Were you disappointed with Sombra in season 9?

[ErisPegasus 56]

I liked his voice. It served his new role as a braggart who was brought down by his own hubris and unwillingness to work in a team. Grogar literally used him as an example for the other villains; that was the point of him being the antagonist of the premier.

 

One of the biggest original criticisms of Sombra was his complete lack of personality in the Season 3 opener. Season 9 rectified it and then some. Season 9 Sombra was always going to disappoint a loud minority because he's a fundamental retcon of himself in Season 3, as well as the individual mental pictures that they had built up in their heads.

This doesn't have to contradict my previous post. In fact, my biggest disappointment is that they didn't follow through on Grogar 'punishing' Sombra for losing the bet. It would have made for a hilarious season-long thread if if he did revive Sombra again, but restricted his power/movement with magic so that he is forced to obey no matter what. Imagine Sombra as a true lackey: stripped of his king regalia, made to mop the floors of Grogar's hideout while muttering to himself and harbouring resentments. This was what we missed.

Edited July 28, 2019 by ErisPegasus

[Misty Shadow 7,084]

No, he did the best he could and so did the show staff. Knowing that Sombra couldn't be exactly like he was in the Season 3 premiere and not wanting to repeat what many Sombra fans had a problem with then, it was great to watch him showing off his full power unapologetically. I don't believe for one second that his character arc was meant to end with the premiere and even if he does not reappear in the finale for whatever reason, I will never buy that the Mane 6 "killed him for good". The Mane 6 only banished him the same way Starlight "killing" Discord in A Matter of Principals was only her way of banishing him. The Mane 6 do not kill because that is a direct counter to their philosophy. Another thing that I will never buy is that Sombra is "purely evil". If he was, he would've killed the Mane 6 then and there when he had them trapped instead of giving them a fair chance to try and stop him. 

[Dragonite 16]

1 hour ago, CloudMistDragon said:

If he was, he would've killed the Mane 6 then and there when he had them trapped instead of giving them a fair chance to try and stop him.

He didn't kill them for two reasons:

1. To make them sad because they can't stop him from enslaving everyone they love. I mean, he wanted to torture them mentally. Which is also pretty dark.

2. He felt that, without their elements, they would not be able to stop him. Which by the way was the main reason for his defeat.

[Rushing cash 824]

1 hour ago, Dragonite said:

He didn't kill them for two reasons:

1. To make them sad because they can't stop him from enslaving everyone they love. I mean, he wanted to torture them mentally. Which is also pretty dark.

2. He felt that, without their elements, they would not be able to stop him. Which by the way was the main reason for his defeat.

Exactly, he thought that without the elements they would be unable to stop him(and if discord did not intervene he probably would have won), and thus it gave him opportunity to make them suffer their worst nightmares for real(he might have expected the main 6 to escape and try to stop him only to fail) so you can't say he didn't kill them because he pitted them, but because he wanted them to suffer(if he brainwashed everyone who would suffer and fear him?).  

[Misty Shadow 7,084]

3 hours ago, Dragonite said:

He didn't kill them for two reasons:

1. To make them sad because they can't stop him from enslaving everyone they love. I mean, he wanted to torture them mentally. Which is also pretty dark.

2. He felt that, without their elements, they would not be able to stop him. Which by the way was the main reason for his defeat.

That is speculation and if that is true, it does not change the fact that he has never killed anyone (unlike Grogar, who's implied to have killed civilians in the first replay of the past he showed the villains) he should feel justified in holding a grudge against for "taking his life". If he was purely evil, he would also be purely arrogant, unable to tolerate the continued existence of the ones who would have him slain. 

[JH24 385]

I can't say I'm disappointed with Sombra. The premiere actually gave him a personality, and his distinct voice really added to his character IMHO. He really did sound like someone of royal descent, and it only made me wonder even more how and why he turned out like this. Was it a choice he willingly made, or did he start out good and was corrupted in some way?

For some reason I don't think he would have fit the dynamic between Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek very well.

What I am hoping for is that we may get a surprise appearance from him in the finale. Like a part of him left behind that would help against Grogar, if for no other reason he doesn't want anyone else to rule what he believes is rightfully his one day.

Edited July 28, 2019 by JH24

[Misty Shadow 7,084]

6 hours ago, JH24 said:

I can't say I'm disappointed with Sombra. The premiere actually gave him a personality, and his distinct voice really added to his character IMHO. He really did sound like someone of royal descent, and it only made me wonder even more how and why he turned out like this. Was it a choice he willingly made, or did he start out good and was corrupted in some way?

For some reason I don't think he would have fit the dynamic between Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek very well.

What I am hoping for is that we may get a surprise appearance from him in the finale. Like a part of him left behind that would help against Grogar, if for no other reason he doesn't want anyone else to rule what he believes is rightfully his one day.

That surprise appearance may be more likely than you think. A possibility not many have considered yet is Grogar meaning that he actually meant to make Sombra his slave when he said he would submit to him and is hiding him as his secret trump card to use against the villains who are plotting to betray him. 

[Flash-Magnus 16]

My opinion is Reformed Sombra aka Radiant Hope's boyfriend is better than Umbrum Sombra in the season 9.

[Castle Bleck 19,167]

On 2019-07-27 at 11:00 AM, The Nth Doctor said:

until the plot-mandated idiot ball made him keep his prisoners alive

Then made him conveniently forget his anti-magic crystals and just spam easy-to-block blasts at Discord.

