When Mane 6 violate their elements

[Untitled Goose Q 5,138]

I think using the term "violate" is a bit harsh. Yes, they do not always live up to their elements. But always living up to their elemnts, 100% of the time is a bit much to expect, even from them.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

Oh boy! A topic that serves no purpose other than to provide needless criticisms and sling dung all over great characters!

 

 

All apologies for withholding my enthusiasm

 

Anyway, rather than just making an elaborate post, I'll just post a little picture that sums everything up best

 

 

 

I think using the term "violate" is a bit harsh. Yes, they do not always live up to their elements. But always living up to their elemnts, 100% of the time is a bit much to expect, even from them.

^This. So much this. All of this. Scan it, remember it, brand it into your memories, just know that this is spot on.

[Swirl 90]

Rarity...whenever she acts greedy or selfish it really irritates me. I mean sure, all the others have moments when they're not truly representing their elements (except Twilight...how can you be anti-magical?) but Rarity does it so much more often and much more recklessly than the others it just makes me think of her as...well, not selfish, but definitely not an overly generous pony.

[Obsidian Sky 14,004]

Rarity...whenever she acts greedy or selfish it really irritates me. I mean sure, all the others have moments when they're not truly representing their elements (except Twilight...how can you be anti-magical?) but Rarity does it so much more often and much more recklessly than the others it just makes me think of her as...well, not selfish, but definitely not an overly generous pony.

I don't really know what you mean with recklessly... Rarity is probably the mane6 that learns her lessons the most often on her own and without that some other pony needs to shove her in the right direction.

 

Also, i find her lapses in her element generally not very destructive compared with other mane6.

 

What was the most horrible thing she ever did?

 

And i don't really know how she is not overly generous. Did she not make clothes for her friends multiple times without pay? Does she not regulary sacrifice advancement in her career for her friends? She basically does it every day, seeing that she stays in ponyville with her friends and does not move to Canterlot or Manehatten, even though she could.

 

What more is she supposed to do? What would make Rarity a better fitting element of generosity without making her an one dimensional character? What do you think?

 

Why does it irritate you if Rarity does something not covered by her element, but not the others?

Edited July 17, 2014 by Obsidian Sky

[Swirl 90]

I don't really know what you mean with recklessly... Rarity is probably the mane6 that learns her lessons the most often on her own and without that some other pony needs to shove her in the right direction.

 

Also, i find her lapses in her element generally not very destructive compared with other mane6.

 

What was the most horrible thing she ever did?

 

And i don't really know how she is not overly generous. Did she not make clothes for her friends multiple times without pay? Does she not regulary sacrifice advancement in her career for her friends? She basically does it every day, seeing that she stays in ponyville with her friends and does not move to Canterlot or Manehatten, even though she could.

 

What more is she supposed to do? What would make Rarity a better fitting element of generosity without making her an one dimensional character? What do you think?

 

Why does it irritate you if Rarity does something not covered by her element, but not the others?

To be perfectly honest I have no idea. It's not that I hate Rarity, but whenever she acts in a non-generous way I notice it much more than the others. It's just my opinion anyway.

[Obsidian Sky 14,004]

To be perfectly honest I have no idea. It's not that I hate Rarity, but whenever she acts in a non-generous way I notice it much more than the others. It's just my opinion anyway.

Well, thats a little bit unfair.  Shouldn't the actions of every mane6 be judged with the same standards?

 

I mean, she tries to do her best, like the rest of the mane6. Sometimes she fails in that, everypony does. I find she makes up for it in big ways though.

 

Consider how hard her job is, probably the hardest of all the mane6. What she has to sacrifice to stay true to herself in the merciless fashion business. How easy it would be for her to just dump Ponyville and fulfill all her dreams in Canterlot or Manehatten. Ponyville and her friends hold her back, but thats a sacrifice she gladly makes for them.

[Adorkable 2,737]

I guess the clearest of all was Fluttershy in "Putting Your Hoof Down"

 

Wasn't she being "assertive" though, and it just got out of hand?

 

Yeah, Rarity taking the flower bouquet in A Canterlot Wedding.

 

"Generosity!"

 

the only pony that does not violate her element is Twilight because she is best pony after all.

 

^

 

Oh I remembered a good one for Twi, in Testing Testing her comments at Dash to me showed a lack of friendship do to their cruel nature, plus needing Flutters to intervene thus Twi not able to catch herself.

 

Sometimes you need to be assertive to get your point across, I feel that Twilight was doing so to get Rainbow Dash to understand how important her studies were. In the end, because of Twilight, Rainbow Dash got to join the Wonderbolt Reserves.

 

The Return of Harmony.

Even Twilight does, by believing that her friendship and magic don't mean anything to her.

 

Discord's spell.

[Cwanky 17,647]

I'm going to go ahead and state the LEAST obvious example that the show was subtly hinting at throughout Season 4.

 

Twilight failed to reach out and properly befriend Discord. Bash me all you want but it was as true as day. It makes sense, because each of the Mane 6 failed in their own personal ways to live up to their elements. Since Keep Calm and Flutter, the goal pertaining to Discord was to reform him  through befriending him, even if this was not explicitly stated. Why else would Celestia entrust of all people to that task?

 

Even if it wasn't the initial goal, by the end of the episode, it was widely understood that bringing Discord to the side of Equestria of his own free will, meant befriending him, a responsibility that applied to all the Mane 6, not just Fluttershy, and especially Twilight, since she is the leader. Since the time of Discord's release, only Fluttershy made a sincere attempt to trust actually make him her friend. She even to some degree, enjoys his chaos and enjoys his personality.

 

We don't see that with Twilight, or the rest of the Mane 6, for pretty much ever. Even when Discord tries to help Twilight in Princess Twilight Sparkle the same remains true,  she trusts Discord as much as a cop trusts a burglar not to rob a bank. There's no real effort to try and relate to Discord, and though this may equally fall on Discord's shoulders for not trying, as the Element of Friendship Twilight ultimately was to blame. 

 

Saying you trust someone, doesn't necessarily mean you trust them. Again its like having 24/7 surveillance helicoptering your kids when they go out and saying you trust that they will behave responsibly. I still saw that Twilight and the Mane 6 (minus Fluttershy) viewed Discord as a villain and not as an ally or friend. There was rarely anything, but pure antagonism and spite, which Discord was more than happy to maintain.

 

If you want more evidence then take this dialogue between Discord and Fluttershy in Twilight's Kingdom, Part 2:

Fluttershy: Why are you doing this? I thought we were friends. Discord: Oh, we were. But Tirek offered me so much more than just tea parties. Surely, you saw this coming. Fluttershy: [crying] I didn't. I really didn't.

Discord only saw his relationship and friendship as between himself and Fluttershy, hence the "tea parties." Beyond that he didn't see any material bond to the other Mane 6 or even Celestia and Equestria. He was right to feel that way too. He was being treated as a "reformed" tool, and a convenient ally, and at the same time a despised former enemy to be blasted if he stepped out of line.

 

Fluttershy didn't see his betrayal coming, because she trusted him as a friend, unlike the others and saw him more than just as a convenient ally. In these ways when Twilight ultimately was given the chance to show that Discord was her friend when Tirek bargained with the Mane 6 and Spike's lives, she made up for her mistakes and errors, and showed that despite all he had done, and deep down she truly cared for and regarded Discord as a friend, instead of choosing to forsake him cruelly as a traitor. These actions in turn were recognized by the Tree of Harmony as sincere and allowed her to discover what friendship meant.

 

So you see, friendship is what saved the day in the end.