Undertale is the indie title that swept away the hearts of everyone who played it after it released in 2015. The pixelated video game conveyed a depth of emotion despite its simplistic graphics. It’s hard to find another game with such a moving narrative that has such graphical restrictions.
It is the character of Asriel who is largely responsible for hitting players in the feels. Though he starts off as an antagonist for the main character, Frisk, the revelation of his actual plight can leave players reeling from the tragedy of it all. Read on if you want to know about some of the hidden details regarding Asriel and his story.
10 Asriel’s Name Is A Blend Of His Mother And Father’s
As well as being the biological child of Asgore and Toriel, Asriel received more from his parents than genetics. Asriel’s name is a blending of his parents’ respective names. The first part of ‘Asgore’ and the last part of ‘Toriel’ together make up ‘Asriel.’ The simplicity of this pairing is understated and underrated. While many compare Asriel’s name to that of a biblical angel, at the end of the day, Asriel is his parents’ child. It’s an ingenious name that players of Undertale should take note of. However, given that Asriel’s name is not always on display, it’s not a very obvious fact.
9 Asriel’s Soul Resisted His Human Sibling’s
The tragic story of how Asriel died forms the backbone of Undertale. However, it’s not always clear what exactly happened, especially if players did not reach a specific ending. When Asriel and his adopted human sibling paired their souls together (after the human’s death), they went to the human world. Human villagers attacked them, but the Asriel/human pairing did not harm any of them. It is later revealed by Asriel that the human wished very much to respond violently to the villagers’ attacks, but it was Asriel’s portion of soul that refused to fight back.
8 His Full Name Is An Anagram For ‘Serial Murderer’
Avid gamers discovered an insidious anagram hidden in Asriel’s full name. Asriel’s entire name is Asriel Dreemurr. Keen-eyed players sussed out that if the letters of his first and last name are rearranged, the words ‘serial murderer’ can be spelled out. Needless to say, this was a morbid discovery.
Whether or not this was the intention of game developers is unknown. However, it is an appropriate moniker for the character when he was soulless and evilly attacking members of the monster community in his attempt to take over the world.
7 He Fell And Died In The Gardens Of New Home
It is expressly stated that after being attacked by human villagers, Asriel limped his way home and died there. However, players might have missed the fact that he perished in the palace gardens of New Home. The spot is covered with golden flowers when players first reach it. After Asriel collapsed there, his body disintegrated into dust, spreading his remains over the garden. This fact is made more apparent during a replay of the game. Gamers can piece together events with specific settings while playing a second time through Undertale.
6 The Fallen Child Can’t Be Named ‘Asriel’
When first starting up Undertale, players are given an option to name the “Fallen Human.” This ends up being a bit of a trick. Instead of the name being applied to the main character of the game, it ends up being applied to the fallen human who was Asriel’s adopted brother. A hidden detail of the game is that players are unable to name the Fallen Human “Asriel.” If players attempt this, the game does not allow them to proceed to the beginning of the story. Clearly, as the narrative later reveals, the name Asriel is already taken.
5 Determination Caused Him To Be Resurrected
Alphys is the head scientist of the monsters underground. She experiments with a human “substance” called Determination. While trying to give monsters the ability to persist in soul-form after their bodies have died, she inadvertently resurrects Asriel. She injects Determination into one of the flowers in the palace gardens. If you can recall, this is the spot where Asriel died. Consequently, Asriel wakes up as a flower in the garden, becoming the game’s main antagonist, Flowey. Players might have missed this detail if they failed to read carefully while exploring Alphys’ lab.
4 His Description Is ‘The Absolute God Of Hyperdeath’
During the chaotic fight against Asriel, players have the option to ‘Check’ his stats. The description for Asriel states quite simply that he is the “absolute god of hyperdeath.” This is not an exaggeration. Expect to have a tough time when fighting through this battle.
Your little pixelated heart will have to dodge the most unfair of attacks. There is practically no free space to retreat to when Asriel’s sweeping attacks are made. However, with enough skill and enough determination, any player can pull through and reach a satisfying ending.
3 As Flowey, He Does Not Have A Soul
Undertale players are first introduced to Flowey at the very beginning of the game. After an initial friendly greeting, we learn that Flowey is not to be trifled with. He appears to be evil incarnate. The reason behind Flowey’s cruelty and lack of compassion is made clear at the end of the game. Flowey is Asriel without a soul. Without a soul, Flowey is incapable of feeling love. That’s why the only time your human can beat him is after he has absorbed the other souls of the monsters. With them beating inside of him, Flowey/Asriel is able to feel love once more.
2 Wears A Striped Shirt Like The First Fallen Human And Frisk
A strange yet endearing habit of children in the world of Undertale is their penchant to wear striped shirts. Not only does Asriel wear a striped shirt (as players find out if they got the good ending), but Frisk and the first Fallen Human wear one as well. We can’t exactly blame Asriel for confusing Frisk with his former adopted brother. From what we can see, the two shared very similar fashion choices. Asriel’s green-and-yellow striped shirt is noticeable if you travel back to the Ruins after getting the good ending.
1 Traveled To The Ruins To Try Feeling Love
Since we first encounter Flowey/Asriel in the Ruins, it can be a bit puzzling wondering why he was there in the first place. As it turns out, Asriel tried to feel love when he was brought back as a soulless flower. When attempts to care for his father, Asgore, failed, Flowey traveled to the Ruins to try and feel love for his mother, Toriel. It’s heartbreaking to think that this poor child went unrecognized by his parents for so long.
NEXT: Undertale: 10 Secrets You Didn’t Know About
