spoiler Is anybody else tired of the whole "villains reforming" concept?

[cider float 2,536]

No because you can always create new villains. Redemptions are what the show's about basically - teaching the magic of friendship.

Yeah... 15 min villains that turn into good guys in the end... really nothing to hold dear about. They just make new villains that are as interesting as cardboard cut outs.

[gamecubeguy214 2,511]

A little bit. Ever since getting into the show, I was always comfused as to why they didn't just kill them rather than trying so hard to turn them into good guys.

[cider float 2,536]

We need more good guys that began to deform. That would be awesome. 

[SBaby 660]

I have nothing against the concept. 

 

I just think the reformation of villains could be written better.  Most of them feel rushed and uninspired, almost as if they were shoehorned into the show for plot convenience.  Granted, a lot of this is because of time constraints.  But there are much better ways to write them, that would give fans of the show major feels.

 

Anyone that thinks this isn't possible, I've got one word for you:  Undertale.  And that's not even the best villain reformation I've seen.

Edited January 13, 2016 by SBaby

[FlutterDash4072 189]

I'm pretty tired of redemptions but I actually didn't mind Starlight's. Yes, it was rushed and could've been handled better but it doesn't bother me as much as others have.

 

But I definitely agree with those that want this one to be the last one. Twilight really could use a nemesis.

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

How could redemptions be done better?

[Aladdin Mane 17]

Discord was the worst. I almost quit watching. I mean, his *literal being* is the very concept of chaos and madness and now he's all friends-and-harmony. Bunk.

How could redemptions be done better?

By not being done. Friendship isn't a magical cure for everything and it's a garbage message for any audience that will leave them ill-prepared for reality.

[Megas 27,070]

Less super villain characters being redeemed, make them more believable, choose characters that can work with it, no more rushing them

[FlutterDash4072 189]

So, apparently Sombra got redeemed in the comics. Shit like this is why I don't read them anymore.

[Sazama Ichida 2,352]

On 1/12/2016 at 6:37 AM, FlutterDash4072 said:

So, apparently Sombra got redeemed in the comics. Shit like this is why I don't read them anymore.

So the comics truly aren't canon...Thank you for confirming that.

Odd though. I coulda sworn he was revealed to be born evil in the comics. And that when a mare tried to redeem him he turned her to stone and then shattered her.

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

On 12/9/2015 at 1:58 AM, Asbel Lhant said:

It's ok at times but just once I wanted to have a permanent Trixie archetype character who would remain evil. But both Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer ended up turning good. I guess it sorta made sense for Discord to reform since he was never really evil to begin with. Just mischievous. And I'm also ok with Diamond Tiara reforming since she wasn't really a villain or antagonist. Just a bully. And it won't really surprise me if Queen Chrysalis ends up being redeemed since Hasbro might decide to cater to the headcanons of all these fanboys that want her to just be misunderstood. But characters like King Sombra are supposed to be pure evil. Characters like him for example aren't supposed to be redeemable. Read the comics for more info if you don't believe me. And I swear if Tirek ends up turning good I just might end up leaving the fandom...He was supposed to be evil incarnate...He disowned his own brother and used deception along with power and destruction to get what he wanted...If they're gonna make Sombra a good guy they might as well make Adolf Hitler a good guy...And if they're gonna make Tirek a good guy they might as well make the devil a good guy...It's ridiculous...Point is there are some villains who just shouldn't be redeemed.

"Characters like king sombra are supposed to be pure evil"

Well...good thing they killed him then.

Storm king didnt reform, the shadow didnt reform, grogar wont.

Also grogar is more of a devil type character than tirek now.

On 1/11/2016 at 10:28 PM, Aladdin Mane said:

Discord was the worst. I almost quit watching. I mean, his *literal being* is the very concept of chaos and madness and now he's all friends-and-harmony. Bunk.

 

By not being done. Friendship isn't a magical cure for everything and it's a garbage message for any audience that will leave them ill-prepared for reality.

 

This is just not true, he is not all friends and harmony, all of his appearances lately have been based on his chaotic nature.

 

Just realized that this thread was a necro

Never mind then

Edited August 22, 2019 by Drunkfrank

[Lucky Bolt 34,915]

I don't care either way but it'd be nice to see less reformed villains to be honest. 

[RDDash 18,867]

Yes, spontaneous villain reformation can be annoying at times.

[Sazama Ichida 2,352]

On 1/11/2016 at 9:28 PM, Aladdin Mane said:

Discord was the worst. I almost quit watching. I mean, his *literal being* is the very concept of chaos and madness and now he's all friends-and-harmony. Bunk.

He's pretty much a Mr. Mxyzptlk type character. He should be Chaotic Neutral if anything.

On 1/11/2016 at 9:28 PM, Aladdin Mane said:

By not being done. Friendship isn't a magical cure for everything and it's a garbage message for any audience that will leave them ill-prepared for reality.

That's so true it hurts...

On 8/22/2019 at 1:00 AM, Drunkfrank said:

"Characters like king sombra are supposed to be pure evil"

Well...good thing they killed him then.

Storm king didnt reform, the shadow didnt reform, grogar wont.

Also grogar is more of a devil type character than tirek now.

That's all true yes.

