Flowey

Flowey
Character Information
Also known as	FLOWERY (Papyrus)
First Appearance	Ruins
Relationships	Alphys (creator) Asriel (former self) The First Human (adopted sibling)
Leitmotif	Flowey
Battle Information
DF	0 (weakened)
GOLD On Win	0

Howdy!
I'm FLOWEY.
FLOWEY the FLOWER!

Flowey introducing himself.

Flowey (/ˈflaʊi/) is the first major character that the protagonist encounters in Undertale. Flowey serves as the main antagonist for the majority of the game, specifically the Neutral and True Pacifist routes, and can be considered a deuteragonist for the Genocide Route. He provides an introduction to the mechanics of encounters by sharing "friendliness pellets," which are actually harmful bullets, revealing his philosophy of "KILL or BE KILLED".

Profile

Appearance

Flowey mimicking the protagonist.

Flowey has the appearance of a conscious golden flower. His structure has a white androecium, six yellow petals, and a light-green stem. Flowey can contort his face to show various expressions and can mimic the faces and voices of other characters. He mimics Toriel and Asgore in some situations, as well as his old self at the end of the Genocide Route. He also mimics the protagonist's face before the Neutral Route's final battle.

Personality

I wonder... What happens when something without a SOUL gains the will to live?

Entry Number 8, Alphys, True Lab

Flowey winks at the protagonist just before sending some "friendliness pellets" their way.

Initially, Flowey operates under a facade of friendliness and politeness. He often greets the protagonist with southern slang, such as "Howdy!", calls himself "your best friend," and, like his father, appends polite words such as "gosh" and "golly" to the ends of his sentences. Whenever he drops this guise of friendliness, he often calls the protagonist an "idiot."

Flowey has a malevolent and cruel disposition, berating the protagonist for not following his "kill or be killed" philosophy. Despite this, he also criticizes the protagonist at the end of the Ruins if they killed any monsters. He is manipulative, devious, a cunning planner and subtle if the circumstances require it. He retains his memories between SAVEs because he used to be able to SAVE himself. He is also shown to be extremely cowardly, as he kills his former father to appease the protagonist in a vain attempt to save his own life in the Genocide Route's conclusion.

The main reason for Flowey's spiteful and maniacal behavior is due to his physical inability to care for people. As a soulless flower, he is neither human nor monster. Because he has no soul, he is unable to feel compassion, love, or any purely positive emotion towards people, and can only seek enjoyment from an intricate and disturbing curiosity that stems from his ability to "reshape the world" by his determination.

Main Story

Ruins Start

Flowey showing his true colors before attempting to kill the protagonist.

Flowey introduces the concept of the Bullet Board and calls his bullets "friendliness pellets."

• If the protagonist dodges three times, his friendly act slips and he hypocritically snaps at the protagonist for leeching off of him.
  • The background music lowers by one semitone each time the bullets are dodged, before slowing, lowering the pitch, and stopping entirely.
  • Before his third attack, Flowey questions the protagonist's mental capacity, before bellowing in frustration "RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS!!!" before quickly looking directly at his text and changing the "BULLETS!!!" in the speech bubble to "friendliness pellets."

If the protagonist runs into his bullets, he announces his central philosophy. Regardless of whether the protagonist dodged Flowey's bullets or not, he then attempts to kill the protagonist with an unavoidable ring of bullets, but Toriel intervenes and saves the protagonist.

If the protagonist killed Flowey on a previous Neutral Route (or if they aborted the Genocide Route, even if they spared him), he does not interact with them again until the protagonist reaches New Home again. If the protagonist spared him, he appears in the beginning of the Ruins again and advises them on what to do. If the protagonist gained EXP, he reminds them not to kill anyone. If the protagonist gained no EXP, he reminds them to befriend everyone. Resetting the game before completing a Neutral Route causes him to repeat his "tutorial" after assuming that the protagonist is pretending not to know who he is. Resetting again causes Flowey to become annoyed and question if the protagonist has anything better to do.

If the protagonist resets a Genocide Route at any point after exiting the Ruins and before the route's completion, Flowey says "Really, <Name>? Well, do what you will. I'll be waiting for you!" before leaving.

Ruins End

At the exit to the Ruins, Flowey judges the protagonist's actions up to that point. Flowey does not appear to judge the protagonist if he was killed in a previous Neutral Route or if the protagonist aborted the Genocide Route in a previous playthrough.

