Were you satisfied with King Sombra as the antagonist?

[Homura Akemi 974]

I think he was more powerful and probably more scary than NM or Discord, but hardly any development. If he had some, he probably would have been the best MLP villain yet.

[Vega 107]

An issue that FiM will always have with their villains is a lack of development. The only solution is for the villains to appear in more than one/one two part episode, but it does not appear that the makers of the show wish to have recurring villains, so we are stuck with underdeveloped characters like Sombra. Hopefully that will change.

[Crutch 898]

Eh, not really. He seemed way too bland for me, and I was expecting some sort of backstory of him in the episode (even though it never happened...) Like other people said, he seemed more just like a "roar" to me. Though, I didn't really expect him to become too involved though, just because he seemed like he represented pure evil in the kingdom rather than a villain.

[poniesforfun 716]

Actually he was a bit more of a fresh air than the other villains. Chrysalis and Discord both used deception. King Sombra was more like a trapmaster, someone that knows how to design a castle to secure the crystal heart. And he wasn't a complete pushover he did seal off a unicorn's magic (Shining Armor) been better if they showed that part of his power more.

Edited November 11, 2012 by poniesforfun

[Indiana_Dash 81]

King Sombra is kinda bad guy, but I expected something more from such a powerful villain than just a roar. All what he did - is just useless trying to break the Cadence's spell.

Discord is still the best villain IMO.

[poniesforfun 716]

There's no question about that now. I admit, I'm sad to see a villain that looks as awesome as Sombra be relegated to such a minor role, but what Celestia said about Twilight being 'that much closer to being ready' in the beginning of the episode, coupled with the fact that Spike got to do something heroic for once, really did cement this as the season premiere in my mind.

 

I'm really starting to think my theory about succession for Twilight might not be far off.

 

I kind of got the feeling the animators were actually using this episode to test out new animating techniques. There was a lot more shine, glitter and shifting smokes in this than any other episode I've seen.

[NavelColt 22,881]

Something else I'd like to mention is that while Sombra may not have said much, fought much or done much, he did have a more intense presence than any of the previous three villains. It's due to the fact that we don't know exactly what he can do, and that he's clearly cruel and malicious given he actually enslaved the crystal ponies, that made every moment of his being on screen ominous.

 

In the end, he's not a bad villain in the least. He simply wasn't given enough character development scenes or fights with any of the main characters by the show's staff, and thusly, he falls below the first three main villains on everyone's radar.

[Genepool 224]

While I was watching the episodes, I was thinking to myself, "The greatest fear is the fear of the unknown". It's slim, but maybe that's part of the reason they kept him in such a little role? Since all the ponies are terrified of him, and he's portrayed as a huge, wall-like black cloud, maybe you're supposed to just be afraid of what he could do, given the chance.

 

True, and maybe that was the intention behind him. Maybe he was meant to be a sort of "Boogey Pony" that was manifested in physical form, turned to shadow, then brought back to be destroyed.

 

With Nightmare Moon, she wanted to plunge Equestria into eternal night, rule over it; Discord wanted to bring total chaos, lord over it, and rule with an iron claw to his hearts delight; Chrysalis was unique only wanting to feed her subjects and potentially create a new utopia for them.

 

Sombra seemed like a true evil villain, reminiscent of the Doomsday character. With the introduction of a Dark Magic type element, there's no telling what it could do. Perhaps it degraded Sombra's mentality to the point he was childlike and did what pleased him. Maybe his screams during the end where those of a child that was angry his "fun" game was coming to an end.

 

I'll always remember that episode of Cowboy Bepop with that sadistic killer going around murdering people because it was a game to him. When that thing got injured it started to cry asking for mommy because its mind was so far gone it was a simple child.

