Everything About Gaster's Motif in the DELTARUNE Soundtrack - A Musical Mythbusting Odyssey

[@chiconpeach]

Tobyfox on his way to give his fanbase irreversible auditory hallucinations by making a song with 4 notes

[@Gooster-n2i]

He puts hallucinating gummy worms in his songs

[@Shadykatus]

@@Gooster-n2i always thought it was gummy bears, though now that you say that it makes sense seeing as gummy worms are more awesomer and betterer and more gummy than bears because they’re bigger and awesomer not to mention being better too.

[@Gooster-n2i]

@@Shadykatus betterer*

[@Shadykatus]

@@Gooster-n2i :(

[@t.k.5088]

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if it was all part of his plan

[@tempest6027]

48:56 "Um, Mayor Holiday, I'm afraid your daughter has Gaster's leitmotif as the first melodic content in her theme song. You might wanna get that looked at." amazing

[@Starcodewillow]

Dang, I hate it when I have Gaster’s leitmotif as the first melodic content in my theme song

[@lourdespachla6516]

PLOT TWIST!: ​@@Starcodewillow's theme is just Gaster's theme overlapped with freedom motif

[@Starcodewillow]

@@lourdespachla6516 ok

[@Dollar_CoinYT]

WAIT ISNT THE REPEATING MAIN PART JUST GHASTER?????A?A?AQ/

[@Munchkino]

​@@StarcodewillowNot but like seriously if your life was a game and your theme had gaster's leitmotif's you'd know you're about to be fucked over existentially.

[@CJCodesButItsGamesInstead]

"Mayor Holiday, I'm afraid your daughter has Gaster's leitmotif as the first melodic content in her theme song. You might want to get that looked at... or, I dunno, just make popcorn for when she activates Goner Mode in Chapter 6 and guides the party to the gaster dimension..." is the most satirical yet realistic expectation I've heard anybody say about Deltarune.

[@SeanTxty]

I immediately went to overlay gaster's sprite on top of Noelle's thinking "THEY'RE THE SAME SPITRE" and then realized I was losing my grip on reality

[@MysteryKar]

dark world noelle does have a similar silhuette do gaster (the robe/cloak gives her body a similar shape to his, her hands are in a similar position and her face is similarly long like gasters, this is of course assuming that mysteryman is gaster)

[@the_ceo_of_skull]

​@@MysteryKarwe're all losing it *-the ceo of 💀*

[@massiveidiot77]

They look nothing alike lmao

[@StardustCorvid]

Toby really did just cast curse of pattern recognition on us with Gaster, huh?

[@user-qb9pf5jo6l]

BRAINROT OVERLOAD!!! i was thinking of the same thing.

[@heheheiamasuperstarwarrior9281]

Watching this video is like playing a fighting game against a friend who found out the objectively best combo to use but they know it isnt fun for anyone if they just kept doing it so they try their hardest not to only use it. The attack is Homestuck

[@HollyBunnySilly]

It's me that person is me like I could play neutral, get a knockdown, run oki, and then combo until death but that's like putting a little league team against an MLB team; it just ain't fun. Save the sweat for online or tournaments, kids

[@guffthebir72]

​@@HollyBunnySillywhat game?

[@arzfan29]

​@@HollyBunnySillythe opponent should just get better at the game

[@hreckward]

For real, I just keep getting hit with more and more Homestuck references, first in the music playing, then in the music mentioned (Penumbra Phantasm), and then his talk sprite is a troll, when will it end

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

​@@arzfan29not very easy when you are introducing a game to a friend that has never played it and that doesn't even own it as they are playing in your house or smt. I think that that's the scenario these people are referring to And yes, i know you were just making that one joke

[@patcangy]

I feel like Gaster's theme is purposefully made to be so easily mistakable, to match with the feeling that he's omnipresent in the game

[@jaydentt]

being shattered across time and space does that to u yeah

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

​@@jaydenttbro lol

[@KAnim]

​@@jestfullgremblim800200

[@gaminganimators7000]

​@@jaydentthate when that happens

[@ZeneBYT]

The consequences of making your leitmotif an arpeggio

[@CleetusGlobin]

The whole thing with Dess missing made me realize how many siblings aren't around in Deltarune. Asriel is at college, Papyrus is away... Makes you wonder...

[@superguy9834]

We got the cat siblings! Or are they mother and daughter????

[@caltheuntitled8021]

@@superguy9834They’re siblings, as confirmed by several lines of dialogue

[@superguy9834]

@@caltheuntitled8021 okay, thank you for telling me. I must have forgotten! So we have one set of siblings, excluding sansyrus because papyrus hasn't yet appeared

[@leedlelel2373]

@@superguy9834 -please do not use a- -ship name when referring to siblings-

[@superguy9834]

@@leedlelel2373 ..."ship" name...?

[@HammyBoye-df3cd]

hello i just wanted to say as a serbian viewer that the image of nikola tesla never escapes me. it has come to a point of insanity, wherever i look, i see the deltarune theorist with his index finger on this forehead. the brand you chose is on our money, in our schools, in our ads and promotional material. as a serbian i will never know peace, i will no longer see the man who elightened the world with his inovations, but a man who likes the works of toby fox and data colecting. as gaster is to you, your brand is to me and i fear that.

[@andrew_cunningham]

I've heard this from other Serbian viewers and it's hilarious every time.

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

​@@andrew_cunninghamlmao

[@Kikimikiriki]

real

[@sciencey2858]

As someone who loves Nikola Tesla and watches Andrew intensely, all I can say is yes.

[@jessicagraf8430]

He's like Gaster, omnipresent but only in serbia

[@eviebrody]

This is really silly, but this video is so comforting to me. I haven't even played deltarune and I barely know what's going on over there! But this is so well-made, and I was watching it the first time I fell asleep holding my boyfriend. It makes me so happy and I keep coming back to it.

[@andrew_cunningham]

That's nice to hear, thank you.

[@lucatdcat8720]

Wait, no, actually

[@technicallygood4620]

I'm starting to wonder if the simplicity of Gaster's theme was intentional so that the red herrings would just kind of naturally pop up in places Toby Fox had no intention of putting it.

[@MarcyTheKindaCoolWizard]

It makes the job much easier too, the "soundalikes" pop up naturally as part of the music composing process ao he doesn't have to worry about intentionally thibking where to put it excwlr on the few ones y0u can argue are meant to be intentional (Freedom Theme, Darkness Falls and Another Him), it makes the job of a "ever present motif" brilliantly simple

[@thegoldendiamond6762]

Sans x Gaster

[@jan_Eten]

@@MarcyTheKindaCoolWizard typos: as, þinking/thinking, ???, you

[@dust.runner]

I could definitely see that being a factor. Fits in with and serves a similar purpose as the vague details on his character, appearance, and history. Makes everything and nothing potentially related to Gaster, and is great for generating discussions and theories

[@perpetuallyconfused09]

​@@jan_EtenThe 4th one is except

[@BierBart12]

I don't know why, but the whole thing of treating music like a conversation with terms like "quote" "statement" and "question" is super satisfying to me. It just adds such a completely different way of seeing a song

[@sheehan3204]

I'm glad someone else feels the same

[@ShayyTV]

I really loved the part when Gaster appeared and composed Nocturne B. 108 in C minor under this "Chopin" pseudo-name... Great video! Glad to see someone with some actual musical knowledge take on this subject, because man oh man there's so much misinformation floating around.

[@greenhydra10]

It was also quite nice to see him shoot hoops in Faraway Town.

[@RaptorT1V]

Time code please

[@lofkii]

shayy decided to speed run learning Undertale music theory

[@perpetuallyconfused09]

It was nice of him to pay his respects to fallen pokémon in Lavender town

[@kubakornijenko1927]

Polish Gaster be like: in recent years the situation of my country has grown darker yeat darker.

[@MediaMotifs]

This is a way more insightful look into Gaster's Theme than any of the shitty stuff I put out years ago, nice job 😅 I was like 15 when I made my first Deltarune Gaster's Theme video and I never expected anyone to even see it let alone for it to actually have an impact on the Deltarune fanbase, and as the years have gone by my own opinion on those videos have definitely decreased to the point where I've been considering deleting them for quite a while now, hence why I never ended up making a video for Gaster's Theme in chapter 2 lol

[@andrew_cunningham]

Damn dude, you were doing all that shit at 15? I had no idea. It's weird how the right video at the right time can just pop off and be really influential- that's just the way it goes in high-energy fandom spaces I guess. Even if you're not happy with its quality any more, that video really was the only source of info on the topic for a long time, and I don't think the fanbase would be nearly as tuned-in to the importance of Deltarune's motifs without your work. (Btw, my only _big_ complaint about your Gaster's motif video was how you overdubbed mus_st_him.ogg directly over the candidates during the comparison segments. That's obviously a recipe for disaster, but it looks like you don't do that in your more recent video.)

