The Hand

Sans (/sænz/) is the brother of Papyrus and a major character in Undertale. He first appears in Snowdin Forest after the protagonist exits the Ruins. He serves as a supporting character in the Neutral and True Pacifist routes, and as the final boss and heroic antagonist in the Genocide Route.

Contents

 * Profile
 * Appearance
 * Personality
 * Abilities
 * Main Story
 * Neutral Route
 * Judgement
 * Endings
 * True Pacifist Route
 * Epilogue
 * Genocide Route
 * In Battle
 * Relationships
 * The Protagonist
 * Papyrus
 * Toriel
 * Alphys
 * W. D. Gaster
 * Gallery
 * Trivia
 * See Also
 * References

Appearanceedit | edit source
Sans appears as a short, paunchy skeleton with a wide toothy grin, glove-like hands and large eye sockets. He wears an unzipped blue hoodie, a white shirt, black shorts with white lining, and a pair of slippers. He has white pupils that disappear when he is serious or angered. When Sans uses telekinesis, his left eye flashes light blue and yellow, the colors for patience and justice, and his right pupil disappears.

Personalityedit | edit source
Sans is laid back and flippant, often sleeping on the job and taking breaks. His laziness is a combination of fatalism and apathy. He wonders if his indolence stems from his knowledge that any progress he makes will be erased when the timeline resets. Conversely, he suggests that this knowledge could be "a poor excuse for being lazy." On the flip side, when Papyrus becomes the leader in the Papyrus ending, Sans is implied to be working harder despite not denying his laziness upon being called out on it. This is because while Sans is apathetic towards life, he is never apathetic towards the people he cares about.

Though Sans is usually agreeable, he becomes eerily serious at particular moments. He is also observant; Sans reads the protagonist's expressions and can often tell when they have already done certain tasks. He enjoys making various strange jokes that tend to involve pranks and things that just mess with people's heads, such as "selling fried snow" which on its own makes no sense, but then raising the price to ludicrous degrees until saying he does not want to sell it because it has "too much sentimental value." His pranks involve juvenile things such as eye paint on a telescope, an unscrewed ketchup bottle, and whoopee cushions. He occasionally makes some low-brow puns and the fact that he performs at the MTT Resort hints that he may be a talented comedian. He enjoys science fiction and loves to drink ketchup. He also hates making promises. This is possibly because he seems unable to stick to his own moral compass as he congratulates the protagonist on keeping this idea in their heart, but he does everything in his power to kill the protagonist by any means necessary during the Genocide Route, even faking mercy on them. This is supported by the fact Sans is clearly not afraid of killing when he mentions to the protagonist that if "the old lady" had not made him promise to protect them, "(they'd) be dead where (they) stand." He does show incredible restraint however, as he never tries to fight the protagonist even if they kill the people closest to him, only outwardly shaming them with disturbing implications about their character and direct judgement on their actions, coldly asking them "Then why'd you kill my brother?" or calling them a dirty brother killer. His pledge to this promise even goes so deep that if Papyrus is killed but not Toriel, he does not mention the protagonist's slaughter to Toriel in order to not emotionally damage her.

Sans may have a scientific background. Evidence includes the quantum physics book, workshop, his relationship to Alphys, affinity for science, and his timeline research.

Sans offhandedly mentions to the protagonist that he understands that they would "want to go back" and suggests that they already have everything they could need. He seems to be longing and searching for a life that he cannot go back to as he "gave up trying to go back a long time ago" and as a Lost Soul tells the protagonist that "you'll never see 'em again." He is implied to have given up on trying to go back as he had projected acceptance in staying in this new life to the protagonist, although what Sans is trying to go back to is quite vague.

Abilitiesedit | edit source
Sans can quickly travel or teleport using what he calls "shortcuts."

In combat, he uses "Gaster Blasters," devices that resemble a skull, to shoot large beams. Sans excels in combat and fights with unique abilities that include: KR, applying directional forces directly upon the protagonist's SOUL, and attacking the protagonist in their own selection menus.

Because of his "research," he has knowledge of timelines and the SAVE function. However, he does not retain his memories when the protagonist loads a SAVE, and he cannot use the SAVE function. His awareness of time travel makes him scrupulous, and he recognizes when the protagonist is behaving unusually. Sans reads the protagonist's expression and determines if they have experienced events before and are repeating them. He also knows how much EXP the protagonist has and comments on it when judging them.

Sans also plays the trombone, though he is only seen playing it once while the protagonist is befriending Papyrus. Papyrus also finds his "incidental music" annoying, implying that he has played many times before.

Like other characters, Sans is aware of when the game's code suffers bugs and calls the protagonist a "dirty hacker" if they achieve the impossible ending of the Neutral Route.

