History Characters / UndertaleTheFallenHuman

[[caption-width-right:114:''"It's me, [[HelloInsertNameHere (name)]]"''.]]

* AmbiguousGenderIdentity: Like Frisk and [[Characters/DeltaruneKris Kris]], the usage of [[GenderInclusiveWriting they/them pronouns]] to describe Chara is debated by fans, whether these are meant as a placeholder for the player to choose their gender or to portray Chara as canonically non-binary.[[note]]On one side, the player is allowed to name the Fallen Human and Toby Fox even suggested naming them after yourself in a Tweet (though only if you couldn't think of anything else), which along with how Flowey [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall seems to be]] AddressingThePlayer at many points where he ''thinks'' he is addressing Chara, caused many to view Chara as a representation of the player. As a result, some fans believe Chara is written as gender-neutral simply to let the player project on them and "Chara" should match the individual player's gender. However, Chara is pointedly ''not'' you any more than Frisk is, as they have their own specific history, demonstrate their own personality and opinions, and even seem to be AddressingThePlayer directly -- facing you at the end of Genocide, rebelling against you if you try to control them in that ending, and outright musing on how you and them are not the same in the second Genocide ending. At the same time you are given the option to give them a name at the start of the game, you are not given the option to also [[PurelyAestheticGender customize their gender]], even though implementing it would've been as easy as [[HelloInsertNameHere letting you pick their name]].[[/note]]

* MissionControl: In the Genocide route, they advise Frisk that Sans can't keep dodging and to just keep attacking. When Sans dodges even Frisk's ambush, Chara takes matters into their own hands by [[DidntSeeThatComing interrupting him with an attack of their own]]. ''That'' puts him down for good.

* MissionControlIsOffItsMeds: Played straight in the Genocide route, taking control to force a fight when Monster Kid tries to pull a GoThroughMe, with the battle flavor text aggressively saying, "In my way." The flavor text also flip-flops between clear support of continuing the Genocide run and passive-aggressively blaming you for it, saying there is [[TheGrinch "Nothing for you"]] among the presents in Snowdin Town, claiming a ''potted plant'' in MTT Resort is "judging you for your sins", and again referring to "your sins" being used against you in the battle against Sans.

[[Characters/UndertaleOtherCharacters Minor]] | [[Characters/UndertaleMonsterEncounters Monsters]] | [[Characters/UndertaleSpoilerCharacters Spoilers]] ('''The Fallen Human''')]]]]

* AllegoricalCharacter: Chara in a Genocide Route is supposed to represent a typical RPG player. They kill in order to gain power, are happy to see their stats increase, and once they are done with a world, they simply move on to the next with no regret or consideration for what they've done.

* ToxicFriendInfluence: The Fallen pressured Asriel into a plan that would inevitably involve murdering humans and possibly outright war. It backfired, killing them both. If after completing a True Pacifist run, the player walks all the way back to the first screen to talk to him, Asriel will expressly state this, admitting that Chara probably wasn't the greatest person and he shouldn't have so idolizing of them, even saying [[ActualPacifist Frisk]] is the friend he wishes he always had.

* VileVillainSaccharineShow: Even moreso than [[BigBad Flowey]]. Almost everything we see of the [[CreepyChild Fallen Child]] in Genocide paints them as a cold, humorless EnfantTerrible willing to kill anyone without remorse, even their own former best friend and family. Even outside of Genocide they are seen as AmbiguouslyEvil. They are unable to be fought directly or redeemed in any route, or indeed encountered at all in-person outside of Genocide or Soulless Pacifist, and in both cases it's implied to be TheBadGuyWins without hope of anyone being able to stop them.

** At the very end of the Genocide Run, despite having [[KilledMidSentence stabbed Asgore mid-sentence]] without the player pressing anything barely five seconds previously, the first Fallen Child [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes seems to hesitate when confronted by their sibling, Asriel.]] [[MoralEventHorizon You have to actively press the button to kill him, of course.]]

* AbstractApotheosis: As the character quote states, they are the embodiment of stats. On one hand, the fallen human probably becomes the embodiment of killing everything to gain power in the Genocide Route; in order to achieve OneHundredPercentCompletion, you have to do some pretty horrible things, including kill every single friend you've made in a previous run. On the other hand, the Fallen's stats [[SuperEmpowering help protect Frisk]] in the Pacifist route.

