Honestly, if you played Undertale and didn't walk away huming "Death by Glamour," did you even play the game? Toby Fox created a masterpiece of subversion, but Mettaton is the sparkling, chainsaw-wielding heart of the Underground's weird obsession with celebrity culture. He isn't just a boss. He’s a multi-layered commentary on vanity, sacrifice, and what it actually means to be a "star" when your audience is trapped behind a magical barrier.
Most players first meet him as a rectangular, calculator-looking box. He's clunky. He's loud. He forces you into a rigged quiz show where the questions are literally impossible unless you've been paying obsessive attention to the lore. But that's the point. Mettaton is an entertainer first and a killing machine second, even if Alphys originally built him to "protect" her from the human. Except, as we eventually find out, that was mostly a lie.
Behind the Metal: Who is Mettaton?
He’s a ghost.
Specifically, he's Napstablook's cousin. Before he was a superstar, he was just a ghost who lived on a snail farm and dreamed of something bigger than the damp, lonely life of a spectral invertebrate. This is one of those details people often miss if they don't explore the quiet corners of Waterfall. If you buy the Mystery Key from Bratty and Catty and visit the house next to Napstablook’s, you find the diaries. They’re heartbreaking. They detail a ghost who felt like they didn't fit in their own "skin" until Alphys designed him a body that finally matched his internal ambition.
This transition from ghost to machine isn't just a cool plot twist. It’s a huge part of his character arc. He didn't just want to be famous; he wanted to be solid. He wanted to be perceived. When Alphys offered him a soul-container that could project his personality to the masses, he took it, even if it meant leaving his cousin behind. It’s selfish. It’s human. It’s why he’s one of the most complex "villains" in the game.
The Box Form: Mettaton’s First Impression
In his initial form, Mettaton is basically a microwave with a monochrome display. It’s an intentional design choice by Toby Fox to make the eventual reveal of Mettaton EX feel more earned. The box is invincible. You can’t hurt him. You just have to survive his games.
Whether it's the cooking show where he tries to use a chainsaw to "substitute" ingredients or the news report where every item is a bomb, Mettaton uses these segments to build his brand. He’s obsessed with ratings. In the code of the game, your "ratings" during the boss fight are a mechanical reflection of how well you're performing for the imaginary audience watching the Underground's only TV channel.
The Transformation into Mettaton EX
The switch happens in the Core. It’s the climax of Alphys’s laboured sub-plots. When you finally reach him, you're told to flip a switch on his back.
Then, the music shifts.
The rectangular hunk of metal explodes into a humanoid form with pink boots, a soul-shaped heart core, and hair that covers one eye. This is Mettaton EX. It’s the body he always wanted. This form is much more vulnerable—he actually has a defense stat you can chip away at—but he’s also far more dangerous. He’s fast. He uses his legs. He throws tiny versions of himself at you.
The fight with Mettaton EX is arguably the most unique in the game because you don't win by killing him (usually). You win by reaching 12,000 ratings.
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How the Ratings System Actually Works
If you want to beat him without a Game Over, you have to understand the "meta" of the fight. It's not just about hitting the fight button.
- Boast: This increases ratings significantly every time you take damage, but if you don't get hit, the ratings drop. It’s high risk, high reward.
- Heel Turn: Taking damage normally lowers ratings, but if you're under 1,000 HP, people love the drama.
- Eating Brand-Name Foods: If you eat a Glamburger or a Starfait during the fight, the ratings spike because of product placement.
- Changing Clothes: Swapping your armor during the fight gives you a massive boost because the audience loves a costume change.
It's a brilliant piece of ludonarrative harmony. The game forces you to act like a performer. You aren't just a kid trying to go home; you're a co-star in the Underground’s final broadcast.
The Tragedy of the Neutral Ending
A lot of people think Mettaton is just a jerk who wants to be famous. That’s partially true, but there’s a specific Neutral Ending where Mettaton becomes the ruler of the Underground. It is genuinely chilling.
In this ending, he turns the kingdom into a dystopian personality cult. Everyone who doesn't like his show "disappears." He misses Alphys, but he doesn't know how to express it. He’s a ruler who has everything he ever wanted—fame, power, a physical body—and he’s utterly miserable and alone. It highlights the dark side of his ambition. He’s a cautionary tale about what happens when you value the "applause" of strangers over the "love" of the people who actually know you.
Mettaton NEO: The Genocide Run Letdown
We have to talk about Mettaton NEO. If you’re playing the Genocide route, Mettaton realizes that you’re a threat to both monsters and humans. He transforms into a high-defense, high-attack combat form. He looks incredible. His wings are out. He looks like a final boss from a high-budget JRPG.
And then you kill him in one hit.
It’s one of the biggest "trolls" in gaming history. Toby Fox builds up this massive transformation only to show how pathetic any defense is against a player who has completely lost their humanity. Mettaton NEO dies instantly because he was never meant to be a hero; he’s an entertainer who tried to play a role he wasn't built for. It’s a tragic, sudden end to the Underground’s brightest star.
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Impact on Pop Culture and Fan Works
Even years after Undertale’s release, Mettaton remains a staple of the fan community. Why? Because he represents something deeply relatable: the desire to be "more."
His design is heavily influenced by 1980s pop aesthetics and glam rock. You can see traces of David Bowie and even Dr. Frank-N-Furter in his mannerisms. He’s flamboyant in a world that is mostly gray and dusty. He’s a reminder that even in the darkest places, people still want to be entertained. They still want to see something beautiful, even if that beauty is a bit narcissistic.
The soundtrack also does a lot of the heavy lifting. "Metal Crusher" is frantic and mechanical, representing the Box form. "Death by Glamour" is a synth-heavy anthem that captures the energy of a live performance. These tracks are often cited by musicologists as some of the best examples of character-driven leitmotifs in indie gaming.
Actionable Tips for Navigating the Mettaton Fight
If you're currently stuck on the Mettaton EX fight or planning a replay, keep these specific strategies in mind to maximize your ratings without burning through all your items.
First, don't bother attacking if you're doing a Pacifist or Neutral run. Your "Weapon" should be your words. Use the Pose command often, especially when your HP is high. It gives a solid 400+ rating boost.
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Second, pay attention to the Essay question. When Mettaton asks you to write about him, typing certain keywords like "legs," "beautiful," or "arms" gives you a huge ratings bump. Don't waste time typing long sentences; the game just looks for keywords.
Third, if you have the Bibi Wig or any other cosmetic items, save them for the middle of the fight. Using them when the ratings start to plateau is the most efficient way to cross the 12,000 threshold.
Finally, remember that the fight ends automatically once his limbs are gone and your ratings are high enough. You don't need to "deplete" his HP to zero to win peacefully. Just keep the audience happy, and the show will reach its natural conclusion.
The legacy of Mettaton isn't just his fabulous legs or his catchy music. It's the way he forces the player to stop thinking like a gamer and start thinking like a spectator. He’s a reminder that sometimes, the best way to win isn't to fight, but to put on a show worth watching.
Next Steps for Players:
Check your inventory for Starfaits and Glamburgers before entering the Core. If you haven't visited the Mystery House in Waterfall yet, backtrack and do it now to understand the ghost lore—it completely changes how you view Mettaton's dialogue in the final act.