So…Cross is Canonically Trans-Coded…(A Underverse Mini-video essay)

[@Cooling_Rosa]

Sorry I’m so quiet in this video- I’m still recording in a dorm so I can’t yell like before

[@internetlurker1850]

I mean... ig "trans" *IS* the latin word for "to cross"/"across"

[@guardianeatos]

There are too many puns in his name istg

[@Luna_Dog5]

I think this honestly so inspiring. Especially to those who have been in au fandom for a while and who do feel like this it’s a way for them to cope and finally realize that their is somebody who is on their side and accepts them for who they are, and they shouldn’t be ashamed of it either. I know I’ve had my fair share of friends in life who have had different gender identities and have supported them because everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their own body.

[@Cooling_Rosa]

It’s interesting how the Undertale fandom has always had so much transphobia, so having such a iconic character be canonically trans coded is lovely

[@orLovelieTea]

I FOUND YOU.👁👁

[@thewitchykitty5789]

Bruh I dunno how Undertale fans can even be transphobic and homophobic. Like you mean to tell me your surprised the game with lesbian, gay, bi, trans and nonbinary characters in the main cast has lgbt+ people who like it? Fuckin shocker.

[@sailorstar3148]

You know, was Undertale was the reason that I found out about people having they/them pronouns with characters like Frisk, Chara, and Napstablook. At first, it felt kind of alien to me, but after a while I like that using they/them and it was easy for me to identify others. And I am myself started to use she/they pronouns since 2021 and referred to myself as Gender fluid and Demigirl.

[@thewitchykitty5789]

@ that’s awesome! I actually really relate the same thing happened with me and now I’m a they/them agender enby ^^

[@sailorstar3148]

@@thewitchykitty5789 my parents don’t really understand, but I hope that day I can have a place in my own where I can be who I am

[@Pale_Imp]

Wait what characters are we talking about again? Alfis-Undyne, gay guards, bi don't remember exactly, trans...mettaton? then frisk, chara, napstablook?

[@thewitchykitty5789]

@ Undyne’s a lesbian, Alphys is bi (and Asgore is also heavily implied to be bi too) Mettaton and Mad Mewmew are a trans man and woman and there’s a few background characters that are too like the lion trans girl, Chara and Frisk are nonbinary as well as napstablook, monster kid, river person, onionsan, ice wolf, and like a ton more I think the majority of monsters use they/them by default. And then Sans and Papyrus are canonically asexual tho that is more of a confirmed on Twitter situation (though the date with pap gives major ace or even aroace vibes so it might have been intentional there)

[@rubyred6608760]

There was a semi-popular post on Tumblr circling around complaining about this head canon, and honestly I just don’t get it. It doesn’t matter if it’s “forced” or “doesn’t make sense”. The trans experience is very versatile and can be applied to a number of things, and if someone finds comfort in that I don’t see an issue.

[@SerialRedermur]

You got a link to it or know any key words to help me find it.

[@rubyred6608760]

@@SerialRedermurKZbin is weird about links, but the person who made the post is called xpecially. I wouldn’t go out searching for it, they’ve been clowned on quite a bit already.

[@cosmicandy4620]

@@rubyred6608760 omg I saw that. they used people's art for examples without permission and kept it up even after artists asked them to remove thier art from the post

[@thewitchykitty5789]

Just for the record just because Cross isn’t canonically trans doesn’t mean he’s not lgbt+ he is still canonically bi 😘

[@user-odjdjkaka]

Where was it said ?

[@thewitchykitty5789]

@@user-odjdjkaka Jael made a short confirming all the Xtale character’s identities. Plus she’s made a ton of art confirming it

[@user-odjdjkaka]

@@thewitchykitty5789 thank you.

