The Darkness Provides - A DELTARUNE "Theory"

People are Normal about Deltarune in a way they are normal about few other things. ie, not even a little bit. Mysteries abound and people have had the response they've been trained to have.
Tearing into every character, leitmotif, word choice, sprite error, easter egg, interview statement, childhood psych textbook, and your grandmother's 4th favourite leitmotif.
So in this video, I try to understand Kris, the themes surrounding them, and where Toby might be going with that, by tearing into every other character, worldbuilding decision, word choice, anagram and You. Personally.
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IMPORTANT PLUGS!!
Mollystars!
RAMBLER AD ETERNUM
• DELTARUNE and the Four...
Watch it. Or Else.
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MUSIC USED!
Rachmaninov - Prelude in C sharp minor, Op 3, No. 2. Original Cover.
Onett Theme - Earthbound
Basin Keep - CrossCode
Magicant - Earthbound
On to Grasstown - Cave Story 3D
Safety - Cave Story 3D
Can You Really Call This A Hotel I Didn't Receive A Mint On My Pillow - Undertale
Craggy Coast - PMD Explorers
Girl Next Door - DELTARUNE
Checker Dance - DELTARUNE
Imprisoned - CrossCode
Vs. Lancer - DELTARUNE
Spamton - DELTARUNE
Upper Steam Cave - PMD Explorers
Scarlet Forest - DELTARUNE
Time Gear - PMD Explorers
Faint Glow - DELTARUNE
The Dark Truth - DELTARUNE
ANOTHER HIM - DELTARUNE
Friendship - DELTARUNE
Vermillion Wasteland - CrossCode
Happy Happy Is Blue - Earthbound
Peaceful Rest Valley - Earthbound
M.S. Solar - CrossCode
Sanctuary Guardians - Earthbound
Another Medium - Undertale
Song That Might Play When You Fight Sans - Undertale
Chaos King - DELTARUNE
Apple Kid - Earthbound
Pandora Palace - DELTARUNE
Field of Hopes and Dreams - DELTARUNE
You Can Always Come Home - DELTARUNE

[@TheLudomancer]

My most problematic Deltarune opinion is that the religious element is gonna be Turbo-Relevant. This isn't related to anything but I hang off of every word uttered about the occult/the church in this game.

[@jupitersky]

@@TheLudomancer There has already been a lot of focus on it, so I wouldn't be shocked. Even if it's not a "face level plotpoint" it will, at the very least, be incredibly philisophically and thematically relevant.

[@josephbulkin9222]

What's wrong with religion? Without it, humanity dies.

[@TheLudomancer]

@@josephbulkin9222 bruh, this is DELTARUNE not actual theology.

[@BE-fw1lr]

Toby Fox and those who know him have spoken a few times about how he was raised Christian and went to church growing up, and whether or not he's still a man of faith, it definitely seems to have played a role in his storytelling sensibilities. So far he seems to be taking a rather considerate approach towards religion, and I wonder just how deeply clashes against theology will be explored, especially given the player's role as a sort of religious figure in universe (whether that aspect is angelic or demonic remains to be seen.)

[@BE-fw1lr]

@@josephbulkin9222 I mean that doesn't mean there's not things to critique about it, it is used as a justification for a great many crimes and persecutions in modern society. Religion has been immensely helpful throughout history, but that doesn't mean it will always be necessary. I mean there are plenty of modern secular institutions and people who live non-religious lives. Of course I believe that people should always be able to have faith without being persecuted or looked down on for it, but to say that without it humanity would die is an exaggeration at this current point in time.

[@CyborusYT]

This is already EASILY one of my favorite deltarune videos ever made. The comedy, editing, and analysis are all SPECTACULAR

[@TheLudomancer]

Eh, I prefer This Guy's Earlier Work

[@nataliasteiner]

Literally read the beginning of your comment and being a picky fan of deltarune content, I felt confident to immediately subscribe

[@NervesiT]

​@@TheLudomanceryeah dude, like, wtf

[@johnrox3554]

I agree

[@BrunoMaricFromZagreb]

@@TheLudomancer 5 seconds in,& I already have the impulse to remind you that "non-binary" isn't a thing that exists.And it only started because a bunch of radical leftists were being spiteful towards the concept of gender and/or some male teenager was feeling severe amounts of self-hatred over being male."Gender is a social construct" should be treated with the same mockery & ridicule as "meat is murder" or "the moon landing was faked". Anyways,time to see if the rest of the video is good despite that.

[@TheXell]

So the reason "Theory" is in quotation marks is because the video tells us to stop theorizing. Gigabrain move right there.

[@TheOnewhoWaitsintheDark]

But... but... theorizing is so fun! *Jevil sad noises*

[@SullyTheLightnerd]

I used to think this guys editing was on another level but honestly it is probably fifteen stories up

[@Pudcup]

Sully. :O

[@Solibrae]

It's impressive on a technical level but a bit too fast-paced for me. Thankfully KZbin lets you slow down videos!

[@CR1MSONACE]

I forgot you became obsessed with editing at some point.

[@SullyTheLightnerd]

@ huh? Editing is literally all I talk about😭😭

[@loganthecoolcatdude4183]

hi sully

[@SmartieLTT]

It would be very cool if the implication of "So that's why, Kris." is in response to something Kris said explaining to Ralsei. Rather than framing Ralsei. Though the implications of the weird route blindsiding him seems very, very interesting.

[@JJwasnt]

holy shit this is an INSANELY edited video

[@TheLudomancer]

Ye. I Do That. Thanks!

[@ArtemisWasHere]

4:24 Toby Fox, the man who sh*t posted his way to success

[@CreatorProductionsOriginal]

I really wish CH3 and 4 actually were released with at least 1 to 2 days between them Just to see how crazy the theories would get for chapter 4

[@lashoxcin9348]

Yo this is the EXACT conclusion Spookydood came to about theroizing right before he created his famous woody theory, i implore you to make exactly one more deltarune theory

[@brilliant_Potato]

Time for the house-like carpet theory

[@Vivian_Za_Determined_LunaMoth]

@@brilliant_PotatoHeck ye 😎

[@ccherry.berryy]

Not only is the script of this video fantastic analysis as well as being hilarious, BUT THE EDITING ADDS SO MUCH FLAVOUR HOW HAVE YOU NOT BLOWN UP YET???

