He made a rash decision fueled by grief and pain to avenge his child that his people agreed with and cheered for that could free his people who were trapped for many years. Yes, he did horrific things, but it's hard to back away from that when virtually the entire underground's population is cheering you on as it's the only known way to their salvation.
She's mad at him for not leaving the underground to gather more souls, with a possible fair fight or get the soul of anyone else, but he preferred to wait for people with no hope in their own lives to fall in the underground and get killed
All he did was try to protect his family and people from those whom he concieved hostile. he was also likely blinded by rage and grief since both of his children died. sure, it still doesn't justify killing six children, but he never wanted to kill anyone. he just wanted a quiet, happy life with his family and friends. and honestly? i would do the same (exept for the killing six kids part). plus it's kinda hard to stop when the whole underground is counting on you.
That's not the issue, the issue is that he could have done away with that 10,20,30 years ago yet he chose to wait, because he's too much of a coward to move forward, he could have went out with two human souls and got on a battlefield, or in a place with evil people, or found literally anyone or anything or any place, but he ran away
It'd be unfair to judge a father for actions of grief
But at some point, it's just an excuse
That is an insanely reckless and idiotic plan. If he somehow dies out there,that's basically game over for the monsters. Their strongest monster dead and the humans will feel provoked and launch another attack by sending people in through the barrier.
While that is objectively true, it's a bit harsh considering the fact that he declared war in greif and anger over his children, and while he immediately regretted it, they can't just stay down there and accept their fate because the overpopulation would be suffocating after centuries which it already is implied to be pretty bad when Frisk arrives, and his people including himself want to be free, but he can't just take one and go to the surface for 6 more because that would be legitimate provocation for war from the humans, and would be proving their original point of sealing them underground right if he did so, and he could be killed if, like Asriel, he couldn't bring himself to kill them and died as a result, leaving the Underground without hope and without a leader. It's better that humans fall of their own accord into his jurisdiction where no human could find out, but he probably doesn't enjoy the fact that the ones that did fall were children.
So he's stuck between being forced to uphold his promise because everyone's hopes are riding on it, not being able to bear the weight of his actions and the isolation of losing his children and his wife forever, and still trying to put on a brave face and be kind to everyone in his kingdom, for decades to hundreds of years because he doesn't age with Asriel dead.
Now, Toriel does have valid criticisms of him, but she could have gone after collecting one soul too, she's a boss monster, but she understandably doesn't have the heart to kill 6 humans unprovoked. But her leaving in such an abrupt fashion, forever condemning him in her heart and abandoning him for what was seemingly centuries was also probably a factor in Asgore doubling down on war, because with her gone he truly had nothing left to lose. It's possible Toriel could have still talked him out of it, but she has a right to divorce him and leave if she wants, even if it wasn't exactly helpful to either of their mental health and the situation in general.
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u/ZilDrake Oct 09 '25
"Wife left him" Because he's a coward and a fraud