As the seasons progress, will the mane 6 start seeking outside help?

[ManaMinori 4,149]

For the past 4 years, the Mane 6 have pretty much tackled every threat that came their way with 'the magic of friendship', which was limited to mainly the 6 pony members of their group. There are a few times where they've had to rely on someone else to save the day- Spike, in the Crystal Empire episode, and Sunset Shimmer in Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks. Even Fluttershy was forced to take a desperate external attempt to seek help outside of her friends, in “Putting Your Hoof Down”, so outside intervention has been done a few times, but not nearly enough, in my opinion. Outside of Spike in the main series, the mane 6 haven't really reached a hoof out to somepony else when they're unable to tackle the problem, themselves (and even then, poor Spike hasn't saved the day much, because the EoH and friendship rainbows hog the spotlight)

 

For a show that stresses the importance of the 'magic of friendship', could more character development occur, along with new friendships forged, and lessons learned (about knowing when to call in a little extra help, and realizing you can make some new friends who'll support you, that way) if the Mane 6 started branching out and having to forge new friendships, once realizing that the power of 6 might not be enough in some battles? (allowing Luna, Celestia, Zecora, the CMC (including Babs) or some other character to have their chance at saving the day? Or maybe sunbutt suggesting that she let her 'former student' (Sunset Shimmer) join the party?

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

I hope they do in future seasons. The way two-parter episodes were going lately actually suggested the opposite, in that they were taking as many supporting characters as possible out of the plot in order to keep the focus on the Mane 6, even narrowing it down to Twilight in some cases. However, the regular episodes of Season 4 made better use of supporting or one-shot characters. I think the trend from the regular episodes will carry on into Season 5, but I'd like to see that trend carry over into the two-parters as well.

Edited December 23, 2014 by North Wind

[ManaMinori 4,149]

I hope they do in future seasons. The way two-parter episodes were going lately actually suggested the opposite, in that they were taking as many supporting characters as possible out of the plot in order to keep the focus on the Mane 6, even narrowing it down to Twilight in some cases. However, the regular episodes of Season 4 made better use of supporting or one-shot characters. I think the trend from the regular episodes will carry on into Season 5, but I'd like to see that trend carry over into the two-parters as well.

agreed

and the people who wrote those supporting character episodes need to bring it again in S5, and the season finale, for an interesting shake-up from the norm. I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to see occurrences when the power of 6 just isn't enough to save the day.

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

agreed

and the people who wrote those supporting character episodes need to bring it again in S5, and the season finale, for an interesting shake-up from the norm. I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to see occurrences when the power of 6 just isn't enough to save the day.

We're not the only ones. The analyst Silver Quill has suggested that this should be done in future episodes as well.

 

I'm looking through instances of past two-parters, and it actually looks as if they've done it more times than we remember. In two cases, it's actually Cadance and Shining Armor that save the day with the help of the Mane 6. However, plot elements in some episodes make it look as if the other characters are being taken out of the plot until the end, when their power is inevitably needed, or simply treated as if they don't exist (Luna is the biggest victim of this).

 

• The pilot episode was the only time in which the Mane 6 were genuinely the only ones who could save the world. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor were not known yet, so there were only two princesses; one was the villain and the other was kidnapped, so it really fell to the new bearers of the Elements and only them to save the world.
• In "The Return of Harmony", Celestia stays inside the castle and Princess Luna is treated as if she does not exist.
• In "A Canterlot Wedding", Celestia, Cadance, and Shining Armor were all incapacitated. Cadance and Shining Armor's power is what delivered the death blow, but they relied on Twilight Sparkle alone to free them. The ReMane 5 were in a support role but did not actually do anything in the plot, and Princess Luna, well...

  

• "The Crystal Empire" uses the "test", such a bluntly forced and unnecessary plot element that doesn't even try to hide the fact that it's a plot device to get Twilight to save the day and learn the moral while relegating the ReMane 5 to a minor supporting role. Fortunately, Cadance, Shining Armor, and Spike were the ones who delivered the death blow, though I feel it's a contrivance to give Spike all the credit.
• In "Princess Twilight Sparkle", Princess Cadance is only referenced once as overseeing the Crystal Empire and never addressed again. Shining Armor is not addressed at all.
• Don't get me started on "Twilight's Kingdom", where they took Shining Armor down early, then took down the ReMane 5, then took down the other three Princesses to give Twilight all the glory for making the right choice in the end, and as it turns out, the plan didn't make any sense anyway.

