Dream Smasher: Frisk & Chara

This Dream Smasher was created with the help of @NickDaDroid and @SecondZack on Twitter, and thanks to Cart Boy for help with edits.

Over the past few years, it has been proven time and time again that video games do not need massive teams of developers or the support of large companies to become outstanding products. Legendary titles like Shovel Knight and Cave Story, for instance, prove the potential for greatness a game can have even under the care of smaller independent teams. In many ways, no game has proven how impactful the work of indie developers can be quite like UNDERTALE has. Developed by Toby Fox and released in 2015, this quirky little game quickly became a phenomenon that’s iconicity has transcended the realm of video games and become one of the most popular titles of the 2010s, a remarkable feat given its humble beginnings as one man’s simple passion project. Toby Fox’s work has since been celebrated by fans the world over, resulting in UNDERTALE being ported to various platforms and even making its way to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Namely, through the inclusion of Sans as a Mii Gunner costume and a remix of the game’s most iconic piece of music, “MEGALOVANIA.” Given the Sans costume’s overwhelmingly positive reception, seeing the indie juggernaut gain an even larger presence in Nintendo’s crossover fighter would definitely attract an audience. Today, we’ll be discussing why UNDERTALE has so much more to offer to the world of Smash by pitching a potential moveset for the game’s protagonist, Frisk. And for this concept, they’ll be bringing along their sinister counterpart, Chara, as a semi-clone.

Who Are Frisk & Chara?

(Courtesy of @2BforSmash)

Reminiscent of other silent protagonists like Ness and Lucas, Frisk is an average child who, upon climbing Mt. Ebott and falling into the Underground, discovers a fantastical world full of monsters and embarks on an unforgettable adventure. Searching for a way to return home, Frisk makes their way through this perilous land in order to return to the surface world, a deceptively simple premise that goes way deeper than players would initially expect. Throughout their quest, Frisk meets many memorable faces who serve as either friends or obstacles, all depending on the choices of the player. As the game progresses, Frisk is tasked with solving puzzles, triumphing over difficult bosses, and, if the player chooses to, saving the monsters from their bleak existences by freeing them from the Underground. However, this Pacifist Route is not the only way to experience UNDERTALE, as by showing no mercy to the monsters and murdering every creature they meet, Frisk gives in to the influence of the original Fallen Human, Chara, and goes down the dark and empty path of the Genocide Route.

(Courtesy of @2BforSmash)

Chara is a human child who fell into the Underground years before the events of UNDERTALE, but unlike Frisk, a silent protagonist, Chara is an established character with their own personality and beliefs. Unfortunately, after their death, Chara is reawakened following Frisk’s arrival and, if the player decides to set Frisk down the Genocide Route, Chara will take possession of the child and lay waste to every monster they encounter. As the bloodshed continues, players find themselves losing control of Frisk at certain points as the malevolent spirit uses them as a puppet to bring an end to all life in the Underground. While we see and hear little of Chara throughout both routes, their effect on the world following their passing and notable presence in the Genocide Route makes them an integral part of UNDERTALE and its world.

Importance to Nintendo/Series

What is there to say about UNDERTALE and its impact on the gaming industry that hasn’t already been said? Easily one of the most well known video games released in recent years, Toby Fox’s hit role-playing game has left its mark on pop culture in a unique way many other gaming icons simply haven’t. With its beloved characters, unique approach to storytelling, and one of the most celebrated video game soundtracks of all time, UNDERTALE excels at staying with its players years after its initial launch. Not only has the game since been released on Sony and Microsoft platforms, but also on the Nintendo Switch with an exclusive boss fight. That, along with the game already being represented in Smash, makes it clear that it and Nintendo have a strong relationship. That being said, whether the existence of the Sans costume weakens or strengthens the possibility of an UNDERTALE fighter joining Smash remains to be seen. However, the surprising lack of a spirit board event for it so far despite Cuphead, another series that got a Mii Fighter costume and music track through DLC, getting one certainly puts the game in an interesting position worth considering further.

As for Frisk and Chara themselves, while the former is far from the most beloved UNDERTALE character given their lack of personality in a title filled to the brim with it, they could represent the world of UNDERTALE and its gameplay extremely well alongside Chara, making them great options as far as embodying their home title is concerned. After all, Smash has virtually always included the main protagonist of a given series before returning to it for any secondary characters, making Frisk significantly more likely than, say, Papyrus or Undyne. Chara, on the other hand, is a much lesser known part of UNDERTALE than Frisk, so while they are here as well for a very specific reason we will get into soon, they aren’t nearly as likely to become a Smash fighter as Frisk is.

