Howdy!
I'm FLOWEY.
FLOWEY the FLOWER!

Flowey introducing himself.

Flowey (/ˈflaʊi/)^[2] is the first major character that the protagonist encounters in Undertale. Flowey serves as the main antagonist for the Neutral and True Pacifist routes, and could be considered a deuteragonist within the Genocide Route. He introduces the player to the mechanics of encounters by sharing "friendliness pellets," which are actually harmful bullets, revealing his philosophy of "KILL or be KILLED." He serves as the final boss of the Neutral Route.

Profile

Appearance

Flowey is a sentient golden flower. He has a white center, six yellow petals, and a light-green stem. Flowey can show a variety of expressions and can mimic the faces and voices of other characters. He mimics Toriel and Asgore in some situations, as well as his old self at the end of the Genocide Route. He also mimics the protagonist's face before the Neutral Route's final battle.

Personality

I wonder...
What happens when something without a SOUL gains the will to live?

Entry Number 8, Alphys, True Lab

Initially, Flowey is friendly toward the protagonist. He greets the protagonist with "Howdy!", calls himself "your best friend," and, like his father, uses words such as "golly" at the end of his sentences. When he is not trying to fool the protagonist into trusting him he will stop using pleasantries and insult them.

As a flower without a SOUL, Flowey is neither human nor monster. Because he has no SOUL, he is unable to feel compassion or love, and seeks pleasure by indulging his curiosity that stems from his ability to "reshape the world" with his powers of determination. He retains his memories between SAVEs because he used to be able to SAVE himself. It is revealed in the Genocide route that, in spite of his emotional numbness, he was not always amoral and initially used his SAVEs to help others; yet as time passed and his inability to feel continued to persist, all the while he was trying to sate his evergrowing curiosity, Flowey – reluctantly, at first – decided to commit murder, telling himself that he had to know what would happen.^[3]

In the current day, Flowey has a malevolent and cruel disposition, berating the protagonist for not following his "kill or be killed" philosophy. Despite this, he also criticizes the protagonist at the end of the Ruins if they killed any monsters.^[4] He is manipulative, devious, a cunning planner and subtle if the circumstances require it.^[5]

When a situation emerges that Flowey has no control over, he may act in frustration or even sheer cowardice, the latter being shown when he kills his former father to appease the protagonist in a vain attempt to save himself in the Genocide Route's conclusion.

Main Story

Ruins Start

Flowey introduces the concept of the Bullet Board and calls his bullets "friendliness pellets."

• If the protagonist dodges three times, his friendly act slips and he hypocritically snaps at the protagonist for leeching off of him.
  • The background music lowers by one semitone each time the bullets are dodged, before slowing, lowering the pitch, and stopping entirely.
  • Before his third attack, Flowey questions the protagonist's mental capacity^[6] and bellows in frustration "RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS!!!" before quickly looking directly at his text and changing the "BULLETS!!!" in the speech bubble to "friendliness pellets."

If the protagonist runs into his bullets, he announces his central philosophy.^[7] Regardless of whether the protagonist dodged Flowey's bullets or not, he then attempts to kill the protagonist with an unavoidable ring of bullets, but Toriel intervenes and saves the protagonist.

If the protagonist killed Flowey on a previous Neutral Route (or if they aborted the Genocide Route, even if they spared him), he does not interact with them again until the protagonist reaches New Home again. If the protagonist spared him, he appears in the beginning of the Ruins again and advises them on what to do. If the protagonist gained EXP, he reminds them not to kill anyone.^[8] If the protagonist gained no EXP, he reminds them to befriend everyone.^[9] Resetting the game before completing a Neutral Route causes him to repeat his "tutorial" after assuming that the protagonist is pretending not to know who he is.^[10] Resetting again causes Flowey to become annoyed and question if the protagonist has anything better to do.