* AmbiguouslyEvil: ''Oh boy...''Chara's overall role in the game, motives, and morality is an extraordinarily unclear and controversial topic, and arguably the most hotly debated subject related to this game. Very little can be said for certain about their true goals, especially in regards to the game's backstory. They may have been sincere with Asriel about wanting to kill only enough humans to break the barrier, or given the darker aspects of the character, may have wanted to lay waste to their home village or possibly to get revenge on the entire human race. ​The most upfront information we get about them from Asriel, the True Lab tapes, and Genocide made a strong first impression on fans of an EnfantTerrible [[EvilAllAlong who manipulated monsters]] and now seeks revenge on Asriel and [[DisproportionateRetribution the rest of the Underground]] for their plan being foiled. Most saw them as a HiddenVillain who acts as Frisk's EnemyWithin and comes out to play in Genocide as the VillainProtagonist possessing Frisk. Though initially it was thought they only hijacked the narration in Genocide with the [[RedIsViolent ominous and cruel red-colored]] FlavorText in it representing their thoughts taking over, since then, fans have found enough possible evidence to craft a pretty compelling case that they are really the good-natured NarratorAllAlong in ''all'' routes and only turned evil in Genocide [[CreateYourOwnVillain because of the player's choices]].

** Many fans treat [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FCvzsVlXpQ "Megalovania"]] or [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpJudi7_iiw "Megalo Strikes Back"]] as Chara's BattleThemeMusic or {{Leitmotif}} for making fanmade battles and song covers. Both songs were originally made by Creator/TobyFox for other projects[[note]]"Megalovania" was made for 2008's ''VideoGame/TheHalloweenHack'', "Megalo Strikes Back" was part of an ''Videogame/EarthBound'' fan-album in 2012[[/note]], but are associated with Chara in fandom: "Megalovania" is the song that plays in the fight against Sans as the final boss of the Genocide Route, but some argue that technically Sans already has a battle theme ("Song That Might Play When You Fight Sans") that never actually plays in the game; this could be a gag from Toby or meant to hide Sans' ''real'' boss music back when everyone on the Internet didn't know about his fight, but some take to mean that it is Chara's battle theme because ''[[VillainProtagonist Chara]]'' is the boss ''[[HeroAntagonist Sans]]'' is fighting. "Megalovania"'s title is very similar to the term "megalomania", an unnatural desire for power, which is exactly what Chara says they're after upon completion of the Genocide route. The background for "Megalovania" would make it even more fitting, if Toby intended the connection: Toby [[https://undertale.fandom.com/wiki/MEGALOVANIA originally wanted]] to use the song "Megalomania" from ''VideoGame/LiveALive'' for ''The Halloween Hack'', but had to improvise and created "Megalovania" instead. The villain from the game associated with "Megalomania", [[spoiler:Odio]], bears more than a few similarities with Chara as [[spoiler:a human-turned-demon who attacks different timelines]].

* AmbiguouslyEvil: ''Jesus Christ,'' yes. Chara's overall role in the game, motives, and morality is an extraordinarily unclear and controversial topic. Very little can be said for certain about their true goals, especially in regards to the game's backstory. They may have been sincere with Asriel about wanting to kill only enough humans to break the barrier, or given the darker aspects of the character, may have wanted to lay waste to their home village or possibly to get revenge on the entire human race. ​The most upfront information we get about them from Asriel, the True Lab tapes, and Genocide made a strong first impression on fans of an EnfantTerrible [[EvilAllAlong who manipulated monsters]] and now seeks revenge on Asriel and [[DisproportionateRetribution the rest of the Underground]] for their plan being foiled. Most saw them as a HiddenVillain who acts as Frisk's EnemyWithin and comes out to play in Genocide as the VillainProtagonist possessing Frisk. Though initially it was thought they only hijacked the narration in Genocide with the [[RedIsViolent ominous and cruel red-colored]] FlavorText in it representing their thoughts taking over, since then, fans have found enough possible evidence to craft a pretty compelling case that they are really the good-natured NarratorAllAlong in ''all'' routes and only turned evil in Genocide [[CreateYourOwnVillain because of the player's choices]].