Edited June 8, 2022 by Even Evil Has Standards

[Ittoni 536]

Not really because I didn't liked him when he first appeared in the show. Since I didn't liked him because I was one of those that thought he didn't had any kind of character and was generic as heck, lazy as fuzz, only had like a line or two and his design was over the top and incredibly silly (like... what is this Sauron mtf, he's so out of place in mlp universe), when I saw the changes when he returned I was pleasantly surprised and now in my all time favorite.

I didn't had any attachments and no expectations for him. I don't read the comics either because I'm not interested in fanfiction, which is kinda what the comics are, they are just official fanfiction but non canon nontheless. I'm aware that there's like a sappy story about him being like a new species and being this tragic misunderstood character and what not, there's a lot of fanfiction from the fans that made in their minds an image of him for years, but I don't subscribe to that. For me it's always been what was stated in the show, he's a unicorn. A very wicked and powerful one that dscovered the power of hate magic and doubt, and I prefer it like that.

So when I saw him, and listen to him finally actually say something, with that semi lisp, that confidence on himself, his narcissism, his kinda gay-like movements expressions and tone... I fell in love. Because he was finally a character. He wasn't this vague natural disaster or the mindless generic whatever bad guy which you can't really feel anything for him because his character is just being evil so we have to destroy him. He was a person now. He is now the Trixie of villains and it couldn't be any better. Even if everything could point out to him being non redeemable because of his idiology and actions (although I agree on that he could have been redeemed but the main six didn't gave him a chance and for some reason he is the only villain they have killed twice) (oh sorry!... "vanished to the ether").

I love his lisp, I love his narcissism, the way he cannot stop talking once he starts, his implied gayness, his maniacal evil laughter, the way he enjoys being evil (is like a Palpatine from star wars, he's so fun to look at because he's having so much fun being a bad guy ), and his utter fear and desperation once his world collapses and realizes he's going to face the jaws of rainbow death once again.

I'm in love.

 

Edited October 5, 2019 by Ittoni

[Js250476 1,367]

I did wish his comic backstory would have been canon. But with what we got I was satisfied enough, the complaints I can definitely understand but I liked being able to see him have a personality now instead of almost nothing from season 3.

[Xe__or 4,376]

I was disappointed with everything in season 9

Sombra maybe the most, yes

[Castle Bleck 19,167]

On 7/28/2019 at 4:16 AM, ErisPegasus said:

Season 9 Sombra was always going to disappoint a loud minority

From what I've seen, more like half.

[Rushing cash 824]

21 hours ago, Anti-Villain said:

From what I've seen, more like half.

It will be interesting to see a poll made to really check it, if one wasn't already made. 

[dead account 2,703]

No, he was the most interesting villain for me in season 9.

[Splashee 28,537]

I was only disappointed by his voice.

[Tom Gallagher 33,521]

52 minutes ago, Splashee said:

I was only disappointed by his voice.

Me too. And the fact that for some reason, they dumbed him down and made him less intimidating. I was very happy to see him again though and his death (?) was actually pretty scary! 

[BornAgainBrony 2,395]

On 2019-05-17 at 2:22 PM, Rushing cash said:

I think his portrayal in season 9 premier was great, we didn't know what his personality was other then the fact that he is smart, cruel and powerful, and everything which was showed in season 3 was shown here(other then the voice, but you could say his voice in season 3 was different because he was a cloud for the majority of the episode and when he regained his body you can say he still hasn't regained full power, that's why he talks so little in season 3, and honestly, I think the voice is similar enough if you ignore the echo and all the filters they used there).

Actually, one could make a good argument that he wasn't even "technically" alive in S3 and was more like a ghost without a body. "Grogar's" spell that summoned Sombra might be what allowed him to have a physical body again.

I thought his S9 characterization was fun. He needed a bit more depth to his character anyhow.

On 2019-07-24 at 7:17 AM, DonMaguz said:

Everyone goes about how disappointing it was for him to lose so easily.

I was surprised about how easily he won on the Crystal Empire, with Cadande's family having a strengthened Crystal heart full of their citizens love. Makes no sense at all.

Considering he got closer to winning than pretty much any villain, except maybe Tirek, was pretty impressive. I was disappointed by what happened in the throne room though. I wanted a chance to see "Mama bear" Alicorn Cadence go completely ape on Sombra. She's the only one we've never gotten to see at full power.

[Splashee 28,537]

44 minutes ago, TomDaBombMLP said:

Me too. And the fact that for some reason, they dumbed him down and made him less intimidating. I was very happy to see him again though and his death (?) was actually pretty scary! 

He was real cool and powerful, and did some heavy damage to the major "plot tree", to make our heroes, the Student 6......

 

He really destroyed a lot of plot and made half of Season 9 plus the Grogar ending kinda stupid. But he was cool. Except for the voice. Yea, the voice was bad uncool voice

[Tom Gallagher 33,521]

Moments ago, Splashee said:

to make our heroes, the Student 6......

Ugh. 

[Splashee 28,537]

2 minutes ago, TomDaBombMLP said:

Ugh. 

 

It was a good thing to bring a classic villain like Sombra back at least none of that schoolship of magic stuff

[Props Valroa 26,042]

I was extremely disappointed. He was Wasted. Thrown away by the writers. Mane 6 as the heroes yet again. All a waste of writing, and proving bad talent rules over good content.

[BornAgainBrony 2,395]

11 minutes ago, Splashee said:

He really destroyed a lot of plot and made half of Season 9 plus the Grogar ending kinda stupid.

How did Sombra make the Grogar ending stupid?

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

I didn't mind his voice or mannerisms, it was just sad to see him suddenly leave the villain group.

[Cash In 21,510]

Yeah, I felt like they kind of dropped the ball with him. It wasn't awful, but I felt that they could've done a lot more with him.