[@TheLudomancer]

Because my upload schedule is Annual.

[@bearturtle6058]

Algorithm didn't feel like it

[@BrunoMaricFromZagreb]

@@TheLudomancer Now that you mentioned the apple at the beggininf,is there a video that explains the Spamton Sweepstakes from start to end/A to Z?That is,both the lore & the ARG associated with it.Never found a good video.

[@theninjaguy2]

4:26 Why not both? Something can be metatextually significant AND a comedic gag, it doesn't have to be one or the other.

[@stardust-reverie]

i like this video and agree with most of what you say-i’ve been saying for a while that fnaf game theory stuff has had a terrible impact on how people on the internet think about and analyze complex media, and that those kinds of people hit the exact wall you talk about when faced with a work that carefully controls viewer-facing information and doesn’t want to be “solved” before the end. i distinctly remember the petscop community feeling the same restless frustration you talk about that many of us feel now, and people coming to the same conclusions. however, i do take umbrage with the device theory video being used as an example of what you were talking about at the end there. as someone who has watched it all the way through it’s almost entirely thematic analysis and predicting the general trajectory of the rest of the story based on that rather than specific events, which the creator makes explicitly clear she thinks doing is largely a fool’s errand, for the same reasons you do. i think it’s disingenuous to cite it as fnafcore illiterate theory brainrot based entirely on the length even just as a bit

[@TheLudomancer]

Awesome comment! We have VERY different reads on The Device Theory videos. I think the way she looked at Every Single Element, treating it as something critical and worth complex Watsonian analysis, especially in the first two videos is functionally indistinguishable from the FNaF approach. eg: Her (very self-aware) point on the Yellow Soul as divine intervention. Even if she only included things for sake of completeness and voiced non-confidence in it, it was still included. It works great as a sort of documentary and omni-resource for future reference, but the feeling that such cataloguing and base-covering is absolutely necessary, Is the FNaF approach I don't agree with. eg: I COULD have gone over the vessel, and by extension Gaster and by extension the Egg Man in depth to further go over Kris' identity dilemma. But I didn't feel it was necessary. I don't say "FNaF-brained" derogatorily, to imply unilateral illiteracy to any of it's strongest soldiers, or have any real judgement on the topic. My issue is with FNaF and it's influence. Not the things people have made under that influence.

[@stardust-reverie]

@ ohh yeah that’s actually very fair! honestly i kind of mentally glossed over those first two videos because i watched them so long ago and i already know most of it lol, which is a bit of an analytical mistake because those are indeed part of device theory. i do see what you mean about that being like the fnaf approach, yeah, though i do think she goes about it in the most constructive way possible, being, as you said, self-aware with it. and i think the main thing when it comes to these things is to have an awareness to reign it in. hyperanalysis can be fun, but there’s a time and place for it, and other times where you just need to keep it simple stupid. and those watsonian vs doylist lenses can help guide you towards figuring out what is important. like, to me, i’ve never found it worth reading into susie dragging off ralsei in chapter 2 because it’s obvious she’s not doing it deliberately-though i would say that there’s something to Our Experience seeming to be almost perfectly handcrafted, and how that much seems intentional. maybe it’s not the dark worlds themselves and it’s gaster or something, but it’s always easy to say a wizard did it. and yeah, to add more nuance: i don’t want to throw any shade towards the fnaf community either, because i enjoy hearing what they have to say-i keep eyeballing that one “we solved fnaf and we’re Not Kidding” video. my problem is very much like yours (i felt very vindicated hearing someone else say it lol) in that the fallout of fnaf has highly encouraged hyperanalysis without thematic substance. because, to be honest, in my opinion, fnaf itself just has absolutely nothing going on there under the hood. it’s almost entirely window dressing and complexity for complexity’s sake and most of the story has no actual thematic weight, no *point*, whatsoever. there’s traces, hints at themes, impactful moments, but very little in the way of meaningful things to say overall. and you can tell where the creator’s priorities lie by the fact that he changed stuff around behind the scenes when people Figured It Out with regards to a future installment-if people Solve The Mystery and know what happens, then they’ll stop caring about his game, won’t they? therefore, most of the analysis of it is just trying to figure out what the fuck even happened, with thematic analysis playing second hat. and i think this has been an unfortunate lesson for a whole generation of people growing up on the internet-prioritizing hyperanalysis of events rather than their meaning, with this sort of mindset carrying over to less extreme examples. whether they realize it or not, the children yearn for the media analysis, and they’re learning it from the internet, not english classes. this is Street Analysis. the curtains are fucking blue. thankfully, in 2024, more people are open to discussing whether the curtains really are just fucking blue. also-i love your editing style! it very much scratches my brain in just the right way

[@ileonardoi3791]

The intro is probably one of the beste examples of how without exaggeration Deltarune is a clusterfuck of lore and thematic tissue forming an amalgamation of hopes and dreams that threatens our dreams and livelihood by being SO peak.

[@jahdielmelendez-medina7]

Hopes and dreams you say🧐

[@indigopines]

2:11 INSTANT sub. Those first two minutes have perfectly encapsulated everything I feel about Deltarune theories lmao

[@molly__m]

