Why hasn't the mane 6 learned something from the villains?

[Props Valroa 25,950]

It seems the mane 6 almost assume every villain is just evil for the sake of evil. Why didn't they reach out to them and try to get to know them?

[Gaines 1,105]

You have a point. Like Tempest, Starlight Glimmer, Diamond Tiara, Sunset Shimmer and Luna, there were reasons behind their actions. But even Discord, the lord of chaos and disharmony himself, proved that he could be a friend and still be a little "evil", and there were episodes where ponies learned something from him as well. So why not try to understand unreformed villains before turning them to stone? 

[Props Valroa 25,950]

1 minute ago, Gaines said:

You have a point. Like Tempest, Starlight Glimmer, Diamond Tiara, Sunset Shimmer and Luna, there were reasons behind their actions. But even Discord, the lord of chaos and disharmony himself, proved that he could be a friend and still be a little "evil", and there were episodes where ponies learned something from him as well. So why not try to understand unreformed villains before turning them to stone? 

They never even asked anything to them and just attacked them when they attacked and didn't even attempt to talk to them. Chrysalis has a hive a changelings, so why didn't they come to some sort of peace that satisfies them all?

[SharpWit 2,472]

Because its difficult to be impartial when the obstacle you're facing is actively working against you and what you stand for. It's good to reflect and see where mistakes were made by both parties, but it's far too late when things are occurring in the moment.

It's also difficult to have someone mediate between two parties when they represent one of them.

[75ponii 151]

always found it kinda weird they have redeemed age 5,000,000+ beings trying to kill and destroy everything with barely any motive but then banished a child (cozy glow) to hell and turned her into stone

and i'm still so salty that sombra never got redeemed or even had a backstory in the show, i loved him in the comics

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

Starlight tried to reach out to Chrysalis but she was too blinded by guilt and rage to accept the kindness. 

[Props Valroa 25,950]

10 hours ago, ExplosionMare said:

Starlight tried to reach out to Chrysalis but she was too blinded by guilt and rage to accept the kindness. 

That is because she feels like she lost her hive and way of life. She saw it as colonialism and taking her way of life and interests away.

[Misty Shadow 7,057]

15 hours ago, 75ponii said:

always found it kinda weird they have redeemed age 5,000,000+ beings trying to kill and destroy everything with barely any motive but then banished a child (cozy glow) to hell and turned her into stone

and i'm still so salty that sombra never got redeemed or even had a backstory in the show, i loved him in the comics

Every single time people complain about the villains getting turned to stone, I'm just like, at least they almost destroyed the world and tried to kill the Mane 6. Sombra, how do you go from redeeming him in the comics to straight-up murdering him in the show again and acting like the guy who set him up is a hero?  And I support the unstoning of Chrysalis and don't want to believe the guy is actually dead. The reason it frustrates me is because it's just bad writing. 

And while it would've been awesome for the villains to actually teach the heroes something, it was always only ever going to sort of happen with Stygian not being the monster the Pillars claimed he was because the morality of the show is black and white, not shades of gray. 

[Props Valroa 25,950]

@CloudMistDragon

Would be more interesting for the show to be shades of grey you know. A crocodile hunts and kills animals, then consumes them. It isn't evil. It needs to survive, that is what Chrysalis is to me. And what hunter or predator wouldn't enjoy the hunt, either? It's something you must do, so why not take pleasure in it like Chrysalis does?

[75ponii 151]

53 minutes ago, Califorum said:

@CloudMistDragon

Would be more interesting for the show to be shades of grey you know. A crocodile hunts and kills animals, then consumes them. It isn't evil. It needs to survive, that is what Chrysalis is to me. And what hunter or predator wouldn't enjoy the hunt, either? It's something you must do, so why not take pleasure in it like Chrysalis does?

I think chrysalis would've been the most likely to have been redeemed and should've been, I feel like she should've been given one more chance at the end since in the moment Starlight did try to help her it was kinda dumb to just do it right then and there. I mean, it wasn't even minutes after she got completely dethroned by her entire colony and ganged up on so while i'm not saying it was right that she didn't take the chance she had, she had reason not to. Extremely overwhelmed and did not have the time to think over and greave her loss of a colony.

Because yes, she does need to feed somehow. She does need to find ways to feed even if it isn't pretty. She should've definitely have been given some sort of middle grounded solution.

(Edit: A little off topic from the original message of the thread but still needed to get that out there)

Edited January 21, 2021 by 75ponii
adding onto something I should've said

[Landi 597]

I don't see how much they really would've been able to learn from evil beings with no desire to change their own ways. The villains did many evil acts of their own, and I don't see what our heroes could've learned from that other than more efficient battle strategies. The fact that they reformed the amount of villains that they did is shocking in it of itself. Most of the villains, especially Chrysalis, deserve the punishment the were given. You don't mass murder a city of adorable pegasi and get away with it.

[North Star 4,419]

Silly answer is... the plot requires it :p

The FiM villains generally appear to be an immediate threat: Sunset was going to use the crown; Chryssie was using Twi's bro; Discord had the elements; Nightmare Moon had 'Tia; Sombra was attacking the Empire etc. It's only after they are foiled that the chance for redemption appears. That's not so off in IRL terms. You have to beat a baddie to protect others and get their attention. 

[They call me Loyalty 1,941]

It's unfortunate the show could not find a way to solve conflict without compromising the identity of the villains. Alas, the writers chose the redemption route, which is not ideal. For example, they could have given ponies with problematic cutie mark talents like tax evasion or insurance fraud to the cult of starlight glimmer, so they could be rehabilitated before their reintroduction to society.

There lies the problem, there is no need to learn anything when the narrative does not challenge the point of view of the main characters, because they can just solve most problems with the magic of friendship.

That said, this is the reason why I enjoy the show. The light-hearted themes and simple plot.

[Props Valroa 25,950]

1 minute ago, They call me Loyalty said:

It's unfortunate the show could not find a way to solve conflict without compromising the identity of the villains. Alas, the writers chose the redemption route, which is not ideal. For example, they could have given ponies with problematic cutie mark talents like tax evasion or insurance fraud to the cult of starlight glimmer, so they could be rehabilitated before their reintroduction to society.

There lies the problem, there is no need to learn anything when the narrative does not challenge the point of view of the main characters, because they can just solve most problems with the magic of friendship.

That said, this is the reason why I enjoy the show. The light-hearted themes and simple plot.

That is the reason why I kinda find some areas of the show lacking. I want more than just that.

[Trot Shuffle 3,554]

I think the only times they (kinda) tried was with the Pony of Shadows/Stygian and Starlight. Though with the latter, from what I remember they got sent to the reason why Starlight made her village in the first place instead of Twilight getting a straight answer.