[@Nightmarebros]

Honestly I feel like you should do a chapter 2 video in response to this video, just so you can get andrew into having to analyze more chapter 2 songs because your now a reputable source of gasterbrain in the deltarune community. ESPECIALLY if you throw in Spamton Sweeptstakes, yeah half the songs are just midi variants of Chapter 2 songs and stuff but there's been a debate/search over weather Pianpian - a sweepstakes song of kris assumingly playing piano that's on one of noelle's blogposts - actually has gaster's theme in it, so there's DEFINITELY a space for content that analyses Chapter 2 + Spamton Sweepstakes you could open the door to

[@ninsophy9798]

uu tis but 2 years older than me and making bank off of big corps already, cool stuff 👉😎👉 ~idk if u actually make money from yt but you ARE successful, neat stuff, go on doing your going on 👍👌~

[@cezarcatalin1406]

@@andrew_cunningham The Killer Queen theme actually has a part at the end that legit sounds almost like gaster’s theme.

[@mokeymokey1035]

I can’t believe I got tricked into learning music theory for 51 minutes.

[@leiakasta7602]

In terms of the whole “safe theory” thing, I’d say it’s refreshing for me. Like there’s nothing wrong with going out on a limb and those theories end up being true sometimes, but I appreciate your style of specific analysis and not just jumping at shadows.

[@lillieampurra]

yeah, it's kind of nice to have theories that have enough basis that you could convince someone its real.

[@rafaelinyoutube4175]

30:51 “Those comments were absurdly cherry-picked and out of context. My viewers are actually very supportive.” I just wanted to call attention to this so people know that Andrew isn’t being harrassed or anything.

[@noreingravity]

i really like it cause i use them as construction blocks for my own theories

[@somedragonbastard]

For real. I have no beef with Jaru I'm sure hes a totally fine person but I do not care for his fanfic I want stuff based in the actual facts and themes

[@Lucas-ty5ph]

yeah. *someone's* gotta acknowledge the null hypothesis

[@ChristopherMoom]

17:41 I'm sure you'll be happy to know that this means this video is now your magnum opus Shocked I haven't seen more proper analyses of Toby's music through the eyes of musicians, considering how popular his music is, this is a really nice study of what's essentially the Among Us Crewmate of musicians, and that conclusion with Noelle was the cherry on top

[@Shadowtheoriginalone]

It's him. Or are you...another him?

[@andrew_cunningham]

Buddy. Friend. Chum. Pal... I'm glad you liked it.

[@1th_to_comment.]

Oh my God you're here as well

[@Myeauxyoozi]

LOL I was waiting for you to turn up that's too good

[@RemnantCult]

@@andrew_cunningham A real triumph. With Christopher's blessing, you have made it to the big time.

[@zdoesgame]

I'm glad that someone finally made a Gaster's theme video from a musical theory standpoint. I never appreciated how literally every time a + + - - note pattern would appear, people would immediately jump to Gaster. Thank you for this. Now, if only everybody that watched the MediaMotifs video could see this.

[@PragmaticProsecutor]

Damn why has the ending almost got me tearing up She finds secrets hidden in the game code.... her sister is a secret hidden in the game code.......

[@NaisanSama]

👁️

[@lmao-420]

​@@NaisanSamayou got an EYE on him 🤠

[@egochka11]

I think Gaster’s leitmotif being found anywhere and nowhere at the same time fits in with the whole story of Gaster. Very clever, Toby. edit: that’s a lot of likes

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

True, idk if Toby did it on purpose, it would still be awesome if he didn't

[@leongashwig]

@@jestfullgremblim8002 Yeah, if making his theme a 4 note melody that's very common was his purpose, this shit would be insane. I kinda doubt it but damn, I really want to believe.

[@ImTheGuy]

Bravo Vince

[@NicholasHEADSHOT]

This whole thing about Gaster reminds me of a music piece, Erlkönig (by Franz Schubert) and would recommend anyone to check that out.. It tells a story about a father and his son being haunted by a ghostly entity, the titular Elf King. Even when you listen to the version without the lyrics, you can distinctively hear each character "speaking", even hear the horse galloping, by the use of their motiffs. The thing is, the story is implying since the beginning that the boy's fate is inescapable and they all were under the King's spell since the beginning. This is because all of their motiffs included the King's motiff in some way or the other. The King's motiff is also 4 notes.

[@_bastion]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@leongashwigI mean i wouldn’t doubt it too heavily since Toby was known for his profound use of many different leitmotifs throughout the soundtrack so I don’t think it is too far of a stretch, its definitely reasonable

[@wanderfilho5443]

Bro that Noelle being a video game character who is forced to face creepy secrets and Gaster being the video gane creepy secret made my mind blow man, that dog is a genius

[@lilyawoodburn]

47:53 "Noelle is a video game character who's blessed, or cursed, with finding secrets in video games; Gaster is a video game character cursed, or blessed, to be the secret." DAMN that line actually gave me chills, it sums up the entire importance of her character and the Spamton Sweepstakes in a way I haven't seen done so succinctly before. Well done! Also as always your editing was phenomenal and had me in stitches the whole time, with the added bonus of seeing all the Elektiontrückung fanart sprinkled throughout too

[@kramkrum3672]

I've thought since the beginning that Noelle seemed like a character who is destined to have some relation to Gaster, but I could never figure out why. Then I realized, her sister, Dess, is literally missing, and probably disappeared the exact same way Gaster did with Dark Fountains. What if it could get darker than dark?... I'd bet money against everyone here that, in Chp. 3+, when we start pulling on the strings that lead to Dess, we're going to end up finding more things than we anticipated. Being, of course, Gaster. (Hell, I'd even bet that mysterious text in the game files is Dess, and the "scratching" she hears in the dark is Gaster, attempting to stay silent, but still right there with her wherever she is.)

[@tentativegazer]

​​@@kramkrum3672yeah I really like this idea! I honestly am unsure if Noelle is the angel or something like that but at this point it's very clear she has a connection with Gaster, at the very least through Dess. I'm very excited to see where toby takes it! Personally I think Dess' disappearance will be the lynchpin in basically all of Deltarune's plot, because it could potentially be related to the player's possession of Kris and if it is that would have HUUUGE implications.

[@BunsGlazing768]

Aha. In that case! was the random none-checker-dance note Andrew played at 8:22 the first note of The Legend?

[@gremlin2239]

Maybe the scratching isn't a monster, but instead a pencil as Gaster takes notes on us?

[@MysteryKar]

@@kramkrum3672 so the "scratching" could actually be garbage noise/static? that sounds interesting

[@Shin_no_Ryuu]

I remember within a few months following the release of Chapter 2 where I spent about a week doing little else but comb through Deltarune's soundtrack for those elusive four notes. Even as "gasterpilled" as I was at the time, the conclusion I still ultimately ended up with was "If Toby wants you to hear it, it will likely not be much of a question to whether or not it's actually there." I also caught it potentially in flashback_excerpt and subsequentially in Lost Girl. (but not Girl Next Door, though I did see the idea presented around that time) So I can't say that anything here is new to me... ...and let me tell you, _I couldn't be happier!_ Concise and well explained? A methodology that not only covers virtually every base but could just as well be brought out again should the need arise? Affirms and validates all those thought processes that I had a year and a half ago?? Good god was this worth the wait. And more than that, you even perfectly accounted for potential discrepancies and deviations the original without dismissing them completely, which (after seeing more than one person unironically dismiss Another Him as a candidate because of the added note) I am exceptionally grateful for. I really do hope the want for wilder ideas for the sake of wild ideas isn't a common sentiment, though. I like your approach to videos. I like it a lot. And I especially adore listening to someone talk about subjects they love and are educated in and enjoy talking about, themselves. _Doubly_ so, if it's to apply it to subjects I'm also interested in. I'm happy you share your work, Andrew, and I'm happy to be able to see it.

[@andrew_cunningham]

You're rad dude, thank you so much. I didn't know you were some kind of Gaster motif expert either- you should have mentioned it and made me feel a bit more sane lol. And please don't worry about what the rantsona was saying, that's all juts goofs. I had to hunt through old discord messages for over an hour to even find that many negative remarks, and felt like an idiot for doing it the whole time.

