Is Rainbow Dash really overrated

[baba_booey 4,303]

Quite. Although she was my favorite character at first, over the 3 year period I've been a brony, my disliking for her increased.

 

I still like her a little bit, but a lot of times I find her loudmouthed and rather boastful.

 

Plus, that 20% cooler meme.. do I even need to explain how annoying it gets?

Edited March 31, 2014 by SuperNESBrony

[Gone Airbourne 21,977]

No she is not overrated everyone out there just has a character they tend to like more. That's really all there is to it.

 

The one thing I don't like about her is the arrogance bits and boastfulness. 

Edited March 31, 2014 by Lucky Dice

[Cwanky 17,602]

There's a profound confusion here of the terms "overrated" vs. "overhyped." Something that's overrated is considered to be of lesser quality and esteem than its made out to be. Something that's overhyped, by contrast is simply given more praise and attention than is warranted, but is not necessarily of lesser quality than its made out to be.

 

Rainbow Dash isn't really overrated per se, at least most of the time, though she does tend to receive an excess of hype, hence she's overhyped. Of course there have been times where she's overrated, like I'd say in Wonderbolts Academy. Though that may be said somewhat this season, she's been considerably toned down for now and her fan(boy)s seemed to have cooled off a bit.

 

Remember, you can be deserving of your skills and still be considered overhyped, though not overrated. Folks like me don't hate Rainbow, we just hate how some fans are in-your-face arrogant and aggressive about her, and the show in general too. Temperance can be an invaluable asset.

[Darker 1,351]

 

Heh, let's see how much she can hold...

 

Back to topic, yeah, incredibly overrated. Seriously, there's nothing unique or special about her. Well, just like every MLP FiM character, to be honest.

Edited August 24, 2014 by Darker

[Spikey-Wikey 378]

I think she is okay, but she definately is overrated...

 

They like her for the same reason they hate Gilda, it doesn't make any sense!

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

I don't think she is overrated. She's cock and arrogant, but she's the most interesting of the mane 6

[Banul 3,831]

This topic is overrated. Rainbow Dash is popular, that doesn't make her overrated

 

I dislike the term overrated. Something/somebody being popular that you personally don't like (or not like as much) does not mean that it is "overrated". It's fine to not like things that are popular. I know I do. But when you place the label of "overrated" onto something, it comes with the implication that the popularity isn't warranted. I think that this is weird, because things don't become popular without a reason.

 

So, when you claim a character is overrated, all that's going to happen is that people for whom that character is their favorite are going to get upset because it comes with the undertone of having chosen wrong. Especially so in this fandom.

 

You may not like RD. You have your own reasons for that, which is fine. She's not my favorite, either. But let's not claim that she is overrated, yeah?

[SteveMorison 404]

With everyone saying she's overrated no she isn't overrated.

[Prince Firemane 309]

"Overrated" is a subjective term based on individual opinions. So, based on my own subjective opinion, I think she is a bit overrated. I like Rainbow Dash, but my problem is that there really isn't anything she's bad at. She excels so greatly that she's capable of breaking laws of physics. She can clear a sky filled with clouds in ten seconds, which roughly translates to her being able to fly in excess of 300mph, and that's before the Sonic Rainboom. And because of all she can do, any attempt by the writers to subvert that seems tacked on and unbelievable. She does have some insecurity; but not only is there no reason for her to be insecure, her appearances have shown that she knows she has no reason to be insecure. Also, her shocking inability to get into the Wonderbolts has been a source of contention for the fandom in the past. She quite literally is the best flyer in Equestria, yet there's never any reason for her not being in the Wonderbolts; she's just constantly trying. It got so bad that Spitfire had to be retconned into being an absolute bitch so that Rainbow wouldn't want to be in the Wonderbolts anymore.

 

I really don't like the fact that she can do everything. Well that's not really true; a lot of people have some skill in most everything they try. But my problem is the fact that Rainbow excels at everything she tries. She doesn't struggle for her skills, she doesn't even really have to grow her skills; she just has them. Case in point; an entire episode was dedicated to the paper-thin struggle of learning by the traditional method. Only to find out that not only has she had some kind of learning method all along; her capacity for learning rivals Twilight's and that she has a selective eidetic memory. Once again, she tries something and excels at it.

 

But perhaps my biggest problem with Rainbow Dash is that out of all the mane six, she's the one who least holds onto her slice-of-life lessons. She's always portrayed as gunning for some kind of competitive rivalry with somepony. It's only when she shares an episode, and shares with somepony other than Applejack, that her brash competitiveness is toned down. It got so bad that that there was an entire episode dedicated to unrealistically blowing up her ego only to tear her down. That was my problem with The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. It's not the fact that the mane five hypocritically tore Rainbow down, it's the fact that Rainbow had to be flanderized so she could be torn down.