If The Protagonist Spared Toriel

(If they have earned EXP)

• Clever. Verrrryyy clever.
• You think you're really smart, don't you?
• In this world, it's kill or be killed.
• So you were able to play by your own rules.
• You spared the life of a single person.
• Froggit, Whimsun. Vegetoid, Loox. Migosp, Moldsmal.
• Think about those names.
• Do you think any of those monsters have families?
• Do you think any of them have friends?
• Each one could have been someone else's Toriel.
• Selfish brat.
• Somebody is dead because of you.

(If they have not earned EXP)

• Clever. Verrrryyy clever.
• You think you're really smart, don't you?
• In this world, it's kill or be killed.
• So you were able to play by your own rules.
• You spared the life of a single person.
• Hee hee hee...
• I bet you feel really great.
• You didn't kill anybody this time.
• But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer?
• You'll die and you'll die and you'll die.
• Until you tire of trying.
• What will you do then?
• Will you kill out of frustration?
• Or will you give up entirely on this world...
• ...and let ME inherit the power to control it?
• I am the prince of this world's future.
• Don't worry, my little monarch, my plan isn't regicide.
• This is SO much more interesting.

(If the protagonist killed Toriel before)

• Clever. Verrrryyy clever.
• You think you're really smart, don't you?
• In this world, it's kill or be killed.
• So you were able to play by your own rules.
• You spared the life of a single person.
• Hee hee hee...
• But don't act so cocky.
• I know what you did.
• You murdered her.
• And then you went back, because you regretted it.
• Ha ha ha ha...
• You naive idiot.
• Do you think you are the only one with that power?
• The power to reshape the world...
• Purely by your own determination.
• The ability to play God!
• The ability to "SAVE."
• I thought I was the only one with that power. But...
• I can't SAVE anymore.
• Apparently YOUR desires for this world override MINE.
• Well well.
• Enjoy that power while you can.
• I'll be watching.

If The Protagonist Killed Toriel

(First time)

• I hope you like your choice.
• After all, it's not as if you can go back and change fate.
• In this world, it's kill or be killed.
• That old hag thought she could break the rules.
• She tried so hard to save you humans.
• But when it came down to it...
• Hee hee...
• SHE COULDN'T EVEN SAVE HERSELF.
• WHAT AN IDIOT!!

(Second time)

• Ha ha ha ha ha...
• You disgusting animal.
• You didn't even TRY to spare her.

(Subsequent times)

• Wow, you really can't get enough.
• You kind of remind me of myself.

(If Toriel was spared before)

• Wow, you're utterly repulsive.
• You spared her life...
• Then you decided that just wasn't interesting enough for you.
• So you murdered her just to see what would happen.
• You killed her out of boredom.
• Truly disgusting...
• Ha ha ha ha...
• You naive idiot.
• Do you think you are the only one with that power?
• The power to reshape the world...
• Purely by your own determination.
• The ability to play God!
• The ability to "SAVE."
• I thought I was the only one with that power. But...
• I can't SAVE anymore.
• Apparently YOUR desires for this world override MINE.
• Well well.
• Enjoy that power while you can.
• I'll be watching.

If Genocide Route Requirements Are Met

Flowey appears even if he was killed in a previous Neutral Route.

• Hahaha...
• You're not really human, are you?
• No. You're empty inside. Just like me. In fact...
• You're <Name>, right?
• We're still inseperable, after all these years...
• Listen. I have a plan to become all powerful.
• Even more powerful than you and your stolen soul.
• Let's destroy everything in this wretched world.
• Everyone, everything in these worthless memories...
• Let's turn 'em all to dust.

An audio clip then plays of Flowey exclaiming "Hmm...That's a wonderful idea!"

If Toriel Has Not Been Fought

• Error

Flowey's sound is heard repeatedly and dialogue box cannot be closed by "Z"

Neutral Route

If you let me live... I'll come back. I'll kill you. I'll kill everyone. I'll kill everyone you love.

Flowey, if spared after his boss battle.

After the Ruins, Flowey is seemingly absent until the end of Asgore's battle. However, backtracking in some rooms allows the protagonist see Flowey burrowing back into the ground on the edge of the screen.

