Twilight Sparkle, Sailor Moon, and Commander Shepard shared one thing in common

[Commander_PonyShep 349]

And that's the fact that they went through suicide missions, where each of their respective teammates died or were altered in some way one-by-one, until only they were left standing before they died or get altered themselves.  In the Season One finale of Sailor Moon, the title character had to witness all four of her teammates' deaths one-by-one, until she became the only one to defeat Queen Beryl, and died as a result of using the Silver Crystal's full power against her.  In Mass Effect 2, Shepard's teammates can also die one-by-one, until Shepard becomes the last person to die with them, leaving Joker the sole survivor of the suicide mission.  As for Return of Harmony Parts 1 and 2, while Discord did not kill Twilight's friends per se, he did force them against their will to act out the opposite of their Elements of Harmony, and as a result turn against their own friend and leader, Twilight Sparkle.  Then, once the Elements failed to work and Twilight learned that her friends no longer love her as their leader, she becomes the last to be Discorded.

 

If there was anything these suicide missions taught me, it's that leadership is lonely and demanding.  Being a leader means having only sacrificial pawns, and not full-fledged friends.  If you try to make friends out of those pawns, you eventually make decision-making much harder than it already is, as you're forced to give up the mission to protect them.

 

Does anyone here know any other examples similar to Twilight, Sailor Moon, and Commander Shepard's respective suicide missions?

[applejock 358]

These are great points! But I must say, Sailor Moon does stand above her rivals in just one regard...

 

...She has Sailor Pluto on her side!!! /swoon

Edited February 7, 2014 by applejock

[Talisman 31]

I think it's a trope of team-based shows to eventually have the leader have to deal with a problem on their own.

 

 

If there was anything these suicide missions taught me, it's that leadership is lonely and demanding.  Being a leader means having only sacrificial pawns, and not full-fledged friends.  If you try to make friends out of those pawns, you eventually make decision-making much harder than it already is, as you're forced to give up the mission to protect them.

 

Lonely and demanding? Yes, definitely, and Tia seems determined to teach Twilight that. In particular, I'm thinking of The Crystal Empire parts 1 and 2, where Celestia gave Twilight an impossible situation, knowing - or at least suspecting - that in order to do the right thing, she would have to sacrifice her own well-being. Also, in Magical Mystery Cure, Celestia specifically points out that Twilight has demonstrated the leadership of a true princess. Being a leader means taking the responsibility and making the hard, painful decisions.

 

However, I disagree vigorously with the second half of that: that "Being a leader means having only sacrificial pawns, and not full-fledged friends." It's not true in the show and it's not true IRL. In fact, the Mane Five make a point of sticking by Twilight even as she evolves into a new species. Friendship is what got Twilight where she is, and friendship is what makes it worth staying there.

[zev_zev The outcast 415]

Captain Walker from Spec ops: The line.  Can be added to this list

Don't read if you didn't play.

 

 

 

 

He was the reason why his friends dies, he accept the suicide mission because he thought that he can be a hero, thought that he can save people. But his ambition and desire to help destroyed him, his unit and thousands of civilians.  

 

Edited February 7, 2014 by zev_zev

[Cstriker 737]

Shep has one thing these other characters do not. Unswerving Bada$$itude. Love Twilight, Moon is okay I guess (Serena still a ditz), but commander sherpard had villians such as the illusive man, Seran, and the Collectors to fight against. I really would like to see how the mane six handle the collectors or the reapers, but would fear that friendship without firepower would be their end. Magic is cool, but but it would take more than fluttershy's kind friendship or Dashie's toughness to unite Krogans and Salarians under one banner. Or bring the Rachni to fight alongside the Turians. To unite three rival gangs as merc groups and shock troopers to fight for earth without promise of pay (thank you Aria). Violence is a little outside the realm of the mane 6, beyond the Canterlot Wedding incident.

 

Sailor moon always has Deus Ex Machina with Tuxedo/moonlight/what-ever-saves-her-at-the-last-second. Shep didn't have that all the time.

