Day 38: Toriel

From one first boss from an indie sensation that swept the nation to another, let's use today to talk about Toriel from Undertale. Ever since the start of the game, Toriel has established herself as the kind and caring mother figure of our protagonist, guiding you through the ruins and teaching you of the game's core mechanics. Almost like she's giving a tu...toriel.

Me: Tutorial...Toriel...Tu-Torial...Oh I see what you did there, Toby Fox, you magnificent bastard.

Lyra: Really it took you almost six years to finally figure it out, genius? This is the same mad lad who's trying to make a fanfiction universe out of us, everyone, youu feel safe yet?

You eventually find yourself in Toriel's home in the Ruins where you can make yourself right at home. This lovely little shack in the ruins has everything one needs. A kitchen, a living room, some bedrooms, a tunnel in the basement that leads to the outside.

Lyra: What was that last one?

Yeah, Toriel has a tunnel that leads to Snowdin, the game's next level, and she's adamant about making sure you don't leave, understandable because the king and her ex-husband Asgore is trying to kill you so he can get your soul so he and the other monsters can return to the surface. But if you continue to show persistence on leaving, Toriel is left no choice but to destroy the gate leading to Snowdin, leaving you no choice but to fight her

Everything leading up to this fight is wonderfully done, and the concept is even better, as you are fighting the only person who has shown you any form of kindness so far in the game. With this concept in mind, the fight against Toriel is easily the saddest first boss in the marathon, made sadder by the battle's theme, appropriately titled 'Heartache.' It has a fast-paced and adrenaline pumping rhythm, but there are some somber undertones in the song that tell you that Toriel really doesn't want to fight you as much as you don't want to fight her.

Now let's talk about the actual battle. Toriel uses fire balls as her main attack, and she can either send down a difficult to dodge barrage of them or create some homing fireballs by waving her hands. Interestingly enough, if you're reduced to 2 HP, Toriel will purposely make her attacks miss so she doesn't kill you. That is just so heartbreaking and so in character for Toriel. She doesn't want you to leave, she's willing to fight you to ensure you don't leave, but she can't bring herself to kill you.

If you spare her enough times though, the fight will end and Toriel will send you on your way with a hug...or you could kill her if you have absolutely no heart and choose to identify yourself as the scum of the universe. Seriously, you have to be a real bastard to kill any character in this game, let alone Toriel.

Me: Hmm...

Lyra: What is it dude?

Me: I wonder if there's anyone who killed Toriel on a Neutral run, whether on purpose or by accident, and they immediately regretted it, so they reset the game just to spare her.

Lyra: If that's the case, trust me when I say the game will never let you live down the shame.

Me: What do you mean?

Lyra: Flowey, tell him!

(Flowey appears)

Flowey: ...You spared the life of a single person. Hee, hee, hee. But don't act so cocky. I know what you did. (Face turns into Toriel's) You murdered her, and then you went back because you regretted it. Ha, ha, ha, ha...

(Flowey disappears)

…

Me: Damn...you really can't run away from the past can you.

Lyra: No...no you can't.

In conclusion, where the fight against Toriel lacks in difficulty, it makes up for in amount of feels you'll be getting in the fight. Here's to you goat mom...and God pray for the fools who either killed her or chose the Genocide route.