spoiler Why was running away considered good for Starlight but bad for the Sirens?

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

So I've noticed some (I stress some and only some) people have been complimenting the fact that Starlight Glimmer got away at the end of The Cutie Map, saying it's refreshing to see a villain be able to get away and not be reformed,imprisoned, blown up and what have you, yet The Sirens in Rainbow Rocks also got away after being beaten and the more general reaction I hear is "Wait, they got away? WTF?"  and complaints along those lines, that they should have been reformed and so on.  Why do you think that is?  

 

I think it has to do with set up, In Starlight's case, she had a flashbang magic spell that allowed her to enter the cave of thousand paths or whatever, while with the Sirens, they sulked off stage, that the focus still remained on Starlight as she fled while with the Sirens it was more of a denouement, an after thought more so to explain what happened to them.

 

But anyways what are your thoughts about this?

 

(Also sorry if this should be in the EQG subforum, it contained Starlight Glimmer so I wasn't entirely sure where it should go.)  

 

[ConcorDisparate 385]

I don't remember, but I think the Sirens lost their gems that gave them their powers, right ?

 

Starlight's escape is refreshing because she is still a threat, while every other villain so far, escaping or not, was defeated and unable to act anymore.

[Pastel 7,630]

Maybe because one happened in a season premiere, which means we will certainly see her again later (so more continuity and more suspense), while the other happened in a movie.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Blobulle

[Frostgage 7,982]

The Sirens didn't really "get away" per se as they weren't much of a threat anymore. Starlight still is and I'm looking forward to her next appearance.

[Fhaolan 4,494]

I think I concur with Concor... Sorry, I had to do that.

 

It was heavily implied that the Siren's ability to present a threat was due to their necklaces. Once those were broken, it gave the impression that they also were broken and they could no longer be a threat. Personally I think that's underestimating them, but that's the 'story' the writers seemed to be presenting. They didn't run away, they slunk away because nobody seemed to care about them anymore.

 

Starlight, however, lost a power base in that Equality Village, but the skills and power that made her an actual threat should still be present. She's diminished, but not broken. There was no indication that she was drawing power from the things she lost. Though again, that might be just the writers not presenting that part of the story. And the ponies would likely have continued pursuit if they thought they would be able to catch her. That presents Starlight as a continuing threat.

[Jangocoolguy 433]

The sirens were defeated, were no longer a threat, and arguably aren't even canon.

 

Meanwhile, Starlite escaped to scheme another day, which is a lot more interesting and intriguing. (I'm hoping she forms the MLP Legion of Doom)

[Unlikeable Pony 2,700]

The siren's ability to cause trouble stemmed from their magical amulets. Without these amulets, they're just a trio of homeless girls running around, nothing big.

Starlight glimmer on the other hand has very powerful magic and could still mess up towns without characters like Twilight around.

[The Awesome One 1,316]

This is the first episode of the season and the creators of the show would probably want to bring Starlight back somehow as a much stronger and more dangerous villain in the finale of Season 5 (could be a possibility) leading a massive army of equals-sign cutie mark ponies. So they had to let her escape for that.

[UnknownFry 169]

Starlight may be a continuing threat, she could come back to bite ponies in the butt later on by causing further trouble.

 

The Dazzlings power base was soundly crushed (pun intended), so they no longer pose an active threat.

[Singe 2,111]

Starlight Glimmer getting away is a sign that the Season Finale will be the Mane 6 vs. the Sinister Six. Who wouldn't like past villains teaming up?

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,165]

The thing with the Sirens is that their threat is largely based on a magical item, and it also relied on sucking the negative energies from others; specifically those with Equestria magic. Once their gems were destroyed that threat was pretty much nullified.

 

Starlight's threat, while also based on magic, also relies upon cunning, a silver tongue, and general intelligence. Her threat couldn't be so narrowly taken down and, as such, remains dangerous.

[Honsou 399]

Well, the sirens were completely rendered powerless at the end of Rainbow Rocks, so I don't think we will see them again as far as villains. Starlight Glimmer presents an opportunity for a repeat villain, kind of like Chrysalis and Discord were.