Child prodigy villain?

[ManaMinori 4,145]

Would it be a nice change of pace to see the mane 6 have to face off against not some evil dictator unicorn, jealous alicorn nightmare, demon from Tartarus, starved bug Queen, or misguided, op unicorn bent on communism, but rather- a foal? More specifically, an Earth pony, child prodigy turned villain who uses brains (like Sombra) over brawn and magic, and actually gives our heroines a tough time (like Sombra)? Would it be interesting if this was the one villain who reoccurred throughout the meat of the series, time and again, rather than just reserved for epic bookend finales? How would the mane 6 feel about squaring off against a child? Getting their flanks handed to them? Compromising their restraint and unsealing the full force of their friendship blasts against a young’n? Would any of them fall prey to their villainous sugarcoating and schemes, and be turned to the dark side, to break up the mane 6 and make them less effective as a whole?

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

I don't think that would work. 

 

I mean, it'd be rather silly to see the mane six struggling to defeat a child considering the kind of villains they've fought in the past.

[Brony Number 42 10,072]

If he really did something wrong then he couldn't live among normal society, else he would simply be arrested. So either he has a secret lair or he does something that is not actually bad but just really annoying.

[Ruddboy Olaf 10,628]

It could definitely work, due to the fact that the Mane 6 are so gullible and trusting. The last pony they'd expect to be evil is a child. Maybe, he could be a prodigy in psychology, and uses the Mane 6's insecurities/flaws to break them up.

 

Sorta like how Discord did, but less obvious.

Edited March 1, 2017 by Panzysoldat

[Jeric 46,860]

Little kid giving adult heroes a hard time? Next thing you'll see is a bunch of teddy bears defeating a large and technologically superior military force.

 

 

If it's a kid it would be redeemed, and the CMC (not the Mane 6) would be central to that endeavor. Also, thematically it may present issues with limiting writing. Oftentimes these characters are used as comedic villains. Darker shows like BtAS can add in depth to child villains, but I don't recall any decent ones that fit the MLP:FiM tone.

 

Also, we already had brains over brawn. Starlight didn't use just magic to dominate, she used persuasion and charisma. Magic was just a tool. She was a cult leader afterall - making a persuasive argument for the lifestyle is a prerequisite. It is also important to note that the Mane Six did not directly defeat her in their first encounter. If not for help, they would have failed.

 

If the question was if I would like more villains like that, then yes.

[ManaMinori 4,145]

I don't think that would work. 

 

I mean, it'd be rather silly to see the mane six struggling to defeat a child considering the kind of villains they've fought in the past.

they struggled to defeat an adult mare with the mindset of a child (Starlight Gutter). So why not a child with an adult mindset? 

If he really did something wrong then he couldn't live among normal society, else he would simply be arrested. So either he has a secret lair or he does something that is not actually bad but just really annoying.

we're long overdue for a villain with a secret lair, you know....

It could definitely work, due to the fact that the Mane 6 are so gullible and trusting. The last pony they'd expect to be evil is a child. Maybe, he could be a prodigy in psychology, and uses the Mane 6's insecurities/flaws to break them up.

 

Sorta like how Discord did, but less obvious.

(coughlikeSombracough) yes! a little bit of Sombra and Discord in the body of a foal. yes, yes, yesssssssss!

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

they struggled to defeat an adult mare with the mindset of a child (Starlight Gutter). So why not a child with an adult mindset? 

Let's not forget that the adult happened to be both a master manipulator and arguably the strongest unicorn we've seen so far.  Plus, the mane six were heavily weakened at the time, due to said adult having stripped them of their special talents.

 

So you can't really compare the two.  

Edited March 1, 2017 by Yamet

[Ruddboy Olaf 10,628]

they struggled to defeat an adult mare with the mindset of a child (Starlight Gutter). So why not a child with an adult mindset? 

To be fair said adult mare could remove cutie marks and magic. But, yeah, they struggled, and if it weren't for Twilight's stupid speeches, said adult mare would've destroyed Equestria.

 

 

(coughlikeSombracough) yes! a little bit of Sombra and Discord in the body of a foal. yes, yes, yesssssssss!

The thought has crossed my mind before. Many kids shows have kid villains. So, I don't see why MLP shouldn't try.

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

If They want to make a child villain, Why not Flurry Heart !? ;3

[ManaMinori 4,145]

If They want to make a child villain, Why not Flurry Heart !? ;3

she isn't a child, she's a baby who doesn't have the mental capacity to speak, let alone scheme.

[cmarston1 5,959]

Given Starlight's laughably weak motivation for becoming evil, I wonder if it would have been better if she was a child villian instead of being an adult.

[FizzyGreen 909]

Oh, so we got a misguided Jimmy Neutron? Yeah. I would somehow like that.

 

Like Yukio from Bleach, a kid who had superpowers, but also is a super hacker and hacked his parents bank account and made their life horrible.

 

They'd need to make it work well, for the foal to be still childish but extremly insecure none the less.

[ggg-2 3,553]

While a child prodigy villain would be interesting, it would still be a foal. They would still need to find a way to defeat them which, if not done correctly, could land them in hot water, both in universe and out.

[Lil Pip 775]

I would like it if they broke the 4th wall in a creepy manner instead of a humorous manner, and give fairly accurate but shifted perspective analysis monologues ont he state of equestria and plan on changing it, and Twilight thinks well *technically* they didn't do anything wrong yet, and *technically* they are correct, and it causes a social rift within the mane 6, then the alt 6 need to step up. Discord sees its a kid and thinks, what? This isn't a problem, seriously guys *leaves*. 

 

Then the kid owns the first monopoly, tricks Celestia into signing away the country into a democracy. Some jokes involving how they transition into getting homeless and coping with working a normal life for the first time in a millenia or two. 

 

The kid hires a bunch of relic producers to give flying and magic wards, yet owns a robot suit or something, then hilarious fail attempts at solving the situation. Starlight n Trixie steal some power amulets then wreck the suit, the kid threatens to sue, all the bodyguards become a problem, who used to work as royal guards.

 

End of story Celestia bans technology and free trade lul.

[Twilight-Shimmer 151]

If they did go that route and made a Genius Foal a villain it would have to be handled very very carefully least Parents begin to throw shit fits (Can i say that?)  to Hasbro demanding it changed.

[Aurora Glimmer 494]

Funny story. A while back I was planning on writing an AU where instead of being a full-grown mare, Starlight Glimmer was a foal prodigy. The way I envisioned it, Filly Starlight would've been a cross between Anthony Fremont from The Twilight Zone and Baby Doll from Batman: The Animated Series. She'd have been an emotionally disturbed filly with godlike powers who terrorized the village she lived in and forced ponies to do her bidding or taste her wrath.