[@Shin_no_Ryuu]

@@andrew_cunningham Aw man, we could've brainstormed together if I hadn't been so preoccupied for 8 months haha And I had a feeling it was just for jokes, but I still felt the need to say how I appreciate your stuff, anyway. I'd say it was all worth the effort

[@josephmartin9737]

This basically sums up everything I love about this channel, missing only the hilarious editing and the emotional reaction from every Omori reference in anything.

[@asiantom4935]

50 bobux

[@cewla3348]

l + bozo + ratio + gasterpilled

[@notimportant4804]

im glad andrew finally got done talking about gaster motifs in sweet cap'n cakes themes

[@andrew_cunningham]

I knew he'd have to upload if I made the joke. Pretty worthy sacrifice imo

[@HalfBreadChaos]

(*happily tolerates the key rant at 12:29 because you played Crypt of the Necrodance music*) Well played.

[@partymix1997]

how do i know this isn't a clue to the arg (/j... maybe)

[@Unoriginal____Starwalker]

I am so amazed that HalfBreadChaos agrees that that is the best choixe of music possible.

[@iker2333]

King konga certified comment

[@oofley8346]

I'm beginning to think that gaster's theme was explicitly designed to feel like it's left its fingerprints everywhere even when it kinda hasn't

[@MysteryKar]

the part where it technically shows up in classical composition (and adelle) kinda feels like an extension of this

[@rataslesbianass]

im convinced it is!!!! thats kinda gaster's whole deal, he was scattered across time and space, so tiny pieces of him are everywhere!! its a really smart way of representing that in his musical identity :))

[@RichConnerGMN]

@@rataslesbianass nice pfp but what is that flag on the right

[@rataslesbianass]

@@RichConnerGMN thank you, i drew it myself! its the genderqueer flag :3

[@android19willpwn]

I'm beginning to think Toby threw together Gaster's theme in half an hour to be a spooky soundtest easter egg and spent basically no time thinking about it because he didn't predict Gaster becoming a big enough deal to warrant becoming a major aspect of the next game that he didn't even know he was going to make. And now he has to deal with that until Deltarune is done.

[@magetsalive5162]

Gaster and Dess are clearly the metaplot of the overall Undertale/Deltarune universal cluster. There is something causing people to disappear, for varying degrees of "disappearance". Gaster suffered an accident and was entirely retroactively removed from the timeline, or spread across existence so thinly that even the memory of him is gone. Dess is remembered, but no amount of searching finds her, and she seems to be in the same general "location" as Gaster, if the datamining dialogue is actually her. Oh boy I can't wait for Toby Fox to release Nutdealer with yet another missing family member having mysteriously vanished into nowhere, only for it to be revealed in Unrelated that the big bad evil outer god has been manipulating events to harvest their existential potential to make the equivalent of eldritch spinach puffs, and has almost put them in the oven when we come in to kick its ill-defined ass-adjacent anatomy.

[@ToffeeBun]

Not only am I honored to be in an Andrew Cunningham video, but also that I got to help gaslight people with perfect pitch into mishearing Checker Dance Also... please don't make fun of how I pronounced "Gaster"... I did not choose to be British, I swear 😭

[@neobowser3221]

honestly i thought the pitch shifted Checker Dance was intended as a DMCA dodge

[@andrew_cunningham]

Yikes, that trick might get exhausting after the 20th go.

[@mecha1105]

I was pretty sure it was the first note of "The Legend" actually...

[@AccV999]

@@mecha1105 i was thinking the same lol

[@uncroppedsoop]

hey it's ok but don't reduce yourself to your condition. you're a person with britness, you're more than just "british"

[@errorhouse4925]

The way you bring out abstract concepts with fake machines is some of the most creative editing ive ever seen for video anaylsis and essays, really great stuff

[@louisguerre9477]

With a theme nowhere to be found if you don't pay attention, but that starts appearing in Adele's songs if you know of its existence, Gaster might be one of the characters in video game history. I actually hope he doesn't end up appearing on-screen, being "revealed," or some other stuff, he's way too much fun being that guy nobody actually knows but loves.

[@lasagna3289]

The THE WORLD REVOLVING part BLEW my mind. You said it and immediately ALL of the parts clicked. As a big fan of Girl Next Door, who knew about the cool bassline, awesome to hear she gets Gaster's theme. Love hearing all the OMORI music here. Also the termite music. That fight segment at the end was so cool but you're REALLY gonna regret destroying the DMCA when chapters 3-5 come out and you have to repair it.

[@hextheprotogenfox]

My favorite choice of OST for the background music was the pizza Tower music

[@mirrorkirby123]

33:14 "That is just "4 copies of Gaster's theme in a trenchcoat" made me howl with laughter for no reason whatsoever.

[@Callsign05]

No man, I did it too. 😂

[@RMMachinimas]

8:45 Speaking of pitch being irrelevant/not helpful something that's always stuck out to me so much is that so many tracks from undertale/deltarune are pitched completely differently in-game vs. In the OST release. Lantern is an EXTREMELY noticeable one for me that always makes me feel like I'm going insane LOL. I also just noticed it with "A Town Called Hometown"

[@RMMachinimas]

AND "You Can Always Come Home" WHY DOES TOBY FOX DO THIS TO ME

[@JaruJaruJ]

Incredible work! You continue to be an asset to the community, make extremely high-quality content, and are hilarious the whole way through! I greatly enjoyed this. Bazinga.

[@theReincarnate]

you can't just say bazinga

[@JaruJaruJ]

@@theReincarnate Bazinga

[@q.s.w.9074]

​@@theReincarnateno no, let him cook

[@XplosivDS]

@@theReincarnate Perchance

[@ziyair2998]

​@@XplosivDSKeep it up, baby!

[@TheAdvertisement]

As a victim of Gaster-brain who literally tried to hear it in every Deltarune song when Ch1 came out, and has been disillusioned since, I've very excited to see just how wrong I was and probably still am. Please Andrew, make me feel like an idiot, I am looking forward to it. Also- I KNEW IT WAS IN THE WORLD REVOLVING. I've been going insane trying to figure out that one part, the way it's in both The World Revolving and Attack of the Killer Queen, the way it very closely but not quite sounds like a part from Nightmare Knight that would realistically make a lot of sense connecting to both characters, the way it _also_ seems very close to a looped Gaster's Theme that would _also_ kinda make sense and IT'S BEEN EATING AWAY AT ME. I'm glad to know I've not gone insane trying to connect all of this. Though I may have gone insane again as well. Who knows? I have a problem.

[@Yuti640]

it turns out YOU were gaster all along and didn't realise it, that's how ignorant you were!!!

[@starwhalomega2691]

the exciting follow up to "andrew tells you toby fox wrote the narration for deltarune"

[@Jimmy-xe5jd]

Shhhh shhhh shhhh it’s okay, Gaster is just a red herring, shhhh it’s okay you can rest now

[@Oceane1803]

Oh so you tried to hear the Gaster theme in songs where's it's actually absent, but when I hear the soundfont used for Susie's laugh in Big Shot, you *have* to go out of your way to insist on how wrong I am.

[@scrungles7853]

You people don't get it. He's everywhere. ... But let's not fight over it aight

[@loveletterworm]

Very well made video! I had always thought The World Revolving had Gaster's theme in it ever since back in 2018, but I never knew anything about music and could never confidently pin it down, so it was really cool to have an actual concrete analysis of it. Also, after watching this video I fell asleep and had a dream that Lego released some sets that were some really complicated sculptures of Sonic the Hedgehog, and then had a second dream that I was trying to explain the previous dream to you, but we still didn't know each other so I was just kind of bothering you in a parking lot(??) about Sonic legos and kept continuing on the topic even though you were clearly not interested. I don't usually comment on videos

[@YugGuy]

