Leitmotifs

A leitmotif (/ˌlaɪtmoʊˈtiːf/) is a musical "phrase" or melody, re-used in multiple songs to associate a tune with a person, event, or place.

The extensive use of leitmotifs in Undertale's soundtrack and other sound files helps create a nostalgic mood for the game and often evokes emotional responses in players. Toby Fox has stated that the majority of Undertale's soundtrack was composed using reiterations of free soundfonts and synths.

Attempts have been made at documenting all of the leitmotifs used in the game; players frequently find new connections, and it may be impossible to list them all conclusively. Every single piece of data is open to interpretation and any change should be explained in this page's history description.

Timestamps found below are approximate to one second and are sourced from this playlist, which reflects the timing of the official soundtrack.

Once Upon a Time

This leitmotif can be considered as the main theme of Undertale. It is the most common melody of the game, playing in seventeen tracks. There are 3 parts to this leitmotif, as well as a recurring embellishment throughout the later tracks.

• Once Upon a Time (part 1, 2, 3)
• Start Menu and Menu (Full) (the background tracks for the Start Menu build upon one another, with five intermediate tracks in between; the music played in the menu after completing the True Pacifist Route is a slowed rendition of Start Menu) (part 1, and 3 in Menu (Full))
• Home and Home (Music Box) 0:36–1:44 (part 1 and 2)
• Hotel 0:20–1:22 (part 1 and 2, embellishment)
• Can You Really Call This A Hotel, I Didn't Receive A Mint On My Pillow Or Anything 0:14–0:57 (part 1 and 2, embellishment)
• Undertale 0:37–4:41, 5:20–5:58 (part 1 and 2, embellishment)
• The Choice (paulstretched to 15% speed) (part 1)
• Fallen Down (Reprise) 1:18–2:30 syncopated to 3/4 (part 1, 2, 3)
• Hopes and Dreams 0:00–1:29, 1:52–2:14 (part 1 and 3, embellishment)
• SAVE the World 0:00–0:14, 0:35–1:46 (part 1 and 3, embellishment)
• Final Power (Hopes and Dreams reversed) (part 3)
• Reunited 0:43–3:56 (part 1, 2, and 3)
• Bring It In, Guys! 3:47–4:05 (part 1)
• Last Goodbye 0:00–0:25, 0:45–2:15 (part 1, 2, 3, and embellishment)
• Good Night (part 1)
• Undertale (Unused) (part 1, 2, 3, and embellishment)
• Before the Story 0:29–1:28

Flowey

Flowey has two leitmotifs relating to him.

Your Best Friend

This leitmotif occurs in seven songs, and one unused audio file.

• Your Best Friend
• Your Best Nightmare 0:54–1:26, 2:00–2:27, 3:00–3:27
• Finale 0:00–0:40, 0:57–1:52
• Hopes and Dreams 1:18–1:52
• SAVE the World 0:05–0:08, 0:15–0:18, 0:25–0:28, 0:36–0:39, 1:35–1:46
• Last Goodbye 0:29–0:32, 0:39–0:42
• mus_toomuch (this song plays after exhausting the random kill counter of an area)
• mus_f_finale_1 (an unused variation of the first section of Finale)

Your Best Nightmare

This leitmotif is used in three songs.

• You Idiot
• Your Best Nightmare 0:00–0:16, 0:22–0:53, 1:27–1:54, 2:29–2:54, 3:28–4:00
• Burn in Despair!

Toriel

Toriel's theme. This song is used in four songs and one song unique to the demo OST.

• Fallen Down (the track in-game is played 25 cents above C# major in A440 equal-tempered tuning; the sheet music shown above is written in D major)
• Fallen Down (Reprise) 0:00–1:18
• Bring It In, Guys! 3:34–3:47 syncopated to 4/4
• Empty House (a slower version of Fallen Down released in the demo OST)

Ruins

This leitmotif can be considered as the Underground theme, appearing in eleven official songs and 2 unused sound files.

• Ruins
• Waterfall 0:27–1:56
• Quiet Water
• NGAHHH!! 0:34–1:22
• Spear of Justice 0:36–1:55
• An Ending, has a variation of the melody
• Don't Give Up, uses variation
• Respite, uses variation
• But the Earth Refused to Die, debatably uses variation
• Bring It In, Guys! 1:48–2:14, uses variation
• Battle Against a True Hero 0:44–1:35, uses variation
• mus_ruinspiano (variation of An Ending)
• Undyne Battle (Unused) 0:29–1:17

Enemy Approaching

This leitmotif is related to enemies or dogs. It appears in eleven songs and one unused song.

