spoiler FIENDship is Magic #1 - Sombra

[Prince Firemane 309]

I know I'm going against the grain here, but I didn't really like this one. It was intriguing and pleasantly dark, yes, but to me giving Sombra a tragic backstory seems to undercut his well-established level of evil. During The Crystal Empire episodes, it seems that he was evil purely of choice; he was a regular Unicorn who wanted power and took it by corrupting himself with dark magic. Now it seems that he was evil because he had absolutely no choice and the universe was basically conspiring to turn him into the tyrant he would later become. A character like Sombra is never meant to be sympathetic and now that there's an attempt to make him so, I feel  like it kind of devalues his character.

[Juggerpony 92]

I know I'm going against the grain here, but I didn't really like this one. It was intriguing and pleasantly dark, yes, but to me giving Sombra a tragic backstory seems to undercut his well-established level of evil. During The Crystal Empire episodes, it seems that he was evil purely of choice; he was a regular Unicorn who wanted power and took it by corrupting himself with dark magic. Now it seems that he was evil because he had absolutely no choice and the universe was basically conspiring to turn him into the tyrant he would later become. A character like Sombra is never meant to be sympathetic and now that there's an attempt to make him so, I feel  like it kind of devalues his character.

That..... is an interesting point. Yes, while it would have made his Crystal Empire self look more evil, he still had a choice onto whether or not he would he would conquer it. 

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

I know I'm going against the grain here, but I didn't really like this one. It was intriguing and pleasantly dark, yes, but to me giving Sombra a tragic backstory seems to undercut his well-established level of evil. During The Crystal Empire episodes, it seems that he was evil purely of choice; he was a regular Unicorn who wanted power and took it by corrupting himself with dark magic. Now it seems that he was evil because he had absolutely no choice and the universe was basically conspiring to turn him into the tyrant he would later become. A character like Sombra is never meant to be sympathetic and now that there's an attempt to make him so, I feel  like it kind of devalues his character.

 

To be honest, I feel it was the best choice they could make. Sombra has always been one of the worst recieved villains on the show, and I don't think the comic would have been well recieved if they'd tried to continue forward with his current characterization and style.

I think retconning who he "was" while still keeping his shadow and crystals motif was the best possible route they could have taken. Plus, he has a good niche now in the villains, as none of the other villains really had a sad backstory, making him noticeably different. conversely, the "Evil doomsday villain that's pure evil" slot is in direct competition with Lord Tirek.

[Zoraxe 546]

Before this comic, Sombra was almost not even a character. This is one of the comics that makes the show better. Like Shining armor and Cadance having no backstory what-so-ever in the show, but an awesome comic exists that gives them a story. And a book gives a reason why Cadance is an Alicorn Princess (she was originally a Pegasus).

[Honsou 399]

Anyone think Dracula Untold after reading this?

 

It reminded me so much about what love can drive a person to do.

[Castle Bleck 19,374]

To be honest, I feel it was the best choice they could make. Sombra has always been one of the worst recieved villains on the show, and I don't think the comic would have been well recieved if they'd tried to continue forward with his current characterization and style.

I think retconning who he "was" while still keeping his shadow and crystals motif was the best possible route they could have taken. Plus, he has a good niche now in the villains, as none of the other villains really had a sad backstory, making him noticeably different. conversely, the "Evil doomsday villain that's pure evil" slot is in direct competition with Lord Tirek.

 

All that matters, IMO, is that they managed to keep Sombra from becoming just another overconfident monologuer.

 

And he and Tirek are still the 2 most serious villains, so yeah.