 ✔
| ||
|
This Hero was proposed and approved by Heroes Wiki's Pure Good Proposals Thread. Any act of removing this hero from the category without a Removal Proposal shall be considered vandalism (or a "villainous" attempt to demonize said character) and the user will have a high chance of being | ||
 |
This Article Contains Spoilers -
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
| “ | And so they changed parts of the story. Of course, the biggest fans got mad... but, isn't it interesting? The book was already just an interpretation of something else. Stories can be retold. They can be changed... That's what I believe. | „ |
| ~ Gerson's belief on the ability to defy fate |
| “ | The writings on the wall called you a hero. Whatever you end up being, I'm sure it'll be tremendous. | „ |
| ~ Gerson expressing his hope in Susie's future |
| “ | I'm old! | „ |
| ~ The flavour text for Gerson's Old Man ACT, and his most memetic quote |
Gerson Boom, referred to as the Old Man by the Delta Warriors, is the tritagonist of Chapter 4: Prophecy of the 2018 indie RPG Deltarune.
A returning character from Deltarune's parallel game Undertale, Gerson was a critically acclaimed writer, known for his beloved series Lord of the Hammer, who passed away years before the game's beginning. In the first two chapters, the player can find Gerson's grave in Hometown's cemetary and talk to his son Alvin.
In Chapter 4, when the Knight creates the Dark Sanctuaries inside the town's church, the Dark Fountains resurrect Gerson from his dust-covered hammer, allowing him to temporarily live as a Darkner. He acts as a mentor to the Delta Warriors, most of all to Susie. He additionally serves as the secret boss of the chapter as the Hammer of Justice.
Appearance[]
Gerson is an elderly, tortoise-like monster with bright green skin. He has yellow eyes, with the right one being constantly shut, and has a short pink beard. He wears a red paddy cap and scarf, as well as a brown coat and pants. He can also be seen holding a green walking stick.
As the Hammer of Justice, Gerson wears a metallic armour similar to the set donned by Undyne in Undertale, though modified to fit his physique. His long, pink hair is revealed and tied into a flowing ponytail, while he wields a massive grey hammer with a black band running down its middle.
Personality[]
In life, Gerson was described as a brilliant but mischievous person, unafraid to tease others but still forthcoming with his own quirks. This is reflected by how his students remember him allowing them to compensate with crepes from Q.C's diner if they were late, while the bench dedicated to him advises its users to tell people they're "writing" if caught slacking off or sleeping. This holds true for his Dark World self, where he frequently feigns senility in order to teach the Delta Warriors important lessons via tricks, such as when he fools Susie into using her healing spell to heal Jackenstein instead of relying on Ralsei.
Gerson is above all, an incredibly passionate teacher, constantly supportive of those that admire or are learning from him. Throughout his life, he was known to give advice to aspiring writers and students alike, and even as a Darkner displays a nurturing side towards the Delta Warriors, particularly Susie, whom he trains to boost her self confidence and eventually, passes down his hammer to. Gerson notably regrets the pressure he posthumously put on his son Father Alvin about living up to his legacy, which is why he asks of Susie to deliver a letter from him, asking that he does not hold his writings to too harsh a standard and do what he truly wants.
Biography[]
Background[]
Born many years before the events of the game, Gerson used to work as a blacksmith but would eventually discover his passion for writing. He would initially start off writing history books, authoring the famous "A History of Humans and Monsters". Inspired by the stories he told his own children, Gerson would decide to start writing fiction as well. His most famous story is Lord of the Hammer, an epic fantasy story based off the religious prophecy that the monsters worship. This would cause Gerson's fame to skyrocket and he would receive critical acclaim from many readers. His Magnum Opus inspired the creation of the fiction game Dragon Blazers, the game's story being a reinterpretaion of Lord of the Hammer itself, which was in turn, a Reinterpretation of the prophecy of DELTARUNE.
Eventually, Gerson would become a teacher at Hometown's only school, where his own son Alvin studied as a child. While a kindly and lax teacher, known for his fantastical teaching skills, Gerson's legacy would cause Alvin to develop insecurities about himself, particularly his ability to write. Sometime before the game's events, Gerson would pass away, causing Hometown to erect a park bench near his grave as a memorial to him. As per monster tradition, Gerson's dust was scattered over his most beloved possession, his hammer.
Deltarune[]
During the first two chapters, Gerson’s remains are still buried in his grave. Information about him can be gleaned from talking to Father Alvin and his former students. In Chapter 2, Alvin can be seen paying his respects at Gerson’s grave and, as Kris and Susie leave, can be heard muttering about fulfilling his legacy and whether doing something with Gerson's hammer would be right. It’s heavily implied that he unearthed Gerson’s remains at this point and put them in his study.
