERY  INTERESTING  WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK?

This notion is heavily reinforced by Ralsei’s dialogue in ch 3, where he essentially describes the formation of the Dark Worlds in a way that directly mirrors Entry 17:

As far as we know, Gaster fell into his own creation in Undertale, leading him to be “shattered across time and space”.

Curiously enough, the very same wording is used in Deltarune, this time referring to the prophecy:

That is not an accident. I believe that it should no longer come as a surprise when we consider that Deltarune is an experiment initiated by Gaster.

Note: In Undertale I didn't really like connecting things with Gaster, because he was more of a hidden figure, you could go the entire game without ever hearing about. But in Deltarune, Gaster's presence is very strong in the game, since the start, even if his name is never directly mentioned.

There's multiple moments throughout the game that show it. The most recent example appears at the end of Chapter 4:

And also before the game even launched, the twitter/X thread presumably posted by Gaster demonstrates this

But what exactly is Gaster’s goal with Deltarune? One might argue that, as a scientist, he’s merely seeking an unpredictable outcome, just testing variables. But that explanation didn't sat well with me, precisely because of two counterpoints:

Chapter 4 stresses that the prophecy is PREORDAINED, that its events will unfold as written. A prophecy that almost certainly came from Gaster himself.

At the same time, Gaster expresses a desire to create a new future with US.

But how can Gaster create something that is presented as absolute, and yet, at the same time, he wants to create something new?

I believe the answer lies within ch 1-2, specifically in the Game Over screens, if we choose to “GIVE UP”:

However, in ch 2, if Susie or Ralsei are still with us, they encourage us to continue. Ralsei even says:

In other words: the Roaring will happen, whether we're present or not. But if we give up, that's when the world is covered in darkness.

The NEW FUTURE that Gaster is speaking about might be an attempt to change this scenario, that's why the prophecy (foretold by time and space) says the heroes will restore balance to the WORLDS.

And that’s why this “experiment” isn’t finished yet. There are many ways to interpret what’s missing, but the explanation I believe makes the most sense is that: what's missing is US, especially considering that our vessel is a hero (The Cage) described in the prophecy, but was unexpectedly discarded.

Now, step back and ask: why would Gaster go to such great lengths to forge a connection between us and the world of Deltarune? Is it because he’s benevolent? Is he just a kind-hearted person who felt compassion for this world and called us in to help?

I don't think so. There must be a deeper motive behind his actions. Considering all the parallels that ch 4 has shown from the Weird Route of ch 2, it seems that Toby Fox have left hints in the Mantle game about what's destined to happen in Deltarune: in the end, we will be used.

And that becomes especially clear in this sequence:

The scene of mini-Kris being “used up” strongly reminded me of the sequence we saw during the creation of our vessel.

We spent our time carefully designing our vessel, only to have it discarded by a force we couldn’t see or name.

Just like how we might spend our time playing, building up our LV in the Dark World, recruiting... only to realize that it, too, will end up being used for some purpose we can't control.

Gaster can do anything he wants to us, after all, when we downloaded the Survey Program, we accepted the agreement:

Also:

We accept everything that will happen...

We are not the ones in control. We are the ones being used.

But why would we be used? Again, I believe it’s because of the power our soul holds.

It’s the power born when we genuinely care about the characters of Deltarune, when we want to know what will happen to them.

It’s the power when we show perseverance to keep fighting, when we are determined to keep trying.

It’s the power of kindness, when we choose to ACT.

And It’s also a form of power gained by choosing FIGHT and freezing enemies (of course, it has consequences)

However, one thing seems implied: when, instead of recruiting, we choose to fight, we become stronger.

Perhaps that’s why the prophecy reflects the Weird Route. At the same time, it doesn’t matter if we follow a pacifist path, are kind, and recruit Darkners, since that also generates power. However, it would be more interesting for Gaster's goal, and generate even more power, if we chose to FIGHT, because breaking bonds is what makes us stronger.

In this sense, the Weird Route would be the path foretold in the prophecy and, therefore, the predetermined fate, as it's the most advantageous in terms of POWER. Even in Undertale, when we follow the genocide route, we don’t just unlock a TRUE RESET (which is also possible in the pacifist route), but our power is capable of ERASING the world and moving on to the next.

However, even if we don't follow this predetermined course, Gaster never explicitly directs us toward the Weird Route. This is because, regardless of the choice we make, we're inevitably generating power along any of the routes. This could be one of the reasons behind the phrase "your choices don't matter".

Along the same line of thought, when we consider the ending of Deltarune, we are presented with several contrasts:

The question of the game having only one ending;

Ch 4 being surrounded by passages from the prophecy, emphasizing how unchangeable it is;

And, at the same time, that very chapter presenting Gerson’s perspective, which goes against the idea of a story being completely predetermined and instead encourages the pursuit of new paths.

From this, the conclusion we can draw from Gerson's words is:

The heros can either follow the prophecy completely, with sacrifices along the way

Or they can embrace Gerson’s way of thinking

After all, this dialogue sequence clearly shows that if the heroes become too concerned with everything that is predetermined by the prophecy, they will never see a new path option.

