Royal Guards

For the monster group, see Royal Guard.

The Royal Guards (JP: ロイヤル・ガード) are a miniboss duo the protagonist encounters in the upper levels of Hotland. They are referred to by their code names RG 01 and RG 02. They are members of the Royal Guard, under orders to prevent any humans from passing through Hotland.

Profile

Appearance

The Royal Guards wear identical black armor, and they both wield swords. They use bouncing animations during battle and when they speak in the overworld. They never take off their helmets at any point, but Undyne confirms that RG 01 is a bunny and RG 02 is a dragon. RG 01's ears and RG 02's horns can be seen protruding from their helmets. RG 02's helmet is longer than RG 01's.

When RG 02 takes off his armor, his chest is exposed, which sports a six-pack and visible scales scattered throughout.

Personality

RG 01 has an informal manner of speech, using words such as "dude" and "bro" to refer to his partner and the protagonist. He experiences romantic attraction towards RG 02, which is evidenced by him specifically requesting to be with RG 02 on patrol and his reaction to RG 02 taking off his armor. RG 02, in contrast, is significantly less talkative, though he seems to reciprocate RG 01's feelings.

The Royal Guards show much team synergy, and they often emphasize "team attack" during their battle. If either guard is killed, the other becomes angry and attacks much more aggressively, hoping to avenge their fallen partner.

Main story

Neutral Route

The Royal Guards first appear in the Laboratory Entrance area in Hotland blocking the northern path to elevator L1. They explain that they are under orders from Undyne not to let any human pass through. If Undyne was befriended, they can call her in this area, and she explains that she cannot retract her orders since she also ordered the Guards not to listen to her if she ever defended a human, believing that humans have "mind control" powers due to the anime Alphys showed her.

The guards are later encountered on the second floor of Hotland, who identify the protagonist as a human and attack. During the battle, the protagonist can get the guards to confess their feelings to one another. If Undyne was called previously in the Laboratory Entrance, after 01 confesses his feelings to 02, he blames his confession on human mind control instead of saying he was just joking.

After sparing them, the newfound couple can then be found on the third floor of Hotland, just before the MTT Resort, having bought all of the Nice Cream from the Nice Cream guy. The protagonist is unable to purchase Nice Cream from the vendor. If the Genocide Route is aborted by sparing them, they do not appear in this area because the Nice Cream guy, like the other NPCs, is absent.

True Pacifist Route

The Royal Guards are the only monsters not to have an explicit description of their circumstances in the True Pacifist ending credits. The description is simply "Use Your Imagination", and is up to the players to decide. In the credits, RG 01 starts to sweat as he did in battle. However, RG 02 still has his armor on.

Genocide Route

The Royal Guards are encountered in the room before Mettaton's cooking show set. They attack the protagonist upon noticing them, hoping to avenge Undyne's death. They both get killed in a single strike.

In battle

Attacks

• The guards fight together using "Team Attacks" from the bottom and top of the screen. These attacks consist of:
  • Projectiles that drop from top of the screen in a similar fashion to one of Vegetoid's attacks.
  • Star-like bullets that move vertically from the bottom and top of the screen.
• If one guard is killed, the other's attacks double in intensity and become much harder to dodge.
• If 02 takes off his armor, the attacks from the top of the screen become erratic and fall out the side of the bullet board.

Strategy

• To spare this duo, the protagonist must clean Royal Guard 02's armor, and interact with the Green projectile five times.
  • At this point, Royal Guard 01's attacks become shaky and easy to dodge.
• Once 02's armor comes off, whisper to 01 to be honest about his feelings.
• Although the Royal Guards can be spared after this point, not doing so causes them to continue attacking the protagonist's SOUL as usual.

Quotes

Pre-battle

Normal

• Hey! You! Stop!
• We've, like, received an anonymous tip about a human wearing a striped shirt.
• They told us they were wandering around Hotland right now...
• I know, sounds scary, huh?
• Well, just stay chill. We'll bring you someplace safe, OK?
• ... Huh? What is it, bro?
• The shirt they're wearing?
• ... like, what about it?
• Bro...
• Are you thinkin... What I'm thinkin?
• Bummer. This is, like... Mega embarrassing.
• We, like, actually totally have to kill you and stuff.

Genocide

• ... you're here.
• So that means Undyne... She's...
• Like, Undyne! We'll avenge you!

Battle

RG 01

• Like, team attack! [Encounter]
• Like, give us the soul brah. [Neutral]
• Like, "you're dead" and all. [Neutral]
• Like, prepare to die, right? [Neutral]
• Like, perish and stuff. [Neutral]
• Like... what? I don't get it. [Whisper before successfully cleaning RG 02's armor]
• Like, hands off the merch. [Clean Armor]
• D... Dude... [After successfully cleaning RG 02's armor]
• I... I... [Whisper after successfully cleaning RG 02's armor]
• H-HEY, STOP THAT!! [Clean Armor to RG 02 after successfully cleaning RG 02's armor]

RG 02

• ... team attack. [Encounter]
• ... ... ... sigh. [Neutral]
• ... ... heh. [Neutral]
• ... ... what? [Neutral]
• ... ... hmph. [Neutral]
• ... i won't tell. [Whisper]
• ... getting ... warmer. [Clean Armor]
• ... hello. [Clean Armor after successfully cleaning armor]
• [Clean Armor to RG 02, successful]
  • ... can't ... take it.
  • ... armor... too... HOT!!!
  • ... much better.