Colors & Design

Frisk has a very simplistic design that doesn’t deviate from their iconic sprite much at all in official merchandise, much like similar silent protagonists. Always depicted with long hair and a striped shirt (that’s how you know they’re a kid), Frisk’s general look clearly takes several queues from Ness and could do the same in Smash when translating them to its 3D environment. While Frisk’s facial expression never changes in UNDERTALE, it could do so in Smash to highlight their compassionate nature during the Pacifist Route. Then there’s Chara, who would largely be a recolor of Frisk with the most notable distinctions being a different hairstyle, single stripe on their shirt instead of two, and the infamous creepy smile that would never leave their face. The two children would also carry weapons and pieces of armor, with Frisk wielding the Stick and Bandage they automatically equip upon entering the Underground. Chara, meanwhile, would sport the Real Knife and Heart Locket found in their room near the game’s conclusion. As for the two humans’ palette swaps, Frisk’s would reference various SOUL colors and gameplay mechanics seen throughout battles in UNDERTALE, while Chara’s would largely be based on various characters and bosses encountered in the game. Frisk’s first color would be their signature blue shirt with pink stripes, their second would reference their own red SOUL, their third would reference the blue SOUL seen while battling Papyrus, their fourth would reference the green SOUL seen while batting Undyne, their fifth would reference the orange obstacles seen in various encounters, their sixth would reference the purple SOUL seen while battling Muffet, their seventh would reference the yellow SOUL seen while battling Mettaton, and their eighth would reference the cyan obstacles seen in various encounters (remember, blue stop signs). Meanwhile, Chara’s first color would be their green shirt with a yellow stripe, their second would reference Flowey the Flower, their third would reference Sans, their fourth would reference Undyne, their fifth would reference Mettaton EX, their sixth would reference the Dreemurrs, their seventh would reference DELTARUNE’s Kris, and their eighth would reference the monochromatic color scheme enemies are depicted with during encounters.

How Would They Play?

Now, let’s have a look at some stats:

• Can they crawl?: No
• Can they wall jump?: No
• How many jumps do they have?: 2
• Are there any exclusive abilities they have*: No
• Weight Class: C
• Height Class: D+
• Speed Class: D
• Are they mirrored when they face left: No

*Like Peach’s float

As a role-playing game with inspiration taken from bullet hells, it isn’t immediately apparent how a fighter could feel at home in Smash while staying true to UNDERTALE. Instead, Frisk and Chara’s movesets would be designed to embody the Pacifist and Genocide Routes, respectively. Like how players choose which route they will attempt soon after starting a new UNDERTALE file, selecting either Frisk or Chara would give players two distinct experiences. Frisk would reference the unique spin on the role-playing genre that the Pacifist Route provides through their unorthodox playstyle, while Chara would reference the far less inspired Genocide Route through their unimpressive, but effective moveset.

Characterized by their pitiful launch power and unique way of taking stocks, Frisk would be unlike any Smash character on the roster so far. As a representation of the Pacifist Route, they would be virtually incapable of conventionally defeating opponents, instead relying on their attacks and ACTs to set opponents up for their SPARE down special, an instant kill if enemies are hit by it after certain conditions have been met. Like in the Pacifist Route, Frisk would resolve conflicts with careful use of FIGHTing and ACTs to get the enemy to warm up to them. After opponents have been damaged enough, hit by enough ACTs, or a mixture of the two, they would begin to glow yellow. Hitting glowing opponents with Frisk’s SPARE would cause them to vanish in a puff of smoke, thematically having been SPAREd, but technically having been killed. Aside from this gimmick, Frisk’s attacks would be fairly typical, relying heavily on the Stick while mixing things up with other weapons and references to UNDERTALE for the rest of the moveset.

On the other hand, we have Chara, a far more basic fighter in that they would have no such SPARE gimmick and actually be fairly good at launching opponents. As the physical embodiment of the Genocide Route, they would play as expected of a Smash character, using their Real Knife in place of Frisk’s Stick and showing no mercy on the battlefield. They would still have plenty of similar attacks to Frisk for the sake of tying the two together, but they would play considerably differently and have vastly different special attacks. While a force to be reckoned with and an effective rushdown character, Chara would intentionally feel like an uninteresting version of Frisk that still contrasts nicely with their fellow Fallen Human and helps represent the two methods of dealing with enemies in their home game.

