Chara

Chara (typically /ˈkærə/ or /tʃɑːrə/), also known as the first human or the fallen human, is the first human to fall into the Underground. Chara is the human that the player names at the start of the game, and not the controllable character who is played throughout the entirety of Undertale.

Appearance
Chara looks strikingly similar to the protagonist, down to a "similar fashion sense," as said by Asriel, and just like the protagonist, has an ambiguous gender. Both appear to have been around the same age after falling into the Underground. Chara's SOUL is also the same color as the protagonist's, which is indicated by the red SOUL on Chara's coffin.

At the end of the Genocide Route, Chara is seen to be wearing a lime and cream colored striped shirt and red-brown pants and shoes. Compared to the protagonist, Chara has lighter skin and hair color, rosey cheeks, open eyes, and a smile that contrasts the protagonist's stoic expression.

Personality
While initially cast in a sympathetic light, Asriel admits at the end of the True Pacifist Route that Chara "...wasn't really the greatest person." Asriel says that Chara climbed Mount Ebott for an unhappy reason, and adds that Chara "hated humanity," indicating some misanthropy. Chara never told Asriel the reason that they had such hatred. Asriel also mentions that Chara "laughed it off" when the two of them accidentally poisoned Asgore by putting buttercups instead of cups of butter into a butterscotch pie they made for him.

After Chara died, Chara and Asriel's SOULs combined, and they shared control over a body. Asriel explains that Chara picked up their own corpse, crossed the barrier, and carried their body to their home village. Asriel recalls that Chara wanted to use their full power and that he was the one who resisted. The humans from the village fatally wounded the fused SOULs. The Asriel/Chara fusion retreated to the Underground with Chara's corpse and perished.

At the end of the Genocide Route, Chara behaves in a cold, deliberate, and even malevolent fashion through both actions and speech, despite the outward semblance of youth and innocence. Chara reveals that the protagonist's "determination" and "human soul" awoke Chara from death as soon as the protagonist entered the Underground.

Main Story
After falling into the Underground, Chara was taken in by Toriel and Asgore as a second child and was treated with respect equal to their biological son, Asriel. Chara and Asriel became best friends. Monsters spoke of how Chara filled the Underground with hope.

One day, after becoming terminally ill from consuming buttercups, Chara expressed the desire to see the Golden Flowers found in their home village. After their death, Chara's SOUL was absorbed by Asriel, and they shared control over a body. Chara carried their own corpse across the barrier and wanted to use their full power. Asriel resisted Chara, which ultimately lead to the humans killing the fusion of the two SOULs.

Chara's motives in this situation are uncertain. However, in the Genocide Route, Flowey tells Chara that they should finish what they started and free everyone. Flowey also adds, "That despite it all... This world is still 'kill or be killed!!". Asriel tells the protagonist that he came up with this philosophy because his resistance to Chara lead to both of them being killed. At the end of the Genocide Route, Chara says little about Asriel's betrayal other than, "At first, I was so confused. Our plan had failed, hadn't it?"

Chara's body was originally laid to rest in a coffin in the basement of the castle, where the bodies of the other fallen humans would later be put. When she left Asgore, Toriel carried Chara's body to the Ruins and gave them a proper burial.

In the Genocide Route, Chara says that the protagonist's "determination" and "human soul" awakened them from death. There is evidence that some narration, as well as descriptions of certain actions and events, is by Chara themself. However, the narrator throughout the entirety of Undertale is up to speculation.

Neutral Route
When the protagonist gets a Game Over, Asgore's voice can be heard as he urges Chara to "stay determined." The messages seen on the game over screen are identical to what Asgore said to Chara while they were on their deathbed.

The protagonist also hears Chara's name in their dreams. If the protagonist sleeps in the bed in Toriel's home, Asgore's voice can be heard as he pleads, "&lt;Name>, please... Wake up! You are the future of humans and monsters." When the protagonist first falls into the Garbage Dump, Asriel's first words to Chara appear on the screen, narrated with Asriel's voice bite.

True Pacifist Route
In the True Lab, VHS tapes of Chara interacting with their family can be played back. All of these VHS tapes do not include visuals and provide narration alone. Most of these tapes are of Asriel and Chara, and prove that Chara had a "plan." In one of the tapes, Asriel tells Chara to wake up and that "he doesn't like this plan anymore." Asriel's quote is speculated to be something that he said to his dying sibling because this same VHS contains the quote seen on the game over screen.

