We Know so Little About Chara [Spoilers]

[Pizzarugi]

I was going to just use the spoiler tags in the OP to hide crucial details that might spoil the experience, but then I realized it's mostly going to cover the entire OP.

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So I finished the pacifist ending a 2nd time and made my way back to the very beginning of the ruins to speak with Asriel. What he had to share was enlightening, but he doesn't answer all of the questions or tie all the loose ends.

We don't know very much about Chara.

They tied everything in together. They're the ultimate threat you face both in the ruins and at the barrier. They are the one who originally conspired to breach the barrier and shatter it. Chara is the reason they died so long ago, and Asriel simply followed along out of love for his 'sibling'. Chara took control of Asriel, broke through the barrier and carried the body back to the village. When the villagers came to attack, it was Chara who planned to destroy them using the godlike power they obtained by merging their soul, but Asriel struggled to stop them. It was Chara that ultimately costed Asriel his life.

But the question remains: Why?

The game has developed, right from the start that Chara was not a nice person. Some of the bosses you encounter, Muffet making it very obvious, hint that you look almost like them and are thus evil. Throughout the pacifist ending, you have to prove to the monsters that you are kind, that you are not Chara. And ultimately, when you fight Asriel himself, you have to prove that you're not Chara and you only wish to see him saved from his madness and sorrow.

Asriel has said, himself, that Chara's climb to Mt. Ebott wasn't a happy one, that they had a hatred for humanity.

But the question still remains: Why?

Chara conspired to kill themself, merely telling Asriel to take their soul and breach the barrier to lay their body to rest at the village, then to collect the souls of other humans to return home and shatter the barrier. But something didn't make sense to Asriel when he took Chara's soul, that was why he resisted their desire to destroy the humans at the village, and return back home to die.

What was Chara's ultimate goal? Did they genuinely want to free the monsters after being taken in by Asriel and his loving family? Or did they want to free the monsters while making a big scene at the village to incite another war, so Chara can see humanity itself burn? Or did Chara merely want to become a god right from the start, by sacrificing themself to be merged with Asriel's soul, allowing them to take 7 human souls for their own selfish ends?

But the all-encompassing question still remains: Why? We know so very little about Chara, the reason the monster kingdom fell into despair, the dominant controller of Flowey.

[TheMajinZenki]

Simple guess: something really bad happened that made him swear revenge. Maybe it happened in his village, since first thing they do after fusing is go there, if I remember correctly. Since he died wanting revenge, and never achieving it, he only nurtured those negative feelings until that's all he wants: kill.

Maybe the extra material Toby is supposed to do in the comics will shed some light in this.

[Scraps]

Is it possible Chara doesn't have emotions to begin with? As in by nature and not nurture. From what little traits we know about them, Chara does show certain traits of prolific killers; namely their lack of emotion towards others, that killing gives them a thrill (They specifically state they get a rush whenever the player gains LOVE, EXP, etc.), and that they thrive on dominance over others (For example: You).

We don't know the specific reasoning why Chara does what they do, they simply do it because they can.

[overflow]

Baring the possibility that Chara isn't even human (they did refer to themself as a 'demon' after all), I knew someone who probably had a personality disorder, who was possibly incapable of feeling empathy for others. Sometimes it felt like she was just self centered or selfish but other times (and after talking to people with experience about it) It's entirely possible she just lacked the capacity to consider how someone else could feel as a result of her actions. Basically she couldn't 'put herself in someone else's shoes'. Being very close to her was very difficult, so in that way I can identify with Asriel on caring for someone who may actually be incapable of truly caring back.

If Chara had a personality disorder and also lacked the ability to feel empathy (as, ironically and sadly, also ended up happening to Flowey... what a parallel I hadn't even noticed), then that could account for a lot of their actions and character. If something traumatizing happened to Chara that hurt Them, then their goal of revenge wouldn't be hampered by concern of others feelings. If anything, the most concern they could show for someone else is other's opinions of them. Give someone like that crazy power, and who knows what could happen.

Then again, Chara could just have been a demon(or hitherto unknown type of monster) in a human body all along. After all, no where in the game does it imply that two human souls can occupy a single human body, but it does say a human can absorb a monster soul...