If the protagonist resets a Genocide Route at any point after exiting the Ruins and before the route's completion, Flowey says "Really, <Name>? Well, do what you will. I'll be waiting for you!" before leaving.^[11]

Neutral Route, if last time did not kill Flowey

• [If they have earned EXP]
  • Hey. Remember.
  • DON'T kill anyone.
  • ...
  • I can't believe this is a REAL thing I have to remind you.
  • Hee hee hee...
  • Good luck!
• [If they have not earned EXP]
  • Remember...
  • THIS time, you've GOT to become friends with everyone.
  • OK?
  • If you DON'T, you'll be miserable FOREVER.
  • And we wouldn't want THAT, would we?
  • No... We just want you to be happy, right?
  • Good luck.

Aborted Genocide Route

• Really, <Name>?
• Well, do what you will.
• I'll be waiting for you!

Ruins End

At the exit to the Ruins, Flowey judges the protagonist's actions up to that point. Flowey does not appear to judge the protagonist if he was killed in a previous Neutral Route or if the protagonist aborted the Genocide Route in a previous playthrough.

If The Protagonist Spared Toriel

• Clever. Verrrryyy clever.
• You think you're really smart, don't you?
• In this world, it's kill or be killed.
• So you were able to play by your own rules.
• You spared the life of a single person.
• Hee hee hee...
• [If they have earned EXP]
  • Froggit, Whimsun. Vegetoid, Loox. Migosp, Moldsmal.
  • Think about those names.
  • Do you think any of those monsters have families?
  • Do you think any of them have friends?
  • Each one could have been someone else's Toriel.
  • Selfish brat.
  • Somebody is dead because of you.
• [If they have not earned EXP]
  • I bet you feel really great.
  • You didn't kill anybody this time.
  • But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer?
  • You'll die and you'll die and you'll die.
  • Until you tire of trying.
  • What will you do then?
  • Will you kill out of frustration?
  • Or will you give up entirely on this world...
  • ... and let ME inherit the power to control it?
  • I am the prince of this world's future.
  • Don't worry, my little monarch, my plan isn't regicide.
  • This is SO much more interesting.
• [If the protagonist killed Toriel before]
  • But don't act so cocky.
  • I know what you did.
  • You murdered her.
  • And then you went back, because you regretted it.
  • Ha ha ha ha...
  • You naive idiot.
  • Do you think you are the only one with that power?
  • The power to reshape the world...
  • Purely by your own determination.
  • The ability to play God!
  • The ability to "SAVE."
  • I thought I was the only one with that power. But...
  • I can't SAVE anymore.
  • Apparently YOUR desires for this world override MINE.
  • Well well.
  • Enjoy that power while you can.
  • I'll be watching.

If The Protagonist Killed Toriel

• [First time]
  • Hee hee hee...
  • I hope you like your choice.
  • After all, it's not as if you can go back and change fate.
  • In this world, it's kill or be killed.
  • That old hag thought she could break the rules.
  • She tried so hard to save you humans.
  • But when it came down to it...
  • Hee hee...
  • SHE COULDN'T EVEN SAVE HERSELF.
  • WHAT AN IDIOT!!
• [Second time]
  • Heheheheh.
  • You just can't get enough, can you!?
  • ...
  • How many more times will you kill her?
  • Ha ha ha ha ha...
  • You disgusting animal.
  • You didn't even TRY to spare her.
• [Subsequent times]
  • Wow, you really can't get enough.
  • You kind of remind me of myself.
• [If Toriel was spared before]
  • Wow, you're utterly repulsive.
  • You spared her life...
  • Then you decided that just wasn't interesting enough for you.
  • So you murdered her just to see what would happen.
  • You killed her out of boredom.
    • Truly disgusting... [If Flowey has already mentioned SAVING before; this is his last line]
  • Hee hee...
  • You naive idiot.
  • Do you think you are the only one with that power?
  • The power to reshape the world...
  • Purely by your own determination.
  • The ability to play God!
  • The ability to "SAVE."
  • I thought I was the only one with that power. But...
  • I can't SAVE anymore.
  • Apparently YOUR desires for this world override MINE.
  • Well well.
  • Enjoy that power while you can.
  • I'll be watching.

If Genocide Route Requirements Are Met

Flowey appears even if he was killed in a previous Neutral Route.