* AmbiguouslyEvil: ''[[BrokenBase Christ,]]'' are they ever. Chara's overall role in the game, motives, and morality is an extraordinarily unclear and controversial topic. Very little can be said for certain about their true goals, especially in regards to the game's backstory. They may have been sincere with Asriel about wanting to kill only enough humans to break the barrier, or given the darker aspects of the character, may have wanted to lay waste to their home village or possibly to get revenge on the entire human race. ​The most upfront information we get about them from Asriel, the True Lab tapes, and Genocide made a strong first impression on fans of an EnfantTerrible [[EvilAllAlong who manipulated monsters]] and now seeks revenge on Asriel and [[DisproportionateRetribution the rest of the Underground]] for their plan being foiled. Most saw them as a HiddenVillain who acts as Frisk's EnemyWithin and comes out to play in Genocide as the VillainProtagonist possessing Frisk. Though initially it was thought they only hijacked the narration in Genocide with the [[RedIsViolent ominous and cruel red-colored]] FlavorText in it representing their thoughts taking over, since then, fans have found enough possible evidence to craft a pretty compelling case that they are really the good-natured NarratorAllAlong in ''all'' routes and only turned evil in Genocide [[CreateYourOwnVillain because of the player's choices]].

* AmbiguouslyEvil: One of '''''the most''''' hotly debated examples in its time. Chara's overall role in the game, motives, and morality is an extraordinarily unclear and controversial topic. Very little can be said for certain about their true goals, especially in regards to the game's backstory. They may have been sincere with Asriel about wanting to kill only enough humans to break the barrier, or given the darker aspects of the character, may have wanted to lay waste to their home village or possibly to get revenge on the entire human race. ​The most upfront information we get about them from Asriel, the True Lab tapes, and Genocide made a strong first impression on fans of an EnfantTerrible [[EvilAllAlong who manipulated monsters]] and now seeks revenge on Asriel and [[DisproportionateRetribution the rest of the Underground]] for their plan being foiled. Most saw them as a HiddenVillain who acts as Frisk's EnemyWithin and comes out to play in Genocide as the VillainProtagonist possessing Frisk. Though initially it was thought they only hijacked the narration in Genocide with the [[RedIsViolent ominous and cruel red-colored]] FlavorText in it representing their thoughts taking over, since then, fans have found enough possible evidence to craft a pretty compelling case that they are really the good-natured NarratorAllAlong in ''all'' routes and only turned evil in Genocide [[CreateYourOwnVillain because of the player's choices]].

*** While Asriel's name references the ArchangelAzrael, Chara's may be a veiled reference to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charon Charon]], the {{Psychopomp}} of the Underworld in Myth/ClassicalMythology. Their original goal was to 'collect' six human souls after death, and they potentially guide Frisk throughout the Underground. [[IronicName Ironically]], Chara themself apparently still hasn't found peace in death after all the time that's passed. They can also potentially [[UnusualEuphemism personally 'deliver' quite a few people directly to their afterlives]].

-->'''Flowey''': ''(after killing Asgore)'' See? I never betrayed you! It was all just a trick, see? I was waiting to kill him for you! After all, it's me, your best friend! I'm helpful! I can be useful to you! I promise I won't get in your way! I can help! I can...I can...''[[LastWords please don't kill me...]]''

* HorrifyingTheHorror: The simple fact that Chara would be willing to kill Flowey (an [[TheSociopath emotionless]], [[AxCrazy insane]] [[EldritchAbomination creature]]) if he gets in their way completely spooks and scares him.

* NotSoAboveItAll: An out-of-nowhere bit of levity late into the Genocide route, even if read as EvilAllAlong and only present in the Genocide route: searching through the Fallen's former home in New Home gets flavor text descriptions unique to Genocide, narrated in the Fallen's CreepyMonotone, and poking around in the fridge gets, "[[red:No chocolate.]]" Generally the red text in this route comes off as creepy or menacing, but for that particular line, it's impossible to read it as anything but a grumpy kid sulking there wasn't a treat for them... even if this particular grumpy kid is ''[[HumanoidAbomination terrifying]]''.

* BigBadDuumvirate: Seemingly with Flowey on the Genocide Route, until Flowey realizes he's probably on their hitlist as well and Chara seems to turn on him.

