Monsters in Undertale are magical creatures who are attuned to their souls. Their souls comprise the majority of their physical forms, and they express themselves through their magic, both violently and peacefully. It's said that a monster's soul is composed of "love, hope, and compassion" — and they're quick to endear to others because of it. A monster's lack of substance and vulnerability of heart makes them incredibly weak to a human with ill intent, and they're notorious for falling readily to a single blow from a strong, callous human. Additionally, a monster cannot attack without conviction: if a monster doesn't want to harm their enemy, they physically cannot do much damage with their innate powers.
As creatures who communicate via soul, monsters are capable of
soul sight and
mild soul manipulation , as they're capable of both seeing and making visible another creature's soul. This allows even humans to see their own soul—and once exposed, monsters can engage with that soul as they like, whether to heal or harm.
While most other creatures have souls in a rainbow of colors, a unique quality about monsters is that their souls are devoid of it. They appear white/colorless. In addition, monster souls will appear inverted, reversed, or "upside-down". If this—
—is a human soul, this—
—would be a monster's.
When a monster dies, their body turns to a small pile of dust. They leave absolutely no soul behind, as their soul shatters and dissipates.
❤ magic
As a monster, Mettaton can perform magic. A monster's magical attacks are expressive, taking the form of a variety of shapes, elements, and effects. One monster may attack using flames that burn, while another's might manifest as soapy suds. Mettaton typically attacks with an inclination toward the lightning element, though he also employs explosives, bombs, and blockades. ...and disco balls, and mini-Mettatons, and his arms and legs. He's very vain.
Here's an example of a round of attacks from Mettaton.
To attack a species that isn't made up of their soul like a monster, such as a human, a monster's attacks directly harm the victim's soul and manifest as physical injury. Characters with softer hearts will find themselves more vulnerable to a monster's attacks, while a character who is callous and lacks care for others is more resistant to a monster's attacks.
But magic like this can also be used for protection and healing. Mettaton never does so in canon, but every other monster does at the end of the game, implying he's capable of it. Their ability to protect only appears to be effective against magical attacks.
❤ soul fusion
Humans sealed monsterkind Underground out of fear not of their offensive magic, but their ability to take their souls. Monsters such as Mettaton can absorb the soul of other creatures into their being, fusing and amplifying their powers to fearsome heights. As long as the soul's body is destroyed or detached, a monster can take any soul capable of persisting beyond death. This is said to create "a horrible beast with unfathomable power."❤ monster physiology —their souls don't persist beyond the loss of their bodies.
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metalcrusher) wrote2000-10-31 10:54 am
