An Essay On Why Fighting Is Magic. (Season Four Finale Spoilers). · 9:49am May 11th, 2014
Twilight Sparkle fought.
She fought hard, with everything she had in her and more, taking on a seemingly superior foe and fighting him to a standstill. Only when her adversary's underhanded tactics brought those she loved into the equation did she finally capitulate, or so it seemed.
But, before that moment, she fought. She fought with a fury born of loyalty to her friends, her mentors, her very country. She stood less as a princess and more as a warrior, a soldier fighting not out of hate, but out of love. G. K. Chesterton said, “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." For Twilight, this could not be more true. When the show speaks of "friendship", and the magic of friendship, I think we all understand that this magic is not borne out of the acquaintance of people sharing interests or mutual relationships, but something far, far deeper. The magic of friendship is Love, that sixth Element of Harmony that truly represents all that is great and good and human (or, in this case, equine).
Tirek, on the other hand, steals magic, corrupting it to feed his own power, tearing away the 'self' expressed by each pony's cutie mark—a mark that is more than a simple symbol of talent, but a mark that represents their soul, the heart of who they are and the core of their being. Twilight understands this, to an extent, and sees the true horror that Tirek represents. Tirek not only steals magic, but he steals the essence of the ponies he encounters, rendering them weak shells of themselves. He is antithesis to everything Twilight, and by extension her friends, represent.
When Twilight is faced with the task of safeguarding the alicorn magic of Equestria, she accepts readily, not with full understanding of the enormity of the task she has been given, the amount of power she is about to inherit, or the lengths she will have to go to in order to protect it. But, as Ralph Waldo Emerson so eloquently put, “When duty whispers low, ‘thou must’, the youth replies, ‘I can!’” Twilight, in her prime, is presented a task worthy of her abilities as both a unicorn who's talent is magic, the Element of Magic, and a newly-crowned Princess of Equestria. It is her moment to shine, her moment to prove her worth to her peers and to herself. This episode's story ties closely into Spike's lesson in The Equestrian Games, and Twilight goes through a similar circumstance, only with much more at stake. The fate of Equestria, for once, is solely in Twilight's hooves. Everything depends on her. Her friends cannot hope to face Tirek in any meaningful way, not without some stronger force at their back, and at that moment the Elements of Harmony are gone, their power unreachable.
The destruction of Twilight's home, the tree house library, is so important to this episode. I cannot begin to stress what that represents, and I think everybody felt a pang of horror or sadness when the Library, Twilight's Library, was destroyed. Twilight feels it, too, in that moment. Certainly, things have threatened Equestria before, but never in such a tangible way to Twilight. Certainly Nightmare Moon was a problem, but her terror was worldwide, a calamity that affected all subtly with the endless night. Discord affected Ponyville directly, but his efforts were comical and insane, and not overtly destructive. The Changeling attack threatened Canterlot, but Canterlot is not Ponyville, Twilight's adopted home and the home of her friends. Tirek's attack, the destruction of the treehouse, does multiple things.
First, it makes it personal. Twilight's home, her refuge and the place where she grew and became the pony she is in that moment, has been destroyed. Remember what Twilight said about the books in the Library in 'Trade Ya!', as well. Even if she doesn't necessarily need them anymore, they have sentimental value to her, a tangible connection to the pony she was as well as a link to the pony she is. These books, her link to her past, is destroyed. This is a deeply personal thing. Not only is her home destroyed, but with it goes her past, erased in an explosive instant by a villain who does not care for anything but power.
Second, it creates a clear difference between all the other villains and Tirek for Twilight. Tirek is thoughtless in the use of his power. Where Discord was chaotic, Tirek is destructive. Where Chrysalis was sly, Tirek is blunt. Where Nightmare Moon was abstract, Tirek is concrete in his threat. Tirek does not care for consequences. He has no purpose, other than the acquisition of power. He does not seek to rule, but instead to destroy. He is the epitome of Chaotic and Evil, more unpredictable than Discord and more thoughtless and uncaring than Chrysalis. All of his actions will end the pony race, if brought to fruition. No more magic, in the sense of all the races of ponykind, means the end of civilization for the ponies of Equestria.
Third, it gives her the final push she needs to face down Tirek with everything she has. She's seen the power he wields. She's seen his disregard for all life. Her home has been destroyed, and the threat to Ponyville is more clear than ever. Tirek has hit Twilight where she lives, literally. He has made her afraid, both for her life and that of her friends. Owlowiscious nearly dies in that moment, and Twilight barely escapes with him in the nick of time.
And so that is why Twilight fights.
There is no hesitation. There is no talk of 'making him good' or 'diplomacy'. Before that moment, she ran, perhaps partly out of fear, and partly out of an obligation to defend the power she harbored. But, after that moment, the time for talk has ended. Twilight has nothing to say to Tirek, for in that moment she has overcome her fear, her trepidation. Ambrose Redmoon said, "Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear." Twilight knows what is more important. She has found her courage.
Twilight's battle is one of the greatest acts of love and courage that the show has given us. Though it is a fierce and violent act, the message is clear: Twilight refuses to hold back when everything she holds dear, everything and everyone she loves, is at stake. It is not about anger or vengeance, but love and determination to succeed. Twilight fought for all of Equestria in that moment, and never held back.
And that, my friends, is why Twilight Sparkle deserves to be a princess. It was never the wings or the crown, but the courage to act and the will to fight with everything she had to defend that which she loves, without compromising her values. Twilight proved herself to all of us, and in many ways the show did as well. We cried, all season, "Why has Twilight's princesshood been overlooked?" "Why isn't this a bigger deal?"
My friends, THIS EPISODE was why. Without the lack of emphasis on Twilight's ascension, this episode would have lacked what made it so special: The true transformation of Twilight Sparkle from Faithful Student to Princess. What we saw at the end of Season Three was purely cosmetic.
This finale, these episodes, are the true moment Twilight became a princess.
And wasn't it worth the wait?
meh
2100143
Thanks for the contribution of your 'meh', I'm glad you're choosing to contribute in a meaningful way.
Oh wait.
BEHOLD HER MAJESTY. BEHOLD IT!
2100151 I can't honestly say anything because i haven't seen much of season 4. After Equestria Girls I started to lose interest in the show. Now the comics on the other hand, are fucking awesome. I must buy them all
2100153
This essay was not for you, then, I'm afraid. Understanding the full story arc is important.
And yeah, the comics are fucking awesome.
2100155 I don't think we will ever see Nightmare Rarity in the show itself. I haz a sad nao
Very well stated.
I agree with this so much.
This... THIS was how you earn a princesshood.
THIS is how you end a season.
~Skeeter The Lurker
I have loved reading everyone's reactions, commentary, and analysis, and this post is definitely one of my favorites. I especially love how you tied it in with fighting not AGAINST that which you hate, but rather FOR what you love.
I've loved all these reviews everyone's been giving. This one, though, has by far been the most meaningful and my favorite. Thanks Props
2100242
Thankya kindly!
2100310
Glad you agree!
2100628
It's got to be about love, and not hate. That is what separates heros from villains. Thanks for reading.
2100885
Thank you, I'm glad you like my thoughts of the finale!
It was so good, it was impossible not to analyze.
This. All of this, to the fullest extent I can "this" it.
Well said.