Chef Saltbaker Lore is DARK - Cuphead DLC

[@Pogobro]

Alright The Mushroom is probably a nod to Mario, thanks everyone for pointing that out!

[@animalsalttheo7348]

yep definetly

[@duuudewazzup8296]

cool

[@bradycicchini6994]

Can you make a theory video about the Angel and Demon boss fight, and why the devil's skeleton is in the background

[@duuudewazzup8296]

It could also be a Berserker mushroom btw which Vikings used to use to enter a rage mode

[@gamingwithsagesagegaming715]

thats what i was going to say, but its kinda different

[@cheese4870]

My headcanon is that Saltbaker wasn't necessarily evil, but rather he believed the Wonder tart would be his magnum opus. He became insane because he would do anything to create it.

[@Faming59]

mate i know ur thing said saltbaker but for some reason my mind read it as silksong lol. granted i haven't had sleep but still. but good headcanon tho honestly my mind went the same line of thinking with it too.

[@Shellboi-j6n]

The true magnum opus was the friends he made along the way, and the ones he accidentally lost, but regained by redemption.

[@devilheartcandy]

@@Shellboi-j6n nawh the true magnum opus was the epilogue. I’m glad he was redeemed but the beginning had me rolling combined with the singing

[@Candoodle88]

True

[@battybuddy]

Pretty much the same here. Also control over the astral plane would mean possibly able to make MORE.

[@quagsirefan8946]

In his apology song at the end of the game, he says “the power went to his head.” Maybe he isn’t necessarily evil, but was driven mad by the absolute power of the Wondertart

[@meadowchanyukikosangacha2643]

I agree. ( but what is the song’s name? )

[@quagsirefan8946]

@@meadowchanyukikosangacha2643 I am pretty sure it is called “A Chef’s Coda”

[@potato886]

i would too, i mean that would be like ghaving the powa of a god.

[@meadowchanyukikosangacha2643]

@@potato886 My theory is the wondertart controls it’s creator, and unfortunately, The poor chef fell under it’s power. Thankfully, Chef Saltbaker was able to overcome the power of the wondertart and gained control over himself again.

[@shadowofthenamelessking]

It’s speculated that The Devil has been coercing Saltbaker the entire time, as the secret path right near his bakery leads directly to the cemetery. The Devil likely lost much of his astral plane powers after the final boss fight, which is why he needs Saltbaker to make the Wondertart so that he could regain his powers back.

[@moldyvirus2769]

I like to think he wasn’t evil at first but slowly went insane trying to perfect the wondertart

[@Ness-q1w]

I think that to

[@bigpoggers6507]

As far as I'm aware, his lore is that trying to get the Wondertart caused him to go insane, and the community service made him realize it wasn't worth it, seeing the whole community he was going to ruin if he continued his persuit. He was never truly evil, he was blinded by his insanity over the Wondertart.

[@katherinehandcock1893]

Agree or devil took over his body

[@IzDBun]

@@katherinehandcock1893 That has got to be the absolute worst Saltbaker theory I've ever read

[@Mecceldorf]

I like to put Saltbaker into perspective with the rest of Inkwell Isle and abroad. This entire world is full of greedy, self serving, and spiteful pricks who broker in other people’s souls (even in Cuphead’s case) run criminal enterprises, and tamper in forces beyond comprehension for power over their enemies as the literal devil claims dominion over the land. Saltbaker is just one part of the system, and while you can say everyone else sees the light of friendship so to speak, I didn’t see any of them do community service.

[@ohcrabapples]

@@IzDBun Yeah the whole devil just comes in all of a sudden just feels so random.

[@IzDBun]

@@ohcrabapples If the devil WERE to be at play here, it would be much more likely that the devil is manipulating saltbaker, but i dont know how much i believe that theory

[@EnterJester]

The reason chef saltbaker is more terrifying than the devil is because the devil didn't do anything scary in his boss fight. Well probably only rip off his skin

[@gitguuchisidetweedledeeand7200]

And bleed tears, and commit to horrific body horror, ect.

[@ranitback2098]

@@gitguuchisidetweedledeeand7200 when you put it that way Devil is CONSIDERABLY more horrific but it depends on what is scary to people

[@guynamedrick4419]

The devil thinks that cuphead and mugman are punks even when he grows large he still isn't taking things seriously and as a result he takes to much damage realizing that he didn't act quickly enough too late now he starts crying because he realizes he's fucked.

[@nicolelouise7295]

I suppose it's bc Saltbaker is legitimately tormenting not just the player/playable characters but also tormenting living characters who very clearly feel pain and using them as weapons all while he smiles. It hits that spot bc it seems real. The Devil has this more uncanny feel, a bit more hitting on traditional interpretations/imagery of the Devil therefore more supernatural and less grounded in reality compared to Saltbaker's sequence. You're more at awe at the symbolism and the multiple nods to different interpretation while in Saltbaker you're at awe at the smoothness of the animation while also being sad/terrified for the ingredients. It also kinda helps in Saltbaker's case that the Devil was crying like a baby (literally) during one of his sequence losing some scare factor while Saltbaker continued having that angry manic look in each phase. I mean I still find his transitions so beautifully terrifying. Like the Devil was big but in Saltbaker's sequence they've really emphasized how big he is.

[@Contemplatingspider]

Nah bro the devil is more scary my man took his skin off

[@KikiCatMeow]

I really appreciate the bit at the end about giving MDHR time and not screaming at them to make things faster. I think a lot of people don’t fully understand or appreciate just how goddamn long detailed, fluent 2d animation like this takes, especially from a fairly small team. As an artist, I can’t even begin to imagine how long Chef Saltbaker’s fight took to animate, and even other fights like The Howling Aces easily took dozens upon dozens of hours. There’s a reason this dlc took 4 years guys, and it wasn’t due to slacking lol

[@pirate_cove_man]

I love how he forshadows the twist by saying that "heart and *soul* is the secret ingredient"

[@lukethedoge4842]

I SAW THAT, I was like “whatchu mean by that?”