• Enemy Approaching 0:10-0:15
• Anticipation (bassline) (this song also plays at extremely reduced speeds when battling Monster Kid, during the final encounters with Flowey in New Home on the Genocide Route, and at the end of a "Soulless" Pacifist playthrough)
• Dogsong, has the variation of the melody (a slowed-down version of this song plays after meeting Endogeny's sparing conditions)
• Temmie Village, also has the variation
• Tem Shop, also has the variation
• Bring It In, Guys! 0:00–0:34
• Absolutely Overfamiliar Shrine (Exclusive to PlayStation Dog Shrine)
• Dog Casino (XBOX) (Exclusive to XBOX Dog Shrine)
• Dogtroid (Unused)

Ghost Fight

This leitmotif is used in five songs. Most of which are the boss themes of various mini bosses. There are two parts to this theme, one shared with Spider Dance and one exclusive to Ghost Fight and Dummy!.

• Ghost Fight (Ghosts, Spiders)
• Dummy! (Ghosts, Spiders)
• Pathetic House (Spiders)
• Spider Dance (Spiders)
• Mad Mew Mew (Exclusive to Nintendo Switch Dog Shrine) (Spiders)

Sans

Sans's theme. Found in four songs, one of which is never played in the game.

• sans.
• It's Raining Somewhere Else (this song is played slightly slower in Sans's Room)
• Song That Might Play When You Fight Sans
• Bring It In, Guys! 0:40–0:46 (bassline)

Papyrus

Papyrus's theme. Found in four songs, one of which is never played in the game.

• Nyeh Heh Heh!
• Bonetrousle (this song is played at an extremely reduced speed when encountering Papyrus for the last time in the Genocide Route)
• Song That Might Play When You Fight Sans 0:33–0:58
• Bring It In, Guys! 0:34–0:53

Snowdin

This leitmotif is split into two parts, with some songs using only one of the parts.

Hopes

Used in six songs.

• Snowy (a version of this song plays when fighting Snowdrake's Mother. It is heavily distorted, changing pitch and speed randomly every few seconds)
• Snowdin Town 0:00–0:56
• Shop 0:00–0:25
• Dating Start! 0:00–0:16, 0:37–0:54, 1:31–1:56
• Dating Fight! 0:00–0:13
• Bring It In, Guys! 0:54–1:16

Dreams

Used in eight songs. Appears to be a more general cheerful theme rather than the theme of Snowdin itself.

• Snowdin Town 0:56–1:16
• Shop 0:25–0:50
• Dating Start! 0:16–0:35, 0:54–1:31
• Dating Fight! 0:13–0:35
• Confession
• Hopes and Dreams 2:15–3:01
• Reunited 3:56–4:25
• Bring It In, Guys! 1:16–1:29

Undyne

Undyne's theme. Used in seven songs and one unused song.

• Undyne
• Run! syncopated to 4/4
• Dating Tense! 0:17–0:25 syncopated to 4/4
• NGAHHH!! 0:00–0:34, has the variation of the melody
• Spear of Justice 0:00–0:36, also has the variation
• ASGORE 2:28–2:36, syncopated to 4/4, also has the variation
• Bring It In, Guys! 1:29–1:48, also has the variation
• Undyne Battle (Unused) 0:00–0:29, 1:17–1:30 has the variation of the melody

Another Medium

Theme of Hotland. Used in five songs. It originates from the unused Homestuck song Patient, which is a slower remix of Doctor from the aforementioned comic. The melody of Doctor from 2:08-2:09 with a note removed or a remixed version of it is present in all songs with this leitmotif, with the choir melody from 0:34-0:38 being used in Another Medium, CORE, and Bring It In, Guys! with a note added. A small part of Doctor closer to demo variants of another unused Homestuck song called Penumbra Phantasm was also used in Hopes and Dreams.

• Waterfall 0:00–0:27, 1:56–2:07
• Another Medium 0:00–0:51, 0:59–1:21, 1:51–2:10
• CORE has a variation of the melody.
• Death by Glamour also has variations
• Bring It In, Guys! also has variations (including the one from Death by Glamour)
• Ruins (Soundtrack) has variations, 1:20-1:30

Alphys

Alphys's theme. Used in four songs and one unused song.

• Alphys
• Bird That Carries You Over A Disproportionately Small Gap
• She's Playing Piano
• Here We Are syncopated to 5/4
• Alphys Lab (Unused) also syncopated to 5/4

Mettaton

Mettaton's themes.