Boxing Ring Title: “The Fallen Human” (F) / “The Absolute” (C)

Series Icon	Stock Icons	Kirby Hats

Frisk

Move Type	Description
On-Screen Appearance:	Frisk would fall from the sky onto a bed of golden flowers before grabbing a Stick off of the ground and preparing for battle.
Stance:	Frisk would stand with their hands at their side and the Stick in hand, giving a solemn expression.
Idle Animation #1:	Frisk would pull out their Cell Phone, press a few buttons on it, then put it away.
Idle Animation #2:	Frisk’s body would darken and emit a red aura as their SOUL took shape in front of their idle form.
Walk:	Frisk would march forward with their arms at their sides, referencing their walking animation from their home game.
Dash:	Frisk would simply sprint forward, swinging their arms from side-to-side in an innocent manner.
Jump:	Frisk would jump with their arms to their sides for their first jump, while their second one would have them spinning horizontally.
Crouch:	Frisk would lie on the ground and feel like garbage, referencing their hangout with Napstablook.
Shield:	One of Undyne’s spears would materialize in Frisk’s hands as they used it to guard their body.
Neutral Attack:	Frisk would swing their Stick forward twice before fearfully looking away and poking rapidly with it.
Forward Tilt:	Frisk would meekly flail their Stick in front of them.
Down Tilt:	Frisk would pat the ground, kicking up some dust from the area they disturbed.
Up Tilt:	Frisk would pull out an umbrella and open it above their head, launching opponents farther than most of their attacks and serving as an effective get-off-me tool.
Dash Attack:	Frisk would trip and slide a short distance forward, resembling King Dedede’s dash attack and referencing Monster Kid’s tendency to trip and fall while running.
Forward Smash: Roll Around	Frisk would lie on the ground and roll around, referencing the Roll Around ACT. This move would deal minimal damage, trip foes, and bring them closer to emitting the yellow aura.
Up Smash: Pose	Frisk would spin and strike a flashy pose while pointing upward, referencing the Pose and Heel Turn ACTs. This move would deal little damage, launch enemies farther than most of Frisk’s attacks, and would bring the opponents hit by it closer to emitting the yellow aura.
Down Smash: Flex	Frisk would boldly flex their arms inward, referencing the Flex ACT. This move would deal little damage and knockback and bring opponents hit by it closer to emitting the yellow aura.
Neutral Aerial:	Frisk’s SOUL would emerge from their body and briefly emit a red aura around them, damaging nearby opponents.
Down Aerial:	Frisk would spin horizontally while falling straight down, referencing their animation when falling through the floor in the Ruins.
Forward Aerial:	Frisk would swiftly kick forward while striking a flashy pose and facing the screen, referencing one of Mettaton EX’s various poses during his fight.
Back Aerial:	Frisk would simply swing their Stick behind them, dealing respectable damage but hardly launching foes hit by it at all.
Up Aerial:	Frisk would hold their Stick-free hand up as a small yellow bird briefly appeared overhead and lifted Frisk a bit higher into the air, damaging nearby opponents with its flapping wings.
Grab: Hug	Frisk would stretch their arms out and give their opponent a bear hug, referencing the Hug ACT.
Pummel:	Frisk would tightly squeeze the trapped opponent as their victim struggled to escape, applying a yellow wave that would get opponents closer to emitting the yellow aura.
Forward Throw:	Frisk would push the opponent away from them with a fearful expression.
Up Throw:	Frisk would whimsically throw the opponent up into the air, raising their arms up as they did so.
Down Throw:	Frisk would recoil and drop the opponent onto the ground, launching them slightly forward.
Back Throw:	Frisk would grab the opponent by their hands and spin around with their victim before throwing them backward.
Neutral Special: Flirt	Frisk would strike a playful pose and point forward with their Stick-free hand as a yellow wave of energy moved a short distance forward from their body. While it would deal no damage and cause no flinching, any opponent hit by the wave would have their attack power lowered for a short period of time and get closer to emitting the yellow aura. However, Frisk would be left vulnerable to their opponents’ attacks while using this move and should thus use it when at a considerable distance away from any threats.
Side Special: Plead	Frisk would hold their hands up to their face and turn away while giving a frightened expression. If they are hit by an attack during this animation, Frisk would immediately dodge the blow as a yellow wave emitted from their body, lowering nearby opponents’ launch power for a short period of time and getting them closer to emitting the yellow aura.
Up Special: Pet	Lesser Dog (floating in place if summoned in the air) would appear in front of Frisk, who would grab onto the dog’s neck as it rapidly extended. Repeatedly inputting the special command up to a maximum of seven times during this move’s starting frames would make Frisk rapidly pet the lovable soldier’s neck, allowing it to extend higher and higher. With an additional input, Frisk would jump off of the helpful canine as it disappeared. During this attack, Lesser Dog would be constantly barking, emitting a yellow wave from its mouth that would get nearby opponents closer to emitting the yellow aura.
Down Special: SPARE	Frisk would point forward as three miniature hearts appeared from their finger. This move would deal minimal damage, but if used on an opponent glowing yellow as a result of Frisk’s actions, it would immediately KO the enemy as they vanished in a puff of smoke.
Final Smash: SAVE	Upon using their Final Smash, Frisk would warp to the center of the stage as the rainbow-colored SAVE button from the Pacifist Route’s climax appeared in front of them. Without a second thought, Frisk would press the button, causing the six Human Souls to rotate around them and heal 50% of their health as a massive yellow wave emitted from the SAVE button, bringing nearby enemies significantly closer to giving off the yellow aura.
Up Taunt:	Frisk would perform a pirouette before striking a pose with their arms raised and their hands pointing upward, referencing one of the ACTs Kris can perform in one of DELTARUNE’s boss fights.
Side Taunt:	The Annoying Dog would appear and run past Frisk, who would cower in fear as it passed them.
Down Taunt:	Frisk would pull out one of Toriel’s famous butterscotch pies and eat it with a satisfied look on their face.
Victory Animation #1:	A conveniently-shaped lamp would appear motionless on screen as Frisk emerged from behind it and cautiously looked around before interacting with a nearby savepoint.
Victory Animation #2:	Frisk would be celebrating their victory with Undyne as the two wielded spears and sparred. After a short scuffle, Frisk would knock Undyne to the floor and the two would give hearty laughs.
Victory Animation #3:	Frisk would be celebrating their victory with Papyrus and Sans. As Sans stays on the sidelines, Frisk and Papyrus would jump into the air for a high five as Papyrus shouted his famous “NYEH HEH HEH!”