[@amagicalbeing7427]

​@@thewitchykitty5789 what short was it

[@JustAnotherEmoDude]

7:42 I'm pretty sure this scene was taken place in Cross' dreams since earlier Core mentioned him falling asleep or maybe It was another illusion like what XToriel did? I think the dream answer is more plausible tho. Great video! I really love the trans Cross headcanon and I'm glad there's more content of it ^^, also I didn't know Dream was agender the section where you mentioned how Cross and Dream are bonding through their trans identities is so great. The part with Geno helping Cross accept his identity is also interesting I never saw it way before :o

[@Greyshadow456]

i LOVE the new art of your sona the person you commissioned did such a great job! EDIT: all the trans art of cross ive seen has been so cool hbhvhsjhge also love that outro . so emotionally moving it brought me to tears

[@Cooling_Rosa]

I rlly was moved as well its such a heartwarming outro

[@Cooling_Rosa]

The artist of my pngs is QuinnCosmos on all platforms btw!!

[@Cara_on_pawz]

10:07 Nightmare is just a confused old person XD

[@Kawf._.is-trash]

7:41 I think it’s them in their past body! If yk what i mean, Dream isn’t a sans technically. But he is a ball of positive energy! i think his body is a vessel :3 (i recall core saying something along the lines of “cross unconsciously locks himself that separates reality”, maybe that’s that?”

[@star_deluxely3004]

Thank you for explaining this, I only just learned about it and I was very confused. Honestly I was also worried I was acting transphobic but I really aren't 😭 Edit: Now I also see the other episodes with Cross's struggles even deeper, it's so heartwarming to see his development and realization that he's not alone. That is where I know that not only Jael is so good at animating, but at story writing as well, further making her episodes deeper than it should've in the eyes of the viewers. I admire her so much, the story she made is touching and full of understanding, it hurts me that people can be so blind to the messages left by her creation, resulting in harassing someone who meant no harm. It's clear that they just find flaws instead of appreciating this gem, it's as if they didn't learn anything from the message of Undertale in which Jael perfectly portrayed in her own story just like the game.

[@Soursoda_fizz]

UM WHAT QUEEN ROSA ROSEVERSE POSTED😨!!! ALSO QUINN DID AMAZING ON UR PERSONA!!!

[@sinking_sunflower]

7:45 WOW I didn’t even think of that!! That wow omg that makes this scene even more touching with the trans allegory 🥹!!! I knew this scene was such an emotional and really amazing moment but now with this new knowledge it’s even more emotional because of Dream not only being the one helping out Cross emotionally but now even mentally!!!Ourgh!! I really love that speech that Dream did so omg!! This is so good!! I have to rewatch the scene again

[@HQtheOctoling]

What makes this funny is that my headcanon was he was trans masc before he was confirmed as trans coded. .... I also headcanoned that he lost an arm before it was ripped off in 0.7 part 2 So I can either see the future or that is a massive coincidence

[@Dust_sans-x2g]

8:38 thats so sweet of them🥹 (my heart is melting)

[@PACHINKO-j2r]

(okayy imma just- leave this here- *runs away*) My interpretation was much different- lol. I viewed the scene as Cross just wanting to convert to this new identity because he isn't "Sans" anymore. But instead of it being due to gender, I feel like it's because of what he did(killing everyone). Because he feels so horrible and so different from who he was back then versus who he's become now, he doesn't identify with the name anymore-his past self, if you will. Also, super random thing to mention, but you know how some SA survivors report that they change everything about themselves in order to "not be the person that was taken advantage of"? I feel like it's something similar.. without the SA, of course. To cope with it, he has changed who he is since he doesn't feel like he is Sans anymore, after what he did to his family and friends. Maybe because he doesn't feel like he is worthy, maybe? That last part is a shot in the dark, but who knows. Just speculation, anyway. Of course, this is all my interpretation. I am absolutely okay with other, more gender related transitioning. I explained it to thin air a few minutes ago and it made perfect sense, but I got on here and it came out all jumbled- but ehh. Another thing to add is that I don't know when he transitioned to Cross instead of Sans, so if he didn't transition after or during what he did and instead was a child or in adolescence, this entire headcanon/theory could be disproven. So, please, tell me if I missed something 🤗

[@overthinkingintrovert]

That's a very interesting interpretation too! I hadn't thought of that! And excluding the trans interpretations, that does also seem to be what Cross is experiencing. Both interpretations are valid, and it is really cool to explore both of them!

