The “bad time” is more than Sans’ battle

(undertale spoilers)

After the genocide route is initiated, Sans will give Frisk an ominous warning.

This is the last time Sans is seen until his final confrontation in the Last Corridor. There his warning is phrased as a direct threat.

This warning continues to be repeated in the flavor text. It appears in the first half of the battle, implying this “bad time” is imminent.

Up until this point, this relentless final battle appears to be exactly what Sans was warning against. And to a degree, it is. When Sans is finally defeated, there is a sense of relief that the “bad time” is finally over. However, Sans departs with a few last words.

Even after he’s been defeated, his warning still stands. This last threat goes to show that the bad time Sans kept repeating was not intended to be merely the battle, but rather, what came after it. The “bad time” is when “everything ends.”