Flowey's message on an Echo Flower if Toriel was killed.

Flowey also leaves a message on an Echo Flower in the vertical room before the bridge in Waterfall that changes if the protagonist spared or killed Toriel.

Flowey absorbs the human SOULs.

If the protagonist decides to kill Asgore, Flowey appears and destroys Asgore's SOUL. If the protagonist spares Asgore, Flowey appears and kills Asgore himself. Either way, he absorbs the six bottled human SOULs and transforms into Photoshop Flowey. Then, the game crashes and Flowey's battle begins after opening the game again.

After he is defeated, the protagonist has the chance to spare or kill Flowey. Flowey requires the protagonist to offer him mercy multiple times before he flees, unsure why the protagonist is being nice to him.

If the protagonist loads or finishes another Neutral Route, Flowey absorbs the six bottled human SOULs again, but does not become Photoshop Flowey as he knows that the six SOULs would rebel again. Instead, the protagonist is able to exit the room and receive Sans's Neutral Route phone call.

Well. You DID do what I told you. I guess it's up to me to get you a REAL happy ending.

Flowey

Flowey's reaction if spared.

If spared after his battle, Flowey gives advice to the protagonist on what to do during subsequent Neutral Routes. If the protagonist gained EXP before his battle, he asks the protagonist to prove his philosophy wrong, as he thinks it may be meaningless. Flowey also offers unique dialogue if the protagonist only killed Asgore and tells the protagonist that they wasted everyone's time. If the protagonist earned no EXP, yet they have not met all the requirements for the True Pacifist Route, he mentions that the protagonist should get closer to one of the main characters, depending on who they previously befriended.

The protagonist can then recover their previous SAVE file and follow his advice.

The protagonist killing Flowey at the end of the Genocide Route

If the protagonist kills Flowey, he recognizes that the protagonist can kill before becoming "just a regular flower."

If he was killed after his battle, Flowey does not leave a message for the protagonist after the credits close, and, after a reset, does not appear until after the resolution of Asgore's battle. Flowey then berates the protagonist for thinking that killing him solved anything. He explains that he was brought back when the protagonist loaded their SAVE file and that they still cannot achieve their happy ending.

If the protagonist aborts the Genocide Route, Flowey becomes upset with the protagonist. However, he then proclaims that the protagonist just wanted to see everything in the Underground and will eventually return to their malicious ways.

True Pacifist Route

For further information, see Asriel Dreemurr#True Pacifist Route.

Genocide Route

For further information, see Asriel Dreemurr#Genocide Route.

Quotes

Pre-Battle

First playthrough

• Howdy!
• I'm FLOWEY.
• FLOWEY the FLOWER!
• Hmmm...
• You're new to the UNDERGROUND, aren'tcha?
• Golly, you must be so confused.
• Someone ought to teach you how things work around here!
• I guess little old me will have to do.
• Ready?
• Here we go!

Repeat playthrough

• Howdy!
• I'm FLOWEY.
• FLOWEY the FLOWER!
• Hee hee hee...
• Why'd you make me introduce myself?
• It's rude of you to act like you don't know who I am.
• Someone ought to teach you proper manners.
• I guess little old me will have to do.
• Ready?
• Here we go!

Subsequent playthroughs

• Don't you have anything better to do?

Resetting after an aborted Genocide Route

• Really, <Name>?
• Well, do what you will...
• I'll be waiting for you!

Resetting after sparing Flowey in a Neutral Route with EXP

• Hey. Remember.
• DON'T kill anyone.
• ...
• I can't believe this is a REAL thing I have to remind you.
• Hee hee hee...
• Good luck!

Resetting after sparing Flowey in a Neutral Route without EXP

• Remember...
• THIS time you've GOT to become friends with everyone.
• OK?
• If you don't, you'll be miserable FOREVER.
• And we wouldn't want THAT, would we?
• No... We just want you to be happy, right?
• Good luck.

First fight

• See that heart?
• That's your SOUL,
• The very culmination of your being!
• Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV.
• What's LV stand for?
• Why, LOVE of course!
• You want some LOVE, don't you?
• Don't worry! I'll share some with you!
• Down here, LOVE is shared through...
• Little white... "friendliness pellets."
• Are you ready?
• Move around! Get as many as you can!

If Protagonist avoids bullets once

• Hey buddy, you missed them.
• Let's try again, okay?

