How did you feel with Derpy's role?

[Hierok 11,829]

It made me happy to see her getting a special role. This was something the movie did good.

(2300)

[Erin Heartstrings 2]

I watche the Movie 5 times,  and definitely Derpy saved Twilight on purpose. 

She cries loudly: "Twilight! ", and puts herself courageously as a shield. 

I think her act is the most important of the movie, for she not only saved Twilight,  but also the whole story as well. 

 

[Amys-pmvs 431]

I allmost cried when derpy turned to stone cause i watched it the day it was posted online so i didnt get to see the ending were shes ok cause the movie was taken down hours later

Edited November 20, 2017 by Amys-pmvs
Because i forgot to add the ending

[GeekySonic 1,150]

I only saw the movie once, and I wasn't paying too close attention to everything going on in that scene. There seems to be some conflict over who did what, so I'm not entirely sure what happened. But if Derpy did save Twilight, then yeah. That's pretty awesome. Good on you, Derpy.

[CypherHoof 26,479]

1 minute ago, GeekySonic said:

I only saw the movie once, and I wasn't paying too close attention to everything going on in that scene. There seems to be some conflict over who did what, so I'm not entirely sure what happened. But if Derpy did save Twilight, then yeah. That's pretty awesome. Good on you, Derpy.

Well, she did, but there seems to be some dispute as to if she did it of her own free will or not. But yeah, she "took one for the team"

[DonMaguz 1,023]

On 22/11/2017 at 10:53 AM, CypherHoof said:

Well, she did, but there seems to be some dispute as to if she did it of her own free will or not. But yeah, she "took one for the team"

Running behind Twilight when Rainbow saved Twilight is not taking one for the team. Should she had been running in front of Twilight, then it would have been.

[CatsMeow107 0]

I believe that either Derpy intentionally saved twilight or RD grabbed Derpy and sacrificed her. I hope it was the first one.

[King of Canterlot 9,588]

I was just happy that she was in the movie at all, and giving her the important role of taking the hit of the magic orb to save Twilight made me happy. We've come so far from the day's of when she was censored and re-written, it's been awesome to see her make a come-back. 

[Widdershins 9,955]

 There seems to be some dispute over this fact. Sure, I won't dissuade any from falling back on the "rabid fans wanting their favorite character to shoulder the most awesome part of the movie", but let me preface that notion again by stating that I do believe that Ditzy-Doo "Derpy" "Muffins" Hooves is pretty much a non-entity in the reality of the show; that one episode or not, she is more fan created than show created. And... that's sort of the point.

 

On 11/22/2017 at 9:53 AM, CypherHoof said:

Well, she did, but there seems to be some dispute as to if she did it of her own free will or not.

 Sure, we don't see that split moment from Ditzy-Doo's point of view so we have very few details to confirm any here. It can also be argued that whoever is voicing her doesn't sound too terribly different from Rainbow Dash who does really seem fully capable of preforming such a quick maneuver. However, Dash can be succinctly removed as an option.

 Point One: While it has been quite a while at this point, I am sure that earlier scenes before this showed Dash, as well as the other mares being cornered or busy fighting in the ensuing chaos. No doubt by this point the reputation of the Main Six continiously saving the world has gotten around. What assault leader wouldn't make sure the biggest brawler of the group isn't preoccupied some yards away from where the main targets are? Even considering her personality, do you really think Dash is the sort to lag behind to protect rather than lead by charging through to the front lines to do the most damage and thereby prevent damage to her friends that way? Besides... who would care about where Derpy is? She's just some faceless villager...

  Putting aside the argument that just because the one yelled word doesn't quite sound like any pre-introduced characters isn't enough of a basis to say who it is & isn't; I hold certain that nopony else was free long enough to take a diving interception like that.

 Point Two: We do actually get confirmation there. Once the dust settles, we see a stony form standing in place where Twilight once stood, trying to grasp the situation. The one who did the protecting did get caught by the blast, therefore it also can't be Rainbow as she continues on in the story. What we do see could just as easily be any pegasus... save for that one askew, little party hat Muffins was wearing earlier when she popped in for her cameo during the song. Sitting there as per her usual gag of looking like a poor disguise of an Alicorn. 

 That party hat was given unto her specifically to draw your attention to how out of place & silly the mare is. To give her a distinct shape, yet plainly state how little she means as a whole. She did what she could, when she could, because she just happened to be the only pony close enough to do anything and pay attention.

  Our evidence is a mare that needs no motive; who, even if in battle, would easily flit off to do anything else if she got it in her head that it was importance. We have a vague statue that qualifies as her shape and a short blurb of a voice. After all, isn't Miss Hooves known for having a highly variable & awkwardly thrown-together voice? 

