-SPOILERS AHEAD-
If you’ve never had the pleasure of playing a Toby Fox game before, then this article may not be for you. Deltarune is an episodic RPG that follows the characters Kris, Susie, and Ralsei as they try to save the world from an alternate realm, known as the Dark World.
The game is considered a parallel story to Toby Fox’s first game, Undertale, which came out in 2015. The two games have a similar animation style, and both follow a tale of a human falling into another universe.
Undertale was released as a full game, while Deltarune is being released in chapters. Currently, the first four chapters are out, each being released in 2018, 2021, and 2025. Chapter five is expected to come out sometime in 2026, while the final two chapters are still unknown.
A Game Theory
If you’ve played Deltarune, you know that Kris is not a “normal” human. At multiple instances in the game, Kris plunges their hand into their chest, ripping out their heart, or “soul,” before slinking off to open portals to the Dark World.
As it stands, we’re not entirely sure why Kris does this or who is telling them to do this. We do know someone is pulling the strings, as shown at the end of Chapter 4, telling Kris to remember their “promise.”
Fans believe that it’s either the Roaring Knight, who is the primary antagonist in the Dark World, but could also be another figure. Carol Holiday, an anthropomorphic reindeer and the mayor of Hometown, is also a potential candidate. This leads some fans to believe that Carol may be the Knight, or is simply working with the evil-doer.
The Roaring Knight
The Knight doesn’t appear until the end of Chapter 3, but is mentioned several times earlier in the game. They are said to be the creator of these Dark Fountains and are doing so to summon “The Roaring,” an apocalyptic event that will bring the world into chaos.
This shadowy figure has not yet been revealed, but fans have surmised a few possible parties. Carol, yes, but also her oldest daughter, Dess Holiday, who we’ve yet to see on our screens. Noelle Holiday, a friend and classmate of Kris, implies in Chapter 2 that she is missing or dead.
The Prophecy
The prophecy known as the Legend of Delta Rune is explained to us in Chapter 1 by Ralsei, who describes himself, Susie, and Kris as the three heroes of legend. Chapter 4 follows the prophecy more in-depth, describing the end of the three heroes.
The ending of the prophecy goes as follows: “And then. When all hope is lost for the tale / The final tragedy unveils / To save the worlds, there is only one way / [unknown] /Only then will the worlds be saved.”
We, the player, don’t know what the second last line is in this prophecy, as both Ralsei and Susie smash the line before we, as Kris, can see it.
This has led to some pretty intense theorizing about the ending of The Legend of Delta Rune. Susie’s reaction to the prophecy is angry, insisting that this fate can be avoided. However, it’s clear in her subconscious actions that whatever this tragedy is, it's going to be brutal.
The most common theory is that Susie will die at the end of the game, but others speculate that Kris will also have to sacrifice themselves, sacrifice the dark world and the friends that have been created, or potentially mean that Kris chooses to work with the Roaring Knight.
With so many questions and so few answers, all we can do right now is patiently await the next installment of Deltarune.