After the Knight opened multiple Dark Fountains in the Church, Gerson would be revived from his dust-covered hammer. He makes his appearance turning on the lights in the first sanctuary, scaring away the Titan Spawns that had been terrorising the Delta Warriors. He tells them that he got lost outside and needs Susie's help to find his way back to his study so he can finish writing something important. She initially refuses, but after realising that Gerson's a Lightner, obliges as him getting hurt could be messy for everyone. Susie eventually loses her patience with Gerson's slowness and runs off, and when Ralsei follows her to check on her, Gerson decides to run off after them.
The two enter a dark hallway, where two Balthizards attack them. Gerson will leave first, but Kris can summon him back using the "Old Man" ACT. If called over, his presence distracts Susie from her ACT, but he manages to convince the two Darkners to go easy on the trio, making the fight much easier. He can also be called back again in the same battle, to give (healing) candy to all the participants of battle (excluding susie, who refused his offer of candy). The trio arrive at the entrance to his study, where Gerson asks them to help him reach a book. While Susie initially ignores him, she eventually decides to use Ralsei (who is taking on the very convincing visage of a stool at this point) to grab the book, revealing it to be the secret switch to the study. The trio continue along a path where the panes displaying the prophecy appear, only for Gerson to break one of them blocking the path. When asked why he did that, he cheekily replies that they were following it so closely, he couldn't see where he was going. Kris can question him later on, to which he admits that while he does appreciate prophecies, he believes some people follow them too closely.
The trio reach a labyrinth where, despite appearing lost, Gerson sneakily guides Kris to hidden tips and mechanisms that prove useful later, such as the sheet music to unlock a piano gate. He will also do random acts that, while seemingly useless, actually benefit the party if summoned via the Old Man ACT, like dropping his cane only to have it be a perfect indicator on where to dodge, or even instantly recruiting two monsters to his side like the lightners were doing. Eventually, he returns to his study, where he thanks the trio for their help. From there, Gerson will begin writing something, while allowing the party to buy wares from a selection on a nearby table. He also directs them to receive an item that allows for climbing to open a locked door.
After the trio defeat Jackenstien, Gerson notices Susie walking away while Ralsei tries unsuccessfully to heal him. After Susie tells him that she 'quit healing' due to feeling inadequate comppaired to Ralsei's healing prowess, Gerson helps helps her regain confidence in her healing abilities by provoking her into trying her healing spell out, to which she reluctantly agrees to heal his cut finger. Just as Susie can fire her healing blast, Gerson bends over to pick up his letter, causing her to accidentally heal and restore Jackenstein's inner body. Susie quickly realises the effectiveness of Gerson's training but he disappears before she can thank him. Gerson will appear in after the second dark maze, turning on the lights and having a tea party with the Delta Warriors. He will ask them about their adventures and chat with them about what they've done so far.
Susie later meets Gerson alone, trying to obtain a music sheet for the piano. Susie shares with Gerson that he is the first person whom she has genuinely learnt from, and that it really means a lot to her. They share a laugh, and Gerson thanks her. He then has Susie copy down the notes so that Kris can play them to open the door to the fountain.
If the player solves the golden piano puzzle, the door to the Justice Axe (reffered to as a 'magic axe' despite lacking any magical properties) opens in Gerson's study. When Susie attempts to take the Justice Axe, Gerson stops her, saying that, just like the rest of the items in his study, the axe isn't free. It costs $999,999,999, which Gerson claims is actually a discounted price. However since the heroes went to so much effort to obtain the axe in the first place, he offers to give the axe to Susie if she alone can cut just one of his hairs. Susie attempts to do so with her axe, but Gerson dodges her swings with ease. Eventually, Susie realizes that he wants a battle, and Gerson switches to his Hammer of Justice form, revealing himself as the bonus boss.
During the battle, Gerson will turn the soul green, immobilising Susie and forcing her (with Kris' help) to block attacks instead of dodge them. He will also be completely immune to damage, dodging any normal attacks and having back-and-forth parrying matches with Susie when she utilises Rude Buster. Gerson does, however, have an impression meter that increases based on Susie's actions, such as successfully utilising her healing spell, since she's not allowed to use any items (due to Gerson being able to snatch them if she tries, since "-[he] ain't using items either!"), simply attacking or out-parrying him during her Rude Buster attacks. As he battles Susie, Gerson narrates the synopsis of his unfinished series, remarking that while his story was never finished by the next generation (or more specifically, his son Alvin), Susie has the chance to decide an ending for her own story. Susie remarks that she doesn't want things to end, and while Gerson remarks such a sentiment is curious, he respects her resilience as it will serve her in the coming days. He also tells Susie that he's glad people like her exist, and that she can bring hope to people everywhere.
