#stage 1 killer

[howlsofbloodhounds]

So I was thinking about the different ways Killer’s views on the name “Killer” may shift depending on what Stage he is in.

With the canonical view of the name we have from Killer when he leaves Nightmare for Color, where he doesn’t believe he has the right to change his name, to which Color reassured him that he just needs time.

And I was mainly thinking about the views when in Stage 1, 2, and 4. With 2 and 4 mainly just being speculation.

Stage 1 Killer is characterized by a sense of guilt and remorse for his actions. He views the name "Killer" as a constant reminder of the crimes he has committed and the lives he has taken.

He feels a deep sense of shame and believes that he does not deserve to disassociate from his past actions. The name serves as a form of self-punishment, a way to ensure he never forgets what he has done.

This stage struggles with self-forgiveness and feels unworthy of redemption. By refusing to change his name, he is acknowledging his past and accepting the burden of his crimes.

He believes that changing his name would be an attempt to erase or run away from his past, which he feels he has no right to do.

Stage 2 Killer views the name "Killer" as a regular name that signifies his role. He has normalized his actions and identity as a killer, seeing it as an intrinsic part of who he is.

This stage is characterized by a detached and apathetic view of his actions. He does not feel guilt or remorse in the same way Stage 1 does, and thus the name does not carry the same weight of condemnation.

To Stage 2, the name "Killer" is simply a label that accurately describes his function and role within the world. It is a practical identifier rather than a source of emotional burden.

He sees himself as fulfilling a necessary role, and the name reflects that role without any added emotional significance.

Stage 4 Killer does not see "Killer" as a name but as a descriptor of what it is: a killer. In this stage, it is deeply dehumanized, viewing itself purely as an instrument of the Their will.

This stage has lost a sense of personal identity and individualism. It is completely subsumed by its purpose and role, seeing itself as an entity rather than a person with a name.

For Stage 4, "Killer" is a functional label that describes its existence and purpose. It is not a name but a definition of its sole purpose to kill as commanded by Chara.

It operates with a clear, singular focus on serving Chara. Personal identity, names, and individual distinctions are irrelevant to it. The name "Killer" is stripped of any personal or emotional context and is viewed solely in terms of functionality.

Stage 1 carries emotional weight and self-condemnation with the name "Killer," feeling it is a deserved burden. Stage 2 lacks this emotional weight, viewing the name pragmatically as a reflection of his role. Stage 4 is devoid of personal identity and sees "Killer" purely as a descriptor of its function.

Stage 1's perception is tied to guilt and identity. Stage 2's perception is tied to a pragmatic acceptance of his role. Stage 4's perception is tied to a loss of personal identity and a focus on functionality.

Stage 1's view is influenced by guilt and remorse, Stage 2's by detachment and normalization of violence, and Stage 4's by dehumanization and unwavering obedience to Chara.

[ask-codeearasure]

I always seem to think the best while I'm at work or it's 3 in the fucking morning.

Killer but he wants a new name and the Stages but they want their own names too. Probably wouldn't happen but there's always a slim chance they'd explore the notion far into the future of love and safety and where they learn to cut themselves some slack.

They probably would still collectively go by Killer, but have a list of names and nicknames along with it, like K, Kay, Kat, Strawberry, Krill, something related to a comfort of his or just a name he happens to like or finds funny.

But each Stage separately might still subscribe to the numbers pattern of names, particularly Stage 2 because that's my favorite motherfucker right now. Maybe he just likes being called Two in many languages, Dos being his most favorite.

Stage 3 I don't think would care about the names thing, but surprisingly Stage 4 is receptive to words in morse code in which it can communicate nonverbally and while it doesn't assign itself a name preference, perhaps it ends every message with a particular pattern or signal. It could be a vague sign it likes the look of or maybe a tune or specific sound.

Stage 1 would be the most indecisive of if they even want a name change or just another name seeing as they carry the bulk of the guilt for their past and have to fight themself to stop looking for punishments, death, or isolation. But if I look through this with the angelkin!Killer lens, perhaps he'd like something with a theme related to that (can't think of specific examples) or maybe a gemstone like Onyx or Ruby (playing off of dragonkin!Color's attachment to shiny priceless things)

-- Sarco

[ant1quar1an]

Random Antikiller doodle

[theartsynebulawhodoodles]

ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ ｎｅｗ

{Something New AU Art-no ship}

Closeups 𓏲𝄢

Something new belongs to Rahafwabas, dividers either sister Lucifer or other creators who labeled it as reblog/like/free to use

[stellocchia]

A little headcanon I have about Killer's stages is that each of them has a different relationship with touch.

