Should Spike have grown up earlier in the series?

[Azureth 687]

Instead of just one episode?

[Snuggly Boi 3]

I'm not sure. I think it fit in well with the theme of "everyone growing up", though. I don't think I would have changed it so that he grew up earlier.

[Dark Qiviut 22,392]

Not so sure I can answer that straight. One one hand, yeah, a bad episode without much meaning could’ve been swapped with one that shows him growing up. On the other, Molt Down’s so impactful because we’re seeing him grow up before our very eyes, and we couldn’t have been any prouder of him to grow some new wings.

[TotallyNotNyx 15,566]

Age is a weird thing in the mlp universe and dragons aren't exempt from that. Like Spike is much taller in The Last Problem, but Smolder is the same height. So really idk if he should have grown up earlier. Sure he's getting older, but the show doesn't really show people getting older in a year by year rate. 

Edited April 13, 2020 by 💛Princess of Hearts💙

[Splashee 28,563]

I think FIM did a waste of time in Season 9. A lot of what is seen in the last episode could have been slowly brought up through the entire season. So yea, Spike needed to grow up earlier. But also, his wings were kinda random. I never thought Spike needed wings until he got them, and when he did, I was asking, why didn't I think about Dragons having wings?

[TotallyNotNyx 15,566]

Just now, Super Splashee said:

I think FIM did a waste of time in Season 9. A lot of what is seen in the last episode could have been slowly brought up through the entire season. So yea, Spike needed to grow up earlier. But also, his wings were kinda random. I never thought Spike needed wings until he got them, and when he did, I was asking, why didn't I think about Dragons having wings?

Yeah, I just assumed he was some kind of land-based dragon , who just never got wings cause he didn't need him.

Plus he does the cute thing with his tail where he uses it like a rotor blade, allowing him to technically fly in the air. No need for wings

[Splashee 28,563]

Just now, 💛Princess of Hearts💙 said:

Plus he does the cute thing with his tail where he uses it like a rotor blade, allowing him to technically fly in the air. No need for wings

Where? I don't remember that.

Like this?

 

[TotallyNotNyx 15,566]

12 minutes ago, Super Splashee said:

Where? I don't remember that.

Like this?

 

Yeah a bit like that. I can't remember which episode, but I remember him doing it at least once. Let me try and find the episode

[TotallyNotNyx 15,566]

@Super Splashee Found it

It's in the very first episode of mlp loool

Check around 0:55.

Pinkie also does a similar thing in a future episode but her tail rotated in a horizontal plane like a helicopter's main rotors as opposed to spike's tail rotating in a vertical plane.

Edited April 13, 2020 by 💛Princess of Hearts💙

[Splashee 28,563]

1 minute ago, 💛Princess of Hearts💙 said:

It's in the very first episode of mlp loool

Oh god, the very first episode. The staff didn't know anything about anything, basically!

 

Seriously, the first couple of episodes didn't get me interested in the show. That scene there is clearly just an effect to show Spike is in love, rather than "he can fly".

[Latecomer 439]

I think the reson his wings didn't appear until Season 8 was probabllu the movie. If not for it, he could perhpas have got them a season or three earlier - but then, I can't really see whi he would need them then. Dragons live a long time - their pubertu needen't be in a hurry.  

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,399]

Eh, it was never a concern of mine. It seems dragons age quite slowly in FiM so I quickly went by that logic. It definitely made Molt Down a much bigger surprise. All that time without any kind of physical change-up for Spike and boom, he had wings. Was almost culture shocky.

[CypherHoof 26,482]

2 hours ago, Latecomer said:

I think the reson his wings didn't appear until Season 8 was probabllu the movie. If not for it, he could perhpas have got them a season or three earlier - but then, I can't really see whi he would need them then. Dragons live a long time - their pubertu needen't be in a hurry.  

Unless it was the presence of smolder that triggered it - its possible that dragons need to be around dragons of the opposite sex before they start to mature?

[Latecomer 439]

2 hours ago, CypherHoof said:

Unless it was the presence of smolder that triggered it - its possible that dragons need to be around dragons of the opposite sex before they start to mature?

And his time with Ember was too brief? Possible.

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

Yes. At least they should have dealt with it more within the story before in a more direct manner, both physically and mentally. Or don't do it at all instead of an afterthought because after all Spike has been through, season 8 was too late. At least he should have had wings in season 5 if it was going to happen. He could have earned his wings during season 2, and after season 5, I just think it's too late.

I would have accepted that there are some dragons without wings (look at Scootaloo) and Spike would appear to be grown up only in episodes like The Last Problem. He already pretty much mentally grows up along the way.

[TotallyNotNyx 15,566]

10 hours ago, Super Splashee said:

Oh god, the very first episode. The staff didn't know anything about anything, basically!

 

Seriously, the first couple of episodes didn't get me interested in the show. That scene there is clearly just an effect to show Spike is in love, rather than "he can fly".