[@StarryEuthymia]

Adding onto this, there is a scene in timeline X from X-Tale which can kinda be read as SA? (Speaking as a CSA survivor) Essentially, it's the scene where Experiment 2 (Chara/Frisk) says that if Cross really was his best friend, he would do this for them. (This is something my abusers would say to me, line for line) After the scene in question, it shifts to after the assault where Cross seemed to be ashamed of something or at the very least feeling terrible about something and it is LITERALLY SAID IN THE SAME SCENE BY XGASTER that Cross seemed to be slightly "overwritten" which could be a metaphor for how SA literally changes a person's brain chemistry. Btw, not saying that this is canon. it's just a way to interpret a scene. I don't believe it, but the more I thought about it, the more it aligned with my own experiences so I get it if people believe that.

[@PACHINKO-j2r]

@StarryEuthymia eeeehh it's a very risky theory. I figure it's from Sans remembering past timelines and things that happened, especially since during the festival "Humans and Monsters peace" things or whatever you wanna call it, is where Sans-and yes, I'll be saying Sans for this-is crouched behind the stage and is basically having a panic attack, saying "I remember it all," referencing that in the scene your talking about when Frisk/Chara says he would do this for them and the flicker of glitched scenes depicting a typical genocide route in between before it cuts back to the scene after. Perhaps it could be interpreted as SA out of context and is eerily similar, but in context, it shows Sans' unease because of the memories of the genocide. But anyway, yeahh just thought I'd bring this up and provide more context if anyone reads this or something

[@StarryEuthymia]

@@PACHINKO-j2r Oh yeah for sure, but considering how vague that scene is in particular, I can't just exclude it as a possibility because we don't technically know exactly what happened there. Not to mention if it was SA I actually think it would weaken the story altogether. Think about it like this: If we think that scene was SA, we'd also be agreeing that Experiment 2 is the perpetrator. Considering how X-Tale/UV treats those two, I would hope that that's NOT what the scene was trying to imply

[@PACHINKO-j2r]

@StarryEuthymia It likely wasn't, considering the build-up to that scene in the first place(talking about the glitched flashback sequence between the two scenes). It never mentions that Cross felt violated in that sense nor does it show that after the fact that Cross struggles with symptoms of sexual trauma. And even if it did, I feel like Jakei would have put a discretion warning due to the sensitive and heavy topic, and it would have been more obvious if it was meant to be implemented. But it would be kinda useless to incorporate such a topic regardless unless you have a major character that went through SA, and it shows a process of healing and soon a recovery arc for that character. It would just feel like extra in my opinion, especially since Cross seems to not have symptoms of trauma from SA, nor are there any flashback scenes implying him being touched without consent. This doesn't mean that he didn't, of course, and maybe we can have more featured on that topic in the future. Who knows? It is not provable that the scene doesn't imply SA, but considering main context and furthermore through the series, it's not likely much at all that Cross experienced SA during that scene(if any at all..) While it's not officially disproven and there is possibility, it is not likely to be the case. (Btw, I hope the message gets across that this is just a friendly discussion, and I don't mean to sound rude or dissmissive or anything, because I'm worried I might. I'm just kinda paranoid, lol. I find the theory of SA to be interesting, while not likely. And I can say whole-heartedly that I wouldn't love the series less if it was to be implemented. Another thing, I respect you for being able to speak about your experiences with SA and even be able to give details to a certain degree. As a victim myself, it can be very retraumatizing for survivors to speak about it, and I admire your bravery to speak about it. I just wanted to say all of that, from a survivor to another.) I'm such a fucking yapper I swear I can go on random tangents for hours on anything I have minimal knowledge on I'm sorry😭

[@cetadel6597]

Nobody: XTALE: Cross' being cross:

[@ElementUndertale]

let's **inhales** *GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO*

[@CosmicsGuidetoSimpleMath-qm1ki]

7:42 I'm pretty sure Nightmare says something along the lines of reality bending around XGaster's creations, so I think that is still the Omega Timeline, just far away from civilization. Cross is feeling unsure of himself and all that so he and his outfit revert back to his younger self, while Dream is seen as some sort of light. In reality, Cross is just lying on the floor while Dream is sitting next to him. While the ground has grass and flowers in the scene, I think that's also just reality bending around XGaster's creations, as later we see dead trees in the background. This is why when we see Core!Frisk and Poppy looking out, we see a gray cloud, instead of seeing just Cross lying there, fighting the battle in his mind. Or maybe I'm just completely wrong, idk.