Neutral Routeedit | edit source
Sans introduces himself to the protagonist in Snowdin Forest after he initially appears as a silhouette. He explains that he has no interest in capturing humans, but that his brother, Papyrus, does. Then, Sans hides the protagonist behind a lamp whose shape is identical to the protagonist's. Papyrus rushes onscreen, and the brothers discuss Sans's laziness and the importance of puzzle upkeep. Sans appears multiple times throughout Snowdin Forest, observing and commentating on the puzzles but not engaging in any japery, except for the word search.

Before Papyrus's battle, Sans is absent in Snowdin Town. He appears briefly to play trombone during the date/hangout with Papyrus but does not appear again until the Last Corridor if the protagonist kills Papyrus.

After entering Waterfall, Sans is found manning a sentry station and asks the protagonist if they want to take a break with him. If the protagonist agrees, he takes them to Grillby's via a "shortcut." The patrons warmly greet Sans, and he proceeds to treat the protagonist to a burger or fries. After some dialogue, a spotlight falls on him and the protagonist and time appears to stop as Sans tells the protagonist that a flower has been talking to Papyrus. Sans believes that someone is tricking Papyrus with an Echo Flower when the flower in question is Flowey. Sans can be seen again in Waterfall and pranks the protagonist with a red-eye telescope. Later, if Papyrus was killed, "a hooded figure" watches Shyren's battle. However, if Papyrus was spared, Sans sells concert tickets made of toilet paper, implying the other figure was Sans as well.

The protagonist passes him sleeping at a sentry post in Hotland if the protagonist flees from Undyne. Undyne notices him sleeping and berates him mid-chase. Sans does not appear in this spot if Undyne was killed, even if Papyrus was spared.

Later, Sans sells Hot Dogs in Hotland for 30G. If the protagonist attempts to buy a Hot Dog when their inventory is full, he stacks a maximum of 30 Hot Dogs on their head for free.

Further on, Sans waits outside of the MTT Resort and asks the protagonist if they want to grab a bite to eat. He escorts the protagonist inside via "shortcut" and talks about a woman he has befriended that shares his affinity for puns. He tells the protagonist that this woman made him promise to protect any human that left the Ruins and that, if she had not said anything, the protagonist would be "dead where [they] stand." He dismisses this as a joke immediately and says that he has done a great job protecting the protagonist. If the protagonist has not died before, Sans takes credit for their success. If the protagonist has died, Sans questions the validity of his statement. Before leaving, he tells the protagonist to take care of themself because someone really cares about them.

Judgementedit | edit source
The protagonist encounters Sans for the last time in the Last Corridor. He explains that EXP and LOVE are acronyms - "EXecution Points" and "Level Of ViolencE" and judges the protagonist for their current EXP.

If the protagonist gained no EXP, Sans skips his judgment, instead praising the protagonist for embracing compassion and actively choosing to be merciful to the monsters throughout their journey. He reinforces the idea that the protagonist's actions shall decide the fate of the world in one of two ways: the protagonist lets Asgore take their SOUL and allow the monsters to break the Barrier, or they take Asgore's SOUL to escape the Barrier themself. Sans concludes that the protagonist now has enough determination and believes that they can do the right thing before leaving.

If the protagonist has heard his speech before, Sans notices their bored expression and offers a secret codeword that he uses to prove that they are a time traveler. After the protagonist loads their SAVE a few times, Sans's suspicions are affirmed and he gives them a key to his room. Inside Sans's room is a key to his workshop.

If the protagonist gained EXP, Sans allows them a moment to think about their actions. He then emphasizes the importance of integrity and, if Papyrus is alive, concludes that whatever happens next is up to the protagonist. If the protagonist killed Papyrus, Sans expresses his suspicion that they have some special power. He then asks if the protagonist thinks it is their responsibility to do the right thing. Regardless of their answer, Sans reminds the protagonist of his fallen brother and leaves.

If the protagonist returns to the Last Corridor after loading a SAVE, Sans judges the protagonist on their earned LV. Subsequent attempts to talk to Sans after judgment prompts him to tell the protagonist to "consider [their] session over."

showSans's LV Judgment

Endingsedit | edit source
After the protagonist defeats Photoshop Flowey, Sans calls and informs them of the events that transpired after their departure. The content of this phone call varies depending on the protagonist's actions.

True Pacifist Routeedit | edit source
Sans is absent from the Last Corridor in the True Pacifist Route. There is also no SAVE point upon entering the corridor. He appears during the pre-Asriel cutscene and meets Toriel face-to-face for the first time. Flowey binds Sans and the protagonist's other friends. However, the protagonist's friends protect them from Flowey's attacks before Flowey absorbs their SOULs.

During the battle against Asriel, Sans appears as one of the Lost Souls.

Epilogueedit | edit source
After defeating Asriel, Sans stands alongside the other main characters. If the protagonist talks to him, he says a certain remark depending on what, if anything, the protagonist said to Toriel in calls at the beginning of the game. Sans also uses Toriel's phone to text for her a few times because Toriel's thumbs are too big for the phone buttons. When the protagonist is ready to leave, Sans exits the Underground and heads to the Surface along with the other monsters.

