#DEVILRUNE THEORY

[myddle]

I am Lowkey Obsessed With This Door And I'm Gonna Yap About it

Spoilers for Deltarune: Chapters 3 & 4

This one.

And also this one, I guess

That symbol isn't the DELTA RUNE we know. And I think that matters.

DEVILRUNE THEORY

First off, the wings. Those don't look like a simplified version of the fluffy angel wings on the typical DELTA RUNE. They look more like bat wings.

Devil wings.

We know, to my knowledge, three characters associated with Devils.

First, Kris, through the Horned Headband, as well as their reputation as a prankster, trickster and shenanigan causer.

Secondly, Eram, through the fact that they're literally hiding behind this door, with a Horned Headband archway. In fact,

Eram Tangent

I believe that Eram IS the Horned Headband, incarnated as a KNOCKOFF. They speak like they're very familiar with Kris, specifically, and Kris apparently wore the Horned Headband for months, so they would have seen plenty.

Their sprite scans to me as the Horned Headband with the Shadow Mantle draped over it, along with a disembodied mouth for flavour. They also have fire attacks, connecting them to the Dreemurrs, and therefore to Kris. Their battle theme, BURNING EYES, features the Power of NEO lietmotif, which, in the absence of Undyne or Mettaton, could represent Monsterkind as a concept, the Power of NEO being the greatest raw power that monsters can achieve in Undertale.

As for why they're a KNOCKOFF and not a Darkner, I have two guesses.

The Horned Headband would have been an equippable item in the Dark World, but Eram was like "I ain't nobody's bitch" and became a KNOCKOFF instead.

This KNOCKOFF is being controlled remotely by the true Eram, likely located in the Shelter if the third secret game segment is anything to go by.

I think thematically, Eram represents Kris' complicated feelings about their humanity and their personality. Eram claims that part of Kris enjoys the grim "play" of the Sword Route, AND the Weird Route if you've done it. And that's with them seemingly knowing about the player's control; they accuse Kris of enjoying the fact that it's "not really them" doing that to Noelle.

Eram seems to think that Kris is, on some level, "evil" by nature. And it's possible that, despite them NOT being at all okay with the Weird Route, Kris believes this about themselves as well. That despite their guilt, for whatever probably Dess-shaped reason, they're irredeemable.

Okay, Tangent Over

The final character associated with Devils is, of course, W. D. Gaster, via his association with the number 6 (and probably some other bullshit that i'm forgetting). Gaster is also associated with the second change to this DELTA RUNE.

I've seen a few people argue about whether the central symbol here is a key hole or a circle and fourth triangle, but i think it's both.

The keyhole interpretation is about secrets, tying it to Gaster, and the dungeon behind this door contains three huge secrets: Eram's hiding place, the Shelter Key, and some of our only in-game hints towards the Weird Route's existence.

And the other interpretation is a fourth triangle, connected to the circle. A fourth hero, connected to the [[Angel]], [[Angel]].

Noelle. The secret finder. Gaster, the secret to find.

Now, this could all just be flavour for the Weird Route, considering the instructions for it inside, but I don't think that's necessarily the case, for a few reasons.

Gaster has nearly no connection to the Weird Route, that's on us (not me, I ain't doing that shit)

Eram's primary concern is the Shadow Crystals and the Shadow Mantle. By shining doubt on the idea that they'll "get us what (we) want", they're pointing out that that's part of why we're collecting them, in hopes of subverting the Prophecy and whatever grim fate awaits our heroes.

Noelle is my favourite, I reeeeeealy don't want her significance to be constrained to the Route Where Everything Sucks For Noelle Especially, and I'm coping I'm coping I'm coping pleeeeeease Mister Toby let Noelle do something badass she's been such a good girl she deserves it

*ahem*

Instead, I believe this altered DELTA RUNE, which I've taken to calling the DEVIL RUNE, could represent another path. One defiant of the Prophecy, that circumvents its dark ending with a game-breaking trump card. Not one written in legend, but carved out of it by The Man Who Speaks in Hands, with Noelle at its center, and perhaps, a Kris freed from their self-doubt, their promise, and our imprisonment within them.

I look forward to creating a new future with them all.