[@melissaquinn1463]

Just asking for character advice, don’t expand if ya don’t want to read, I’d just like help. So. I have several characters I’m writing in the Undertale circle that plays with identity expression, and I’d like to know if I’m committing a sin or something, I don’t want to offend. The first and more developed of the two(three?) is Hazel, my Soul of Kindness, they are intersex. I plan to have them explore their identity while in spirit form with their host, Dahlia, as their sort of arc. The culture of the Ebottese is centered around kindness and acceptance, so Hazel didn’t really question their oddities much until foreigners came in, and then they fell and you can guess the rest. Hazel knew that it was ok to be themself but didn’t have time to figure themself out aside from they liked helping, and medicine, and cooking. I plan to have them accept all pronouns while writing their pov in he/him, with Hazel wearing whatever the beep they like. Cecil is the other character I’m worried about. She is blind and trans-fem, and I’m not sure how to write that. She’s Ebottese, so there isn’t a sigma against transitioning, and she also has a brave soul, so she’s not shy about her feelings. But I’m having trouble thinking about how that perspective would play out. Like, I’m thinking of Cecil keeping their name through the transition because in my mind, I can see Cecil not tying that name to a body she’s never seen, she has always been Cecil, no matter the pronoun. Is that insensitive or wrong? I mean, in all the media I’ve read with trans people, they always change their name and the old one’s blurred out… Then there’s Frisk themself, I made them physically female because girls tend to be shorter and I’m trying to stick as close to the game appearance-wise as I can, but they like having no sex-identifying features-they don’t want boobs, and plan on getting rid of them when they can(they’re 12 when they fall). Is that an alright take? I worry that it’s stereotypical or something and I don’t want to offend.

[@chaos6073]

As someone who writes stories and is trans (uses all pronouns now, pangender) themselves, what you're describing is perfectly fine in my opinion, I definitely do research on how the characters react on these feelings and what it can mean in the aspect of the story. For the blind characters I recommend finding a way on how they do their daily life, I mean there's a lot of blind influencers that do talk about how they do everything so I would listen to that and being a brave soul how she would stand her ground and carry herself. Also I feel like your completely right for not changing the name, Cecil is a pretty gender neutral name already and I feel they have a choice to keep it. Trans people don't always have to change their deadname it's just a lot do cause of the gender fact of their name or bad memories with that name! And frisk having a female body is totally fine! For hazel which as someone who goes by all pronouns I see their story going completely fine! The concept seems intriguing and finding a identity that fits you is a whole arc by itself! I guess what I'm saying at the end of the day is don't be afraid and feel free to write, it's your imagination and creativity, what you have described seems like a unique and great AU! ❤

[@melissaquinn1463]

@chaos6073 This eased my worries a lot, thank you.

[@FrozenFennekin]

These all seem like very well written characters to me! I personally vibe with Cecil because I’m also a trans person with no real desire to change their name (I’m not sure if I will eventually do it or not but I’ve definitely heard of people who never do) And because heck yeah blind rep!! I love when people explore how disability (especially disability from birth, which affects people differently than getting it later) affects how they view other, not directly affected aspects of their lives and I think you’re doing that well with Cecil. Just remember to do your research and I recommend focusing on her other senses, like touch or hearing, especially if you’re writing from her pov. Sensory details are very important, and doubly so when you can’t rely solely on visual descriptions.

[@StoryTeller796]

=) This is honestly nice. I like this video a lot alongside your character, and your editing is incredibly wonderful.

[@SerialDesignationO]

Fellow demi-girl, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[@mewobrute]

YYESS THANK YOUU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO!!!!!! i love your wording, i wish you could shove these great points to the ignorant people!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@chita10]

9:28 lo peor del caso, es que NIghtmare sí podría estar justificadamente siendo transfóbico al propio en ese momento solo para conseguir más sentimientos negativos de Cross. El señor tentáculos odia a todos por igual jsjsjs

[@JimJamKittyKam]

OH MY (God is it finally time for me to get into sans AU's) as a trans guy this is so cool to see

[@BusinessOferrets]

MY NAME IS ROSA!!!! and I'm nonbinary.

