Discord is NOT Star Swirl [#dealwithit]

[Forlong 1,725]

 

Okay, it's high time somepony threw this head cannon straight in the bin and sat on the lid.  Discord is not and CANNOT be Star Swirl the Bearded.  It's completely absurd.

 

The comics have confirmed that Star Swirl was Celestia's magical counsel just before the Celestia/Luna rift, which was after the rise and fall of Discord.  He was also stated to have been "gone" for hundreds of years, not a thousand.  This means that he lived long after the banishment of Nightmare Moon.  The trading cards say the same thing.

 

Before somepony tries to say those aren't canon, so they can hold on to this ridiculous theory; I don't need the comics to disprove it.  That's just the easiest way to do so.  Discord admitted to never having a friend before Fluttershy.  This means that he could not be Star Swirl, because Star Swirl had Clover the Clever.  Yes, a student would count as a friend.

 

I don't know why, but people assumed that not fully understanding friendship means you have no friends.  That's like saying that somepony who can't figure out the square route of 546 can't do basic addition and subtraction.  Are you seeing why this is a problem?

 

We don't know the full context of his research in the spell.  All that we know is that it was the last one in his spellbook and he never finished it.  He could have just died while somewhere in the middle of his research.  He was, like, a bazillion years old.

 

While I'm at it, stop disregarding the comic books.  They are canon, regardless of your own theories about Equestria.  The writers of the comics and the books; Tartarus, even the guys making the playing cards, they are all paid by Hasbro to build upon this world.  You are not.  What they say about this world, trumps any theories or speculation you have about it.  Unless a higher authority then them disregards what they say about it, you cannot.

[GoldenCal 51]

I literally made a video about stating most of your points Last week 

Did you get this from my video 

[Jeric 46,836]

1. I agree with the position you make about Star Swirl vs. Discord

2. I only partially agree with the rest of your connecting and closing argument. Art belongs to the observer/viewer/reader and Authorial Intent can be disregarded at will more often than not. That applies to fans that ignore the comic continuity. That opinion is just as valid as those that consider both mediums cannon.

3. Yes there are exceptions to #2. If you say Huck Finn was a pro slavery story, then you are wrong.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Discord is best pony.

 

(Note: *blank* is best pony is my way of saying "Cool, but I have nothing else to add.")

[Megas 27,097]

Of course he's not Starswirl, the whole theory was already absurd to begin with 

While I'm at it, stop disregarding the comic books.  They are canon, regardless of your own theories about Equestria.  The writers of the comics and the books; Tartarus, even the guys making the playing cards, they are all paid by Hasbro to build upon this world.  You are not.  What they say about this world, trumps any theories or speculation you have about it.  Unless a higher authority then them disregards what they say about it, you cannot.

 

Except not everyone reads the comics, and not everyone likes the comics. Quit saying that they are canon. They've said time and time again that the comic's canon is A) up to the readers or canon until the show overwrites it(which is just a fancy way of saying A). There are already many instances of the comics conflicting the show in the major arcs alone like the Nightmare Rarity arc and the origins of Nightmare Moon

 

 

And I'll be damned if I have to accept the RD micro as canon

Edited May 7, 2014 by Megas75

[Forlong 1,725]

I literally made a video about stating most of your points Last week 

Did you get this from my video 

Never saw your video.  We just had the same line of thinking.

 

Of course he's not Starswirl, the whole theory was already absurd to begin with 

Except not everyone reads the comics, and not everyone likes the comics. Quit saying that they are canon. They've said time and time again that the comic's canon is A) up to the readers or canon until the show overwrites it(which is just a fancy way of saying A). There are already many instances of the comics conflicting the show in the major arcs alone like the Nightmare Rarity arc and the origins of Nightmare Moon

 

 

And I'll be damned if I have to accept the RD micro as canon

Not liking something is not a valid basis for ignoring it.  I'd personally love for Ticket Master to be retconned, but it's canon whether I enjoyed the episode or not.

 

Only Andy Price said that it was "up to the individual", and he stated that as his personal opinion.

http://andypriceart.deviantart.com/journal/Important-News-on-the-MLP-Comic-331014657

[Megas 27,097]

 

 

Not liking something is not a valid basis for ignoring it.

It is if it has no real solid footing in the canon

 

Only Andy Price said that it was "up to the individual", and he stated that as his personal opinion.

http://andypriceart.deviantart.com/journal/Important-News-on-the-MLP-Comic-331014657

And he's still part of the comic team, and like I said, the whole "Canon until the show says otherwise" is really just a fancier way of saying "canon by the reader's choice" when you really look at it. They have no real say in the show and can be ignored if the reader chooses to ignore it as it has no effect on the main show. It's not different from Equestria Girls, which for the most part can be ignored as well as it has no real effect on the main show

[Jeric 46,836]

This whole cannon vs. non-cannon thing is completely nebulous and arbitrary. This argument has been raging among Star Wars and Star Trek fans in forums, IRC, and conventions ever since the first piece of supplemental material was published decades ago. Hell, Disney just officially declared all Star Wars books no longer cannon. Guess what? Some fans are ignoring that. If an entire group of Bronies want to think something different about Nightmare Moon or Sombra than was is presented in the comics, then they are justified in that approach.

 

And yes, you can ignore something you don't like in cannon. Examples abound.

[Scootalove 10,684]

I don't think he was Star Swirl The Bearded to begin with, so I say let them decide.

[Adorkable 2,737]

Okay, that's fine and all, but who ever said he was? xD

 

I've honestly never heard this theory before, ever.