 

Anyways, all good characters, love them all!

[Commander_PonyShep 349]

I think it's a trope of team-based shows to eventually have the leader have to deal with a problem on their own.

 

Lonely and demanding? Yes, definitely, and Tia seems determined to teach Twilight that. In particular, I'm thinking of The Crystal Empire parts 1 and 2, where Celestia gave Twilight an impossible situation, knowing - or at least suspecting - that in order to do the right thing, she would have to sacrifice her own well-being. Also, in Magical Mystery Cure, Celestia specifically points out that Twilight has demonstrated the leadership of a true princess. Being a leader means taking the responsibility and making the hard, painful decisions.

 

However, I disagree vigorously with the second half of that: that "Being a leader means having only sacrificial pawns, and not full-fledged friends." It's not true in the show and it's not true IRL. In fact, the Mane Five make a point of sticking by Twilight even as she evolves into a new species. Friendship is what got Twilight where she is, and friendship is what makes it worth staying there.

Well, here's the thing.  Back then, all of us thought that, as an alicorn princess, Twilight Sparkle would be immortal and thus outlive her friends.  But then I went on Twitter and personally asked Meghan McCarthy if Twilight will outlive her friends, and she said, "Twilight will not outlive her friends".  That's right: I was the one who asked Meghan McCarthy if Twilight became immortal and will outlive her friends.

 

But, even if the answer was "no", this whole "immortal Twilicorn" business further compounded the idea that Twilight is nothing more than a ruler, and her friends sacrificial pawns.  In the real-world, leaders or managers could not make friends with their own followers or employees, let alone romance them.  The former have the power and authority, and uses it to control and/or maintain the latter.  So technically, Twilight's friends were just pawns in Princess Celestia's game of developing Twilight into a ruler just like her.  And, had Twilight attained immortality alongside wings, her friends would have been rendered obsolete and thus must be disposed of, namely by dying of old age.

 

I'm not hating on Princess Twilight, if that's what you're thinking.  After all, it was the magic of friendship that evolved Twilight into an alicorn princess.  All I'm saying is that there are some drawbacks alongside benefits, with one of those drawbacks thankfully not existing (immortality).

[Scootalove 10,689]

Good points, comparing the three of them is easy if you know a lot about them.

[Celestial Wish 349]

And that's the fact that they went through suicide missions, where each of their respective teammates died or were altered in some way one-by-one, until only they were left standing before they died or get altered themselves.  In the Season One finale of Sailor Moon, the title character had to witness all four of her teammates' deaths one-by-one, until she became the only one to defeat Queen Beryl, and died as a result of using the Silver Crystal's full power against her.  In Mass Effect 2, Shepard's teammates can also die one-by-one, until Shepard becomes the last person to die with them, leaving Joker the sole survivor of the suicide mission.  As for Return of Harmony Parts 1 and 2, while Discord did not kill Twilight's friends per se, he did force them against their will to act out the opposite of their Elements of Harmony, and as a result turn against their own friend and leader, Twilight Sparkle.  Then, once the Elements failed to work and Twilight learned that her friends no longer love her as their leader, she becomes the last to be Discorded.

 

If there was anything these suicide missions taught me, it's that leadership is lonely and demanding.  Being a leader means having only sacrificial pawns, and not full-fledged friends.  If you try to make friends out of those pawns, you eventually make decision-making much harder than it already is, as you're forced to give up the mission to protect them.

 

Does anyone here know any other examples similar to Twilight, Sailor Moon, and Commander Shepard's respective suicide missions?

 

 

I find this very fascinating and now that I think about it, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is similar to these elements.

 

Homura was left alone to face Walpurgis Night when all of her friends had been killed or ruled out. However, it is actually Madoka who ended up "saving" humanity, she had also lost all of her friends. Both girls have skills of leadership, one lead by despair and the other hope. Friends died, a heavy sacrifice was made, and all these elements tug at our heartstrings deeply.