How Dark do you want FiM to be?

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

I actually like how dark it is right now. 

 

It's got the right amount of dark elements mixed in with enough slice of life elements to avoid abandoning it's roots. 

[Geek0zoid 1,468]

Some franchises like to take their series, and try to put a dark spin to it. Often, these spins don't belong whatsoever.

There needs to be a limit to how dark and edgy things get with MLP. Personally, I think they already do good enough.

[None 189]

I really don't want it to take a darker turn.

 

The bright and cheery colors helped me through depression and I really don't want that to change. 

 

Although, if I HAD to pick something, maybe somepony got mugged or something.

Edited August 25, 2014 by Little Light

[MasterDragoonBartz 21]

I don't want it to change. I watch it to get away from all that stuff, and if it got 'darker' I'd probably just leave the fandom and try to find another show.

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

To be clear, I don't want a dark and gritty violent show either, if I wanted that, I'd go watch Game of Thrones. But I would like to see the writers continue balancing complexity and seriousness, with light-hearted fun. The show CAN be both people.

[Planty 1,053]

I love the current level of maturity MLP offers. It's appropriate, and not overly dark while still leaving interpretation of motivations that can become extremely twisted when placed in the hands of the fans. I don't want the show to get much darker than it already is, as I enjoy the silliness and upbeat nature of the show.

 

The darkest episode so far was sombre, I think that if it goes any darker then that it would be a big mistake!

[Untitled Goose Q 5,137]

There is no need to make it darker. I'd leave the darkness to the fan works, it works better there.

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

There is no need to make it darker. I'd leave the darkness to the fan works, it works better there.

I heard the comics are darker than the show. If that's the case, then maybe the show should take a few lessons from the comics.

[Untitled Goose Q 5,137]

I heard the comics are darker than the show. If that's the case, then maybe the show should take a few lessons from the comics.

Having not read the comics, I cannot say for sure, but I have heard the same thing. But really, the show is fine how it is. By making it darker, you risk ruining it.

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

The comics are a bit darker, but not in a way different from the show.

 

For example, I know in the very first story arc of the comics, Chrysalis murders a cat right in front of the Cutie Mark Crusaders to scare them. I mean, the death itself is off-screen, but I was honestly surprised they did that. It didn't feel out of character or forced.

 

Though I don't think they could get away with cat-murder on the show.

[Darker 1,351]

I agree with the user above me that the comics are darker, but not in many different ways, as it still has the same feel, only the art style looks darker, and more expressive.

 

And well, they did get a way with a DBZ-ish fight in S4. And in the original 80s show Tirek threatened to behead Spike and nothing happened, which is incredible. Just shows how bad TV-ratings have become.

 

Wouldn't  it be better if G4 followed the more mature somber style of the original? For me, it would be great as a show. Look at Adventure Time, they do that kind of stuff usually without going to far. The Lich King is something you seriously wouldn't show in a children's cartoon.

 

 

[EquestriaGuy 1,074]

not dark at all. The show is at its best when it's light and fun.

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

Also, I'm not saying FiM isn't dark, as it has gone dark on several occasions. I just want the writers to embrace dark/serious moments a bit more in the future.

[Royal 57]

I don't care how dark it gets

[ideaguy1998 15]

Why is G4 not darker than G1?!!  Screw the "It's for kids" thing.  For god's sake, we have a sociopathic filly that could be willing to subject others to fates worse than death!

[[NULL] 906]

I wouldn't mind it being darker. However, if it's going to be darker, it has to be handled properly. You have to pace things right, and not have it dark all the way through. Otherwise we'll become desensitized to the "darker" moments, and it will just seem dull.

 

You'll need to balance it out with more upbeat or light-hearted scenes. That way the dark parts will seem even darker and become more memorable. I think that a good example of this would be Avatar: The Last Airbender. (Sorry for mentioning Avatar for the millionth time.)

[Thespian 78]

Season 4 was dark enough for me. However, what I do want is more long lasting effect episodes. Cutie mark crusaders break up and don't reunite until 5 episodes later or something.

[rainbowsmash13 53]

Season 4 was dark enough for me. However, what I do want is more long lasting effect episodes. Cutie mark crusaders break up and don't reunite until 5 episodes later or something.

Twilight being an Allicorn had long lasting effects. I would love for them to make a very special episode and talk about the loss of a loved one applejacks parents expand and explain her character more.

[Java Jive 440]

I did always wish for the concept of dark magic to be explored a bit more. I always thought Twilight embraced it fairly easily even though Sombra evidently completely succumbed to it (his lack of backstory leaving much to be filled in). It took the experience of Celestia to withstand the effects, and we're to accept that Twilight's first and second (which came easier with her displaying anger at that) use of it came without any risk to her, physically and mentally?

