Are unicorns more vulnerable to evil?

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,694]

Has anyone else noticed that almost every pony antagonist on the show has been a unicorn?

 

Chrysalis: unicorn, or a very twisted version of one. Nightmare Moon: alicorn, which is either one step up from unicorn or a godlike combination of the three races. King Sombra: evil, over-designed unicorn. And on a smaller scale, don't forget Diamond Tiara [EDIT: not a unicorn, my mistake] or the "great and powerful" Trixie. Plus there's the dark magic Twilight picked up so easily, which has yet to be explained.

 

So what do you think? Are unicorns somehow more prone to becoming evil? Maybe their access to magic can corrupt them in ways that other ponies don't experience.

Edited November 23, 2012 by TailsAlone

[Clarity 3,094]

That's actually a good idea. Perhaps it's because most of the time evil comes from magic.

 

However, Chrysalis technically isn't a unicorn, or even an alicorn, but a changeling. Diamond Tiara is an Earth pony.

[FALCON PUNCH 243]

Hmm the first thing that came to mind here was harry potter was it like "Don't do black magic kids it will make you like voldeymorts!" (I am not sure.) I could only think it is something like that.

Edited November 23, 2012 by FALCON PUNCH

[CyberFlash 41]

I actually agree, it would make perfect sense for a magic unicorn type pony to be more vulnerable to both dark influences and even other magic attacks.

 

My first thought was of Star Wars, that a Jedi's powers can be twisted and made to serve the dark side through undesirable impulses - greed, hate etc. (Someone who does not know the force can obviously not be turned to the dark side).

 

For this reason, I think a magic unicorn type might be more prone to turning evil. Also, magic antagonists probably also give the story line a more unpredictable quality - we never know what kind of horrible powers could be unleashed!

Edited November 23, 2012 by CyberFlash

[Sunny Fox 5,934]

It may be that they are no or more less prone to evil than any other kind of pony, but that when they do go bad, they have the power through magic to make real threats of themselves. Nightmare Moon is the perfect example. She was created by negative emotions, not magic as such. It was just that those emotions manifested in someone who was already very strong magically and had control over the night.

 

PS I'm pretty sure Diamond Tiara is an earth pony, not a unicorn.

 

Why does Twilight's use of dark magic need to be explained? It's likely that once she sees a spell done, she can copy it. Example, the gem-finding spell. We weren't told how Rarity taught it to her, so it's possible she just showed her once, and boom. New spell.

Edited November 23, 2012 by Full Spectrum

[Circadian 1,273]

I bet that in the season finale Twilight will get corrupted by dark magic, and her friends will have to get her to snap out of it.

 

Our little Mary Sue my ass.

[Two-of-Hearts 168]

In my head canon, Pegasus ponies are bandits and brutes, and if unicorns studied dark magic its only so they could defend themselves against pegasai barbarians. So there.

[Carolina 212]

Hm, this is a pretty good point! Don't forget Flim and Flam, either (although, I guess they aren't so much "evil" as con artists, but they still used their magic to cheat).

[Reversalx 129]

Well i guess its pretty much due to how diverse magic is: a villian that can use magic would probably pose more of a threat then an earth pony or a pegasus (assuming no weapons). With magic, the villians can more easily define their personalities, with king sombra and his darkness, or discord with his corruptive magic.

[Blindsight 142]

Among all types of ponies, after alicorns, unicorns bear the greatest power because of their magic. You know what they say, "with great power comes great responsibility", and this quote in itself suggest that the stronger you are, the harder it is to stay good and true to yourself.

So yes, I think unicorns are prone to get "evil".

Edited November 23, 2012 by Ropi

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

It could be because unicorns are more in touch with the world of magic, so it only takes the least amount of dark magic to corrupt a unicorn.

[Silver Bells 78]

you do have a point there. and it is probably true that unicorns are more susceptible to being corrupted due to their magic...

[kirbyboi 587]

Well, I don't think unicorns are more vulnerable to evil. But since villains who are unicorns have magic, they probably think they have more power over the other ponies. Plus, they can use their magic for evil purposes.

 

 

And I agree, magic is the only thing that can cause destruction or terror in Equestria. If there's no magic what else are you gonna use to send fear into the hearts of ponies?

[Sks_Burns 730]

depends if your theory is just within the MLP universe or extends to mythological unicorns and how theyre depicted in movies/television. mythology has always suggested that the unicorn is a very pure animal, and could only be trapped by a virgin, which is a pure human. the horns were thought to have healing properties as well and could purify water and prevent diseases if processed by a human. i cant see a unicorn as a creature thats capable of evil, unless its indirectly, such as in the Harry Potter universe where you would live a cursed half-life if you drank its blood.

[mycarhasaMoustache 449]

Has anyone else noticed that almost every pony antagonist on the show has been a unicorn?

 

Chrysalis: unicorn, or a very twisted version of one. Nightmare Moon: alicorn, which is either one step up from unicorn or a godlike combination of the three races. King Sombra: evil, over-designed unicorn. And on a smaller scale, don't forget Diamond Tiara [EDIT: not a unicorn, my mistake] or the "great and powerful" Trixie. Plus there's the dark magic Twilight picked up so easily, which has yet to be explained.