On 12/4/2017 at 8:29 PM, DonMaguz said:

Running behind Twilight when Rainbow saved Twilight is not taking one for the team. Should she had been running in front of Twilight, then it would have been.

 Nay. She was not behind nor in front of Twilight. We definitely see & hear Twilight get violently shoved out of the way. The bomb was tossed at her point while her attention was diverted, even so to the fact that I think we had a moment of her staring at the bomb headed towards her, frozen in panic. As per usual the cliche. 

  We saw Celestia get shot nearly point blank before she could react and Luna right out of the air. Sufficed to say, there's terrifyingly good aim behind those, far faster than any could reasonably react. Especially pinning down a moving target in flight. Only way you could possibly divert that projectile is being the target instead.

   ...and this goes back to my debating the Intent. The ONLY way you could do what happened there... Was if you saw both the threat being undergone and the target victim. All while in the middle of the free world's largest, most civilized city being fired upon by warships and large brutes. The writers knew what they were doing. A situation like this calls for a unique mind.

  A pony to not think about the consequences or surroundings. To simply just make that tiny little pinprick of an idea of simply just ""Gasp! Somepony is gonna get hurt! I don't like that! I'm gonna help!!!"

   

  I... Sure, I'm emotional. But I can't think of that without a tear coming to my eye. How much, indeed, that means. That you don't have to be the hero or all that competent or capable. You just got to care & live in the moment...  and not be held back by your fears.

[Moon Rover 0]

She was so sweet! She was trying to selflessly save someone. Rainbow pulled Twilight out of danger but for a moment Tempest and several others believed they had turned Twilight to stone. When they realized they hadn't, they were momentarily confused. I think Derpy/Ditzy/Muffins' act still counts. I bet someone will realize what she did when there's time to rest and process everything. When crazy or traumatic things happen it takes a while sometimes to get all the events in order. But Derpy probably knows that gratitude isn't important, and that she did her best to protect Twilight. If there were other Elements of Harmony, she'd be selflessness or courage. I've started making a list of hypothetical other Elements actually, haha. It's kinda fun!

[JCKane 345]

On ‎10‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 5:48 PM, Jeric said:

While I enjoyed the moment, I actually thought it may have been a missed opportunity to explain (in universe) Starlight Glimmer not having a role. Swap Derpy with Glimmer and it deals with that (in universe) absence in a better way. 

This is exactly my thoughts on the matter.  Personally, I think they should of used Starlight in that role instead of Derpy.  This would of helped the 'Starlight issue' in so many ways.  Including, why she was mysteriously absent from the attack... yet we know she was there at the festival.  It would of also helped with the 'started working on the script before Starlight became a part of the show' as it would be a small scene with little adjustments to be really added to even the animation.


As for who actually saved Twilight... honestly I'll have to reWatch it, but there was a 'flash of rainbow' if I remember so I assumed it was Rainbow Dash who saved her.. But then when Derpy was shown having been hit, I assumed the 'rainbow flash' was a 'trick' to get people thinking it was Rainbow... but eh.  again I will have to watch it again.

[IoGanymede 7]

Woah, I didn't realize Derpy did that. Feel like my life has been a lie now XD. I plan on rewatching it soon though, it was such a great movie. I'm so glad I got to see it on the big screen! 

[Kevin Tang 2,422]

More like she had been made as a sacrifice by other ponies

[Senko 459]

Just watched this and it's really hard to tell.

1) Derpy is definately running in front of Twilight from a long way off to the left.

2) Just as she drops out of shot on a zoom in following the stoner we hear "Twilight" called by someone.

3) There's a flash of rainbow.

4) Derpy is standing there stoned.

5) Tempest tells her minion to find her.

6) Apple jack calls out this way.

7) We cut to Dash and Twilight. Twilight is on the ground running for the others while Dash is in the air facing at 90 degrees to her facing a storm minon see below.

So it could really go either way but this angle of Dash and Twilight doesn't seem like the way you'd expect them to be positioned if Dash made the save but then we have the flash. Could be both Derpy and Dash hit her at the same time?

[Buttonmash1973 1,024]

That moment with Derpy was one of the best.

[Octavia Heartstrings 28,397]

I was shocked at first because I thought it was Rainbow Dash, but then when I realized it was Derpy I thought it was really funny!

[BornAgainBrony 2,395]

She always wanted to be a Wonderbolt and they're a special branch of the EUP. Derpy has this in her heart so it's absolutely something she would do. She's also actually quite fast; she was the fastest flyer in her class. Moving fast in a STRAIGHT LINE is where she usually has trouble.