Towards the end of the fight against Asriel, when the protagonist calls out "someone else"'s name, flashbacks of Chara and Asriel play. They show Chara's fall into the Underground, Asriel's discovery of Chara, and the royal family spending time with Chara. After the fight, Asriel recognizes the protagonist as Frisk.

During the epilogue, Frisk may return to the room containing the coffins of the other humans. This leads to the discovery that all of the coffins are empty, and that there are mummy wrappings at the bottom of Chara's coffin.

Genocide Route
While traversing the Genocide Route, many characters comment on the protagonist's creepy smile. Sans comments that it would be great if the protagonist continued pretending to be a human, and Asgore inquires what kind of monster the protagonist is.

At the end of the Ruins and when going through New Home, Flowey determines that the protagonist is empty inside, just like himself. He concludes that the protagonist is Chara, and informs them of a plan he has to become omnipotent.

Chara seems to be in control of the protagonist's scripted sequences, as the sequences in the Genocide Route differ from the Neutral and True Pacifist Routes. Instead of following other NPCs commands, the protagonist defies them and becomes merciless as the route progresses. The first example of defiance occurs when the protagonist ignores Sans's request to hide behind the conveniently shaped lamp; the last is when the protagonist kills Flowey before Chara makes their appearance.

The only instance in the game where Chara makes an in-person physical appearance is at the end of the Genocide Route. They appear as an overworld sprite and speak into the fourth wall. Chara could be speaking directly to the player in this sequence.

After this appearance, Chara reveals that the protagonist's "human soul" and "determination" were the cause of their reincarnation and that the merciless events that occurred during the route lead Chara to realize that the purpose of their awakening was power itself. Chara states they are the embodiment of the feeling received whenever STATS increase and proposes erasing the world and moving on to the next.

The protagonist is given the choices to "ERASE" the world, or "DO NOT." Both choices lead to the same result.
 * If the protagonist chooses to "ERASE," Chara will call the protagonist "a great partner." Additionally, their eyes widen, and Chara says to the protagonist that they will be "together forever."
 * If the protagonist chooses "DO NOT," Chara's eyes widen, and they say that the protagonist was never in control. Afterward a disturbing jump scare will occur, in which Chara approaches the screen with a horrifying laugh. The screen (or game window) shakes while a loud droning sound loops in the background.

After the protagonist makes their choice, an attack animation occurs, followed by red "9"s covering the screen. The game is forced into windowed mode and shakes similar to a monster's death animation as the game closes. The player cannot exit the game before the crash unless they use the OS's Task Manager.

Upon reopening the game, the screen is black and accompanied by a sound similar to howling wind. After 10 minutes, Chara speaks to the protagonist, sensing that they want to go back to the game's world, and reminds the protagonist that their actions caused the world's destruction. After asking the protagonist if they think they are above consequences, Chara offers to restore the world in exchange for something, later revealed to be the protagonist's SOUL.
 * If the protagonist agrees to this trade, the world will be restored, but the True Pacifist ending is permanently altered.
 * Refusing this offer causes Chara to abandon the protagonist, only to offer the same choice again after the game is restarted and another 10 minutes elapse.

True Pacifist Route
Chara appears briefly after the True Pacifist Ending Credits if a Genocide run has been completed beforehand. If the protagonist chose to stay with Toriel, the after-credits scene continues briefly after Toriel closes the door, showing Chara in place of Frisk turning to face the screen with red eyes. The game cuts to black, with laughter similar to Flowey's, but slowed down and lower-pitched.

Similarly, if the protagonist decides to have "places to go," the photograph after the credits will have the face of everyone crossed out in red, except for Chara, who replaces Frisk. The "THE END" text is red, and a slowed down version of Anticipation plays. The Annoying Dog does not appear to sleep under the ending screen.