i haven't watched any DR theories in a hot minute, and i have been summoned to this one on behalf of someone i know telling me! in fact, i actually remember seeing your other vid about toby some time ago and your editing/pacing is rlly fucking good, first off ^^ extremely well done video overall, i hope it pops off. i wanna start by saying that i really like your take on ralsei's relation to kris a lot, especially through the lens of ralsei trying to get to the bottom of kris's struggles, and Possibly sending us away to susie/noelle in ch1 and 2 for that purpose; to talk to the Actual kris just bc he barely actually gets the chance to. that, and i think you hit the nail right on the head with your analysis of kris in general, and their struggle to find identity. as someone that spent A Lot of time mainly looking at ralsei's relationship with the player, i feel i still pretty easily underestimate how complex ralsei's dialogue and character can get. you pointing out how often he specifically says the name of who he's speaking to is another thing i missed that just adds to that, i only really paid attention to that when it was referring to kris, but yeah he really just does that with fucking Everybody and Everywhere huh. i think through this theory, it kind of makes the moments where kris pulls out the SOUL actually work in favor of it, because if it's true that ralsei's keeping the player out of those interactions with kris specifically so he can help them find their identity, knowing how much control we have over them, then that honestly just seems Correct to me. as long as we are able to do anything more than simply watch, we are going to be muddying up the waters of what kris actually Feels and wants to say, and it would make a lot of sense that ralsei understands that and needs to go as far as to shunting us elsewhere to help kris in that sense. i never really had a Good idea of what the two of them could've been talking about in those scenes, but for now, i'm willing to just work with that lol. all that said though, please do not ever group me in again with matpat/"FNAF-brained" theorizing /lh genuinely though, i'm sick to death myself of that fucking series and the goalpost moving that it kept doing to perpetuate mystery just for the hell of it! i share your sentiments a lot abt not only the fact that the story is incomplete, but especially that we can't simply condense everything the game and narrative is about into Just one bubble, and use that to Confidently tell us where the story is actually going; especially when indeed, the story is still Going, and while we Can find potential foreshadowing in some places, the game hasn't gotten to actually say what it wants to say yet. i never really approached it assuming that i Knew its message, as much as i just was like "well...how much *can* we know, anyway? where can we actually hit a wall, if we really dug a bit deeper into this? what's actually the limit for now?" i do understand that after a point in PART 3, i did use the theory i presented in the first hour + what i could parse of its themes as a means of making my own pretty out there predictions, and i completely get that not being everyone's thing! i made sure to show that i wasn't making that whole video to be correct, let alone to "solve" DELTARUNE objectively, as much as i just wanted those thoughts out of my head before the next chapters were out; i didn't make those other 5 hours for toby, or for anyone really, other than myself, they were just the questions i was asking and what i was thinking with the incomplete picture we currently have, to give myself the closure of "what do i Personally think DELTARUNE is telling me so far, given the impact it and UNDERTALE left on me?". it definitely was flawed mainly in that it looked at stuff only through the meta lens a lot, and leaned a bit too hard on some of those themes, but i knew that going in. obviously, i wasn't gonna fuckin solve DELTARUNE in 3 videos. and obviously, we don't have the full picture, but i suppose my gripe with grouping me in w/ matpat of all people, is i feel it kind of misrepresents what i was really going for with that video overall, and my intent behind it; i'm never gonna claim to know toby personally, or to know his intent through Facts and Diegetic Logic, because as someone working on my own original projects, i know you can't exactly do that from the outside looking in, and it's possible people will misinterpret your work even when they Do have the full picture (death of the author, etc). i think that grouping it in with that sort of theorizing kinda gives this impression that i made that video as my crazy guess at predicting the whole game, and that it's a 6 and a half hour long "bravo Toby Fox you thought of literally Everything", which feels a bit misrepresenting of it? at most, it's my way of thanking him for the impact his stuff's left on me, but i don't think he Thought of Literally Everything that i was speculating about. i know damn well i'm just kind of mentally ill and reading way too deep into it, because i love telling stories myself and analyzing how other people do it, so i can learn something from them. i know when 3 and 4 are out, i'm not gonna be giving a shit about my theories of the game on launch, i'll just want to experience them for what they are. if anything, i think what you said at the end of this video is a point i was trying to make multiple times throughout, that we just don't have everything yet, and DELTARUNE simply can't be solved because it's not a Complete work at the moment. and while TDT Was my interpretations, i Could Be Wrong, and i am Fine with being wrong, and i do think there's a very real chunk of the community that's putting a bit too much stock into stuff, and setting these really specific and unreasonable expectations. but if you don't know what's being cooked yet, it's at least fun to take guesses at what you're about to even eat in the first place, no? as long as you trust that it's gonna be some good food whether or not you're right, i don't think it's inherently a harmful way to look at stuff, you just have to look at it as what it Could be rather than what it HAS to be, and i think that's what a lot of people are missing. i wouldn't even call how you addressed part 3 a flaw, as much as i think it just highlights how needed this kinda discussion has been in the community. it's something i've been wanting to see more of, and even throw my hat into the ring to tbh as we get closer to the new chapters coming out. i don't like to look at TDT as my attempt at solving or "predicting" it, as much as it was me getting the worst of the brainrot out of my system so i can enjoy 3-4 with a fresh mind. i do still believe some of the stuff in TDT, but i'm not gonna ride or die by it (aside from Gaster not being the second voice in the goner maker, that is the one hill i will die on lmao). i'm just kinda here to see what the rest of it is like now that i got my thoughts out. again, incredibly edited and well done video overall! you've got a way of pacing stuff that feels super concise, but it doesn't feel like it's going Too fast either, and it was super fun to watch

[@yahirdoesbadvids]

Holy shit mollystars deltarune

[@123phi123]

Yeah, but speculating is fun. We don't need to be able to "solve" Deltarune to have fun trying

[@123phi123]

I don't even disagree with the bulk of this video, unhinged theories can be really bad for discourse if they are taken too seriously, but it feels like you're throwing the baby out with the bathwater because we can't realistically have all the answers right now

[@riisitee]

Yeah! And I almost hope that the theories won't be correct, and that despite all the digging there was still things that can suprise us. But digging is still fun tho and keeps the fandom alive! I love the believable, well researched ones but the crack theories are also fun in their own right :D I love seeing the game I love from many perspectives that I couldn't think of

[@TheLudomancer]

Yeah! I’m just arguing that we’re so primed to do it because FNAF set the bad precedent that we NEED to, which, we don’t. Just because I’m not personally a fan of the attitude doesn’t mean I’m condemning it.

[@ethanhawksley9097]

Ok, but FNAF also doesn't have a story

[@godslaughter]

I'm gonna say it...! What FNaF and its community have done to the internet is a fascinating phenomenon and, while I personally don't like it (hence the reason why I ditched it and didn't really enjoy any Game Theory videos on FNaF past the 7th or so), there is still a huge difference between FNaF and Deltarune/Undertale. Toby is a phenomenal writer, composer and shitposter, Scott isn't. That's it, that's all I need to say. I think there's a very good reason why Undertale and Deltarune have stayed so beloved and so relevant all these years without much of it having been released (one Undertale 9 years ago, 2 chapters of Deltarune), while the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise HAD to have a ton of incoherent things released again and again to keep the community captivated. It has gotten to the point where nothing makes sense anymore and it's clear Scott didn't have any particular idea from the beginning. Toby, on the other hand, knows EXACTLY what he's creating. And people have taken note of that, so they like theorising, they like analysing things, even if they're just gags. So that's why, Kris.