• Hahaha...
• You're not really human, are you?
• No. You're empty inside. Just like me. In fact...
• You're <Name>, right?
• We're still inseparable, after all these years...
• Listen. I have a plan to become all powerful.
• Even more powerful than you and your stolen soul.
• Let's destroy everything in this wretched world.
• Everyone, everything in these worthless memories...
• Let's turn 'em all to dust.

An audio clip then plays of Flowey exclaiming "Hmm... That's a wonderful idea!"

If Toriel Has Not Been Fought

• Error [Unused]

Flowey's speaking sound is heard repeatedly and the dialogue box cannot be closed with "[CONFIRM]", effectively softlocking the game^[12]

Neutral Route

If you let me live...
I'll come back.
I'll kill you.
I'll kill everyone.
I'll kill everyone you love.

Flowey, if spared after his boss battle.

After the Ruins, Flowey follows the protagonist from a distance throughout their adventure. If the protagonist backtracks in some areas, they can briefly find Flowey burrowing back into the ground at the edge of the screen.^[13]

Flowey also leaves a message on an Echo Flower in the vertical room before the bridge in Waterfall that changes if the protagonist spared or killed Toriel.^[14][15]

If the protagonist decides to kill Asgore, Flowey appears and destroys Asgore's SOUL. If the protagonist spares Asgore, Flowey appears and kills Asgore himself. Either way, he absorbs the six bottled human SOULs and transforms into Photoshop Flowey. Then, the game crashes and Flowey's battle begins after opening the game again.

After he is defeated, the protagonist has the chance to spare or kill Flowey. Flowey requires the protagonist to offer him mercy thirteen times before he flees, unsure why the protagonist is being nice to him.^[16]

If the protagonist loads a save or finishes another Neutral Route, Flowey absorbs the six bottled human SOULs again, but does not fight the protagonist as he knows the six SOULs would rebel again.^[17] Instead, the protagonist is able to exit the room and receive Sans's Neutral Route phone call.

Well.
You DID do what I told you.
I guess it's up to me to get you a REAL happy ending.

Flowey

If spared after his battle, Flowey gives advice to the protagonist on what to do during subsequent Neutral Routes.^[18] If the protagonist gained EXP before his battle, he asks the protagonist to prove his philosophy wrong, as he thinks it may be meaningless.^[19] Flowey also offers unique dialogue if the protagonist only killed Asgore and tells the protagonist that they wasted everyone's time.^[20] If the protagonist earned no EXP, yet they have not met all the requirements for the True Pacifist Route, he mentions that the protagonist should get closer to one of the main characters, depending on who they previously befriended.^[21]

The protagonist can then recover their previous SAVE file and follow his advice.

If the protagonist kills Flowey, he recognizes that the protagonist can kill^[22] before becoming "just a regular flower."

If he was killed after his battle, Flowey does not leave a message for the protagonist after the credits close, and, after a reset, does not appear until after the resolution of Asgore's battle. Flowey then berates the protagonist for thinking that killing him solved anything. He explains that he was brought back when the protagonist loaded their SAVE file and that they still cannot achieve their happy ending.^[23]

If the protagonist aborts the Genocide Route, Flowey becomes upset with them.^[24] However, he then proclaims that the protagonist just wanted to see everything in the Underground and will eventually return to their malicious ways.^[25]

True Pacifist Route

For further information, see Asriel Dreemurr#True Pacifist Route.

Genocide Route

For further information, see Asriel Dreemurr#Genocide Route.

Quotes

Pre-Battle

• [First playthrough/True Reset]
  • Howdy! I'm FLOWEY. FLOWEY the FLOWER!
  • Hmmm...
  • You're new to the UNDERGROUND, aren'tcha?
  • Golly, you must be so confused.
  • Someone ought to teach you how things work around here!
  • I guess little old me will have to do.
  • Ready? Here we go!
• [Repeat playthrough]
  • Howdy! I'm FLOWEY. FLOWEY the FLOWER!
  • Hee hee hee...
  • Why'd you make me introduce myself?
  • It's rude to act like you don't know who I am.
  • Someone ought to teach you proper manners.
  • I guess little old me will have to do.
  • Ready? Here we go!
• [Subsequent playthroughs]
  • Don't you have anything better to do?