From this perspective, everything seems fine, after all, it has been made quite clear that we shouldn’t cling to the idea of the prophecy being unchangeable. As long as we find a new path, we’re no longer bound to it… right?

Well, that’s how it should be. However, this is where I like to separate two things:

The ending that the characters in Deltarune will reach;

The ending that WE will reach.

Our ending… that’s the detail that bothers me. Just like in Undertale, when the ending is achieved (particularly in the pacifist or neutral routes), Frisk and the monsters of the Underground continue with their lives.

In Deltarune, something similar could happen: after the ending, the characters will move on with their lives according to the ending achieved. But… what about us?

This is where I believe the Steam description “… only one ending? …” comes into play.

The characters in Deltarune might be able to reach different endings than the one written in the prophecy, but WE will always have the same ending. That’s why our choices don’t matter. Our fate is only one: to be used (as I mentioned earlier).

The real question is: how will we be used, and for what purpose? That, I still don’t have enough information to answer.

Now, continuing to present evidence that the Weird Route is the one foretold by the prophecy:

I’ve seen SpookyDood make a theory about this, but I’ll also share my own view:

The suggestion that “LOVE finds its way to the girl”: it could be an allusion to the “red dot” we see appear on Noelle during the Weird Route in ch 4.

There are many hints that the prophecy’s ending will be a bad one. That’s why Ralsei tries to convince us (since ch 1) to not use FIGHT, because that way this story might have a different ending.

Kris, once we pass through this door… Our adventure will really begin. A journey foretold exactly by the prophecy… But, Kris, I believe YOUR choices are important, too. This world is full of all kinds of people, Kris. In the end, how we treat them makes all the difference. So let’s try our best to get by without FIGHTing. If we can manage to do that… I believe this tale may have a happy ending. Otherwise, I fear that… you may not… find the result favorable.

And again he says something similar in ch 4:

I’m sorry I didn’t say the whole prophecy at first. I just I thought if I said something different. If we were just kind enough. Perhaps by the time we got here… it would change.

If we think about it, it's precisely in the Weird Route where we most often choose to FIGHT against the Darkners, directly going against Ralsei’s advice. Moreover, it is also the most disturbing route.

3. Keeping in mind that the three heroes who are now sealing the Dark Fountains are different from the ones in the prophecy “foretold by time and space”, perhaps this is what gave Ralsei hope. Futhermore, if, instead of using FIGHT, the heros use ACT, they can start to go against the prophecy.

It's worth mentioning that every time something reminiscent of the Weird Route appears in the game, Ralsei seems scared.

Take for example, his reaction when we try to explore the hidden part of Tenna’s mini-game:

I don’t believe Ralsei genuinely doesn’t know what’s there, since it just happens to be the place that mirrors what happens in the Weird Route.

It would be odd for him to say he doesn’t know, when in ch 4 he literally claims to know many things:

Ralsei is scared precisely because he wants the prophecy to change.

That is why he gets so frightned when, during Tenna’s mini-game, we try to see beyond. He fears that the Weird Route might still remain a possibility.

We don't yet know for sure whether Ralsei is aware that we can reset or start a new save file, but if he does, part of his fear may come from the risk of us discovering the existence of that route. Therefore, concealing any hint that it truly exists would be a way to prevent us from attempting to follow it. That's why he says, “it could’ve been... trouble".

And after we try to explore the hidden area, Susie says something eerily similar to what Spamton NEO tells us during the Weird Route...

In other words, Susie showed a desire to go further and see what was hidden in the secret area of the mini-game. However, as Spamton said, when we try to look too far, we lose it.

Therefore, this similarity in their lines may reinforce how disturbing the Weird Route truly is. Trying to go too far only leads us to trouble.

Another moment occurs during ch 4, when Susie notices how strangely Ralsei has been acting, and he admits this:

“I’ve just been trying to stay ahead of you two. So you don’t have to see it. So you won’t... Because it would...”

Directly implying that he doesn’t want Kris and Susie to see the final part of the prophecy, due to the tragic and inevitable ending it describes. The interruption of his sentence (“because it would…”) reinforces how he deliberately avoids revealing the ending of the prophecy, hoping it might turn out differently.

What we know for certain is that it's a tragic ending he has been hiding all along, and we cannot know exactly how much of the prophecy he has withheld, hoping it could change if we follow a route without using FIGHT.

In this sense, so far, the only route that seems to have such a tragic ending (where Ralsei even appears worried during it) and that involves fighting the Darkners, is the Weird Route.

Now comes the question: so what exactly is Ralsei trying to hide from us regarding the final part of the prophecy?

I believe Toby Fox already foreshadowed it in ch 3, in this very scene once again:

In the end, The Girl (hero) will be used, and eventually, The Cage will be used to save the WORLDS.