 

Also, I'm under the firm belief that there is more to Cadence than meets the eye here. During the last episode a Chrystal pony pops up saying "Look the Chrystal Princess" which I find rather interesting. Wondering if she is a Chrystal pony that got sent to Canterlot before the Chrystal Kingdom vanished. Still have no idea about the life cycles of Alicorns/Princesses, so I can only grasp what little speculation is out there. However, I refuse to believe it's simply a coincidence/dual role she serves, at least until I see proof otherwise.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Absolutely! He was a break in the formula of the show's repritoire of villains. Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Chrysallis may be very dissimilar in goals and modus operandi, but they were very visible. That's to be expected though, they're just following the super villian formula of evil laughs and monologues. Sombra, on the other hoof, was NOTHING like them! He barely spoke at all, but certainly looked the part of an Overlord. (Props for making a unicorn a DARK LORD!) But we didn't need him to speak to see his threat, the evidence of it was everywhere! The flashback to his reign, the Crystal Ponies' abject fear of his memory alone, taking Shining Armor out of commission, the traps he left behind to guard his only weakness; this guy was no joke! All in all, I think his minimal screen time worked to good affect, it made him feel more like a ominus presence than a single man. Ironically, that description factually fits Discord more as his physical form is little more than a courtesy. But Discord is much more "in your face" about it. I'm not saying they lacked subtlety, Chrysallis pulled off nothing short of political espionage. The past villains just engaged in behaviors we expect of them. King Sombra reminded me more of the disembodied Sauron!

 

So, in brief:

 

The jealous godess: "THE NIGHT! SHALL LAST! FOREEEEVER! AHAHAHAHA!"

 

The Storm: "Time for a big ol' storm of CHAOS! MUHAHAHAHAH!"

 

The Sucubus: "Everypony I'll soon control, every stallion, mare, and foal. Who says a girl can't really have it all?"

 

The Shadow: "My glorious little slaves . . . . hehehehehe"

*shudder* "I don't WANT to remember the last time he ruled over us."

[NavelColt 22,881]

Found this post on EQD just now regarding Sombra, in response to a follow-up someone did on the pair of episodes. I can honestly say I agree with every word. I wanted to post this here, to add-on to what I briefly talked about earlier in this thread, as well as what others have been talking about.

 

From what I've seen, most people seem to think the premiere was excellent except for King Sombra. Courtesy of immblueversion from Behind The Voice Actors, here's a really interesting analysis of his character. It certainly changed my mind:

 

"He did nothing besides roar, scream and snarl, and he barely talked. He hardly showed any personality or clear motivations. He didn't actively plot against the heroes. And he didn't live past two episodes.

 

But did he really have to?

 

You see, King Sombra has more of what many MLP villains thus far lack: presence. It was his presence alone that made sure the Crystal Ponies remained miserable. It was his presence that kept them from remembering where the Crystal Heart was, or going to the one place it was hidden because they were too scared of him. Just by being there, Princess Cadance was left to suffer for days on end, even with her beloved Shining Armor by her side.

 

And even then, he still tried to make sure the heroes didn't have their way. He took away Shining Armor's powers, causing Princess Cadance to suffer even more. He left traps that those without the courage and wits to stand up to them could not pass. And even though he wasn't always physically present, his influence remained, and it left a very heavy impact on everyone who dared to stand against him. He also managed to do what no other villain on the show has done before: make Twilight swallow her own pride as a means to defeat him.

 

From everywhere he went to everywhere his name was merely mentioned, he caused nothing but pain and suffering. And not a single one of us knows why.

 

And yet there are those who have called him 'wasted potential,' just because he barely talked or took action, had no clear characterization, and didn't live up to any of our lofty expectations. But I'll be fair; even I expected him to be Sauron as he was before he was slain by Isildur, not Sauron as he appeared in the whole 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy.

 

Sometimes, less really is more. That is why he is, to me, a far greater villain than any of us could have ever anticipated."

 

He goes on to say:

 

"Now that I think about it, each of the major villains thus far represents a different 'element to writing a good villain' and, in a way, makes up for what the others lack in those regards:

 

Nightmare Moon: Good backstory, makes her more sympathetic.

 

Discord: Good personality, makes him more fun to watch.

 

Queen Chrysalis: Good motivation, makes her actions mesh better with the plot.

 

King Sombra: Good presence, makes his threat more apparent."

~by Negaverser Edited November 11, 2012 by ~Chaotic Discord~

[Fubz 300]

That's what I was trying to say before man!

