Vulkin

Toasty bun!

Vulkin with a Hot Dog

Vulkin (JP: かざんちゃん) is an enemy that the protagonist can encounter in Hotland.

Profile

Appearance

As its name implies, Vulkin resembles a volcano, with the conical structure that is a common characteristic of volcanoes. Lava can be seen leaking from its crown, and little puffs of smoke can be seen spewing out steadily. Vulkin usually has its eyes closed and a permanent blush. Due to its cheerful attitude, it is usually seen smiling.

Personality

Vulkin generally maintains a positive, happy-go-lucky nature. It is kindhearted, as it loves to support beings around it, and tries to heal the protagonist when they are injured. Its innocent nature unfortunately makes it unaware that its lava attacks damage the protagonist rather than heal them.

Vulkin loves to see positivity and love being spread around it, so the "Encourage" and "Hug" options make it even happier than before. As a result, it either works harder to assist the protagonist or expresses comfort thanks to them. Using the "Hug" option turns its eyes into hearts as evidence.

Vulkin's cheerfulness is severely vulnerable to sensitivity and guilt despite not initially having the latter, as evident by if the protagonist uses the "Criticize" option against it. As a result, it becomes discouraged from attacking and displays a frowning face onscreen. Should the protagonist criticize it further by personally insulting its looks, it cries (although its tears are not shown onscreen). Should the protagonist use "Encourage" or "Hug" afterward, it returns to its usual positivity, as if criticisms were not directed towards it before.

Main story

Neutral Route

Vulkin appears as an NPC near Sans's hot dog stand. They express joy over having obtained a Hot Dog, with their only dialogue being "Toasty bun!"

True Pacifist Route

Two Vulkin NPCs appear throughout Hotland after receiving Undyne's Letter (or after receiving the call directing the protagonist to Snowdin Town to receive it). The first NPC is located in the conveyor belts area on floor 1, and the second is located in the area that hosted Mettaton's Multicolor Tile Puzzle on floor 3. They both comment on how the protagonist's actions make them feel "spicey".

Etymology

Vulkin's name comes from the word volcano and possibly Vulcan, the name of the Roman god of volcanoes and metalworking.

In battle

Appears with

• Tsunderplane

Attacks

• Its "thunder" attack is a cloud at the top center of the board, firing bolts at a wide angle toward the SOUL, the bolts separating more the farther they travel. A variation of this has the cloud move.
  • Getting hit by this attack causes the SOUL's SPEED to increase.
• Its "fire" attack is two columns at the right and left edges of the board, shooting fireballs toward the center; the fireballs go back to the column from which they were fired.

Strategy

• This monster can be spared by hugging or encouraging it. However, encouraging it increases its AT, and hugging it decreases the protagonist's DF.
• Criticizing them discourages it from attacking altogether, which is useful when there is another monster.

Quotes

• Thunder! Helpful speed up!!! [Neutral]
• Speed will help dodge!! [Neutral]
• Ah! I'll help! Healing magmas! [After taking damage]
• You're hurt! I'll help!!! [After taking damage]
• Ahh... Not... helping? OK... [Criticize #1, #3+]
• Trash... rump... Ahh... [Criticize #2]
• Ahh! Ahh! Does my best! [Encourage]
• Ahh... So... LOVEY! [Hug #1, #4+]
• Hug... continue ... [Hug #2]
• Starting to get weird. [Hug #3]
• Ahh... [After Criticize]
• Does not help... [After Criticize]
• Ahh! Tries the hardest! [After Encourage]
• Works hard! Works hot! [After Encourage]
• Feels so warm... [After Hug]
• Oh! Ah! I'm helping! [After Hug]

Flavor text

• Mistakenly believes its lava can heal people. [Check]
• Vulkin strolls in. [Encounter]
• Tsunderplane attacks! Not because it's jealous Vulkin is paying attention to you! [Encounter with Tsunderplane]
• A strange parade blocks the path. [Encounter with another Vulkin; unused]
• Vulkin parades around the room. [Neutral]
• Vulkin is making coffee in its crater. [Neutral]
• Vulkin is wiggling its weird rump. [Neutral]
• Vulkin makes a smoke hoop and jumps through it. [Neutral]
• Smells like a lava lamp. [Neutral]
• Vulkin reassures you the plane turning tiny is, like, completely intentional. [After spared Tsunderplane]
• You tell Vulkin that its attacks are NOT helpful. [Criticize #1, #3+]
• You tell Vulkin that its rump looks like a sack of trash. [Criticize #2]
• You tell Vulkin it's doing a great job. Its attacks become extreme... [Encourage]
• [Hug #1-2]
  • You give Vulkin a hug. It warms your heart...
  • And your whole body! Ouch! Your DEFENSE dropped!
• Nothing else happened. [Hug #3+]
• Vulkin stands in the corner. [After Criticize]
• Little streams of lava come from Vulkin's eyes. [After Criticize #2+]
• Vulkin parades around you proudly. [After Encourage, spare conditions met]
• Vulkin's cheeks glow with a bright heat. [After Hug, spare conditions met]

Gallery

• 
  The Vulkin with a Hot Dog near Sans's hot dog stand
• 
  Artwork from Undertale's 5th anniversary

Trivia

The text display bug in version 1.00

• There was a glitch where a Vulkin NPC in the Multicolor Tile Puzzle room would try to repeat the last message displayed. This would either display the message correctly, trigger an infinite text loop, cause the game to crash, or display the following error-handling message: "La, la. Time to wake up and smell the pain." Most of this message was typed in black; "the pain" was only visible due to overflowing the dialogue box. However, this was patched in Undertale v1.001.
• Vulkin may be mentioned during Mettaton's news report by the headline saying "TINY VOLCANO MONSTER TRIES ITS BEST, RECEIVES TINY APPLAUSE ||"
• Vulkin's death sound was made using the MEOWSynth VST.