That would explain Susie’s line to Ralsei:

“I wouldn’t let it happen…” → Susie wouldn’t allow Kris to be used

“Kris wouldn’t let it happen…” → Kris wouldn’t let Susie be used

“And obviously YOU wouldn’t let it happen.” → And obviously, Ralsei wouldn’t allow anything bad to happen to Kris and Susie.

So far, I believe this is a plausible explanation, because if something were to happen to Ralsei or the Dark World, I don’t think it would be OBVIOUS that he would stop it. Especially considering how little he values himself compared to the Lightners. Sacrificing himself or the Dark World to save the Lightners (particularly Susie and Kris), he would do it without a second thought.

Moreover, this interpretation could also explain Susie's reaction when she discovered the final part of the prophecy:

She starts the ch 4 excited to be part of something bigger, like the prophecy, especially since she had never been chosen for anything before. But imagine how she felt when she realized that the FIRST AND ONLY TIME she is chosen for something, is to be a sacrifice, which shatters all the expectations she had built about being selected as a heroine of Deltarune’s story, fighting alongside her friends on a fun journey and saving the WORLDS.

Note: Of course, this stems from Susie’s misunderstanding, as she believes she's the second hero, when in reality it's Noelle. That’s why she feels frustrated upon seeing the end of the prophecy, interpreting that SHE will be used as a sacrifice, alongside Kris.

On top of that, I simply can’t believe the Dark World will cease to exist at the end of Deltarune. That’s not what’s written in the prophecy from ch 4, and certainly not what Ralsei says either.

As we can see, Ralsei says that balance will be restored...

If the Dark World were sealed forever, leaving only the Light World, that wouldn’t represent balance.

And the prophecy specifically uses the term “WORLDS” indicating that both the Light World and Dark Worlds are meant to be saved.

Another thought I’ve been having is that perhaps Ralsei is planning to suffer in place of Kris and Susie, based on what he said that if anyone should get hurt, to let it just be him. So, if the prophecy were to unfold exactly as written, it wouldn’t be surprising if he tried to take their place.

And since Ralsei already knows how the prophecy ends, I believe he’s planning to change it by offering himself in place of The Girl and The Cage. That would explain his behaviors:

Why he never decorates his room in Castle Town may not only be because he thinks he doesn’t need it, but also because he doesn’t plan to stay for long (while the other Darkners have their own rooms/shops).

Why he asks us to forget him.

Ralsei states that his purpose is to make Kris and Susie happy, which is why he says he doesn’t need anything for himself. However, as the chapters progress, he begins to develop his own personality, which makes him uncomfortable, since, as a Darkner, he believes this shouldn’t happen and even question it.

And this also creates a parallel with what happens with Asriel in Undertale:

We first meet Asriel as Flowey, a being without feelings. However, during the pacifist route, upon acquiring everyone’s souls, he regains his personality. In the end, he decides to use the power of the souls to free the monsters, sacrificing his own “self” to save everyone in the Underground, even though it hurt him.

With Ralsei, he initially starts off somewhat like an “object,” without feelings or personal interests, solely focused on serving Susie and Kris. However, as the chapters progress, he begins to develop his own personality (his “self”), even while questioning whether, as a Darkner, he should feel this way. However, based on the parallels with Asriel, I predict that he will sacrifice himself, abandoning everything he has built throughout his journey to save the WORLDS, even though it will hurt him.

Here I’ve outlined some parallels that both characters share. In red, I highlighted what I theorize could happen in the upcoming chapters, following the logic of what happens with Asriel in Undertale:

Notice that, unlike Asriel, Ralsei never refers to himself in his lines when asking to be forgotten or for us not to worry about him. Thus, his use of “us” may be a way of trying to hide his feelings, speaking of himself as if he were just another Darkner.

This reveals his attempt to keep distance from his true feelings, functioning as a way to exercise self-control over them. As a Darkner, he believes he shouldn’t have feelings, so this behavior may be a strategy to help him maintain his posture, avoiding attachment, since he considers himself “not real.”

Furthermore, by deliberately including himself only as another Darkner, this may help him avoid forming attachments to what he builds during his journey with Kris and Susie, making it easier for him to take the place of The Cage and The Girl during the prophecy’s final event in a less painful way, or in a way that makes it easier for Kris and Susie to accept what he plans to do.

And also, perhaps when the balance is restored, the Dark Worlds may no longer be accessible, which is why Ralsei tells Susie to forget about the Darkners and make real friends.

Thus, at the end of Deltarune, we are presented with the final parallel to Undertale: even though we have saved everyone, we're still left with a bittersweet ending, as once again there's someone we couldn’t save. And this someone is precisely the parallel of Asriel Undertale.

Final words

It turned out longer than I initially expected and while writing it, I even got more ideas for more. Still, I decided to hold off on expanding further until I play through the game again. 

I hope I didn’t lose track of the core explanations or focus too much on minor details. In the end, this is just a theory and might evolve over time as more information becomes available or as I see things differently.

The main reason I’m sharing it is to hear other interpretations. A single comment can debunk everything I’ve said and that’s fine. I just hope the ideas came across clearly and that I used the right words to express what I wanted to say.