[@The_Real_SmolOrTem]

hi nonbinary hel l o

[@louzo5175]

I thought youd say "hi nonbinary, im sans!" ​@@The_Real_SmolOrTem

[@sneezingcat7656]

I think that Nightmare was targeting Cross in that way but not in a transphobic way. Nightmare and Dream are my favorite characters because they are the physical representations of positive and negative emotions and are written really well in 6 to really make you think about it. Nightmare is Cross’s hate and sadness and depression and he fits that role and pulls no punches. The surrounding dark cloud, the way he moves and attacks all give this ever approaching feeling of doom. Dream is a physical light that gives Cross strength, every time Cross falters in the fight it’s Dream that pulls him up. Killer beats Dream because he’s in a weakened state, and because Killer is a Sans who is known to be so hateful that he has black goo coming from his eye holes. When Nightmare is beaten he says Cross will never get rid of him it’s because no one gets rid of him just like no one gets rid of Dream. X gaster claims that emotions distract him because Nightmare and Dream are emotions themselves (plus when Killer interacts with him he talks about his fears and Dream in comparison helps bring him to a spot he enjoyed before). I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the last we see of Nightmare honestly, you can’t permanently beat him since he’s negativity himself. Now I am in no way saying this is the case, this is just a joke but the idea that all the Sans are, on different levels, trans since they were all called sans at some point. The only exceptions to this would be Nightmare and Dream, who have no gender in canon, Ink and Fresh, who have no emotions, and Error, who’s a crashed world explorer website. Also Sans, the only normal Cis person at the Christmas party. (Bonus points for deltarune fans, Jevil is the straightest non-binary lesbian man, none of those words made sense and neither does Jevil)

[@Cooling_Rosa]

@@sneezingcat7656 oh for sure- he definitely wasn’t being purposely transphobic at all and tho joku has said Nightmare hates all people equally, even people with his own identity, he doesn’t purposefully say hurtful things about said identity just for negativity and resorts to other traumas bc that’s just fucked. I think if anything, Nightmare could’ve represented the hesitation to fully come out of the closet, and the negative feelings plaguing Cross were because of that. However, do I think Nightmare was purposefully targeting that? No. I think he can’t always control the insecurities his negativity target, nor fully get the layers behind the conflicting emotions someone may feel. I mean..,he’s well versed in NEGATIVITY…not so much the complex feelings of trying to leave the closet LMAO Tho Ink is canonically He/they! Unless that changed on his tumblr page as of a year ago…I’ll have to double check on that since it’s been a while since I’ve read to see any updates on Ink Fresh also canonically uses they/them since they are a parasite and don’t consider themselves a loving organism.

[@clemenciaangel6168]

I am part of the lgbt community and I support trans poeple but for trans mask he still hard for me to undertands (I accept them !) but I still lost..

[@CharlotteXMoon]

I'm proud of Cross

[@deliasaldana6850]

Thats what i was thinking when i first saw that scene

[@Jaspy_Jaspy]

Thank you for the video!

[@Chaos_sans]

I felt representated by Cross

[@Lavenderflowergacha]

So basically… Cross = ⛱️ 🏳️‍⚧️

[@DustyTheDuster72]

the only time i have issues with this stuff is when people say a character is trans, straight, gay, whatev and instead of it simply being a headcanon (which im fine with) they treat it as canon. thats when i have issues with this stuff. but if the creator says its true then im perfectly fine with it. im also very happy that Jael is doing better now.

[@-yasminwolf-]

Okay... I THINK that i understand...

[@pinksoft39]

YOH i didnt know Dream was Agender! Im Agender and Dream is my fav

[@MossiMiff]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS 🫶🏳️‍⚧️ I was also a little confused with the drama surrounding Cross being canonically trans-coded. As soon as I found out, I immediately supported him and tried my best to research on the topic a bit. But your video really brought out some good info about it! I'm an FTM who's currently really scared to come out and transition due to a whole bunch of negative topics surrounding trans people. I'm very happy to see Cross as trans-coded and im excited to see how his story will continue in 2026

[@SP_Jelly]

oh my god this makes so much sense haha

[@san-casinos4800]

I'll be honest... I never saw the trans-coded stuff in Cross and I still don't. Someone open my eyes, because I can't see it. (I don't mean it as an insult, I just want to understand.)

