Papyrus

Sans (brother)

Rose Dreemurr (niece)

**Papyrus** is the brother of Sans and a major character in *Undertale*. His main motive is to capture a human so he can become a member of the Royal Guard, and finally have friends and popularity. He serves as the Main boss of Snowdin.

## Profile

### Appearance

Papyrus is a tall, perhaps anatomically inaccurate skeleton, with a skull more vertical and geometric than his brother. Being skeletal, many of his expressions incorporate a toothy grin. His eyes resemble vertical slits; his skeletal pseudo-brows form most of his expressions, as well as the corners of his mouth. He has eyeballs which show at times when he is experiencing strong emotions. Papyrus is relatively taller and slightly slimmer than his brother.

#### Normal ("Battle Body")

For most of his in-game appearances, he wears his "battle body," an outfit that he created for a costume party. It consists of an orange-red cape, a white chestplate with a gold trim on the bottom, and blue briefs with a golden belt. A symbol that resembles that of Starman from the *MOTHER* series adorns the chestplate. He also wears red coquelicot gloves, each with a yellow trim, and red boots.

#### Befriending (Cool Dude)

Halfway through the date/hangout with Papyrus, he changes into his "secret style": a backward baseball cap, a t-shirt that reads "Cool Dude," small shorts with buttons, gloves with striped trim, knee-high socks, and sneakers. He also wears basketballs on his shoulders, likely Mettaton's MTT-Brand FashionBall.

#### Alphys Date (Jogboy)

During the "date" with Alphys, Papyrus arrives wearing a sweatband, shorts, and a t-shirt that reads "JOGBOY," with hearts on the pauldrons. He still wears his boots, gloves, and scarf.

### Personality

Papyrus is a flamboyant skeleton who presents a confident, charismatic image of himself. He is thought to have an egotistical personality, referring to himself as "THE GREAT PAPYRUS," possibly as a way to feel as prestigious as his brother. He works hard and, despite his brash personality, is kind at heart. He is optimistic and brave, and is shown to be considerate and forgiving even when the protagonist beheads him in the Genocide Route. He is also occasionally oblivious and nonobservant, but can be cunning at times, as seen when he uses reverse psychology to trick Undyne into befriending the protagonist. He is thought of to be somewhat naive by other characters, but not dumb. He shows great bravery as even in the face of potentially imminent death, he drops his guard and spares the protagonist hopes of driving them down a better path.

Papyrus believes in others just as much as he believes in himself. He has so much faith in his abilities that he waited outside of Undyne's house all night and begged her to accept him into the Royal Guard. Seeing his persistence, Undyne offered to train him, but instead gave him cooking lessons. His confidence in himself and others is so great that he interprets direct insults towards him as the protagonist trying to make themselves look bad so he can hurt them easier, rather than the possibility that they dislike him.

He cooks spaghetti from time to time, though many characters seem to think that he is not very good at it. One of the reasons for this is because Papyrus never ate spaghetti himself to complete the chef's guidebook to cooking by tasting their creation before serving. He, therefore, cooks spaghetti only because everyone else loves to eat it, indicating he does not play favorites. Since Undyne - whose results do not best Papyrus - teaches him, she is also responsible. He loves puzzles and japes, as shown by the numerous puzzles he prepares for the protagonist as well as his collection of "*complex tomes about puzzle creation.*" Though advanced puzzles may seem cerebral, Papyrus also enjoys children's books and is somewhat childish with the decoration of his room. He also collects action figures.

He has some unexpected skills besides cooking however, such as consistently high-caliber artistic prowess from things such as: being able to paint a rock formation to look exactly like a bridge, creating a snow sculpture to look just like himself but with musculature, to the various puzzle designs he creates for the protagonist. He also has a photographic memory for phone calls, and the ability to perform physics-breaking acrobatics.

Papyrus seems to be strangely unconcerned about his own death, comically stating that "AT LEAST I STILL HAVE MY HEAD." right before dying, or be more worried about the protagonist's path in the Genocide Route. He has mentioned in a phone call that he would like to meet Death, although the meaning of this is unknown.

Papyrus also watches Mettaton's TV shows, and admires Mettaton so much that he would move to Hotland, a region that he hates.

