Note: This guide is written for players who want the Pacifist-friendly solution to the Royal Guards encounter in Undertale. It focuses on real in-game mechanics, practical battle tips, and a spoiler-light explanation of why this awkward little Hotland fight is one of the game’s funniest emotional ambushes.
Introduction: When a Boss Fight Becomes a Romantic Comedy in Armor
If you are trying to figure out how to spare the Royal Guards in Undertale, congratulations: you have reached one of Hotland’s most wonderfully weird moments. One minute, two armored guards are blocking your way with all the confidence of a gym duo who just discovered energy drinks. The next minute, the battle turns into a tiny drama about sweat, honesty, secret feelings, and extremely questionable armor ventilation.
The Royal Guards, commonly known as RG 01 and RG 02, appear in Hotland as a paired mini-boss encounter. If you are playing a Pacifist or True Pacifist run, you do not want to attack them. Instead, you need to use the ACT menu correctly, survive their bullet patterns, and trigger the right emotional breakthrough. Yes, in Undertale, sometimes the best combat strategy is basically “help these two talk about their feelings.” Honestly, cheaper than therapy.
This guide breaks the process into 6 clear steps, explains common mistakes, and gives extra survival advice for players who keep getting hit while trying to clean RG 02’s armor. By the end, you will know exactly how to spare RG 01 and RG 02 without ruining your Pacifist route, wasting turns, or panic-clicking the Fight button like your keyboard personally betrayed you.
Quick Answer: How Do You Spare the Royal Guards?
To spare the Royal Guards in Undertale, use Clean Armor on RG 02, then touch the green armor-shaped projectile during the bullet phase until RG 02 removes his armor. After that, use Whisper on RG 01. Once the scene plays out, choose Spare for both guards when their names turn yellow.
That is the short version. The longer version includes sweat management, projectile hugging, and one of the most adorable “dude, just say it” moments in the game.
How to Spare the Royal Guards in Undertale: 6 Steps
Step 1: Start the Battle Without Attacking
When the Royal Guards stop you in Hotland, resist the urge to fight. If you are on a Pacifist route, your goal is to complete the encounter without killing either guard. The safest choice is to immediately use the ACT menu instead of the Fight command.
This is important because Undertale tracks your choices. Even one careless attack can complicate your run, especially if you accidentally defeat an enemy. The Royal Guards are not regular random monsters; they are a special encounter with a specific spare puzzle. Think of them less like enemies and more like two walking emotional support refrigerators with spears.
At the start, you will see options for each guard. The two guards are different: RG 01 is the more talkative one, while RG 02 is the one whose armor becomes the key to solving the battle. Your first major target should be RG 02.
Step 2: Choose “Clean Armor” on RG 02
Open the ACT menu and choose RG 02. Then select Clean Armor. This action starts the special mechanic needed to spare the pair. The game tells you that you clean RG 02’s armor, removing the “cooling dirt” from it. Apparently, armor in the Underground needs dirt-based air conditioning. Who knew medieval equipment had HVAC problems?
After you choose Clean Armor, the next bullet-dodging phase will include a green armor-shaped projectile. Unlike some green attacks in Undertale, this one is not simply something to avoid or use for healing. In this encounter, you actually need to move your heart into it repeatedly.
This is where many players get confused. In most games, projectiles are bad. In Undertale, projectiles sometimes mean “danger,” sometimes mean “stand still,” sometimes mean “touch this,” and sometimes mean “congratulations, you are now emotionally invested in a skeleton.” For the Royal Guards, the green armor symbol is your progress button.
Step 3: Touch the Green Armor Projectile Five Times
During the bullet phase after using Clean Armor, move your SOUL into the green armor-shaped projectile. You need to touch it five times. The touches can happen across the attack sequence, so focus on controlled movement rather than throwing your heart around the box like it drank too much Nice Cream.
Each touch helps remove more of the cooling dirt from RG 02’s armor. Once you have interacted with the green armor enough times, RG 02 becomes overwhelmed by the heat and removes his armor. This is the turning point of the battle.
The best strategy is to stay near the center of the bullet board and watch the rhythm of incoming attacks. Do not tunnel-vision on the green projectile so hard that you crash into every other attack. The goal is to touch the green armor safely, not to heroically face-plant into danger for the sake of cleanliness.
Step 4: Survive the Attack Patterns Calmly
While you are working through the Clean Armor mechanic, the Royal Guards will continue attacking. Their patterns are manageable, but they can feel stressful if you are trying to multitask. Your job is to dodge regular attacks while deliberately touching the green armor projectile when it appears.