It's Showtime!

Mettaton's main theme. Found in four songs and at least one other sound file.

• It's Showtime!
• Metal Crusher 0:03-0:20, 0:37-0:53 with variations and changes in note values without syncopation
• Live Report syncopated to 3/4
• Death Report syncopated to 3/4
• Death by Glamour 1:30–1:56
• mus_tv (i.e., Papyrus's TV)

Hotel

The bassline of It's Showtime! is present in three Mettaton-related songs. It is considered as a separate leitmotif, as it has an entirely different melody.

• It's Showtime! (bassline)
• Hotel
• Can You Really Call This A Hotel, I Didn't Receive A Mint On My Pillow Or Anything
• CORE Approach

Metal Crusher

Mettaton's battle theme. Used in three songs. This leitmotif originates from Noisemaster's Theme, a fan theme Toby Fox made for Cucumber Quest.

• Metal Crusher 0:20–0:37
• Last Episode!
• Death by Glamour 1:04–1:30

Asgore

Asgore is related to two leitmotifs. Both are used in his fight theme.

Determination

This motif is used in two songs, one unlisted song and an unused audio file.

• Determination (as Photoshop Flowey laughs at the protagonist for dying to him, this song is sped up, looped, and played over itself)
• ASGORE 1:50–2:28 syncopated to 4/4
• mus_snoresymphony
• mus_kingdescription

Bergentrückung

This motif is used in three songs.

• Bergentrückung
• ASGORE 0:00–0:33 (A variation of Bergentrückung)
• Bring It In, Guys! 3:25–3:34

Asriel

Asriel's theme. Used in five songs.

• Memory
• Undertale 0:00–2:47, 3:27–6:21 (at times, the melody is barely perceptible among overlapping music. It is heard on a guitar for most of the song, becoming hard to distinguish after 3:27; the tune switches to a more audible sample after 4:42, to a quiet background piano at the key change around 5:20, and back to the second SoundFont at 5:57)
• The Choice (imperceptible, as it is a slowed-down part of Undertale which contains the barely-audible Memory)
• Finale 0:40–0:57
• His Theme

Other

Minor Leitmotifs

• The Joystick Config songs—Uwa!! So Temperate♫, ...Holiday♫, and ...HEATS!!♫—are all variations of each other.
• Home to Home (Music Box).
• Heartache to ASGORE 0:34–1:49
• Dating Start! to Dating Fight!.
• Spooktune to Spookwave.
• Ruins 0:17-0:19 to Waterfall 1:12-1:17 to Spear of Justice 0:48-0:58 and 1:10-1:20, and Battle Against a True Hero from 1:35.
• Ghouliday to Jingle Bells.
• Live Report to Death Report.
• CORE 0:34–1:29 to Another Medium 0:52–2:22 and part 5 of Bring It In, Guys! 2:45–3:08
• The basslines of Death by Glamour 0:00–1:05 and Bring It In, Guys! 0:00–0:28 have the same melody, which is a variation of the CORE 0:00–1:01 bassline.
• Oh! One True Love to Oh! Dungeon and For The Fans.
  • Which debatably references Alphys (0:00-0:30).
• Battle Against a True Hero 0:00–1:36 to Power of "NEO".
• grandpatemi to Metal Crusher (introduction)
• mus_dogroom to Mysterious Shrine used in the Dog Shrine.
• A small melodic phrase is reused between Alphys' theme, Determination, and Your Best Friend.
  • It occurs at 0:35-0:38 and 0:49-0:52 in "Alphys"
    • Note that this is not in the part of Alphys' theme that reappears in Here We Are or She's Playing Piano.
  • It occurs at 0:02-0:05 and 0:15-0:18 in "Determination"
  • It occurs at 0:12-0:14 in "Your Best Friend".
• Gaster's Theme has debatable uses in some songs.
  • snd_mysterygo is Gaster's Theme sped up and reversed.
• Heartache 0:53–1:03 to Enemy Approaching 0:00-0:05

Similar Samples

• Sample used in Barrier is used in Amalgam
• Sample used in Ooo is used in Waterfall (0:14–0:25)
• A version of Flowey's laugh is used in Your Best Nightmare (0:16–0:22)
• mus_smile is Muffet's laugh, slowed down and looped, with the audio being reversed every other loop.
• Sample used in Metal Crusher (0:00–0:04 and background) is used in Death by Glamour (0:39–0:58 and 2:02-2:14)
• Multiple songs from the soundtrack use instrument samples from other games.