Image credit: Em Stonham for Kyusai/tobyfox
Deltarune’s Roaring Knight is one of the most heavily debated characters in the fandom; as someone who’s been obsessing over the game since launch, I feel like I’ve seen countless theories online.
In preparation for Chapter 6 in 2027, I’ve gathered up every Roaring Knight theory I can find, breaking them down with key evidence for each theory. As more theories rear their head, I’ll update this article, so make sure to check back for more Deltarune nerdiness.
Please note, there’ll be spoilers below as I’ll be digging into main characters and lore points, relevant as of Chapter 5.
All Roaring Knight theories in Deltarune
Roaring Knight identity theories in Deltarune vary wildly from the serious to the mundane, and chances are, if you’re a fan of the game, you’re a strong believer in one theory over the rest. The fifth Chapter certainly threw a few cats among the proverbial pigeons.
Currently, the actual identity of the Knight is not known. It’s worth reiterating that all the theories below are exactly that – fan theories and speculation – and that they should all be taken with a pinch of salt.
The likely suspects
The Roaring Knight made its first appearance in Chapter 3 of Deltarune, acting as a secret boss. It’s a wickedly fun and difficult fight, and the first appearance provided some key hints on its identity.
December Holiday
One of the best Roaring Knight theories is that December Holiday, also known as Dess, isn’t actually missing – she’s the Knight.
Finding Dess is a key part of Deltarune’s story. The Knight has antlers, seemingly tying them to the Holiday family, and wields a weapon that appears to be like a baseball bat; Dess presumably has antlers as she’s part of the Holiday family and has a bat in her room.
The Knight is a bit of an edgelord, too, giving off moody teenager vibes when it flies up the stairs in front of Susie with its arms crossed and an almost punk attitude with some of its battle poses. Dess appears to be somewhat of a rebel, based on the contents of her room and descriptions from other characters like Noelle.
Carol is seemingly tied to the Knight in some fashion, largely highlighted by the phone calls in Chapter 4, which would make sense – she’s helping her daughter, potentially to try to bring her home.
Some fans of this theory suggest that December’s body is being piloted by the Knight or that it’s a case of possession. While I can somewhat see the logic here, I don’t like the lack of agency that this would give Dess; I think it’d be an underwhelming reveal.
Carol Holiday
The Carol Knight community seems to have shrunk in size over the past few years, but some folks still believe that Noelle’s mother, the mayor, is moonlighting as the Roaring Knight, based on her antlers and ominous appearance.
She certainly acts strangely, and based on the fact that the Knight appears to have a relationship with Kris to some extent, it would explain her odd behaviour in the closing stages of Chapter 4.
Rudolph Holiday
Noelle’s father is sick in the hospital, so on the surface, it does seem unlikely that he could be the Knight – but the Dark Worlds have been proven to strengthen and change characters, even going so far as to reanimate the dead.
Rudy seems to always be unavailable or hidden from sight at key moments in the story, like when Dark Fountains are made, and the way he responds to Susie before and after the Chapter 3 introduction of the Knight is extremely telling.
Some fans are theorizing that the Holiday parents may be in on it together, attempting to get their daughter back by brokering a deal with some darker force.
FRIEND
This is a stranger one. IMAGE_FRIEND, also known as DEVICE_FRIEND or simply FRIEND is a cat-adjacent, smiling creature with pink and gold eyes that’s popped up throughout Deltarune and its ARG counterpart.
FRIEND is generally believed to be associated with Gaster and seems to observe the protagonists from a distance, always watching, always smiling. Some fans believe that FRIEND may be the Knight or related to the Knight in some fashion.
Getting sillier with it
While I’m personally not convinced by the theories below, they do all have their own merits and are worth considering.
Kris
This is a theory that I’d say doesn’t hold as much water anymore, but Kris being the Knight itself is still a popular choice in the Roaring Knight debate.