* LemonyNarrator: If one believes that they narrate the Pacifist and Neutral routes too. They regularly tease and joke with Frisk, rename the items into funny abbreviations during battles (e.g. Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie becomes [="ButtsPie"=]), give suggestions on how to spare monsters, and make sarcastic comments about the scenery. Sometimes ''very'' sarcastic if you're the type of player to look at ''everything''. Case in point: [[SarcasticDevotee the narrator]] getting dryer and dryer [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I5JLVb5_tM if you insist on investigating]] the [[InsistentTerminology "snow poffs"]] in Snowdin, and ''especially'' poking around all the trash piles in Waterfall:
-->Piles of garbage. There are quite a few brands you recognize.
-->Just garbage.
-->Garbage.
-->A trash heap.
-->Your persistent garbage habit shows no signs of payoff.
-->Partaking in worthless garbage [[{{Determinator}} fills you with determination]].

** If you subscribe to the [[https://determinators.tumblr.com/post/159674581147/greetings-uh-so-ive-been-working-on-this Narrator Chara theory,]] suddenly their personality becomes much more fleshed out from the vaguely defined character we hear about from monsters and the OmnicidalManiac we meet in Genocide.

* HorrifyingTheHorror: The simple fact that Chara would be willing to kill Flowey, an [[TheSociopath emotionless]], [[AxCrazy insane]] [[EldritchAbomination creature]] completely spooks and scares him.

* AmbiguousGenderIdentity: Like Frisk and [[Characters/DeltaruneKris Kris]], the usage of [[GenderNeutralWriting they/them pronouns]] to describe Chara is debated by fans, whether these are meant as a placeholder for the player to choose their gender or to portray Chara as canonically non-binary.[[note]]On one side, the player is allowed to name the Fallen Human and Toby Fox even suggested naming them after yourself in a Tweet (though only if you couldn't think of anything else), which along with how Flowey [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall seems to be]] AddressingThePlayer at many points where he ''thinks'' he is addressing Chara, caused many to view Chara as a representation of the player. As a result, some fans believe Chara is written as gender-neutral simply to let the player project on them and "Chara" should match the individual player's gender. However, Chara is pointedly ''not'' you any more than Frisk is, as they have their own specific history, demonstrate their own personality and opinions, and even seem to be AddressingThePlayer directly — facing you at the end of Genocide, rebelling against you if you try to control them in that ending, and outright musing on how you and them are not the same in the second Genocide ending. At the same time you are given the option to give them a name at the start of the game, you are not given the option to also [[PurelyAestheticGender customize their gender]], even though implementing it would've been as easy as [[HelloInsertNameHere letting you pick their name]].[[/note]]

* AbstractApotheosis: As the character quote states, they are the embodiment of stats. On one hand, the fallen human probably becomes the embodiment of killing everything to gain power in the Genocide Route; in order to achieve OneHundredPercentCompletion, you have to do some pretty horrible things, including kill every single friend you've made in a previous run. On the other hand, the Fallen's stats help protect Frisk in the Pacifist route.

* AndIMustScream: In the Genocide route, and possibly in the other routes, Chara now remains stuck as a voice in Frisk's head. However, after completing the Genocide route, they can completely take Frisk's soul. Also, in the room with all of the sarcophagi, Chara's coffin yields the message, "It's as comfortable as it looks", which if the Narrator Chara theory holds water, suggests that after they died with Asriel and before Frisk landed on their grave, Chara might've somehow been ''conscious'' of being a corpse for all that time. And Asriel thought being turned into a flower was bad...
* TheAntichrist: TheProphecy is that "[[TheChosenOne The Angel]]... The One Who Has Seen The Surface... They will return. And the underground will go empty." Mostly this is taken to mean they will free monsters and bring them to the Surface, but it's said there is another interpretation among hopeless monsters lately that it may mean the [[FallenAngel angel]] will be an "Angel of Death" will in fact "free" monsters and empty the Underground [[ProphecyTwist by killing them all]]. Naturally, fans believe Chara -- "returning" after death, asserting themself only in the Genocide route when monsters are being slaughtered, and then bringing on TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt even if the player [[HeelFaceDoorSlam tries to say no]] -- is the darker side of the prophecy being fulfilled as the Angel of Death. The hellish connotations of the term "Antichrist" is further driven home by Chara suggested to have become a [[DemonicPossession demonic entity possessing Frisk by force]] to do the deed, and them offering a DealWithTheDevil for your soul. Their innocent, youthful look doesn't hurt either, inviting comparisons to other [[EnfantTerrible demon child]] Antichrists.