[@lassoedthesos5529]

Now that I think about it, the fact that him saying "Regardless of how you feel" being one of the scarce lines where he isn't addressing someone by name could hint that the savage line was indeed intended for the player

[@sylvanas9329]

IN FAIRNESS TO THE DEVICE THEORY It’s not just a theory video It’s several analysis videos with like 1-2 theory videos inside And also a collection of *all* the meta stuff in Deltarune All of it

[@TheLudomancer]

Yeah. Ik. I love that video. I just think it's also Deeply bloated and the attitude underlying it's creation is that Toby won't actually make good on anything promised by that because Fnaf has Fucked Our Heads.

[@misadique845]

​​​@@TheLudomancerThat's just not true... It's not bloated, but thorough. It looks at what's there in the game, and makes deductions about the rules of the world. It's not even close to Matpat's brand of cherry picking "theories" full of assumptions. I'd even say it's the opposite of Matpat's style. His theories are shallow while Molly's is thorough.

[@idontknow-sh4bj]

Thx for the last bit. I hate people who say "we'll be disapointed". I wont. Im just here for the ride and will enjoy the ending of deltarune, even if its not "what everyone wanted" ❤

[@clxix172]

YOU! YOU GET IT! GODS THIS IS SO GOOD TO SEE!! Especially since the high energy of this video and comedic elements are just so electrifying! I love this so much! Such a breath of fresh air!

[@makaylat.7005]

thank you so much for so many references to kris being nonbinary and being so upfront about it, as a nonbinary deltarune fan it can be kinda infuriating when people just sweep that aspect of this character under the rug or misgender them entirely (either maliciously or because they dont care enough to pay attention to the text)

[@grianjuju9438]

So far three humans from the game seem to be nonbinary, makes me wonder if humans in undertale world are just born nonbinary or if main characters are just choosen to be like this, might be worth a theory tbh

[@thatguydownthestreat]

@@grianjuju9438 Dunno, I think Chris is Nonbinary both for the same reason Chara and Frisk were, and to further point to the identity crisis they are having. But if we really want to point and poke at plot shenanigans and 4 wall chicanery, in-spite of the message of the video: So now that for all intents and purposes GOD has determined even their gender identity as ambiguous and or "other", it further exacerbates their crisis, as they can't even lean into gendered stereotypes to form an identity from. (like trying to be the popular girl, or the Chad Sportsjock).

[@mauro27279]

Or they just don't know

[@ART1984able]

@@grianjuju9438 A lot of classic RPGs used to let you name the main character. Undertale/Deltarune kinda twists that concept on it's head by letting you name the main character but leaving their gender up in the air making them a true "blank slate" to us, the player at first. As we play the game however, we find that the "blank slate" character does have their own name and not the one we gave them originally(though in Deltarune we find the main character's name right away--we named a vessel which was discarded.). However, the gender of the main character, Kris is still left up in the air. It could be said that was done for the audience to be able to relate to Kris as a character better in general as Kris the human rather than Kris the boy or Kris the girl.

[@infinityheart_tm9270]

I’m genuinely disappointed that Ludo didn’t make a “They/Them tires”

[@palmpact]

spider bake sale spiber bake sale cyber bake sale your move, theorists

[@roowco1]

i mean, yea we need to chill a bit sure *cough* *cough* jaru, but toby is actively encouraging us to theorize, look at the spamton sweepstakes arg; pluslets not forget he is drip feeding us information about future chapter in the newsletter. Similar to what you said, the fnaf brained style of theorizing only becomes a problem when it's an arms race, and even then it's completely on the author. If they are the ones changing their own story to either subvert theories, or just to simply make it more mysterious for the sake of it, logic be damned, or even in the opposite direction sometimes where they change the story just to fit the theories despite what they previously had in mind. It is the author's fault if theorizing is what ruins the story/game. People will always theorize, and given enough time they'll take it to a wildly speculatory degree, regardless of if it's finished or not. The only time in my opinion when it's the theorist fault for taking theory crafting too far is when it is actively disturbing or harming people in real life.

[@TigressInferna333]

With the darkners "being made" to help lightners to some degree makes sense. They do place a lot of emphasis on the fact that darkners/exist/ to help lightners. That that is their purpose. I don't know if they're tailor made for people who step in but helping lightners is their reason for being so it would make sense that most folks who stray into a dark world would be helped in a similar way

[@sunfirejr]

I think part of the deltarune experience is the theories.. maybe that wasn't always intended but Toby does want us to make guesses and speculation even if ultimately wrong Maybe building up deltarune in my head to be super ultra meta is unrealistic but it's fun Plus there's always fan work to scratch that itch after Deltarune is finished, i hope device theory is real or at least some aspects are correct but that doesn't mean i think Toby will literally do everything Molly speculates It's just fun to fuel the brain rot until we get to the end, and that end will be glorious and probably have a banging final boss track

[@Cawziiku]

Only 2 minutes in and i know this is about to be peak

[@sylvanas9329]

“You can’t make me make the narrator video.” Good news! Andrew Cunningham did it for you (and agrees).

[@AnimaidanFrames]

Im only 3 minutes in and your editing sold me instantly oh my god

[@TheLudomancer]

Yea, It tends to do that :D

[@fazekasroland2968]

I feel like I just watched a game theory episode from an alternate dimension

[@theemptyspacebeneaththebed9049]

THE KRIS ANALYSIS VIDEO IS HERE EVERYONE STAY CALM STAY FUCKING CALM Edit: okay, finished watching a video and honestly really LOVE the idea that Kris has identity problems. Considering they are the only human in a small city, that have a difficult relationship with people around them, that often defined through their past behaviour(aka problem kid) and who just lost a probably the only stable and supportive figure in their life(aka Asriel) it’s easy to see how they can get lost in who they are. And darkworld being a sort of free-safe playground for them to explore the idea of who they are and can be, through convoluted scenarios and other people. LIKE THIS IS GENIUS, everyone will point out the empty shelves in their room but no one will ask why in-universe they are empty. Also It’s relatable personally to me, so plus points for that. Cannot wait for more videos!!