Papyrus is implied to have a deep loneliness; he wants to join the Royal Guard in order to be popular and loved by the people of the Underground. Papyrus is shown to not get nearly as much positive attention (or any attention for that matter) from the people of Snowdin compared to his much calmer and more amiable brother, Sans. This is further implied by their mailboxes in which Sans's is packed with junk mail, while Papyrus's mailbox has only emptiness, even prompting him to claim that it is "[HIS] EMPTINESS, NOT YOURS." Papyrus exclaims to the human that he has never come across someone who is so much like him in taste, passion, and skill. He further exclaims that he "[DOESN'T] EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE." clearly projecting his lack of said friends. This desire to be favored amongst the crowd runs so deep that Papyrus will change his opinion on something on the spot just to gel in with the majority, like with his opinion on Grillby's. And this desperation for a true friend leads Flowey to easily manipulate Papyrus into calling the protagonist's friends to the barrier room, although whether or not Flowey considers Papyrus a friend is vague. Despite all of this, Papyrus mentions that others depend on him to make them happy, so he hides his sadness to comfort them more effectively.

Papyrus is also shown to have a level of kindness and understanding that no other character in the game possesses, as he is the only enemy with attacks that never kills the protagonist, only leaving them at 1 HP. This level of philanthropy is emphasized in the King Papyrus ending in which Papyrus is the only leader to take up a level of judgement upon fallen humans that is to not judge them as all good or bad, and that they get puzzles either way. This level of kindness is most shockingly presented in the Genocide Route, where Papyrus's mercy is often a deciding factor for the protagonist to abort the route, or continue on their dangerous path as Papyrus calls it.

## Main Story

Sometime before the events of *Undertale*, Papyrus and his brother showed up one day in Snowdin and asserted themselves. Sometime after that, Papyrus became friends with Undyne and began training with her.

### Neutral Route

Papyrus first appears in Snowdin Forest, where he arrives to check up on his brother. After learning that Sans had not made any progress over eight solid days, Papyrus, ignorant of the human hiding nearby, berates Sans for not recalibrating his puzzles. He then delivers a long tirade to Sans that he will capture a human and become popular. Further in the forest, Papyrus meets the protagonist for the first time, though he initially confuses them for a rock.

Papyrus attempts to antagonize the protagonist with puzzles and japes, but he eventually warms up to them. He almost refuses to fight the protagonist out of pity. Though Papyrus initiates an encounter, he never kills the protagonist and instead places them in his shed if he reduces their HP to one. The protagonist can easily escape his shed since the door is always unlocked from the inside, but after taking the protagonist to the shed for the second time and beyond that, Papyrus tries to make it more appealing for them to stay by cutting up pieces of a hot dog and adding it to the bowl of kibble for them to eat.

Ultimately deciding that the protagonist is friendly, Papyrus lets them continue into Waterfall, advises them on how to exit the Underground, and offers either a hangout or a date back at his house depending on if the protagonist flirted with him during his battle.

Returning to Papyrus's home after Papyrus's fight initiates the befriending event. During the befriending event, the player can press [MENU] to open the Dating/Friendship HUD, which consists of a clock, a radar that tracks the Annoying Dog, a level of crime graph, a bar with "REEL IT IN!" above it, a population chart, and an egg. The date shown on the clock matches the day on the player's computer, and the graphic next to it changes accordingly based on the time of day the player's computer provides. If the player opens the HUD before Papyrus reads from the dating/hangout book to open the HUD, he realizes it has already been done. However, if they do not open the HUD after a certain period of time, Papyrus moves on and the HUD is not present for the befriending event.

Papyrus dresses in his "secret style" and hides a special gift under his hat for the protagonist. Ultimately, Papyrus decides that the protagonist cares too much about him for their own good, and sends them back on their way with his phone number, which the protagonist can call at any time to hear his opinions about the room that they are in.

When the protagonist makes their way into Waterfall, Papyrus attempts to sway Undyne from killing them; Undyne refuses to yield, however, and Papyrus finds himself obligated to help her. He calls the protagonist and asks them to confirm what they are currently wearing. Papyrus is loyal to both Undyne and the protagonist by employing a ruse that backfires regardless of what the protagonist does.

Papyrus calls the protagonist while Undyne is chasing them and says that they should all hang out. If befriended, Papyrus is waiting outside her house and can be talked to as early as during the chase. After the protagonist chooses whether or not to give Undyne water in Hotland, they can go to Undyne's house, and Papyrus offers dialogue based on the protagonist's actions after his call. If the protagonist gained no EXP, Papyrus gives the option to hang out with her. He flees from the hangout early on, after using reverse psychology to get Undyne to befriend the protagonist.

### True Pacifist Route

Befriending Papyrus is necessary to finish the True Pacifist Route. Flowey guides him to call all the protagonist's friends to New Home.

