Magic Man

I know this is pretty late, but I've got to know, who is confirmed to be sitting on today's panel at comic-con where they discuss Season 4?

For Chrysalis? I doubt it. For Changelings as a whole? Not necessarily a redemption, but rather an episode to show that not all of them are automatically evil. But getting back to Chrysalis, again, I think we've had enough villains being redeemed in the show. I'm afraid there do exist people who cross THAT line and she easily fits that bill. The said, I would like her to be given DEPTH. Give her a backstory, motivation, complexity, all what made he what she is, instead of "oh, she's just evil, just because". That is what made KFP2's Lord Shen such a great villain. If MLP can do that with Chrysalis, then we'd have a great villain who we'd love to see return.

I have been putting together the basis for a future episode. It's one that uses a familiar concept but with MLP's writers, could be done in a fresh way and as a way to bring back the Changeling species in some form or another. However, I've come across a major issue with it that could be potentially ruin the episode as a whole if not handled correctly. The basic setup for this story is that Spike and/or Pinkie Pie stumble across a very young, lost Changeling foal or egg (depending on the writer's interpretation) and decides to raise the child as their own, having falling in love with him/her at first sight. However, this decision leaves the rest of the cast divided. One side doesn't particularly mind or does think it's good to raise him/her as one of their own, but the other side thinks that it's too much of a risk as Changelings have already proven their presence in Equestria is very dangerous. What I think would make this a really great episode is not only that it brings Changelings back, but also that it deals with canon characters we root for having to deal with their own prejudices, even ones that you can understand and can agree that to an extent are justified. But what worries me is the difficulty in doing this without dumbing the opposing side down or distorting their personalities. You see, in this kind of story, it is natural and even expected for the writers and the audience to side with Spike/Pinkie and those in favor of keeping the foal around as opposed to the side against. A similar formula occurs with Keep Calm and Flutter On, where we're supposed to root for Fluttershy in her efforts to reform Discord instead of the rest of the Mane Six's cynicism and inability to even help try and reform him. Yet we did not feel too much annoyance with them considering their past conflict with Discord, who was (and mostly still is) a psychotic tyrant who tried to take over all of Equestria. But the situation here is very different; this isn't the spirit of disharmony, it's a child who has not done anything wrong but just happens to be of a species that has acted aggressively and is extremely dangerous to Equestria. If you make the opposing side as bluntly pugnacious and against as the were in Keep Calm it really runs the risk of making them come across as unlikable and even somewhat OOC, potentially ruining the episode for a lot of people. So this brings us to the titled question: How can you write this episode without making the opposing side look like total jerks? Of course, I do have some possible solutions to put to the table and naturally I do want to hear yours, I 'd also like to know what you think of my solutions and if they'd work: Both sides need to acknowledge and recognize that this is a FOAL, a CHILD, not a grown soldier who took part in the invasion. I think it's very important they do this because having the opposing side be as belligerent and vindictive as that to a young child would really ruin the characters for a lot of viewers, if not just for that episode. They need to recognized that this child on its own has not done anything to harm Equestria and not a threat because those arguments for the opposing side be too simplistic and illogical. Both sides could be given credit, in that the opposing side could make valid and understandable arguments against having the Changeling foal here, ie "a Changeling's parasitic nature makes its presence dangerous to Equestria; we don't what raising a Changeling will be like; we may be tolerant of it being here, but a lot of ponies won't, so what kind of life would it have? It should be raised by it's own kind." What do you think? What could be done so that the side against having the child in Equestria doesn't come off as unlikable or OOC? But even if that issue is handled right, there are other questions to be asked which I'd love to know your answers to: At the end of the episode, would the foal stay and become an addition to the secondary cast as Spike and/or Pinkie's adopted child? Or would they ultimately decide to return it to a Changeling village in the Changeling Kingdom (I do NOT agree with the hive idea, for several reasons I won't go into) and after a misunderstanding/scuffle with the locals, the foal is happily reunited with its parents? Which writer should tackle this episode? In whose hands would you trust it? Which characters would be on the side for keeping the foal and the side opposed? Who would be on the fence?

I personally take the comics as semi-canon. If there's a conflict in continuity, then I'll take the show over the comic. Until we see Chrysalis appear in the show and if her re-appearance DOESN'T conflict with what we've seen in the comics, we can still take the comic story as canon.

Death is a very dark, mature theme to tackle, particularly in a kid's show. I do not mean to come off as talking down to kids at all, they are a lot smarter and savvy than we give them credit for, not to mention other kid's shows have handled it in the past, but each situation is different and we need to ask ourselves if MLP, a show primarily about friendship, is the right one to do it and if so, HOW would they do it and would they do it with it still being an MLP episode not a "very special episode", like the way 'One Bad Apple' did with bullying? Though some could argue it being a "very special episode" would be justified considering the subject matter, though on the other hand, you could argue why didn't they then do that with bullying and did the subject justify it being a "very special episode".