[Castle Bleck 19,167]

Give me IDW's complex, still-serious "Umbrum Vader" over S9's cackling, mustache-twirling "Pony Snoke" any day.

[Megas 27,070]

3 minutes ago, Anti-Villain said:

Give me IDW's complex, still-serious "Umbrum Vader" over S9's cackling, mustache-twirling "Pony Snoke" any day.

Sombra is literally one of the last villains I wanted redeemed. I'm fine with Pony Dick Dastardly myself

[Sazama Ichida 2,352]

I actually DO want Cozy Glow to be redeemed. I was disappointed when I saw her turn out to be evil. I would love to see her change. Because I always liked her and found her adorable.

[Sazama Ichida 2,352]

And I seriously can't help but wonder how a LITTLE FILLY got to be so evil and manipulative wanting to try and gain power through friendship thus taking over. HOW?! Were her parents raising her to make her be like that or something?! Like Seriously?!

[Jeric 46,835]

Well you all won’t have to be fatigued for long. All episodes in the can and we just wait for the river and flop. 

Que sera sera as they say. 

[Splashee 28,537]

No, I like characters developing into something new. If they stay the same, they become boring.

[heavens-champion 1,893]

59 minutes ago, Splashee said:

No, I like characters developing into something new. If they stay the same, they become boring.

Like Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender?

[Will Guide 21,325]

10 hours ago, heavens-champion said:

Like Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender?

Toph was able to bend metal, which for a long time was considered impossible since the Earth particles were embedded deep inside the metal, but Toph through persistence was able to reach out to the particles within and bend them. It help made her a great asset to Team Avatar in the 3rd season.

11 hours ago, Splashee said:

No, I like characters developing into something new. If they stay the same, they become boring.

Static characters are not necessarily a bad thing. Uncle Iroh was an awesome character and didn't really changed much. His character development of a heel-face turn from potentially being a Fire Nation General who would have overtaken Ba Sing Se to a man who wants to help his nephew happened before the series even began with the loss of his son.

[Rushing cash 824]

Well, the last major villain that was reformed was stygian, if you count tempest as one then she was the last so it looks like the writers got tired of it too. I enjoy reformations as long as they make sense, like while I loved starlight as a villain, her reformation was pretty good unlike sunsets(in the first movie), although its important not to redeem everyone of them IMO.

So: Nightmare moon (was obliterated by the elements, and luna was freed from her alter ego, does this count as reformation?)

Discord was redeemed but he still remained neutral unless it regarded fluttershy. 

Chrysalis was not redeemed.

Sombra was not redeemed. (unless you count the comics)

Tirek was not redeemed

Starlight got redeemed

POS, well stygian was redeemed but the shadow was sent to limbo.

Tempest was redeemed. the storm king died.

Cozy glow was turned to stone.

You can say that 5 were not redeemed, 2(NM and POS) are questionable and 3 were truly redeemed(although discord is a pretty special case).

[CypherHoof 26,479]

yeah, I think redemption is more the exception than the rule.

+ Nightmare Moon - it depends on if you think something like the POS happened to her; I would put her in the Redeemed column though because I think it was actually Luna all along (and she knows it, hence all the self-punishment) - essentially a thousand-year temper tantrum.
+ Discord. Stoned by Celestia, Stoned AGAIN by Team Twi, finally overwhelmed by Fluttershy's cuteness and starts to behave himself. Mostly. I don't think he was EVER on the Evil-good scale though; as a being of chaos, his axis would be more selfish-selfless, with his initial appearance well over to the "selfish" side, and probably now a little right of center, but still, going to put him in the "redeemed" column, given he will at least THINK now before he does things that have a risk of upsetting Fluttershy.

- Chrysalis - Definitely not redeemed, totally deserves her new career as a lawn decoration (even though it makes Fluffle Puff sad)

- Sombra - Repeatedly not redeemed. Banished by Celestia/Luna, returned, banished AGAIN by Team Twilight, brought back by Discord, then banished again again. Doesn't seem to learn though.

- Tirek. Matching lawn piece to cheesebutt. 'nuf said.

+ Starlight Glimmer - Award winner for longest and most drawn out redemption ever.

- Pony of Shadows - going to go with "no" on this one. PoS was essentially a separate entity to Stygian, and Team Twi stuffed him back in the hole they had pulled him from.

- Cozy Glow - another unreformed lawn ornament.

So for major characters, I make that three reformed vs five really not.

But there are a bunch of minor characters too.

+ Glinda - apparently she isn't quite as much of a jerk as we thought.

+ Trixie - Trixie definitely started as a minor villain, so counts as a reformation (IMHO)

- Flim and Flam (is that two? lets count them as one). Definitely not reformed, still up to their grubby little tricks.

+ Babs Seed - another reformation, so sure.

- Iron Will - "He's not a monster, he's a minataur". Yeah. he is also another grubby money-hungry irritation.

+ Diamond Tiara - Going to include Silver Spoon in this one too - must unexpected reformation of the series.

- Svengallop - still not a nice pony, probably will power-team-up with Flim and Flam if they don't kill each other first.

So I think the secondary characters roughly break even - I am probably missing a few though

 

 

 

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

I’m so glad the villains turned to stone in s9 because it meant we didn’t have to force a reform on Chrysalis, Cozy, or Tirek. Cozy I understand but Chryssy’s reform would’ve felt super forced