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Undertale’s Genocide Route: A Comprehensive Guide

So, you want to walk the darker path in the world of Undertale? You want to erase the smiles, crush the hope, and leave nothing but dust in your wake? You’re aiming for the Genocide Route. Let’s be clear: this isn’t for the faint of heart. Undertale is a game about choices, and this one has significant consequences.

How do you trigger the Genocide Route in Undertale?

The process is simple in concept, but demanding in execution: you must relentlessly kill every single monster in each area before fighting the area’s boss. This means exhausting all random encounters in the Ruins, Snowdin, Waterfall, and Hotland/CORE before proceeding. Think of it as a monstrous chore list. If you advance the plot without fulfilling the kill quota in an area, you will automatically fail the Genocide Route and be locked into a Neutral Route.

Here’s the breakdown:

Relentless Determination: This isn’t a casual stroll through the Underground. You need the will to seek out and destroy everything in your path.
Random Encounters are Key: Monster encounters in Undertale are, for the most part, random. You trigger them by walking around in an area. To trigger the Genocide Route, you need to exhaust these random encounters completely in each area.
The “But Nobody Came” Message: After killing enough monsters in an area, random encounters will cease. The game will display the message “But nobody came.” This is your signal that you’ve met the kill quota for that area.
Boss Battles Become… Different: When you encounter the area boss after fulfilling your kill quota, they will likely die with one single hit.
No Mercy: Do not spare any monsters. Sparing a single monster will immediately abort the Genocide Route, locking you into a Neutral Route.
Specific Area Requirements: Each area has a specific number of monsters you must kill:
- Ruins: 20 monsters
- Snowdin: 16 monsters
- Waterfall: 18 monsters
- Hotland/CORE: 40 monsters
The Final Judgement: Even if you’ve successfully completed all the area quotas, your actions will still be judged by the final boss. Be prepared.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Genocide Route

H3 Can I still get a Pacifist Ending after doing a Genocide Route?

Yes, you can do a Pacifist Route after completing a Genocide Route, however, it won’t be a “true” Pacifist ending. The game “remembers” your past actions. At the end of the Pacifist ending, the characters will be tainted by a final unsettling twist.

H3 What happens if I accidentally spare a monster during the Genocide Route?

Sparing a monster immediately aborts the Genocide Route, and the rest of your play through becomes a Neutral Route. There’s no going back without resetting your save file.

H3 How do I know if I’m still on the Genocide Route?

The absence of random encounters and the appearance of the “But nobody came” message are the main indicators. Additionally, the music will change to a more unsettling theme. The way the characters react also changes: many will no longer be in their normal positions.

H3 Is the Genocide Route harder than the Pacifist Route?

In some ways, yes. While the basic combat mechanics are the same, the Genocide Route requires more grinding and determination (in both the player and Frisk). The final boss battles are extremely challenging, demanding near-perfect execution. However, Pacifist is considered by some to be the most challenging, as you have to learn all the enemy actions while trying to do specific requirements for surviving instead of killing.

H3 Does naming myself “Chara” affect the Genocide Route?

No, naming yourself “Chara” doesn’t inherently change the gameplay or mechanics of the Genocide Route. It’s more of a symbolic choice, acknowledging the character you are embodying during that playthrough. It does have the interesting effect of Chara recognizing themselves by the name you have given the fallen human.

H3 Can I do a Genocide Route without ever leveling up?

Yes, it’s possible, but it’s significantly harder. The final boss battles are already challenging; doing them at LV 1 makes them incredibly difficult, requiring immense skill and precise timing.

H3 What happens after I complete the Genocide Route?

After completing the Genocide Route and agreeing to Chara’s request, the world is destroyed. To play again, you must wait 10 minutes on a black screen, at which point, you will be able to sell your soul to Chara, and reset the timeline. This has consequences for future Pacifist endings, as mentioned earlier.

H3 Will doing a Genocide Route affect my other save files?

No, each save file is treated separately. Undertale only has one save file. Your past actions in one file won’t directly impact other files. However, completing a Genocide Route will affect a subsequent Pacifist Route on the same save file.

H3 Is there any way to “undo” the consequences of the Genocide Route?

The only way to completely erase the consequences of the Genocide Route is to edit the game files or delete the Undertale data in your Steam cloud storage, or your Nintendo Online Save Data. Without doing this, the game remembers your actions. Selling your soul does not undo the consequences.

H3 Can I get the Temmie Armor on the Genocide Route?

No, the Temmie Armor, a very powerful piece of equipment, cannot be obtained on the Genocide Route. The option to “pay for colleg” which unlocks the armor is replaced with a different dialogue option with the Temmie shopkeeper in Temmie Village.

H3 How does the Genocide Route affect the other characters, like Sans?

The Genocide Route drastically changes the characters’ behavior. Sans, in particular, becomes aware of your genocidal intent and acts accordingly. His dialogue becomes more serious, and his final battle is one of the most difficult encounters in the game. All other characters become hopeless and stop showing up in the world.

H3 What happens to Alphys during the Genocide Route?

Alphys attempts to evacuate the remaining monsters to a safe location. But, if you do a genocide route correctly, there will not be any monsters left to evacuate.

H3 Is there a “true” Genocide Ending?

There is only one ending for the Genocide Route. Chara, the First Human, takes control and destroys the world.

H3 How many endings does Undertale have in total?

Undertale has three primary endings: Pacifist, Neutral, and Genocide. However, there are many variations of the Neutral ending depending on which characters you killed and spared. This gives Undertale a good bit of replayability.

H3 Why should or shouldn’t I do the Genocide Route?

The Genocide Route is a deeply personal choice. It explores themes of consequence, responsibility, and the corrupting influence of power. If you’re curious about exploring the darkest aspects of Undertale‘s world and challenging yourself with the game’s most difficult content, then it might be worth experiencing. However, be aware that it comes at the cost of the game’s inherent charm and the relationships you build with its characters. Undertale is ultimately about empathy and friendship, and the Genocide Route is a direct contradiction of those values.

Remember, Undertale is more than just a game; it’s an experience. Choose wisely.

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How do you trigger genocide in Undertale?