That's true, but I just think it's cute that he can do that with his tail

8 hours ago, CypherHoof said:

Unless it was the presence of smolder that triggered it - its possible that dragons need to be around dragons of the opposite sex before they start to mature?

I don't think so. Let's say Twilight was around 10/11 for her entrance exam for Celestia's school. This was when Spike was born.  Let's say Season 1 FIM, started 9 to 10 years after that while Season 8 happened 3-4 years after season 1. That would put Spike at around 13, which is a typical age for teenagers to mature.

Then again. that's just all based on assumptions. Dragons and ponies porbably age differently to humans.

[Splashee 28,563]

4 hours ago, 💛Princess of Hearts💙 said:

That's true, but I just think it's cute that he can do that with his tail

Yes it is quite unique.

 

Though, Spike was a baby dragon for way too long, and he was in love with Rarity for way too long.

[TotallyNotNyx 15,566]

5 minutes ago, Super Splashee said:

Yes it is quite unique.

 

Though, Spike was a baby dragon for way too long, and he was in love with Rarity for way too long.

There's nothing wrong with having a long-term crush. 

[Splashee 28,563]

2 minutes ago, 💛Princess of Hearts💙 said:

There's nothing wrong with having a long-term crush. 

It is just wrong how it ended.

Edited April 14, 2020 by Super Splashee
Kinda off topic. Should probably create a thread about Spike's love live instead...?

[Latecomer 439]

10 hours ago, Sepul-Coloratura said:

Yes. At least they should have dealt with it more within the story before in a more direct manner, both physically and mentally. Or don't do it at all instead of an afterthought because after all Spike has been through, season 8 was too late. At least he should have had wings in season 5 if it was going to happen. He could have earned his wings during season 2, and after season 5, I just think it's too late.

Whi? He obvious wasn't grown up.

1 hour ago, Super Splashee said:

Though, Spike was a baby dragon for way too long, and he was in love with Rarity for way too long.

Also whi? And what's worng wivh how it ended?

 

[Splashee 28,563]

55 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

Also whi? And what's worng wivh how it ended?

I don't remember exactly how it ended. But it did end. I remember how it was hinted back and fourth, like in "Best Gift Ever" special, but then in "Dragon Dropped", just happened, and then confirmed in S09E26.

 

Kinda like how one episode stops something that has been going on for seasons, like how Scootaloo doesn't like Rainbow Dash as mush or the same anymore because of the episode "The Washouts".

 

I feel like Josh Harbor has been key to locking characters from further development or change.

[CypherHoof 26,482]

13 hours ago, Latecomer said:

And his time with Ember was too brief? Possible.

Well, its mostly fish that do stuff like that, but I can't say for sure that dragons don't...

2 hours ago, Super Splashee said:

It is just wrong how it ended.

Not sure about that. Gabby IS more his age, but they could just be friends, and he has just grown out of his crush on Rarity now he has matured to the wing stage.  Nothing wrong with being sweet on someone though, provided they don't take advantage of it....

6 hours ago, 💛Princess of Hearts💙 said:

That's true, but I just think it's cute that he can do that with his tail

Long standing cartoon trope though. I remember it mostly from "Muttley" of "Dastardly and Muttley"

[Latecomer 439]

14 minutes ago, Super Splashee said:

Kinda like how one episode stops something that has been going on for seasons, like how Scootaloo doesn't like Rainbow Dash as mush or the same anymore because of the episode "The Washouts".

 

No, she's still her big fan - she's just realised that without flight, she can't actuallu follow in her wingflaps the same way.

And devoting an episode in the last season to resolving Spike's crush wasn't a bad idea nescessarilu -  the problem was that it was a rather poorlu written episode that failed in that purpose.

 

 

[ShootingStar159 2,155]

19 hours ago, 💛Princess of Hearts💙 said:

Age is a weird thing in the mlp universe and dragons aren't exempt from that. Like Spike is much taller in The Last Problem, but Smolder is the same height. So really idk if he should have grown up earlier. Sure he's getting older, but the show doesn't really show people getting older in a year by year rate. 

Heck, we don’t know anything about dragon biology. Maybe his growth and develop event was stunted from living away from other dragons, and it took spending time around a female dragon (Smolder) to trigger puberty. Maybe he should have grown wings years before.

[TotallyNotNyx 15,566]

1 hour ago, ShootingStar159 said:

Heck, we don’t know anything about dragon biology. Maybe his growth and develop event was stunted from living away from other dragons, and it took spending time around a female dragon (Smolder) to trigger puberty. Maybe he should have grown wings years before.

I doubt that such thing (being around females triggers puberty) was intended for a children's show.  

Simply the show's creators didn;t really intend to for Spike to have wings in the first place. But as more and more seasons were added, it seemed like a good idea to show that Spike had grown up and gained wings. That's why it happened so late in the series. 

Edited April 14, 2020 by 💛Princess of Hearts💙