Does Princess Twilicorn REALLY go against the core essence of the show?

[Commander_PonyShep 349]

When I saw Celestia turn her student, Twilight Sparkle, into an alicorn, she said that Twilight earned her position as princess because of everything she learned about friendship.  She believed that as a princess, Twilight will unite all of ponykind under the banner of love, tolerance, and friendship, and guide it toward a better tomorrow.

 

But the way I see it, it's more like giving a gun to a small child.  Celestia gave Twilight power, a weapon more dangerous than any gun, sword, or magic-spell in either our human-world or Equestria.  That means with that power, Twilight will be the most dominant thing in all of Equestria, more dominant and controlling than her five friends.  I know because I've went through two Western Civilization classes, and learned that almost all leaders were consumed by power, and even when they have noble intentions, they eventually go sour, and those leaders abuse their power for the alleged "greater good."  One example was Napoleon Bonaparte, who once brought the French Revolution under control, thus restoring order to France, but at the same time he would use that power to conquer all of Europe and Russia, thus eventually paying a terrible price for his actions.

 

Based on that knowledge, I feel that Twilight might end up abusing that power for the sake of "spreading friendship," thus forcing her friends to usurp her from her throne, and as a result restore true order to Equestria.  That might have the after-effect of turning Twilight back into a unicorn, but at the same time, it goes to show that even the most noble intentions can turn sour and outright destructive.

 

But as for me, it's mostly a "maybe".  On the one hoof, Twilight earned her wings and royal status, and she has the power and capabilities to use her newly-earned power to benefit Equestria, rather than just herself.  On the other hoof, however, she might become corrupted by that power, and would abuse it to "spread friendship" when in reality she's became a dictator.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Commander_PonyShep

[An Old Head 4,815]

Consider this: Twilight used to never be interested in friendship at all. It was Princess Celestia that sent her to Ponyville to get her into it. That means that Princess Celestia knows more about, and is oriented more towards, friendship than Twilight has ever been. And she's maintained a perfectly harmonious rule over all of Equestria. Why would Twilight not do the same? If she were still a "child" without enough knowledge of how to be a princess, Celestia wouldn't have gone telling her that she's "ready" and coronate her. Celestia knows her stuff.

[Pony Of The Month 534]

 

Consider this: Twilight used to never be interested in friendship at all. It was Princess Celestia that sent her to Ponyville to get her into it. That means that Princess Celestia knows more about, and is oriented more towards, friendship than Twilight has ever been. And she's maintained a perfectly harmonious rule over all of Equestria. Why would Twilight not do the same? If she were still a "child" without enough knowledge of how to be a princess, Celestia wouldn't have gone telling her that she's "ready" and coronate her. Celestia knows her stuff.

 

This.

 

Also, this marks the end to the first era of the show. I'm not sure what you would call it, but it starts from the beginning of the show and ends in the season 3 finale. Now that the show's original arc is complete, there is a chance to introduce a new arc into the show. This is really cool if you think about it. 

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

Huh. Seems ligit, but...

 

Consider this: Twilight used to never be interested in friendship at all. It was Princess Celestia that sent her to Ponyville to get her into it. That means that Princess Celestia knows more about, and is oriented more towards, friendship than Twilight has ever been. And she's maintained a perfectly harmonious rule over all of Equestria. Why would Twilight not do the same? If she were still a "child" without enough knowledge of how to be a princess, Celestia wouldn't have gone telling her that she's "ready" and coronate her. Celestia knows her stuff.

 

I have to agree with this pony. If Twilight wasn't truly ready, why did Celestia elevate her? And if Celestia didn't know, what buisness does she have leading Equestria?

[Concord 1,980]

Hello!

 

Really interesting examples, and it was a pleasure to read them for sure! But the way i see it, nothing from the show, can be related to much with real life. Let's face it, in real life you're not going to achieve your goals with only "Friendship". In my opinion, Princess Twilight essentialy does, but at the same time, kind of doesn't... That's why i choose the option "Maybe". Hasbro didn't make a good move, but like in chess, often there will be worse ones you could have made...