[Woodie Pecker 46]

I don't think she is. She may start out as kind of a stereotype, but over the series, she gets even more character development than Twilight.

[cider float 2,538]

I feel that Rainbow Dash is most popular because most bronies are still insecure about their sexuality so they say they like Rainbow Dash for her action and gung ho attitude to try to defend their masculinity.

 

They fear the opinions of non-bronies and the bronies hearing this would try to point out Rainbow Dash is cool and badass how could my show be girly and try to persuade the non-brony.

Edited July 7, 2015 by cider float

[Megas 27,784]

LOL no. Nowadays it seems all you ever hear is how Rainbow Dash is overrated and how she's the worst character in the show and how literally anything makes them hate her and how she eats puppies

Edited August 5, 2015 by Lemon Zest

[Sombra369 3]

Yes she is, and alot of people who say she isn't are just lying to themselves trying to justisfy her overshadowing aspect she takes to the show, and them being fans themselves.

 

She's by far the most advertised pony in and out verse as far as her having the majority of the most memorable moments, scenes, narrative, humor and overall in crowd compatibility with the fans(next to Pinkie and Twilight), the fact she's basically a Saturday morning Superhero in a group of mundane ponies (outside of Pinkie and Twilight) It makes her even more completely pampered above the other girls. She overshadows every pony even Twilight and has more memes about herself than any pony, again equally Pinkie who is supposed to be the humor character and the shows mascot type. But unlike Twilight she has plot devicey privileges not even Pinkie can have, she can break the law of physics, become a mcguffian for the girls being friends, literally personify the peagusi and rainbow motiff over the fandom, and basically has so much edgy personality she can literally lead her own movie. And wanna know why she's so popular she literally forces people to endure a girls show and like it by being the coolest example of something so stand out it's wrapped in a cute little package of bad***.

Rainbow Dash is the only one I can say saved this show from obscurity and underground status, now look at it she's and her friends have become popular enough to have a movie now and she's basically the 2nd main character after Twi. Her episodes are actually focused on using her side of the world as a stage for her greatness amongst not only her friends but her entire spieces, plus she's the only one who will call out her friends for being idiots and gladly stand in as the one sane mare who snarks at everything crazy(After Twilight of course but RD is much more funny about it).

Edited April 10, 2017 by sonicsucks12

[TheRideNeverEnds 1]

I don't know if she's overrated, you would need to provide some sort of quantification of how valued this particular character is as broadly as possible, and I would have to juxtapose that with my own value judgment and determine whether or not I value the character more or less than general reception.

Of course overrated can be used not in regard to popularity, this term is applicable in a one on one discussion. If you told me that bananas were really amazing, and perhaps I did not like bananas, it would be reasonable for me to say that you are overrating bananas, this is to say that I believe you are over valuing bananas in some regard.

Instead I'll give you this: I rather like Rainbow Dash.

 

Edited April 15, 2017 by TheRideNeverEnds

[cmarston1 5,959]

Even if Rainbow Dash isn't my favorite of the mane 6, she at least has actually done things in the show to warrant people giving a crap about her, which is more than I can say about the background ponies, and "characters" like Marble Pie for instance.

So she isn't the most overrated character to me.

[Jeric 46,860]

Edgy buzzword! 

> Ignites lightsaber

> Strikes down the foul stain and enemy of original thought and introspection.

I have long considered the titular word to be shorthand for, 'I'm for to lazy to elucidate'. People also answer the question so wrong that it is almost laughable at the lack of comprehension. Tale a step back and look at the question, "Is 'x' overrated?" It isn't asking whether something is good or bad, yet many of the answers take that approach. It's a question that demands a discussion concerning the concept of popularity, and at some point would evolve into the quality of the character or thing being discussed, but only after determination is made on all the minutiae in between. Like I said, lazy shorthand. 

 

 

She's a main character, central to the show, with several key moments throughout the series. It is appropriate for some fans to consider her their favorite character. She also has personality traits that some may not appreciate, whether it is a personal distaste of the trait itself (a crying shame), or a feeling that the execution of the character by the show staff is flawed. I'm not sure what the appropriate answer would be for determine Dash's acceptable level of appreciation. What level should her fans adore her at? What level should her detractors hate her at?  

I  have to ask if the question has a purpose? What does it matter if a large percentage of someone enjoys a character more than you think they should? I suppose it would be critical if popularity impacted appearances, but that does not appear to apply here. 

Why do her fans like her? What about her characterization draws some to her? What does that say about an individual, and what does that say about the large context of culture within the fanbase? Is there a cultural connection independent of the fandom that helps breed popularity? 

Just some musings.