Follow TV Tropes

This is based on opinion. Please don't list it on a work's trope example list.

Following

Tear Jerker / Storyshift

Go To


    open/close all folders 

    Reboot 
  • Dogamy is completely dejected during the encounter with him, which makes sense when you see that he's not alongside Dogaressa. Frisk is able to cheer him up a little by petting him, only for Asriel to get angry about him not doing his job properly. After Chara cuts Asriel off and thanks Dogamy, he slinks away for some alone time.

    Preboot 
  • Despite Sans!Chara's generally friendly attitude towards you, a phone call to them in Waterfall's Wishing Room make it clear that they still hold a degree of resentment for humanity.
  • The Dreemurr family may be all alive and well. But thanks to the creation of the Almagamates by Alphys!Asgore, a bitter Undyne!Toriel separates from him. In turn, her unwillingness to forgive him causes both Asriel and Chara to behave detached towards her, to the point where they end up living by themselves in Snowdin.
    • At the beginning of the Waterfall section, Papyrus!Asriel breaks down crying in his mother's arms after asking her if she will try to see Alphys!Asgore and patch things up so they can all be together again. Luckily, the hug Undyne!Toriel gives him manages to make the moment both sad and heartwarming, as opposed to just sad.
  • At the end of the Ruins segment, Toriel!Papyrus's sudden realization of the exact reason why the other children never called him after they left.
    Toriel!Papyrus: "But none of them even left messages! What could possibly stop a human from... L-Let's move on!! N-Now the people outside can be a little rambunctious, but I know you can handle them. I mean, all the others ha- Have they? I... I'm not sure anymore. They're just having so much fun!! That they... forgot about me? Right? Human. I suddenly feel like you leaving is a bad idea. If you leave, the King, Sans will, I mean- No! Sans won't! Sans couldn't!! ...Sans could. Sans... has...? ..."
    • This line:
    Toriel!Papyrus: "Hey, Human. You'll come back, won't you?"
    • It's heavily implied that Papyrus misses his brother. However, contrary to their canon counterpart, Papyrus and Sans have a tainted relationship in Shift 1.
    Toriel!Papyrus: "Human, let me tell you about some complex feelings of mine. Feelings like... Meeting someone, only to never see them again. Wanting to trust someone close who's done something wrong. Knowing that you've made mistakes you can't take back. These feelings. I hope you never have to deal with them. You want to leave here to go back to your home, right? I understand. It's been ages since I've been home too."
  • While initially in good nature, the chat room conversation between Sans!Chara and Papyrus!Asriel takes a rather painful turn when the Amalgamates are brought up.note  The conversation ends with Chara blowing up on Asriel and then falling silent, with Asriel attempting to apologize.
    Chara: "JUST BECAUSE THEY'VE SUFFERED DOESN'T MEAN THEY ARE BAD PEOPLE"
    Asriel: "togore? cmon say something. hello?? chara? anyone? i'm sorry
  • It's HEAVILY implied, if not out right stated, that Sans!Chara in Shift 1 was about to commit suicide when they met Toriel!Papyrus...
  • The battle with Undyne!Toriel, as Toriel still doesn't want to hurt you. But you can die to her, and falling in battle makes Toriel immediately regret her actions.
  • The "No Mercy" ending is both this and Nightmare Fuel.
    • When they call you, Chara is in a less-than-stable state. Their hair is disheveled, the light is gone from their eyes and their signature blush is gone. This is because, in a fit of mistaken identity, the surviving monsters blamed Chara for the deaths instead of you - the true murderer. It is particularly heart-wrenching to note that this was possibly the same life Chara lived before falling down into the mountain. Now, they have to go through it again. This time, there's no escape... and it's all your fault.
      • That "CRUNCH" at the end. It's possible that it was just them crushing the phone in frustration and anger... "just", because either the monsters caught up to them (as it's heavily implied that the survivors are out for blood), or if they just decided to fall again... except this time Sans isn't there to catch them, and they know. note 