[@Kaisona2017]

He also expects you to “put yourself fully in bringing the Wondertart to life.”

[@jpcnmt07]

Undertale.

[@wolftuxedo4301]

I think Chef Saltbaker is such a clever concept for a bossfight. He's literally a salt holder trying to take control of the astral plane, that is basically inhabited by ghosts. Like how salt circles are used in real life to ward off ghosts and keep them at bay.

[@ChronDoc024]

LOL

[@valentinobisaccia1258]

Well to me it's fitting that the final boss is a saltshaker as he represents the salt cuphead players have when playing, looking specifically grim matchstick and Dr kahls robot for making me lose years of my life about a game with cups, and the salt plain we inhabit in his final two phases represents the combined salt of all cuphead players

[@cream2406]

@@valentinobisaccia1258 ima be real, once you equip lobber grim matchstick is easy, and dr khals gets easier every death. the only boss i truly struggled with was king dice, i was stuck on him for 2 years…

[@ThaProd1gy]

@@valentinobisaccia1258 saltbaker is basically the devs saying "yeah we know yall salty this game was hard " lol

[@agamerdude7596]

@@cream2406 It depends on the person.

[@ghastlygno3002]

My theory/headcanon on saltbaker is that he had some bond with chalice (like a grandma) and when the war happened he was still very young but chalice was like the only family member he had, and one day he stumbled upon a mausoleum when he went inside he found some ancient hyeroglyph that described how to bring back the dead from the astral plane, as soon as he realized what it meant he pulled the hyeroglyph out of the pillar in which it was written (it was written ON the pillar, not attached to.) as soon as he did, the mausoleum and the land around it started collapsing, so he made a run for it. After years of baking and learning about the astral plane , he made the astral cookie, and right when he baked it, he realised he had no way of getting in contact with chalice, so, he went to porkrind's to see if he had anything to help him achieve it, and he saw a relic (porkrind had like 3 at that time, but they get cursed later on ) porkrind said it was just junk, but with the knowledge he had about the astral plane, he knew it had to be related. He walked around the isles, when he went into the graveyard the relic revived the 9 ghosts of those buried in the graveyard, 8 wanted to remain buried but were willing to help revive others, the 9th was a detective and he told saltbaker that the relic was a powerful object from the astral plane, but, after the ghost finished saying that, the relic broke in pieces for seemingly no reason, even the ones at porkrind's did. The detective ghost and chalice (who, at that time was also trying to escape the astral plane) forgot all of what they were doing, the 8 ghosts werent affected by this because they buried themselves in an half-real word half-astral plane state, but, some evil (and also chalice's) souls that were trapped inside the relic broke free and tried possesing saltbaker but the 9 ghosts managed to fend them off from saltbaker, who now was half possesed and the evil soul wanted that he'd free other evil souls and to become a god by using the wondertart, something the soul knew about from being from the astral plane, not too long after this, the mausoleum that got destoyed was rebulit on shore, almost like the ghost of those who lived there came back to life and rebuilt it, in order to empower the relic and become more powerful, the soul started a climbing contest to take the life energy from the winners (which is the same way you enpower the cursed relic in-game) but he also needed to something to activate it, like defeating a high-powered entity from the astral plane and trapping them into it, but, they needed someone who expierenced trauma (like almost losing your soul to the devil) in order to open a rift to the astral plane, nothing like that happened for many years, so the soul eventually forgot about it, in this time the soul tried multiple times to get the ingridients, but only managed to get 2 (the limes or sugar cubes he throws at the start of the fight) one day, he found the astral cookie again in his bakery, and for the first time in years, guided by sheer emotions, saltbaker took control of his own body again, to find chalice and bring her back to life, he succeceded, and fought off the evil soul for a long time, that is until mugman, cuphead and chalice start their journey on isle IV, when the soul managed to take over saltbaker, and adapted to the plan that saltbaker had executed so far and twisted it to fit his needs, instead of using the wondertart to bring chalice back, he'd use it to make himself a god. and while they were busy getting ingridients, he kidnapped cuphead/mugman/chalice and killed them (in the way that you become a soul that can be revived) And put him in a machine that made it so he couldnt be revived. When they came back, he revealed his plans, and here is where the fight starts, his first phase is saltbaker's body being controlled from a far while the soul is cooking in another place in the bakery, his second phase is the soul manifestating itself as a mushroom (which is pink because the soul is pink, like the ghosts in mausoleums, who were also evil and released from the relic) to take care of the cups. His third phase is the soul doing a plan-B in the bakery to freely move around the salt desert that the bakery has become (also the background looks like that because of the high astral energy being used) phase 4 is the soul coming out to fight possesing saltbaker's heart (which is why its so angry) after the fight, the soul gets sent back to the astral plane and saltbaker is now free after many years, which is why he isnt evil no-more. God this took so long Edit: the soul also broke slatbaker "skin" apart in the final phase by accident while being a typhoon of salt, which is also what made the pillars appear, which are also possesed by evil souls that had been released (the one the 9 ghosts fended off) And you can tell when saltbaker is possesed by seeing if his eyes are yellow, Also, his body got repaired at the end because the thing that made and was keeping the bakery like that was the high astral energy of the soul, so when it wasnt there, the astral energy also wasnt there so it stopped and went back to before the astral energy was used Edit2: the reason why chalice is in her physical form was because of saltbaker using the evil soul to make the wondertart, then gave it to her like he wanted to do originally

[@Hydrationator2]

das alat to read

[@VerticalFlyer47]

The "chives" in the second phase are actually the pineapple mint, so he actually uses all of the ingredients during the fight!