Genocide Route
After completing a Genocide Route a second time, Chara takes on the description of "the demon that comes when people call its name." Chara says that the reason the protagonist continues to recreate and destroy the world is an incomprehensible "perverted sentimentality," before suggesting that the protagonist takes a different path if they choose to create the world again. Chara gives the protagonist the "choice" to erase the world again.
 * If the protagonist chooses "ERASE," Chara will once again call the protagonist "a great partner," saying they will be together forever.
 * Choosing "DO NOT" will have Chara tell the protagonist that these feelings were exactly what they were just talking about. Chara then reminds the protagonist they made their choice a long time ago, causing another jump scare, as the world is destroyed again. However, when the game is rebooted, the game will load normally.

Asriel
After falling into the Underground, Chara is found by Asriel and returned to his parents; Toriel and Asgore. The two of them grew together as siblings and best friends.

Flowey
Flowey perceives Chara as his partner and best friend despite his inability to love. Seeing Chara as a creature akin to him, he helps by clearing all obstacles in the way. He says that Chara would never give him any "worthless pity" and is the only one who understands him.

Protagonist
The protagonist only learns about Chara if a Genocide Route is completed. As the protagonist kills monsters and gains more EXP, Chara seems to grow stronger. Chara refers to the protagonist as a "partner" if the protagonist accepts Chara's offer to erase the world.

If the protagonist completes another Genocide Route, Chara questions why they continuously recreate and destroy the world. Chara then goes on to say that the protagonist has a "perverted sentimentality" that drives this odd behavior.

Toriel
When Chara fell into the Underground, Toriel took on the role of Chara's mother. She cared for Chara very much, equally as much as Asriel. Toriel and Chara both greet new figures using "greetings" (Toriel to the protagonist at the beginning of the game, Chara to the protagonist at the end of a Genocide Route). It is possible that Chara may have been closer to Toriel than their father, and that this is where Chara inherited this behavior.

Asgore
Similarly to Toriel, Asgore acted as much of a father to Chara as he did to Asriel. It can be speculated that Asgore's "Mr. Dad Guy" sweater was made by Chara, due to the text that appears when checking it while in New Home during a Genocide Route.

Chara In-Game
In several moments throughout the Genocide Route, Chara temporarily disables the player's input and takes direct control of the protagonist. Furthermore, the text that the protagonist sees changes depending on Chara's voice and thoughts. These narrations are sometimes, but not always, red in color (A list of them can be found on the Genocide Route page). Chara's perception of various objects also changes depending on the route, most notably the Heart Locket and Worn Dagger, which Chara narrates as being simply "The Locket" and "Real Knife" in the Genocide Route.
 * The first instance of this is when the protagonist does not hide behind the conveniently shaped lamp when Sans asks them to.
 * The second instance of this is during the first encounter and puzzle with Papyrus, where the protagonist seems to ignore Papyrus and moves forward independently.
 * The next instance of this is before the battle with Undyne the Undying, where the protagonist turns away, and then approaches Monster Kid aggressively.
 * Another instance of this is during the two encounters with Mettaton, who notices the protagonist's eagerness to fight him.
 * The penultimate instance of this occurs just before the Sans encounter, as the protagonist moves forward to provoke Sans into fighting. The protagonist also deals the killing blow to Sans without any input from the player.
 * The last instance of this is in the Throne Room, where without any input from the player, Chara kills Asgore without hesitation. As with Flowey, several strikes are dealt if the player presses "ENTER/Z" a single time.

Dialogue
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Genocide Route Ending

 * Greetings.
 * I am &lt;Name>.
 * Thank you.
 * Your power awakened me from death.
 * My "human soul"...
 * My "determination"...
 * They were not mine, but YOURS.
 * At first, I was so confused.
 * Our plan had failed, hadn't it?
 * Why was I brought back to life?
 * You.
 * With your guidance.
 * I realized the purpose of my reincarnation.
 * Power.
 * Together, we eradicated the enemy and became strong.
 * HP. ATK. DEF. GOLD. EXP. LV.
 * Every time a number increases, that feeling...
 * That's me.
 * "&lt;Name>."
 * Now.
 * Now we have reached the absolute.
 * There is nothing left for us here.
 * Let us erase this pointless world, and move on to the next.
 * [Erase]
 * Right. You are a great partner.
 * We'll be together forever, won't we?
 * [Do Not]
 * No...?
 * Hmmm...
 * How curious.
 * You must have misunderstood.
 * SINCE WHEN WERE YOU THE ONE IN CONTROL?
 * SINCE WHEN WERE YOU THE ONE IN CONTROL?

