Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-31371445-20170222233857/@comment-31536324-20180922154334

"Oh and lastly, the plaques mention soul power. Yes, contextually, they talk about DT, but they label it as soul power, or, 'the power of the soul', or, 'the strength of the soul'."

The label it as the last one and nothing else.

"All of these are the same thing. Look at the plaques. The first one mentiones the strength of the soul, which already could be interpreted as its overall power, and the second one then talks about the same exact thing, but uses the word "power" as a synonym."

The strength of the SOUL is Determination, and the second plaque talks about what it can do - which is the exact same thing Alphys says it does.

Here are the most often used definitions for strength (aside from physical strength, obviously, but that one will come later):

1. The capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure. (Plaques)

2. The degree of intensity of a feeling or belief. (Fills you with X.)

3. The emotional or mental qualities necessary in dealing with situations or events that are distressing or difficult. (Traits)

4. A good or beneficial quality or attribute of a person or thing. (Traits)

Out of all of these, the first one is the one that best matches the term, "strength of the soul."

Now, here's the definitions of power being used in Undertale:

1. The ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as a faculty or quality. (Traits/Plaques)

2. (Physical) strength and force exerted by something or someone. (SOUL Power)

Do you finally see what I'm saying here, and get what I mean when I say that SP is the power of the SOUL as a whole, and that DT and the other Traits are individual powers of the SOUL? Because out of these, the second best matches SOUL Power (and is the one that you're using, since you're using strength and power as synonyms, and this is the one where the two are synonymous), and the first best matches both the traits AND the plaques as it's the one that best matches the use of the two words in canon.

"So once again, why would the monsters use two identical labels for two different things?"

They aren't identical, just because two words are synonyms doesn't mean they automatically mean the same thing when used together like that. The term power used in the second plaque is used to talk about the ability of the strength of the soul. The two are NOT the same thing.

"Heck, why would Toby? To introduce confusion? To my knowledge, he's trying to do the exact opposite. Remember how he corrected that one person on Twitter once, or even programmed into the game that Toriel explains the plot hole of why Asgore did not just simply go out with one soul?"

Yes, I do, but the problem here is that you're looking at Strength and Power as the same things. If they were, then the plaques would look like this: "(Plaque 1) But humans have one weakness. Ironically, it is the power of their SOUL. (Plaque 2) It's strength allows it to exist outside the human body, even after death." This is how the plaques would go under your interpretation; even if it's just switching two words, that changes the whole meaning of the sentences. NOW it's talking about SOUL Power and what it does; but the canon version however is talking about the strength of the SOUL, and what THAT does.

"To my current knowledge, souls have only one power inside them, and that is DT, which has also been labeled as "soul power"."

As shown by the SOUL Modes and other traits, SOULS have multiple powers in them. It's just that in this situation DT is the one getting used the most, and the one most relevant to events.

"I don't GET why you guys always have to complicate everything. No, assuming otherwise does NOT remove any inconsistencies from the plot. In fact, your explanation introduces more, namely that Frisk could defeat Asriel, when that was clearly not the case at all."

I'm not the one saying we could beat him, if anything - as a fight - that would have gone on as a stalemate for all eternity if Frisk hadn't gotten through to him.

Asriel has the power of a god, all he needs to do is obliterate Frisk to the point of nonexistence - he certainly has the power to do so - where they would be unable to reset. Once he did that, he'd be the most determined being, and the ability would go to him.