Stage 1 is touch starved as all Hell and is desperate for any positive interaction. However, he also struggles with it, both because every time someone approaches him, even if it's a friend, he has to fight the expectation of harm, and also because he's afraid the closeness may trigger one of the higher Stages (and he's then scared that they're the ones who are gonna go down the violent path).

There is nothing he wants more and less than a hug.

He probably has to introduce touch very slowly even once he's with Color. Start with fingers brushing against each other, leaning shoulder to shoulder, a head path here and there. Things like that.

Stage 2 feels rather detached from their body. They're overall rather indifferent to touch. Likely only paying attention to it when it hurts (that's why sometimes they find themselves craving the pain, it helps them stay grounded. It is not, in this case, a healthy coping mechanism. Stage 2 refuses to set proper boundaries and take care of their needs. It is not a priority for them. And they're hella self-destructive).

They tend to allow touch if they can gain something from it (be it a feeling of control from trying to suppress their trauma responses to certain types of touch, or tying someone to them).

If anyone ever doubted that they need a therapist, well, they do.

Stage 3 is pretty much a cat. As long as you play by its rules, you're both gonna be happy. If you do anything it doesn't approve of, you're getting bit. Hard. Stage 3 to me is mostly nonverbal (it often is unable to speak because of the condition of its soul and the panic needed to trigger the switch. It is not a choice for it not to speak, it genuinely cannot) so the bite is all the communication whoever is brave enough to cuddle it is gonna get that they did something wrong.

That said, one is mostly safe as long as they avoid the chest area (where the soul usually rests), the face (with the teeth so close, the temptation to bite just because it can is too strong to resist), and any fresh injuries.

It is not easy to gain enough of its trust to even get it to allow you close enough though. It doesn't matter how much Stage 3 may recognize that it needs support and closeness to keep the body healthy, its priority is fighting off the danger always. But Color and, in time, the rest of Chromatic Crew probably manage it.

Stage 4 is, without a doubt, the most compliant. At least toward whoever it identifies as its master, although if whoever that is orders it to stay still and let someone else touch it, it would. Stage 4 is, above all else, obedient. It likely does not even know if it likes touch or not, nor if it wants it or not. Not because it's in any way stupid, just because it doesn't see itself as a person, but as a tool. And tools don't have preferences, so why let itself wonder about such pointless things?

Any attempt at establishing its personhood is gonna be met with extreme resistance and likely also panic if it comes from its master-figure. The desire to obey them would end up in conflict with the orders of everyone that came before and if the two are too conflicting, Stage 4 is always gonna default to following Chara's orders as they were the one who molded it.

While Stage 2's issues could be helped by therapy, I don't know if that's the case for Stage 4. It would probably be better if Color just learned to work around them or with them to still give it a better life than before without its fight or flight instincts too much.

[regnum-knight]

I think we all know who this is

[somethingnewarchive]

Here’s where everything Killer Sans and Undertale:Something New is archived. There’s the tags to try and find things of course, which might be out of order and misplaced (especially if the tags aren’t working), but in the meantime here’s a masterpost and here’s a Google Doc not made by me.

[wisteriamusic]

killer stages hobbies

So, I think while a lot of hobbies are shared throughout the stages some of them are exclusive or only one or two do so.

Stage 1: Most of his paintings are of friends and other people never of himself. He's taken a lot to writing which can range from children's books, horror stories, mysteries, crime, romance, almost every genre under the sun. He also does enjoy cosplay and crossdressing. He decided to pick up clay sculpting making nice pottery he doesn't trust himself with knives. He also does poetry along with him writing fictional stories.

Stage 2: Their biggest hobby is wood carving most often of animals like bunnies and cats. Painting is of course another hobby they mainly draw landscapes, flora, and fauna. They enjoy sketching new clothes to make and wear. They like to make their own clothes and do a lot of embroidery adding more detail. They also enjoy acting quite a bit. They decided to learn how to sculpt marble for a harder challenge and just to try something new and enhance their already good skills now on a larger scale. They still indulge in science of course even if its not the typical one of most Sanses. Probably also picked up wood burning to make their own wood carvings more detailed and to add a new skill. They are quite good at board games and other games and is actually a major hobby a safer way to discover new things with npcs that don't concern actual people. Along the way I think they learned metal working and black smithing its not an as often hobby its mainly for making knives and other bladed weapons to replace any it uses and for good quality ones that's actually hard to find in the multiverse. They definitely enjoy exploration both of just nature but, also of new aus and people. Him and Ink will sometimes go people watching and without looking at the code or script try to guess their life and personality. They also enjoy gardening they are quite connected to nature. They enjoy reading not as much as Dust but it's a way to gain new information and pass the time.