RG 01 (alone)

• 02... I never told him... [Encounter]
  • 02!? B-but why!? [If could be spared before]
• 02... this is, like, for you. [Neutral]
• Like, 02... [Neutral]
• 02... are you really.. [Neutral]
• ... [Neutral]

RG 02 (alone)

• 01... you...! ..!!!! [Encounter]
  • 01...!? What the...!? [If could be spared before]
• ... [Neutral]

Royal Guard (sparing method)

• [RG 01] D-dude ...
• [RG 01] I can't ...
• [RG 01] I can't take this anymore!
• [RG 01] Not like this!!
• [RG 01] Like, 02! I like...
• [RG 01] I like, LIKE you, bro!
• [RG 01] The way you fight... The way you talk...
• [RG 01] I love doing team attacks with you.
• [RG 01] I love standing here with you, bouncing and waving our weapons in sync...
• [RG 01] 02... I, like, want to stay like this forever...
• [RG 02] ...
• [RG 02] ....
• [RG 01] Uh...
• [RG 01] I mean, uh...
• [RG 01] Psyche! Gotcha, bro!!! Haha! [Normal]
• [If the protagonist called Undyne in the Laboratory Entrance when the guards were still blocking the path]
  • [RG 01] Whew, bro! That human,
  • [RG 01] Put me under, uh, mind control!
  • [RG 01] What was I just saying?
  • [RG 01] It's all a blur, dude!! Whoops!
• [RG 02] ... 01.
• [RG 01] Y-yeah, bro??
• [RG 02] ...
• [RG 02] ... do you want to...
• [RG 02] ... get some ice cream...
• [RG 02] ... after this?
• [RG 01] Like... [Unused]
• [RG 01] Sure, dude! Haha!

Flavor text

Royal Guard

• I see two lovers staring over the edge of the cauldron of hell. [Check, Genocide Route, RG01]
• [Check, Genocide Route, RG02]
  • Do they both wish for death? That means their love will end in hell.
  • I couldn't stop laughing.
• Royal Guard attacks! [Encounter]
• Sweat pours from 02's armor. [Neutral]
• 01 is polishing his face. [Neutral]
• 01 stands guard. [Neutral]
• 02 watches your movements. [Neutral]
• Smells like a military zoo. [Neutral]
• 02 seems to be bothered by his outfit. [Neutral; unused]

RG 02 taking off his armor. RG 01 begins to shake and sweat.

• You tell RG 01 to be honest with his feelings. [Whisper to RG 01]
• You tell RG 02 your favorite secret. [Whisper to RG 02]
• You attempt to touch RG 01's armor. Your hands slip off. [Clean Armor to RG 01]
• You clean RG 02's armor. Its cooling dirt begins to wash away. [Clean Armor to RG 02]
• You pat RG 02's chest like a muscular bongo. [Clean Armor to RG 02 after successfully cleaning RG 02's armor]
• RG 01 looks bothered by something. [After Clean Armor to RG 02]
• 02's breathing intensifies. [Low HP]
• 01 and 02 are looking at each other happily. [Spare conditions met]

RG 01

• Royal Guard member with shining, polished armor. [Check]
• 01 holds his head in his hands. [Neutral]
• Anguished noises come from inside 01's armor. [Neutral]
• 01 stands still. [Neutral]
• 01 doesn't know what to do. [Neutral]
• 01's breathing intensifies. [Low HP]

RG 02

• Royal Guard member with stuffy armor. [Check]
• 02 is clenching and unclenching his fists. [Neutral]
• 02 is shaking his head. [Neutral]
• 02 is striking his sword against the ground. [Neutral]
• 02 is coughing. [Neutral]
• You were repelled. [Clean Armor]

Creation and development

Sprite sheet from the UNDERTALE Art Book depicting different sprite concepts for the characters, and even some concepts for 03 and 04.

There are two unused sprites for two more Guards, RG 03 and RG 04. 03 appears to be a bug-like monster similar to a praying mantis and 04 appears to be a feline monster. They have a similar sparing mechanic, being two women who used to be friends but had a falling out. In the UNDERTALE Art Book, Toby Fox mentions and shows "ASURA", a cut Amalgamate of all 4 Royal Guards.

The Royal Guards have an unused white description in the True Pacifist ending credits, which is identical to their yellow description.

Outside of Undertale

Main article: Royal Guards

The Royal Guards appear as minor characters in Deltarune, accompanying each other around Hometown wherever they go. Like their counterparts in Undertale, the Royal Guards are in a relationship.

Gallery

• 
  Royal Guards' official tarot card as Major Arcana VI, "The Lovers".
• 
  Artwork from Undertale's 5th anniversary.

Trivia

• Their sprites are named with the word "bara", which is a misnomer of a Japanese genre of artwork and fictional media that features homosexual men and traditional masculinity made by men for men.
• If the protagonist kills 02 while he has his chest visible, he appears to have his armor back on for a split second before he turns to dust.
• Their Genocide Route check descriptions are indirect quotes from Banana Yoshimoto's 1988 Japanese novel "Kitchen".
• If the protagonist's last battle before the Royal Guards resulted in at least one enemy kill, the game will incorrectly assume they have been killed, even if the protagonist spares them. This does not prevent a Genocide Route from being aborted.