 

Star wars has the dark side, Street Fighter has Satsui no Hado, Warhammer has Chaos.. Etc, etc. It would be interesting to see how this would play out in the world of MLP.

 

Aside that, especially now, ever since Sombra and the introduction of slavery, emotional vampirism, death, tartarus (an actual hell, think about it) and all that, the brutal fight with Tirek, the show already "matured" a great deal. If they ever come to bring a villain like Grogar into FiM, things really could get dark. I mean, this guy is a friggin' necromancer. You can't get much closer to satanic/demonic influences than that...

 

It already is pretty dark. But, you can make it more intense and creepingly sinister. Let things build up for a few episodes. Twilight as a character still is very much a newbie to the whole alicorn thing, who is to say she already has that much control over herself and her powers? The responsibility thing could make for a pretty strong storyline just to see how strong that friendship actually is. It would tear them and the audience up to see her balance on the brink of delusion, hatred, insanity, grandeur, only to be brought back by the rest. She already displayed that she can be pretty... Shaky, when desperate.

 

On a final note, personally, i think possession either by a curse or entity is a weak copout. Much like how Rarity completely forgot her actions. I like the characters to be aware of their choices and ultimately bear responsibility for it. It only serves to expose their somewhat darker sides, but they escape the aftermath because after all, they didn't "knowingly" did it. Following with the quick forgiveness from the rest of the cast.

Edited September 20, 2014 by JavaJive

[CT-1138 3,182]

Barely dark at all. FiM just isn't that kind of show. 

[ideaguy1998 15]

How dark would the show be if this were in an acutal episode?

All the ponies in Ponyville throw Trixie an apology party.  But Trixie gets hung and beat up like a pinata and hit in her groin several times.  Next, Trixie gets used as the donkey in pin the tail on the donkey.  Half of Trixie's cutie mark gets ripped off and everypony gives this to Trixie:

"Boo-hoo!  Looks like Twit-sie lost what made her special!"

"But what's so special about her!  She was a dumb fraud anyway!"

"That's because she's really a donkey, not a pony!"

Then Trixie gets twirled around on the dance floor with a bunch of ribbons and kicked to a table.  Finally, Trixie gets force-fed the cake.  To wash it down, Trixie is given some punch, but it turns out to be drugged.  She passes out and everypony send her floating off to dragon territory.  Somepony tells Trixie this while making a rape face:

"Have fun with the dragons, the gross and powerless Twit-sie!"

Snips and Snails then dash off to save Trixie.  But Snips and Snails keep on messing up, slowing them down.  At dragon territory, Trixie wakes up and asks if anypony's there.  All the teenage dragons from "Dragon Quest" tell her to shut up because no one wants anything to do with her.  Trixie tells them to get her back to Equestria if they don't want her around.  But the teenage dragons' response?  They charge at her.  But we finally get an awesome fight in which Trixie manages to win through pure skill even if her horn gets broken in the process.  Snips and Snails finally find Trixie and guide her back to Equestria.  They tell everypony of the fight.  But Trixie is a laughingstock once again, and this time, for losing her horn.  Enraged, Trixie calls everypony out for treating her like crap.  But even the princesses, the Mane Six, and the CMC view her as an asshole for doing so.  Twilight tells Trixie that she was judging everypony and that it's something only Princess Celestia can do.  So Trixie gets sent to Magic Kindergarten and gets laughed at by the idiot foals.

[Petal Dancer 55]

I think it could stand to be as dark as a Disney film. In Disney it's kid friendly, but elements such as death are not taboo. I admit, I am a little frustrated at how tame Hasbro keeps MLP, especially when it comes to their villains. Sometimes they're okay, but I think they could be more dangerous; consider Discord for example. He had the power to do virtually anything and he basically just turned Ponyville into Candy Land. And Sombra, while he could have impaled Twilight with crystals, he instead chose to simply to trap her in a circle of them in order to keep her from stopping him. I want the villains to be deadlier, and I wouldn't have a problem with a little more fighting; basically all the Six do is blast the villain with a single rainbow beam or something and that's it. Kids have survived watching the deaths of characters like Mufasa, and Bambi's mother. We grew up with freaky stuff like Maleficent transforming into a (scary looking) dragon, the Black Cauldron, Little Nemo, and other somewhat scary movies. Kids are not as frail as Hasbro seems to think they are.

[Vox 870]

I guess it could use a bit more cynicism, but not too much, it's supposed to deliver a pretty positive message right?

[Savannah 39]

The show is dark enough, I mean creepy Twilight and Pinkiemena were some crazy shiz.

[A goat 323]

Maybe a bit more darker, but not too much. I watch MLP because I want to smile and if it goes dark I want at least happy endings.

I share the exact same opinion as this guy.^

Edited September 21, 2014 by A goat