[@JuggR]

I honestly thought the pineapple mint didn't get used

[@unknownvariable9239]

The devil is the devil himself… but Chef Saltbaker is way more terrifying. Sure the devil can shapeshift and morph, but Chef Saltbaker kills in his boss fight. The sugar is sad, and the strawberry/apple box cries after getting all his content squeezed from him. Not to mention how insane chef Saltbaker looks compared to the devil.

[@RachelForbes]

the devil is still stronger tho

[@ellisp276]

Well saltbaker is scarier because of what we see on screen if you think about it the devil will be torturing souls and worse

[@Uuyrijies1123]

@@RachelForbes A gun is more lethal than a knife though.

[@phobixthething5692]

@@Uuyrijies1123 Can I see the version of the DLC where Saltbaker has a gun?

[@catalyst539]

@@phobixthething5692 he doesn’t

[@BigT_199]

Personally, I think the dlc was well worth the wait. It turned out amazing 🤩

[@rebeccaarts15]

agreed, it was difficult, but soooooo worth it!

[@semreh12]

there is no much theory about saltbaker… the ending song actually is saltbaker realizing that he let “the best chef in all the land” title and all skill go to his head, making him believe he could just achieve more like it was nothing. the song describes of course, him having to payback for his felonies towards the people from whom he took. we see him tending the gnome berry farms, working for the moonshine mob, after clearing that the distillery wasn’t on any shady bussines, having to serve the freeze guy, work as a host for the cowgirl, as helper for the howling aces, and the free time he had, he befriended the king of games. ultimately the song just shows that he spent the entire time he was repaying others, reflecting on what he did, looking at his ruined bakery, thus he decided to start from zero and rebuild his bakery from scratch, and all by his own hand.

[@capybarasir9139]

Ye he said in that song that he let the power get to his head. So he try’s to get the tart just so he can have power and nothing to do with it but eh

[@EdWiley671]

0:24 Cuphead doesn’t “kill” the bosses in the main game, he collects the deeds to their souls. It’s not like Cuphead rips the souls out of the bosses like in the show, he just beats them until they hand over the papers.

[@Anomalyundetected]

@bowen voowy revealed in a trailer where the rat hands over their deed to cuphead after being defeated

[@erickpoorbaugh6728]

@@Anomalyundetected The account you're replying to looks like a bot that copy-pastes other people's comments.

[@potato886]

*beats ppl to near death* cuphead: GIMME THE PAPERS.

[@Nobody44112]

@@potato886 Cuphead and Mugman are kinda like the two guys in Pulp Fiction

[@Aristocles22]

The cow girl looked pretty dead. Turned into sausages, which in turn get canned, and then the can gets killed, with the sausages individually rising up to heaven.

[@penburger]

Bro that is the most creative way I've seen somebody ask people to subscribe. You have me on board dude

[@coldstone0796]

I believed that Saltbaker needed the wondertart to become immortal and basically a god. He now has full control over the astral plane, meaning he could probably summon ghosts and never die, as whenever he would die he could just bring himself back to life.

[@flamebozo]

Someone else said this exact thing in another video

[@coldstone0796]

@@flamebozo ayo where

[@BrandonTheCumsack]

Hell salt baker if he had that wondertart according to your theory, he could probably bring back the devil

[@kaidothedrunkard]

@@BrandonTheCumsack But the Devil never died, he just got his shit kicked in.

[@BrandonTheCumsack]

@@kaidothedrunkard I didn't think that because in the background of the secret boss in the dlc there was a skeleton that reminded me of the devil

[@loganharris7801]

I think that the whole “Saltbaker being fine after having his glass skin break” is just cartoon logic. One of the bosses lost a beard, one lost a whole lot of grunts, and one literally turned into a sausage but in the end credits, they all seem just fine. The only exception is the devil, who’s giant skeleton remains dead. I think the final phases of saltbaker’s boss really don’t have to be put in depth because of this whole cartoon logic.

[@battybuddy]

I don’t think the devil can “die”. He’s the DEVIL.

[@potatocrisp5197]

i also think wally warbles the bird is dead but idk

[@MutedAndReported3032]

I’m pretty sure that right after the Devil’s fight, you can see him being just fine, although with a lot of bandages and crutches. As for Wally Warbles, I think he also appeared in the epilogue, but I’m not sure

[@potatocrisp5197]

@@MutedAndReported3032 for wally nah he didn't

[@GreatGameTutorials]

@@potatocrisp5197 all the characters are alive, it’s cartoon logic. This has been confirmed too.

[@bernabus]

It's just not the animation that takes too long to make, it's the whole atmosphere as well as the music that makes it take so much time

[@themagicalgamer6522]

Music def doesn't take as long

[@ESparkAster]

@@themagicalgamer6522 While that is true, music is really hard to do, especially with a full on physical orchestra that any person could blow at any moment.

[@minosprimeultrakillreal]

I believe that Saltbaker isn't really evil. As he seemed like a great man when first discussing the wondertart with the cups (and chalice), along with at the end of the game in the credits. Instead, I believe the wondertart drove him mad, as it could essentially give him infinite amounts of power. Edit: The edit was nothing serious, just fixing a mistake in my message.

[@trymetrix857]

@an 8th dimensional being well there's no telling if he knew it needed a soul from the start- he may have figured that out along the way

[@al_insan]

@@trymetrix857 But doesn't Saltbaker says along the line " The most important ingredient are the heart and souls." It's foreshadowing in the early game tho...

[@lianaverwood9810]

Hasn't anybody heard that "Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely"?