Stage 3: Its painting are of a lot of death and destruction a funnel for their more destructive and angry emotions rather then other people. They also decided to start playing music it was something sans did and it's something they wanted to reclaim of themself. It also enjoys puzzles and can get sucked into it for hours.

Stage 4: Color was the one who pushed stage 4 to get a hobby of some kind. Any hobby was find as long as it gone one. Color mainly asked him to pick a hobby and left the room he wasn't far but he didn't want his facial expressions or body language make stage 4 pick something based off of what he thinks is good. Painting was the first hobby it picked up its a common hobby that all of the stages enjoyed so it decided that was the safe choice. Later it would pick up dancing specifically, ballet while it does enjoy other styles of dancing it prefers ballet even if it wouldn't say so. Its more often to be pushed to indulge in a hobby rather then just do it itself whenever. It does have some soft rules that allow it to do actions without explict orders that allow it to make choices. Most of its paintings are of chara, the player, horror inside its mind real psychological horror one of the only way it can express its emotion.

[csh-tournament]

ROUND 1, MATCH 9

Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales vs Unfinished: Pain Star (If heaven is full of people...)

Reblogs appreciated for bigger sample size

Listen below

[unknownchoatic]

the idea that Killer is really flirtatious but also super easily flustered

like when in stage 2 he’ll say the most inappropriate, sexual, disgusting thing but then if he’s in stage 1 and Color holds his hand this man is blushing and giggling and he can’t even respond. and like in stage 2 he’s trying to get a reaction bc he can’t feel emotions so he’s like kinda living vicariously through the others. and in stage 1 every little experience feels new and overwhelming

idk this made more sense in my head

[howlsofbloodhounds]

End of Beginning and View Between Villages is very stage 1 Killer

[alphathechaotix]

Here is some Killer!Sans inspired streamer overlays I worked for the last few days!

Killer!Sans - Rahafwabas

[theartsynebulawhodoodles]

my galaxy

{Color Spectrum Duo Art}

{cw for non sexual nudity (?)(censored)}

.

.

.

My galaxy was dark, I was unable to see

I didn’t know I even had one, I thought it was gone

But soon you came

And your light lit up the darkness

And showed me the galaxy I thought was gone

And showed me just how beautiful it still was

Color belongs to superyoumna, Killer belongs to Rahafwabas, dividers were labeled by creator as reblog/like/free to use.

[stellocchia]

I think it could help Killer feel better if he wore masks when he's in Stage 1. Because, aside from the guilt, one of the issues he faces in that stage is that it feels too vulnerable/open (that's one of the reasons why Stage 2 sees him as weak). A mask could genuinely help him feel more confident.

Besides, he would love having one of these:

Especially because he could decorate it differently depending on the occasion and the outfit he's going with. He'd genuinely love it. He'd have a whole collection.

[csh-tournament]

ROUND 1, MATCH 26

Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales vs No Passion

Reblogs appreciated for bigger sample size

Listen below

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Here is a link where I talked about what we know of the shapes of Killer’s Stages in his canon.

Here is a link to where i described the summary of the first origin of the Something New comics, before it was updated with information regarding the Player’s involvement and how Sans’ code was altered.

Here is a link to a Google Doc someone made about every piece of canon info on Killer that we were able to find. However, Killer is a character with a lot of deleted and lost media—including an ask blog—so a lot of things are still missing. His creator has also said that every interpretation of Killer is canon, and that she just wants people to have fun with it.

Here is a little lists of fun facts I made.

Killer’s SOUL is said to exist the way it does, primarily in its Stage 2/target shape, because it is a basically a war between two souls—Sans’ soul, and the Determination soul.

Killer’s Stage 1–the red and white upside down heart, often seen with either one or two eyelights—is said to be more Sans-like. When he’s like this, Killer will not want to hurt anyone, but he also doesn’t trust anyone not to hurt him and would probably run from a fight or dissociate and shut down.

He’s often just seems to be in pain and exhausted—going along with what he thinks others want, such as the players, and seems to show extreme learned helplessness and hopelessness.

Killer feels emotions rather intensely in this stage, often negative emotions such as unbearable guilt shame and fear, and just often seems afraid of people and himself. He seems to avoid making many friends, and can’t seem to handle being in this state for too long. He misses his home, and he misses his brother.

