I think the biggest complaint I have about the way I see Underfell Papyrus characterized is that. People seem to disregard the fact that he is, for all intents and purposes, still Papyrus.
So often I see him portrayed as an asshole, loudmouth, abusive jerk, and I kind of struggle to comprehend it. Especially in the context of his relationship with his brother.
Letās back it up a step and look at Undertale Papyrus as a character. Heās goofy, excitable, braggadocios, chaotic, and very very kind. He cares about his friends, encourages them, lies to protect their view on him, remembers things about them even when he seems to barely remember things about himself. Itās obvious Papyrus lies and hides things from...pretty much everyone. And the more of his dialogue you look at, the more you see hints of how...unhappy, Papyrus really might be. He harshly criticizes the things he supposedly likes, makes several comments about changing his own appearance, and talks about how he desires to be liked by others when...pretty much Undyne and Sans are the only ones who give him the time of day. And letās not even get into the straight up just weird and cryptic things he does.
So you take that character, and you subject him to a world thatās rough ān tough. Thereās infighting, potentially killing, its cold, despondent, and harsh. And you expect me to believe the monster whoās whole deal is believing in others is going to just turn into an abusive bitch because....well, thatās edgy, right? Maybe. But itās...pretty out of character in my opinion.
If anything, and itās something I try to portray in my own versions of Underfell Papyrus, I think heād do exactly what he does in Undertale, and put up an act. Be what he needs to be to survive and protect the ones he cares about. Sure, he might be Tiredā¢ļø and angry, but in a world like that, he has even more reason to be protective and harsh. I can definitely see him as abrasive, much like Papyrusās bluntness, I can see him as loud, thatās just a kind of Papyrus thing, and I can see him as being intense, like I said, what he needs to be to survive and protect. But thatās the key here. To survive. And protect.
I think heād have to find a whole new method for taking care of the people he loves because normal shows are frowned upon in UF. Pushing Sans to do better for his own sake, so he doesnāt get himself dusted, so he doesnāt Fall Down, taking care of him and the house and the both of them trying to take care of each other in broken ways that only pushes them apart...but at least theyāre still alive. Constantly chasing Undyneās coattails to keep her level, sparring things out, acting all haughty and wanting to prove he can be stronger than her when āthey both know heās notā for the sole purpose of staying close with her, giving her a challenge that isnāt a threat for once. He wants to beat her not kill her and hell, she might even take him under her wing a bit. Friends might not really be a thing in UF but what they have is close, and maybe he even becomes someone she can talk to, outside of guard things, he can be there for her by being an āannoyanceā.
I just truly believe in my heart that, at his core, Underfell Papyrus still holds the same hope in his soul as UT Papyus. Anyone can do better. Anything can be better. Heād just have to find different ways of going about it in a world so opposite to his beliefs.
TLDR Underfell Papyrus is still a Papyrus and I believe heās a good boy who just wants things to be okay
Thank you for coming to my ted talk
Thinking about this again......