When Papyrus runs off to introduce himself to the humans, Sans says that someone must keep him away from trouble and runs off in the opposite direction, presumably to use a "shortcut."

In the credits, Sans rides a tricycle on a highway, while his brother races alongside him in a car. Papyrus seems irritated when his brother overtakes him.

Genocide Routeedit | edit source
Sans stalks and introduces himself to the protagonist as usual but requests that they continue pretending to be a human. He does not comment on the protagonist turning around before he asks them to. Sans goes along with Papyrus's japery and does not appear as an NPC as he does on other routes. After the protagonist crosses the bridge before Snowdin Town, Sans warns them not to fight his brother or else they will "have a bad time." He then disappears and is absent until the Last Corridor.

If the protagonist aborts the Genocide Route by sparing Papyrus, Sans reappears at the Waterfall sentry station and tells the protagonist he respects them for doing that. He continues to appear as he does on the Neutral Route but does not take the protagonist to Grillby's since there is no one left in Snowdin.

The protagonist encounters Sans in the Last Corridor for his battle.


 * For further information, see Sans/In Battle.

After defeating Sans, the protagonist's EXP is set to 99999, granting them LV 20. Sans notices if the protagonist has killed him before and is re-fighting him.

Sans does not count as a kill in the Stats menu, and the game does not record whether or not he is killed.

In Battleedit | edit source

 * For an in-battle description, see Sans/In Battle.

The Protagonistedit | edit source
Sans's attitude towards the protagonist depends on their actions, though he usually enjoys pranking them and occasionally hanging out with them unless they kill Papyrus. Near the end of a Neutral or Genocide Route, he judges them on their EXP. At the end of the True Pacifist Route, Sans considers them a good friend. If the protagonist killed Papyrus, Sans does not bother to encounter them until he judges them in the Last Corridor, where he reminds them that they killed his brother.

Sans initially considers the protagonist to be an "anomaly"; his intentions of befriending them were in hopes that they would stop resetting the timeline. However, he also says that the protagonist did not die after their initial encounter because of his promise to Toriel. This may imply he would have killed the protagonist, he protected them from life-threatening harm after their first encounter, or he was simply joking.

Papyrusedit | edit source
Sans cares for and admires his brother. He keeps up with Papyrus's temper tantrums and he knows how to deal with Papyrus's childish outbursts. Sans also reads him bedtime stories and gives him presents under the identity of Santa. Nonetheless, Sans likes to mess with Papyrus, sending him bad puns on the UnderNet. He also leaves a dirty sock in their living room for Papyrus to fuss over.

Sans worries about others hurting Papyrus or taking advantage of him. In the Papyrus Ending of the Neutral Route, Sans is afraid to tell Papyrus about other characters' deaths, so he lies about them going on a vacation.

Torieledit | edit source
Toriel and Sans share a love of bad jokes and are friends even though they never see each other face-to-face until the epilogue, the Family Ending, or the Exiled Queen Ending. Before the protagonist's arrival, Sans and Toriel shared jokes through the door to the Ruins.

In the Exiled Queen Ending, Sans becomes Toriel's roommate if Papyrus has been killed. In this route, Sans also states that he "can't bear to tell her what [the protagonist] did." If Papyrus is alive, the brothers visit Toriel often, play board games together, and sometimes convince Toriel to leave the Ruins.

While not being one to make promises, Sans complies with Toriel's request to watch over and protect any human that exits the Ruins. Near the end of the Genocide Route, he indirectly apologizes to her, as he is forced to break his promise to stop the protagonist.

Sans and Toriel are only seen together on screen in the True Pacifist Ending. If the protagonist decides to go back through the Underground before going to the surface, Sans sends them texts for Toriel since her thumbs are too big for the buttons on the phone. It is implied that they soon fight for control of the phone when they begin to send embarrassing texts of the other person.

Alphysedit | edit source
Though there is evidence that Sans and Alphys have a relationship, Sans only alludes to this in the epilogue.

It is also noteworthy that if Papyrus is called just before entering the Lab, Sans appears in the call and suggests that there may be dogs inside the lab. This hints that he may know about the True Lab since Endogeny, an Amalgamate composed of several dogs, can be found there. According to Alphys in an aborted Genocide Route, she is forced to rule the Underground and Sans helps her lead; she calls Sans "a good guy".

W. D. Gasteredit | edit source
A few things hint at a connection between Sans and W. D. Gaster. Evidence includes the blueprints and veiled machine found in his workshop, the sprites used for his skull-like laser guns (labeled gasterblaster in the game files), and his unexplained scientific research on the "anomaly" and timelines. Sans and Papyrus are named after a font, which W. D. Gaster is assumed to also be, so it is believed they are related.