Why is Iron Will so often depicted as a villain?

[Manman20x6 359]

I noticed that a lot of fanart treats Iron Will like a villain. Although he was technically the antagonist of his episode, antagonist is not synonymous with "bad guy".

 

What I understand is that he taught Fluttershy how to be more assertive (exactly like she asked him to), then Fluttershy misinterpreted some of his lessons and became a jerk because of that. In the end, he shows that he is a very honest businessman who cares about his customers more than profits when he refunds Fluttershy despite the fact that he could easily claim that his lessons were perfect, and she caused all the problems by herself.

 

There is very little about him that is bad, and yet fan and official art often places Iron Will alongside the likes of Flim and Flam (Who are unapologetic scammers), Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon (Remorseless bullies), and even Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Chrysalis! His only "faults" are not being clear enough in his instructions (Which the Mane 6 have been guilty of in a few episodes), and wanting payment for his services.

 

Does he really deserve his "bad guy" reputation?

 

Here are some examples of Iron Will being depicted as a bad guy:

 

https://derpiboo.ru/718871 - Iron Will is apparently "Lawful Evil".

 

https://derpiboo.ru/791660

 

https://derpiboo.ru/461308

 

https://derpiboo.ru/363966

 

https://derpiboo.ru/293827 - Bonus points for deciding that wild creatures are villains for defending or feeding themselves.

 

https://derpiboo.ru/183080 - This one is an official poster showing all of the antagonists and Iron Will.

 

http://futzi01.deviantart.com/art/Canterlot-Siege-3-Inversion-466615443 - A flash game starring the villains of the show. Iron Will is helping them out.

[Professor Annabella 330]

I feel like he is telling people to deal with their problems by hating. Being angry and mean instead of understanding and caring, but knowing how to stick up with yourself. He teaches this to MANY people instead of just Fluttershy, and all just to make a quick buck. Some people say it's because he's a different race, and all the ponies are racist towards him... but he's kind fitting the stereotype. Being a big mean monster... 

[Guest]

I don't view Iron Will as a villain  why would he be? Honestly from the first time I saw Iron Will on the show. He really reminded me of Hercule from Dragonball Z xD.

[Silver Letter 1,830]

Fluttershy was the negative element in the story. She took Iron Will's training too far and became unsatisfied through her own actions. She should have payed him since she was satisfied with the initial training but used it the wrong way afterwards which was not Iron Will's fault. It wasn't a fault with the training but with how she used it. Like if she bought a car and loved it but couldn't handle it and crashed. It would be her fault. Not the car's. If Fluttershy had gone to court, she would lose.

[colt_following 169]

I wondered this as well. What Silver Letter said is true... I don't think Iron Will was in the wrong as a result of Fluttershy taking HIS advice. I think maybe he does truly inspire some confidence in ponies, but he is portrayed as being just a complete villain, which I don't really like so much.

[Nuke87654 1,849]

Because the episode's narrative wanted to blame Iron Will for causing Fluttershy's to be an insensitive brute through his training despite how faulty that logic is for whose fault is it: the gunman who used a gun to kill people or the training instructor who had trained him how to shoot a fire arm in self defense.

 

It's one aspect I hated about putting your hoof down as Fluttershy was the real villain in that episode.

Edited June 15, 2015 by Nuke87654

[ManaMinori 4,144]

Fluttershy was the negative element in the story. She took Iron Will's training too far and became unsatisfied through her own actions. She should have payed him since she was satisfied with the initial training but used it the wrong way afterwards which was not Iron Will's fault. It wasn't a fault with the training but with how she used it. Like if she bought a car and loved it but couldn't handle it and crashed. It would be her fault. Not the car's. If Fluttershy had gone to court, she would lose.

but Fluttershy fans are unable to see any bad or negative in her sweet, gentle, innocent, loveable sweetheart of a character, and so they villify the one who's advice Flutterbutt took, but made her own- Iron Will. Because their precious sweetheart Fluttershy could NEVER do wrong. (regardless of the fact that she HAS. On many occasions).

 

question answered/ end thread

Edited June 15, 2015 by Nightmare Muffin

[Manman20x6 359]

I feel like he is telling people to deal with their problems by hating. Being angry and mean instead of understanding and caring, but knowing how to stick up with yourself. He teaches this to MANY people instead of just Fluttershy, and all just to make a quick buck. Some people say it's because he's a different race, and all the ponies are racist towards him... but he's kind fitting the stereotype. Being a big mean monster... 

 

There's a difference between being assertive and being mean. Iron Will was just telling Fluttershy to not take crap from everyone else all the time, and she's the one who misinterpreted that and turned into a bully.

 

And would such a mean character really offer such a generous deal? I mean, if a real businessman gave a full refund to every single customer who had even the slightest complaint, he would probably be broke and starving on the streets. He was almost as generous as Rarity.

[cider float 2,536]

Naw he was beaten by his own game. You can say he was more honorable than other villains and accepted his loss. Maybe he did help Fluttershy learn assertiveness but he was still trying to push her around to get her money knowing that Fluttershy was a pushover or so he thought.

Edited June 15, 2015 by cider float

[Discordian 6,013]

It's simple: People don't like muscly jerks. They're often seen as everything wrong with society. He portrays that stereotype and people see him as bad because of it.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,298]

I liked how he made out in his Friends Forever issue with Fluttershy.  The guy's married and has a kid.

[Nuke87654 1,849]

I liked how he made out in his Friends Forever issue with Fluttershy.  The guy's married and has a kid.

 

Does it help redeem their relationship after what had happened in Putting your Hoof Down?

[gone~ 614]

What I understand is that he taught Fluttershy how to be more assertive (exactly like she asked him to), then Fluttershy misinterpreted some of his lessons and became a jerk because of that. In the end, he shows that he is a very honest businessman who cares about his customers more than profits when he refunds Fluttershy despite the fact that he could easily claim that his lessons were perfect, and she caused all the problems by herself.

 

Iron Will's lessons in assertiveness were actually telling Fluttershy to be a jerk. When someone is blocking you, knocking them over and yelling at them is not being assertive, it's being a jerk. It's also heavily implied that all the "catchphrases" that Fluttershy says are taught by Iron Will (rather than made by her), although only a few are actually said by Iron Will on screen.

 

The ones explicitly said by Iron Will are:

"Don't be shy, look 'em in the eye",

"When somepony tries to block, show them that you ROCK!",

and "Never apologize when you can criticize"

 

The first one is good advice, but the other two, coupled with the actions he shows on-stage, are more "mean" than "assertive".

 

And the catchphrases that Fluttershy uses are:

"Treat me like a pushover, and you'll get the once-over",

"Maybe's are for babies",

"You laugh at me, I wrath at you",

"Cut in line, I'll take what's mine",

"You apologize, I penalize",

and "You make me lose, I blow my fuse"

 

These phrases are also encouraging mean behavior (perhaps with the exception of "Maybe's are for babies").

 

That being said, I don't think that Iron Will is really on the level of "villain", since he did seem like a pretty reasonable guy when giving a refund at the end.

[ThatOneComrade 1,091]

Because he told Fluttershy to stick up for herself, she took it overboard, and the fandom doesn't want to hold cute wittle Flutterbutters accountable for her mistakes.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,298]

Does it help redeem their relationship after what had happened in Putting your Hoof Down?

 

 

I think it did.  Iron Will went to Fluttershy looking for help, and Fluttershy didn't hesitate in providing it.