Being triggered into this state while out on missions or during fights can actually be very dangerous for both Killer and others—Killer because he could get himself hurt or killed with his refusal to fight or hurt anyone, and for others because resisting against hurting or killing anyone goes against the very core of what he is. And it can trigger internal flashbacks, and then trigger Stage 4–who will like cause an entire bloodbath. Which will then get him trouble with Nightmare, because Killer isn’t supposed to kill anyone.

Stage 2 is the target shape, the Killer we know. The person he has become. Whenever a white eye light shows up on his right eye socket, it is said to be a sign of “the Sans we know.”

His primary traits are his deep seated apathy, his emotional detachment and desensitization to torture, death, and violence—both towards himself and others. He is said to be like the human and Flowey in terms of personality—kill or be killed, in a sort of apathetic, resigned way.

He will even refer to the murder and violence he inflicts on others, or inflicted on him, as just a “game” or “playing” or “fun.” Possibly language he picked up from Chara.

Killer doesn’t seem to believe in the idea of “equals”—to him it’s one controls the other, and one is controlled completely. And the one in control has the right to do whatever they please to the other, and the only way to get out of that is to either become stronger or leave.

He is detached from his emotions, and will reject anything that contradicts his emotionless beliefs—including any reactions his body gives. Killer lives in his mind, not his body—which he doesn’t even see as his. Stage 2 simply views himself as something with Sans’ face, and that Sans is dead. He and Chara killed him.

Killer is aware of Players and why he was created , believing that they control everything and everyone—that others are predictable and basically run on codes or scripts, and therefore nothing really matters. He will attempt to maintain control in every interaction and avoid any vulnerability that could give others “control” over him—including if they make his body respond in ways he doesn’t get.

Killer seems to like, enjoy, and seek out pain in Stage 2–not Stage 1 though. He also likes hurting others, having control and power over others. Killer’s enjoyment from pain can be for multiple reasons—such as a feeling of power and validation if he manages to provoke others into hurting him and validating his worldview (especially pacifists or those who claim that they don’t want to hurt him), a way to stay grounded in reality and be certain that everything is real, and thrill of “something new” if it manages to make him/the body feel and react.

He is quite loyal—although this doesn’t seem to be based on anything emotional, or at least very rarely is. Either because he is conditioned to be loyal to those he views as above him, or because it’s a mutual transaction between him and someone else.

The second he views someone above him as having grown weak—such as displaying any form of emotions or feelings towards him and allowing that to effect the way they treat and handle him—he will leave or usurp them if he no longer sees any need for them. I personally like to headcanon that Stage 2 has traits of Schizoid and Antisocial Personality Disorder. Not full blown actual disorders, just traits he has learned and picked up and cause disorder in his life—and this is all effected by the dissociative disorder Killer seems to have in his canon. (I’ll touch on that soon.)

Now we don’t actually know much about Stages 3 and 4 in detail in his canon, but Stage 3 was described as the “crazy stage” and Killer (in Stage 1) asks his friend, Color, to kill him if he ever went into that Stage.

Stage 3 seems to be high energy, manic aggression— perhaps even almost feral. Stage 3 seems to be a version of Killer boiled down to base, survival instincts and animalistic behaviors. It’s HC that it’s like a fight or flight instinct when Killer feels cornered or trapped—and can’t decide if he needs to be in Stage 1 or Stage 2. It’s also likely a response to extreme stress or anger.

Stage 4 was left out of Killer’s explanation to Color out of shame, but it got an entire comic dedicated to it. Stage 4 is full of Determination (perhaps to do what it thinks its purpose or tasks are), is described as “Chara wins” and “feels nothing.” When Killer is in this Stage, he loses any and all control—and seems to experience complete memory blackouts, completely unaware of anything happening in this state.

Stage 4 likely seems to a response to extreme fear and confusion— perhaps the fear of what could happen if it doesn’t do what it thinks it must. The need to obey—Players, Chara, whoever. It’s an extremely dehumanized state and possibly doesn’t view itself as having any autonomy or will of its own—and will suppress any and all emotions or reactions to avoid what might it thinks might happen if it doesn’t obey. Perhaps something mind numbingly horrific, worse than death or the worse possible torture.

Most wont know that it is deeply afraid—because it behaves and moves like a machine. Flattening any outward display or emotion or personality or idea of being an autonomous being.

Most of this is just collective hc about Stage 4, so you can of course do as you’d like with it. It’s also HC that it operates in a handler/tool dynamic with most people—that it is owned by and belongs to people such as Chara (even the one in Killer’s head), Nightmare, Color, etc, etc.

it’s also headcanon that Killer as whole experiences delusional beliefs like being watched, being controlled by or having his thoughts controlled by another (such as the Players)—and that Stage 4 may even believe that everyone is actually just the Player(s) speaking to, punishing, or rewarding it through vessels. which could also be another reason why Stage 3 distrusts and attacks anyone or anything that comes near. Stage 4 may not even eat food if someone doesn’t offer it food—because if no one does, then They don’t want it to eat.