[@PossiblyJamvi]

first two minutes were pure inane rambling, so glad I subbed. Also book an appointment with the nearest psychiatric ward. Please.

[@Rags_222]

yesss a creator that actually respects your time, and doesnt assume you're looking for second monitor content lets goooo

[@TheLudomancer]

Thank you! Being first-monitor, active viewing is the highest praise I could get.

[@cowboydoctor23]

I watch a lot and I mean A LOT of Deltarune theories. I agree that it's borderline impossible to make any meaningful predictions about Deltarune's big mysteries right now as we are just missing so many pieces of the puzzle that will eventually make up Deltarune. In a lot of ways this video serves to critique how fandoms go about theorizing as a whole. It's become a race to "figure out" Deltarune first, which is something we've wanted so desperately for the last 3 years. Yet approaching it like that will never be a productive thing to do because we lack so much of this story. You do a little theorizing about Kris and Ralsei in this video based off of very solid themes and ideas that Deltarune has set up. I guess my question is where does this line between productive theorizing and FNAF-Brained theorizing lie?

[@bumbabees]

i don't think deltarune could get to fnaf level theorizing if it tried. THAT mess was fed and fostered by scott himself. deltarune theorizes get a bit crazy, but they're all crafted out of love and made for fun, its not like a "okay seriously we need to figure out this fucking timeline" type of theory that's made out of pure necessity.

[@Squeerxblrg]

You have something GENUINELY compelling, well written, and presented in a fun and engaging way here. but you throw it all out to say "Well, we can't know for sure, so stop thinking!!!". Nobody can know the meaning of life for sure, nobody can know if life exists on other planets for sure, nobody can tell where their own life will go, but we still think about these things anyways. Deltarune can't be solved yet, but I can say that personally trying to solve it has been a fun experience in of itself, and like any game, I will miss it when its solved. Ive made so many friends and happy memories in this community, and I wouldn't be involved if I just said "Well we can't be certain, so might as well move on!". The example you give for "giving this game too much credit", Mollystars' Device Theory. is something it's creator cares deeply about, and effected her life profoundly. I don't see how theorizing takes away from the meaning of a piece of media, lots of stories are confusing and require mental effort to put together in a comprehensive way. Primer, House of Leaves, Hell, thats what the entire _mystery_ genre is about! And simplifying all these stories down to "just like FNaF lol" is over generalizing. Putting together a theory requires mulling over every single line of dialogue in the game I love, its through theorizing that I've grown to understand Deltarune, and saying "well none of it matters, maybe Toby just didn't think about it that hard..." is frankly an insult to Toby and the game he is making. A story is meant to be understood and interpreted, and even if our solutions, our interpretations turn out to be wrong, that doesn't make the story we're going to get any worse, nor does it make that interpretation less impactful before we know what the "correct" solution is. But _taking away_ meaning because "we don't know for sure!" only takes away possibilities and meaning for other people. No wonder this is such a meaningless video.

[@coffeebean4246]

I really get what youre saying here. Even the editing that starts out engaging feels like something to just cover up the hollowness of the video later on.

[@awwwman-z4b]

bro my brain got fried with too much information at the begining

[@godslaughter]

When I clicked on this video, all of... _this_ is not what I was expecting, but I clearly needed it in my life

[@dumbmonkey1313]

First time seeing this channel and damn the first 2 minutes are such a strong first impression, the production quality and humour are insane I really hope you blow up in the algorithm soon

[@sahilhossian8212]

Lore of The Darkness Provides - A DELTARUNE "Theory" momentum 100

[@Penguinman2.0]

more like.. the light provides This has been a certified Misraaks post

[@MomoSweetPeach]

As a nonbinary person who is repeatedly misgendered day-to-day, seeing the effort you put into acknowledging and enforcing that Kris is nonbinary and only uses they/them- It means a lot to me. I've had every excuse in the book thrown at me why Kris 'might actually be a boy (or) girl', despite the fact that the game itself gives us the answer repeatedly. I even had one person say it was 'left up to interpretation' which felt like they were missing the whole point of Kris not being a player-stand-in, and you imposing your idea of what binary gender you think they should be, being antithetical to the whole thesis of Kris- ANYWAY- This is an amazing video, the editing is so fun and snappy. Thank you for making great stuff

[@TheLudomancer]

Admittedly: I am Very dumb and had to do twelve retakes, and I was so anal about it because i DID Accidentally misgender them in a previous video. Glad it paid off!

[@MomoSweetPeach]

@@TheLudomancer The effort is appreciated and noted. Slip-ups do happen to all of us (even myself) The effort is what matters, hell yea

[@scribbel82]

So happy you put CERVEZA CRISTAL in there. Made my day. Time to watch all of your videos now

[@l00per]

also this entire video is sooo good I LOVE THE EDITING AND YOUR HUMOR JSHDJHSF

[@higuys9789]

3:49 that actually works as more than a joke. Some deltarune theories are so outlandish but there are so many of them they are seen as normal

[@Mtspdrsdslva884]

21:59 well that's a little rude, I rly liked Molly's video and it was a fun analysis of the story's themes and not just matpat theory predicting the story type of thing

[@123phi123]

Yeah, I'm not sure if they actually watched it

[@mimszanadunstedt441]

The longer a video the deeper the darkness.

[@kansaslml7796]

​@@123phi123 they literally talk more about it at the end of the video?

[@tovi3280]

they acknowledge and state that vwry sentiment at the end of the video? yeah, im not sure if u actually watched it

[@TheLudomancer]

So did I! I think it's great for what it is, I just don't really agree with the approach that EVERYTHING is lore relevant and warranting Fnaf-Style hyperanalysis.