In-Battle

Ruins

• See that heart? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being!
• Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV.
• What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE of course!
• You want some LOVE, don't you?
• Don't worry, I'll share some with you!
• Down here, LOVE is shared through...
• Little white... "friendliness pellets."
• Are you ready?
• Move around! Get as many as you can!
• [If Protagonist runs into bullets]
  • You idiot.
  • In this world, it's kill or BE killed.
  • Why would ANYONE pass up an opportunity like this!?
  • Die.
• [If Protagonist avoids bullets once]
  • Hey buddy, you missed them.
  • Let's try again, okay?
  • [If Protagonist avoids bullets a second time]
    • Is this a joke? Are you braindead? RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS!!!
    • Is this a joke? Are you braindead? RUN. INTO. THE. friendliness pellets [Flowey looks at the text box and changes the "BULLETS!!!"to"friendliness pellets."]
    • stop it [Ten times skip the previous dialogue]
    • [If Protagonist avoids bullets a third time]
      • You know what's going on here, don't you?
      • You just wanted to see me suffer.
      • Die.

New Home (Flowey's Intervention)

Neutral Route

• [FIGHT on Asgore]
  • Hee hee hee.
  • So you finally get it.
  • In this world...
  • It's KILL or BE killed.
• [FIGHT on Asgore, if the Genocide Route was aborted]
  • <Name>.
  • So you DO recall.
  • In this world...
  • It's KILL or BE killed.
• [MERCY on Asgore]
  • You IDIOT.
  • You haven't learned a thing.
  • In this world...
  • It's KILL or BE killed.
• [MERCY on Asgore, if the Genocide Route was aborted]
  • <Name>.
  • You haven't learned a thing.
  • In this world...
  • It's KILL or BE killed.
• [Refight Asgore after killing Flowey]
  • Hee hee hee.
  • Did you REALLY think killing me would make a DIFFERENCE?
  • No.
  • Every time you load your SAVE, I'll come back.
  • And every time you try to get a happy ending...
  • I'll be there to tear it away!
  • Ha ha ha!!!
• [Refight Asgore after sparing Flowey]
  • Hee hee hee. Don't worry.
  • I know there's no REAL point in fighting you.
  • The human souls would probably just revolt again.
  • So...!
• Well, let's get this over with. [Refight Asgore #2]
• ... [Refight Asgore #3+]

Genocide Route

• See? I never betrayed you!
• It was all a trick, see?
• I was waiting to kill him for you!
• After all it's me your best friend! [begins mimicking Asriel's face]
• I'm helpful, I can be useful to you
• I promise I won't get in your way
• I can help... I can... I can...
• Please don't kill me. [In Asriel's voice]

In Battle

Attacks

For an in-battle description, see Photoshop Flowey/In Battle.

As a flower, Flowey uses only three attacks: a five-bullet spread that slightly home in on the protagonist's SOUL, a large ring of bullets which surround the SOUL and cannot be dodged and a vertical row of bullets which come from the side of the Bullet Board, from outside it. This attack is only used before his battle as Asriel Dreemurr. He can speed up the spread although the limits of his attacks and speed are unknown. Getting hit by his five-bullet spread in his first encounter deals 19 damage per bullet whereas the unavoidable ring attack heals 19 HP regardless of whether it hits the protagonist. Before his battle as Asriel Dreemurr, the bullets deal 7 damage until the player has 6 HP, when they deal 5.

Deltarune

In Deltarune, Flowey does not exist, as Asriel is still alive.

For further information,see Asriel Dreemurr.

Relationships

For further information, see Asriel Dreemurr#Relationships.

