Welcome back to another Character Analysis post!
Resuming the Deltarune topic from the last post, let’s talk about the personality and design of another character! Ralsei!
Ralsei (in Chapter 1)
[Image Source from the deltarune wiki]
[Hooded Ralsei.]
Ralsei introduces Kris and Susie to their kingdom and off the bat, they want the two to learn the prophecy and to help Ralsei to close up the Dark Worlds that occurs. As shown in his design, he’s implied to be shy, hiding behind a hood when he meets the duo and only removes it when Susie wants him to (in order to hear him better), only to reveal he’s still hiding, behind a veil connected to his hat. Despite that, he’s kind and jovial, offering Kris (and the Player) to learn how to fight properly after their first encounter with Lancer who was there to harm them before bailing.
Ralsei also wears glasses, glasses are often used to indicate “the smart” one, in the group, case in point him teaching how to fight and how he can use magic. A magic wielder is often a sign of someone with great intelligence to use and hone the craft. Ralsei also has a dark heart symbol on his clothing, it’s unknown what it may stand for exactly, but he does have heart and cares for his teammates.
[Image Source from the deltarune wiki]
[Ralsei with his veiled hat.]
Interestingly, when in the party, he tells Kris that they should spare their enemies, believing the kindness will be given kindness in return. However, if Kris doesn’t do so, he won’t get made at them but at Susie for doing the same thing until it hits a breaking point. Ralsei can also be pushed to his limit if you mess up the attacking prompt (by not hitting A at all) enough times to stop the training practice early and wanting to move on with the journery. Another detail found in the training session with the dummy is that, if you keep hitting it (note, the dummy resembles Ralsei), Ralsei will mention to Kris about being okay with being physically hit.
It goes without saying how concerning that detail is. How Ralsei, wanting friends is willing to be uncomfortable/treated badly just to have any.
Moving on, Chapter 1 really seems to push the idea that Ralsei’s “be kind to everyone” ideology is naive and very flawed, when it comes to certain people in life. Susie is one case, while she isn’t evil, she’s a scared teen in a unfamiliar world with issues on top of that. So Ralsei’s way of approaching Susie causes her to temporarily split from the party to join up with Lancer. As Lancer was the only one praising Susie’s actions despite being a “bad guy” where as Ralsei, supposedly a kind person and a “good guy” was tearing down her actions. Ralsei almost immediately realizes his mistake and soon the two do make amends. Albeit, it’s via Ralsei promising to make Susie food to make her stop teasing but baby steps for both of them.
Another example is people like the Spade King. The Spade King is a cruel ruler, even to his son Lancer. Whether the Player decides to use force or to take him down the pacifist way, the Spade King will put on a kinder facade, just to trick Ralsei into healing back to healthy levels and almost getting the party, his friends, killed.
As noted earlier Ralsei was against Susie specifically for using force, but in the situation of The Spade King, there was no peaceful way of handling a guy like him who wants to kill the part and won’t listen to reasonable talk to stand down. This encounter made Ralsei learn and admit that violence is sometimes needed.
Before Kris and Susie go back home, Ralsei reveals one more thing for now… And removes his hat, showing his face.
Similar to how Kris looks like a “What if?” older version of Chara, Ralsei looks like a older Asriel. In fact, if you rearrange Ralsei’s name, you can spell Asriel.
[(Left) Ralsei without his veiled hat’s portrait, Asriel (Center) and Ralsei’s overworld sprite (Right).]
[Images taken from respective wikis, both linked in their sections.]
Which raised a lot of questions for people on who played Chapter 1 back in 2018.
And in 2021, more questions came when Chapter 2 hit.
Ralsei (in Chapter 2)
[Image Source from the deltarune wiki]
[Ralsei without his veiled hat.]
In Chapter 2, it further proves the enigma statement, as he admits to Kris that he did indeed, hid his face from them on purpose, originally. Then admits afterwards (if you say you like Ralsei as is) he admits he “doesn’t know what being Ralsei like, is.” which is a can of worms on the possible whys. But that’s not the only thing this chapter does. While we stated Ralsei had a naive way of thinking, he also, clearly knows more than he lets on.
If you let him speak about the prophecy, he doesn’t describe the Roaring in detail if too many Dark Fountains are opened, he only does when Berdly is going to open another one. Another example is if you do the superboss of the area, Ralsei sooner wants to sweep the comparisons of the superboss’ situation to Kris’s, under the rug (i.e. controlled like a puppet and Kris’ fear of being unable to stop being a puppet when their own strings possibly being gone some day and just be unable to move on their own). Susie is the only one to question what just happened and try to push for answers in contrast.
Another example is earlier, back in Chapter 1, with the elements of Undertale pointing out oddities in a normal RPG and such, detlarune is no different. Only one person in Undertale knew it’s mechanics to teach to the player, Flowey. And who does something similar for deltarune? Ralsei. Ralsei’s violence hypocrisy with Susie is weird until you remember the earlier statement, which means he’s aware of the Player. Which opens a lot of worms on it’s own on what Ralsei knows but isn’t telling the Player OR Kris, let alone Susie. In Susie’s case, he doesn’t tell her the Dark World people are just items come to life in the Dark World, he only tells Kris and the Player that.
Speaking of, Chapter 2 shows us what happens when a resident of a different Dark World crosses into another: they turn to stone. Lancer learns this the hard way, but yet Ralsei knew of this and weirder yet, can CROSS over into another Dark World, and is completely fine??? Lancer traveled via Kris’ pocket as spade card, from the supply closet to the library. We never saw how Ralsei traveled from the school. In fact, he seemingly can make the Player follow Susie as he tells Kris something twice we don’t know about for a moment in Chapter 1 and 2!
Does this mean Ralsei is secretly evil and is playing a longer game to reveal that in contrast to Flowey? Well, I’d argue, no.
Despite all of this, pretty damning evidence, there is enough to support that Ralsei, means well despite knowing more than we do and not spilling the details. The prophecy back in Chapter 1 did show elements of the Roaring and Ralsei likely didn’t want to dump all of that because he didn’t want to scare Kris or Susie off. It’s possible he wanted to save it for sometime soon after they rested from battle. Another case is the implication that Ralsei not having friends before, has very little social experience on how to handle things. He seems to believe thinking positively will help Kris shake off whatever correlation he has to the superboss of the chapter instead of being a ear to listen to their clear worries.
Ralsei, clearly knows things we don’t but is also seemingly trying to do what he thinks is the right thing. He clearly can and is willing to change his mind when incorrect about things as Chapter 1 showed so, there’s that. There’s also the fact that, someone knowing too much can make them panic, so it’s possible Ralsei wants to avoid that as well.
But let’s move onto how else he acts in Chapter 2.
Since at the end of last chapter, taking off his hat, it symbolizes Ralsei has been sooner more open with how he interacts with the others, including Susie. Even learning how to do sarcasm, even if he’s not the best at it yet. Ralsei is more willing to express his emotions and seems to be less worried about being likeable and is living in the moment with his pals, which is sweet. His hatless design also removes leggings he had on, apparently, huh.
While we don’t know much about Ralsei yet, not even himself, we can learn enough together to keep in mind for the future.
That is all we have for this session with Design Blox Studio Character Design Analysis! Tune in next week for the next half of the deltarune character analysis!
Do you want to read more? Click to read our blog about Lorelai from Epithet Erased!
Her power allows her to make spaces become her personal Wonderland!
