Whose The Bigger Devil In Equestrian Myth: Nightmare Moon, Discord Or Sombra?

[Denim&Venöm 19,141]

Equestrian myth has it's feared antagonists, figures either used to set an example, to scare other ponies or merely to remind them of the past?  But which of these villains is comparable to our Satin, Lucifer, Grim Reaper, Hades, Set or Loki from the context of a Pony born and raised in Equestria?

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

I honestly say Nighmare Moon, because she's literally a fallen goddess/angel and the parallel of falling because she rebelled out of jealousy is pretty suspect to to drawing the comparison.  

[Scootalove 10,689]

King Sombra enslaved the Crystal Ponies during his reign, and really kept their spirits or any efforts of rebellion against him down. While, Nightmare Moon was corrupted by jealousy, greed, and the desire to get rid of Celestia once and for all. Nightmare Moon is a bigger devil, in my opinion.

[Harmonic Revelations 8,835]

None of the above, Discord has been redeemed (And even if you disregard this, he isn't really evil, he just loves spreading Chaos and doesn't care about the consequences), Nightmare Moon has been (For the moment) defeated, showing she isn't TOO powerful, Sombra is a horrible planner and while his heart is in the right evil place his tactics and power aren't quite there.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Harmonic Revelations

[the musty book 156]

Before he turned good, I'd say Discord. Nightmare moon would just make it dark all day. -_- That's what lights are for. King Sombra didn't try for all of Equestria, just the Crystal Empire. If Discord had been a more serious villain, he could've easily defeated the Elements of Harmony.

[GreyScholar 1,584]

None of the above, Discord has been redeemed (And even if you disregard this, he isn't really evil, he just loves spreading Chaos and doesn't care about the consequences), Nightmare Moon has been (For the moment) defeated, showing she isn't TOO powerful, Sombra is a horrible planner and while his heart is in the right evil place his tactics and power aren't quite there. 

 

1. So it seems, knowing Discord as he was shown in the Return of Harmony I would say he just may be faking it. He may have decided that it would be a good way of figuring out why Princess Celestia felt it was necessary to release him, what threat must be on the horizon for her to want to risk an ally as chaotic as himself. That and while it he may have grown fond of Fluttershy he is still the Spirit of Disharmony thus a ticking time bomb.

 

2. What for you mean "for the moment"? If you mean what was revealed for season 4, well that seems to suggest a time travel episode. Also the 'Nightmare' force that turned Luna into Nightmare Moon returned in the MLP comic series, actually taking over Rarity and making her the vllian. So, while Princess Luna is no longer a threat, what brought about "Nightmare Moon' still is.

 

3. How was he a horrible planner? King Sombra planned for nearly everything, being 'Crazy Prepared' as it is called in TV Tropes where he made it so that: 1. Only a unicorn/alicorn could get to it, 2. Only somepony able and willing to use dark magic inside the throne room could find the hidden stairway, 3. Only one able to get past the door that showed a pony there greatest fear, impossible it would seem without aid of another, 4. Only one able to get up a seemingly endless flight of stairs that would take possibly a full day to climb only gotten around because Twilight had recently studied a gravity spell, 4. Only one able to overcome a security spell that created crystals that trapped any pony trying to get to the crystal heart, also making them unable to teleport out of.

There was so many variables that it is amazing (read plot convenient) Twilight was able to even get close to the crystal heart and get it out to where it needed to go. Heck Twilight would have failed if she did not have Spike's help, first at the door and then to get the crystal heart out of the palace.

---------------------------

 

Onto the question in the OP I would say Discord, he even has the power to offer a "Deal with the Devil" (again, TV Tropes) and is manipulative enough to count as such.

Edited August 23, 2013 by EquestrianScholar

[NavelColt 22,881]

When you say 'myth', you're talking about public knowledge. This kind of crosses out Sombra for the most part, because clearly, Twilight, the be-all know it all of everything, hadn't even heard of him or the Crystal Empire, meaning, he doesn't appear in pony mythology (or if he does, so scarcely that he might as well not at all), because his reign was forgotten to all but the princesses, who are apparently immortal and were there, banishing him when it happened.

 

Which leaves Nightmare Moon being the closest fit to Lucifer, and Discord as Loki. Nightmare Moon rebelled against the other authority like Lucifer, and was 'cast down' like him, via being imprisoned in the moon. And, the line from Discord to Loki should be fairly obvious.

[Freewave 1,145]

I think Sombra. I mean he ENSLAVED the crystal empire, that's pretty darn evil. He had to be destroyed as he couldnt be reformed unlike the other 2.