If Susie loses, Gerson will console her and try to present the Axe to her (along with a "weird piece-a glass" he found in his desk), only for her to refuse, as she wants to earn it fair and square, to which Gerson allows her to re-try his fight. Regardless, during the final turn Susie will show off her honed healing spell, intentionally firing a blast at Gerson which misses. He taunts her over her miss, only for Susie to finally graze off his beard hair, winning the fight. Gerson congratulates Susie for besting him, revealing that his true intention for battling her was to test her resilience. He hands her the Justice Axe and a Shadow Crystal, revealing that he found it in his drawer earlier and while compelled to use it, chose not to. Gerson prepares to go back to his study, but Susie asks him why he helped the party and her so much. Gerson simply responds that he was reminded of one of the characters from his books. Susie notes that one of her favourite games, Dragon Blazers, is based off Lord of the Hammer, to which Gerson remarks that while many fans were upset on the story changes the video game made, he enjoys seeing retellings of old stories, and that he thinks all stories can be changed, like the prophecy Susie is following. He assures Susie that whatever she ends up becoming by the story's end, she will be incredible. Just before he goes, Susie asks Gerson which Dragon Blazers character he thinks she is, to which Gerson responds that "[she] is... the Dragon". Afterwards, Gerson returns to writing up his letter at his study. Before the party goes, he asks Susie to help him memorise the letter he has written for someone in the Light World.
After the Dark Fountain is closed, Susie, while searching Alvin's office for the code to the sanctuary doors, finds a glass case containing some dust, a hammer, and a photo of Gerson. Kris and Susie realize that the dust is actually Gerson's remains, and that Gerson was only temporarily revived by the Dark Fountain. Susie remembers that Gerson wanted her to pass the letter he was writing to Alvin, so doing the best she can, she transcribes Gerson's letter to Alvin before placing it on his desk. After a fruitless search for the door code, Susie decides to create a new Dark Fountain to revive Gerson again, hoping that he might know the door code.
In Susie's Dark World, the Second Sanctuary, Gerson's study is abandoned and he is nowhere to be found. Kris and Susie enter the room where the Justice Axe was kept in the First Sanctuary's version of the study, where they are attacked by what they assume to be Gerson. He does not speak (though voices can be heard indicating where bullets will come from), however, instead attacking Kris and Susie relentlessly. Ralsei appears and destroys "Gerson", revealing that it wasn't Gerson at all, but rather a statue in his image that had become animated in Susie's Dark World. He then explains that Darkners like Gerson, who essentially function as reincarnations of deceased people, only appear in very specific Dark Worlds, preventing him from returning in her world, much to Susie's anger and frustration, both at the fruitlessness of her creating the dark world and Ralsei not telling her about Gerson's unique situation until now.
During the Delta Warriors' battle with the Titan the Knight summons in the Third Sanctuary, they find themselves unable to defeat it as, after a significantly long battle, it begins to constantly regenerate by absorbing the Titan Spawn, shrugging off all their attacks as well with its shielded wings. Just as they lose all hope and the Titan massively overheals the last of the damage done to it, a hammer hits the Titan's shield, causing cracks to appear (as opposed to having it be temporarily dispelled as done by Kris' UNLEASH skill), as Gerson reappears, able to again exist in the Third Sanctuary's shared Dark Fountain. Rallying alongside Gerson, The quartet manage to beat the Titan to a pulp by obliterating its defences with a combined 3-person attack; Synchronised Rude Busters from both Susie and the Old man, empowered by Kris. After its defences are down, Gerson tells Susie that she already knows how they can destroy the Titan from the inside, and with his encouragement, Kris and Susie leap into the Titan's hollow face, sealing the Dark Fountain fuelling it and killing it. With the Titan's death and subsequent sealing of the Third Sanctuary's fountain, the darkness forming Gerson's body is gone, allowing him to finally rest in peace.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Throughout Chapter 4, the "Old Man" is never directly called Gerson, instead leaving it up to the player to figure it out.
- Gerson is currently the only Lightner to become a Darkner.
- Despite having an attack stat of 15, Gerson uniquely deals a fixed percentage of damage based off Susie's health, allowing his damage to scale higher or lower depending on how much health she has. This is probably reflects how his fight is meant to be a test of her skills.
- Gerson's shell attacks have a similar looking sprite to the Koopa shells in the Super Mario series, while his hammer barrage attack heavily resembles the hammer throwing patterns of Hammer Bros and Bowser in the first Super Mario Bros. game.
