Does anyone think Twilight Sparkle is a Mary Sue?

[cider float 2,538]

I don't think it's correct to say she's a Mary Sue because alicorns are not gods. For people that believe alicorns are gods they might think she became a Mary Sue though.

 

I just prefer alicorns to be a rare and unique breed not something every pony becomes.

[KatonRyu 1,033]

I don't think she is. She's the embodiment of magic, yes, but she has been defeated and can be demoralized by a sufficiently capable adversary. It's even conceivable that her meticulous nature turns against her, like it did in Lesson Zero. She certainly still has her flaws, and those flaws will be called out and exploited before being addressed, because part of this show is about just that. (Seriously, some 'friendship' lessons are only tangentially connected to friendship)

[cider float 2,538]

Elements of Harmony is a Mary Sue but I like it!

Edited May 23, 2015 by cidershield

[Nerdy Luigi 2,065]

Only episode where she was depicted a Mary Sue was Twilight Time. I dislike that episode for a good reason. Otherwise, she's nowhere near a Mary Sue. Twilly is nowhere near perfect.

[IJoinedForPonies 126]

Only episode where she was depicted a Mary Sue was Twilight Time. I dislike that episode for a good reason. Otherwise, she's nowhere near a Mary Sue. Twilly is nowhere near perfect.

 

In Twilight Time? How? Could you go into detail?

[user1342342 143]

If by mary sue you mean an overly gifted, unrealistically perfect character that is treated better than everyone on the show, then yes. 

 

Twilight is the worst character.

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Not at the beginning, no.


At the start of the show, despite being Celestia's protege, they didn't heap too much overfocus on her, and made sure to show the other five as having abilities just as interesting and notable as hers (Like rainbow dash and her sonic boom, pinkie sense and Fluttershy's stare), while having twilight be HEAVILY flawed.

Since Season 2's finale they threw all that out the window, kept slathering more and more focus and special attributes on her (Babysat by an alicorn from before she even got a cutie mark for starters, seemingly comes from a family with a well renowned history in the military, ect.) while more or less ignoring the others except for moral support.

 

 

 

back during season 1, No I would not have called her a mary sue at all. Now? Oh, HECK YES I would call her a mary sue.

[cider float 2,538]

In terms of combat power can't really say for sure. She hasn't really shown to be that handy in a fight and there hasn't been any show of the extent of her alicorn magic (the alicorn magic given from the other three princesses don't count).

 

As for solving problems she has been given a bit too much credit on that. If you want to see Twilight put on the back in terms of that she does get lost in Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks

[Taviscratch 453]

No because "Mary Sue" isn't even a legitimate criticism of any character. Jerry will set you straight:

 

Edited May 26, 2015 by Taviscratch

[Justin_Case001 4,892]

Anyone is entitled to dislike any character they want, but the excessive amount of Twilight hate is very depressing to me for a very specific reason.  It seems that everyone wants her to stay more flawed, to never grow or mature.  Is this what we should strive for in life?  Should we strive to stay more flawed?  Should we not work to better ourselves, for fear that others will hate us for being too perfect?  If your best friend worked hard to overcome her flaws, got a great job, got promoted, etc, would you hate her and stop being her friend because she's a "Mary Sue"?  I hope not.  Why must Twilight be instantly hated for being talented and more mature?  Just because she's grown, she has to be "the worst character ever"?  I bet that if she was exactly the same now as in S1, all you'd hear from the community is complaints that she hasn't grown or learned any lessons and so forth.

 

 

No because "Mary Sue" isn't even a legitimate criticism of any character. Jerry will set you straight:

 

So much this.  Soooo much this.

[Cleverclover 1,526]

 

 

Why must Twilight be instantly hated for being talented and more mature? 

 

For me, it's simply because nothing really justifies the level of growth she has received. It's as if her alicorn status came at the cost of everything that made her relatable. 

 

She almost never makes mistakes. She almost never falls into the trap of doing something morally wrong. She makes her friends look ridiculously immature in comparison. The "adorkable" quirks of her character have been downsized significantly, including her neuroticism, a staple of hers since the start of the show. Her reserves of both power and intelligence are potentially endless. She can pull skills she has never been shown to possess before out of thin air. 

 

It's not that I never wanted Twilight to mature, but I wanted her to mature in such a way that made it feel justified. For instance, I certainly would not have expected her to have an episode like Lesson Zero again, particularly not after it's been shown that she's been trying to get a handle on her spastic freakouts. But I feel she has simply become too far detached from who she used to be. Even looking my absolute hardest, I simply cannot find any of season 1 Twilight in season 4+ Twilight. I don't have that problem with the rest of the mane six. 

[Prince Firemane 309]

This is just a trend that I've noticed, feel free to break it if you do; but is it just me or do people who really dislike Twilight more often than not have Applejack or Rarity as their favorite characters? I've noticed that tendency both on and off these forums and I've wondered about it. Applejack and Rarity are the most visually hard-working of the mane six; Applejack helps to run a farm and Rarity legit runs her own business. Yet Twilight doesn't do anything like that but gets more focus; did I just hit the nail on the head with that one?

[Bird Mom 900]

I don't find Twilight Sparkle to be a 'main character' as much as she is 'the character that kicked off the show'. She was just the one who appeared first, not the main character per say. Get it? Good. There's a reason the Mane Six are called the 'MANE SIX'. They are all a group of main characters who work together to keep the show going. They have basically equal spotlight. 