 

Discord was mischevious and enjoyed spreading chaos but not truly evil

 

Nightmare Moon seems more just emotionally charged against vengeance against her sister and in asserting her importance. That's not true evil that overtly passionate.

 

 

Sombra = Loki

Discord = Q, or mr mxyzptlk

Nightmare Moon = Dark Phoenix or Magneto

[Castle Bleck 19,376]

(EDIT: Please ignore this.)

Edited October 11, 2014 by A.V.

[IceBeerG 55]

Well, Ponies even have nightmare moon to "trying hide from her eyes under some disguise", by name of Nightmare Moon ponies frighten their foals, and these foals literally growing up with em... foal's fears? of nightmare moon, and keep telling fairytales, legends and spooky story to their foals and so on.

 

What ponies know about Discord is laying down to one trip in Canterlot garden.

 

Sombra... Who's that?

[Mywas 687]

Sombra is not a devil. He is more like Hitler or Scar, he chooses who he wants to attack and unlike Discord and Nightmare Moon he doesnt just choose All of Equestria. He chooses The Crystal Empire

On topic Discord used to poop on alicorns. so hes pretty much the devil.....Except that he was reformed

Edited August 24, 2013 by What

[Mr. Critical 434]

As unsubtle as he is, Sombra is as close to pure evil that's canon, sorry queen chrysalis. He enslaved an entire empire, was inspired by Lord Sauron, and was so evil they had to kill him off.

[Shanks 10,816]

The ponies tend to regard Nightmare Moon as their devil and she was a threat no doubt about it but was a complete joke compared to the likes of King Sombra and Discord. There are some paralels as Nightmare Moon is the closest to the tale of the fallen angel which is the story of Lucifer aka Satan but the true devil in this series is King Sombra.

[GreyScholar 1,584]

King Sombra hides the Crystal Heart (his primary weakness) on top of his castle where his subjects couldn't reach it, the only means of access being a through a passageway hidden by magic (dark magic), on the other side of a cursed door that displays the worst nightmare of anyone who opens it. Both of these are impossible to get through without magic, which none of his subjects had. Then it turns out that even if one gets past those, the heart itself is warded against magic and teleportation anyway, and messing with it activates another spell that starts re-asserting his influence over the kingdom. To top it off, the entire city is under a spell of magically-induced depression, because the Crystal Heart is powered by happiness, and even if someone managed to get the thing out of Sombra's castle, they wouldn't be able to use it because everyone was too depressed to activate its power. What he wasn't counting on was a team of foreigners... some of whom did have magic.

 

... how is that not the work of a masterful planner?

Edited August 24, 2013 by EquestrianScholar

[Castle Bleck 19,376]

(EDIT: Please ignore this.)

Edited October 11, 2014 by A.V.

[Jamesblorg39welsh 125]

Sombra by far nightmare moon just did us a favor by making it night which is awesome compared to day discord gave us chocolate cotton candy clouds

[Zygen 6,066]

I'd say discord is the most know an feared by most of equestria I bet, nobody knew about nightmare moon and who she was when she showed in the pilot episode, and Luna has been reformed with night mare moon not really showing much anymore, seems that the ponies still have some type of belief of her, but maybe they're not aware she's princess Luna idk.

 

Discord is talked about and seems to be feared more, plus sombra while evil is not really even heard of outside the crystal empire, and nopony knew about that for a while either.

 

So I think discord would be.

 

Of course he's been reformed so idk.

 

I still have to go with him, technically all 3 villains are no longer present in some form or another though.

[Sunny Fox 5,952]

Sombra by far nightmare moon just did us a favor by making it night which is awesome compared to day discord gave us chocolate cotton candy clouds

Yes, all the plants dying off due to the lack of sunlight, causing mass starvation and the eventual death of every pony in Equestria, really sounds like a fun time for all concerned.   Playful sarcasm aside,   I voted Discord. He ruled Equestria in a permanent state of unrest and disharmony, and the representation of his rule is him holding puppets of ponies over a burning fire.

Edited August 24, 2013 by Full Spectrum

[Melior 52]

Nightmare Moon is probably the most well known out of them all since everypony knows about Nightmare Night. She would also most resemle Lucifer/Satan (a fallen angel). Discord would fit Loki very well though.

 

Sombra is definitely the most evil out of all them though.

[DubWolf 17,271]

Discord really wasn't that much to fear from the first episode. All he did was turn things upside down and loopy. I'm not sure if Sombra was as well known (and hence not as feared) as Nightmare Moon, which probably all of Equestria is familiar with. Besides: Nightmare moon =nightmares! = fear! Lol, that's my logic.

