Deltarune’s Mr. Ant Tenna may be the TV-headed gameshow host that everyone loves today, but Toby Fox had a different idea for the character back when he was initially conceived. Because the words “ant” and “antenna” are so similar, Fox’s first Tenna drawings made him look more like an insect.
While early drawings of Tenna’s head, torso, and legs look similar to his final version, the biggest difference in his design was that he originally had four arms. Fox also planned for Tenna to shrink down to the size of a bug when people were mad at him, as well as drink nectar with his nose in a very bug-like manner.
Fox ended up veering away from Tenna’s ant-like design in favor of something more akin to a traditional gameshow host. Tenna still retains some of his original ant-inspired qualities. His iconic antennae complement his TV-shaped head but also reference his early designs. While his nose cannot sip nectar, it blooms on occasion when Tenna is exceedingly happy. Tenna also slightly shrinks down in size whenever Kris and company have second thoughts about participating in his gameshow, but that could be due to his body’s exaggerated movements.
Despite being introduced as an enemy, Tenna has quickly become a favorite amongst Deltarune fans. His vibrant character design, hyperactive personality, and desire to please everyone balance Chapter 3’s darker themes.
Deltarune Chapters 1-4 is now available for Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, PC (macOS and Windows), and PlayStation 4 and 5.