It’s unclear just how aware Stages 3 and 4 are of Killer’s current circumstances in present day under Nightmare— giving the way they behave. They may even just be stuck mentally in the past, with Chara, or may be aware of the present, but behave as if they are in the past.

Now, in canon, Killer shows signs of an unspecified dissociative disorder. It isn’t said by his creator what this disorder is, or even if that’s what she intended, but that’s how it can be read. Some people like to headcanon and write Killer as if he is a DID/OSDD1 system, others give him DPDR.

I personally view him as having OSDD-2; a disorder that causes dissociative identity disturbances in adults who go through identity loss or alterations due to captivity, brainwashing, torture, programming, or recruitment by cults and terror organizations/sects. A good example of this in fiction is the Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes, although his case is much more technological.

Now his relationship with Chara has been described as sometimes friendly, sometimes not. Sometimes okay with them, sometimes not. In the canon ending where Nightmare kidnaps Killer, Killer had already killed Chara, said goodbye to Papyrus, and Reset to give everyone else a happy ending in Stage 1–and then Stage 1 was going to delete himself from the world and kill himself before Nightmare showed up.

So in any instance where Killer sees or hears Chara in this ending, it’s just the Chara inside his head—keeping him in line, afraid, and submissive—unless he wants to risk getting another “bad ending.” He feels like they are living inside him, and constantly watching him.

However, what their relationship was like after Sans became Killer and before Killer killed Chara, is completely unknown and left to interpretation. They could have progressed through various stages.

Something like Chara being Killer’s parental figure and caretaker, his mentor and guide, his little sibling, his kid, his best friend, his god, his creator, his torturer—the one he hates and fears and maybe even somewhere deep down, loves the most. Depends on how you want to do it.

There’s probably more I could say but I’ll end it here lmao. A lot of this is based on a mix of canon, interpretation, and headcanons.

(Edit because I forgot somehow: Stage 2 also kinda has mad scientist vibes. It is said by his creator that he will steal and bargain for souls, because he wants to study their “codes.” Killer is secretive about the nature of his research into codes, from both Players and Nightmare, but it’s possible that he’s using it as a way to understand himself, his soul, and how he was created.

It wouldn’t be a stretch at all to assume that he also experiments on himself—and that’d he’d probably experiment on humans to study their souls or their anatomy too—seeing as he once asked Underswap Chara if he could study on them. A lot of Stage 2 Killer’s experiments would probably center around pain, death, souls, Determination, and codes.

We all know how Killer likes cats, but he likes them so much that it seems to be a positive trigger for Stage 1–and possibly every other Stage as well.

Killer’s thought process, mostly shown in Stage 1, is shown has “different personalities.” One that represents the Sans he was, and one who represents the overall whole of the “Killer” identity—and they talk to him, and help him make choices. So Killer’s thought process is pretty crowded, chatty, fragmented and dissociated.

And then of course, Stage 2’s hardest enemy is always said to be Papyrus—likely because Papyrus can trigger Stage 1, which in turn can lead to Stage 4. Stage 2 avoids a lot things to do with Sans’ past—Papyrus, stars (they remind him of the Resets), ketchup, chocolate. Those are trigger foods, although Stage 2 did say that he “doesn’t eat.”

Theres also HCs that Stage 2 might like golden flower tea—because that is one of his earliest memories, where he woke up. And of course, the HC that Chara gave Killer the “best friends” locket before, and possibly the True Knife. It’s even HC’d by some that wearing the heart locket could be a way to ‘claim’ Stage 4, or at least keep it in line.)

If anyone knows a lot about Killer(!Sans), specifically about the stages, or if someone can offer me links to posts that talk about it, mainly what each stage is about. That would be great thanks lmao ^^. I'd also like to know about who Chara is to him as well. (Idm if it's in the comments, ask or a reblog) (I'm trying to write about my au version of Killer for Omen's team, but realized I basically know nothing about the stages. And I will be honest I don't really trust the 'undertale au characters wiki'. So if you want to use this as an opportunity to gush about Killer feel free too, I'd love to hear more about him as a character tbh lol)

(Though I will be 100% honest with people, if you stick around to see my au Killer chances are I'm going to lean more into fandom stuff, with a few canon stuff sprinkled in. So don't expect me to accurately portray your blorbo. So yeah sorry about that aaa) (But if anyone has any good fandom head canons feel free to share them as well.)