A useful tip is to prioritize survival first and progress second. If reaching the green armor would force you through a dangerous cluster of bullets, wait for a safer opening. You do not need to play like a speedrunner who has memorized every pixel. You just need to live long enough to help two guards discover the power of honest communication.
After RG 02 removes his armor, RG 01’s attacks become shakier and easier to dodge. This change is not just a gameplay detail; it also reflects RG 01 becoming emotionally rattled. Undertale loves mixing mechanics with character writing, and this fight is a perfect example. The battle system itself starts acting nervous. Relatable.
Step 5: Use “Whisper” on RG 01
Once RG 02 has removed his armor, go back to the ACT menu. This time, select RG 01 and choose Whisper. The game describes you telling RG 01 to be honest about his feelings.
This is the emotional key to the encounter. If you try Whisper too early, before RG 02 removes his armor, it will not solve the fight. Timing matters. First, clean RG 02’s armor and trigger the armor removal. Then whisper to RG 01.
After you whisper to RG 01, the scene shifts from combat tension to character comedy. RG 01 reacts, the two guards have their moment, and the battle becomes spareable. It is charming, silly, and somehow more memorable than many giant boss fights in other RPGs. Not every game lets you win by being a supportive bystander to armored workplace romance.
Step 6: Choose Spare When Their Names Turn Yellow
After the correct actions are complete, the Royal Guards’ names should turn yellow. In Undertale, yellow names mean the enemy can be spared. Open the Mercy menu and select Spare.
Do not keep using random ACT commands after they become spareable unless you are prepared to dodge more attacks. The guards may continue attacking if you delay. Once the spare condition is available, take the win. Your Pacifist route stays safe, the guards get their moment, and you get to move forward through Hotland with your conscience intact.
Common Mistakes When Trying to Spare RG 01 and RG 02
Mistake 1: Cleaning the Wrong Guard
The action you need is Clean Armor on RG 02. Cleaning or interacting incorrectly with RG 01 will not trigger the necessary sequence. RG 02 is the guard whose armor is causing the problem, so focus on him first.
Mistake 2: Avoiding the Green Armor Projectile
Many players instinctively dodge the green armor projectile because they assume all projectiles are harmful. In this battle, you need to touch it. If nothing seems to be happening, you may be avoiding the very thing that progresses the spare route.
Mistake 3: Whispering Too Early
Whisper only works properly after RG 02 removes his armor. If you whisper before completing the Clean Armor sequence, RG 01 will not be ready for the emotional breakthrough. In other words, do not start the heartfelt conversation before the shirtless armor drama has done its job.
Mistake 4: Forgetting to Spare Immediately
Once both guards are spareable, use Mercy. The game does not always stop attacks just because you solved the puzzle. If their names are yellow, that is your cue to leave gracefully before someone throws more bullets into your personal space.
Where the Royal Guards Fit in a Pacifist Run
The Royal Guards encounter happens in Hotland, a major area filled with puzzles, Mettaton interruptions, lab drama, and enough heat to make every monster question their wardrobe choices. If you are aiming for a Pacifist or True Pacifist ending, sparing them is part of the broader rule: do not kill monsters.
You can still complete a Neutral route while sparing them, but players pursuing the best ending should treat every encounter carefully. In Undertale, mercy is not just a menu option; it is the foundation of the game’s identity. The Royal Guards fight reinforces that idea in a playful way. Instead of overpowering them, you observe, help, and let the characters reveal who they are.
This is one reason Undertale remains such a beloved indie RPG. The game turns ordinary battles into little personality puzzles. The solution is rarely “hit harder.” More often, it is “listen better,” “act sillier,” or “discover that your enemy has unresolved emotional subtext and possibly poor armor ventilation.”
Battle Tips for Players Struggling With the Royal Guards
Bring Healing Items Before the Encounter
If you are new to Undertale or not confident with bullet dodging, carry a few healing items before entering deeper parts of Hotland. You may not need them, but having food in your inventory gives you breathing room. It is easier to make calm decisions when your HP is not screaming in single digits.
Move Less Than You Think You Need To
New players often overcorrect during bullet patterns. Small, careful movements are usually safer than wild dodges. Watch the direction of incoming attacks, then slide just enough to avoid them. Your SOUL is not auditioning for a dance competition. It can chill.