Do they desperately need to? Absolutely. Diamond Tiara has just become so boring and repetitive in her appearances and it would serve her well to give her some depth. But will they? I don't really think they will, because in all honesty, Diamond only really has one purpose in this show and to exist at all, to be a bully and cause the conflict in most of the CMC episodes and whilst I personally I hate that cliche, there's no denying that's the soul reason she's there and she does at least do a pretty good job at it, so I guess some could make the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it argument", though I personally think and many would agree that even "if it ain't broke, there's a chance you can still improve on it". But again, there's little chance they will and besides, there are a lot of characters that also need development and whilst DT certainly needs it, she's most likely low on the waiting list compared to others.

He wasn't not invited to the game, he just wasn't invited to the preparation/welcoming of the inspector. I imagine in-universe because it's a serious adult event and not something for a baby dragon. The technical truth however it just because the writers needed him and the Mane Six separate so the episode Just for Sidekicks could work.

I see them as being biological cousins to ponykind, but with a lot more of an insectoid or faerie side to their biology. Still, they and Ponies I do see a strong relation between them.

Lord Weevil, Chrysalis' slimy and megalomaniac little brother and second-in-command who plots to overthrow his sister and become the Changeling King and relaunch the invasion of Equestria.

Mine is that Changelings live in a Hive and are all Chrysalis' children. There's nothing to really support it in terms of evidence and even then, they're clearly shown to be individuals (and thus no hive-mind) during the Canterlot Battle and in the comics. I just see the Hive fanon as a way of quickly dealing with the Changeling culture and society without getting that creative.

Yes, there was a topic on that, but this is mostly to do with Changelings who would appear as loyal underlings to Chrysalis, but with personalities and distinct character, not just being goons. Of course, other Changelings who are not allied to Chrysalis or just ordinary Changeling citizens can be shared here too. Or even better, his Starscream voice for a villain like Weevil.

For me, this kind of episode needs to be done with the understanding that not all Changelings are in need of a redemption story. I don't do Always Chaotic Evil, I believe there is good and evil in all species, pony or Changeling, but for the ponies, they need this reassurance in the form of some Changeling protagonists.

Going through a lot of the fanart and fanfiction, I've come to think of a problem besetting the Changeling side of the fandom. The only Changeling with a character and personality is Chrysalis, the rest of the army are just Stormtrooper mooks, and therefore we only have so much to work off of. Now yeah, there are OCs, but a lot of them have a common trend (ie going to Ponyville to fit in, turning against Chrysalis, etc). What I'm thinking is, especially if the Changelings return, there needs to be other Changeling characters besides Chrysalis who have their own distinct personalities and character. I mean, take for example, the Decepticons. Sure, we all love Megatron, who is menacing enough on his own. But if we didn't have other Decepticons like Starscream, Soundwave, Swindle, etc, and all the other Decepticons were just mooks with no identifiable personalities, we'd quickly get bored with them. It's those secondary villains we grow to love and love-to-hate, not just the big bad. Now sure, in the comics, we have those commander Changelings but of course, mostly due to the brevity, we didn't get a lot out of them other than the typical evil commanders. This leads to my main point where we get creative: let's try and toss ideas around for Changeling character,s PRIMARILY Chrysalis' chief underlings, like her family, her generals, her second-in-command, etc. I'll start and give an example. Prince Weevil Position: Chrysalis' slimy younger brother. He is first-in-line to the Changeling throne and Chrysalis' second-in-command. Bio: Ambitious, self-absorbed and murderously jealous of his big sister his entire life, he has his eyes dead set on the throne and cannot make his treacherous goals more obvious, consistently undermining her authority and attempted to overthrow her leadership every single chance he gets. He served as regent/acting monarch of the Changeling homeland whilst Chrysalis was off on her crusade to conquer Equestria, only to further his lust for power, to the point he pretty much declared himself King then and there. He repeatedly refers to himself as "the future King of the Changeling", even in front of Chrysalis. He's straight-up the Starscream to Chrysalis' Megatron. Powers: Shapeshifting, brilliant strategist and tactician, skilled silver tongue (fantastic liar). Voice actor: Tom Kenny (in his Starscream voice). So yeah, those highlighted parts are the basic requirements, but also, and this actually more of a semi-requirement, it really helps if the character is marketable, like you could transform it into a Hasbro toy, as well as somewhat realistic to the show like they really could appear if handled right. Yeah, I know that's pretty hard to measure what is marketable and realistic for the show, but I thought I might as well just add that in anyway. Okay, everychangeling, you're move. Show me what you got. If you want, I'll them to a list here.

My apologies. I mistakenly thought you were talking about what I and MarkZ0ne were talking about. So yeah, my mistake, sorry.

I think you both don't understand exactly what reform means. What I was suggesting was NOT reforming. An enemy mine is when the two conflicting parties put aside their differences to defeat a common enemy. It is not a permanent armistice between then, just a temporary alliance, even if it may have some lasting effects.