Edited September 30, 2018 by bornAgainEquestrian

[Will Guide 21,325]

No it was Rainbow Dash who saved Twilight as she clearly had Twilight in hooves next shot. Derpy's "heroic sacrifice" was purely accidental and fits with her klutzy peraonality. 

Honestly, it's not worth making a big deal out of it, since ANYpony could have been hit instead of Twilight  

[BornAgainBrony 2,395]

50 minutes ago, Willusion said:

No it was Rainbow Dash who saved Twilight as she clearly had Twilight in hooves next shot. Derpy's "heroic sacrifice" was purely accidental and fits with her klutzy peraonality.

Well dang. It's there for literally a single frame but there's a flash of a rainbow trail right before the explosion. It's pretty clear where Derpy was heading though so she actually saw the grenade before Dash did. I wonder why they even bothered if they weren't going to let Derpy actually do the job? It provided a distraction that lasted long enough though for the M6 to get away.

[Midnight Solace 5,129]

Without Derpy, Equestria would be doomed.

Come to think of it, all the princesses were really useless in the movie.

[Widdershins 9,955]

 Think it has to be said, that the intent for the moment was that nopony could have stopped the magical grenade without succumbing to its effects. Because, if there was time there for Dash to swoop Twi out of the way, there wouldn't have been any need to show some other pony trapped in carbonite. ...I mean, stone. A rainbow streak does not imply only Dash herself. Therefore, think it's strongly written that Ditzy-Doo made a sacrifice.

 Think that's the untold moral to the movie. Not too think too much about stuff or stress out... no matter how dire the situation. Hence the persistant chanting of "We got this! We got this!" they made a point of opening up with.

10 hours ago, Midnight Solace said:

Come to think of it, all the princesses were really useless in the movie.

 Think that's what's so beautiful about it. The alicorn queens are the leaders here, they have to overthink it. They have to pull resources, know who to contact to go from a time of peace to a time of war in far too limited of time. Be prepared should an unwarranted attack like this happens.

 ...but lil' Muffins... Her only thought was that she didn't want somepony getting hurt. She didn't, nor couldn't, know how she'd turn out, nor was it even a pony she could likely call a close friend... but she acted first out of genuine passion & altruism... just because she wanted to care.

 Which, I feel is a sentiment that comes right back around to our villains. Storm King is just smash&grab, he simply didn't care at all or really had any structured goal beyond just being stronger. Tempest pretty much self-ostracized herself because she felt her home she had been born into was no longer caring... instead of just waiting for the other fillies to forget & move onto the next thing to make fun of... which young'uns will do.

 Be Ditzy! Live in the now!

[Twily sparkles 16 6]

Derpy was awesome in the movie.

[Quinch 1,119]

Well, let's see what's happening here first...

First, Derpy is definitely running to help Twilight -

While other ponies are running around in various directions, Derpy is beelining towards Twilight. While the eyes might make things a bit harder to interpret, her expression, as well as the fact that her neck is craned upwards, looks - to me at least - a lot more like "oh carp, I'm too late!" than the "run away in blind panic!" the other ponies are sporting. However -

- she is not the one who calls out Twilight's name. When the shout goes out, Derpy is still in the shot, and her mouth is not moving, so our only other possibility is Rainbow Dash. Sorry, Widdershins. Unfortunately - or fortunately, if you're the speculatey type -

- this is where things get fuzzy.

Thing is, looking at this, and assuming Rainbow Dash's trail, well, trails behind her, this would mean that Rainbow Dash has passed Twilight without picking her up yet.

Following this, it's two frames of a rainbow obscuring the entire scene, followed by an explosion doing the same, making it impossible to tell who was where between the frames.

Could Rainbow Dash have moved from the right side of the frame to the left, doubled back, scooped Twilight up and left the rainbow trail as she exited to the right?

It does seem like the most Occamish explanation. However, one fact that remains among these split-second events is that none of them contain Derpy between the sphere and either Twilight or the rainbow trail - which means that she did not take the bullet for Twilight.

But she tried to.

So, how do I feel about this scene? I would say.... appreciated. I think it would be incorrect to say that Derpy is a stand-in for the fandom. Rather, from the very beginning, she seems to be a projection for each individual fan - it's the only explanation I can think of that would coexist with such massively varied portrayals of her. And I don't know if we're more or less or probably just as brave or un-brave as anyone else, but I do like the implication that, if stuff went down, our impulse would be to help, even if it means putting ourselves in harm's way.