If Protagonist avoids bullets a second time

• Is this a joke?
• Are you braindead?
• Run.
• Into.
• The.
• BULLETS!!!
• *Flowey looks at the text box and changes the "BULLETS!!!" to "friendliness pellets."*

If Protagonist avoids bullets a third time

• You know what's going on here, don't you?
• You just wanted to see me suffer.
• Die.

If Protagonist runs into bullets

• You idiot!
• In this world, it's KILL or BE KILLED.
• Why would ANYONE pass up an opportunity like THIS!?
• Die.

In Battle

Attacks

For an in-battle description, see Photoshop Flowey/In Battle.

As a flower, Flowey uses only three attacks: a five-bullet spread that slightly home in on the protagonist's SOUL, a large ring of bullets which surround the SOUL and cannot be dodged and a vertical row of bullets which come from the side of the Bullet Board, from outside it. This attack is only used before his battle as Asriel Dreemurr. He can speed up the spread although the limits of his attacks and speed are unknown. Getting hit by his five-bullet spread in his first encounter deals 19 damage per bullet whereas the unavoidable ring attack heals 19 HP regardless of whether it hits the protagonist. Before his battle as Asriel Dreemurr, the bullets deal 7 damage until 6 HP where it is 5.

Relationships

For further information, see Asriel Dreemurr#Relationships.

Gallery

Flowey's Steam Trading Card.

Flowey Fan Club Lapel Pin sold on Fangamer.

Flowey Little Buddy figurine sold on Fangamer.

Flowey's tarot card as Major Arcana XII "The Hanged Man"

Trivia

• Flowey and Mettaton represent the two characters with voice clips; Flowey says "That's a wonderful idea!" at the end of the Ruins on a Genocide Route, plus two unused audio clips.
  • This phrase is a higher-pitched clip of an old McDonald's commercial originating from the 1960s.
  • There are other clips within the commercial which also match voice and sound clips within the game. Examples are times 2:47 and 3:05, where Photoshop Flowey's "hurt" sounds originate.
• Flowey's laugh is not a new asset and can be recognized in other media. It was originally a Warner Bros. sound effect mostly used in Pink Panther cartoons and has appeared in titles such as the PlayStation title Tomba! and the Homestuck soundtrack The Lordling, also by Toby Fox.
• If the player attempts to name the fallen child "Flowey," the screen reads "I already CHOSE that name" and prevents the name from being used.
• In Hard Mode, Flowey appears alongside the Annoying Dog after the protagonist finishes Toriel's boss fight.
• In a joke thread on Starmen.Net, when Undertale was called "UnderBound 2," it was revealed that Flowey was planned to be the reincarnation of "Face," who was the protagonist of the non-existent EarthBound hack, UnderGround.
  • The artbook mentions that Flowey was partially inspired by Face from the "NES Godzilla Creepypasta" written by Cosbydaf.
• Flowey's character might be inspired by flowers from EarthBound, which Toby did include in one of his hacks.

A screenshot of talking flowers from Toby Fox's Halloween Hack. These flowers are seen in Earthbound.

• Flowey has the most battle sprites of any character; he has dozens of expressions that he uses in the battle room.
• In the Japanese translation, Flowey uses "boku" and refers to a person with "kimi" alongside his past self Asriel.
• When Flowey surrounds the protagonist with a circle of friendliness pellets during his initial encounter, he commands them to "Die." This is noticeably written in a font that is a no-spacing variant of the Korean typeface Gulim Che in bold, making him, Sans, Papyrus, and W. D. Gaster the only characters with the ability to speak in a typeface different from 8bitoperator JVE, the standard typeface of Undertale.
  • It should be noted that Flowey still usually speaks in Determination Mono; he only speaks in this font once.
• Despite his insistence that he can't feel love or compassion without a SOUL, Flowey's words when opening the game for the first time after a True Pacifist run, as well as his words and actions from the Undertale Alarm Clock app, imply that he does have some capacity to care about other people. In the former, he pleads the player to not reset everything again and let everyone stay happy. In the latter, he finds Toriel passed out after a party and leaves her a glass of water, mirroring an earlier instance where he moved her to bed and left her a glass of water after seeing her collapsed in the Ruins., implying that it was not simply the events of the True Pacifist route that caused this compassion.