As someone who has done many piano arrangements of Undertale & Deltarune in the past (including many of the ones included in this video), I feel obligated to comment on this video. I think as someone who is also very into video game music transcription & analysis, I've had much the same feelings that you have had in regards to "Gaster-spotting" in Undertale & Deltarune's leitmotifs. With very few exceptions, I've never been very convinced by the evidence given by many theorists regarding the subject. It really seemed like any four-note motif was given intense scrutinization for any bits of Gaster lore that could be wrung out of it. Perhaps understandable given the amount of UT/DT brainrot currently circulating the fandom (myself included). Still, the fact that (perhaps by design) there was never any real concrete conclusion to be drawn from all the attention giving was the one thing keeping me from being a "true believer". To paraphrase one of my arranging friends, "If we manage to arrange all the UT/DR tracks, then we should clearly be the first to know about any of the secret Gaster connections." But, despite every Toby Fox song being arranged, rearranged & transcribed at least ten times over, it never seemed to come to fruition. So to make a long story very short, this video completely blew my expectations out of the water. I had no idea there was enough Gaster seeping through the cracks in the DR soundtrack such that we could actually make some solid connections this early into Deltarune's development. THE WORLD REVOLVING & BIG SHOT obviously make a lot of sense given the story we've been shown so far, but the connections with Noelle are really striking in light of this video. Perhaps it's not that strange given the Spamton Sweepstakes, but still surprising to see the seeds planted even before then. So, I say: Bravo, Mr. Cunningham! My hope is that this leads to some more insightful direction as far as Deltarune music analysis goes. And who knows - maybe we'll get some banger remixes out of it? Also, literally while writing this comment, I've just come up with a speculative theory of my own. So, if you'll indulge me: Gaster is said to have shattered across time & space. In Undertale, we see what is (supposedly) a tiny portion of him. Perhaps, Gaster's Theme is merely a small part of his whole leitmotif - one that is eventually reconstructed, likely during the final chapters of Deltarune. Maybe Gaster's theme has been revealed to us, just as small fragments scattered throughout many of the songs used throughout the soundtrack. Ones that sound otherwise innocuous out-of-context, but come together when put in the right sequence. Or, maybe I'm just crazy. Who knows?

[@cy-bernet-ix]

i love your theory about gaster's theme being shattered, its something ive been thinking about for a while. i think Darkness Falls is the most "complete" version of gaster's leitmotif we have so far

[@tentativegazer]

I WOULD LOVE THAT SO MUCH THAT'D BE SO COOL AND LIKE THE MORE IS REVEALED THE MORE CONNECTIONS TO OLDER TRACKS WOULD BECOME RETROACTIVELY APPARENT GODDD I HOPE THEY DO THAT NOW

[@mr.j3rs3y]

Omg I’d be going ballistic if that happened 😂❤

[@redheaddjg]

Glad to see someone finally analyze this topic using the proper tools and music theory to make it comprehensible in a way that me (who only knows a little bit about music theory) can understand the analysis. Now for that wild conclusion: I knew that there had to be some connections between Noelle and Gaster due to the JavaCookie, Dess, the blogs, and the eggs? But hearing the snippets of Gaster's motif in Noelle's themes sort of shocked me. Your analysis of Noelle where you mentioned her being the one finding the secrets and Gaster being the secret has got to be one of the most meta things I've heard about this game. Although I kinda saw that coming, I wasn't ready for it to shine in brightly coloured neon. If you don't think Noelle is going to be an important character now after hearing that, I don't know what will.

[@fabiosonhandogrande1697]

NEO

[@acemcwolf5445]

While I've always had the idea of the weird route meaning to feel unintentional, Down to the fact that the game more or less rushes you to the end, Only being stopped by Spamton and his Pipis. There *is* another idea behind "Noelle's" theme having so many Gaster motifs. That being, It *ISN'T* Noelle's theme. Toby's said that Girl next door/Lost girl/Findher, Isn't necessarily Noelle's theme, It just plays when she's around sometimes. Considering the third version: Findher, Is related to Dess Holiday, Maybe Gaster's Motif showing up in these songs are meant to be taken as Dess is in the same void Gaster is in.

[@nemorose]

this video is INSANELY good in editing. as a editing amateur myself you left me with an open jaw how much work you put in editing and it looks so good omg!!! hope this video will be your most popular because the amount of work here is astonishing

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

True

[@xxbuttmanxx4383]

A thought that makes me chuckle is the idea that Toby is making everything vaguely remind people of Gaster for no particular reason, just gaslighting everyone into mass hysteria

[@JTF544]

If people keep talking about your game it doesn't die

[@RT55J]

Theory: Gaster is short for Gas(ligh)ter

[@WingedAsarath]

​@@RT55Jhe's just gasterlighting everyone

[@BierBart12]

Reminds me of the Beatles making a song just to gaslight all the fans who tried to over-analyze their music

[@julie-18]

that’s very toby fox of him it would make sense

[@elijahkeay3906]

I know the whole “playing it safe” thing was mostly a lineup for a joke.. but I just want to say I love how down to earth your videos and theories are. Most theory channels genuinely just make things up, and grasp at some ridiculous straws to justify a theory that just kind of sounds cool. The idea that a channel can just “come up with” a theory is weird to me, because theories should come naturally from the game and the community. They shouldn’t be sought out. So breaking down in game evidence like you do is far more interesting to me. Sure there may be fewer crazy revelation theories, but it’s far, far more intriguing, and a lot more exciting when the theories you DO find hold actual water, and take into account the overarching theme and tone of the game. So yeah, good shit. Keep it up!

[@UltraTagProductions]

Interesting note: The bit of the freedom motif that is just gaster's theme repeated is not actually present in BIG SHOT. BIG SHOT has everything up to that point, at which point it just loops, with the end being modified and slowed down a bit

[@theghostlydreamer]

As someone with chronic Gaster Brain™, this video is absolutely amazing. The location and Noelle leitmotifs are very interesting, and I'm really just hyped to see where chapter 3 goes with all of this.

[@BierBart12]

I'm especially interested in where the Snowgrave route will go there

[@Vivat_Veritas]

I visibly pogged when both It's Raining Somewhere Else and Here We Are came up as examples as leitmotifs. What can I say, I've got a brand. It is an honour to be included in the video as a shoutout and I can’t properly express my gratitude, and this video is partly a synthesis of collective effort put together, refined, and enhanced by someone insane and talented enough to do it justice. I've waxed lyrical about your work extensively, so I wanted to put in my own thoughts regarding the conclusions you've come to from the "Noelle" Gaster themes. Considering we already know that Noelle and Spamton are connected in a very... strange way from the Sweepstakes and the fact that Noelle and Spamton's connection IS egg-related on top of the ramshod egg connections with Gaster is interesting from a textual standpoint. Although it's not a particularly strong connection between Noelle and Gaster, it does at least make us, the audience, consider any particular connections between the two. Considering Dess's disapperance and possible code-imprisonment, Noelle's potential interactions with the Bunker, and what you've shown here, I wouldn't be surprised to see Gaster playing a role (no matter how puppetmaster-y) in Dess's situation whether in the past or the future. Unsurprisingly a pretty similar conclusion to your own. Incidentally, I think sumo wrestling is unethical because it indirectly gave us the Pokemon Hariyama. Anyway, great video Andrew as always!

[@IyuriIGD]

Yeah, sumo wrestling is definitely unethical, but the same time, it's funny to watch them

[@amergingiles]

Listen. Those big guys are professionals. They use their big bodies to push people. It's not much, but it's honest work.

[@invisible9445]

Very late to this, but I think maybe the reason there’s that perfect gaster quote in scarlet forest is because scarlet forest is tied to jevil (mainly in the revolving puzzle room) and that section is actually referencing a world revolving, which happens to be built off Gaster’s theme. Not sure about welcome to the city tho TwT

[@silasglasgow2085]

Spamton?

[@Fawriel]

Wait, I could have sworn that the Freedom theme was based on Don’t Forget? I keep singing “I’m with you in the dark” every time it comes up, it fits so perfectly. By which I mean, wouldn’t Don’t Forget also be based on Gaster’s theme?

[@TheSkyGuy77]

Don't Forget (gaster)

[@ari638]

It thematically links too, with the whole of Undertale forgetting who Gaster was once he shattered, except for his followers who seem to have gotten partially shattered with him. You could also throw in that photo of 3 figures in the shed of the skeleton's house for good measure, that has "don't forget" written on it

[@Cruxin]

I can't hear it lol can you give the timestamp of the "lyrics"?

[@SSL_2004]

THE WORLD REVOLVING does have an extended perfect quote of Don't Forget, but that's not the "Freedom" motif. It doesn't appear in BIG SHOT.