Chara

Move Type	Description
On-Screen Appearance:	Chara would rise out of a patch of golden flowers like a zombie before pulling out their Real Knife and preparing for battle.
Stance:	Chara would stand with their hands at their side and the Real Knife in hand, giving an unsettling smile.
Idle Animation #1:	Chara’s right eye would briefly flash with a red gleam.
Idle Animation #2:	Chara would make a gesture with their knife for their opponent(s) to approach.
Walk:	Chara would march forward with their arms at their sides, referencing Frisk’s walking animation from their home game.
Dash:	Chara would charge forward like a maniac, swinging their knife-holding hand violently.
Jump:	Chara would jump with their arms to their sides for their first jump, while their second one would have them spinning horizontally.
Crouch:	Chara would sit on the ground with their head down and face covered by shadow, referencing Kris upon being defeated in DELTARUNE.
Shield:	Chara would simply hold the Real Knife to their face, using it to guard incoming attacks.
Neutral Attack:	Chara would rapidly slash forward with their knife, like Meta Knight’s jab.
Forward Tilt:	Chara would stab their knife forward with surprising speed, force, and range.
Down Tilt:	Chara would sweep the ground with their knife, launching opponents slightly into the air and leaving them open to a combo, like Young Link’s down tilt.
Up Tilt:	Chara would thrust upward with their knife while spinning, like Meta Knight’s up tilt.
Dash Attack:	Chara would “trip” and slide a short distance forward, but with another input, Chara would get back on their feet almost instantly and quickly slash forward.
Forward Smash:	Chara would leap into the air and slash forward with their knife, avoiding low attacks while in the air.
Up Smash:	Chara would rip their SOUL out of their body and raise it into the air as it released a large wave of energy before returning it to their body.
Down Smash:	Chara would stomp the ground as slender vines emerged from the ground on both sides of Chara and quickly crept along the ground in front of and behind them before disappearing, like Ivysaur’s down smash.
Neutral Aerial:	Chara’s right eye would gleam red as a dark wave of energy briefly surrounded their body, rapidly damaging nearby opponents like Mewtwo’s neutral air.
Down Aerial:	Chara would rapidly descend headfirst while pointing their knife straight down. The tip of the blade would spike opponents, like Toon Link’s down air.
Forward Aerial:	Chara would perform a quick shoulder check. While lacking in power and range, the attack would come out fast and be an effective tool during combos.
Back Aerial:	Chara would spin horizontally and stab backward, launching victims far and dealing a lot of damage.
Up Aerial:	Chara would quickly slash overhead, like Marth’s up air.
Grab:	Chara would grab the opponent violently, holding them with one hand by their neck.
Pummel:	Chara would slash at the opponent with their knife.
Forward Throw:	Chara would perform a jumping slash with their knife, launching their opponent forward.
Up Throw:	Chara would effortlessly throw the opponent into the air.
Down Throw:	Chara would forcefully slam the opponent into the ground.
Back Throw:	Chara would toss the opponent backward and bash them with their shoulder to launch them farther.
Neutral Special: Threat	Chara would draw their finger across their neck (referencing Undyne’s battle and official tarot card) as a wave of dark energy manifested around them and moved forward. This wave would deal no damage and cause no flinching, but would lower nearby opponents’ defense for a short period of time (an effect that could not be stacked). Chara would be left vulnerable to their opponents’ attacks while using this move and should thus use it when at a considerable distance away from danger.