* AxCrazy: Their narration leans this way in the Genocide route, to the point of counting down how many monsters are still alive in each area (ostensibly to help you know many are left to hunt down and kill) and their CHECK on [[TheCutie Monster Kid]] saying [[KickTheDog "Looks like free EXP."]] Make it to Toriel's house and this pops up in red text:
-->'''"[[red:Where are the knives.]]"'''

* BlushSticker: Has a rosy pink blush to their cheeks.

** The Heart Locket is also hinted to be part of a matching set for Chara and Asriel -- the locket and knife in the giftboxes belonged to the Fallen, because it's a pattern that all the fallen humans have two belongings that are their unique weapon and armor Frisk can pick up, and Asriel also gives himself a heart-shaped locket when he transforms in his boss battle.

* InterspeciesAdoption: A small human child who was adopted by magic, fire-wielding, semi-immortal, anthropomorphic goat monster royalty. Chara apparently ran away from home (if they had one) and tripped and fell into the Underground, where monsters were sealed away and forced to hide after humans waged war on them. The drop was so bad they were left weak and injured, and called out for help. Instead of running away from a threat, the monster prince Asriel helped them up to come back home for treatment, and instead of killing the wounded human when they were still vulnerable to use their SOUL to cross the barrier, his parents the king and queen decided to take them in and care for them like their own. Mementos scattered around the house suggest it was a loving family. The fact the Dreemurrs weren't human was probably just a plus to Chara, who [[BoomerangBigot hated humans]] anyway -- or more tragically, if they were [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe treated better by monsters than they were by humans]], then coupled with seeing how badly humans screwed monsters over with the war and the barrier, it would've been reason to hate humans ''even more'' (and all the more willing to kill to free them).

* LackOfEmpathy: It's implied that, like Flowey, the fallen human has no soul and literally cannot feel empathy or love, at least not if Frisk's SOUL isn't [[EmotionEater actively giving them something to tap into]]. Notably if they are the narrator, they're disappointed by you killing, sure, but don't raise a fuss about you for killing randomly encountered monsters, cheering you on either way and excitedly rattling off whether you got anything from the fight same as they do if you spared it. Apparently being naughty and taking more candy than you were allowed [[BlueAndOrangeMorality is scummier than killing]]. (Although in fairness, Frisk ''is'' a small child getting jumped by monsters and forced to fight back in self-defense -- so maybe that's more Chara rallying behind their new [[SharingABody body-buddy]] than anything.)

** The most sympathetic interpretation view Chara as a [[DarkAndTroubledPast traumatized and abused]] child, who hated humans [[FreudianExcuse because their life on the surface was really just that bad]]. As Frisk is also implied to come from an unhappy home, it's thought Chara might empathize with them as another kid treated badly by human adults. In particular the way Chara phrases their suggestion to Frisk in the description for the Faded Ribbon ("If you're cuter, monsters won't hit you as hard") is commonly brought up to support the theory that Chara was physically abused in the past and tried to come up with [[DeliberatelyCuteChild ways]] to get hurt less, leading to their StepfordSmiler persona. In this light, Chara's TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior stemmed from trauma they coped with badly, like Asriel.
** The least sympathetic interpretations view Chara as TheSociopath and a budding serial killer. Since no tragic backstory was even offered and the most clear-cut information we get about them paints them in a highly sinister light, some take umbrage with Chara being compared to Asriel, feeling the "tragic backstory for BrokenBird" excuse is sympathizers going overboard and even if something did happen to Chara, it [[FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse doesn't justify what they do later]] because unlike Asriel, they never show remorse or atone. The Faded Ribbon info is also suspect, since it's in the lore of the game that monsters' Attack goes down when they don't want to fight thus the Ribbon suggestion is just telling you a game mechanic. These interpretations tend to view Chara as climbing the mountain out of misanthropic impulse to get away from humans, or at the worst extreme searching for monsters already plotting and hoping for a way to kill and gain power.

** There are [[https://undertale.fandom.com/wiki/SAVE_Point#SAVE_Points_without_dialogue a number of SAVE Points]] towards the end of the normal runs where Chara does not give any encouraging messages about how Frisk is "filled with determination", or even say anything at all -- they have Chara's name and the name of the place and nothing else, not even the "Determination" message from Genocide. [[HeroicBSOD Perhaps not coincidentally]], these "silent" SAVE Points begin once Alphys tells Frisk point-blank the AwfulTruth that if they want to cross the barrier and leave Underground, they have to kill [[ParentalSubstitute Asgore]] and take his SOUL, and continue all the way up until you actually fight Asgore. The other "silent" SAVE Points are when they're lured into the True Lab -- a ''very'' creepy area that seems to skeeve out Frisk and Chara pretty badly, and that holds more secrets about Chara's family.