Focus on One Goal Per Turn
During the Clean Armor phase, your goal is to touch the green armor. During the Whisper phase, your goal is to survive until the spare option appears. Breaking the fight into small goals keeps it from feeling chaotic.
Use the Spare Signal
When enemy names turn yellow, the game is telling you they can be spared. This visual signal is one of the most useful mechanics in the game. In the Royal Guards fight, once you see yellow names after the proper ACT sequence, choose Mercy and move on.
Why This Encounter Is So Memorable
The Royal Guards battle works because it is funny, mechanical, and emotional all at once. On paper, the solution sounds ridiculous: clean one guard’s armor until he gets too hot, then whisper to the other guard about honesty. In practice, it fits Undertale perfectly.
The fight also gives players a small but meaningful reminder that monsters are not just obstacles. Even minor characters have personalities, relationships, fears, and jokes. RG 01 and RG 02 could have been throwaway enemies. Instead, they get a tiny arc, and players remember them years later.
That is the magic trick. Undertale takes a simple RPG battle and turns it into a scene about vulnerability. Also sweat. But mostly vulnerability.
Extra Experience: What It Feels Like to Spare the Royal Guards for the First Time
The first time you encounter the Royal Guards, the game does a great job of making you think you are entering a serious checkpoint battle. They block your path, they have official-looking armor, and they talk like they are trying very hard to sound intimidating. Then the dialogue starts wobbling into comedy, and you realize this may not be the heroic duel you expected.
For many players, the confusing part is the green armor projectile. By this point in Undertale, you have already learned that colors matter, but the game keeps finding new ways to remix its own rules. When the armor symbol appears, your first instinct may be to dodge it. That is completely normal. Most video games train players to avoid anything flying around the battle box. Undertale, however, likes to ask, “But what if the projectile is actually a social cue?”
Once you realize you are supposed to touch the green armor, the fight becomes much easier to understand. There is a funny rhythm to it: clean, dodge, touch, dodge, touch again, and slowly watch the situation become more awkward for everyone involved. RG 02’s discomfort builds, RG 01 gets increasingly affected, and the whole battle starts feeling less like combat and more like accidentally walking into a private conversation at the worst possible time.
What makes the encounter especially satisfying is that the spare solution feels connected to the characters. You are not solving a random puzzle detached from the story. Cleaning RG 02’s armor changes the mood of the fight. Whispering to RG 01 makes sense because the emotional tension has already been established. By the time the Mercy option appears, sparing them feels like the natural ending to the scene.
Players who are doing a Pacifist run often remember this moment because it captures the heart of the route. Pacifism in Undertale is not passive. You are not just refusing to fight; you are actively paying attention. You learn what each monster needs. Some want jokes. Some want encouragement. Some need music. Some, apparently, need help removing armor and admitting feelings in the middle of a battle.
Another helpful experience-based tip: do not panic if the fight takes more turns than expected. Missing the green armor projectile once or twice does not ruin the encounter. Just keep using the correct strategy and stay alive. If you brought healing items, use them before your HP gets dangerously low. There is no shame in eating a snack during an emotional crisis. In fact, that may be the most realistic part of the game.
The Royal Guards also teach a valuable lesson for later encounters: when an ACT option changes enemy dialogue or attack behavior, pay attention. Undertale often tells you what is working through flavor text, expressions, and battle patterns. The game rewards curiosity. If something seems odd, it is probably important. If something seems funny, it is probably also important. If something seems both funny and emotionally sincere, congratulations, you are playing Undertale.
By the end of the encounter, sparing RG 01 and RG 02 feels less like defeating enemies and more like gently stepping away while two characters have a breakthrough. It is one of those small scenes that proves why the game’s writing is so effective. The Royal Guards are not major bosses, but their battle has personality, timing, humor, and heart. Plus, it gives you a practical reminder that sometimes the most powerful move in an RPG is not a sword swing. Sometimes it is cleaning armor and whispering, “Be honest.”
Conclusion: Mercy, Timing, and One Very Sweaty Suit of Armor
Learning how to spare the Royal Guards in Undertale is simple once you understand the order: use Clean Armor on RG 02, touch the green armor projectile five times, use Whisper on RG 01, then choose Spare. The fight may look confusing at first, but it is one of the clearest examples of how Undertale turns combat into character storytelling.
Instead of rewarding aggression, the game rewards observation and empathy. You notice RG 02’s armor problem, help trigger the change, encourage RG 01 to be honest, and leave both guards alive. That is the Pacifist route in miniature: strange, funny, heartfelt, and just a little sweaty.
