sansserifaster:

shatterstag:

draikinator:

Chara and asriel are literally foils both kids who lost their lives in a misguided secret plan to use their own bodies as martyrs to free the underground, whether through death or rebirth, and then later found themselves inside new, foreign bodies with no souls and the ability to reset time and do whatever the hell they wanted. Both of them, potentially, did murder runs, just to see what would happen. Both of them kill the world in their respective timelines (player assistance debatable). Both had loving families that were destroyed, both are filled with regret and hatred and LOVE, potentially. The only real difference between them is that the narrative frames asriel’s hurt as a tragedy, and gives chara’s no frame at all, unless you murder the world, at which point they call themselves a demon. Which is a weird thing to cite as evidence they’re a demon? Seeing as asriel called himself a god? Of hyperdeath? What the hell is hyperdeath even? Asriel isnt a god and chara isnt a demon. They’re kids who hate themselves and their lives trying to scare you into letting them win.

Honestly like the whole point imho of the narrative framing differences is literally a measure of your own compassion. Two characters, same basic backstory, perfect foils; but you only pity one, only see value in one. Can your compassion extend to someone you are not told deserves it?

imo if you refuse to acknowledge chara’s story and redemption arc in the pacifist run you’re missing the point of the story (which is everybody has a second chance, is redemable, is misunderstood, and nobody is absolute evil)

this excellent point makes flavour text chara all the more important, honestly. we don’t get to know a lot about them, who they were in life, or any of that, even if you read the flavour text as their voice. but god damn are they important.