[@Not-Natpex]

This blew my mind, I didnt realise that the attacks from Saltbaker from his first phase are the ingredients you collected from all the bosses! That detail is amazing! Also, the “name that shroom”, its obviously a super mushroom from Mario since Saltbaker grew in size after eating it

[@xxmension04xx47]

The second phase also has the pineapple mints

[@rosyhvideo2587]

🍄

[@pietrosmusi6348]

3:42 Woodman from MegaMan just called and he wants his leaves back

[@AtmanRyu]

If we go with Chowder's logic about sentient food, as long as the ingredients are prepared with love, they don't suffer, and in fact they look forward to be converted into tasty food. For Saltbaker to be considered the greatest baker in the land meant that he indeed respected his ingredients, at least before the events of the Delicious Last Course. As another commenter already brought up, is very likely that the prospect of the Wondertart drove him mad (during the whole fight Saltbaker has the eyes of a madman, just like Judge Doom), and because he was cooking with cruel intent, that's why the ingredients are suffering during the fight. And because he was corrupted by the Wondertart, that's why community service seemed like a fair punishment, since it gave him time to reflect and repent for his sins. In fact, his song in the epilogue pretty much spells it out: "I am Chef Saltbaker, I have been a naughty cook The recipe was in my book, the recipe was overcooked I should not have let all of that power go to my head Now I'll bake for good, now I'll bake my bread I have learned my lesson, I have learn my lesson well It's better to bake in Heaven than learn to cook in Hell I'm still the best tartmaker, best tartmaker in the land My baking will bring cheer to my new friends, whom I hold dear."

[@FilmmakeroftheFuture]

I like your Chowder reference. I usually think of a line in The Amazing World of Gumball where Idaho the Potato says there’s a difference between the food served in the cafeteria and the sentient food that’s your friend.

[@EnterJester]

I love how you explained all of it very well. The others don't do that good job on it as you did, awesome video!

[@Mario-dm2ln]

Sheesh how many times you have to comment?

[@EnterJester]

@@Mario-dm2ln I have a lot of stuff to say lol

[@jessicapinkman-hd4bw]

there is a video from a guy calling himself recd where he comes up with the idea that saltbaker was being overworked by people specifically the villains of isle 4 who demanded large shares even at nighttime not giving him any rest and making him extremely stressed out he then found out about the astreal planes and how to access it so set off to get his hands on the wondertart and then eat it to become a God and cover the place in salt killing it's residents as revenge but that's just fan made information and probably not what was intended

[@MysticTheUnicorn]

Actually he may have “referenced” it at the start. If you talk to him before leaving the bakery, he mentions how (like with all baking recipes) the secret ingredient is to bake with your heart and *soul* The “Secret ingredient” at the end of the game is a LIVING/ACTUAL SOUL

[@good1005inhighdefinition]

@trash His final phase is a heart :P

[@TheLegoMaster261]

I think dark lore fits right in with Cuphead considering a lot of early animation had surprisingly dark stories in them.

[@pauladudleycreatfeat]

For real

[@TheRealSuperKirby]

Mushroom = drugs

[@edizicu9853]

REALLY?!

[@jessicapinkman-xm2eg]

​@Edi Zicu yes really except it and move on

[@Coocoocrazy3]

Yea game theory theory about how cuphead and mugman were moonshiners during the prohibition

[@freemoviewatchchannelmongolia]

My Opinion: Mr.Salt-Baker Likes To Make Foods The Wondertart Requires Lots Of Skill, Time And Special Ingredients That Drove Him Crazy He Really Wanted To Make Wondertart

[@atomiik_brainfood]

I remember when the first DLC trailer came out I looked at Chef Saltbaker and was like, “Oh, he’s gonna be the final boss for sure.” My friend called me stupid and we bet 5 bucks. Anyways, guess who made 5 bucks.

[@birb5306]

NICE

[@wingdinggaster66]

LMAO

[@Lunaris27]

Nice xD

[@ExDixionconderoga]

*LETS GO*

[@nothilton4943]

that's awesome

[@Snavels]

3:29 Since this game was made as a love letter to both the cartoons the Moldenhauer brothers grew up loving AND the video games they played. It's entirely possible that they just liked Mario and wanted to include a reference. I know the Howling Aces bulldog is dressed like a Street Fighter character, so it's not too much of a stretch that they wanted a visual gag to make Chef Saltbaker giant for his second phase. 3:45 Also, I used to think it was basil, but it has been pointed out that it's likely the peppermint leaves from the Pineapple Peppermint and theyre just small because he's massive. 3:48 It's more than likely Peppercorn. In addition to it's normal black appearance, Peppercorn can also be Green, Red, and White 4:38 This is just simple cartoon logic. After many of the transformations that the bosses go through, theyre still able to return to their original form. This is how we see bosses like Winchester being back to her normal cowpoke self in the credits. Or how we see Cala Maria being fine at the end of the original game (despite her body being destroyed in her boss fight)

[@Pogobro]

all good points!

[@Holenpense]

Not only the bulldog,I’m fairly certain that the toad bros are also a reference to Ken and Ryu from SF

[@foxboy6145]

Another SF reference is in his mate's kill screen, where she's posed like Cammy.

[@WeezerFan505]

God the animation is beautiful

[@ThatLoganTimm]

He’s not evil in the sense of killing the ingredients, as since they are “ingredients” the would have been eaten by other people, sooooo, everyone’s evil?

[@Pogobro]

oh my god the layers

[@heavyweaponguy9372]

Saltbaker called Saul Goodman

[@vanilla5643]

I imagine the living ingredients are similar to livestock in the cuphead world

[@ThatLoganTimm]

@@vanilla5643 The plot thickens…

[@chaos4654]

It's possible the fact Saltbaker was acting maliciously might've been picked up by the Ingredients and that's what made them scared. A wacky enough toon world like Cuphead might include food that wants to be eaten. Or it's just a bit of dark comedy. Idk.

