spoiler Where Was Shining Armor And The Royal Guard?

[Denim&Venöm 16,515]

It's a bit of a running joke at this point that the royal guard doesn't do a whole lot in the series. 

But not being there to provide security for Twi's friendship celebration? Not being there to defend the capital when it's under attack? Not being there to protect the princesses?  

Heck, the weren't even showed getting captured by The Storm King's army. 

And Twi's BBBFF no showing his own sister's friendship celebration, nor accompanying his wife? Not even bringing their daughter along for the festivities? Not even getting a mention or an exucse? 

 

[SaburoDaimando 1,196]

I think he came down with the flu.

[MidnightRush 104]

It goes beyond that really. A mix of main and background ponies were left out of the film too. 

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,289]

Didn't think of this while watching the movie and now I find it very weird. They weren't at least shown getting defeated by Storm King's army which would have been more than enough to show that they tried. I think this was an oversight.

[Castle Bleck 19,167]

I'm guessing Shining and Flurry were back at the Empire for security reasons.

[Bricks_Ahoy 860]

What if they were attacking another country in order to enlarge the borders of Equestria? 

[Sparklefan1234 161,870]

@Denim&Venom

 

Shining Armor & the guards were being like Ross from "Friends". 

 

 

[Leave a Whisper 703]

Maybe they're like the knights of Hyrule, all show and no use?

[Sonic5421 423]

I have been wondering where Shining Armor and the Royal Guard should have been during all this. With his wife, little sister, and the co-sovereigns of his country all together for a big event that hundreds of ponies are going to be at, Shining Armor should have been there to provide security with his men, even if it meant he would've met the same fate as Celestia, Luna, and Cadence with being encased in obsidian as a member of the Royal Family.

Perhaps he was taking care of Flurry Heart with Sunburst back in the Crystal Empire, and when he saw the airships heading for Canterlot, he feared the worst and realized that the Crystal Empire might be next, so he chose to stay there and set up defenses, not to mention how long it would've taken for reinforcements to reach Canterlot, even by train. They'd be no match for the Storm Guards already in the capital and be slaughtered, if not enslaved with everyone else instead to show that even the kingdom's own military is no match for that of the Storm King and his forces.

[blackstarraven 142]

Let's just throw this out there...

This movie started production in season 5...

A lot of characters where simply not around in there current forms then.

Starlight.

Trixie.

Discord.

Even the royal guard to some degree....

 

And look I know that a good number of the cast HAD to be useless at times, but WOW did the ponies seam super useless /helpless in the first half of this movie.

[Applejack1989 35]

It didn't fit the story they wanted to tell. The absence of the Royal Guard, or even an explanation as to why, is the one fan complaint about who was and was not involved that I agree with.

[tm2dragon 12]

I'm not sure about the Royal Guard, but Shining Armor is pretty easy to explain.  He is TECHNICALLY co-ruler of the Crystal Empire.  While his position might be a formality, considering he already has MASSIVE experience being in command, I'd assume he plays an active part in running the place alongside Cadance.  My guess, things were too busy up in the Empire for both him AND Cadence to take off for a few days, so he stayed behind to hold down the fort.............or you know, maybe Flurry has a cold and he's playing nursemaid. 

The Royal Guards........yeah, no excuses there.  That was an oversight on the movies part. ^_^;  Maybe they were afraid that if there were guards with spears and such around, they might have to show something APPROACHING an actual fight, and didn't feel comfortable with that in their ratings?

[Dusky Flare 11]

It's a bit like in the show: Don't bother logic to have good time. It's a childrens movie, don't forget that!

I was kind of disappointed to see the princesses that helpless, too. I mean... there should have been around 90 percent of equestrias magic capabilities on that particular spot during the attack. The royal guard not to mention (at least they open the doors and pull the carts). A simple push against the obsidian spheres or a teleportation spell would have been enough to evade Tempest's attacks, at least after Cadence's shield spell failed to hold the spheres of.

I do like the ponies to be peacefull, even naive. But they are defintively not helpless. I did like the idea to suspend the princesses in the shown way, that reminded me of sombras dark cristal magic. But the fullscale attack of the 'storm troops' was unlogic to succeed.

They also did not say anything about that magic suppressing metal at all (in some fanfic it's existent as some kind of a star metal). I guess Tempest's armor was of the same material so it would have been a fight to repell her.

But again: Don't bother logic to have a good time.

They needed a desperade situation for the mane6's trip to be neccessary, so they created one. And I'm sure they did not want to push the invasion/war theme too much in a childrens movie. They wanted a movie about friendship. Considering this there's already a lot of violence in this movie.

I'm very happy about the movie and I really would like to see more of those. I'd love to see more of the princesses, though. But the mane6 are not called mane6 for nothing, are they?

(I still have the episode "Fame and Misfortune" in mind and the critics against some parts of the fandom...)

 

Dusky Flare

 

[blackstarraven 142]

Well Shining Armor actually DOES have a excuse... baby duty. Also running the Crystal Empire. I mean ya he could have come with the baby.

But all that aside, the guards clearly got the day off. So they where just in the crowd.

[Lektra Bolt 2,337]

Going to go with @tm2dragonand say as the secondary ruler someone needed too be present to run the Empire. They can't both leave.

Also since Flurry was also absent, he was likely taking care of her as well.

Zero excuse for no guards being present. Zero

[Valeska 184]

A royal guard actually does make it into the end credits. I believe I saw him on the right side of the dancing stick figure cast. It is kind of funny that one made it into the end credits and not the actual movie!

You also need to factor in budget/time when it comes to including the royal guards. With already so many ponies, minions, sub species, anthros, and hippogriffs making up the characters shown it might have been a litthe too much to include the guards in the movie.

[BlinkZ 1,151]

On 10/8/2017 at 10:26 AM, Denim&Venom said:

It's a bit of a running joke at this point that the royal guard doesn't do a whole lot in the series. 

But not being there to provide security for Twi's friendship celebration? Not being there to defend the capital when it's under attack? Not being there to protect the princesses?  

Heck, the weren't even showed getting captured by The Storm King's army. 

And Twi's BBBFF no showing his own sister's friendship celebration, nor accompanying his wife? Not even bringing their daughter along for the festivities? Not even getting a mention or an exucse? 

 

I can hear Firebrands rage from here  but yeah IKR, i mean even shown getting capture owu have eeen something. or Shining defedning(and failing) to save his wife.  Oh and appernlty this take place when Starlight around so yeah..flurry been born by then...i think

[Deae Rising Shine~ 52,426]

Hey there is that powerful baby alicorn, why not crystalizing it too and get drained all of her magic, because you know for kids :3

 

Yeah, I can see why Flurry wasn't there and Shining probably cared for her in the Empire. The guards ... maybya day off, enjoying, drinking some cider and where to drunk to be help

[BlinkZ 1,151]

22 hours ago, Deae Rising Shine~ said:

Hey there is that powerful baby alicorn, why not crystalizing it too and get drained all of her magic, because you know for kids :3

 

Yeah, I can see why Flurry wasn't there and Shining probably cared for her in the Empire. The guards ... maybya day off, enjoying, drinking some cider and where to drunk to be help

Still find that Requerim of four alicorns really really specific for doomsday staff. That and the Storm king was kind of well...i dont get it. he akid playing with a gernade, everyone around him is tougher then he is..so how the hell is he a leader in the first place?

Can see the valid point of 'well jsut cna't fit in int the budged ot animate all those guards" perfectly valid point