i've spent a long time loving this character and appreciating all her nuances. i think she really is interesting and more than just a stereotypical "anime nerd" (although that does make up decent amount of her personality...) anyways. a lot of people can't get past her flaws, but her flaws are what make her interesting! i just don't get how people can only get behind good characters that are pure of heart because well. real life is just not like that! unfortunately. but alphys encompasses what many people do when they're scared: dig themselves a hole that only gets deeper. now, in UNDERTALE, of course we as the player can get her out of that hole. and it's beautiful, really, how simple it is for her to do the right thing once she has the encouragement. however, the thing i appreciate most is the fact that she still doesn't change who she really is. she changes in the ways that really matter by being more confident and owning up to her mistakes, but she's the same cringe, nerdy, awkward loser. and that's okay! you don't suddenly lose every flaw or weakness overnight, just by choosing to be better. it's an uphill climb; a really long, gruesome, and sometimes painful journey. i admire alphys's courage and the small steps she takes towards self improvement even though she knows herself that those steps are small. and yet she still takes them. the first step is the most important.
considering alphys only gets that perfect, happy ending in the pacifist route though, that means that in basically every other route she isn't doing so hot. some are worse than others. again, alphys encompasses the struggles many people go through, and the hole they tend to dig themselves into. sometimes it feels like it's helpless and nothing will change. sometimes it feels like you're irredeemable. alphys, in a lot of these routes, definitely has these thoughts about herself, sometimes acting upon them by taking herself out of the picture entirely or by choosing to keep the amalgamates to herself in fear of backlash from everyone else. it's sad, but sometimes life just is sad.
one of my favorite endings, however, is a pretty unique ending. the queen alphys ending. it's the only one where you get alphys to become the one, single ruler of the underground (hence, the name of the ending) but it's so interesting to me. alphys, who has spent years being a nervous wreck, stepping up to be the one everyone in the underground has to look up to. but i think a lot of it has to do with her understanding the desperation of the underground, who's run out of guiding figures. with her being the royal scientist, she is the last one left, and nearly everyone in the underground having been brutally murdered, she feels the need to take responsiblity, even admitting the truth of how she's been hiding the amalgamates. i find this ending so, so wonderful (and tragic of course) since it shows us a side of alphys that only comes out in a dire situation like this. the queen alphys ending is the neutral ending with the least amount of monsters left alive, which shows just how much it took alphys to reach her breaking point. but it does say something that she has one; that there is point where she knows she has to take charge. and this is a side note, but i also love how this ending portrays alphys and sans' relationship, sans being the last main figure (both to the player and to the underground) left and refusing to become king but still staying by alphys's side because that's the least he can do. it's the two of them against the world...
i've replayed UNDERTALE a bunch of times and it still hits me in the feels everytime. i love all the characters dearly, alphys especially. i will never get tired of her fun, little social media updates or her mew mew kissy cutie rambling. i could never find her annoying because when i see her, i can't help but smile. she's a bit fucked up but trying and sometimes that's all a girl needs to be doing, you know? it speaks to me more that she's got so many flaws because no one's perfect but everyone is trying to be better, every day. so don't give her too much shit, haha. life is hard. that's the truth: life is hard.