Edited March 18, 2013 by Concord

[hawkflame 3,308]

It's really not fair to compare Twilight to a *child*.  She has a lot of magical potential, and the whole point of her training under Celestia's wing was to give her the guidance to make sure she's ready to fulfill that potential.  Now Celestia feels that she could use Twilight to benefit the greater good and become a great princess for Equestria. 

 

A better analogy would be a police chief personally training a cadet and promoting him to officer once he graduates from the academy. 

 

The idea of power corrupting that you're presenting is such a violation of character for Twilight that I really would not take it seriously as a concern for the upcoming season.  Twilight as a unicorn already had a lot of magical power- though admittedly she's got a real boost now.  If she were so easily corruptible, she wouldn't be nearly so humble with her abilities as we've seen so far.

[Shanks 10,811]

That really depends on how it will play out in season 4, sure it wasn't the best idea to make her an alicorn now but despite the abrupt nature of the change it can still work well within the core essence of the show if done right albeit with a few inevitable hiccups along the way. We don't know what the full extent of Twilight's powers and responsibilities will be so it is too soon to tell whether or not it will fit within the framework of the show. Yes Twilight becoming corrupt is a possibility but I would say that is about 50/50, and even if she gets corrupted she could also be redeemed and her corruption and redemption might serve as an important lesson to her to be careful with her power.

[Icy Wonderbolt 34]

I think Princess Celesita trusts Twilight to be a good princess, plus too if Twilight abused her powers, the Princess could take them away from her.

[Nature's Spell 526]

What happend to her was meant to be and a core part of the show. The show has two parts it seems. The elements of harmony and the roles they play in that and the day in the life friendships. You can't have one without the other and one never takes ways from the other. Their combined destiny was to wield the elements with Twilight as the focus and leader but it was their friendships and daily lives that allowed it to happen.

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

Remember that the series is more than just being a good friend. It's about learning how to be a better person overall and improving in those departments. Twilight merely symbolize the hours upon hours of dedication in everything that she's learned and as Celestia said, her "charity, compassion, devotion, integrity, optimism, and of course, the leadership of a true princess" is what proved to everyone in Equestria what it meant to rise above everyone else. Therefore there's a much deeper meaning than one may initially understand -- you can be a good friend who's there for others, or you can put your head down and strive to be the best you can be.

[Princes Cadance 345]

Relating to your example it is really hard to say at this point. So you give a gun to a small child but what now, is it really a bad choice to do, most likely yes.

But it's not like you give a gun to a child every day, maybe this child is different and right now we have no idea about the future.

I would say the idea of Princess Twilight is not a bad idea, there are many ways it could turn out but I'm sure whatever happens in the future will not take a negative turn for the show.

[FoxyCryptid 4,327]

No, it goes right along with it because the power of friendship, and the Elements of Harmony are what helped her meet her destiny. Without her friends she never would've come this far.

 

I'm just curious if we'll get the see the ultimate destinies of the rest of the Mane 6 someday. 

[Alexander Atkin 9]

I'm curious about why people think Twilight suddenly has a lot more power now than she did before?

 

The way I interpreted her new status is that it earned her more respect, but not necessarily significantly more power than she had before.  I can't see her ordering people around in Ponyville or anything like that, her relationship has always been and I expect to remain more about people doing things out of trust and respect. 

 

Then there is the magical power angle which again, I do not see any proof that she has any more magic than before, she is just learning to reach her potential. 

 

This also ties into people wondering about her becoming immortal which I see no evidence of.  Is there any reason to assume all princesses are immortal?  I don't think so.  What, if any, is the corrolation between becoming an alicorn and becoming a princess?  Do you even need to be one to be the other?  Hopefully this will be answered in Season 4 but right now, I see no reason to make any assumptions.

 

Could it not be as simple as Twilight is now the princess of Ponyville?  That wouldn't avoid changing the dynamic too much and it certainly wouldn't require her to become immortal or a dictator.