[@noxtinker2936]

He actually did tell you that the final ingredient was a soul if you talk to him before going on your journey as he says to any good recipe requires for you to put your heart and soul into it

[@darktooth4576]

Pretty ironic too since he does have a heart phase, so, the soul of another, and his own heart.

[@stephaniesmith8271]

The reason why saltbaker doesn't tell about the soul ingredient is cuz saltbaker wants the Wondertart for himself

[@thatguynamedgeorge9218]

Your argument about randomly throwing out the Astral Plane plan being suspicious is good and all, except that it isn't random. If Saltbaker did try to pursue the Wondertart again . . . 1. Everybody would be against him and if he failed, would get zero third chances and no future in baking. 2. He would have to get all the ingredients again, and fight the bosses, Cuphead, and Cuphead's friends himself. 3. It would be ridiculously impractical and insanely hard. When he first tried to pursue it, it was because he had the opportunity to sucker Cuphead and his friends to do all the hard work for him, and that his goal would relatively easy for him to achieve. There's was a reason he hadn't tried until now. If he did again, it would be him against the world, and he is smart enough to realize that he would have practically no chance of winning by himself. In summary, he does have some logical reasons why he should just give it up. I mean, Cuphead just isn't it a game that leaves things with a bad note, so I like to think they just also want a happy ending here.

[@randomaccount4950]

The reason it’s a happy ending is because that’s how most shows and cartoons ended in the 1940-1960s

[@theladiescallmesona]

He could have stole the ingridients on his community service way...

[@thatguynamedgeorge9218]

@@theladiescallmesona Maybe, but the bosses were with him as he did his work so I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have let him sneak any out.

[@thatoneguy5343]

@@thatguynamedgeorge9218 Perhaps the boss actually rewarded him with the ingredients.

[@Lemonwolf25]

The reason saltbaker wants the wondertart is to make his own world and get revenge at the other bosses

[@EnterJester]

5:31 you guys notice that chalice is free now? Probably he finally helped her

[@noobyplays3981]

someone other than cuphead and mugman eat the cookie

[@EnterJester]

@@noobyplays3981 she said she don't want anyone else to get harmed because of her so probably no one eat the cookie

[@DiglettZone]

But how did they get a soul or did they use soul substitite (™️)

[@JD.ThatGuy]

@@DiglettZone they probably did use something other that a wondertart to bring chalice back.

[@spectralbut]

@@DiglettZone MTT Brand Human Soul Substitute, to be exact

[@BroTheHeck156]

But did you notice at the end of the story when saltbaker rebuilt his bakery, cuphead, mugman, and chalice were alive. This could either mean that Chalice ate the wondertart somehow, or that Saltbaker was able to make something less gruesome to free Chalice from the astral plane, but also be able to turn back into a ghost. Anything could have possibly happened

[@wyn9693]

ok hear me out, saltbaker claims he has a soul alternative, and then puts in the soul of some random unseen resident. why would they question the man who's had a "change of heart" giving them a happy ending

[@chrishansen3278]

@bowen voowy pepper is the opposite of salt

[@TheReal716]

I'm really glad he changed at the end. Also the song that he sings while showing his turn around is a banger

[@EnterJester]

Chef saltbaker said he want that soul so he will have the powers from the soul to himself

[@reillythewingaming]

There is definitely a connection between the secret boss and saltbakers obsession with the astroplane

[@carnical2315]

Devil talked to chef…? 🤨interesting…

[@reillythewingaming]

@@carnical2315 I just find it strange that chef wants to control the astroplane while what looks like the ghost of the devil is in the same isle.

[@carnical2315]

@@reillythewingaming agreed… here’s my theory. After being beaten- the Devil’s own soul was split into 2, and he was trapped in the astral plane. We players defeat the souls and thus put the Devil back together. I think saltbreaker was working on helping chalice for a long time, (with cookies- and connecting her to the astral plane…) Maybe he slowly realized he needed someone’s soul- and was manipulated into completing the wondertart.. (Like at first he was really trying to help, but then slowly succumbed to insanity from the astral plane..)

[@SueNorman-ww9mx]

Ingredients Ranked By Fate 5: Gnome Berries 4: Pineapple Mint 3: Distillery Dough 2: Icy Sugar Cubes 1: Desert Limes

[@papyrusthegreat457]

I feel like we didn’t get to see enough of Chef Saltbaker’s personality yet to truly judge him good or evil. He seemed nice enough to start with, but yet the way he hurt the poor little sugar cube... But also, food has to come from somewhere likely in the cuphead universe, and almost everything is sentient. Heck, all of the food WE eat is sentient, even plants! (Plants are said to be able to feel pain and emit distress pheromones) I’d like to assume the ending was truly good, I mean he got his bakery back, and did try and help everyone

[@PunchDotOrg]

“He takes out of mushroom and he grows bigger” HOW DID YOU NOT KNOW IT WAS SUPER MARIO REFERENCE WHEN YOU SAID THAT

[@Pogobro]

listen I have never been a nintendo guy, IM SORRY

[@meandmyboys8728]

I think that’s helping him with hypnotize you look at his eyes they are yellow like mangosteen but sometimes they look hypnotize

[@ChicaGaming_Z]

2:23 actually... Saltbaker did actually use cookie cutters to kill the dough I honestly thought that he uses his hand to magically make those cookie shapes but in closer look he actually does uses the cookie cutter

[@4GRJ]

Such variance in shapes for just using 2 molds What a talented chef

[@lukethedoge4842]

@@4GRJ 4*

[@Pogobro]

yeah I noticed that on the edit but didnt have a mic to rerecord, good eye!