Gallery

Trivia

• Flowey and Mettaton represent the two characters with voice clips; Flowey says "That's a wonderful idea!" at the end of the Ruins on a Genocide Route, plus two unused audio clips.
  • This phrase is a higher-pitched clip of an old McDonald's commercial originating from the 1960s.^[26]
  • There are other clips within the commercial which also match voice and sound clips within the game. Examples are times 2:47 and 3:05, where Photoshop Flowey's "hurt" sounds originate.^[27]
  • The two unused audio clips are "Triple" and "Shake" which also originated from the commercial as well.
• Flowey's laugh is not a new asset and can be recognized in other media. It was originally a Warner Bros. sound effect mostly used in Pink Panther cartoons and has appeared in titles such as the PlayStation title Tomba!^[28] and the Homestuck soundtrack The Lordling, also by Toby Fox.
• If the player attempts to name the fallen child "Flowey," the screen reads "I already CHOSE that name" and prevents the name from being used.
• Flowey's facial expression when he gets hit by Toriel's fire magic at the beginning of the game, depicting his eyes bulging and open, shocked mouth, is similar to Asgore's face when he also gets hit by Toriel's fire before fighting Asriel in the True Pacifist Route.
  • He also has a shocked expression seen for a split-second when he notices the fire magic getting near him.
• Flowey shares the same color palette as his former self Asriel: white, green, yellow, and black.
• In Hard Mode, Flowey appears alongside the Annoying Dog after the protagonist finishes Toriel's boss fight.
• In a joke thread on Starmen.Net, when Undertale was called "UnderBound 2," it was revealed that Flowey was planned to be the reincarnation of "Face," who was the protagonist of the non-existent EarthBound hack, UnderGround.^[29]
  • The artbook mentions that Flowey was partially inspired by Face from the "NES Godzilla Creepypasta" written by Cosbydaf.
• Flowey's character might be inspired by flowers from EarthBound, which Toby did include in one of his hacks.

• Flowey has the most battle sprites of any character; he has dozens of expressions that he uses in the battle room.
• In the Japanese translation, Flowey uses "boku" and refers to a person with "kimi" alongside his past self Asriel.^[30]
• When Flowey surrounds the protagonist with a circle of friendliness pellets during his initial encounter, he commands them to "Die." This is noticeably written in a font that is a no-spacing variant of the Korean typeface Gulim Che in bold, making him, Sans, Papyrus, and W. D. Gaster the only characters with the ability to speak in a typeface different from 8bitoperator JVE, the standard typeface of Undertale.
  • It should be noted that Flowey still usually speaks in 8bitoperator; he only speaks in this font once.
• Despite his insistence that he can't feel love or compassion without a SOUL, Flowey's words when opening the game for the first time after a True Pacifist run, as well as his words and actions from the Undertale Alarm Clock app, imply that he does have some capacity to care about other people. In the former, he pleads the player to not reset everything again and let everyone stay happy. In the latter, he finds Toriel passed out after a party and leaves her a glass of water, mirroring an earlier instance where he moved her to bed and left her a glass of water after seeing her collapsed in the Ruins.^[31][32] This implies that it was not simply the events of the True Pacifist route that caused this compassion.
  • There is actually some truth to this as actual plants are able to feel emotions in a limited capacity through their senses.
• The fallen human's name does not appear in the first encounter with Flowey nor his monologues in New Home on the Genocide Route. This trait is shared with the various monsters in New Home on a Neutral Route.
• If the protagonist spares Flowey, reloads their SAVE, and triggers any neutral endings after seeing one the first time, Flowey talks about several topics such as wondering why they want to be friends with him, if they should start a "Flowey Fan Club", how he knows Papyrus and Sans, and if they are bored and only wants to see what he says. If the protagonist reloads their save and triggers a neutral ending for the sixth time, he asks if "[they] have anything better to do".
  • The last sentence is also said by Asriel after his different dialogue has been exhausted in the True Pacifist Route epilogue, the Annoying Dog at the end of Hard Mode, and by Flowey as well before being interrupted by the Annoying Dog that it had already said that.
  • In the PlayStation release of Undertale, the name of the PlayStation Trophy for obtaining all the other Undertale trophies is called "Don't You Have Anything Better to Do?"
• In the Undertale Kickstarter Trailer, while Flowey talks about combat, he says "murder" before the text changes to "fight," along with his cackling face changing to normal. This is likely a reference to how in game, Flowey changes the word "BULLETS" to "friendliness pellets" his first tutorial encounter.^[33]
• In Papyrus's 2nd Q&A, Flowey makes an appearance and talks in one of the questions given to Papyrus, mainly on the question that misspells Flowey's name.
• Flowey is the only character other than the player seen killing someone. Killing Asgore in a neutral route

References