Does Killing Flowey Ruin a True Pacifist Run?
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No, killing Flowey at the end of a Neutral run does not inherently ruin your chances of achieving the True Pacifist ending in Undertale. However, it’s crucial to understand the process and requirements for the True Pacifist route, as well as the implications of your actions throughout previous playthroughs.
Understanding the True Pacifist Route
The True Pacifist ending in Undertale is considered the “best” ending, where you befriend all the main characters and ultimately save the Underground. Achieving this ending requires a specific sequence of actions and conditions:
- Completing a Neutral Run: You must first complete at least one playthrough where you do not kill any required monsters (Toriel, Papyrus, Undyne, Mettaton, Asgore, and Flowey). This initial run sets the stage for the True Pacifist ending. The specific Neutral ending you receive is irrelevant for the True Pacifist run, meaning the different variations of the Neutral ending (Queen Toriel, King Undyne, Dog Ending, etc.) do not matter.
- Befriending Undyne and Papyrus: After completing a Neutral run, reload your save file. This is where the True Pacifist route begins to diverge. You will receive a call from Undyne, requesting that you deliver a letter to Alphys. Accepting the call is essential. Then, you must befriend Undyne and Papyrus through their respective hangouts. This involves visiting Papyrus’s house for a date and then going to Undyne’s house to cook and “fight” her.
- Dating Alphys: After befriending Undyne and Papyrus, you’ll need to return to Undyne’s house, where she’ll reveal a secret about Alphys and task you with delivering a letter to her. This leads to the “date” with Alphys at the Garbage Dump.
- The True Lab: Completing the date with Alphys triggers the opening of the True Lab. You must navigate through the True Lab, interacting with all the memories and solving puzzles to learn the truth about Alphys’s experiments and the Amalgamates.
- The Final Boss Fight: After the True Lab sequence, you’ll return to New Home. This is where the True Pacifist route diverges completely. Instead of fighting Asgore immediately, you’ll be interrupted and proceed to the final boss fight against Asriel Dreemurr. This fight is unique, as you cannot die. You must persevere and ultimately save Asriel through your compassion.
The Role of Flowey
Flowey is a critical character in Undertale’s narrative. He serves as the main antagonist for most of the game, and his actions greatly influence the story’s trajectory. After defeating Asgore in a Neutral run, Flowey often absorbs the human souls and transforms into a powerful form, leading to a final battle. Killing Flowey in this situation does not lock you out of the True Pacifist ending, provided you meet all the other requirements.
The True Pacifist route specifically bypasses the Flowey fight after Asgore. Instead, Flowey appears to interrupt the Asgore fight, ultimately leading to the True Lab and the encounter with Asriel.
Implications of Killing Characters
While killing Flowey at the end of a Neutral run is acceptable for the True Pacifist route, killing other characters does prevent you from achieving it. The True Pacifist ending fundamentally relies on sparing every character you encounter. Even killing just one major character like Toriel, Papyrus, or Undyne will lock you out of this ending, forcing you to pursue another Neutral ending or the Genocide route.
Key Takeaways
- Killing Flowey in a Neutral run does not prevent the True Pacifist ending.
- Sparing all other major characters is essential for the True Pacifist ending.
- Completing a Neutral run is a necessary prerequisite.
- Following the specific steps to befriend Undyne, Papyrus, and Alphys is crucial.
- Exploring the True Lab is required.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I still get the True Pacifist ending if I accidentally killed a monster in a random encounter?
Potentially. If the monster you killed wasn’t a required monster (Toriel, Papyrus, Undyne, Mettaton, Asgore, and Flowey) you may be able to still achieve the True Pacifist ending, as long as you reload your save file and avoid killing any monsters on subsequent playthroughs. However, the safest approach is to aim for a completely pacifist run from the beginning. Even random encounter kills will void True Pacifist in your current save, and you may have to reset your save game entirely to continue with True Pacifist.
2. Do I have to fight Asgore at all during the True Pacifist run?
You will begin to fight Asgore, but Flowey will interrupt the fight before you can do any serious damage.
3. What happens if I don’t answer Undyne’s phone call after the Neutral run?
If you don’t answer Undyne’s call, you will not be able to proceed with the True Pacifist route. The call is what triggers the chain of events that lead to befriending Undyne, Papyrus, Alphys, and ultimately unlocking the True Lab.
4. Can I get the True Pacifist ending on my first playthrough?
No, you must complete a Neutral run first before you can achieve the True Pacifist ending. This allows the game to set the stage for the subsequent events that lead to the True Pacifist route.
5. What happens if I start a Genocide run and then decide to go for True Pacifist?
Starting a Genocide run and then aborting it can have significant consequences. The world will remember your actions, and you may face a “Soulless Pacifist” ending, where Chara ultimately takes control even after achieving the True Pacifist ending. To truly cleanse your save file, you might need to delete the system information for Undertale.
6. Do I need to spare every single monster in every encounter?
For the initial Neutral run, you only need to avoid killing the required bosses. However, for the True Pacifist route, it’s best to spare every monster you encounter to ensure you don’t accidentally lock yourself out of the ending.
7. What is the significance of the True Lab?
The True Lab is crucial for understanding Alphys’s backstory and the origins of Flowey. It also contains important lore about the human souls and the nature of monsters. Completing the True Lab is a mandatory step for the True Pacifist ending.
8. How do I befriend Undyne?
After completing the Neutral run and receiving Undyne’s call, go to Papyrus’s house and accept his invitation to a hangout. Then, go to Undyne’s house, where you’ll participate in a cooking lesson and a “fight” with her. Make sure to “lose” the fight to progress.
9. What do I need to do to date Alphys?
After befriending Undyne and Papyrus, go back to Undyne’s house, and she will give you a letter to deliver to Alphys. Give Alphys the letter, and then follow her to the Garbage Dump for the “date.”
10. What is the hardest part of the True Pacifist run?
Many players find the True Lab puzzles and the final boss fight against Asriel Dreemurr to be the most challenging aspects of the True Pacifist run. The True Lab can be emotionally difficult as well, due to the lore it reveals.
11. Can I use save states or glitches to help me with the True Pacifist run?
While you can use save states, it is generally discouraged. It undermines the intended gameplay experience and can potentially lead to unforeseen bugs or issues. Glitches are even more risky and can potentially corrupt your save file. For the best experience, it’s recommended to play the game as intended.
12. Does the order in which I befriend Undyne and Papyrus matter?
Yes, you must befriend Papyrus first and then Undyne. The game is structured to follow that order.
13. Is there a time limit for completing the True Pacifist run?
No, there is no time limit. You can take as long as you need to explore the world and complete the necessary steps.
14. What happens if I reset my game during the True Pacifist run?
Resetting your game will essentially start the process over. You will need to complete another Neutral run and then follow all the steps to initiate the True Pacifist route again.
15. What rewards do I get for completing the True Pacifist ending?
Besides the satisfying conclusion of the story, you unlock a special post-credits scene and a slightly altered opening sequence in subsequent playthroughs. More importantly, you achieve the “best” ending, where you save all the characters and bring peace to the Underground.