Side Special: Challenge	Chara would make a beckoning gesture with their knife. If hit by an attack during this animation, Chara would simply counter it with a powerful slash from their blade.
Up Special: Monster Kid	Monster Kid would appear in front of Chara, who would then leap off of the child’s head while kicking them straight down. When used on the ground, Monster Kid would hit the floor and slide backward upon being kicked, tripping anyone they come into contact with. However, when used in the air, Monster Kid would be launched downward as if they had been spiked, damaging anyone they collide with and serving as an effective projectile offstage.
Down Special: FIGHT	Chara would snap their fingers as the FIGHT button briefly appeared in front of them, trapping enemies who come into contact with it before transforming into the battle box. The player could then time an attack (or miss entirely) using the display overhead to slash at the trapped opponent, with the closer to the display’s center the input was, the more powerful the slash would be.
Final Smash: Hyper Goner	Ready to put an end to their opponents, Chara would pull out a buttercup, devour it, and disappear into the shadows as the enigmatic Asriel appeared in their place. Summoning his Hyper Goner weapon, Asriel would create a powerful vortex within its demonic mouth that would suck nearby opponents in and deal massive damage. If above 100% upon the attack’s completion, a SOUL would emerge from the captured foe before promptly breaking in two, instantly killing them.
Up Taunt:	Chara would turn to the screen and stand ominously as the word “Determination” appeared overhead.
Side Taunt:	Chara would pull out a golden flower and violently crush it in their hand as a red gleam emitted from their right eye.
Down Taunt:	Chara would pull out a Snowman Piece as their right eye emitted a red gleam and eat it in one bite.
Victory Animation #1:	The screen would initially be focused on a terrified Froggit who would soon turn to dust. As the dust settled, Chara would be revealed as the attacker before ominously looking at the screen.
Victory Animation #2:	The area would be darkened and completely empty, aside from a single text box floating in midair that would read “But nobody came.”
Victory Animation #3:	Flowey would emerge from the ground and fearfully look around before submerging again as Chara ran toward him, barely avoiding a slash from the Real Knife. Chara would then stare at the ground intently, fruitlessly waiting for Flowey to come out of hiding.

Victory Fanfares: Frisk’s victory fanfare would be a short remix of UNDERTALE’s main theme, as its motif is heard many times throughout the game. Meanwhile, Chara’s fanfare would be a sinister remix of “Your Best Friend,” another theme with a motif often heard throughout the game. As an added detail, an ambient track based on “But Nobody Came” could play after Chara’s fanfare instead of the standard results screen theme, like with Cloud and Joker’s fanfares.

Outro

As a celebration of all things gaming, Smash continues to live up to its reputation with increasingly exciting and monumental announcements. The reveals of Snake, Sonic, Mega Man, Cloud, Banjo & Kazooie, and so much more were all beloved moments in the franchise’s history. With that in mind, the similar reactions caused by a simple Mii costume speaks volumes to UNDERTALE’s value as a modern icon. While the novelty of it being represented in Smash has long since settled in the minds of players, support behind the inclusion of a fighter from the RPG has only strengthened following all the matches played with “MEGALOVANIA” in the background, as well as the introduction many Nintendo fans have since had to Toby Fox’s hit title. With that much history behind them, Frisk and Chara could make for fantastic additions to Smash’s prolific lineup.

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Hamada

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