 

Also, the inclusion of the hashtag in your topic is pretty awesome! xD

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

The comics are set in show continuity. Price said it's up for the "individual to decide." While Andy Price is working closely with the season 4 staff, he's only being approved if his comics contradict and/or do something too similar to the show. He never said the comics are 100% and undisputedly CANON. The show doesn't need the comics to be enjoyable. But the comics need the show.

 

 

 

Unless a higher authority then them disregards what they say about it, you cannot.

 

I'm not going to condemn anyone who thinks the comics are as canon as the show, but it's bothersome when someone forces whatever happened in the comics as fact onto those who just know MLP through the show. Its target demographic is older bronies and not necessarily children (Although that's not the point).

 

What may be comic canon, may not be show canon- Just because a character does something in the comics does not mean it'll carry over in the show, but rather the other way around (See Star Wars Expanded Universe). Usually what's canon is set by the following:
Show canon- Always canon.

Comic Canon - Supplementary Material adding to existing canon, but can be nullified by show canon.

 

So what does this mean? You may consider them canon, until something in the show overrules them.

[man dude man 555]

Yeah, I honestly don't think I have ever heard anypony claim to believe this, and if anypony told me that they did, I would be pretty shocked. Discord is discord. haha. I think he takes pride in that fact alone, if he was star swirl the bearded, that is who he would be, the revered mystical figure renown for his contributions to magic, and it's use alone, not to absolute chaos, but to harnessing power, not letting it run rampant.

[Venomous 18,814]

Whatever the truth is, I always liked the theory that Discord was StarSwirl

[Panne 1,342]

 

While I'm at it, stop disregarding the comic books.  They are canon, regardless of your own theories about Equestria.  The writers of the comics and the books; Tartarus, even the guys making the playing cards, they are all paid by Hasbro to build upon this world.  You are not.  What they say about this world, trumps any theories or speculation you have about it.  Unless a higher authority then them disregards what they say about it, you cannot.

I hate how people throw away the comics so easily. They're all screaming for certain episodes yet the comics have already covered those!

Queen Chrysalis returning? The frirst arc of the comics!

A Big Mac centered story? That happens also and it shows how he really ticks as a character!

How Cadence met Shining armor? BEST ARC IN THE COMICS! It also shows how she came to care for Twilight.

I won't even go into the micro series, because seriously, they're better than the show most of the time. The exception being the AJ comic... that one I read once and haven't bothered touching again.

[Riddle 102]

Look Discord is not Star and such

which has been caused fandom

wars or  Discord is Star!   This kind

of thing can go back and forth till

the cows come home.......

 

Personaly I only like the Discord is Star just

for the fun of the creative outlet it has come

out for the fans of the show/comics.    Its fun to

explore maybe as a more AU flip of the show

or in a Muli-Universe theory!   Freaking DC and Marvel

have been doing it for years!

[Guest]

Whatever the truth is, I always liked the theory that Discord was StarSwirl

 

I totally agree with this. Ever since I heard of this theory, I thought it was a fun, deep idea. I hadn't heard of any possible way Starswirl would've turned into Discord, but it didn't really matter. In my head I just loved it. And I'll probably keep believing that they are the same pony. 

Sure your compiled evidence is great, but hey the world is flat until it's not.

[Orablanco Account 3,706]

I don't like the theory just because it isn't very interesting. Discord is his own interesting character, and what we've learned about Starswirl is interesting without this theory. Combining characters removes a lot the subtle hinting the writers have created and makes this universe seem smaller. It's just needless character-charting.

[Metemponychosis 1,238]

What is wrong with levels of canonicity?

 

If it's in the show, it canon. Period.

If it's in the comics, it's canon as long as it doesn't conflict with the show, and then, only the bit that is conflicting is not canon.

The same for Equestria Girls (which I hate with the might of one thousand suns)... It's canon, until it conflicts with the comics and the show. (like Rainbow not knowing what is a hand).

 

The writers for both the show and the comics seem to be careful about not screwing this up too much.

[Pastel 7,627]

It seems obvious to me he isn't.

He doesn't even have a beard.

 

I believe Starswirl is a unicorn.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

oh boy a hashtag party!

#ilovekimpossiblealotisworstreviwer

#mylittleheadcanon

#hashtag

#selfie

#twilightiscelstia

#discordxlunaOTP

#Fu*kyourhashtag

#hashtagwars

#megusta

#bikinibridge

#season5

[GoldenCal 51]

I don't like the theory just because it isn't very interesting. Discord is his own interesting character, and what we've learned about Starswirl is interesting without this theory. Combining characters removes a lot the subtle hinting the writers have created and makes this universe seem smaller. It's just needless character-charting.

Exactly Both are interesting characters that can be explored I'm not saying comics prove alot but I highly doubt had already decided for discord to be starswirl the only reason they would be one of the same is because a portion of the fandom demanded it 

[NavelColt 22,876]

An interesting concept, but it never had any grounds in or out of the show to stand on.

[GoldenCal 51]

S4 finale Spoiler ahead

 

 

Supposedly Tireks Brother was befriended Starswirl the Bearded. However Tirek doesn't even mention the fact that Discord was a friend or his brother and neither does discord. Not to mention the fact that he knows who discord is when Starswirl was supposedly in the same timeline

 

Edited May 11, 2014 by GoldenCal

[XxConfusedUnicornxX 832]

Who the hay said he was?! Starswirl is a UNICORN! Sure, Discord can change form.... But I think Celestia would know if Starswirl is Discord before making him (sorta) famous.

[Grumpy Enchantress 586]

Yeah, he is. #DealWithThat