[@twohundredcats]

Friend inside... inside the uhhhhhhhhh... uhhh i forgo

[@fraquero3192]

truth nuke

[@Doliousis]

Genuinely an excellent Deltarune video. Brilliantly spoken, edited, and compiled- really great work! I know the works of Toby Fox aren't solely what you focus on, but, I'd definitely love to see more Deltarune & Undertale videos in the future!

[@droidtheawesome]

Dude made a fire theory, a well made video, and funny/shitpost video all at once, new sub

[@bbqtime5735]

out of everything I expected to see in a Deltarune video essay, MatPat/Scott Cawthon mpreg was not it. 10/10 video

[@teldd4930]

INSANE job on the editing and scripting. Those two alone would be worth a sub, but the actual content of the video are enough to make me (metaphorically) applause.

[@cvdusey]

Oh my god this feels like a game theory “The SCIENCE of” video but it’s lore theorizing and I love it

[@TalleyBellum]

2:17 with how explosive that intro was, you damn well earned my trust with my subscription

[@rendumguy7596]

About your rant about theory crafting at the end, I have an issue with a sort of reverse of "extremely speculative and game changing theories", that actually ends up having the same problem. I call them "anti-theories". These theories are that despite Toby Fox placing dislogue in the game foreshadowing Mike, the introduction man (who is most likely Gaster), or even the Knight, these detsils are somehow... not foreshadowing, it's either a coincidence or a joke meant to subvert our expectations. None of this makes any sense in the context of the story, when the simplest explanation is that these are just teases and foreshadowing for later. The simplest base theory for the vessel maker guy is that he's a plot point, a Chekov's gun, that will be important to the story later on, even if we don't know how. If you make Deltarune so that the Vessel maker guy ISN'T relevant, that is actually just bad writing and not subversive, good stories don't just introduce plot points, and a framing device, the first thing we see in the game, and have it never matter ever again. Now, how this character will be important is unclear, but this character, as Toby Fox introduced him first, as he's important to the framing device of Deltarune connecting to the player's soul, is basically required to be relevant later in the story, because that's basic setup and payoff.

[@SullyTheLightnerd]

05:22 bro I love these transitions

[@kitcringe]

In my opinion, this video really neglects Ralsei attitude towards the Player, yes, he distracts them during cutscenes and says something to Kris, but he also clearly cares about the Player (I personally think that even much more than about Kris) 1) He constantly gives hints on controls, despite how strange it looks 2) He tells us to save in the castle town and go rest 3) He NAMED the town after us 4) In fact, he gives the choice not to Chris but to the player and he knows it 5) And in my opinion, the most important thing: he is trying to hush up the topic with the spamton "it's just a broken program"

[@jamesverner9132]

17:10 i wasn't ready for water cat XD now i have to clean my drink off the floor.

[@mr.j3rs3y]

Theorizing is definitely fun though. But yeah, I doubt anyone will really be correct. You can’t solve a story when the storyteller hasn’t finished reading it to you. Theorizing is a fun past time while we wait for Deltarune’s completion.

[@ThanosKoopa881]

I know im late but i really liked the beginning of the video the "chaos" of it you could say. I either watch Deltarot or Deltatruth. Nice editing to boot

[@GreyVictory1510]

I really like the realistic analysis, that acknowledges, that not everything must be super deep and sometimes it is just there for the story telling and building of relationships.

[@_sickbug]

this is like an extended tiktok in editing style

[@Comfnani]

This is one of the best Deltarune video I've seen ever actually, incredible editing and a really good theory as well. Well done my friend!

[@InsertFunnyThingHere]

Also holy moley production value is up for this

[@sophiachalloner8951]

Darkners are said to be made to serve lightners. Being the toys they play with and the information of the web. I really like this idea that they are made to serve personal issues too, and it really lines up with their characters.

[@jamesvonderhaar2553]

I agree in most cases that fandom can hyperfocus on Watsonian explanations to the point of absurdity. But in analyzing Toby’s work, I’m not sure that it’s such a bad idea to hyperfocus like that. In the end, Toby’s is the master of harmonizing Doylist themes with Watsonian explanation. Flower goes insane both because he’s a metaphor for what a player with nothing else to do in a game will do, and also because infinite time loops would eventually drive anyone insane. If the DR fandom focuses to a large extent on Watsonian explanations, it’s probably because it’s the Watsonian explanations that the author is best at, and it’s what distinguishes him as a creative voice.

[@snarlinger]

Fun vid. Really appreciate the discussion about Kris' identity and how Ralsei tries to affirm it. People sleep on those themes, for both Deltarune and Undertale... Personally I think it's a bit chewier than what you describe. I'm not convinced that Kris and the soul are actually that distinct -- there's clearly an interdependency there, which I think mirrors how the light world and the dark world depend on each other, and thematically how the world and art depend on each other. I think one of the big concerns of Deltarune is how that dependency is managed in healthy and unhealthy ways. Which hugely feeds into your discussion about theorycrafting at the end. I feel very tempted to defend Deltarune theorycrafting here, because I love it and it brings me a lot of joy. I think other people have basically done that though so I won't hound you. I find the disdain/disinterest for FNAF theorycrafting interesting, though. On one hand I totally agree -- people get so hung up on plot, on making stories "make sense", that they forget why stories actually matter, what they do for us. That can be frustrating, especially when you see it everywhere. But on the other hand -- man, I love FNAF theories, and they're the only reason I care about those games! Another KZbinr named Sunny Dionysus talked about how FNAF games/books/movies provide raw materials, which the fandom uses to collaboratively build a story. In a sense, the fandom "builds FNAF". I watch FNAF theories all the time, but I've never played a single FNAF game. That's because the story I care about is the one that the fandom builds. That's the story I daydream about, and get excited for, and that matters to me. That said, some games certainly do not provide good "raw materials". Hello Neighbour...

[@Generic_Ralsei_Worshipper]

Holy shit, that was incredible. Probably my favorite DELTARUNE video to date.

[@Lemonade-Tree]

Full legal names, red strings, sources and we aren’t even a minute in? THIS is a theory video

[@Jackgalaga]

FEMTANYL MENTIONED fire video btw

[@jupitersky]

GREAT editing btw. Didn't know if you'd keep it up throughout the entire video, but you really sent it. Nice stuff!

