Undertale has three main routes, which players often call runs: the Neutral Route, the True Pacifist Route, and the Genocide Route. They differ mainly in how many monsters the player kills, whether specific friendships and story events are completed, and whether the player clears every enemy in each area. Neutral is the outcome when neither of the other two sets of conditions is met. True Pacifist and Genocide each require a deliberate set of actions.
Why “runs” and “routes” mean the same thing
Players use “run” for a complete playthrough that ends in a particular outcome. The Undertale Wiki calls these outcomes routes, and it separates the three main routes from the endings that occur within them. The three route names therefore do not mean the game has only three closing scenes. The Neutral Route in particular has many variations that depend on the player’s choices, as described on the wiki’s Neutral Route page and its Endings page.
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The three routes
Neutral Route
Neutral is the broad outcome when the player does not satisfy the conditions for True Pacifist or Genocide. A Neutral run can include killing some monsters, or it can simply miss the friendships or True Lab events that True Pacifist requires. The epilogue changes with the choices made along the way. The protagonist leaves the Underground in the broad outcome, though the details vary.
Neutral is also the first step toward the other routes. Completing a Neutral ending unlocks the quest line that leads to True Pacifist, so it is worth reaching before attempting anything else.
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True Pacifist Route
True Pacifist is defined by a set of conditions that all have to be met:
- A Neutral ending has been completed first.
- No monsters are killed during the game.
- Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys have all been befriended.
- The True Lab has been explored.
The ending breaks the barrier, allowing the protagonist and the monsters to leave the Underground together. Sparing enemies alone is not enough. The friendship and True Lab requirements are separate conditions, and missing either one means the run does not reach True Pacifist. “Pacifist” is often used casually for any no-kill playthrough, but in the game’s terms this route is defined by the full list above.
Genocide Route
Genocide requires the player to kill every enemy in the relevant regions, which are the Ruins, Snowdin, Waterfall, and Hotland/CORE, including the required bosses. Each area has a kill counter, and the player has to keep fighting encounters until that counter is exhausted before the route can progress. Once it is met, the battle message “But nobody came.” can appear. The Undertale Wiki’s System information page covers the route’s requirements.
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Two points matter for planning. First, the route can be aborted: if a requirement is missed, the run reverts to Neutral. Second, a completed Genocide run changes later True Pacifist and Genocide endings, while Neutral endings are unaffected, according to the wiki’s Endings page.
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| Route | What defines it | Prerequisites | Broad ending outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | The conditions for True Pacifist or Genocide are not met; the ending varies with actions. | None beyond reaching an ending. A Neutral ending unlocks the True Pacifist quest line. | The protagonist leaves the Underground; the epilogue varies. |
| True Pacifist | No monsters killed. | A completed Neutral ending; Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys befriended; True Lab explored. | The barrier breaks, and the protagonist and monsters can leave. |
| Genocide | Every enemy in Ruins, Snowdin, Waterfall, and Hotland/CORE killed, including required bosses. | Each area’s kill counter exhausted before its required encounters are passed. | The world is destroyed; later True Pacifist and Genocide endings change. |
Order of play
None of the steps below require Genocide. It is optional and is not a prerequisite for True Pacifist.
- Play through to a Neutral ending. Any run that ends without meeting the True Pacifist or Genocide conditions counts.
- Reload the save after the Neutral ending. The Undertale Wiki’s Neutral Route page states that a full reset is not required.
- From that point, play without killing any monsters, reach the True Lab, and befriend Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys.
- Complete the True Pacifist ending.
About the sources
The route details in this article come from the Undertale Wiki, a community-maintained reference rather than documentation from the game’s developer or publisher. The wiki’s descriptions are useful for understanding the mechanics. This article does not independently verify them against the game. The wiki confirms that the Neutral Route has multiple variations but does not establish a single definitive count, so no number of Neutral variants is given here.
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