The whole point of what both of us are saying is that one of these episodes should end with more than just Twilight and the Mane 6 standing up to the villain, and I think that is a good idea. We should come to a point in Season 5 where all of Equestria has to stand with Twilight, not bow to her for the solution like it has both times in Season 4.

[FizzyGreen 909]

Just one thing: 

I would LOVE to see enemies become friends! Everyone works together, the magic of friendship is everywhere!

And... and the mane 6 are like dead, or beaten and lay on the ground. And then they slowly wake up thinking that everything is lost. And then they see how all those people fight with the magic of friendship. And they, especially twilight, realize, that the magic of friendship is everywhere. Not only through them. Now through everybody!

 

So... good...

[AlbaTross 1,586]

I disagree that the Mane Six don't have any outside help. Twilight wouldn't have had all the Alicorn magic if not for the other princesses, Discord helped Twilight find hpthe box, and it was actually Spike and Princess Cadance who saved the day in the season 3 intro. Sure, the Mane Six tend to have the biggest role in these epics, particularly Twilight, but it would be false to say that they have no help. I do agree that it would be nice to see other characters move involved, even if they stick to more supporting roles. I'm sure we will see an epic finale of sorts that does that though, even if it ends up being the series finale.

 

On a side note, the possibility of the Mane Six traveling move opens a whole new world of possibilities, especially if they should choose to venture outside of Equestria. I'm definitely looking forward to season 5, because even if only a few obligatory episodes here and there are dedicated to the teased sub-plot we've seen so far(if that even turns out to be the main premise of the season), we should at least see the extended cast grow, and more than likely be introduced to at least one new antagonist.

[sweetolebob18 728]

On the one hand, I agree I'd like to see more of the minor characters.  Luna, Zecora, Babs, Big Mac, etc.  On the other hand, they've already got too many subplots as it is.

 

What I'd really like is a spin off.  Maybe Zecora running a magic school, like Prof X & the X Men, or the Cutie Mark Crusaders running a babysitting service (Cake twins, Dinky Hooves, Pip Squeak, etc.)  This would give the minor characters more room.

[Zefir 34]

Considering that the overarching arc for season 5 has to do with travelling all around the Equestria, reforming it with magic of friendship, it seems likely. We could possibly see more one-shot characters specific to the episode's location, like maybe in the creepy = village. Or older characters returning- we will have more excuse for them to appear, with different locations being visited more often. 

[RainbowTashie 379]

For the past 4 years, the Mane 6 have pretty much tackled every threat that came their way with 'the magic of friendship', which was limited to mainly the 6 pony members of their group. There are a few times where they've had to rely on someone else to save the day- Spike, in the Crystal Empire episode, and Sunset Shimmer in Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks. Even Fluttershy was forced to take a desperate external attempt to seek help outside of her friends, in “Putting Your Hoof Down”, so outside intervention has been done a few times, but not nearly enough, in my opinion. Outside of Spike in the main series, the mane 6 haven't really reached a hoof out to somepony else when they're unable to tackle the problem, themselves (and even then, poor Spike hasn't saved the day much, because the EoH and friendship rainbows hog the spotlight)

 

For a show that stresses the importance of the 'magic of friendship', could more character development occur, along with new friendships forged, and lessons learned (about knowing when to call in a little extra help, and realizing you can make some new friends who'll support you, that way) if the Mane 6 started branching out and having to forge new friendships, once realizing that the power of 6 might not be enough in some battles? (allowing Luna, Celestia, Zecora, the CMC (including Babs) or some other character to have their chance at saving the day? Or maybe sunbutt suggesting that she let her 'former student' (Sunset Shimmer) join the party?

I would love to see more of this but then i guess it would interfere withe the show a bit with these 6 friends being the elements of harmony and all. At the same time they need to add that it's okay to have friends outside your friendship group in particular which is the way they'd most likely go around it for small people purposes