[@X-SPONGED]

On one hand, I completely agree but on the other hand, the theorizing is basically what's keeping the community fed at this point until Toby releases Ch. 3 and BOY are we running out of material.

[@terrarialove69420]

kris asserted as nonbinary and not just ambiguous? hell yeah im hooked

[@Determ1nat1on]

The editing & script writing oh MY ANGEL WHY aren't you more popular!?!?! Also happy new year! :D

[@Audrey-yv2hn]

That french Emet-Selch jumpscare was completely unexpected. Le faquin...

[@keego7589]

This was an incredibly sobering video. This is a very well put together, realistic analysis that you should be really proud of, not to mention the fantastic editing! Magnifique👌 You've really readjusted my perspective on the story for this game, to be honest I've seen so many wild theories and speculations from other people that I've become completely lost in what my thoughts are of the story anymore. You've reminded me to just take the story as it comes and enjoy it, and I am very grateful for that. Thank you for making this video, I think it's so much more "grounded" than most of what I've seen since Chapter 2 released if that makes sense. Thinking of the game's central theme as Kris' identity crisis is something I haven't thought of until I watched this, I think it's definitely how I'll look at the game's story going forward (or until more concrete stuff is revealed I guess). OH! And not to mention I really like your interpretation of Ralsei's character, I've always thought that the reason he doesn't make much headway with Kris in affirming their identity is because he doesn't know who he is or what he wants to be either. I think once he learns what being 'Ralsei-like' really is then he will be able to connect with and help Kris in a much more genuine way. I've thought this ever since the Swan boat scene and you've nailed it down in a much more eloquent way than I ever could. I've really struggled to figure what exactly his narrative purpose is and it's a little embarrassing that it took you laying this out for me to see something so simple aha 😅 All of this is to say I really liked your video, I doubt you'll see this but if you, do, know that this is one of the best DELTARUNE "theories" I've seen maybe ever, you're excellent at what you do. Sorry for the big block of text, I could go on at length about other things you've made me think about differently but that's wayyy too much for a KZbin comment lol. Subbed!

[@boblanglois9185]

Fairly confident with the respect and depth of your feedback you’ll hear from the Ludomancer

[@rezaching]

I can't believe this video is so good. Okay this is the part where I come

[@DanJD]

i had a dream last night that deltarune released and it was 30 chapters long, we just couldn’t scroll down the chapter menu so we couldn’t see it

[@wsurviver8376]

I feel like this video was kinda overly judgmental and missed the point of alot of peoples approach to theories. Most people theorizing about Deltarune don’t actually think that they’ve got it right, nor is that the point. The reason so many people love digging so deep and hyper focusing on small details as if it’s all leading to a climactic answer is because it’s fun to try. I don’t want to be right, at least not always. I want to continually use evidence to reinterpret this game and look at all the things it could be, we would’ve run out of stuff to talk about a long time ago if we were only looking at what was proven or basically confirmed

[@TheLudomancer]

Fuck yeah, dude! I didn't mean this as a blanket: "Shut Thine Mouth and let the man cook." I meant it more as "Five Nights At Freddy's Specifically Has Poisoned Our Brains. It's Fun, but we don't HAVE To do it."

[@blakestation2632]

​@@TheLudomancerIn my opinion if you kill the Crack head theory crafting then the community will slowly fizzle out with a lack of new content. (With the exception of new releases like new chapters or things like the sweepstakes.) The Deltarune community means so much to people and I'm sure that includes you. So I just don't really see a need or even want for insane theories like Jaru's to end, in my opinion it brings new ideas to the table and allows us to reinterpret some of our favorite games regardless of validity. The only problem with that is when people begin to expect their theories to be correct and are disappointed when they aren't, but to be honest I've never really seen that in the deltarune community so I'm not that worried about it. Either way, loved the video hope to see more of your content soon! (Superb editing by the way)

[@have5959]

Oh my god, the editing in the intro is insane

[@TheLudomancer]

Blender is a Lovely program.

[@53ra]

I get jumpscared by pokemon mystery dungeon music everywhere I go, you my friend have amazing taste

[@Missingno404wastakenwastaken]

I really like the intro sequence, it’s all I’ve seen so far and I have fallen in love already

[@chronred8190]

we have to remember that only the first two Deltarune chapters are out; out of 7 or possibly more. it is bold of others to assume that we will not learn anything new or clarify any mysteries though at the same time more mysteries could appear as well-or surprising information

[@sauce_dude]

the production value on this video is actually crazy

[@chizchiz5999]

I think people forget that we are still in chapter 2. Most want to solve the whole game and tie up loose ends, but the game is literally just beginning. Do we even know how many chapters we're getting?

[@CaitlinMagness]

1:39 SPAMTON JUMPSCARE

[@OLuziOLusic]

yo the editing on this video is crazy! keep up the good work 👍

[@CuminDragon]

Incredibly well-made video with a very good message. I like the presentation of a lot of deltarune theories, but I never really agreed with what seemed to be extreme theories regarding small details in a game who's conception predates said details. Presenting a work of art as a puzzle instead of art isn't something I believe any self respecting artist, let alone one as accomplished as Toby, would willingly do. Obviously there's important postmodern elements to the structure of the story, but it's still a story.

[@boiledoden7252]

Something super interesting you didnt touch on regarding ralsei forcing kris to imagine susie is in the weird route of chapter 2. He tries to get you to do it but it doesnt work, he even repeats himself angrily like “i said, imagine what susie is doing right now.” I know it doesnt prove much but it definitely does support your idea of ralsei deliberately choosing these times and orchestrating SOMETHING behind the scenes. Also, great vid. Tbh a lot of the humor didnt land for me. But the vid was incredibly put together and so was ur toby fox one. Ur really a legend in the making man. Keep it up 🙏🙏

[@alinapzch3473]

To be honest, making and listening to these crazy over-analytical theories, really is how i personally have fun. It doesn't exclude appreciating the story for its thematic narrative. Those are just 2 different approaches to interact with a media, fit for different tastes

[@CreatorProductionsOriginal]

I thought you were going to say that Kris was related to the secret bosses, since by now, 2 of them show connections to Kris Spamton connects to Kris’ desire to break of our strings And Jevil is more of the motif of freedom, or maybe it’s how it’s the reverse of that Jevil sees, for Jevil, everyone is jailed and he’s the only one free, for Kris, he’s the only one jailed while everyone else is free

[@Signedcentaur]

Can you tell that Deltarune is supposed to be a remake of Earthbound Halloween hack? (Especially since both Kris and Varik are names for forgotten JRPGs [Kris being the second protag in the Fire Emblem: Secret of the Emblem remake]

[@Thismanisnoneofyourbusiness]

i am literally only at 2:17 and I would devote 75% of my life to hear this man rant at the *_m i n i m u m_* jokes aside you have gained a subscriber

[@MerryMidlight]

The humor in the editing is unmatched.