* PsychoKnifeNut: All fallen humans are associated with a specific weapon; Chara's is the Worn Dagger/Real Knife found in the bedroom they shared with Asriel. Most definitely have a reputation as this in fandom that goes hand-in-hand with their FauxAffablyEvil portrayal, to the point in fan works they're almost always using a kitchen knife to attack, even when logically they wouldn't be[[note]]There's only two "knives" you can use in the game, the Toy Knife made of plastic in the beginning area that's the second-weakest weapon in the game (no good for power-hungry Chara), with plenty stronger non-knife weapons soon after it, and the Real Knife all the way at the end that's the strongest (even that is implied to really just be a gardening knife their protective parents dulled as a safety precaution, and not a kitchen knife)[[/note]]. Their characterization as this isn't groundless though: there's their infamous "[[red:Where are the knives.]]" line looking in the cupboard in Toriel's house, they are shown using the slash of the Real Knife to destroy the world and the attack animation implies it was Chara using their knife to kill Sans, Asgore, and Flowey, and their flavor text about the Real Knife is the only time the Genocide narration breaks from its usual cold and terse tone, sounding downright gleeful about getting their hands on it.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Delivers a few pretty scathing ones towards you after doing a Genocide route—
-->'''The Fallen Child:''' ''[continuing after the first playthrough]'' It was ''you'' who pushed everything to its edge. It was you who led the world to its destruction. But you cannot accept it. '''You think you are above consequences.'''\\
'''The Fallen Child:''' ''[after reaching the end of the'' '''''second''''' ''Genocide playthrough]'' But, you and I are not the same, are we? This SOUL resonates with a strange feeling. There is a reason you continue to recreate this world. There is a reason you continue to destroy it. You. '''[[EvenEvilHasStandards You are wracked with a perverted sentimentality.]]'''

** The scary Genocide-specific FlavorText sometimes turns blood red as well: at Toriel's house asking where the knives are, the SAVE Points from Snowdin on keep track of how many monsters there are left to kill in each area, and New Home is littered with red text explicitly from Chara's POV: "[[red:(The date I came here.)]]", "[[red:My drawing.]]", etc. For a time it was even thought canon that Chara ''only'' narrated the red text [[ColorCodedSpeech to differentiate them]] from the considerably less-murdery narrator and their white text, and represent Chara taking over the narration -- but this is debunked in the game itself, as "It's me, Chara", "In my way", and the entirety of their Genocide speeches, all ''also'' explicitly from Chara, are in the same white text (as is most of the changed Genocide flavor text).

* SanitySlippage: Some theories suggest that the progressive effects of EXP and LV corrupt Chara from a benign force, to a being DrivenToSuicide and at the end of the spectrum into an OmnicidalManiac. Interestingly, once you've killed 20 monsters and activated the Genocide run in the Ruins, the narrator [[DissonantSerenity still sounds]] [[StepfordSmiler fairly normal and chipper]] in their jokes and observations of the Ruins and Toriel's house, with the four new lines of Genocide-specific flavor text that do slip through the cracks[[note]]"But nobody came." each time for the empty encounter screens triggered after activating Genocide; a flat-sounding "Determination." instead of the usual cheesy encouraging messages at SAVE Points; "[[red:Where are the knives.]]" in Toriel's kitchen instead of "Inside the cupboard are cookie cutters for gingerbread monsters."; and, of course, "It's me, Chara." at the mirror instead of a cheery "It's you!"[[/note]] sounding incredibly hollow. [[LaughingMad Toriel's]] death in the Genocide run followed by hearing Flowey suggest they "destroy everything in this wretched world" [[StartOfDarkness marks the point]] where they make their true FaceHeelTurn; only starting in the next area do they [[ThenLetMeBeEvil go full-blown]] AxCrazy, and prioritize your mission of [[DeadlyEuphemism emptying the Underground]] above all else, set on [[SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum destroying the world]].