/) hells yea He's not my favourite villain, because there's nothing to like about him. But he's definitely the scariest

[Bow Heart 84]

I wish Sombra got a little more sceentime, or at least a bit more information on him shown. Obviously he's quite evil as the mere mention of his name kind of puts the crystal ponies off. Other than enslaving the ponies and making them build stairs, stairs, and more stairs forcing them to live in his dark kingdom to reflect hatred and fear across Equestria, we don't really know much else. I just think it'd be nice to understand his motives a little more other than leaving it at power hungry. I feel it leaves his character a bit empty. Was he just wanting to be atop everyone else his only motive or did he have something more? Why did he like stairs so much? Why is his horn straight-edged and sharp unlike normal unicorns? What exactly did he do during his reign of power? Speaking of power, how powerful is he?

I just feel there are many loose ends and open questions regarding him, which kind of devalues his character in my eyes.

[Evilshy 5,090]

Found this post on EQD just now regarding Sombra, in response to a follow-up someone did on the pair of episodes. I can honestly say I agree with every word. I wanted to post this here, to add-on to what I briefly talked about earlier in this thread, as well as what others have been talking about.

 

(can't nest quotes)

 

~by Negaverser

 

 

Now that I think about it, that's totally true. All throughout the episode, we see how Sombra is still managing to fuck everything up despite not even being there.

 

Also, we saw a small fragment of his horn spreading darkness throughout the kingdom, and we got a nice close up of his mostly intact horn flying away after he exploded, so I doubt he's gone for good.

 

Theory time: His horn starts spreading darkness and ultimately causes Luna to turn back into NMM. Discord is coming back, why can't other villains?

[NavelColt 22,881]

Now that I think about it, that's totally true. All throughout the episode, we see how Sombra is still managing to fuck everything up despite not even being there.

 

Also, we saw a small fragment of his horn spreading darkness throughout the kingdom, and we got a nice close up of his mostly intact horn flying away after he exploded, so I doubt he's gone for good.

 

Theory time: His horn starts spreading darkness and ultimately causes Luna to turn back into NMM. Discord is coming back, why can't other villains?

 

You'll notice a separate post of mine in the overall thread that actually talks about that.

 

I wouldn't be surprised. Even if how he was portrayed is completely justified by looking at it in the way of the post I quoted, having him have more lines, an actual fight or something like it, and more light shed on his background would be great.

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

I actually was pretty satisfied with him. I mean he was probably the most cruel, and the most fearsome of all the villains Even though he didn't talk much, he was an extremely frighting fellow.

[Evilshy 5,090]

You'll notice a separate post of mine in the overall thread that actually talks about that.

 

I wouldn't be surprised. Even if how he was portrayed is completely justified by looking at it in the way of the post I quoted, having him have more lines, an actual fight or something like it, and more light shed on his background would be great.

 

I didn't feel like even trying to read that thread. Internet has been lame lately, so I missed the discussion. I only keep up with those if I can do it in real time :/

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

It wasn't what I was expecting. I thought Twilight was gonna use a major spell that activated the crystal heart to defeat King Sombra. I think that King Sombra could've been a little bit more expanded. I believe that he wasn't as active as the antagonists before him. I think Discord was the antagonist who did the most activity.

 

In short, King Sombra could've had more to do.

[TopazReshiram 26]

I felt King Sombra could have done a lot more then what he did. As I said in another post earlier. I also felt that like everypony else he should have had more lines. The only line he really had was "My slaves" that was it. When I first saw the picture of him I thought of the Supreme King from Yugioh GX. I was really hoping he was going to have a personalty to either the villain I just mentioned or even Vaati from Legend of Zelda would have been cool too.

[Rarietty 632]

As I've mentioned in an Equestria Daily comment (under the name Jewelsia with the Chrysalis avatar in the Meghan Mcarthy interview post).

 

Sure Sombra didn't get development, but I can't blame the show's crew for that because there was only 44 minutes and they already crammed far too much in those 44 minutes to make any room for villain development. I saw Sombra as more of a evil presence rather than an actual villain anyway, like the wendigos in Hearts Warming Eve were.