[@flamingpi2245]

@@ari638the forgetting thing is fanon. We don’t know if gaster’s incident erased the minds of anyone. I’d be more inclined to believe that he was somehow transposed into a universe where he didn’t exist ala goner kid

[@molly__m]

somehow your editing feels like it gets exponentially more unhinged with every video. it impresses and terrifies me but for real this was honestly a really awesome exploration into gaster's theme, it's one of the few things i really just felt kind of stumped on even with my knowledge of music theory/production, and i'm glad to see more content really trying to make sense of where it's actually most likely to have popped up in DELTARUNE especially. i wouldn't doubt that there's probably other places it could be in potentially but with what we Do have here it's given me a lot to think about already. i've gone from this weird back-and-forth of "come on it's Gaster's Theme of course it would be obvious to point out/look for in regards to if he is present anywhere", to "wait a minute the notes don't match up in songs like man.ogg and ANOTHER HIM even if they do have similar/identical intervals, but the original theme itself doesn't really get used properly anywhere else/feels more like it's just altered significantly in other cases And it's a super simple motif that's easy to hallucinate anywhere so idk how reliable this is at all", to "actually this theme might still have some stock to put into it. we've just been looking in the wrong places it seems". it being a part of the songs already mentioned + the freedom motif does def check out to me for Obvious Reasons but the potential inclusion of it in the field themes and flashback/girl next door is what also catches my eye the most... the field themes potentially having it could sort of check out because i do honestly think dark worlds in general just have this...all-encompassing tie to gaster, even if it's not direct. he appears to have discovered them, he's done experiments on them, smile.ogg can be seen as both a heavy indicator of his presence and of a dark world's presence in any case, and his most notable appearances in DELTARUNE have been through characters in the dark worlds, and those worlds fit in that same box that gaster seems to be in of focusing a whole lot on escapism and the act of creativity as a means to resolve issues in your own reality. it's a stretch, but i suppose the field themes having the hint of his theme in it sort of makes sense through the lense of dark worlds in general just sort of having his Aura felt throughout them even if he's not always directly involved. i almost see dark worlds as like gaster's AOE or some shit in a way, it's not inherently meaning that he's tied to everything because that area of effect is still its own Thing compared to whatever might be causing it, but his influence within it is still felt. now, girl next door/flashback is where i especially am truly, undoubtedly, FlabberGastered. because i've already had a really solid hunch that noelle is going to be instrumental to the game narratively and even on a meta level. what you said about noelle being blessed/cursed with being able to easily find secrets, and gaster being blessed/cursed to Be the secret, is exactly how i kind of feel about her at the moment in that regard, and the fact that these two songs do appear to contain some form of gaster's theme pretty convincingly so, is only more fuel to that imo. it kind of just ties into the bigger thing i feel with noelle playing into the fact that DELTARUNE, as a game, and as a message, hinges a lot on the concept of secrets/glitches/going off of the beaten path in the medium, generally. many of the Cool Things that people go on forever about in the game are things that you really need to go out of your own way to find, and in cases like the weird route especially i feel like that effort to keep the game's secrets vague and only advertise it as having one route/ending on the surface is very much intentional and could be setting up for one hell of a subversion later down the line. it's kind of baffling how much my digging of the game for answers and for figuring out what it might be rlly trying to Say and how the rest of it might play out just ends up bringing me back around to noelle, or more particularly, dess as a potential nexus of sorts for all of these pieces to culminate into. that's at least my two cents on that given we only have chapters 1-2 to work with, but it hasn't become any less of a fascinating thing for me to ponder in terms of what it might imply for the game's future... { also nice rantsona during the Happy Break Time lol. Also also fucking insane to see my video in this, but it means a lot wtf ... }

[@sackfu7952]

I once heard someone say that the vague simplicity of this motif may be intentional, the theme is so iconic yet simple, that you might hear it everywhere, sort of making it a red herring but also kind of creating this creeping sensation that Gaster is always there whether you realize it or not It's sort of like when you think you see something out of the corner of your eye, it almost kind of recontextualizes some of these tracks, making them go from jovial and fun to making you wonder if you're going insane and making it so you can't trust your own ears.

[@Real_RUBB3R]

14:47 this was such a jolt hearing the left hand part of the music because I didn't even know it existed and had only heard this bit of the music from a fanmade theme for Gaster's Lab Also one thing I want to say, it was mentioned that Gaster was fragmented across time and space, that could even include music itself, which is why his theme appears so much in Deltarune

[@krysidian]

Same here! I only heard it in one or two remixes of the theme before and wasn't aware that it's actually inside the original theme itself. That was such a cool revelation

[@alextheferret5674]

As a musician who studied music theory for 3 years, your explanations of intonation, rhythm, and other usually complicated topics was really impressive! Also, it's a pretty weird feeling to hear detailed info on stuff I already know lol

[@albertnortononymous9020]

Same here

[@G-Cole-01]

40:28 BIG SHOT has so much stuff from other songs in it, it actually plucks a bit of them out of other franchises. If you listen to Metal Scratchin' from Sonic Rush, you can hear the similarities present in them. Hell, I'm pretty sure they have the same _tempo,_ not exactly something you'd expect from a mere coincidence in structure. Eggman/Eggman-Nega in Deltarune confirmed

[@denisaene2308]

Excellent analysis! And I loved the visual idea of a "machine" for dissecting musical data, it felt very appealing There's a detail that in my opinion makes for a smidge of extra musical connection between Gaster and Queen: at the end of Attack of the Killer Queen, right after the prominent drawn-out descending notes in the top melody, at 1:53 minutes there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it couple bars that are interestingly dissonant from the rest of the song: they play a reference to the beginning of Queen's theme (which you covered in the video), but with steadier slow beat, suddenly over minimal background elements, and with an extra repetition. This short ostinato, along with the eerie chord it's on (brief harmonic distance from the song's key, causing a fleeting "spooky feeling"), can make it feel like the Queen instance that's closest in spirit to Gaster's theme. It's an instance that can seem reminiscent of the appearance in Scarlet Forest, and maybe loosely of that ascending, tension-building "pop off" of Gaster's theme in The World Revolving. I'd say that its possible referencing here and in overworld tracks has the effect of subtly "stitching" a connection between Gaster and the whole Dark World - which would make sense considering Gaster's general association with darkness

[@andrew_cunningham]

Yeah I did miss that. It's definitely a better reference than the one at the start.

[@WD_RatLad]

mucho texto

[@krofp]

11:22 This is perhaps the best delivery of two sentences I have ever heard. From someone who knows quite a fair bit about music theory, I am impressed by how you manage to explain the basic (and more advanced) concepts in a way that is both informative and humorous.

[@Shrooblord]

What an amazing presentation. I love the visuals and the crass attitude. The background info and summary of theory are ace. The part where you tackle _The World Revolving_ (esp. "the missing note") gave me GOOSEBUMPS. Right up my spine. Nothing gives me goosebumps. Wow.

[@terra_creeper]

The fact that you can almost hear gasters theme in so many unrelated places is probably intentional, he was shattered across time and space after all.

[@kaptainskurvysblender2892]

I really like how you present your visual aids as huge-elaborate machines, this video having probably the most in depth yet . What I'd like to know is what inspired you to do this?

[@andrew_cunningham]

Hearing people's wrong opinions for the last 7 years. What else?

[@kaptainskurvysblender2892]

@@andrew_cunningham Thanks, but the question was more along the lines of what gave you the idea to explain your research via a missive fictional machine; Apart from making the information easier to digest.

[@andrew_cunningham]

@@kaptainskurvysblender2892 Oh. Probably Jon Bois or something, in that case. Though I only started watching his videos earlier this year.

[@BunsGlazing768]

@@andrew_cunningham misinformation about my hyperfixations is also my favourite motivator should we kiss

[@wendewang673]

@@andrew_cunningham hell yeah jon bois!!!

[@killer1gamer1]

you just very casually mentioning noelle's theme has the freedom motif in it really messed with me because that fact only really hit me like 8 months later rewatching the video

[@evilness3404]

Noelle being so obviously important to the story and her importance growing over time from additional outside of game content has made me slightly bitter from how a ton of fan content just ignores her ngl. It was fine in chapter 1 when we only had a few hints at her importance (her getting more dialogue than any non-lancer npc and the intro sequence putting her name on equal equivalence with Kris & Susie) but its still happening to this day.

[@gamelover1118]

I actually recently discovered that Gaster's Theme was referenced in the songs that share the "Freedom Motif" when I was messing around with the leitmotifs that are in Big Shot. I realized that that part of the song was awfully similar, and after spending a few hours creating a near-perfect replication of Gaster's Theme, I found that the notes were nearly identical. This was through my own investigation, and not something I watched online, so I was pretty proud of myself.

