Chara My Beloved Kiddo - Tumblr Posts
Man, this line REALLY hits differently after reading the latest newsletter, doesn't it?
Many people have debated the meaning of this line and how Asriel felt about Chara when he said it, and now, after reading his letter, we finally have a better understanding of what his feelings.
If you remember, Asriel said that Chara loved the number 9 because if they reach it, "nothing can hurt you" and "nothing can hurt anyone." This is important because it shows that Asriel understands (now more than ever) that Chara's failures as a sibling were tied to the trauma they suffered on the surface and that their desire to become invincible wasn't just because they were self-serving, psychopathic or just plain evil.
At the same time, he understands that just because Chara wanted to achieve power so that "nothing can hurt anyone," it doesn't excuse them for the hurt that they ended up causing Asriel, even if they didn't mean to hurt him.
So, while Asriel rightfully says that Chara is not an "ideal friend", THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE THINKS THEY DIDN'T HAVE GOOD IN THEM, and the newsletter helps prove that!
So, in the end, Chara is just like every other character in Undertale: far from good, but also not a terrible person either.