Game Theory: Is UNDERTALE’s Sans Secretly Ness from EarthBound?

Transcript

Can you imagine a world where we're all represented by a font? Huh. I wonder which one I would be. Too straight. No! Not in that way! Just straight... as in unexciting. Too... Uh... Deadpool. [Piano riffs] Broadway! [Singing] Now that's the one! Now that's the one!~ [Intro] Hello Internet! Welcome to Game Theory! Where instead of putting a joke he... Read More

Key Insights

• ⏳ Sans' unique abilities and knowledge suggest a deeper backstory possibly tied to time travel or alternate dimensions.
• 😥 Clues in Undertale point towards Sans being a human from the surface world, trapped in Underworld with memories of the past.
• 🤬 Connections between EarthBound and Undertale, such as shared symbols and character designs, support the theory of Sans being Ness.
• 👾 Themes of courage and determination in both games hint at a deeper narrative connecting the two universes.
• 👾 Physical evidence like distinct markings on Papyrus and shared geographic layouts imply a strong relationship between the game worlds.
• 💁 The possibility of a Phase Distorter connecting the timelines explains Sans' skeleton form and unique abilities in Undertale.
• 😀 The missing link of Ness in the EarthBound Halloween hack and the three faces in the photo album further support the theory of Sans being Ness in Undertale.

Questions & Answers

Q: Is Sans from UNDERTALE actually Ness from EarthBound?

The episode proposes that Sans may be Ness, but presents this as a theory rather than a confirmed identity. Connections involving character designs, symbols, shared themes, the EarthBound Halloween hack, and a possible Phase Distorter are offered as supporting clues.

Q: What evidence suggests Sans came from the surface?

During the True Pacifist ending, Papyrus does not recognize the sun, while Sans calls it “the sun” and says “we” use that name. The episode interprets his wording and knowledge as evidence that Sans once had contact or kinship with surface dwellers.

Q: Why does the theory say Sans is from a different time?

Sans says he understands wanting to go home and later states that he gave up trying to “go back.” He then separately says that reaching the surface does not appeal anymore “either,” suggesting that going back means more than simply returning to the surface.

Q: How do Sans’s powers support the identity theory?

Sans takes strange shortcuts, walks through walls, and displays unusual power over space and time. He also recognizes multiple timelines and can count how many times he has killed the player, making him seem unlike the other monsters.

Q: What role does the Phase Distorter play in the Sans and Ness theory?

The proposed Phase Distorter provides a possible way for Ness to cross between times or worlds and become Sans. According to the page’s theory, it could explain both Sans’s arrival in the Underworld and his skeletal form.

Q: How does Toby Fox’s EarthBound Halloween hack support the theory?

The Halloween hack is presented as a possible clue about the fate of EarthBound characters because it was created by Toby Fox. The missing link involving Ness and the three faces in the photo album is used to reinforce the proposed connection between Ness and Sans.

Q: What is mysterious about Sans and Papyrus’s arrival in the Underworld?

A Snowdin shopkeeper says Sans and Papyrus “just showed up one day and...asserted themselves.” Their histories also appear different because Sans knows what the sun is while Papyrus does not, despite their arriving together and supposedly being brothers.

Q: Why does Sans seem out of place among UNDERTALE’s monsters?

Sans combines a joking personality with exceptional power and deadly seriousness, and his boss battle is described as the hardest in the game. He judges the player’s actions, explains EXP as Execution Points and LOVE as Level of Violence, and shows awareness of the game’s changing timelines.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Undertale characters' origins are mysterious, but Sans stands out as complex and possibly not from the Underworld.

• Clues point to Sans being a surface dweller trapped in a different time with the power to teleport.

• Connections between EarthBound and Undertale suggest Sans might be Ness, sent through a Phase Distorter.