Why Sans isn’t THAT Bad
Okay, so do you remember this fucker?
Karkat Vantas, from the webcomic Homestuck by Andrew Hussie.
A lot of people, back in the day, used to fucking WORSHIP Karkat. He was the most cosplayed, he was the most roleplayed, and the most drawn. Particularly heavily in angst, too.Â
And here we have Sans the skeleton from Undertale by Toby Fox.
Both of these popular characters are self-loathing guys who can see the differences in their timelines. Both struggle from mental illness. While it’s easy to say “Karkat’s just angry”, that’s the same as saying “Sans is just lazy.”
You know why these characters should be glorified?
Because they help kids and adults alike find themselves.Â
Relatability is important in modern media. Undertale is a big statement, with a canon Nonbinary main character, and several queer characters to boot. Homestuck was in a limelight on it’s own, back in the day as well.Â
But I want to redirect my point back to Sans, in particular.
SPOILERS:
Sans, in canon, has lost all hope. He’s got 1 HP; But the thing is, the motherfucker sleeps SO god damn much. And in game, if you sleep for even a few minutes, you gain an extra 10 HP. So Sans, whose always napping to some extent, might have a single point of Hope, but his health is through the roof.
That’s why if you kill him in the no-mercy run, his “death” isn’t considered on your counter as a legitimate character death. Because he didn’t die.
Sans has been taken through the hands of the Undertale fandom. Maybe he’s been put on a popularity cycle, but why would he be so widely accepted if it weren’t for the fact so many people see themselves in him?
For another thing, to debunk the theory that Sans lives vicariously through Papyrus: No. No he doesn’t.
I don’t want to say Papyrus is weak, but Papyrus has substantially lower power levels and defense than Sans does. Papyrus has no source of income, and isn’t considered to be a true sentry(See his cardboard hut he built himself). Undydne won’t make him a Royal Guard because she knows he’s too soft. He’s got too big a heart to do what’s required of most guards.Â
And acting like Sans never had a happy moment in his life really speaks to how much you don’t know about the skeleton. He admits to telling jokes to a door because he likes the laughter he receives on the other side, through Toriel. When they meet at the end of the game, Sans smiles and stands beside her.
Sans loves his brother unconditionally. And that says a lot to his character. Sans can see indefinite timelines and knows everything will be reset. He knows he’s gonna have to make that damn costume for Papyrus again. He knows he will never pay his tab at Grillby’s because it will always exist. He knows Toriel will laugh at the same jokes over and over again. He knows he will see everyone die or some monsters die or even the surface, again and again. But he still continuously supports Papyrus, even knowing the day will never come where the timelines don’t shift.
If that isn’t strength, I don’t know what is.
Also: Referring to his attack against Chara in the no-mercy run as a “suicide attempt” is blatant lying. As my point above, Sans doesn’t die. He tries to stop Chara, sure- but I think that’s because he finally breaks down. He admits to nihilism, and how he’s given up on everything, but:
Sans is a goofy motherfucker, who sleeps a whole lot. And he tells jokes to cover up his insecurities, sure, but maybe he genuinely likes to see people smile. Maybe he likes to see people laugh. You know who else liked to make people feel good and also suffered from depression?
Robin motherfucking Williams. He was my hero, from the time he played Peter Pan in Hook to being Mrs. Doubtfire, to being Teddy Roosevelt.Â
Sans is important. Sans is an important character for people to look up to and relate to. Sans needs this limelight because people like me would have been lost without him.Â
So please stop shitting on the skeleton.
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