- Ironically, Gerson himself gets his namesake from the Super Smash Bros. player of the same name, who infamously "turtled" or avoided confrontation for an entire competitive match, resulting in the longest match timing in competitive history of 52:15.
- Gerson's laugh was changed from Undertale to Deltarune, being changed from "Wa ha ha!" to "Gya ha ha!"
- Despite being a secret boss, Gerson breaks previously established patterns or displays them in unusual manners:
- He is the only secret boss to not be villainous in any manner, instead being a heroic character.
- He values freedom like the other bosses, but unlike them, he does so in a positive manner. While Jevil and the Mantle Holder both use their freedom as an excuse to be sadistic hedonists, Spamton wants freedom to take revenge on all who wronged him, and the Knight (if it can be considered a secret boss) denies others freedom by executing the Prophecy's predictions, Gerson uses his freedom to inspire others to defy fate and never give up.
- This seems to be reflected in his boss theme "Hammer of Justice", during which the "freedom motif" found in the other secret boss themes is overridden by his own leitmotif shortly after. Additionally, the leitmotifs present in his theme are often overridden by his own leitmotif prematurely, displaying his belief in the ability to defy fate and carve out his own path.
- He is much more sane than any of the secret bosses, possibly owing to the fact he never used the Shadow Crystal. This isn't really that exclusive to him though, as the Mantle Holder is sane, if evil, thanks to its lack of any Shadow Crystal.
- As previous crystal holders appear to charge up for one turn before unleashing a screen-wide final attack, Gerson's refusal to use the Shadow Crystal could explain why his final attack is fairly tame compared to the other crystal holders', seeing as they're likely tapping into the crystal's power to use these attacks.
- While the gear he rewards is technically a part of his body, he doesn’t shapeshift into said gear like Spamton and Jevil, with the Justice Axe likely being the hammer that’s his form in the Light World.
- He isn't encountered during the penultimate section of the chapter, being able to be encountered fairly early.
- He represents a "discarded" or obsolete item or concept, his being the Lord of the Hammer stories as nobody dared to continue them. Unlike the other secret bosses, however, Gerson has no animosity for this, instead encouraging others to pick up the fight and inspire hope in others.
- He has a unique sound bite and has a special laugh, though he lacks voiced dialogue.
- While he doesn't explicitly name drop a future character, he does foreshadow the setting of Chapter 5, being Asgore's shop Flower King as he describes the "vast garden" getting charred in an "inferno of jealousy", implied to be the Dark World version of Asgore's shop. Additionally, one hidden prophecy panel describes "the flower man, trapped in asylum" whilst displaying a silhouette of Asgore in an outfit similar to his Undertale counterpart, implying Asgore will serve as the antagonist of Chapter 5.
- He seems to be somewhat self aware, acknowledging the SOUL's presence in his fight against Susie.
- Like the first two secret bosses, he appears to be based off a stage of grief, his being acceptance as he doesn't chase the ephemeral freedom Jevil and Spamton seek, instead carving out his own freedom by defying the Prophecy.
- Gerson heavily utilises leitmotifs used by Undyne's boss themes in Undertale. As Gerson was established to be her idol in the game, it's likely that these motifs originally belonged to him before getting adopted by Undyne.
- Additionally, his hairstyle as the Hammer of Justice heavily resembles Undyne's in Undertale, implying that she styles her hair after his.
- Interestingly, Gerson can utilise an octagonal layout for the green soul mode while Undyne can only utilise four sides.
- If Undyne's boss theme "Spear of Justice" is played on the organ in the First Sanctuary, Susie remarks that Gerson would love it, calling back once again to their idol-student relationship in Undertale.
- Ironically, Gerson's existence as a Darkner parallels the infamous theory created by YouTuber JaruJaruJ on the identity of the Knight, theorising that Gerson's dust was revived as a Darkner who was the Knight's true identity. While Gerson is very obviously not the Knight, the theory of Gerson's revival would come true upon the release of Chapter 4.
- Susie remarks that Gerson only wrote "the" on his letter when first talked to. This is most likely a reference to the episode "Procrastination" of SpongeBob SquarePants, where SpongeBob procrastinates writing an essay and only writes "the" in excessively detailed illuminated text.
- As a result of his charismatic and bold persona, Gerson has become an immensely popular character among the fandom, with many exaggerating his strength and skill to comical levels in memes or online discussions.
External Links[]
- Gerson Boom on the Pure Good Wiki
[]
 / 
| ||
|
UNDERTALE DELTARUNE | ||