Pacifist or Genocide: Which Undertale Path is Right for You?

Undertale. The very name conjures images of quirky characters, moral dilemmas, and a surprisingly profound narrative woven into a deceptively simple RPG. But at the heart of Undertale’s enduring appeal lies a core question: Pacifist or Genocide – which path is the “better” experience? The truth, as with most things in Undertale, is complex and deeply personal. There is no single correct answer. The “better” path depends entirely on what you seek from your gaming experience.

Choosing the Pacifist Route offers the more emotionally fulfilling and arguably the intended experience. You’ll build bonds with the lovable cast, unravel the secrets of the Underground, and ultimately strive for a hopeful resolution. However, the Genocide Route provides a dark, unsettling, and strangely compelling alternative, exploring the consequences of your choices and the corruption of power. It’s a disturbing mirror held up to your own agency as a player.

Therefore, “better” isn’t about objective quality but about subjective preference. Are you seeking a heartwarming tale of friendship and redemption, or a chilling exploration of destruction and its impact? Ultimately, both paths offer unique insights into the game’s themes, but the order in which you experience them matters. Playing Pacifist first allows you to truly appreciate the emotional weight of the Genocide Route later, and it is generally regarded as the better initial experience.

Delving Deeper into the Two Paths

Undertale isn’t just a game; it’s an interactive story that reacts to your actions in profound ways. Both the Pacifist and Genocide routes offer distinct gameplay experiences, narratives, and emotional impacts.

The Pacifist Route: A Journey of Mercy and Friendship

The Pacifist Route is all about mercy. You must complete the entire game without killing a single enemy, choosing instead to “ACT” and find non-violent solutions to battles. This path focuses on building relationships, understanding the monsters’ stories, and ultimately striving for a happy ending where humans and monsters can coexist.

• Emotional Resonance: This route is designed to tug at your heartstrings. The characters are charming and relatable, and the narrative explores themes of forgiveness, acceptance, and the power of friendship.
• Challenging but Rewarding: While combat is technically easier (since you’re not fighting), figuring out the correct “ACT” sequences for each enemy can be a puzzle in itself. The reward, however, is a truly satisfying and heartwarming conclusion.
• Unlocks the True Ending: Only by completing a Neutral ending and then the Pacifist Route can you unlock the True Pacifist ending, which provides the most complete and satisfying resolution to the story.

The Genocide Route: A Descent into Darkness

The Genocide Route is the antithesis of the Pacifist Route. It requires you to systematically kill every monster in each area of the Underground. This path is unsettling, challenging, and forces you to confront the consequences of your actions in a very direct and disturbing way.

• Moral Implications: This route is not for the faint of heart. It explores themes of power, control, and the corrupting influence of violence. It forces you to question your own agency as a player and the impact of your choices on the game world.
• Increased Difficulty: The Sans battle at the end of the Genocide Route is widely considered one of the hardest boss fights in gaming, requiring precise timing and memorization of attack patterns.
• Permanent Consequences: Completing the Genocide Route has lasting effects on your game, even after resetting. It leaves a stain on your save file, altering future playthroughs and reminding you of the choices you made.

Why Pacifist First is Often Recommended

While the choice is ultimately yours, there are compelling reasons why most players recommend experiencing the Pacifist Route before attempting the Genocide Route:

• Understanding the World and Characters: The Pacifist Route allows you to fully explore the Underground and get to know the characters, their motivations, and their relationships. This context is crucial for understanding the full impact of the Genocide Route.
• Emotional Investment: By forming bonds with the characters, the Genocide Route becomes far more disturbing. Destroying those relationships carries a significant emotional weight that is absent if you play Genocide first.
• Appreciating the Narrative Complexity: The Pacifist Route reveals the nuances of the story and the deeper themes that the game explores. This understanding enhances the impact of the Genocide Route’s deconstruction of those themes.

FAQs: Diving Deeper into Undertale’s Moral Choices

To further guide you on your Undertale journey, here are some frequently asked questions regarding Pacifist and Genocide runs:

1. What happens if I do Genocide before Pacifist?

If you play the Genocide ending you will experience a dark ending and might feel emotionally numb going into the Pacifist route. Each time you do a Pacifist run after the first time you do Genocide, the game will end with a sinister cutscene implying you’ll kill everyone anyway.

2. How many kills do you need for Genocide in Undertale?

You need to kill a specific number of monsters in each area to trigger the Genocide Route. For example, you need to kill 20 monsters in the Ruins before fighting Toriel, until you get the message “But nobody came.” The amount varies per area.

3. Does fighting ruin Pacifist?

No, fighting itself doesn’t ruin a Pacifist run. As long as you don’t kill the opponent and instead spare them, flee, or use ACT options to end the battle peacefully, you’re still on track for a Pacifist ending.

4. What is the true ending of Undertale?

The game has two major “proper” endings – True Pacifist, in which you save both the monsters and humanity, and Genocide, in which you destroy everything. There are also numerous “neutral” endings triggered by specific actions, or inactions, depending on which character is or is not killed.

5. Do you fight Flowey in Genocide?

In a Genocide run, you do not fight Flowey. Instead, Chara confronts Flowey and kills him off-screen.

6. How did Chara become evil?

Chara’s character is complex and the reasons behind their actions are open to interpretation. The Genocide Route is where the player corrupts Frisk (and in turn, denies Chara’s salvation) and causes them to become violent, similar to Flowey.

7. Does picking on Loox ruin True Pacifist?

Yes. Earning EXP ruins the Pacifist run. That means killing Dummy doesn’t matter and picking on Loox, by fighting and selecting “Don’t Pick On,” and receiving EXP, RUINS the Pacifist run.

8. Are you allowed to flee in Pacifist?

Yes, you can flee battles. However, the best approach is to use actions that will allow you to spare the monsters. Each monster requires a specific action to be spared.

9. How do you spare Toriel?

Keep opting to Spare her, never attack. Eventually, she’ll give up the fight.

10. What’s in Toriel’s basement?

Toriel’s basement is simply the entrance to the Ruins where the game begins. It contains a drawer with a plant atop it and a small bookshelf with worn books.

11. Is Sans the hardest boss ever?

Sans is widely considered one of the hardest boss battles in gaming, requiring precise timing and memorization of attack patterns.

12. Does killing the dummy ruin a Pacifist run?

No, destroying the Dummy does not abort the attempt at the True Pacifist Route, and neither talking, nor fleeing, nor boring the Dummy aborts the Genocide Route attempt.

13. Does eating Vegetoid ruin Pacifist?

No, “Devouring” Vegetoid instead will end the fight and heal you, without counting as killing Vegetoid.

14. Can you beat Undertale without killing anyone?

You can complete Undertale without killing anyone. This is essential for achieving the Pacifist and True Pacifist endings.

15. What is the easiest final boss in Undertale?

Asriel is considered the easiest final boss because it’s impossible to die to Asriel, because your SOUL will re-fuse every single time. His attack patterns are pretty easy to figure out, and the rest is just rehashing attack patterns you’re already familiar with.

The Choice is Yours

Ultimately, the decision to play Pacifist or Genocide, and in which order, is a personal one. There’s no right or wrong way to experience Undertale. But remember to consider the emotional and narrative implications of each path before making your choice. Whether you choose to embrace mercy or succumb to destruction, Undertale offers a unique and thought-provoking experience that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

For more insights into the educational power of gaming, explore the resources available at the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Undertale is more than just a game; it’s a mirror reflecting our own choices and the impact they have on the world around us. Embrace the journey, explore the depths of the Underground, and discover the path that resonates with you.