Finally, as a parting gift, have a terrifying shot of Grubber's maw.

Edited December 25, 2018 by Quinch

[Widdershins 9,955]

@Quinch 

 So your "only other possibility" is Miss Not Appearing in this Scene? The logic is that RD is so fast she can be technically anywhere?

 Be that as it may, we could argue that it is plausible for her to swoop her friend up like that. ...were she paying attention. I think I stated, that knowing RD's personality, she'd be first on the frontlines when a battle broke out. I'm not sure, but I think it showed her being preoccupied in previous scenes. Given that, up until that interruption, Dash was whining about wanting to do her event & show off (which came to a head much later with her showing off for the pirates & not thinking ahead of its consequences apart from inspiration) so her impatience wouldn't lead her to being aware of where Twilight is. Especially considering her awareness of others tends to be what she's most frequently tested on.

 I hold firm on my point of RD being capable, but not having enough time to do so.

 Secondly, it can't be pointed out enough that A rainbow does not mean specifically just Rainbow Dash. For example, the whole "Rainbow Moment" that spiraled through each of the main six's eyes in that story arc. It's simple enough to say that a rainbow flash can just be a symbol for something important happening.

 Thirdly, I'm looking at those screen caps. DD was behind the Storm Creatures, then in step with them. Implying she's moving at a faster rate than those seeking to restrain the remaining princess despite risking being caught in the blast as well. Considering the pace, she'd likely be in Twi's spot in the next moment. Though, not at a rate fast enough to implicate a "Speed Trail". (Though, in honesty, I call bunkus on Speed Trail coloration being anything more than just style points.)

 I think what's more important though, is the Spirit of the moment. What was wanted to happen there, opposed to what was literally shown on screen. I think that screen blurring out was likely intentional for that. 

 I acquiesce that somepony could sweep Twilight out first. But that doesn't dissuade the fact that they focused on Ditzy-Doo encased in stone. Maybe she didn't get there first, but she still took the bullet & intentionally so. She WAS the one carbonized after the blast & considering the accuracy of the magics involved, bystander aftereffects arent a thing for this grenade. She knew what was going on, and instead of panicking or thinking of her own safety, even surpassing that of the ruling alicorns... she charged into danger facefirst. I takes a soul that is uniquely normal to filter out all but what's important. She barely knows Twi personally any more than us watching the show. But she doesn't want her getting hurt, nor anypony. She stands in Spirit for us in the fandom that feel we can only watch, that our own lack of importance places us lower than a Protagonist. It's her unimportance that becomes important. 

 

  Derpy died for our Sins!

Please let this become a meme!Lol!

 

  It could also be said, perhaps, that Ditzy's walleyes give her a much wider range of field & hence, a wider range of alertness.

... that being said...

   Also means that Twilight Sparkle instead chose to just stare straight into a lobbed explosive for, like, an hour, instead of moving the slightest like anypony else did. Girl can bend the laws of Time & the biological genetic makeup of anybeing around her... but she can't dodge with a ram... Our Princess Everypony! Glad to see she got herself a pair of wings when her first impulse in danger isn't to just, I dunno, flap away.

 Oh, and one last thing...

 "Gimmie dat Hoagie!"       "Ugh, you're such a fatty!"

[CypherHoof 26,479]

On 6/2/2018 at 1:14 AM, JCKane said:

This is exactly my thoughts on the matter.  Personally, I think they should of used Starlight in that role instead of Derpy.  This would of helped the 'Starlight issue' in so many ways.  Including, why she was mysteriously absent from the attack... yet we know she was there at the festival.  It would of also helped with the 'started working on the script before Starlight became a part of the show' as it would be a small scene with little adjustments to be really added to even the animation.

I do think Derpy was the best choice - while it wouldn't have been a massive change to rewrite it for GlimGlam to take the hit, She would also have had other options; Derpy isn't a super powerful magic user, isn't a lot of things - but she can be seen racing past the goons to throw herself in front of Twi, and deserves the chance to be the heroine of the moment, instead of the butt of jokes.

 

On 6/2/2018 at 1:14 AM, JCKane said:

As for who actually saved Twilight... honestly I'll have to reWatch it, but there was a 'flash of rainbow' if I remember so I assumed it was Rainbow Dash who saved her.. But then when Derpy was shown having been hit, I assumed the 'rainbow flash' was a 'trick' to get people thinking it was Rainbow... but eh.  again I will have to watch it again.

There are three frames - you see Derpy racing in from screen left, see the orb racing toward Twilight who is just standing watching it come, then there is a frame with rainbow, twi and orb, two frames that are ALL rainbow, then the explosion