I would like her to return, but not just as an enemy, but to also pull an 'Enemy Mine' with the heroes and thus, afterwards, not be an enemy anymore, but neither an ally. You know what I mean? Kind of like Starscream was during Transformers Prime. Kinda neutral.

Well, yeah, most of those are a given in what I said, though the demography refers to the population, not the geographic size and structure of the country.

Basically the general make up of the Equestrian population as a whole, say in terms of percentage of pony race, age, gender, birth rate, etc. I will most likely post mine here soon, I just want to know what you guys think first.

I actually have a good idea for a Changeling episode. Chrysalis' daughter and heir, Princess Larva/Pupa/Imago whatever (in this scenario a spoiled, sheltered brat), has grown tired of palace life and wants to experience life as an ordinary filly. She knows it'll be difficult to do so amongst her own people, so sneaks out and somehow or another, travels to Equestria in the disguise of a unicorn filly where she ends up in Ponyville and meets the CMC. At first, she is excited, but the spoiled, sheltered Princess quickly becomes disgusted by the "filthy, common peasants" and only sticks around because unlike her mother, she adores apples and apple pie. Meanwhile, the Mane Six become suspicious of the filly. A lot like her mother, the Princess is a VERY bad actor and it soon becomes blaring obvious she is a Changeling, what with her mannerisms and inconsistent story. What really clinches it is that Chrysalis, realizing her baby is missing and suspecting Equestria of kidnap, issues a threat against Equestria to return her "precious little baby" or she will launch another invasion and the Mane Six put two and two together. When they confront her in the sand box, the Princess' immediate response is to throw sand in their eyes and bolt. Thus begins the chase scene, where the kid pulls off a few tricks, taking after her mother, by pulling off a wounded gazelle gambit of her own by making bystanders think the others are hurting an innocent filly ("Help! Help! Those mean mares are trying to hurt me for no reason!"). Eventually, they catch her, force her to drop the disguise and must take her back to her mother without it making it indeed look like they kidnapped her.

I actually have a good idea for a Changeling episode. Chrysalis' daughter and heir, Princess Larva/Pupa/Imago whatever, has grown tired of palace life and wants to experience life as an ordinary filly. She knows it'll be difficult to do so amongst her own people, so sneaks out and somehow or another, travels to Equestria in the disguise of a unicorn filly where she ends up in Ponyville and meets the CMC. At first, she is excited, but the spoiled, sheltered Princess quickly becomes disgusted by the "filthy, common peasants" and only sticks around because unlike her mother, she adores apples and apple pie. Meanwhile, the Mane Six become suspicious of the filly. A lot like her mother, the Princess is a VERY bad actor and it soon becomes blaring obvious she is a Changeling, what with her mannerisms and inconsistent story. What really clinches it is that Chrysalis, realizing her baby is missing and suspecting Equestria of kidnap, issues a threat against Equestria to return her "precious little baby" or she will launch another invasion and the Mane Six put two and two together. When they confront her in the sand box, the Princess' immediate response is to throw sand in their eyes and bolt. Thus begins the chase scene, where the kid pulls off a few tricks, taking after her mother, by pulling off a wounded gazelle gambit of her own by making bystanders think the others are hurting an innocent filly ("Help! Help! Those mean mares are trying to hurt me for no reason!"). Eventually, they catch her, force her to drop the disguise and must take her back to her mother without it making it indeed look like they kidnapped her.

Well, it's not simply just baseless speciesism. It's a justified mistrust caused by the fact their nation's army attacked the capital and the fact the ponies seemed to know little else about this dangerous, parasitic species. I think I can give ponies are break for wanting to protect themselves from a foreign species that uses them as a food source. You cannot compare it to baseless racism, or oppression among other humans. At all.

I don't think you can compare Twilight and Chrysalis, especially as we don't really know anything about the latter's backstory. And I think it's a bit presumptuous to think that just because if she didn't make friends in the first two episode, she was gonna become evil in the future. Lonely and even more anti-social, sure, but evil like Chrysalis? I think you're exaggerating a bit, especially because you're basically implying no friends leads to evil, genocidal warlord.

Of course I'm not saying that. Yes, Twilight was right in trying to warn everyone and wanting to protect her brother, that's admirable of her and I totally understand her perspective. But the problem is that she handled it in the worst way possible. It's not what she tried to do, rather HOW she tried to do it. As for the rest, yes, I am a little mift that the matter was never really given a sense of closure, if by a little more interaction between Twilight, her friends and brother and reconciliation. But I suppose one big problem is the time length and they had to wrap everything up.

There's also absolutely NO evidence that they are her children. I'm sorry, but this really gets to me. At one point are they are directly refered to by Chrysalis as her children? They're just referred to as her "subjects" and nothing else. I mean, if they were her children, wouldn't she have referred to them as such in the show or darker comic? I just don't get this.