[@BitrateBilly]

i decided to test this out and nearly shit myself when i saw that near identical note combination

[@Eve.v]

hey andrew? this is the best video i've ever seen on youtube. like, i don't know if it's my "favorite" (it has a very steep contender in a video essay titled "What was so good about UNDERTALE, anyway?" because when you see a forgotten emotion reflected at yourself in stark detail it leaves a bit of an emotional impression that can lead to, perhaps, a little bit of bias) -- but, GOD, man. this....this kicks ass? the musical choices (i don't mean the toby fox songs analyzed, i mean your background music, which i didn't even Think to Notice during my first watch), the central visual aid (it helps my brain So Much???????? i have no musical education aside from some youtube videos that i found neat and the fact that you just. explained...everything? and it was so quick, but in a good way?? like, it wasn't like you were flying through -- just stating information, so my brain simply follows along!), the goofs, the brain break (i was prepared to pause and you almost made me late for work this morning because it was so hard to tear my attention away), the FUCKIN,, noelle connection?? i feel like that shouldn't surprise me as much as it does ! i adored your analysis of the connection (/ambiguous) between them!! anyways!!!! best video, loved the 'sona, loved the shoutouts (molly and vivat have been consistent replays for me), loved the cameo, loved the jokes, loved the vibes. just. a Good Video That Suits My Interests And Inspires Me Deeply. thank you

[@andrew_cunningham]

Thanks a lot, that makes me really happy lol

[@Miles4Daze]

"Here's Sans. Here's Sans's theme. Here's Sans with osteoporosis. Here's Sans's theme but lounge jazz. Here's Sans dressed like an arcade carpet. Here's San's theme arranged like an arcade carpet. Etc." - Andrew Cunningham, 2023

[@gym3857]

this is honestly the best video ive had the foremost pleasure in viewing for a long time. my favorite genre is *"videos explaining a relatively niche subject and analyzing it with (relatively) useful theory that applies in the real world while still maintaining personality and humor,"* and this video is probably within the top 3 of that genre from what ive seen. this video has: great and snappy writing, a stylized graphic design that conveys all the information required, smooth and appealing editing while not being distracting, an appearance from another content creator (whom i also love for many of the same traits), and niko oneshot. thank you (both) for taking up 51 minutes of my life.

[@werewook]

Excellent video but I can't believe it didn't mention that the tune is straight up adapted from FFVII's "Who Are You". There's even a character named Dr. Gast in the game. Also Barret's Limit Break is called Big Shot (Spamton also has an arm cannon) and the game was released in 1997. Shinra/Dr. Hojo's experiments seem to have partially inspired Undertale's Lab and Gaster.

[@RedSpade37]

Yeah, spoilers: Yeah, the True Lab reminded me of the Shinra Lab sequence with Jenova and all that majorly, as I recall.

[@KyrieFortune]

And do you know what else has an alien godlike creature hellbent on destroying the world, like Jenovah? Earthbound with Giygas. The game that inspired Toby Fox's entire programming career. His motives are complex, clearly

[@Shrooblord]

Wwwhhhuuuuuttt?? So cool, thank you for sharing!!

[@TheAdvertisement]

0:46 Slight correction, you need to beat Papyrus before you do this. I didn't know you had to complete Snowdin to get the soundtest either until I actually tried it. 4:49 Like how all the character arcs here demonstrate their huge changes over the story and meanwhile Basil's is just he gets sad. 6:05 THIS IS BEAUTIFUL 12:05 As someone who's actually taken music theory I gotta appreciate your dedication to teaching it. 12:45 YOU DID NOT 15:39 Listen if someone wants to get fat and beat up other people with sheer body weight I won't stop em. 20:48 My only thought would be that this is the first place where you meet the Man(tm) behind the tree (esp considering it seems the Scarlet Forest trees will appear in every location he's in no matter the chapter), though without confirmation the Man(tm) is Gaster it's a loose connection. 24:03 You didn't have to do it to em with the "Relial Kurderder" joke. 26:46 Andrew why are you this good at memes. 29:34 CBT WHAT 29:50 Oh god oh frick he's gone Homestuck. 30:30 IT'S BEAUTIFUUUUULLLLLL 38:02 Ok you do address this. Idk I still think Scarlet Forest is uniquely important tho but this is a... I guess semi-brain-rot theory. 46:43 Fun fact, there's a term for this! It's called the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, aka recency bias. 47:14 Holy crap wait that's such a good observation. The idea that the Snowgrave route is so weirdly structured because Toby is intentionally trying to replicate the insanity of creepypastas and glitches listing out so many ridiculous preconditions to get the weird crap happening, in order to connect it back to the idea that specifically Noelle is able to break games, is an amazing idea.

[@oswaldliner]

A lot of the myths are pretty far out there, but the guitar in Girl Next Door is note-for-note identical to Another Him, the only difference is one extra note at the end. Edit: He actually talks about it yippie

[@LaurentIpsum]

Yeah! That was uncanny. I wonder where Toby is going with this!!

[@FluffiBois]

In response to people saying that your theories are “too safe/boring,” I honestly really appreciate your theories and takes. The thing about the third entity and who’s actually the narrator I really jive with. In a landscape on the internet full of out there and crazy theories being the norm, sometimes you need a proverbial “devil’s advocate” to keep things a tad more down to earth. Like, yeah the idea of a third entity is cool, but what would that do for the story being told? Does it align with stuff Toby’s done? You distilling different leitmotifs and bringing Noelle further into focus could only be done by bringing down the other songs first. It’s like a prosecutor and a defense attorney working together, different sides of the debate working together to find the truth. Keep doin’ you Andrew, I appreciate your stuff 👍

[@tentativegazer]

Yeah same, to me it as a whole keeps theories more grounded in reality and evidence so they are able to build off those now more established facts to make way better theories. It's good to have a firm and supportive groundwork to build up from and I think Andrew's videos serve that purpose impeccably (while also being absolutely hilarious)

[@GreyVictory1510]

I agree, we NEED people who bring all the crazy theories into perspective. Otherwise they spiral themself and each other further down fanfic territory with more and more assumptions being made.

[@strangejune]

​@@GreyVictory1510 Mhm. The difference between Jaru's theories and some other crazy theories you'll find online is that Jaru outlines the assumptions he has (consciously) made in order for his theories to make sense. Sometimes you'll see a grand theory outlined in some forum post, only for one of the first five comments to be "what about XYZ, it completely stops this from working?"

[@tentativegazer]

@@strangejune Yeah honestly I think Jaru's theories serve their own purpose within the community, to me they feel more like he's using Deltarune as a springboard for his own ideas about worldbuilding and plot and honestly I think that's super duper cool even if I don't think most of them stand much of a chance of actually happening in Deltarune itself lol

[@pyuku5842]

i fucking love this videos editing.. randomly hearing Vinesause joel sating "Gaster confirmedd" is so fucking funny lmaoo

[@angelnati8297]

This will surely be a Andrew Cunningham™️ Approved™️ Classic™️ Undertale™️©️ video

[@uraynuke]

HH4H4H44HH4H4H4-- Nice™! this comment is Uraynuke: Approved™!

[@FilthyTea]

™️©️

[@alton6895]

actually soy-faced and pointed at the monitor screaming "YOOOOOOO" at 0:57 when it played the meat factory song and OFF was on screen

[@Spubbily01]

Some things I noticed: 1. April 2012 has as much leitmotif in it as Man. Man was originally a Yume Nikki fan song, said fansong was released in April 2012. So maybe those songs are meant to be refrencing eachother. 2. Card castle and similar songs sound very similar to the left hand part of Gaster's theme.

[@PlayerCarter.]

Ive always found it odd that a seemingly small side character Noelle has such a large role in Deltarune. Perhaps the only way we can discover Gaster is through the snowgrave route since at the end of it you confirm to Noelle that dark worlds are real with the watch. Its still definitely possible Noelle plays a role in future chapters without the snowgrave route but you might need to do it to keep pushing her to unveil hidden secrets and eventually derail the story enough for Gaster to intervene. Id also like to mention that Noelle being directly connected to Gaster could possibly be used as evidence against Gaster's omnipotence and that he's some sort of side plot, or just not necessary to encounter in the main storyline while still being behind a lot. .

[@popsicIes]

if he even WANTS to intervene, that is. At the end of the day, we barely know anything about the guy, haha

[@PlayerCarter.]

@@popsicIes yeah i probably should have worded that differently, regardless I still think snowgrave is some kind of derailment of Gaster's intensions in one way or another

[@fantaaa.]

the thing about noelle is that her storyline (rather, both storylines) directly involve freedom, as seen in the hospital scene, which is why I think noelle has the freedom theme in all her songs. I doubt noelle will be too involved unless you play on a snow grave route save file, unfortunately

[@stevo1922]

I like how when he says gaster's theme would show up in some "surprising places", his first example is lavender town. The similarity ot lavender town is almost certainly on purpose. Gaster's theme and flashback both sound almost exactly like lavender town and give the same creepy vibes.

