Why are the Elements gone for good?

[LordDiscord 289]

This is a question that I have been pondering ever sense the Season 4 opener. From my understanding, the only reason the "Tree of Harmony" was under any form of danger was do to Discord's plunder seeds. Since they were destroyed by the end of the episode and the tree was recharged with magic, then why can't Twilight and her friends retrieve them? The "Tree of Harmony" survived over a thousand years without the elements and was even strong enough to keep the plunder seeds at bay, now with them destroyed, the tree could surely survive another thousand years, heck maybe even longer without them since it would not have to fight of the seeds again. 

 

 

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

Because they no longer need them. The elements were symbols for their strongest character trait, but after showing that even under stress they can still symbolize those elements they no longer need them as a "focuser" for their magic, as the magic came from inside them the entire time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

or some other convoluted bs like that. In reality it was because they were getting overused, and so they swapped 'em out with rainbow power for the finale so they can avoid complaints about the EoH being overused. But the explaination of them being more of a channeling/focusing agent for the magic of friendship that is within the ponies, rather than the 100% source of their power sounds alot more poetic.

[chirox the pony 1,334]

Simply put marketing reasons, hasbro wanted to sell the rainbow power dolls so they had to do away with the elements of harmony, I must admit I preferred them to rainbow power.

[Red Cedar 1,407]

Short answer: because Hasbro wanted to sell Rainbow Power toys through the show.

 

My headcanon is the tree needs them for a significant length of time to be able to survive without them again.

[dekutree64 711]

Twilight lives in a tree of harmony now, and can tap into its power directly. The old elements just aren't needed anymore.

 

I also agree with Red Cedar that the old tree will take a long time to fully recover. Though without the plunder seeds attacking, it may be able to survive for a long time more without the elements, but it would need them back sooner or later.

Edited October 20, 2014 by dekutree64

[Zoraxe 546]

The elements are too much of an insta win, much story in every big baddie episode is dedicated to the mane six not being able to use them, Discord stole them, or the changlings are blocking the tower, etc. Without the elements being an option the story tellers are less restricted.

[Zoraxe 546]

What boggles my mind is that they finally removed the deus ex elements only to replace them with an even more powerful deus ex rainbow.

 

Perhaps, we don't know what the limitations of the Rainbow Powers are. That stopping Tirak may have been a one time thing, and the rainbow can't be used to zapp baddies anymore. If I were to guess to the rainbows role now, I think it will likely be some sort of compass to point the way to problems that the princess of friendship can solve.

[Fawkes The Phoenix 737]

The elements only activate once Twilight has passed a "friendship test" with her friends:

 

1. When she learned about the magic of friendship.

2. When she made the mane 5 turn back to normal when they were under Discord's spell.

3. When she didn't need to learn anything else about friendship after she finished Staswirl's spell, then the elements turned her into an alicorn.

4. When she brought the magic of friendship to another world.

 

Twilight already knows everything she needs to know about firendship, and she finished her studies, giving up the elements was first step of the "final test", which finished when she opened the box. And now they don't need them anymore, the mane 6 have proved that they really represent their elements, and now their magic is inside them.

[sweetolebob18 724]

The Elements were over used? Let's see, once in S1 (the pilot), 2 times in S2 (Return of Harmony) + tried to use them in Canterlot Wedding & failed, + they blew up Twilight in Season 3.  IDK that I would call 1 episode a year "over used"

Edited July 27, 2015 by sweetolebob18