[Pizzarugi]

Originally posted by overflow:

Baring the possibility that Chara isn't even human (they did refer to themself as a 'demon' after all), I knew someone who probably had a personality disorder, who was possibly incapable of feeling empathy for others. Sometimes it felt like she was just self centered or selfish but other times (and after talking to people with experience about it) It's entirely possible she just lacked the capacity to consider how someone else could feel as a result of her actions. Basically she couldn't 'put herself in someone else's shoes'. Being very close to her was very difficult, so in that way I can identify with Asriel on caring for someone who may actually be incapable of truly caring back.

If Chara had a personality disorder and also lacked the ability to feel empathy (as, ironically and sadly, also ended up happening to Flowey... what a parallel I hadn't even noticed), then that could account for a lot of their actions and character. If something traumatizing happened to Chara that hurt Them, then their goal of revenge wouldn't be hampered by concern of others feelings. If anything, the most concern they could show for someone else is other's opinions of them. Give someone like that crazy power, and who knows what could happen.

Then again, Chara could just have been a demon(or hitherto unknown type of monster) in a human body all along. After all, no where in the game does it imply that two human souls can occupy a single human body, but it does say a human can absorb a monster soul...

I did consider demon reference from the genocide ending (which I had to look up elsewhere), but I disregarded that possibility, because Chara sounds very self-absorbed and wanted themself to feel like they're above everyone. There's also the part where they offer to let you start over if you give them your soul, but I also ignored it on the grounds that they are given this power after merging their soul with Asriel, giving them unbelievable power.

Then again, it's the only real info about them you could learn from the game. Who knows, they might really be a demon, which explains the truely sadistic attitude and desire for godhood Flowey showed throughout the game.

[Zaltys]

Originally posted by Sassy Dragon:

Is it possible Chara doesn't have emotions to begin with?

After death? Yes. I thought that was made clear.
Flowey says that Chara is empty inside, and Chara himself says that he's no longer capable of feeling emotions if you do two genocide runs in a row.

Because Asriel absorbed Chara's soul, and the combined soul vanished when he died. Without soul, Chara is left as emotionless as Flowey.

And with the players guidance, he can become a very efficient killer.

[Queen HawlSera]

Originally posted by Zaltys:

Originally posted by Sassy Dragon:

Is it possible Chara doesn't have emotions to begin with?

After death? Yes. I thought that was made clear.
Flowey says that Chara is empty inside, and Chara himself says that he's no longer capable of feeling emotions if you do two genocide runs in a row.

Because Asriel absorbed Chara's soul, and the combined soul vanished when he died. Without soul, Chara is left as emotionless as Flowey.

And with the players guidance, he can become a very efficient killer.

Pretty sure Chara's soul still exists (See the Genocide ending)

As for Chara... it seems straight forward to me.

Chara climbed the mountain hoping to kill himself because he was depressed... instead the opposite happened. He SURVIVED! and was adopted by... goats... Goats that due to stories told about the "Dangerous evil monster" should be (as far as Chara knows) killing him. But instead they want to love him.....

All Chara wanted, was to die... he didn't want to love. Whatever caused his depression (It's possible nothing caused it. Depression IS a mental illness) it hurt him so badly that he wanted nothing more than his own death.

He poisoned Asgora's pie, hoping to kill him. Hoping to kill that idiot man who dared nurse him back to health and give him love. Chara didn't love Chara, so why should Asgore Dreemurr or Asriel Dreemurr.

Asriel he didn't mind as much, something about Asriel made him the only thing worth loving.

Chara confessed to Asriel that he wanted to die, and that once he did Asriel could absorb his soul and use it to cross the barrier and get seven souls as he wished.

"I don't like this plan of yours anymore...."

Chara found that with his soul inside Asriel's body he still had control, and conciousness. He didn't die... he continued to live.. through Asriel.

It was time for the humans to die... Asriel would rather sacrifice himself, then have that much blood on his hands.

tl;dr - Chara didn't want an afterlife, he just wanted to vanish... like Monsters do.

[Queen HawlSera]

Originally posted by Zaltys:

Originally posted by Sassy Dragon:

Is it possible Chara doesn't have emotions to begin with?

After death? Yes. I thought that was made clear.
Flowey says that Chara is empty inside, and Chara himself says that he's no longer capable of feeling emotions if you do two genocide runs in a row.