The character does certainly have close ties to the Knight at the very least; if you’re not convinced, replay the fight against the Knight and see how Kris acts when the party is Swooned, or compare the mannerisms of the two characters.
Folks who believe that the Roaring Knight is a title bestowed on multiple characters instead of the name of one particular character often lean towards Kris being a Roaring Knight.
Alvin
Father Alvin Boom, son of the legendary Gerson Boom from Chapter 4, is believed to be the Knight by some players, largely due to the religious beliefs held in Hometown and his preaching about the Angel.
According to this theory, he may be accelerating the Prophecy – bringing about the Roaring – in a twisted interpretation of his father’s writing, potentially using Gerson’s hammer to open up Dark Fountains.
Papyrus
Due to Sans from Undertale being in Deltarune and the physical build of the Knight, some players believe that the iconic Papyrus is the Roaring Knight. It’s not an overly sensible theory – and it contradicts the character shown in Undertale – but it’s a fun one nonetheless.
Asriel
Asriel has been a popular contender for Roaring Knight since the character’s reveal; on the surface, it makes sense.
The internet is cut in Hometown, meaning Toriel and Kris can’t reach Asriel through video chats or messages, so Kris’s older brother may have been opening Dark Fountains without them knowing. As of Chapter 5, he’s not been seen in the game properly yet.
Asriel may also have a sufficient motive to be the Knight, depending on what happened to Dess; it’s believed that the two were in a relationship, so it could possibly be a revenge situation.
I don’t place a lot of merit in this theory, as it would mean Deltarune struggles to stand apart from Undertale in terms of narrative pacing.
Unlikely, but interesting
Finally, there are a handful of theories that I’ve seen floating around the internet that don’t appear to make a whole lot of sense, but are still fun and interesting to ponder.
Asgore
Before Chapter 5, I would’ve placed a lot more stock in Asgore Knight theory, but based on him being a separate part of the Dark World in the 2026 Chapter, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
He does appear to have a deeper level of knowledge about the Knight and the Dark Worlds, though, and is likely working with Carol to some extent. I’m interested to see where this segment of the story goes with the next installment.
An abstraction
This is a vague one, but some fan theories point to the Knight being an abstract concept of some kind; the personification of Darkness, similar to a Titan, or the song that Onion-san hears in the lake, for example.
The Knight does appear to have a different interaction with the Light World, as shown when it takes Undyne across town to the shelter, so it may not turn out to be a person at all.
Gaster
Would it really be a Deltarune or Undertale article if the main man himself wasn’t mentioned? W.D. Gaster was the Royal Scientist before Alphys in Undertale, and is a legendary figure in the franchise, with some theorizing he’s controlling Deltarune like a simulation.
Due to his general position as the big-bad and potentially watching over Deltarune like a deity, it’s an interesting idea to place him in the pointy shoes of the Knight, although it doesn’t seem to match up to the behaviour on display from either side.
The Vessel
Arguably the weirdest out of this trio, some folks have speculated that the Vessel – the character you make at the start of Deltarune – is the Knight, being piloted by a malevolent force. There isn’t much evidence in-game for this, but it’s a fun theory and would be a unique way for the Vessel to be used.
Will we see the Roaring Knight in Chapter 6?
Based on the final snippet of Chapter 5, where Undyne is taken by the Knight into the Shelter, I think it’s likely that we’ll see the Roaring Knight in Chapter 6 of Deltarune, at least momentarily.
However, I don’t think we’ll see the full reveal of who or what the Knight is until the final Chapter. The identity of the Knight in Deltarune has been a hot topic ever since the Chapter 3 reveal, and there’ve been plenty of interesting lore snippets and supposed hints, so it’s unlikely it’ll be revealed before then.
FAQs
Deltarune was initially released on October 31, 2018.
While both games are enjoyable as standalone experiences, I’d recommend playing Undertale before Deltarune.
Deltarune is a story-driven RPG with bullet-hell combat mechanics.
Deltarune’s sixth Chapter is due to come out in 2027.
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