[@CondorCrest]

30:54 HOLY SHIT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COVERING THIS. When I was working with Big Shot about a year ago I realized this for myself and that the Freedom Motif, is literally just remixed Gaster. And I've said it quite a few time to friends and a few fellow creators of mine that that's what it is. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!

[@Rayalot72]

Glad to see THE WORLD REVOLVING getting the attention that it deserves. It might just be a recency bias, but I feel like the track is criminally underrated as just a good song on a hard boss, when of its rivals it has one of the most interesting melodies jam packed into just a minute of audio (and it has to deliver if every future secret boss is going to refer back to it). Now knowing it may very well be [i]the[/i] Gaster theme for Deltarune, I wonder if this is Toby's attempt to free Gaster from the trappings of Undertale and the fanbase's expectations of him, converting the usual v - ^^^^ - pattern to a - v - ^^^^ phrase (shifted left 1/right 3). Lost Girl seems to be the only example of TWR being the reference instead of Gaster directly, at least that you've pointed out, but I wouldn't be surprised if Scarlet Forest and WELCOME TO THE CITY are meant to sound a bit like TWR. Getting even more speculative, I'm kind of expecting the yellow/pink eyes "friend" to turn out to be Gaster. They have a striking appearance, one that's referenced by Spamton's own appearence, and seeing them in the dark world of CH2 suggests that they aren't a chapter-specific entity, apparently important enough to be brought back as a jumpscare for the sweepstakes. In the same way TWR escapes the confines of the original Gaster's theme, making this odd character Gaster would let Toby get away from the Mystery Man sprite. Just in general, I hope that this turns out to be true in at least some regard, as the fanbase has truly run away with the character. Defying our expectations seems like the best way to keep Gaster fresh and interesting. Back to how much I appreciate this video, it's nice to have such a strong affirmative argument in favor of the Gaster motif within THE WORLD REVOLVING. As a MediaMotifs viewer, I largely have to go off of their opinion to know what is or isn't musically significant. I think I even went further than most in trying to find sheet music to see if I could see what they were highlighting. I was able to find that the song seemed to clearly be built around that - v - ^^^^ phrase (- v - ^^^^ v - / - v - ^^^^ - v - ^^^^^ - ... / - v - ^^^^ - -; sorry for the scuffed notation throughout, not sure how else to refer to it), but I have no idea how to interpret that sort of information. Are those the same notes as Gaster's theme? Do they have to be? Are you allowed to start the leitmotif from a different note than Gaster's theme and still call it Gaster's theme, as long as it transforms into it/something like it? If MediaMotifs thinks the middle section of the middle section is the only part containing anything Gastery, does that mean the - v - ^^^^ phrase is actually counter-evidence (it can't be Gaster's theme because it's the freedom theme, which is not Gaster's theme, it just goes up and down in a Gastery way)? How do I read a key signature? Which transcriptions of TWR or Gaster's theme are accurate/trustworthy? Anyway, your video does a great job of explaining what's important (even if it somewhat boils down to "it's complicated"), and then applying that to in-game tracks in a way that's easy for a non-music person, like me, to follow. Especially with respect to TWR, I don't have to rely on just "well, Andrew seems to think so." I'm still relying on your expertise, but you're also citing clear reasons for your PoV that make it easier to be confident that the freedom theme and Gaster's theme are clearly related to each other. There's also tidbits like a very low note being related to a very high note that I would simply never be aware of otherwise, the only thing I see is that the notes go down.

[@autumn6501]

Re: the yellow/pink eyed “friend”, I honestly had the same thought. The main fan theory/assumption seems to be that it’s Mike or Tenna, or even just Spamton, but the Sweepstakes jumpscare is what really makes me think. Because wasn’t that the page with “What if it could …” and then “…get darker than dark?” as the title of the tab? So, ever since then, I’ve wondered if it was actually Gaster himself. I think it would be really funny if this ended up being true, because it would mean Toby gave the fandom one of the biggest Gaster teases yet….which most of them proceeded to either misinterpret or gloss over. This could also be wrong, of course, but it feels weirdly fitting lol. To go along with that idea, it’s possible Mystery Man is an earlier concept design or prototype sprite of Gaster, but that Toby has made alterations to his design since then. Or perhaps they’re different “pieces” of Gaster, since he’s shattered and all. I dunno, just food for thought lol, but I know it’s all still very speculative right now, so I’ll leave it at that. Sorry if this reply seems out of nowhere, I’m just glad to see someone else discuss this particular thing lol;;

[@higueraft571]

@@autumn6501 Honestly, the funny thing to think about... Deltarune may have an eerie amount of Homestuck Parallels, between a potential "Creator is Canon", a Spooky Skeleton with his fingerprints and minions everywhere, potentially dominating/controlling an Aspect, with space-time fuckery...

[@IB-jw7bk]

The fact that you stay so close to actual available evidence and don't go too far with extrapolation is one of my favorite parts of the channel! I can kind of get how people think it's less interesting, but if a theory relies on ideas outside the material of Deltarune, then we might as well be doing astrology. Hence why Gaster is everywhere, it's easy to say he did just about anything as long as you don't need to prove it with definitive evidence from the game. Because we know so little, he technically could do anything. Extrapolative theories can still be right, but they're just standing on weaker footing. That said, there's nothing wrong with making those theories either. It's fun, it's an interesting mental exercise, and it allows people to cope with only having 2 chapters. But I do like that your channel takes a more skeptical approach; it's fairly unique within the space for doing so.

[@The5lacker]

Wild-Mass-Guessing being described as "Fan theory astrology" is so perfect.

[@JammyJam5588]

There is one thing in this video not addressed. Namely the discrepency between Queen's theme having Gaster sounding bits compared to Chaos king. And that is one quote the Queen has. In the weird route wheren she directly references gaster while giving a weird ass face Talking about Noelle having waken up enough and that she should sleep into a darker yet darker dream. This as is, gives more credance to Queen's gaster bit having some importance, wheras the Chaos king has 0 moments even vaugely referencing gaster in turn. Not to mention Queen's general connection to Noelle potentially providing further reason for her to have a stronger gaster bit in her music.

[@tamby_teeze]

I think the motif being in Scarlet Forest makes sense, not just because the egg room is there, but because the tree in the egg room looks a lot like the trees in Scarlet Forest, meaning the area might be more uniquely connected to the man with the egg than Cyber City. Also, the specific quote of the motif in Scarlet Forest seems pretty similar to one of the quotes in World Revolving, the one where the top note raises in tone as it’s repeated. Could just be a coincidence, though. Great video, I’ve been off of Deltarune brain rot for a while so this video made me relapse really hard.

[@rileymoore7025]

Since it's largely theorized and even agreed upon that Jevil and Spamton are linked to Gaster in their own ways, I find it interesting that the only other character Spamton shows any interest towards beyond his seething disdain towards his peers... is Noelle in the Weird Route; interestingly, the fact that Spamton ends up being the new boss in the Weird Route and is ultimately defeated by none-other-than Noelle is quite fascinating. The fact that Noelle was her own playable party member was also interesting. Considering she is one of the few original characters in Kris and Susie's class, perhaps her role in the overarching plot could be far more relevant than one might initially presume. There is the mystery of Dess, Noelle's older sister, who had gone missing or died at some point, and while I like the thought of Dess being closely tied to Gaster somehow, the relation is purely speculative as it's never quite clear what happened to her. All we know is Noelle experienced some trauma likely in regards to Dess' disappearance due to failing her spelling bee through the word "December". Whether that trauma is spurred from a specific event or simply the loss of a family member is left up in the air. Ultimately, Noelle's relevance in the story is apparent but too vague to solidly conclude any major events. The pieces are there for juicy story beats, but nothing we could concretely put together without a lot of leaps and stretches.

[@lbsc1201]

In the Sweepstakes Spamton says that Noelle was the only one who read his emails, which is very very interesting when you think about it...

[@betarelics]

This video is incredible! Your explanations of rhythm, intervals, keys, and your use of the diagram made it really easy to follow and understand. The bit with Queen's theme was funny and the way you connected the (likely) Gaster motif in Girl Next Door to Noelle's character was wonderful and makes the leitmotif's presence seem so much more obvious in hindsight.

[@bionicbirb9104]

24:17 when people talk about Gaster: “He could be you, he could be me, he could even be-“

[@Splitboltxful]

Well fuckin done. Really impressed with your editing and humor, as always but even more so in this one.