 

Well, except for Twilight..

 

Here's where it gets controversial. Twilight is basically half Mary Sue. She isn't COMPLETELY an attention whore, she just has some traits of one. She has the stereotype of the typical smart, mom-like, and one who has it good in the group. Other than Rarity, that's just personality.

 

I don't think it made her a Mary Sue(more of one) as much as it made her less interesting.

[user1342342 143]

 

 

It seems that everyone wants her to stay more flawed, to never grow or mature.  Is this what we should strive for in life?  Should we strive to stay more flawed?

 

 

What? I do want Twilight to grow as a character. The only problem is that her character doesn't have much potential to grow due to how she's written. I'd rather her character be re-written, though it's far to late for that.

 

 

 

excessive amount of Twilight hate

 

 

So people that agree Twilight is a bad character = excessive hate. Twilight is one of the most favored ponies in the fandom.

 

 

 

Is this what we should strive for in life?  Should we strive to stay more flawed?

 

 

No, and nobody wants that.

 

 

 

If your best friend worked hard to overcome her flaws, got a great job, got promoted, etc, would you hate her and stop being her friend because she's a "Mary Sue"?

 

 

No. 

 

 

 

Why must Twilight be instantly hated for being talented and more mature?

 

 

Seriously? You make it out like we're jealous of a freaking cartoon character. 

 

 

is it just me or do people who really dislike Twilight more often than not have Applejack or Rarity as their favorite characters?

 

 

Those two are my fav of the mane six. 

[The Coffee Pony 1,390]

So people that agree Twilight is a bad character = excessive hate. Twilight is one of the most favored ponies in the fandom.

 

I'd say it's starting to get excessive as we've been getting MULTIPLE threads about this issue this month. Seriously people, pick a thread!

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,571]

A character being better at something doesn't make that character a 'Mary Sue'.

[Singe 2,111]

Not a Mary Sue more of a big fish in a small pond. She just became to big for the show to handle. Started off more like every other pony, then became a princess that sets her apart from the others.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Singe

[cider float 2,538]

Well on about Twilight. I only liked her in Season 1 and 2... when she wasn't an alicorn. Only out of loyalty I kept her second place in my heart remembering how she was as an unicorn.

 

I have to be honest though she really has gotten boring. And it's not because she's a Mary Sue... it feels her personality went downhill in terms of being interesting.

[Justin_Case001 4,892]

Even looking my absolute hardest, I simply cannot find any of season 1 Twilight in season 4+ Twilight. I don't have that problem with the rest of the mane six. 

I think her adorable history lesson in Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 was a great example of Twilight Classic.  I know she wasn't being neurotic or ocd, but that's because she worked to conquer those things.  But I found her to be adorably nerdy, especially when she broke out the flash cards.

[PinkiePuffPoo 10]

Nope. Princess Celestia made her an alicorn because she was ready. If she was a mary sue then she probably would have been an alicorn in friendship is magic part 2.

[cider float 2,538]

Not a Mary Sue but her alicorn transformation somewhat made her character look cheap. Even though alicorns are not gods they still hold a privilege or status that is the highest in Equestria since only the highest of authority are alicorns, the less interesting and sort of plot device, somewhat boring settled types, the kind of characters like Celestia who's stories had come to an end. Of course they try to make alicorns appeared flawed and still in struggle like Luna but the status is still a status.

 

I'd rather Twilight stayed a powerful unicorn rather than an alicorn. Makinv her an alicorn just feels like a cheap OC.

Edited January 8, 2016 by cider float

[Steve Piranha 29,425]

I think her adorable history lesson in Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 was a great example of Twilight Classic.  I know she wasn't being neurotic or ocd, but that's because she worked to conquer those things.  But I found her to be adorably nerdy, especially when she broke out the flash cards.

Yeah, it was charming seeing the original nerdy poneh after so long 

[Megas 27,675]

Every character in this show is a fucking Mary Sue according to this fandom

[SBaby 660]

Every character in this show is a fucking Mary Sue according to this fandom

 

This might be the best post on this entire topic.  In fact, this might be one of the best posts on this entire site.

 

Seriously, I've noticed this trend with the fandom lately.  It seems like fans of the show are essentially becoming unpleasable.  They go one way with the characters, and the fans complain.  They go the other way, and the fans still complain.  A movie is announced and people complain that it's not until 2017.  Season 6 is announced and people complain that it isn't until late 2016.  The CMCs finally get their Cutie Marks and people complain about the designs.

 

Also, Twilight isn't a Mary Sue at all.  In fact, she's probably the most competently written character on the show.  Whenever something is strange about a character or place, she realizes it's probably an evil villain or some kind of magical force and tries to warn everyone or coordinate some kind of counterattack.  They don't always believe her (though for the life of me, I don't know why since villains and strange magical MacGuffins show up in Equestria roughly three to four times a month, and they should be used to it by now), but that's not the character's fault.

 

I guess what I'm saying is this.  You people need to let go and just enjoy the show.

Edited January 8, 2016 by SBaby

[Cleverclover 1,526]

 

 

Also, Twilight isn't a Mary Sue at all.  In fact, she's probably the most competently written character on the show.

 

Those are somewhat contradictory statements.