It took three years, but Deltarune Chapter 2 is finally out. This comes as the next content installment in what is meant to be a sort of companion piece to Undertale, creator Toby Fox’s previous indie hit. These parody RPGs have amassed huge followings across different consoles, and Sans, a goofy skeleton shared by both games, has managed to make it into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate a Mii Fighter costume. Even with Deltarune Chapter 2’s release date being revealed just a couple of days before it came out, the free title still managed to beat Undertale’s highest concurrent Steam player count over the weekend.
With so much hype circling Deltarune, it’s no surprise that many players have already played or watched what content has been added and are eager for more. Unfortunately, they will have to wait a few more years for the rest of the game to be completed, as Toby and his team don’t plan on releasing the next three chapters until they’re all done. Until then, the Deltarune fandom will have to be content with analyzing all the new information that Chapter 2 has introduced. Indeed, there are enough details and implications present in the game now that players will be able to come up with at least some idea of how future chapters will play out. This analysis will necessitate bringing up SPOILERS FOR DELTARUNE CHAPTER 2.
Kris, The SOUL, and The Knight’s Roles in Deltarune
One big talking point Chapter 2 brings up is the differences between Kris, the SOUL, and possibly the Knight. Assuming the implications behind Deltarune Chapter 2's twist ending are what they seem, then the villainous "Knight" appears to take over Kris' body at night. This involves physically ejecting the SOUL, the representation of the player's control, from Kris' body. While the beginning of Chapter 2 implies that Kris without the SOUL is just extra mischievous, the sight of a gleefully sinister Kris trapping Toriel and Suzy in their house and creating a Dark Fountain in their living room seems to indicate a much darker truth. This is based on Kris' observable behavior up until that point. Unlike Frisk in Undertale, Kris' own personality shines through in their actions, even if all the decision-making is left to the player.
Kris is consistently shown to be a good-natured prankster, and the various dialogue options Deltarune presents feel more like choosing from a list of Kris’ thoughts instead of just substituting the player’s own. The same Kris who saved Susie's life in a cutscene back in Chapter 1 would not hastily create a potentially cataclysmic Dark Fountain with themself, their best friend, and their mother at ground zero. The presumed Knight’s behavior is closer to Undertale’s Fallen Child, but it’s not yet clear how much sway they have over Kris, especially during the day. Like the bonus bosses, the Knight could be a corruption from the sinister powers behind the scenes. Still, it seems likely that the Knight is going to take an openly antagonistic role against the heroes at some point, with or without Kris and the SOUL in tow.
Possible Future Settings for Deltarune
Speaking of that new Dark Fountain, the future story developments for Deltarune are beginning to come into focus. It was made clear that Dark Fountains are made by Lightners with Determination, and heavily implied that Kris or their alter ego is the culprit behind them. Kingdoms are formed around these Fountains, reflecting whatever objects happen to be around at the time through their geography and inhabitants. The first Chapter used a spare classroom, while the second was set inside a computer in the local library. The third will be set inside the Dreemurr household, and will probably start with Kris, Susie, and Toriel trapped in a Kingdom inspired by television and the general family space.
The setting will be perfect to start addressing Asriel and Asgore’s roles in the family, but things may not stop there. Something odd happens with this Fountain, as it appears to fill the whole house with smoke. It’s possible that, after the extremely localized Fountains in the first two Chapters, future ones will start swallowing chunks of Hometown and get other characters involved in the action. Undyne is supposed to be on her way to the house to inspect Toriel’s vandalized car, so she might wander into Chapter 3. With these growing bursts of darkness, the Titans referred to by Ralsei (who is sure to elicit a reaction from Toriel) will almost certainly show up later in Deltarune. And with the area just outside of Ralsei’s town sharing imagery used when discussing the Titans, it seems that it won’t take long for danger to arrive.
Deltarune Chapter 2’s Bonus Content is Ominous
There are a few more major elements in Chapter 2 that not all players will encounter. Spamton serves as the primary source of bonus content here, and pursuing their quest in a normal run will eventually result in fighting them as Spamton NEO. This helps introduce the Shadow Crystal sidequest, in which the secret boss of every chapter yields a Crystal upon their defeat. Seam, who has taken up residence in Ralsei’s town, wishes to have them for some unknown reason. Chances are this quest will reveal some interesting truths about the world if seen all the way through. Spamton also references the bizarre cries for help found in Deltarune’s code, being controlled by an unseen force, and someone named “Mike” and the untrustworthiness of TV. The first two allude to Deltarune’s running meta mystery, but the last two seem to foreshadow the villain of Chapter 3, just like how previous secret boss Jevil mentioned Chapter 2’s Queen.
But with all of these additional questions piling up, at least Deltarune Chapter 2 answered one major fan question: yes, the Genocide route is back. Referred to in Deltarune’s files as the “Weird route”, this hidden path allows players to subvert enemies always running away at low health through Noelle’s ice magic. Future Weird routes will probably involve the player manipulating other characters into killing enemies so that Kris will eventually become strong enough to do it themself, with predictable consequences. Deltarune’s core thesis of no one being allowed to choose who they are is stretched thin by this deviation, but it’s acceptable considering that Toby is likely using these routes to tackle difficult themes that are rarely present in video games. Some of the exclusive items gained on this route will apparently be relevant in the future through blacksmithing, at any rate.
Deltarune Chapter 2 has presented players with a smorgasbord of teasers and twists, and those are likely to continue as Deltarune progresses. The next update is planned to turn Deltarune into a premium experience, but will also include three new Chapters to sweeten the deal. It will take a while to complete, but with all of these interesting possibilities to mull over, fans will surely be able to wait for Toby Fox and his growing team to work their magic once again.
Deltarune Chapter 1 is currently available on PC, PS4, and Switch, and Chapter 2 is also available on PC.