 

Also, he was much scarier than any other villain, and as he wasn't given much of a personality you can't sympathize with him. Our fandom finds a way to justify every villains' evilness. Chrysalis "was just trying to feed her subjects". Nightmare Moon is a "tortured sister who desperately wants to be loved by her subjects". Discord was awesome and isn't so much evil rather than mischievous. As Sombra wasn't given any development we can't justify why he's evil. He's just evil, which is plain awesome, and makes him a much more effective villain that we don't have a reason to cheer for.

 

Also, who knows? Sombra could come back again or the Crystal Empire could be brought back again. Maybe this was intentional on the show's writers part, and they're intending to touch on the situation in a later episode. This just makes it easier to write new episodes.

Edited November 11, 2012 by Rarietty

[Sararyman...man 41]

he looked like an OC made by a call of duty fan boy or some one trying too look edgy.

though to be honest i wish hasbro could improve him and give more backstory, also give him an army of orcs and hhis kingdom be literally the gate to a hellish wasteland....

OH WAIT

[The-Master 1,176]

he looked like an OC made by a call of duty fan boy or some one trying too look edgy. though to be honest i wish hasbro could improve him and give more backstory, also give him an army of orcs and hhis kingdom be literally the gate to a hellish wasteland.... OH WAIT

So, Lord Sauron is best My Little Pony villain then? It would definatley make for an entertaining episode, well at least I think so.

[Rain Dance 131]

Okay, let me say like this. (Don't hate me for it) I was dissapointed of the episode overall.

Thinking of it it was way to much like "The Wedding". Well, it was a great episode. But still to much like "The wedding". And yes to answer the question.

 

I thought he was a cool villain in lots of way with his smokey dark magic and stuff. But i'm dissapointed he ( As you said Bucky ) he only had a few lines.

[Nah 3,182]

For those who haven't seen the episode yet, don't read the spoiler.

 

 

It was a good episode, however it doesn't rank among my absolute favorites so here is my roundup:

 

- For once, Spike proves his worthiness and actually wounds up as the hero of the episode

 

- It was nice seeing Shining Armor and Cadence again and not forgetting about them (Just to let you know, I avoided spoilers as much as possible)

 

- A new story line, location, and villain

 

My grievances against this episode:

 

- The plot was thin, rushed, and filled with holes

 

- The villain was really underdeveloped, and was in a desperate need of more screen time,instantly forgettable, now ranks with the windigoes as the most forgotten villains of all time.

 

- I couldn't stand Shining Armor after these episodes

 

- Gak just ruined the whole hype of the episode

 

Overall final rating: 6.5/10

[Emerald Flame 381]

It's already been said and repeated, and then repeated again, but I'm going to make you suffer through it again anyway.

 

King Sombra was a very disappointing villain. He had a lot of potential, taking over the Crystal Empire and enslaving its citizens is without a doubt evil, and the suspense he caused throughout the episodes was done very well. However, that's not why I'm disappointed by him.

 

I was disappointed by how easily he went down in the end. He was starting to take control back, he had gotten his body back, and it looked like he was about to show us why the crystal ponies were so afraid of him in an epic final showdown. Instead, the Crystal Heart took him down in the blink of an eye, and no one broke a sweat.

 

A lot of people are saying that the script only called for a generic villain and that he served that purpose well. However, one of the best things about this show is that is has taken other scripts and characters that could have been generic and turned them into something spectacular instead, but Sombra didn't receive that same treatment. And if he served his purpose, what was the point of setting up for a potential return when his horn fell off instead of being vaporized with the rest of him?

[Sararyman...man 41]

Ok guys whats with the gak?

I mean, where did this all thing of gak came from.

also shining armor had rock herpes

(sorry, I had to say it)

 

Oh, I just came up iwith a theory, what if the heart was fake?

after going through the gate, twilight entered the illusion that she won, meanwhile in real life, evreyone is enslaved by the empire, and then, suddedndly the whole thing is like the matrix, but with ponies.

but then again, I don't think a girls cartoon would go that deep