Toriel attacks with fireballs in various formations, but will not hurt the protagonist if they have attempted to spare her 11 times or have less than 3 HP. She may be attacked normally and be spared by attempting to spare her 24 times. The last spare will prove successful.
Attacks
- Note: All damages assume no armor and LV 1.
- Paw sweep: A paw appears at the top-left corner of the Bullet Board and sweeps in an arc to the top-right corner, leaving a trail of fireballs. When the paw reaches the other side of the board, the fireballs will launch towards the SOUL and bounce off of the walls. In later rounds, the attack contains a second paw that starts at the bottom-right corner and mirrors the first. This attack ends immediately if the SOUL touches either paw. This attack does 3 damage per fireball hit, and 4 damage for a paw hit.
- Fire waves: Streams of fireballs fall from the top of the Bullet Board in a crisscrossing double-helix pattern and accumulate at the bottom. The streams have holes in the middle of them to dodge through, including two safe spots in both top corners. In the harder version of this attack, the Bullet Board is shorter, and fireballs are hovering at the sides. The safe corner spots still exist despite this but are smaller and harder to reach. This attack does 4 damage per hit.
- Fire helix: Thicker streams of fireballs, too thick to dodge through, but they do not sweep back and forth, allowing a careful player to keep their SOUL safe between the streams. This does 4 damage per hit.
Fireballs missing the protagonist in battle.
- Faltering: Fireballs fall haphazardly from the top of the Bullet Board, but deliberately move away from the SOUL if they come close, making it impossible to take damage from this attack. If the protagonist's HP is 2 or less, Toriel will use this attack exclusively, and she will end her other attacks immediately if they reduce the protagonist's HP to 2. She will also use this attack after the 11th Spare, regardless of health. After the 12th, she stops attacking entirely.
Strategy
- After being spared enough times, Toriel stops fighting and talks. The option to "Flee" disappears. If the protagonist continues to spare her, she will allow the protagonist to leave the Ruins. She asks the protagonist never to return before hugging them and walking back down the corridor.
- Missing attacks have the same effect as sparing her.
Quotes
- Pre-Fight
- You wish to know how to return "home," do you not? | Ahead of us lies the end of the RUINS. | A one-way exit to the rest of the underground. | I am going to destroy it. | No one will ever be able to leave again. | Now be a good child and go upstairs.
- Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. | I have seen it again and again. | They come. | They leave. | They die. | You naive child... If you leave the RUINS... | They... ASGORE... Will kill you. | I am only protecting you, do you understand? | ... go to your room.
- Do not try to stop me. | This is your final warning.
- You want to leave so badly? | Hmph. | You are just like the others. | There is only one solution to this. | Prove yourself... | Prove to me you are strong enough to survive.
- ... wait. | ... why are you looking at me like that? | Like you have seen a ghost. | Do you know something that I do not? | No... That is impossible. [If Toriel was killed on a previous run]
- Fight
- That is right. Go upstairs. [Flee]
- ..... [Spare]
- ..... ..... [Spare #2]
- ..... ..... ..... [Spare #3]
- ...? [Spare #4]
- What are you doing? [Spare #5]
- Attack or run away! [Spare #6]
- What are you proving this way? [Spare #7]
- Fight me or leave! [Spare #8]
- Stop it. [Spare #9]
- Stop looking at me that way. [Spare #10]
- ... [Spare #11]
- ... ... [Spare #12]
- I know you want to go home, but... [Spare #13]
- But please... Go upstairs now. [Spare #14]
- I promise I will take good care of you here. [Spare #15]
- I know we do not have much, but... [Spare #16]
- We can have a good life here. [Spare #17]
- Why are you making this so difficult? [Spare #18]
- Please, go upstairs. [Spare #19]
- ..... [Spare #20]
- Ha ha... [Spare #21]
- Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child. [Spare #22]
- ... [Spare #23]
- No, I understand. | You would just be unhappy trapped down there. | The RUINS are very small once you get used to them. | It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this. | My expectations... My loneliness... My fear... | For you, my child... I will put them aside. [Spare #24]
- Urgh... You are stronger than I thought... Listen to me, small one... If you go beyond this door, Keep walking as far as you can. Eventually, you will reach an exit. ... .... ASGORE... Do not let ASGORE take your soul. His plan cannot be allowed to succeed. ....... Be good, won't you? My child. [Defeat, Neutral Route]
- You... ... at my most vulnerable moment... To think I was worried you wouldn't fit out in there... Eheheheh!!! You really are no different than them! Ha... Ha... [Attack, once she stops attacking]
- Y... you... really hate me that much? Now I see who I was protecting by keeping you there. Not you... But them! Ha... ha... [Attack, Genocide Route]
- Flavor Text
- Knows best for you. [Check]
- Toriel blocks the way! [Encounter]
- Toriel looks through you. [Neutral]
- Toriel prepares a magical attack. [Neutral]
- Toriel takes a deep breath. [Neutral]
- Toriel is acting aloof. [Neutral]
- ... [When she stops attacking]
- You couldn't think of any conversation topics. [Talk]
- You tried to think of something to say again, but... [Talk #2]
- Ironically, talking does not seem to be the solution to this situation. [Talk #3+]
- You thought about telling Toriel that you saw her die. | But... That's creepy. [Talk, if Toriel was killed on a previous run]
- Can you show mercy without fighting or running away...? [Talk #2+, if Toriel was killed on a previous run]
- Not worth talking to. [Talk, Genocide Route]
Trivia
- They way that Toriel can be spared is forshadowed by a Froggit, who warns the protagonist that they may have to try repeatedly to spare someone even if the "spare" text color is not yellow or pink.
- If the protagonist spares Toriel in Hard Mode, the Annoying Dog comments on how she should be dying even though the protagonist did not kill her.
- In the game files, there is a battle sprite of Toriel committing suicide, which may parallel Asgore committing suicide if the protagonist killed Flowey in a previous Neutral Route and spares Asgore.
- Toriel and Papyrus are the only characters that do not have animated battle sprites.
- If the protagonist dies fighting Toriel, she will appear shocked for a split second before the game over screen appears.