[@Z3N1TY0]

I didn’t notice the cutter right away and didn’t realize what he was doing at first for some reason so I thought the was playing with it like a smile tiktoker💀

[@JodaroKujo]

Yea same

[@gameplaystudios236]

I think the Mushroom is just a Mario reference since it makes saltbaker grow

[@Pogobro]

okay thats a good explanation

[@jessicapinkman-hd4bw]

'no murder involved' their stealing all of these people's food which would mean eventually starving them to death of course it's murder we see them kill an ice guy during mortimer freezes stage even if they all deserved it

[@theflamethr0wer724]

I believe that when Saltbaker tried to manipulate souls for cooking it corrupted him. Satan probably collects souls so he could control the afterlife and when Saltbaker got his hands on a soul he slowly began to become Satan himself. or maybe the developer just wanted to create a salty final boss and didn't think too much about it. Still I like that he doesn't get mad at his messed up plans and actually admits he was wrong and tries to fix his mistakes. I would be cool if he returned as an antihero of some kind like king Dedede in the future cuphead projects.

[@MichaelTaylor-qp2xf]

The moment that the gnome berries box runs off crying is when I determined that Saltbaker is the most evil entity in Cuphead. Then, he pulled out the sugar ice cube. 😢

[@theladiescallmesona]

AAAGHH THE POOR SUGAR

[@FunkyPupo]

3:33 That is a reference to Mario, where Mario eats mushroom to get stronger to defeat the Koopas and Goompas.

[@Gigas0101]

Just a quick thing... He doesn't use his fingers on the Distillery Dough, he uses cookie cutters to make the shapes. You zoom in on a really good shot of the cutters as you say he tears it up with his fingers, too. Oops. Amazing video either way, thanks. Saltbaker's pretty darn evil. Judging by the Devil skeleton in the secret DLC boss, I guess he wanted to use the Wondertart to either revive the Devil or replace him as the new big bad... Then again his design also makes me think of Bluto, as does his ending.

[@Feashis]

The Devil isn’t dead. But the Devil’s Skeleton can’t be explained

[@the_katss]

@@Feashis well, cupead takes a nap so it feels like a battle against your mind. Because the angels and devils on your shoulder

[@Feashis]

@@the_katss that’s a good point. I forgot about the nap part

[@the_katss]

@@Feashis fair

[@Thornskade]

The ingredients aren't really alive, but random objects moving, getting faces or emotions is just something that happened in old cartoons without explanation. Especially in Disney and Fleischer cartoons, when a character is shown to have a lot of trouble with common objects, such as trying to set up a foldable chair, you'd often see the chair literally become alive or act stubborn and move and kick like a mule, just to mess with the character more. That's not intended to mean that the chair is a living being, but rather to exaggerate the protagonist's incompetence with the object. As in, they're so bad at getting the chair in place, one would think it's trying to defy them. In this case, I take it as to exaggerate the Chef's evilness. He's trying to sacrifice your friend so everything he does is portrayed as pure evil, not only his expressions and gestures, but also the way he cuts the ingredients, and so they're portrayed as alive and innocent just to make it all seem even more evil than it would otherwise be. Oh, and it's more interesting to look at for the viewer, too. After all, it's not an uncommon sight in modern cartoons either. There's been multiple times Squidward's house acted as though it was alive, just because it has a face on it. There's no explanation, but it definitely doesn't mean that the house is alive - these are purely visual gags.

[@umamifan]

I love it when inanimate objects suddenly become animate and turn into living beings without explanation in order to provide additional amusement for us viewers

[@Zip_Zap_Zop]

Exactly, also wouldn't cuphead and the others have noticed that the ingredients were alive when getting them? It just show that they weren't really alive to begin with

[@denisepage5389]

My theory is that Chef Saltbaker believed that the wondertart would be his masterpiece, and he went insane and according to his phase 3 death card, he wanted the world to be his "salt domain". Maybe he wanted to overthrow the devil? Cause the angel and demon fight is related to the Astral plane, and since the fight was a scrapped phase for the devil's fight, Maybe the reason Saltbaker wanted to take over the world was because he wanted to show everyone that he was more insane and powerful than Satan himself?

[@Angry_Ostrich]

I like how it foreshadowed chef saltbaker at the beginning with him saying the ‘like any good bake heart and soul is the secret ingredient’

[@Baki1200-d5y]

I think the show is an alternate timeline where ms. Chalice managed to get the wonderhart before meeting Cuphead and Mugman (because in the show episode we meet her she turns into ghost but can still be in a body) and Cuphead and Mugman didn't get to the devil's casino.

[@Verynoobman]

in the show,everything changed,dont forget that they didnt get the pretty much almond water that lets them shoot either,oh and cuphead is not worried about his soul

[@maroonluckyblockgames7062]

But we literally see her eating the astral cookie in the cartoon

[@lavenderchannel5740]

I think the show is just the P ranking(pacifist run gets you a p rank but im sure you know that already) since in the show cuphead and mugman don't really fight anyone idk i havent finished the show yet

[@mistergorila29]

cuphead didnt fight anyone but making so much troubles

[@MasterIsabelle]

I wonder how saltbaker would appear in the show

[@notturkiyegaming]

I think chefbaker wanted to revive the devil, because the astral plane boss, in the background there’s the devil’s skeleton seen in his boss battle so he can cause chaos, just my theory, though

[@sonic-gf8vr]

Theory: "the secret boss is the devil, but not entirely. Because it turns out when cuphead and his brother defeated him, he was shattered and destroyed into two separate pieces. Being the angel and devil, and their defeat animation is based on how you just put the devil's own spirit back together.

[@carnical2315]

Crap we brought him BACK…..

[@gamertypeawesome]

yeah but you dont need to beat the game for dlc access i think

[@HoovyGaming]

@@carnical2315 haha cuphead 2 goes vr(4 years of o)m

[@Sir_nooby]

3:22 Bruh just got a Mario mushroom

[@enclave5804]

The question is how did salt baker obtain it

[@Sir_nooby]

@@enclave5804 super Mario bro’s

[@RexJr.Moquete]

His change of heart is just really funi cartoon logic

[@aidendavid1123]

I think the reason he wanted the Wondertart for himself is because he wanted to rule the world because in phase 3 the death card says, "Your futile efforts were in vain, this world will be my salt domain."

