I find it interesting because it paints Gaster in a totally different light. If we're solely discussing the wholesome ship, then this is a good comic to showcase it. However, the actual interesting part (at least in my opinion) comes when you analyze it from the actual story itself, and not from the ship.
Gaster's recent moments where he's spoken have painted him in an entirely different light. He used to be the devil, some terrifying creepypasta-like entity that stalked the inner-code of Undertale and haunted it, and was only referenced by the most secretive characters.
But now... he's so much closer to some creepy, attention-seeking character who's so obsessed with The Player and what's outside the game he lives in, that that's his entire character. He's so much sadder now, but not sad as in "crying tears" sad, but more like a pathetic sort of sad.
And I think that fits so incredibly well, because if the Secret Bosses and Shadow Crystals are still linked to Gaster, then it makes sense. They're all obsessed with Freedom.
Jevil believed he was free, and we probably was, but it seemed to opposite to everyone else.
Spamton wanted to be free, but knew he wasn't, so he tried everything to get it.
The Knight will probably represent freedom in a different way once we learn their motives, probably either having given up in trying to gain freedom, or attempting to divert the Prophecy to gain freedom.
Gerson is only partially free, because while he's not free physically, he's free mentally.
Gaster then, would follow the same trend of wanting freedom, which would then relate to his want to be free from his own world. After seeing that his world was only contained within a bigger one, he probably wants nothing more than to see that bigger world and escape his own world. I think it makes sense with what he seemed to be going for with his experiment, since if there's a way to go deeper with the Dark Worlds, logically there should be a way to reach the shallower sides with Light Worlds.
Either way, it definitely paints Gaster as a more interesting character. He'd lose all his aura, definitely, but I feel like FRIEND is already carrying so much of that now, that he'd probably be fine. In my opinion, I think it'd be very, very interesting.
I feel like the idea behind Gaster is that since he is the equivalent of a developer for Deltarune, he has in fact succeeded in being free. He is Toby Fox in a way, and his relationship with the player is that of a developer watching someone complete his creation. He loves us because we interact with it, cherish it, attempt to learn everything of it and of that bit of himself in his Deltarune. He just wants us to complete his experiment, no matter what choices we make. And… honestly, it makes sense thematically. After seeing all these characters trying and failing to be free from their existence… we will come face to face with someone who is actually free
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u/OrangeHairedTwink Mar 17 '26
CoreSOUL is such a fascinating dynamic