Waiting for Toby Fox to drop a new chapter of Deltarune is a special kind of torture. Honestly, we’ve been dissecting every pixel of the Spamton Sweepstakes and those seasonal dev logs for years now, and one name keeps bubbling up to the surface of the community’s collective brain: Tenna.
Who is this guy? Or thing?
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If you’ve spent any time on theories, you know Deltarune Chapter 3 Tenna is basically the white whale of the upcoming TV-themed Dark World. But here’s the thing—Toby is a master of the bait-and-switch. While the fandom is ready to crown Tenna as the next big bad, we need to look at what’s actually been coded into the game and what’s just fan-fueled fever dreams.
The Spamton Connection: Where the Name Comes From
The name "Tenna" didn't just fall out of the sky. It surfaced during the 2022 Spamton Sweepstakes, a charity event that was essentially a massive lore dump disguised as a shitpost. If you clicked around the various "corrupted" links on the official website, you eventually hit a page that featured a static-filled screen and some very specific dialogue.
Spamton hates this person. Like, really hates them.
He refers to them as "the man on the TV" and specifically warns us not to believe what we see on the screen. In one of the most famous hidden snippets, Spamton screams about "Mike" (more on him in a second) but then pivots to a much more vitriolic rant about someone else. The text essentially implies that Tenna is the one pulling the strings—or at least the one who benefited most from Spamton’s spectacular downfall.
It’s easy to assume Tenna is short for "Antenna." It fits the TV theme of Kris’s living room perfectly. Think about it. The end of Chapter 2 shows Kris ripping out the soul, opening the window, and slashing the tires, only to turn on the TV and let the Dark Smoke fill the room. The smile on that screen? That’s our lead.
Is Tenna Actually the Main Boss?
Maybe. But maybe not.
Toby Fox loves patterns until he decides to break them. In Chapter 1, we had King (the tyrant). In Chapter 2, we had Queen (the misguided mother figure). Naturally, everyone expects the Chapter 3 boss to follow a "royalty" or "high-authority" theme. A "Television Overlord" fits the bill.
But look at the leaked screenshots and the 2024 status updates Toby shared. We’ve seen images of a cozy, living-room-inspired Dark World. We’ve seen "Green Room" areas and what looks like a weather-themed segment.
There’s a real possibility Tenna isn't a singular person but a corporate entity. In the Deltarune universe, the Dark Worlds are reflections of the physical objects in the room. Kris’s TV is an old CRT—the kind with rabbit-ear antennas. If Tenna is the embodiment of those antennas, he literally controls the "signal" of the entire world.
The Mike vs. Tenna Debate
We have to talk about Mike. For a long time, the community thought "Mike" was the main antagonist of Chapter 3 because Spamton mentioned him during his boss fight in Chapter 2.
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"DON'T BELIEVE [Anything You See On TV]! THE MAN'S A CRIMINAL, I TELL YOU! A CRIMINAL!"
However, the Sweepstakes lore shifted the goalposts. It seems Mike might actually be a friend or a former partner of Spamton who got screwed over by Tenna. There’s a piece of hidden text where Spamton says, "Mike... sorry... I'm sorry..." which suggests a tragic falling out rather than a villainous rivalry. Tenna, on the other hand, is referred to as a "SICKO" and someone who is "LETTING THE ROPE BURN."
It feels like a classic "Corporate Takeover" story. Mike was the talent or the cameraman; Tenna was the executive who turned everything into a soulless broadcast.
What the Development Logs Tell Us
Toby Fox's updates are notoriously cryptic, but he’s been remarkably transparent about the process of Chapter 3 lately. We know that Chapter 3 is "content complete" in terms of the main story. They’ve been working on Chapter 4 and 5 simultaneously to release them as a paid package.
From the screenshots, we’ve seen:
- A segment involving a "Shadowmen" enemy type.
- A stealth-based sequence where Kris and Susie hide behind furniture.
- A weird "cooking show" aesthetic that likely involves Undyne or Toriel (since they’re in the house).
Tenna likely oversees all of this. If Chapter 3 is a parody of television tropes, Tenna is the "Network Executive." Imagine a boss fight that isn't just a physical brawl but a battle for "Ratings." If your ratings drop, you lose. It’s exactly the kind of meta-mechanic Toby Fox excels at.
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The "Smile" in the Static
Remember the ending of Chapter 2? The TV screen turns on, and a wide, distorted smile appears in the static.
A lot of people think that is Tenna. But some theorists—like those over on the Deltarune subreddit who spend way too much time looking at hex codes—suggest that the smile might actually be a "vessel" or something related to the Goner Maker sequence at the start of the game.
Still, the most logical explanation is that the smile belongs to our TV antagonist. It’s a recurring motif. Flowey had a smile. Sans has a permanent grin. Spamton’s face is basically just a giant, frozen smile. In Toby’s world, a smile is rarely a sign of friendship; it’s a sign of a hidden agenda.
Why Chapter 3 Matters for the Bigger Picture
Tenna might just be the "Boss of the Week," but the implications for the overarching Deltarune plot are massive. Chapter 3 is the first time a Dark World has been opened in Kris’s own home. This isn’t a school closet or a library. This is personal.
Toriel is present. Undyne might be present.
This changes the stakes.
Tenna’s role probably involves digging into Kris’s personal life. If he controls the "broadcast," he might be showing Susie and Ralsei "re-runs" of Kris’s childhood or the separation of Asgore and Toriel. It’s a terrifying prospect. Tenna isn't just a threat because he’s powerful; he’s a threat because he has the remote. He can edit the narrative.
Facts We Actually Know (No Theories)
- The TV exists: Kris turned it on at the end of Chapter 2.
- The name Tenna is canon: It appeared in the official 2022 Spamton Sweepstakes.
- Spamton hates them: This is confirmed through multiple secret dialogue paths.
- The world is entertainment-themed: Toby has shown screenshots of film sets and TV studios.
- Chapter 3 is finished: Toby confirmed the chapter is playable from start to finish, with only polish and translation remaining as of late 2024.
Moving Forward: What You Should Do Now
If you want to be ready for the drop, you’ve gotta do more than just wait. There are specific things in your save file that might influence how Tenna reacts to you.
- Go back and finish the Spamton Neo fight: If you haven't beaten him on the "Normal" route, you’re missing the context of his fear of the TV.
- Check the trash can in Chapter 2: There’s a lot of dialogue about "garbage" that links back to the TV world.
- Watch the Dev Logs: Toby Fox usually posts on the Deltarune website or through the Fangamer newsletter every few months. These contain actual "in-game" music tracks that often hint at character themes.
Tenna is coming. Whether he’s a literal set of antennas or a metaphorical "Director," he’s going to be the center of the most domestic Dark World we’ve seen yet. Keep your eyes on the static.
Check your Chapter 2 save for the "Shadow Crystal" held by Seam. These items are the only consistent link between the secret bosses and the main antagonists, and having them all will likely be the only way to see the "true" face behind the screen when Chapter 3 finally arrives.