Before Asriel's boss battle, Papyrus rushes to intervene with the battle between Asgore and the protagonist. He then meets Toriel for the first time and becomes annoyed once she tells him a pun.

Flowey then restrains Papyrus and the rest of the monsters present with vines. Papyrus defends the protagonist from Flowey's bullets and states his faith in the protagonist. As the battle goes on and Flowey first turns into Asriel, then eventually takes on his final form, the protagonist is able to save his and Sans's Lost Souls by reminding them of their previous interactions and friendship.

#### Epilogue

Papyrus discovers that there is no need for the Royal Guard anymore and proclaims that this is "*THE WORST POSSIBLE ENDING.*" He also comments that Toriel is a "*HUGE DORK.*"

In the credits, it seems many of Papyrus's dreams have come true: he drives a red car along a highway, something he has always wanted to do. Later on, Asgore is shown trimming a hedge in the shape of Papyrus's face, something that Papyrus wished would happen once he became a famous royal guardsman.

### Genocide Route

In the Genocide Route, Papyrus pulls much of the same antics that he does in a Neutral/Pacifist route, except he often cites the protagonist's unwillingness to complete his puzzles. He also does not notice their presence upon their first meeting, only acknowledging them once they meet a second time, when Sans points them out to him. Even then, he does not realize they are a human at first. He remains oblivious to the protagonist's motives until their battle, where he instantly spares them, wishing to guide the protagonist on a better path and be friends. The protagonist can then spare or kill Papyrus.

If the protagonist kills him, he states he still believes in the protagonist and thinks that they can become a better person. If they decide to spare him, Papyrus proclaims that they "*DIDN'T DO A VIOLENCE*", and says that he was secretly terrified of the protagonist. From that point on, the protagonist may choose to "hang out" with Papyrus, having aborted the Genocide Route by sparing him.

## Relationships

### The Protagonist

Despite wanting to capture the protagonist, Papyrus still cares about them and eventually ends up dating/hanging out with them if the protagonist does not kill him. He turns the protagonist down if they choose to date, as he realizes he does not feel the same way about them. Notably, Papyrus hangs out with the protagonist even if they had been on the Genocide Route up until sparing him.

The protagonist remains friends with him throughout the game and gains the ability to call him on the cell phone almost anywhere.

### Sans

Sans is Papyrus's brother, and though Papyrus often chastises him for being lazy and detests his many skeleton puns dropped throughout the game, the two of them care about each other a lot. Papyrus often cleans up after Sans and prompted him to get a job as a sentry.

Papyrus is upset that Sans naps so much, mostly through the night, and mentions that it's impressive how much slacking off his brother can do. Even though Sans reads Papyrus bedtime stories and is the sole provider in the skeleton household, Papyrus takes care of his brother and wonders what Sans would do without such a "cool guy" watching over him. Together, they made Papyrus's "battle body" as well as his cardboard sentry station in Snowdin Forest.

Papyrus also recognizes that Sans is secretive and kind of weird.

### Undyne

Papyrus and Undyne are close friends. After Papyrus asked to join the Royal Guard, Undyne gave him cooking lessons, and they bonded. Because Undyne does not have the heart to tell Papyrus that she will never let him join the Royal Guard, Papyrus continues trying to impress her by capturing a human. Sometimes Undyne grosses Papyrus out, but Papyrus looks up to her as a role model. Papyrus is also oblivious at times when Undyne is angry at him, though he is keen enough to know to present befriending the protagonist as a challenge to her.

### Flowey

Papyrus sees Flowey as a good friend because Flowey offers him predictions, flattery, advice, and encouragement. Papyrus also borrows some of Flowey's dialogue characteristics, and Flowey guides Papyrus to call the protagonist's friends to interrupt Asgore's battle with the protagonist.

