Chrissy is Like a Baby

[Ganondox 899]

I've always found Chrysalis to be one of the show's most sympathetic villains, and I just figured out why: she's acts a bit like a child. This occurred to me when I considered her motivations - she's been single-mindedly pursuing the same goal she had since she was small child, to rule Equestria, and the extent of her goal hasn't grown any more sophisticated since then. She's just incredibly naive. People have always been perplexed about how she's despite being a tactical genius her plans are always ruined by the stupidest mistakes, but the real reason for her failure isn't stupidity, it's naivety. She can plan brilliantly as long as everything confirms to be worldview, but once it doesn't, she's utterly helpless. 

People have interpreted Chrysalis's actions in To Where and Back Again as showing that rather a caring queen she's extraordinarily selfish, but I don't think that's quite accurate. Rather than being selfish, she's more egocentric. I think her interactions with the Mean 6. She expected them to follow her merely because she created, from her view that's just the logical order of things. She doesn't seem to really understand that they have motivations independent from her own, and they ultimately portrayed her because no only were they evil, but she gave them no reason to follow her beyond her naive notions of loyalty. But as she saw it, that's all that was needed, and she was genuinely confused and hurt when they acted differently. She did use force to control them at time, but because she simply didn't know how to play to their interests and thus couldn't control them in any other way. Even then, her attitude wasn't actually controlling, she thought of herself as their mother and she just needed to guide them because were incapable of acting on their own. Her plan was for them to rule Equestria together, just with her on the very top, as she naturally belongs, and why would they want anything else?  

I think her relationship with the changelings is the same. While I don't think she is emotionally mature enough to actually love her subject, I do think she genuinely cared for them, but she figured that her interests and theirs were one and the same. She never really saw the changelings as individuals, but more of as extensions to herself, which is why despite caring for them she couldn't actually love them. Then Thorax came around and defied that idea, and she simply couldn't understand it. She had to destroy him because not only was he a traitor, but he was threatening the entire system, which wasn't just for her benefit, but it was her entire world. Then with Starlight's help it does all collapse. Starlight Glimmer comes and offers her friendship, but she fundamentally doesn't understand what she is offering. She doesn't see Starlight Glimmer as the savior of her people, but as their destroyers, only seeing what was loss of what was rather than what could be gained, and her telling her that she can be a better leader is just mocking her. The ultimate irony is that Starlight Glimmer failed to reform Chrysalis for the same reason, she tried to emphasize with Chrysalis based on her own experience, but she failed to take into account how she was actually feeling at the time, and just confused her before pissing her off. 

It's worth noting that even though they played just as big of a role in her downfall, Chrysalis has no grudge against her changelings, she's solely consumed with getting revenge against Starlight Glimmer and her friends. I think this demonstrates two things. First is that Chrysalis isn't going to betray her hive, though at the same time she's not able to lead them anymore either. They kinda come across as just being dead to her now. The second is that she is demonstrating another psychological trait of children called centration, where she focuses on one aspect of a situation while ignoring other contributing factors. I wonder if she wouldn't be so obsessed with getting revenge on Starlight Glimmer if she hadn't specifically brought up the idea. Either way, she's really just throwing a huge temper tantrum at this point because she didn't get what she wanted. Her mental breakdown where she started talking to herself shows not only how far she fell, but it shows how childish she really is. 

Many people say Chrysalis acts like a complete monster, but that only really applies to her comic portrayal, her show portrayal is very different. Sure, she's proud, stubborn, and ruthless and that's what evil, but she actually comes across as being the least malevolent of the proper villains, and those traits are just the result of her being raised as queen. She's never really had the chance to emotionally mature because she's spent her whole life being served, giving her a very distorted view of reality. Chrysalis is the only villain who strikes as really just needing friendship in order to become a better person as it would finally give her the experience she needs to grow, but the tragedy of her character is that's she refuses to accept it. She needs to end up seeking it herself, as no one can force it upon her. The only way I see her being saved is if she's brought so low that that's she's forced to admit that she was wrong. Only then will she have truly matured.

[Hierok 11,829]

I think there is a other reason. She is complete nuts.  But yes, your points are valit. Maybe both?

[Ganondox 899]

Just now, Hierok said:

I think there is a other reason. She is complete nuts.  But yes, your points are valit. Maybe both?

Well, if an adult acts like a child they are considered to be nuts, so I think it's just two ways of saying the same thing, just with me giving her a bit more of sympathetic slant. 

[Hierok 11,829]

Just now, Ganondox said:

Well, if an adult acts like a child they are considered to be nuts, so I think it's just two ways of saying the same thing, just with me giving her a bit more of sympathetic slant. 

Fair point. 

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

So Chrysalis is like ex-villain Starlight Glimmer in her furious state?  I hope the S8 finale is not a reharsh of Cutie Remark.

[Singe 2,109]

A good chunk of Chrysalis personality comes from insect hive nature. She's a queen by nature. Absolute loyalty from all hive members, searching for food for the hive, and the survival of the hive. 

Now an outsider her hive rejected their original nature causing them to change, she's the last of her kind seen on screen.

We would get a better understanding of Chrysalis if there was more history on origins of the Changelings.

For right now, outside of her element she's dealing with the concept of individuality.

Edited June 18, 2018 by Singe