[@tree8925]

This is the best video of a Deltarune "theory" so far I have watched. Don't get me wrong, I love to listening to other peoples ideas on what's to come, but sometimes it gets out of hand and other people's theories butt heads and can cause tension which I don't like so much. Only Toby knows what'll happen and I am so happy that he could make his dream come true. (pun intended....) I'll go to my corner now. haha!

[@CaioPlays5]

I guess the real Deltarune was the Fun we had playing the Game

[@badusername9903]

the first few minutes were so.. look at the bottle to make sure you aren't taking too many adderall at once (very good video)

[@AlphaPizzadog]

ralsei was created to help kris, just as lancer for susie, and queen for noelle. but kris doesn't want that help. so this means ralsei needs to exist for himself now, which is unique for a darkner...

[@Well_Meaning]

Bold move, writing an essay about an unfinished story that says: the story is unfinished. Though as far as "theory-crafting" and its ilk is concerned, Toby clearly encourages it. He's not signalling to his readers: just wait, there's nothing to think about yet. He's hiding shit in email newsletters and building html labyrinths beneath fundraisers. He created an entire pseudo-character who explicitly reinforces active engagement before, during, and after game/chapter releases. I happen to agree with you that almost no story is fully reverse-engineerable from its initial chapters, but you also have to consider what the author is signaling to their readers. This video is basically saying "see all this honey Toby set out? It's silly that flies are attracted to it!" which seems bizarre, or at least stubborn. At this point his readers have been waiting years for new chapters, so I don't necessarily think the sentiment "hey, you've hashed out as much as you're gonna hash out" is wrong, but I don't think it holds water as a comprehensive statement towards the whole work. DR/UT is clearly engineered in such a way that the reaction you've written a polemic against is actually encouraged.

[@TheLudomancer]

@@Well_Meaning yeah. I’m not saying “Don’t think about it.” I’m saying “This isn’t FNAF, Theory culture is mostly forged by FNAF and Gametheory videos, and those aren’t a great precedent to work under because unlike Scott Cawthon, competent authors wish to be understood.” There’s encouraging theorycrafting, and then just… regular-ass foreshadowing and suspense?? There’s overlap but they’re not as synonymous as people act. The hidden ARG shit in HTML isn’t that deep honestly. There’s an entity in the code and random quotes from unknown characters. It’s either cut and dry like the entity in the code being either Gaster or Dess to unknown ends, or it’s a massive fucking wildcard with almost nothing concretely connected like Noelle’s weird glitch blogs. Toby asks questions and promises answers, Scott leaves you with questions and can’t be fucked to clarify. And most theorycrafting treats DELTARUNE like the latter when it is the former. We jork off the idea of theorizing because we’re used to FNAF and FNAF-likes making every vague element into a puzzle box the author won’t help with. Theorizing is a habitual fandom response to the presence of any question, and Any Unfinished Story is gonna do that. It’s like saying and old cliffhanger is “Encouraging Theorizing.” Toby’s just doing normal, inconclusive teaser stuff to keep the fandom occupied because that’s how marketing works. “get Excited for the answer” is not the same as “Figure it out, idiot.”

[@Well_Meaning]

@@TheLudomancer I don't think this response holds water when your example of a FNAF-tier theory was Mollystar's device theory, which is way closer to a comprehensive work of literary critique and an analysis of Deltarune's medium than it is a "is Sans Undertale actually Earthbound man??" work. I just think you've done a poor job expressing WHY exactly this "mindset" you're on the warpath about is actually destructive. Is anyone actually driving themselves crazy, or are they having fun? Is anyone actually debasing the actual artwork? Of course not, they're orthogonal. An author doesn't need to be coddled in case their work isn't "understood"-- that's going to happen no matter what. And what? A cliffhanger obviously encourages theorizing. Authors and showrunners use them to keep people energized for serialized works, they're meant to make you talk. If your crusade is against Scott, you should make a video about FNAF (I don't know anything about it, so I can't comment)-- instead of applying it to all discussions.

[@mr.explodey6745]

@@TheLudomancer It honestly sounds like you're disparaging video game theorycrafting as a whole just because Scott had no idea what he was doing. I'm sure most people passionate enough about deltarune to make insane hour-long theories about it have confidence that Toby will provide meaningful answers, and at least half of them won't throw a fit when they're proven wrong. Fnaf fans used to be the same, and the resulting "fnaf-forged theory culture" wasn't anyone's fault but Scott's. Fnaf was an example of lore theory culture being abused for relevance, and that does not reflect on it as a whole

[@TheLudomancer]

@@mr.explodey6745 You're kinda right. Lore Theory culture was abused for relevance by an incompetent writer, but it still got people in the habit of thinking it was something Necessary instead of just Fun.

[@CARCATGames]

Another important thing to keep in mind about theory crafting is that it's not always about being right, it's about having fun seeing things in a different light regardless of how true it is. Some of my favorite theories are the completely random out of nowhere ones. For example, I really liked Matpat's infamous Sans is Ness theory. Not because it's true, because it obviously is not, but because it's a unique idea that's fun to think about it.

[@sagacious03]

Neat analysis video! Thanks for uploading! The editing & presentation is quite notable!

[@MichaelRodriguez-u2e]

Fun fact it’s most likely Kris doesn’t even like eating Moss considering the only thing we assume he willingly ate was the Pie Toriel made as he literally forced us out for it

[@proza-x3343]

10:15 The world "might" is there for a reason though, but I understand the point. Besides, in one of the teases for chapter 3 (the green room) there's a mouse from ciber city in there.