[@Name_Pendingg]

27:59 oh! a home for flowers, specifically sunflower =D i love how prevalent omori is in this channel

[@zeo4481]

30:40 I completely agree. I have always thought the ,, freedom " motief in all extra-bosses in Deltarune has always been Gasters theme and i have no idea why no one else has brought it up beforehand. Maybe that's just my pre deposition music brain talking but that was always what made sense to me.

[@amf3118]

yeah like, FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT, been talking about that since big shot came out now that we have a more direct connection to him and with another example of the said leitmotif

[@mariotheundying]

People just bring it up if it sounds like Gaster's theme, just that, no musical knowledge it's just by ear, that was prob why no one noticed

[@adv78]

About the "being too safe", imi actually really like that your channel is more grounded. Because i know im not getting much false info/wild speculation, and thus, im able to make my own theories based on the evidence I see, instead of just following someone's else theory

[@IsaiasMartinez-o8x]

"Telephone effect." 15:17 Me: SPAMTON Tony is an amazing man.

[@noahmasoodi184]

Everyone forgets GALLERY! Not only is it one of the few tracks in all caps, the only other ones being ANOTHER HIM or secret boss tracks, but when you reverse GALLERY, you get a slightly distorted Gaster theme. No one recognizes that it at least sounds like Gaster’s theme and it drives me crazy!

[@andrew_cunningham]

Gallery's melody is almost identical to Your Best Nightmare, which is already a known motif, so I just skipped it instead of analyzing it as a malformed Gaster quote.

[@noahmasoodi184]

@@andrew_cunningham Understandable, it does sound a lot like the danger motif from Undertale in Your Best Nightmare. Still, I recommend listening to it reversed. It sounds eerily similar, and even does the modulation. Your reasoning does make more sense though. Amazing video!

[@nightfallsongbird]

The most brainrot theory I’ve pulled from this video is that Toby is the kind of human Noelle was scared of being under her bed (sparked by 45:32)

[@redstonenick302]

This video is like a Siren's Song. I keep seeing it my recommended, actively think to myself "I don't need to watch this again. I already know the information because I've already seen it a dozen times", and then click on it again anyways. Congratulations on making a video that turns me into the lab rat pressing the give dopamine button.

[@HalfBreadChaos]

@30:20 Wait your audience complains that your videos are *safe* and don't fly off the deep end *enough!?!* Haha! Waht?! Damned if you do damned if you don't, my dude! I meet so many fans who sheepishly apologize to me, about not agreeing with literally everything I say, and I keep having to explain to them that I am absolutely capable of being wrong, and that there's nothing wrong with disagreeing with some of my more out-there theories.

[@nicegoodstylish]

I seriously never thought about Noelle in that way! The musical connections totally surprised me. Obviously, we knew that she was special, considering her sister, and that she's literally what enables a Weird Route in Chapter 2. But now I'm definitely convinced that she'll continue to be an MVP later on in the story. She has such a unique effect on the Dark Worlds. I'd say whoever started this Dark World fiasco (Gaster, the Knight) is starting to sweat a little bit.

[@CoraCreates]

Unless it’s all going according to his plan, somehow.

[@nicegoodstylish]

@@CoraCreates True!!!

[@AvariceAgent]

I kind of like the idea that any "up up down down" melody is Gaster's theme, it being hidden in every piece of music under the sun, including stuff that predates Toby, adds a lot to the mystery and lore and feeling of Gaster.

[@roshibomb4247]

I absolutely love the DMCA666 (and it's acronymized name, which was a funny way to boost engagement by making me rewatch its introduction)! It's wonderfully utilized to show different aspects of the music in an easily digestible format, and has a lot of charm in the way it was presented. Plus, the end credits bossfight with the machine is such a cool idea... This entire video is super well executed and engaging, honestly. I just looked at the video's length, and... wow, I had no idea it was so long! I was kept entirely engrossed through the whole runtime. Serious props. Every little bit of video editing and all of the diagrams were super entertaining and informative, I can't imagine just how much effort went into producing a masterpiece like this. I'm very excited for future Chapters, and for your analysis of them :)

[@rosewood618]

This is IMO the best Gaster leitmotif analysis video Ive seen!! Im so glad someone finally made a video analyzing it using theory and explained it in such a comprehensible way! Your editing and writing are also very entertaining :)

[@username5155]

I only *JUST* realized while messing around in a midi program that no one’s been looking for the negative harmony of Gaster’s theme (meaning the same intervals but with inverted direction). It sounds neat and eerie and while a quick Google search did show results for “Hopes & Dreams but it’s in a negative harmony backwards slowed down reverb nightcore” and “Guys!?! Did you know that Gaster is UPSIDE DOWN!?!?!”, there was nothing discussing Gaster’s theme itself, or in fact any discussions of negative harmonies at all in terms of motifs. If I weren’t lazy (And if Chapters 3 & 4 weren’t for sure 100% right around the corner for realzies this time not clickbait), I’d do some research into it myself.

[@imjaymaybe]

Regarding that one segment before the analysis of "The World Revolving," I think people get the wrong idea that Andrew's videos are meant to be shocking and revolutionary. I see them more as fact-checking and just telling us what we missed during our time of being blinded by the fandella effect. If I wanted to hear a crazy theory about Deltarune, I'd watch Game Theory or JaruJaru and listen to them attempt to justify why Ralsei is actually Asriel's corpse with more confirmation bias than actual evidence. I enjoy Andrew's analysis videos because that's what they are, analysis. They don't make things up to explain the unexplained they just tell us what's what. In a community where everyone wants to prove their fanfiction could be canon, it's refreshing to have someone clear the air with an unbiased opinion. Also, the editing is really good.

[@GhostVolume]

Well, Noelle's part is shocking to me at least.

[@Totoamaz]

(This comment was made before the video premiered) I am ready for the Undertale/Deltarune theory man to dispense roughly 50 minutes of musical analysis into my brain. I would like to say that I have a deep connection to Gaster, but unfortunately, before going on the internet the only slightly Gastery thing I ever saw was Goner kid, in my brother's second playthrough (Which was also my second playthrough as I was too young to play games with a lot of words at the time.) but we both just assumed that the Goner kid was there every time as we hadn't ever returned to that pier in our previous playthrough. Anyway, as someone who doesn't even know what a chord is, I look forward to hearing you explain all about this musical question. I have been looking forward to this video since way back when you first mentioned in the ELEKTIONTRÜCKUNG streams. I keep hearing the community say that Gaster's theme is everywhere and then pointing to some janky notes that somewhat sounds like mus_st_him.ogg, but only if you were to ignore half the notes placed in between their examples. Now I only need to wait 7 hours until I can know for sure! (Also, Chrono Trigger part 6's thumbnail is still messed up)

[@sambradley9091]

30:13 "if we're not careful this conversation is going to be a scrolling graphic in the next andrew cunningham video where he is briefly exasperated by community discourse"

[@Crackers0106]

Something not mentioned here is in Don't Forget, at the very end if you listen closely to the background instruments you can hear Gaster's theme, I wonder if it actually is it or if it just sounds similar

[@cellularautomaton.]

it's actually it!

[@NaisanSama]

Damn

[@woodfur00]

What. How There's only one background instrument and it, like, could not be more obviously _not_ there Unless you're talking about a) something so quiet I actually can't hear it at all or b) something you're projecting onto the sustained notes?

[@Crackers0106]

@@woodfur00 It's easier to hear if you look up a version of the song with the vocals removed

[@cellularautomaton.]

@@woodfur00 gaster's theme is outlined very clearly in the final chord as it's arpeggiated up, as the 9 b10 and b14 (or 2 b3 and b7 if you prefer) of the tonic minor chord! the instrument you're listening for is piano, same as the rest of the song!

[@AquaSG.]

5:51 when I heard "A Monster" from Furi come on, I was delighted. When I first heard it in the walking sequence it elicited the perfect emotions for the scenario.

[@kyyay-yt]

One song i feel like you left out; The piano of Don't Forget has three notes at the end which match Gaster's Theme exactly as far as I can tell. It doesn't play the fourth note, but that's really just because it's disguised as part of an otherwise normal chain of rising notes to end off the song. The fact that it's what ends off the song is what really convinces me that it's intentional.

[@smallbabyedwards]

Yep, I came to say this. It’s the same intervals, just moved up a whole step. The first and last notes of Chapter 1 are Gaster’s. Super cool.

[@Cress_Joku]

Yeah, it’s like how reversing dialtone gives you part of the motif too, and at the right speed I think

[@davisdf3064]

So You're telling me, that perhaps Don't Forget is also Gaster's Theme?

[@lunaa764]

This is basically a free music theory class with DR/UT references thrown in to hold my attention. I am subscribed