* SupportPartyMember: The Narrator Chara theory casts them as the lone invisible teammate to [[PlayerCharacter Frisk]] in all routes, passively helping them by offering information while Frisk's actions reshapes Chara's beliefs, though they still have aspects of this trope even if read as [[VillainProtagonist the]] [[BigBad active]] [[VillainNoLongerIdle force]] in the Genocide route. They play MissionControl in battle, and [[AmbiguousSituation may be]] helping you use the save points to heal your HP and save your progress. The [[BraggingRightsReward huge difference in power]] between their knife and locket in normal runs (+15 to Attack and Defense respectively[[note]]which is still nothing to sneeze at, the knife gives the biggest attack boost out of other weapons and the non-Genocide version of the locket comes in third behind its Genocide counterpart and the Temmie Armor as the strongest armor of the game[[/note]]) and Genocide runs (a whopping ''+99'' to Attack and Defense respectively), notably the only equipment that has different stat bonuses between routes, also seems to point directly to Chara's involvement as "the feeling" of your stats rising, as [[StatusBuff buffing]] their old belongings absurdly high to symbolize their bloodthirstiness and lust for power.

** It goes double assuming they are always the narrator (and had [[FaceHeelTurn good]] [[FallenHero intentions]]). Much of the changed narration in the Ruins for Genocide is creepy as all hell, but not specifically malicious. Chara narrates Toriel's battle mostly as normal, but they do get in one much-harsher optional line of flavor text: ordinarily, thinking maybe you can use Talk to end the fight the way she taught you, you can try using the optional Talk action twice without success before the narrator will gently tell you, "Ironically, talking does not seem to be the solution to this situation." Contrary to what you might expect from what you were taught earlier, using Talk won't do anything to progress or resolve her fight no matter the route. This is still true in Genocide, but this time if you try to use the optional Talk action, they simply say, [[KickTheDog "Not worth talking to."]] '''Ouch.'''[[note]]Arguably softened by the fact the same narration still shows a subtle sign of mourning her when she is dead: after Toriel's death in any route, the flavor text for the stovetop in her kitchen -- including the corrupted flavor text of Genocide -- changes to sadly note, "No one will use this anymore..."[[/note]]

* TransformationOfThePossessed: In the No Mercy route, going along with other instances in the route where the characters seem to be sensing or seeing something disturbing about our player character InUniverse that we can't from our side of the fourth wall, it seems there's [[NothingIsScarier something]] distorting Frisk's appearance while Chara's possessing them beyond what we can see on the screen. Normally Asgore realizes Frisk is a human the second he lays eyes on them, but here Asgore automatically assumes by looking at them they must be a fellow monster... then closer look, becomes absolutely baffled trying to figure out ''what'' they are. [[NightmareFace What on earth he's looking at]] to confuse him so much is better left alone.

* TroubledAbuser: Asriel's overly eager-to-please demeanor with Chara gave rise to a theory that Chara emotionally abused Asriel to make him do what they wanted. While some fans use this to interpret Chara as [[EnfantTerrible a pint-sized version]] of TheSociopath and a FalseFriend, others who believe this theory see Chara more as an abused, angry child who perhaps ''did'' care for Asriel -- but nonetheless had internalized toxic ways of how to act and treat others from their life on the surface, which shaped their interactions with their best friend and [[TheChainOfHarm led to them abusing and traumatizing him in turn]].
* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: It is largely unknown what they were like before their nightmare-inducing soulless Genocide incarnation. However, at five to thirteen years old (like Frisk, their age is ambiguous) they were, at the very least, a misanthrope with a chip on their shoulder for the people of their hometown, not to mention laughing off poisoning Asgore, if only by accident. They planned their own slow agonizing suicide via buttercup poisoning, convinced Asriel to assist with said suicide plan to fuse souls to pass through the barrier, and they were planning to kill at a minimum of six humans in their hometown for their souls. They also had a fixation with knives, with Toriel removing all of them from the house before Frisk's arrival, hinting that Chara had an affinity for harming themself and/or others.

* LemonyNarrator: If one believes that they narrate the Pacifist and Neutral routes too. They regularly tease and joke with Frisk, rename the items into funny abbreviations during battles (e.g. Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie becomes [="ButtsPie"=]), give suggestions on how to spare monsters, and make sarcastic comments about the scenery. Sometimes ''very'' sarcastic if you're the type of player to look at ''everything''. Case in point: [[SarcasticDevotee the narrator]] getting dryer and dryer if you insist on investigating all the trash piles in Waterfall: