Deltarune Normal vs Weird Route: Side B and Twisted Sword

The Normal Route keeps the main chapter structure and optional bosses available. A completed Weird Route changes the story across Chapters 2 and 4, then can end Chapter 5 early as Side B. A third save state, often called a "Sword Route" file by players, is neither of those: it aborts Chapter 2 after obtaining and unequipping ThornRing so the item remains available for a future Twisted Sword craft.

That third distinction is the important one. Completing SnowGrave and carrying the Weird Route into Chapter 5 does not preserve the same opportunities as the ThornRing material save.

Normal Route vs Weird Route at a glance

Which route should you choose?

Choose the Normal Route if this is your first playthrough, you want the main story, or you want to explore every currently available Chapter 5 area. It is the simplest file for recruits, Eggs, Pink Coins, MysteryKey, Pink, and the current Shadow Crystal sequence.

Choose the completed Weird Route / Side B if your purpose is specifically to see the alternate Noelle story. You must complete the Chapter 2 Weird Route, continue that state through Chapter 4, and then finish Chapter 5's lake sequence. Keep this on a separate file because success ends Chapter 5 before the Flower Kingdom.

Choose a ThornRing material save if your purpose is future Twisted Sword access. Obtain ThornRing in Chapter 2, unequip it from Noelle before the Berdly fight, then abort the route without defeating Berdly with SnowGrave. Confirm that ThornRing is in the party equipment inventory and preserve that completion file.

For exact triggers, use the full Chapter 5 Weird Route guide and the route-state check.

What changes in each chapter?

Chapter 2

On a Normal Route, enemies can be spared, recruited, or defeated without maintaining a freeze checklist. The main party eventually reunites, and the chapter follows its normal Queen and GIGA Queen structure.

The Chapter 2 Weird Route begins after Noelle joins Kris in Cyber City. The route requires Noelle to freeze every required enemy with IceShock, obtain FreezeRing, repeatedly choose the route-specific dialogue, buy ThornRing, and cast SnowGrave on Berdly. Once SnowGrave defeats Berdly, the route is locked for the rest of Chapter 2 and ends with Kris fighting Spamton NEO alone.

The ThornRing material branch stops before that lock. After buying ThornRing, unequip it from Noelle before the Berdly encounter and defeat Berdly in another way or otherwise abort the route. The important result is finishing Chapter 2 with ThornRing back in the party's equipment inventory and without a completed Weird Route state.

Chapter 4

A Normal Route file follows the standard Chapter 4 structure. A Chapter 2 Weird Route completion file unlocks a separate Chapter 4 continuation centered on Noelle. Completing that continuation creates the prerequisite state that Chapter 5 can read.

An interrupted Chapter 4 route is not equivalent to a completed one. It can leave altered continuity, including Berdly-related festival differences, but it does not create the completed Chapter 4 state required for Chapter 5 Side B.

Chapter 5

On a normal file, Chapter 5 proceeds into the Flower Kingdom. Players can collect Pink Coins, buy MysteryKey, open the Pink Door, challenge Pink, collect the Egg, and obtain the chapter's Shadow Crystal when the relevant conditions are met.

On a completed Chapter 4 Weird Route file, Chapter 5 begins with a special Light World branch. Kris must leave bed, obtain Bread from Sans, and go to the lake. After the opening prompts, the final 60 choices use a hidden timer that gets shorter. Completing the sequence reaches the Side B ending and skips the entire Chapter 5 Dark World.

If the lake timer expires, the route aborts and the chapter continues into the Flower Kingdom with altered scenes. This Chapter 5 abort still is not the same as the Chapter 2 ThornRing preservation branch: one preserves Dark World access after carrying the Weird Route forward, while the other preserves the recipe item by never completing SnowGrave.

Items and bosses you can miss

"Yes" means the content remains reachable when its own requirements are met; it does not mean every optional item is awarded automatically.

Use the Chapter 5 hub for the current exploration checklist and the Twisted Sword crafting guide to audit the recipe state.

Twisted Sword: what is confirmed

The in-game fusion data identifies the recipe as ThornRing + PureCrystal. TwistedSwd is a Kris weapon with +16 AT and a Trance effect, but it cannot be crafted in unmodified play through Chapter 5 because PureCrystal has no legitimate source yet.

This means:

1. Completing Chapter 5 Side B is not a confirmed Twisted Sword requirement.
2. Eggs are not listed as recipe ingredients.
3. Pink's Shadow Crystal is not the current PureCrystal item.
4. Preserving ThornRing is useful preparation, not proof that the sword is craftable.

Before overwriting anything, run the Twisted Sword Eligibility Checker. It separates route state, ThornRing inventory, Pink access, Shadow Crystals, and the unresolved PureCrystal blocker.

Recommended save setup

Use three files instead of forcing incompatible goals onto one:

1. Normal and secrets: main story, recruits, Eggs, Pink, and Shadow Crystals.
2. Completed Weird Route / Side B: alternate Noelle story across Chapters 2, 4, and 5.
3. ThornRing material save: abort Chapter 2 before SnowGrave defeats Berdly, with ThornRing unequipped and safely stored.

Keep a backup before each route-defining choice. Label files by chapter, route state, and inventory rather than names like "main" or "test."

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Normal and Weird Route?

The Normal Route keeps the standard story and exploration structure. The Weird Route uses Noelle's ice magic and forced choices to create an alternate story, changes later chapters, and can end Chapter 5 early as Side B.

Does Chapter 5 have a Weird Route?

Yes, but it cannot start from a normal Chapter 5 file. It requires a completion file that finished the Chapter 4 Weird Route continuation.

What does Chapter 5 Side B skip?

Successful Side B ends before the Dark World, so that run cannot enter Flower Kingdom, challenge Pink, collect the Chapter 5 Egg, or obtain Pink's Shadow Crystal.

Can I get the Twisted Sword by completing Weird Route?

No. The confirmed recipe is ThornRing + PureCrystal, and PureCrystal remains unobtainable through Chapter 5. A completed Weird Route file also does not keep ThornRing in inventory.

When should I unequip ThornRing?

Unequip it from Noelle before the Chapter 2 Berdly encounter. Then abort the route without using SnowGrave to defeat Berdly and verify that the ring remains in the party equipment inventory.

Is aborting Chapter 5 the same as preserving ThornRing?

No. Aborting the Chapter 5 lake sequence restores access to Flower Kingdom on a file that already carried the Weird Route through Chapter 4. Preserving ThornRing requires aborting back in Chapter 2 before SnowGrave defeats Berdly.

Can I see every route on one save?

Not safely. Use separate completion files for the normal secrets route, the completed Side B route, and the ThornRing material branch.

Sources and confidence

Last updated: July 23, 2026
Confidence: High for released route behavior and item data; future PureCrystal availability remains unknown.

This comparison uses current Deltarune Wiki documentation for the Chapter 2 Weird Route, Chapter 4 continuation, Chapter 5 Side B, ThornRing, TwistedSwd, and PureCrystal. Predictions about future chapters are not presented as confirmed mechanics.