Summary
Toby Fox’s twin gamesDeltaruneandUndertaleare no strangers to fan theories. Whilst gamerseagerly wait for Toby to drop Chapters 3and 4, the community has had plenty of time to theorize. In terms of plausibility, these theories range from extremely likely to the infamous Sans is Ness theory. A theory so wrong that Toby Fox himself de-confirmed it on X (formerly Twitter).
However, at the end of the day,theorizing is all in good fun, and not about being right. This list will go through some of the most well-knownDeltarunetheories, to some of the most niche conspiracy theories. Think of it as an iceberg format. Whether these ideas end up being true remains to be seen, but they are all nonetheless entertaining.
7Darkners Are Objects Brought To Life
And Don’t Exist In The Light World
Starting with a theory so obvious, it’s been implicitly confirmed. Darkners - citizens of the Dark World - are based on their Light World counterparts. For example, Chapter 1’s Card Kingdom was discovered in a classroom used for storage. Storage that had card games, board games, etc. The spade and club-shaped monsters that spawn in Chapter 1 represent this motif.
The same is said for Chapter 2. The Dark World is accessed through the Light World’s computer lab. Therefore, the monsters are all based on computers and the internet. It’s a little unnerving to realize that Ralsei, your trusted companion, can’t exist outside the Dark World and is likely based on Kris' red-horned headband. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
6Kris Is The Knight
Who May Bring About The Roaring
Another theory that’s basically confirmed at this point is that Kris is the Knight that will bring about the Roaring. The Knight has the power to bring about Dark Fountains, which are portals from the Light World to the Dark World. It’s assumed the Knight’s objective is to bring about the Roaring, an apocalyptic event that will bring ruin to both the Light and Dark worlds.
Since players have seen Kris opening up a dark fountain at theend of chapter 2, this theory seems to be an open and shut case. However, Toby Fox is known for being crafty, as his last Chapter 1 stinger showed Kris wielding a knife, only to reveal they wanted to cut a cake at the start of Chapter 2. So it’s possible this theory is purposefully misleading.
5Chess Theory
Perhaps Each Chapter Has Battles with Chess Pieces, But Perhaps Not
Eagle-eyed playerswill have noticed a peculiar chess motif throughout the episodes. In Chapter 1, the gang fights a King, and in Chapter 2, the gang fights a Queen. Not to mention, there’s constant talk of a Knight, who is perhaps the ultimate villain ofDeltarune. The theory goes that every boss inDeltarunewill represent a chess piece until players face the Knight. However, this theory is a tenuous one.
So far, there’s been no mention of a Bishop, Pawn, or Rook. Not to mention, there are six types of chess pieces and seven Chapters. Players theorize that Chapter 3’s antagonist will be a Rook, since Mike (the hinted Chapter 3 optional boss) is characterized as a ‘cheat’, also known as a ‘rook’, but this theory appears conspiratorial. It is just as likely that people are mixing up the monarchy (kings, queens, and princes) for chess pieces. Still, until Chapter 3 is released, this theory has yet to be disproven.
4Ralsei is Evil
Ralsei Tea’s Lower Benefits Indicate a Lack of Trust for the Prince
There’s a lot to theorize about the Dark World’s enigmatic prince. A lot of his behavior appears abnormal, almost as if Ralsei is breaking the fiction of the game to address the player. There are many occasions in which he wants Kris to overlook suspicious events, almost as if he’s manipulating them. There’s even an implication that Kris dislikes Ralsei, thanks to a consumable item called ‘Ralsei Tea’.
There are four different types of tea named Susie, Kris, Noelle, and Ralsei. Consuming that item will heal a character’s HP depending on how much they like it. For instance, Noellehas a crush on Susie, so when she drinks Susie Tea, she is healed for 400 HP. When Kris drinks all the corresponding teas, their healing from Ralsei Tea is the lowest, implying a dislike for the prince. Does this mean Ralsei is evil? Probably not, as there are occasionally good reasons for being manipulative or disliked, but it does point to his character being suspicious.
3December Is In The Bunker
Find Her is a Song That Clues Players into Noelle’s Sister’s Fate
December is Noelle’s missing sister. Though her name isn’t even mentioned in the second Chapter, her presence looms over the whole series. The townsfolk talk about her as if she’s dead, but the theory goes that she’s only missing. Two songs connect to this idea. Noelle’s theme is called ‘Lost Girl’ and during the Spamton Sweepstakes event, a hidden URL leads to a sprite of a guitar and a song titled ‘Find Her’ - December’s theme. Together, players can infer that December is lost, not missing.
As for her location, it’s highly likely she’s in the Dark World, explaining why she hasn’t been found for years. Throughout the episodes, Susie and Kris return to the bunker, a locked place of great mystique. Perhaps December was trapped in the bunker and fell into the Dark World. And, if Kris suspects this is what happens, it explains why they’re opening dark fountains everywhere; they’re searching for Dess.
2Noelle Is An Angel
Who Will Bring The Angel’s Heaven
Deltarunehas lore about the three heroes (Kirs, Susie, and Ralsei) who will seal away the angel’s heaven. It’s possible Noelle could be the arbiter of the angel’s heaven, for a few reasons. First, Noelle is consistently paired with angelic imagery. She knows healing prayer, she’s dressed in white robes, and characters even refer to her as ‘angel’.
Compounded withDeltarune’ssnowgrave route, which sees Noelle being manipulated into becoming a cold-hearted killer, it’s clear that Noelle wields immense power. It’s possible that by the end of the snowgrave route, players can manipulate Noelle into gathering enough strength to unleash the angel’s heaven, whatever that may be.
1Gaster’s Role
Very, Very Interesting…
W. D. Gaster is like a creepypasta within a video game. His presence has been shattered across time and space, and a singular sprite of him can be found within the game’s files. His skeletal figure and reference to a wacky font (W.D. = Wingdings) match up with theskeleton brothers Sans and Papyrus. Yet, despite all the theories, nobody truly knows how Gaster will play intoDeltarune.
All players know is that a snippet of Gaster’s theme plays at the beginning of the game when players construct their ‘vessel’. Furthermore, on his X account, Toby Fox announced that his new project,Deltarune, was going to be ‘very, very interesting’. These are the words of W. D. Gaster. It’s just enough evidence to assume that Gaster will be involved, someway, somehow.
