Which reformed villain was best and which was worst?

[WindShear 545]

I actually think my favorite reformed villain is Starlight. Although many seem to disagree, I think that Starlights backstory with Sunburst provided a perfectly good explanation as to how she became who she is. Being separated from her only friend due to him getting a cutie mark led her to associate cutie marks with driving people apart, and colored her perception of cutie marks going forward. This eventually led to the creation of her ideology of equality, and her forming her cutie markless society in order to bring ponies together, and try to spare them the trauma she endured as a child.

 

The Mane 6 intervening in her town, in my opinion only strengthened her views about cutie marks seperating people, because as soon as the Mane 6 came to her town bringing with them their ideology that clashed with her own, she ended up losing everything she had worked for, and everything she cared about once again. She then lashed out at Twilight in order to make her understand the pain she had caused her, but when Twilight demonstrated to Starlight what would happen if she continues down this path Starlight finally begins to question herself.

 

In the end Starlight chose to reform herself. She wasn't forced to be reformed like many of the other villains. Starlight was able to fight Twilight to a stalemate, and if she wished she could have continued on her path. When Twilight shows her the devastation that her actions could lead to she questions whether or not what she believes is truly what is best for Equestria, and ultimately decides to try to make herself a better pony

 

 

 

 

 

As far as the worst, I'm going to go with Luna, and Sunset.  While I do love both of these characters, being zapped good by the elements of harmony doesnt make for a very interesting reformation story.

[Stasis 39]

It's absolutely believable for Starlight to act the way she did. Sunburst was her only friend. The moment where he got his cutie mark was the very last time she ever saw him. While he moved on, the memory of her trauma refused to go away. Kids respond to events far more emotionally than adults. To an adult like myself, this memory feels very petty, but to a child, it can shape how he, she, or xe lives.

 

Starlight has every good reason to believe Twilight. Each time Starlight (or Twilight accidentally) foiled the Sonic Rainboom, the future worsened. Starlight didn't believe what Twilight told her because to Starlight, Twilight was just being an egomaniac. SG didn't think the future would ever get this bad. But by showing Starlight the consequences of her damaging the past, it puts the burden of proof on SG. And it hurt SG. What happened during the wasteland foreshadowed Twilight's maturity and decision by Starlight to accept Twilight's offer.

Let me restate this since I worded that poorly. This idea she had has been implanted since she was a foal!! There is no way that she would give up that easily because of one reason alone. She was never proven her ideology was actually wrong or that her actions in the premiere wasn't wrong because they don't align in the slightest.

 

Her goal in the premiere was equality for everypony and judging by that backstory wanting others not to feel the same pain she felt. Despite how stupid or apathetic ponies have to be in her backstory for it to reach adulthood.

 

In the finale she wanted Twilight to feel that same pain she felt as a foal. Her want to spread her ideology is on hold so she can get her petty little revenge on Twilight.

 

The thing is her way of doing her ideology was never proven wrong to her yet the episode treats her character at the end like it is despite having zero proof whatsoever that how she was planning to spread her ideology was wrong so her mind changed in ways guilt would never do. This is almost OOC or just bad writing or Starlight never believed in her ideology at all which is stupid because she had to care somewhat For her ideology.

[Dark Qiviut 22,653]

@@Stasis, She was proven wrong twice.

1. Starlight was outed for being a fraud in TCM2, and Sugar Belle told her either everyone's equal or no one is. But her convictions were so strong, she never wavered them. She desperately tried to maintain the town's philosophy and then attacked Our Four for foiling her plans.
2. The wasteland is a consequence for everything that came into one. Her trauma over what happened as a filly boiled over into revenge on Twilight for collapsing her government. If she was going to continue down that broken path, then Equestria would've been permanently damaged. Starlight believed she would achieve equality in the future when the fact is her actions go beyond just her broken ideals. Her decisions affected everyone.

[Stasis 39]

@@Stasis, She was proven wrong twice.

• Starlight was outed for being a fraud in TCM2, and Sugar Belle told her either everyone's equal or no one is. But her convictions were so strong, she never wavered them. She desperately tried to maintain the town's philosophy and then attacked Our Four for foiling her plans.
• The wasteland is a consequence for everything that came into one. Her trauma over what happened as a filly boiled over into revenge on Twilight for collapsing her government. If she was going to continue down that broken path, then Equestria would've been permanently damaged. Starlight believed she would achieve equality in the future when the fact is her actions go beyond just her broken ideals. Her decisions affected everyone.

1. Yeah to the audience Starlight was proven wrong but they never actually prove that her ideology was wrong. The only reason they called her was because of a hypocrisy they found within the system not because she was actually wrong.

 

2. No the way she was getting revenge would've lead to Equestria being destroyed and those are actions that affected the past. Her actions towards Twilight and her friends was revenge/recompence for them ruining her village. Her longterm ideology wasn’t changed just because the Mane 6 were necessary in the past, she still sees the same problems with the status quo and nothing Twilight said countered those views. All she had to do was take back her actions of revenge.

 

I could possibly believe she would turn herself in for moralities sake, if she wasn’t a hardened schemer, but she still believes the status quo is wrong and she would have no interest in becoming best friends forever with the Mane 6. That’s just ridiculous.

Edited February 2, 2016 by Stasis