 

So what do you think? Are unicorns somehow more prone to becoming evil? Maybe their access to magic can corrupt them in ways that other ponies don't experience.

 

They probably all start out like Twilight and become someponys protege, Then their mentor sends them on all sorts of dangerous missions witch they could probably fix themselves but choose not to and at some point along the lines the student surpass the teacher and much like a robot that has become self aware they realise they are now way more powerful then their mentor and then absolute power corrupts absolutely and thus evil is born.

 

but thats just my theory

[Zygen 6,065]

Yeah its likely that the unicorns are the most susceptible to evil. I mean they have dark magic which can corrupt them.

It could also have to do with the fact that I guess Unicorns being magical make better villains? .

However Chrysalis is just the changling queen, not really a unicorn. If anything she'd be more of an Allicorn, but shes the changeling queen.

[Gone Airbourne 21,969]

Has anyone else noticed that almost every pony antagonist on the show has been a unicorn?

 

Chrysalis: unicorn, or a very twisted version of one. Nightmare Moon: alicorn, which is either one step up from unicorn or a godlike combination of the three races. King Sombra: evil, over-designed unicorn. And on a smaller scale, don't forget Diamond Tiara [EDIT: not a unicorn, my mistake] or the "great and powerful" Trixie. Plus there's the dark magic Twilight picked up so easily, which has yet to be explained.

 

So what do you think? Are unicorns somehow more prone to becoming evil? Maybe their access to magic can corrupt them in ways that other ponies don't experience.

 

Really good observation there and it would make sense that unicorns could be susceptible to evil due to magic and all. Maybe the more magic a unicorn learns and depending on their personality maybe they become power hungry? I don't know but that is a very good observation!

[Whofch 128]

I'd guess it's just because it's easier to make an evil character who has magic. Magic is well known for having an evil side in most fantasy as is much easier to cause trouble than say an evil Earth pony who alone has bugger all ability to affect things. They would have to go down the whole army/follwer route with them (slightly done with changlings).

I guess an evil peg would work where it had some crazy control over the weather but still easier with magic.

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

I'm going to offer the possibility that there are plenty of evil/unpleasant Earth Ponies and Pegasi, they just aren't powerful enough to be worth the Mane 6's time so we don't see as much of them on the show. The royal guard can handle a Pegasus criminal ( I would hope) but we'd probably best leave Sombra to somepony else.

 

Although, Power certainly does corrupt as a general rule, so you may be on to something. I can't say. You did pose an interesting idea though.

[Retro*Derpy 3,085]

Yeah, I can see how unicorns are more vulnerable to evil because their magic. I mean if you gave magic powers to the people in our world, most of them are going to do some type of evil deeds with it. But as already stated above Chrysalis is just the changling queen, not really a unicorn. 

[Orablanco Account 3,706]

Hm, this is a pretty good point! Don't forget Flim and Flam, either (although, I guess they aren't so much "evil" as con artists, but they still used their magic to cheat).

I'll have you know that those guys were running a perfectly legitimite, quality cider producing operation. The Apple Family was in the wrong, man.

 

Staying on topic, I don't think magic makes people more vulnerable corruption. I just think that it makes it easier for an evil being to get stuff done.

 

The Dark Side is not the knowledge of how to do dark side exclusive powers like Force Lightning™. It's the willingness to cut loose and use those powers that turns you to the Datk Side.

 

Sombra and Chrysalis were already jerks. Magic just made it easier to be jerks.

[Phoenix237 353]

Well unicorns seem to be more susceptible to magic. Since they are beings that are one with magic they seem to be the ones most affected by it.

Hard to tell, but maybe

[TanktheTortoise 262]

I would go with no they are not.  I know I am in the minority in this thread, but I think that the main reason why the villains have all been unicorns are due to the fact that while you can write good villains without magic it is a great deal harder in a genre like MLP.  Heck just look at some of the grimdark fics like the infamous Cupcakes.  They depict any number of different character types as evil.  The limitation is due to the fact that this is a child's show at heart.  We can't show an earth pony wielding a weapon and actually using it so that's out.  The major threats provided by Pegasi are frightening to comprehend.  Imagine the damage a hurricane could do in the middle of equestria?!  However, that pretty much requires an army to do something like that, and once again deals with things likely not to be seen in the show.

 

All in all, it is simply easier to make a singular villain that has magic powers be a credible threat.  I do not believe there are any more evil unicorns than there are other races.  Just that they are more likely to be encountered in the show.

[DoctorWhovian1902 596]

Huh, would you look at that?

 

Your theory does have some evidence behind it, and it's pretty solid, so I'll say it's possible, but there hasn't been any outright statement to prove it.

 

That said, maybe the unicorns are more affected because when they become evil their magic influences them further, making them more evil. Something like that.

[Lionheart27 33]

When magic is used in many fantasy universes, it's often neutral, with it's power being categorized as good or evil depending on the user's intent. Granted, in this case, it's apparent some type of corrupting force exists within the Alicorn Amulet, but by and large, magic seems to be mostly neutral, unless cast in fear or hatred, but again, that could simply be the magic reacting to the emotions of the user.