Abyss

 * [After a completed Genocide Route, after the player waits ten minutes after booting up the game.]
 * Interesting.
 * You want to go back.
 * You want to go back to the world you destroyed.
 * It was you who pushed everything to its edge.
 * It was you who led the world to its destruction.
 * But you cannot accept it.
 * You think you are above consequences.
 * Exactly. [Yes]
 * Then what are you looking for? [No]
 * [After six seconds...]
 * Perhaps.
 * We can reach a compromise.
 * You still have something I want.
 * Give it to me.
 * And I will bring this world back.
 * [Yes]
 * Then it is agreed.
 * You will give me your SOUL.
 * [No]
 * Then stay here for all eternity.
 * [Yes again]
 * Then, it is done.
 * Then, it is done.

Second Genocide Route Ending
}}
 * Greetings.
 * I am &lt;Name>.
 * "&lt;Name>."
 * The demon that comes when people call its name.
 * It doesn't matter when.
 * It doesn't matter where.
 * Time after time, I will appear.
 * And, with your help.
 * We will eradicate the enemy and become strong.
 * HP. ATK. DEF. GOLD. EXP. LV.
 * Every time a number increases, that feeling...
 * That's me.
 * "&lt;Name>."
 * But.
 * You and I are not the same, are we?
 * This SOUL resonates with a strange feeling.
 * There is a reason you continue to recreate this world.
 * There is a reason you continue to destroy it.
 * You.
 * You are wracked with a perverted sentimentality.
 * Hmm.
 * I cannot understand these feelings anymore.
 * Despite this.
 * I feel obligated to suggest.
 * Should you choose to recreate this world once more.
 * Another path would be better suited.
 * Now, partner.
 * Let us send this world back into the abyss.
 * [Erase]
 * Right. You are a great partner.
 * We'll be together forever, won't we?
 * [Do Not]
 * No...?
 * Hmm... This feeling you have.
 * This is what I spoke of.
 * Unfortunately, regarding this...
 * YOU MADE YOUR CHOICE LONG AGO.

Trivia

 * Chara's jumper's color scheme (yellow and green) is a color negative of Frisk's (blue and purple).
 * "Chara" is likely short for "Character," as all internal references of either Frisk (mainchara) or Chara (truechara) use "chara."
 * "Chara" (χαρά) in Greek means "joy," "delight," or "gladness."
 * "Cara" is the Irish word for "friend."
 * "Xará" is slang for "buddy" or a person with the same name as you and "Cara" can mean "dude" or "face" in various languages.
 * "Kara" (空) is a Japanese word meaning "empty", possibly referring to Chara's eyes.
 * When attempting to name the fallen child "Chara," the response becomes "The true name." Removing the name from a SAVE file results in the name "CHARA" being given by default.
 * The child being "fallen" can refer both to the child having fallen into the Underground, or to the phrase "to fall from grace" (to become morally corrupt). It is also a word used to describe someone who has died.
 * Toby Fox suggests naming the Fallen Child the player's own name.
 * The Heart Locket may belong to Chara as "right where it belongs" displays when the protagonist equips it in the Genocide Route.
 * Chara is implied to like chocolate; should the protagonist check the refrigerator in Asgore's Home, the text reads " No chocolate. ”
 * While there is no chocolate in Asgore's home, there is a bar of chocolate in the fridge at Toriel's Home; it is possible Toriel kept it in her fridge in memory of Chara's tastes.
 * Within the game files, there are sprites of Chara with their yellow-and-green shirt and pants, with a different skin tone and lacking a face but having shading under the eyes. In debug mode it is possible to have these sprites appear as the protagonist's reflection in puddles and mirrors; it has been speculated that this was going to be a feature in post-Genocide Route timelines.
 * The music as Chara introduces themself to the protagonist has the filename "mus_zzz_c," with the jump scare music named "mus_zzz_c2."
 * Chara and Sans say a similar line. Sans says, "There is nothing left for you now," and Chara says, "There is nothing left for us here."
 * The comment that Chara makes about being "the demon that comes when people call its name" may be a reference to naming a character in an RPG. The player assigns a name to their avatar and, in typical RPG, kills enemies to gain power.
 * Chara's face when laughing in the jump scare scene is similar to that of the character Uboa from the game Yume Nikki.