[@dcraw9799]

Or maybe he was tired and maybe some of the main bosses talked about the wondertart and he heard it so he wanted to make it so he could control the world but he couldn't do it himself so he gained the trust of miss chalice who then asked Cups and mugs to help

[@thauroji8501]

it's to be noted that at the end panel, all three of the protagonists are around saltbaker, everyone in physical form. That means Miss Chalice has found something to be alive again, whether it is from the tart (this means that saltbaker consumed another soul to do his tart, but I highly doubt it because Miss Chalice doesn't want someone to be killed for her desire) or another mean

[@SimpleManGuitars1973]

I think the biggest nod to Mario that I've not heard anybody mention is the last phase of the Howling Aces when the screen flips and the controls flip. That is straight out of Mario Galaxy.

[@jessicapinkman-xm2eg]

I highly doubt that that was a reference to that

[@GB-sr9kv]

for ms. chalice in the cuphead show, at the end of the last episode she’s able to turn into a ghost body, meaning she already ate the wondertart

[@rise.-mikey]

She probably has the cookies, I don't think she would have the wondertart this early on in the show

[@GB-sr9kv]

@@rise.-mikey but then who did she switch with?

[@theladiescallmesona]

@@GB-sr9kv anyone, shes a manipulator in the show

[@lilylove925]

The show isn’t canon to the games so….

[@joshponce2475]

3:43 He actually uses the pineapple mint leaves as an attack I think. Since all the other four ingredients were present in the first phase

[@GradientOfUnpleasentness]

Yes

[@platinumcat8388]

Also, it looks like some of the pepper shakers shoot pineapples, But I’m sure.

[@Ultramon420]

I think Saltbaker may have had some history with the residents in II4. I saw in Recd’s lyric video for this boss that Saltbaker would use the Wondertart to get back at everyone who treated him badly for many years, those being the bosses. He could also possibly want to control the entire astral plane, but I’m more convinced on the first one.

[@00_BRUHH]

RecD's lyrics aren't really canon until it's confirmed by MDHR. But also, Saltbaker shows absolutely no hints or clues that he was mistreated by the residents.

[@GCatlord]

When he does go into the second stage, it's not chives he's throwing at you, it's the final ingredient you got for him- mint. Dough, berries, sugar, lime, the only one missing from that phase is mint!

[@mistymoonstone7090]

Look, all I’m saying, having COMPLETE control of the astral plain, that’s pretty powerful. You immediately became the worlds #1 most wanted man (in a good way) because you can just control whether or not someone is alive, or a spirit, you can grand immorality, or take the life of someone else. So you basically have the best negotiation chip known to man, “give me what I want or I’ll just literally un-alive you”. Immortality obviously also applies to yourself, and anyone you care about. Plus, not that I think anyone this power crazy would do, but you could just ask any dead person… anything, you could literally have all the worlds forgotten secrets, just like that. And if someone doesn’t want to give you the answers you’re looking for, you can just threaten them with never letting them Rest In Peace in the afterlife, or bring them back over and over again in a world then have absolutely no concept of.

[@TricBrosStudios]

The mushroom is probably less of a nod to Mario and more to Alice in Wonderland. Although I’m pretty sure Mario drew reference from that, so.

[@Quazilixe]

He does say quote: “the heart and soul is the key ingredient the wondertart”

[@cheeseman463]

I feel the devil is much more evil, as he takes your soul away and puts you in a container for eons while your husk of a body is standing there where he told your soul.

[@carnical2315]

I mean… the husks are disgusting and I’d be terrified to see someone alive… breathing.. but yet missing what makes them.. people. and from the looks of the (“decorations”) in his room, he tortures sentient things too… and let’s not forget the one scene in S2 where Henchman opens the curtains and there are burning/mutilated undead-corpses. 🙃(The only current episode released for season 2.)

[@woterrequired7827]

Someone in the cuphead I've been curious about is Glumstone The Giant, ever since I saw his puppets of Devil and King Dice, I’ve wondered what happened between the three.

[@navybee5301]

Those aren't chives, they're actually the pineapples leaves. It IS called a mint pineapple.

[@Pogobro]

yeah I think I called it the correct thing once and then chives once

[@mryeast123imakevideos8]

@@Pogobro did you notice in the prologue chalice is back to life with cuphead and mugman?

[@leiftoons5644]

Out of all the victims in cuphead, I felt sad to see the sugar cube go out like that 😔.

[@challengeyt1078]

I think he wants to make it to prove he is the best and that's that.

[@snackboxone364]

The wondertart is probably just his way of making his “greatest” creation I guess

[@charkusunderground9650]

I honestly think Saltbaker having a random change of heart isn’t very unusual for something which is supposed to be a cartoon, character motivation in many cases can change very suddenly lol

[@CreeperG0d]

I think it has something to do with the Angel and the Demon. He has a good side and a bad side, and something must have happened that the Demon(Not the Devil) convinced him to do this while 2 of the trio were outside getting the ingredients.

[@TwilightGummi1118]

1:46 when dying in his third phase he says something about a salty domain, so maybe he just wants control?

[@a26lolhart]

I feel like saltbaker was like possessed by the devil or something. His eyes are yellow, and after the fight he seems genuinely innocent

[@stevenzupo6861]

I definitely agree with that, and I like to think that, with RedD's Fan-Lyric video of Baking the Wondertart, that what he perceives with everyone demanding the hell with his bake goods and being ungrateful, is mostly exaggerations spurred on by The Devil's Spirit, sorta like a Palpatine deal here, after all, the Devil's Soul is the secret boss of the DLC, so it makes sense that this would be the Devil's plan to use the exhausted Baker as a pawn to bring his soul back, and use the power of the Wondertart to control the Astral Plane and basically becoming the ruler of Souls, without Soul Contracts.