[@Cooling_Rosa]

@@san-casinos4800 it’s okay if you don’t see it, and still see him as cis! Just don’t dissuade people from their headcannons. The main thing is that Cross’s insistence to be seen as “cross” and no longer sans isn’t just tied to his name, but also his identity in general which a lot of trans individual deal with. Cross’s soul is forever changed, as well as who he is, and people from his old life scorn him and refuse to see him as anything but his old self. If they DO, recognize who he is, they call him a monster. Due to the layers of his past and PTSD, this can read as a trans allegory or simply PTSD, but it’s undeniable that this plot line and identity issue aligns with the trans experience, thusly making Cross a character that many trans people can see themselves in. Being trans isn’t just about transitions from a boy or girl, and has multiple smaller terms under the umbrella that support the breakage of gender norms. While Cross isn’t breaking any of these gender norms, his resolution towards separating himself from his old self and his old name is still proof of him breaking free from the societal expectations placed upon him by his friends and family- from no longer being a respectful royal guard to having a more nihilistic view on life. All these things alienate Cross from his former identity, which makes his old self seem like a completely different person in his eyes, which is also what a lot of trans people experience- especially having family members who “mourn” this “dead” identity rather than celebrate the new one. You can still read all this and chalk it up to mental illness and PTSD, but Jael confirming her intent was to make him trans coded lean these moments to the LGBTQ+ side of things rather than just the mental health scale. These two can also co-exist, and Cross’s mental state and emotional well-being being so weak could be aided by his confusion towards his identity and his journey to finding himself.

[@san-casinos4800]

@Cooling_Rosa Oh! Thanks for taking the time to explain it to me. I am not a person who understands many aspects of what trans people suffer. (I don't understand genders either.) But I see the point now, thanks for clarifying it for me-

[@EryX4]

When i heard the word “Dream” saying he was canon to be trans-fem i was screaming bro😭but in a good way if i said it wrong pls correct me!

[@Cooling_Rosa]

Dream is Transfem in my personal multiverse, RoseVerse! I didn’t expect people outside of my channel circle to watch this video, so that point seems a bit off for those who aren’t subs! My apologies!

[@EryX4]

@ Oh i see my bad thx for correcting me tho😭

[@Berixblitz]

kinda crazy how i headcanoned cross as bigender a long time before i knew he actually was meant to be 'trans-coded'. maybe i could just subconsciously tell smthn was up lmfao (also wtf now i just so happen to coincidentally id as bigender too how did this happen)

[@Studio_Pinwheel]

It's also cool cos Cross I THINK is canonically bi

[@guy-no]

huh?

[@Toaster-draws]

Maybe watch the video if you're confused.

[@guy-no]

@Toaster-draws huh?

[@Toaster-draws]

​@@guy-no🙄🙄

[@guy-no]

@@Toaster-draws Why are you looking at the word for?? What's up their??👽

[@GravityTale]

Bruh I'm tired can't I see one singular cool character without people always connecting them to LGBTQ.

[@Cooling_Rosa]

@GravityTale I hope you know Epic’s creator is like besties with Jael who is publicly supporting this hc about her OWN character therefore bro is fine with the LGBTQ and has multiple friends who are and likes characters who are and reposts epic x cross art while also making meme art with Jael about them being a bromance…also ur in the Undertale fandom what did you expect LMAO Undertale has a canon main character who is trans like…you kinda missed the memo on fandoms my guy

[@cherryperson6783]

Boooooo you're not welcome here Tomato🍅🍅🍅 tomatooo🍅🍅🍅🍅

[@hoopitydoopity]

It always baffles me when there's homophobes in very openly queer fandom and source media, like bro how did you get here?? Are you lost? How have you come this far 😭😭

[@thewitchykitty5789]

Bruh did you really expect the UNDERTALE fandom to not have lgbt characters??? You know the game with lesbian, gay, bi, trans and nonbinary main characters??

[@thewitchykitty5789]

Plus for the record Cross isn’t just trans he’s also canonically bisexual. Actually pretty much every Xtale character is queer so I dunno what you expected 🤷