## Trivia

* Papyrus's name alludes to the typeface in which he speaks in, Papyrus. This is a reference to *Helvetica*, a webcomic about a skeleton named after a font.
* When attempting to name the fallen child "*Papyru*," the response becomes "*I'LL ALLOW IT!!!*"; as the character limit in the naming screen prevents Papyrus's full name from being entered.
* He is the only character whose dialogue does not begin with an asterisk.
	+ He is also the only character to always speak in capitals (Mettaton stops talking in capitals when he becomes Mettaton EX).
* Despite his contempt for Sans's humor, Papyrus makes quite a few jokes himself. He even makes puns—a great deal more than Sans—at 14 puns compared to Sans's 6 puns.
* Attempting to leave the electricity maze in Snowdin Forest causes Papyrus to tell the protagonist not to be rude since he made the puzzle just for them. Backing away again causes Papyrus to ask if the protagonist treats their mother the same way when she makes them puzzles. Afterward, he just responds with "*HUMANS...*"
	+ Doing this again during Sans's Monster Kidz Word Search puzzle prompts Papyrus to tell Sans that the human is escaping since he made the puzzle too hard.
* Papyrus's pose is likely to be a reference to ancient Egyptian drawings that resemble his stance. Ancient Egyptians wrote primarily on papyrus, a type of paper.
* While Papyrus's "special attack" is shown as a bone during his battle, it is possibly implied that the attack somehow involved a Gaster Blaster.

* If the protagonist walks in and out of Papyrus's kitchen before the befriending event, he runs back and forth across the living room and offers differing dialogue based on how many times he did this.
* If the player's controller is disconnected in the Xbox version while dating Papyrus, under the "No Controller Connected" message is the following message: "You were excited about dating a very handsome skeleton and pulled the controller out by accident. I understand."
* When first seeing Undyne in Waterfall, when Papyrus comes in to give Undyne his report, if he was killed and the protagonist moved left, they would still see Papyrus's sprite. This bug was fixed in the v1.001 patch.

* There is a glitch where Papyrus speaks without using his font. Before the befriending event with Undyne, if the protagonist confirms the hangout from either side of Papyrus, speaks to the Mad Dummy, then walks up to Papyrus from behind, this glitch occurs. Papyrus speaks in his font after Undyne answers the door, however.
* Phone calls with Papyrus reveal the following information:
	+ Papyrus has an imaginary store that sells flames. It is "*A DREAM OF [HIS]*."
	+ Papyrus does not remember Napstablook's name and tries to guess it if the protagonist phones him outside their house. His guesses are "Spooky Bloo Bloo" and "Napper Hog." He also does the same with Flowey by calling him "Flowery" and with Napstablook's cousin by calling him "Happstablook."
	+ Papyrus believes skeletons are warm and cuddly, but that ghosts are spooky.
	+ The snails of Blook Family Snail Farm remind Papyrus of his brother.
	+ Papyrus would try eating the mushrooms in the room before the darkening lantern room and the lanterns in the darkening lantern room.
	+ Even though he's never seen it before, Papyrus has a disdain for anime.
	+ Papyrus says that Undyne "*ENRICHES [HIS] LIFE WITH SHED-BASED PUNS*".
	+ Conveyor belts and lasers are his "*LEAST FAVORITE NIGHTMARE*". This is likely why he does not like Hotland, due to the many puzzles that involve lasers and conveyor belts.
* Papyrus seems to contradict himself in phone calls with Undyne or Sans, compared to when he is only speaking to the protagonist. For example, if called on his own in the MTT Resort, he remarks "*I WOULD NEVER TAKE A VACATION FOR ANY REASON.*" If Undyne is present, however, he agrees they should vacation to a hotel together.
	+ However, upon calling a second time in the MTT Resort, Papyrus will reveal he was just being sarcastic, and repeats what he normally says if she is not there.
* According to Flowey, Papyrus's favorite food is "that oatmeal with the dinosaur eggs."

* His original name was "Times New Roman" during development.
* The artbook reveals that Papyrus was originally going to wear a fedora and be a creep with no redeeming qualities, and his favorite show was going to be called "My Little Boney". This was changed since a mean-spirited character would be unfitting to the game. His original design was also inspired by Dedan from *OFF*, a mean-spirited character like Papyrus originally was, but has changed a lot since.
* The artbook also reveals that the "Confused" sprites were drawn by "Guzusuru", but were omitted since Toby Fox thought they looked too good.
* Toby Fox has "deconfirmed" a claim that Papyrus was inspired by Octopimp.
* In the Japanese localization for *Undertale*, Papyrus uses an old Japanese writing form. His text goes from right to left and the symbols are written vertically. This is supposed to reference the Papyrus font's old and antique look.
	+ He also refers to himself as "ore-sama" (俺様), which is an extremely arrogant first-person pronoun.
* In a deleted tweet, Toby Fox said that Papyrus would use the term "aniki," a Japanese honorable term used for older brothers or superiors. There is a multitude of interpretations for this as it doesn't give a clear answer. However, in the official Japanese translation released in 2017, Papyrus refers to Sans as "niichan", a somewhat immature way of addressing one's older brother.
* Papyrus has an unused confused battle sprite.