[@BILLCIPHER8]

This is my headcanon now.

[@themagicalgamer6522]

The game shows a character's iris as a resource to show them on a desperate/deranged state. King dice was pure evil as he laughed and threw cards at you, bootlegger bob was trying to get her (hooker?) down there and saltbaker was in a manic state

[@Saltboi1823]

@@themagicalgamer6522 the translation notes say she is his wife

[@menolikeyou805]

But the devil has no soul-

[@monochromaticsouls7951]

Saltbakers final fight is definitely my favorite in the entire DLC just because of how well animated it is and fun it is to play

[@jaggerguth4391]

1:39 The reason Chef Saltbaker want to eat the wondertart is because he got greedy and prideful. Saltbaker knew he the best baker in the island he resides in and took great pride of it. Key word: Pride. When he making the wondertart while the cups are out, Saltbaker gets the whole wondertart over his head, completely driven him mad with the power it held. If he could be best baker of his hometown, He could be Best Baker of all cosmos.

[@yis8fire]

When mario (from the super mario) use the mushroom item he gets bigger and stronger, so that's why i think the mushroom in a Mario reference A theory i just thought about, maybe the saltbaker goes insane because he just watch the summer fest stream and didn't got a silksong news, but after the fight he got the trailer for silksong from the Xbox stream, and that's make saltbaker a clown 🤡

[@jolo6051]

Has anyone noticed that, at the end of his 'CREDITS' song, he actually laughs? Normally that's not bad, but the delivery of it sounds... evil. Considering how friendly he can appear, it wouldn't surprise me if he's actually just trying to get off easy for his next scheme. Seriously, listen to his little chuckle at the end of his song and you'll see what I mean.

[@jordentacoztm]

Mushroom = mario. It causes him to grow, so it makes sense

[@smolsatan410]

I full well understand why the DLC took so long now. The king's flying castle & it's movement? Stunning. Every attention to detail

[@GaelSK]

The mushroom might be a super Mario reference or special becouse its pink, pink objects gives Power to cuphead so It should do the same for the others

[@S1rD4niel]

3:34 Isn’t the 🍄 that makes Chef Saltbaker grow just a Super Mario reference?

[@absolutezerochill2700]

Actually, I think the leaves in the second phase might be the Pineapple mint leaves. Not sure what the pepper shakers sneeze out, maybe it's just various spice particles.

[@Pogobro]

yup thats what they are!

[@sewdryandeuneo2358]

The round projectiles are ungrounded raw pepper and the spiky proyectiles are dried ones.

[@lianaverwood9810]

@@sewdryandeuneo2358 It's called *Peppercorn,* and that's why they animated it the way they did - the shots the Shakers sneeze out literally 'pop' like Popcorn as they come out, and are mostly coloured Yellow because of the Wordplay involved!

[@sewdryandeuneo2358]

@@lianaverwood9810 Thank you for informing!

[@goese868]

i seriously have no idea why everyone thinks thoese leaves are ananas leaves. Did the creators say it in an interview or something? what am i missing?

[@jiminplsletmehit7620]

Does anybody else think the mushroom looks like the mushroom thingies in “forest follies”?

[@austinmorrison6953]

Many believe he had good intentions but he let the acclaim and power the Wonder Tart would bring go to his head. My guess is Saltbaker did want to help at first because he loved to bake but he started thinking more and more about what baking the WonderTart would mean for him and that is why he turned evil.

[@Theblaster125]

He was simply power hungry. He said it himself that once the soul is baked into the Wondertart, the powers of the astral become his.

[@anthonyoliver418]

The mushroom is another one of his recipes, similar to the astral cookie, thus it is not the wondertart, with it making him grow instead of giving him astral powers.

[@GabbaGooober]

2:47 ok the suger cube is the cutest design in Cuphead in my opinion, JUST LOOK AT IT AAAAAA

[@manumcmanuerson]

He's fine but he's small

[@makkimkokie2286]

BRO YOU JUST FAINTLY RICKROLLED US IN 1:16

[@laryien]

What a legend

[@sandygutier271]

Lol

[@EdwardENigma-cg3kt]

It’d be really fun if saltbaker in the show was made to be this absolutely terrifying heartless monster who uses living ingredients constantly. Like, what if there was a moment where the devil looks at saltbaker’s actions and just takes a moment to go “Wow, that is really messed up. Like, I’m the literal embodiment of evil but geez man.” Idk I think that would be pretty fun.

[@EnterJester]

6:39 I wonder if we can parry that thing

[@birchtree6975]

Probably not since its a part of his phase transition and doesn't have as clear an outline as interactive objects usually do

[@Littleguy598]

Imagine if parting that would lead into a secret phase

[@wobblewokgaming655]

I thought he wanted to use the Wondertart to achieve a state of Godhood. I mean, come on! When you eat the Wondertart, the power of the Astral Plane bends to your will. Edit: also, what he's tossing down are the leaves of the Pineapple Mint.

[@Comocutiepie]

I love your war vets video! I have this theory that O Fera and Werman were friends and then a misunderstanding happened and Werner has PTSD on dogs.

[@mrcp9345]

Thanks! Nice lore 3 question 1. Some of the bosses final form have yellow eyes canda remind me from a movie who framed ragger rabbit main villain have golden eyes or red eyes not sure I remember 🤔 2. Some bosses continuing a fight even if being dead or seriously injurys keep on fighting 3. Pink glow 💖 I think might connected ghost or ASTRO plane

[@mrcp9345]

Naw I remember crazy yellow and red eyes