  • The Reveal that, contrary to what we saw of him before, Asgore is so haunted by what he did with the Amalgamates and so desperate after his estrangement with Toriel that he's ready to give his SOUL to Shifty (killing himself) to help them cross the Barrier.
  • The ending to the fight against Undyne Umbra, the Magical Girl upgrade version of Undyne. Her weak point is her will to fight. She ends up losing it when she gets a phone call from Alphys, and unintentionally blows up on her.
    Undyne: NGAHHH! DIE ALREADY, YOU LITTLE BRAT! I WILL NEVER TAKE MERCY FROM THE LIKES OF YOU! I WILL NEVER LET YOU TAKE ASGORE'S SOUL! I CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN!! I WON'T FALL TO YOUR LIES!!!
    (Undyne's phone rings)
    Undyne: WHAT IS IT!?!? I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING!!! AND I CAN ASSURE YOU. IT'S WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY!!
    Alphys: ...oh... o-okay. I-I'll just go now. S-s-s-sorry for wasting your time. (she hangs up)
    Undyne: Alphys?! Alphys, wait—! ...She...she hung up... Crap, crap!! I haven't heard from her in ages!! I have to—
    (CRASH!!)
    Dr. Asgore: That is ENOUGH, Undyne!
    Undyne: I...I messed up...
  • In Shift 1. Also doubles as Heartwarming, but in the King's mess of a bedroom, there's only one thing that's well cleaned. A framed letter from his brother.
    Papyrus: "Sans, I know you want to slack off. Again. But the fact is you are a king. The people come first! They are what keep you going!! I believe in you Sans! You're a great brother after all. Now will you please get out of bed and work!!"
    Narrator: "You notice how clean the frame and glass is. ..."
  • In spite of it being a Foregone Conclusion, the tale of Mettacrit, Mettaton's ghostly form in Shift 1, heard by Shifty in New Home, is really sad. Mettacrit was a monster who managed to convince the other monsters that they should give humanity a second chance and that not all humans were bad. Then, a human child fell in the Underground... and proved that he was right, as she was a kind girl who wanted to help them. Together, they both gave hope to the Underground. Then, Mettacrit crossed the Barrier with her SOUL (for now, it's ambiguous whether or not she agreed to give it to him). And he was killed by humans. After they found the remains of their cousin, Napstablook crumbled away. All monsters lost hope and, angry and vengeful after the death of their friends, pressured the King to wage war on humanity.
    • Moreover, on a Pacifist run, it's implied that Mettacrit feels a tremendous amount of guilt and self-loathing for the bad things that happened because of him.
    Narrator: "(It's a signed autograph.) (A stupid young ghost winks at you from the picture.)
    Narrator: "(A throne for a prince who left long ago to scatter dust.) (It's... my fault, isn't it?)
  • While the first meet in the Judgement Hall with Chara is heartwarming (if Shifty hasn't killed anyone), repeated reloading will quickly make them sour. The first reload causes them to believe that it was done to avoid getting hurt by them. The second reload will distress them. But on the third reload, they realize Shifty is trying to gain something from them. They promptly throw the key to their room in your face in exchange for letting them be before leaving. The build-up for a shocking discovery in canon has been turned into a Player Punch.
    • If you go into Chara's room, you'll find them lying face down on their bed. The narration tells you not to disturb them.
  • When Shifty finally meets King Sans, and they go to the Barrier before their fight, Shifty follows Asgore's suggestion and asks to stay in peace...
    Sans: ...i won't stall any more after this.
    Stay
    Continue
    Go Back
    Sans: kid. these people are desperate. if it wasn't for the captain keeping an eye out for hunters, we would have already been free. do you think they will let freedom go a second time? they won't listen to me anymore either. not unless they hear what they want. one bullet? i can dodge. all the bullets in new home? i'm dusted. somehow i don't think you'll be any better off. sorry, i can't say yes.
    Continue
    Go Back

Top