Werewire
ZZT!
Werewire, Chapter 2
Werewire (JP: ケーブロイド Cabloid) is a Darkner enemy in the Cyber World that is first encountered in Cyber Field. It is the first enemy the party battles in the Cyber World, after their first encounter with Queen.
Werewires are Plugboys that have been transformed by Queen's wires.
Werewire is pink and blue, with yellow hands and green stripes. It looks fuzzy, its limbs flopping about back and forth in its battle animation. It has a slight pink neck ruffle just above its shoulders. In the overworld animation, there is a large wire descending and latching onto Werewire's face (presumably from Queen, who is controlling them), so its facial features cannot be seen unless it is spared, in which case it reverts to its original form, a Plugboy.
Werewires are described as "sleepwalking through a nightmare" and as such are constantly tired. They have seemingly no free will. Even though there are non-hostile Werewires encountered, they are described as being nicer since they were plugged, indicating that the plug does control them perpetually. Later, a Werewire expresses gratefulness that Queen was defeated, implying they may have been freed from control after her fall. Like Werewerewires, they enjoy energy drinks.
Werewires communicate in short all-caps onomatopoeias, consisting of the letters B, G, T, and Z, along with exclamation marks. The speech bubbles and phrases are diagonal, with the right side slightly leaning upwards. The letters are jagged, are not entirely solid, and wiggle slightly, giving the impression of crackling electricity. While Werewires can only communicate via these short onomatopoeias, their NPC counterparts are able to speak normally on the overworld.
Werewire's name is a portmanteau of "werewolf" (or "were-creature") and "wire". It may be more based on their nature rather than their appearance, acting as hostile and feral forms of normal Plugboys. Werewire is also a homophone of "wear wire", as Plugboys are transformed by wearing Queen's wires.
When Kris and Susie enter the Cyber World, they encounter many Plugboys frozen in fear on their way, warning the party about the plugs. When meeting Queen soon after, she attempts to stop the party by plugging two Plugboys, turning them into Werewires and initiating the first battle in the Cyber World. After defeating them, two more Werewires appear but are quickly pacified by Ralsei, turning them back into regular Plugboys.
More Werewires are encountered throughout Cyber Field. In the room after Sweet Cap'n Cakes's junk shop, a lone fedora-wearing Plugboy claims they are "safe" from becoming a Werewire, and has no fear of being plugged. However, after reaching the end of the room past five Werewires, a fedora-wearing Werewire is seen, and the fedora-wearing Plugboy disappears from the beginning of the room. If Kris navigates around the Werewires without starting a battle, the fedora-wearing Werewire moves up and down and can be encountered; it has a unique battle intro animation where the fedora levitates off of its head.
If recruited, Werewire contributes to the Thrash Machine during the GIGA Queen battle.
A few cognizant Werewire NPCs who can talk and wear clothes appear throughout the overworld. One can be found when returning to the big teacup ride using the shortcut door. The Werewire appears near the entrance to the roller coaster and explains that someone tried to use it despite it being under construction, likely referencing the events that happened earlier in the Chapter.
There are also two Werewire NPCs in Cyber City. The first appears in the first traffic puzzle, where they talk about how the teacup rides are privately owned. After returning to Cyber City using the shortcut door, they comment on how they commissioned for a merry-go-round, but an "ex-famous salesman-lobbyist-type" was too scared of "clowns" to allow it. The second Werewire is met after the three lane puzzle. They mention how they "can't even cross the street without getting [their] ass kicked", and how they love the city.
After returning from the Cyber World, a Werewire wearing a maroon suit appears in Castle Town. They thank the party for defeating Queen, but say that they prefer their current form over their Plugboy form.
- Tasque
- Virovirokun
- Berdly
- Maus (unused)
- If Werewire is alone, it hovers above the bullet board, swaying side to side and spawning electric balls which fall over the board.
- Werewire repeats these attacks multiple times per turn if other enemies are present:
- Werewire swings its arms, creating an arc of five bullets that move across the bullet board.
- Werewire fires three short lasers from its fingertips, which spread apart as they cross the bullet board.
- All Werewires start in battle as tired, meaning the battle can be ended immediately by using Ralsei's Pacify or Noelle's Sleep Mist.
- However, several conditions allow for them to be spared as well:
- JiggleJiggle increases mercy by 50% for one Werewire.
- ThrowWire increases mercy by 50% for each Werewire hit.
- S-Action or R-Action increases mercy by 25% for one Werewire.
- N-Action increases mercy by 50% for one Werewire.
- Sparing (when its name is not yellow) increases mercy by 20% for one Werewire.
- Using SoftVoice on Tasque when Werewire is also present increases mercy by 50% for all Werewires.
- Using TakeCareX on Virovirokun when Werewire is also present increases mercy 50% for all Werewires.
- Any encounter
- Controlled by the Queen's wire, it's sleepwalking through a nightmare! [Check]
- Werewire crackles incomprehensibly. [Neutral]
- Werewire shuffles menacingly. [Neutral]
- Werewire dusts sparks off its shoulders. [Neutral]
- The atmosphere is electric. [Neutral]
- Smells like ozone. [Neutral]
- Try timing your attacks by pressing [(CONFIRM)]! [After miss]
- You jiggled your body. The wire loosened in turn! [JiggleJiggle]
- You jiggled your body! [Shortened]
- Press [(MENU)] to throw, aim for the weakpoint! [ThrowWire]
- The wire greatly loosened! [Got to two (X)]
- The wire loosened a little! [Got to one (X)]
- Missed! [Missed]
- Susie yanked on the wire! It loosened a little bit. [S-Action]
- Susie yanked the wire! [Shortened]
- Ralsei sang a snake-charming song to the wire! It loosened a little bit. [R-Action]
- Ralsei charmed the wire! [Shortened]
- Werewire's wire is loose! [Spare conditions met]
- Cyber World
- Werewires swung in! [Encounter with another Werewire]
- Smorgasbord 2. [Encounter with Tasque and Virovirokun]
- Werewire appeared. [Encounter]
- Werewires swung in! [Encounter with other Werewires; unused]
- Werewire and Maus swung down like stringed superheroes! [Encounter with Maus; unused]
- Noelle pulled out the plug like a fairy light! [N-Action]
- Noelle pulled on the plug! [Shortened]
- Ch2 All Stars
- Round One! [Encounter with another Werewire]
A Plugboy being transformed into a Werewire by Queen's plug
Bullet attack
Laser attack
A fedora-wearing Werewire
A friendly Werewire NPC
Toby Fox's concept art of a Werewire from the Unseen Chapter 2 Concept Art page
- When Werewires are seated in the Castle Town Cafe, their wires do not extend upwards and instead terminate slightly ahead of their mask.
- Werewire's idle animation is similar to Necro's idle animation from Street Fighter III.
- Fighting the first two Werewires by depleting their HP would cause them to flee. However, the cutscene of them being freed from the plugs as if they were spared still occurs.
- This was most likely done to remind players of Ralsei's Pacify spell.
- ↑
Werewire dusts sparks off its shoulders.
— Narration, Chapter 2