Woo boy, this is something I've been wondering about Papyrus for a long time now. Okay, so we all get that Papyrus is this confident and headstrong skeleton who thinks he's a hotshot, but every now and then in the game, we catch hints that Papyrus has secret insecurities and self-doubts. On top of that, we also get the feeling he's lonely. And lastly, it's almost like wants to join the royal guard to prove to everyone that he's so much more than a cloud cuckoo-lander. Your thoughts on this?
Well, I think you nailed it. Probably the best supporting dialogue for that point is one of the phone calls where Papyrus says something like âUgh! Grillbyâs! Itâs too greasy and gross!â, Undyne says âYeah! Grillbyâs! I love that kind of food!â, and Papyrus says âUh⊠I mean, Grillbyâs is great!â
Later on thereâs another exchange like it, about anime. Pap: âIsnât anime for little kids?â Undyne: âNO WAY ITâS GREAT.â Pap: ââŠwait, do YOU like anime? UHHH MAYBE I LIKE IT TOO.;;â
He picks up a different opinion just to agree with Undyne, and thatâs a big clue that he just wants to fit in with others and be liked. He admires Mettaton unconditionally for being handsome and popular, not necessarily for his good character (and we know from experience that heâs kind of an ass :V).
So I think while heâs confident and talks a big game, like, itâs not the same way Undyne does. Undyne is 100% unapologetic about the person she is, and the bits we get about her childhood make me inclined to think sheâd be that way whether she was a good person or not, whether anyone agreed with her or not. Part of me wonders if Papyrus actually picked up some of his boastful tendencies from being around HER.
Itâs⊠actually kind of lucky Undyne has as good a heart as she does, because she could be a REALLY bad influence over Pap, I think. Sheâs really careful to encourage him to think for himself and feel okay with his own opinions, even if theyâre not the same as hers. Itâs implied that theyâre relatively newer friends, so I think the longer Pap is around her, the more heâll learn to be okay with himself and figure himself out. Heâs just not totally there yet.
Papyrus probably makes Undyne behave a little more responsibly than she has in the past too, haha. Theyâre so good for each other. Aw man, I just, *runs hands down face* theyâre perfect friends and I love them.
I think a lot of Papyrusâ gentler nature probably comes from his insecurities though. Like, he knows what it feels like to be lonely and to want to be LIKED, so he can picture other people feeling the same way. He thinks just having one friend would solve anyoneâs problems, since that would just about solve all of his.
Undyne doesnât give a crap about being liked, so doesnât give a crap if other people want to be liked. Itâs a more genuine confidence, but ends with spears to the face instead of hugs, and with less human friends.
I donât know if I agree fully with the last part though, about him wanting to prove himself to be more than the âloserâ people think he is. Iâm not sure his motivations are about proving himself to anyone. The royal guard position is just something he sees other people praise, like Mettatonâs popularity, so he mimics it. He thinks that once he gets the title, everyoneâs opinions of him will just change instantly and theyâll talk about him like they talk about Undyne.
I think heâs just aching to have someone say that heâs done the correct thing and will totally mold himself into someone heâs not in order to get that validation. If he were proving himself, I think that would mean heâd have already accepted himself, but is trying to make others see it.
So itâs a small blessing that heâs got Undyne telling him heâs doing the right thing by being exactly who he is.
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