[Rariderp 11]

Nightmare Moon only wanted to shroud the land in eternal night. That isn't half bad.

Discord only wanted chaos for everypony in Equestria. Think about it, all he's doing is entertaining himself.

King Sombra wanted to take over an empire and be their ruler, enslaving the Crystal Ponies. That's bad, enslavement.

[GreyScholar 1,584]

Nightmare Moon only wanted to shroud the land in eternal night. That isn't half bad.Discord only wanted chaos for everypony in Equestria. Think about it, all he's doing is entertaining himself.King Sombra wanted to take over an empire and be their ruler, enslaving the Crystal Ponies. That's bad, enslavement.

1. It was officially confirmed that eternal night would be a very bad thing, making Equestria a cold and barren place.

 

2. Discord would have brought about insanity and conflict, using the Equestia is his playground and those that live there as his toys. He clearly showed enjoyment in twisting the minds of ponies and getting them to fight with each other.

Edited August 24, 2013 by EquestrianScholar

[Dark Qiviut 22,439]

Sombra and Discord are both dastardly villains, but they weren't as feared. For Sombra, he was confined to The Crystal Empire only, and the entire kingdom was shrouded in confined mystery. When Discord was turned to stone, he became a popular tourist attraction in the Canterlot Gardens. Hell, before he was free, he stood on his podium with a giddy look on his face.

 

This leaves it down to Nightmare Moon, whom I voted. Back when Equestria was 1,000 years younger, out of jealousy of her sister, Luna became cursed into NMM and cast eternal night throughout Equestria. Life in Equestria hung in the balance because if the night sky kept lasting, the plants would've died. Spike called the story "an old pony's tale," but you can tell how much she was feared. When NMM revived, the night sky blanketed Equestria again, threatening the lives of both the flora and Equestria itself. Come Nightmare Night, Zecora told spooky stories, and Pinkie Pie (even though she admitted it was a joke) and other fillies would run when they spotted Luna.

Edited August 24, 2013 by Dark Qiviut

[Pinkie Paranoia 43]

I honestly think Nightmare Moon wins this fight. I mean so in the sence of taking your question literally, about asking "Whose the bigger devil in Equetria?"

 

Nightmare Moon has so much in common with the Christian religion's Satan, that it's a hands down victory for her.

 

Both were celestial figures before their downfall, both were banished to a realm of their own, both returned after a certain amount of time (though to be honest, Christians think their Satan has yet to return), and both were defeated by a celestial power.

 

 

In terms of evil intentions, however, and speaking from a non-religious standpoint, I think that Sombra would be the worst.

 

Nightmare Moon's evil plan was to shroud the land in eternal darkness, making the whole of Equestria cold and barren. However,

Equestria isn't the whole planet the ponies reside on, it is simply the large area of land they reside on. (As noted by S2/E11 Hearth Warming's Eve) And the ponies ancestors have already escaped cold and barren lands before. (Again, S2/E11) Evil? For the most part. Avoidable? Pretty much. Threat level? Maybe 6/10?

 

As for Discord, well, Discord's just doing his job. Sure he may seem evil, but that's only because Equestria is a Eutopia. Anything that isn't perfect is considered evil. Chaos is a natural force that resides nearly everywhere. However, because Equestria is a Eutopia, That chaos is absent. It's Discord's job to bring the land back to reality. What Discord is doing may also seem a bit extreme, but Equestria has been without chaos for a large amount of time (from the way I understand it, over 1000 years.), and Chaos has a way of building up. What Discord is releasing is merely 1000 years of Chaos bundled up into a day or two. Also, Celestia may have said that the ponies lived in unrest and unhappiness when Discord ruled, but how many people do you know today, in the human world, that are constantly, 100% happy? One? Two? Imagine if you took away all the things that made this world this world. No death, no disease, no corruption, no heirchy, and no chaos. What would our world then be? It would be the world of Equestria Girls. Or, more specifically, Equestria with humans. But chaos would try to find a way back in, because that's what Chaos does. It just happens that it tries to get back into Equestria through the form of a draconnequis.

 

 

Sombra on the other hand? Slavery, Dictatorship, some might say Poverty, minor Sickness. Sombra just wants to rule over the Crystal Empire, and by extension, the whole of Equestria. Even worse, he wants to rule through fear and hatred. He doesn't care what happens to anyone else when he does so, and he doesn't care how he does it. He has no empathy for those around him, and thinks he is high and mighty compared to anyone else. He stands for the exact opposite of the Equalitarian society imposed by the show. Pure. Evil.

[Radiance64 7,053]

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