Because Asriel absorbed Chara's soul, and the combined soul vanished when he died. Without soul, Chara is left as emotionless as Flowey.

And with the players guidance, he can become a very efficient killer.

The true lab shows Chara wwas never capable of filling emotions. Chara's a ghost, Flowey is more of a zombie.

[Zaltys]

Originally posted by Adventure Jessica HawlSera:

Pretty sure Chara's soul still exists (See the Genocide ending)

How so?
The reason Chara wants the players soul is because he doesn't have one himself.

He poisoned Asgora's pie, hoping to kill him.

That was an accident.
Simply because as a plan, it would've been obviously flawed. It would've relied on Asriel not figuring out what 'cups of butter' means, and with grieving Toriel and Asriel around it would've been difficult to actually absorb the soul even if Asgore had died. Besides, monster souls disappear quickly, and Chara didn't know how well the poison would work. Was he planning to follow Asgore around until he keels over dead?

If Chara had actually planned that... then he must be utterly incompetent.

And if he had planned it, he certainly wouldn't have 'laughed it off' when the plan failed and Asgore simpy got sick instead of died.

Besides, if he had wanted a monster soul that badly, he could've simply murdered Asriel. They even shared the same room.

Originally posted by Adventure Jessica HawlSera:

The true lab shows Chara wwas never capable of filling emotions.

Again, Chara plainly states in genocide that he's no longer able to feel such emotions. Which means that he used to be different.

[Mawdesty]

when did muffet ever say you looked like chara? I don't recall anyone ever mentioning that before.

[Daimoknight]

Chara had no influence over Flowey what so ever. Asriel tells you himself why he acted as he did as a flower. Chara being part of Flowey is baseless speculation.

[Queen HawlSera]

Originally posted by Zaltys:

Originally posted by Adventure Jessica HawlSera:

Pretty sure Chara's soul still exists (See the Genocide ending)

How so?
The reason Chara wants the players soul is because he doesn't have one himself.

He poisoned Asgora's pie, hoping to kill him.

That was an accident.
Simply because as a plan, it would've been obviously flawed. It would've relied on Asriel not figuring out what 'cups of butter' means, and with grieving Toriel and Asriel around it would've been difficult to actually absorb the soul even if Asgore had died. Besides, monster souls disappear quickly, and Chara didn't know how well the poison would work. Was he planning to follow Asgore around until he keels over dead?

If Chara had actually planned that... then he must be utterly incompetent.

And if he had planned it, he certainly wouldn't have 'laughed it off' when the plan failed and Asgore simpy got sick instead of died.

Besides, if he had wanted a monster soul that badly, he could've simply murdered Asriel. They even shared the same room.

Originally posted by Adventure Jessica HawlSera:

The true lab shows Chara wwas never capable of filling emotions.

Again, Chara plainly states in genocide that he's no longer able to feel such emotions. Which means that he used to be different.

Adressing this in order

1. Chara's DEAD, if he didn't have a soul. He wouldn't exist AT ALL! Ghosts are nothing more than disembodied souls. Flowey is different because he's basically an animated corpse in flower form

2. "Dad got awfully sick when we gave him that pie... I should have laughed it off like you did." - Implies Chara intended that.

3. No, Flowey is the only who says he no longer feels such things. Chara basically just makes you his ♥♥♥♥♥. Do you have the characters mixed up? Flowey is ASRIEL, not Chara.

4. I have no idea why Frisk nor Flowey take Toriel's soul.

[Zaltys]

Originally posted by Adventure Jessica HawlSera:

1. Chara's DEAD, if he didn't have a soul. He wouldn't exist AT ALL! Ghosts are nothing more than disembodied souls.

...the very first thing he says is that he doesn't have a soul:

Your power awakened me from death.
My "human soul."
My "determination."
They were not mine, but YOURS.

Also remember what Flowey said:

You're not really human, are you?
No. You're empty inside. Just like me.

Originally posted by Adventure Jessica HawlSera:

No, Flowey is the only who says he no longer feels such things. Chara basically just makes you his ♥♥♥♥♥. Do you have the characters mixed up? Flowey is ASRIEL, not Chara.

After Chara gets your soul:

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 are wracked with a perverted sentimentality.
Hmm.
I cannot understand these feelings any more.
Despite this.
I feel obligated to suggest.
Should you choose to create this world once more.
Another path would be better suited.