User blog:Norisuke/PG Proposal: Papyrus from UNDERTALE

This is a Pure Good Proposal for Papyrus from Toby Fox's UNDERTALE.

What is the Work?
UNDERTALE is a 2015 indie RPG produced by Toby Fox, which follows the story of Frisk, a human who has fallen down the mythical Mt. Ebott, where they then encounter various monsters. They can either murder or befriend the monsters, and as the story progresses, the human learns the monster's plight; bannished from the surface by humans, monsters yearn to once again reach the surface where they can defeat humans and live in peace. A core mechanic of this game is its morality system, wherein you can choose whether to be kind or cruel to the monsters who inhabit this underground, going so far as to either be a true pacifist, or to genocide the entire species.

Who is he?
Papyrus is the taller, younger brother of Sans. He is a living skeleton (although, technically, a skeleton-shaped Monster). He appears to be wearing specially made armor, although this is later revealed to be a Halloween costume made by Sans, which Papyrus dearly treasures. Papyrus first appears as a nonlethal enemy, trying to capture the human, but he quickly becomes their greatest ally on their quest.

What has he done?
Papyrus is one of the first major characters encountered by the human on their journey, along with his brother Sans. At first, he appears obsessed with capturing the human and being a part of the royal guard. He tries his best, but his incompetence leads to the human repeatedly escaping his traps. Finally, Papyrus and the human battle, although this battle cannot truly be lost, as Papyrus will always end the battle before the human can die. After their fight, Papyrus and the human quickly become best friends and Papyrus assists the human on their quest to escape. When the human reaches Waterfall, they will encounter Undyne, the leader of the Royal Guard and Papyrus' role model and friend. Undyne instructs Papyrus to tell her what the human looks like, to which Papyrus answers, believing the two can become friends if they encounter one another. Later on in Waterfall, Papyrus confronts Undyne directly, trying to convince her not to harm the human. Undyne questions him and his loyalty to their goal to escape the Underground using the souls of fallen humans, and Papyrus backs down. After the human fights and escapes from Undyne, Papyrus brings them together at Undyne's house, setting them up in a situation so they may become friends and settle their differences, which surprisingly works. Papyrus' actions convince Undyne, a murderous misanthrope, to befriend a human.

Papyrus remains a companion to the human throughout the game, as the human is able to call him almost anywhere in the entire map. Although his role becomes less prominent post-Waterfall, his presence is still felt as he supports and sometimes even helps the human. Although he supports their goal, Papyrus seems incredibly worried as the human nears Asgore.

Though, in a neutral run, Papyrus normally doesn't appear beyond the Asgore and final Flowey fight, he is actually present in a special neutral ending where he becomes king. Notably, Papyrus is the only possible ruler that takes up a 'CASE BY CASE' policy, judging humans for their actions and not defaulting to either attacking or trusting them.

Pacifist
In the Pacifist ending, after Asgore is stopped by Toriel and all of the main characters gather together, Papyrus is the first to reveal that he had gathered them all, and he was sent by Flowey, not realizing that he had fallen into a trap. Once Flowey emerges and traps all of them, '''Papyrus protects the human from the flower at all costs. Once Flowey, now Asriel, uses his power to destroy the barrier and set monsterkind free, Papyrus sets off to be the first monster to befriend modern humanity. '''He also becomes the leader, and only member, of the new Royal Guard.

Genocide
In the Genocide route, Papyrus seems to understand, even if barely, what the human has done, commenting on the dust (monster ashes) on their hands. '''Although Papyrus knows that the human is a killer, he vehemently attempts to redeem them. This is the only route where Papyrus refuses to fight entirely. Papyrus begs the human to change, believing truly that they can be a better person- Papyrus is immediately murdered. Even dying, Papyrus says that he knows the human can be better if they just try.'''

Papyrus' death sends ripples throughout the entire run. The townsfolk are worried as to where he had gone, and Undyne and Papyrus are entirely distraught at his death. As quirky as he was, Papyrus' kind and energetic personality made him easily loved by those around him.

Goodness Zone/Corrupting Factors
To start off with his more negative traits, Papyrus appears initially to have an inflated ego. He talks very highly of himself, even calling himself 'The Great Papyrus'. As you learn more about him, however, this appears to be a facade he puts on. Papyrus is deeply lonely, even when he has a network of close friends. He wishes more than anything to be seen as a hero, even when no one seems to take him seriously. Despite his loneliness, however, Papyrus still manages to be the best person he can be. In his battle, he refuses to kill the human. Even Toriel is capable of accidentally murdering the human, but Papyrus is not. Despite Papyrus' strength, he holds back just enough so that the human remains safe when in battle with him. Despite Papyrus wanting to assist Undyne in capturing the human, Papyrus does not know that Undyne is actually intending to have the human killed. His goals seem to be squarely capturing the human, and wants no harm to come to them. Papyrus is willing to stand up to his role models as well, trying (and later succeeding) to convince Undyne that hurting humans is wrong.

Admirable Standards
Papyrus, despite being viewed as goofy and silly, has the respect of his friends. Undyne comments on how she respects Papyrus' kindness and innocence, something she wishes she could have in herself. This inspiration of kindness is what helps Undyne accept the human later. Sans, despite being Papyrus' older brother, looks up to him both figuratively and literally. Sans repeatedly makes comment about how cool Papyrus is, admiring his dedication and his ability to forgive. Papyrus' dedication is what inspires Sans to stop being lazy in the Genocide route, as he quotes Papyrus directly before standing up against the human in the Judgement Hall.

The Monster Kid also states that Papyrus is their new idol at the end of the game, desiring to mimic his heroism.

Final Verdict
Out of anyone in UNDERTALE, Papyrus is an easy candidate for Pure Good. Although he may appear egotistical, Papyrus is a hero who will give his life to bring out the best in people.