#stp spoilers

[kaweeella]

something I enjoy about Happily Ever After that I haven't seen anyone mention is that Shifty allows you and the princess enough time after leaving the cabin to dance under the stars just like she had wanted

she'd shown in other routes that she can take the princess just about whenever she wants, but she waits until your dance is over. it's such a small moment of profound kindness

[insert-random-account-name]

Analyze the Princess- The Spectre

The Spectre is one of the most fascinating routes in the entire game. It’s the only one where you do not interact with the base Princess. The Spectre was quite underrated before the Pristine Cut, simply because there was more interesting content in the other nine Chapter 2s. Since the Pristine Cut, a lot more interest has been drawn in the form of the Princess and the Dragon. The new chapter has since garnered more appreciation for the Spectre, and how interesting her chapter is by itself. Her chapter mirrors the base Princess, having a gentle form and a harsh form. I will do my best to give both of these versions justice.

You get the Spectre by entering the basement armed in Chapter 1, not talking or interacting with the Princess at all, and then slaying her at the first opportunity. After she’s dead, you have to attempt to leave, and then kill yourself. This results in a dead Princess. You watched her body decay into dust and bone, heck, you pulled the knife out of her skeletal ribcage. There is simply no way that she can be alive. And yet, she’s still there. Not what she was before, but certainly moving, and certainly conscious. She doesn’t know what to think about you. Yes, you ran a blade through her heart, but you didn’t say a word to her beforehand. Maybe you’re just that cold, but maybe if she got the chance to talk with you, it would’ve ended differently. The Spectre is willing to hold off all judgements until the two of you can have a good talk. However, she still remembers what you’ve done, and isn’t hesitant to return the favor. She decides to let you make the first move, and that decides how she acts towards you. 

If you let the Spectre drift around you without attempting to kill or grab at her, she realizes that you might be more willing to talk. She doesn’t know what happened after she died, but maybe you had a change of heart. Since all the Spectre really wants is to leave, she’s ready to be more open and conversational. Her voice is lighter, she sounds more teasing than malicious, and only uses her “scary” face when you really push her. In this form, the Spectre seems more willing to forgive and forget, and while she is still quite upset about her untimely demise, she is more understanding of your position. If you decide to let her possess you in this form, once she’s in your mind, the Spectre takes a surprisingly sympathetic tone towards the voices and the Narrator, even suggesting that the Narrator might even like her. If you betray the Spectre and stab yourself, she sounds upset and bewildered.

If you lash out at the Spectre on your first meeting, she knows that you haven’t changed one bit. The only reason you’re talking is because stabbing is out of the question. Her tone is far more aggressive, and she acts meaner towards you. Her “scary” face appears more often in this form, and her voice is less wispy, taking on sharper tones instead. The Spectre’s sympathy died with her, and she is holding no judgments on her murderer. If you let her possess you in this form, she is surprised, but makes it clear that she’s in charge now. Her tone is a lot harsher with the voices, and she tells the Narrator to shut up. If you betray the harsh Spectre, she reacts with anger at your audacity to kill her twice.

If you leave with the Spectre, regardless of the form, she thanks you for freeing her, and leaves your body. If you have the gentle form, she thanks you repeatedly, and says that you’re forgiven. If you have the harsh form, she is far more reserved, but notes that you do seem to be trying to make it up to her. She then escapes your body so she doesn’t have to be stuck with you for eternity.

However, if you attempt to leave her in the basement, smash her bones, or repeatedly attempt to slay her, the Spectre will run out of patience. She tried to be nice, to show you that maybe slaying her isn’t the best option, but you aren’t listening. Even after seeing with your own eyes that death doesn’t apply to her, you kept trying to find a way to rid yourself of her. There is clearly no way to get through to someone so set on destruction, so the Spectre decides she’ll send you a message in the only language you understand. Violence. She takes all of her hatred, all of her fear, all of her languishing alone with no hope or help, and drives it into your chest, ripping out your heart with what can only be described as raw fury. The Spectre lets her revenge twist her into something that can match your evil, but that goes more into the Wraith, so I’ll stop there.

What does the Spectre represent? Second chances, and forgiveness. Despite everything that happens, the Spectre is willing to put aside your murderous past for a chance at a better future for herself. The best ending with the Spectre is the one where you both put aside your differences and leave together. But she’s not the only one who gives second chances. You have to put aside everything you’ve been told about the Princess, the potential fate of the world, and your own fear of any vengeful feelings she may have. Only when you are willing to actually talk to the Princess, and ask her about what she really wants, can you make it out alive. If you aren’t willing to give her a second chance, the Spectre will match your energy, and ghosts can’t die twice, unlike you.

In the end, the Spectre is simply someone who was wronged in the past, but trying to move on from her loss in search of true freedom. Her nature and body is vaporous, just like her heart.

Other parts:

The Razor The Stranger The Damsel The Prisoner The Tower The Witch The Spectre

(If you like my yapping, check out my other analyses. There's ones for all the voices here and my one for the narrator here)

[tawnysoup]

Found my fav Slay the Princess route recently. Dragon my beloved. Your horrifying beak mouth was an impossible-to-refuse lip syncing challenge 💖

Shoutouts to @blacktabbygames for making such a cool game!

[bugstabu]

[mllenugget]

The exact opposite of being doomed by the narrative

I discovered this game while playing with a group of friends on Halloween, and I must say it was quiet immersive because we each wanted different things so we always had to argue together on what to do before the Voices would Took 3 days to complete a single run

[beartitled]

STP voices x princesses

Because I wanted a reason to draw them all >:D

Also lil bonus ✨

[witchesgetliches]

Oh, that game was so fun! Let’s play again!

Oh, that game was so fun. Let’s play again!

Oh, that game was so fun. Let’s play again.

Oh, that was fun. We should play again.

We should play again.

Again.

Again.

No that’s not right….

…I’m happy here, aren’t I?

[orcatnip]

the slayerrrr...

i think its funny that this dragon got walloped so darn badly

Gosh, when I first saw Manlybadasshero's thumbnail for this game, I completely looked over it. I don't remember exactly when I finally decided to give this game a chance, but when I did..

Let's just say I've been thinking about it for the past 2 months straight

Even after so much dissecting, I still feel like that one orc meme... maybe I'll understand it 'when I'm older'

[susiephone]

Play "Slay the Princess" to hear Jonny Sims be very disappointed in you many, many times.

[transfemtlqtruthers]

Haiii!! hello! haii!!! :3

[glitchy-mai]

🗡 "I'm not happy here. I don't think I ever was."

My contribution to Draw the Princess: Pristine Cut Edition!! This route was absolutely devastating, but so well executed. It was the first new route from the update that I got, and man... that was brutal.

I'm super happy with all the new content from the update, hehe.

[verylazypillow]

been thinking about the adversary route today.

[pespillo]

have u guys slayed any princesses lately

[yazmosyam]

Funny thing

[tapestryundone]

(original post)

[flowerbloom-arts]

That one ending where the Stranger was your first Princess.