Ranking the Redemption Episodes (From Worst to Best) · 3:57pm Mar 18th, 2019

Redemption has certainly become an interesting (and perhaps overused) trope in the show, it's gotten to the point where it seems like it's easier to count the number of villains that aren't reformed in some way, shape, or form. Surprisingly, as much as we give flack for redemption becoming an overused tool, there's actually not that many episodes focused directly on redeeming or reforming villains new and old alike.

Yes, that's right, there's only a total of 8 redemption episodes, including at least three that come from two parters. But which ones manged to justify their choices, and which ones left us feeling like the redemption was unearned? The same disclaimers as before apply, and I should mention that I'm including only the initial redemption episode or episodes, because otherwise characters like Starlight, Discord, and Trixie would take up almost the entire list. I'm also not including any of Princess Luna's episodes, because she was already redeemed by the time we saw her in "Luna Eclipsed", and neither will I be including Sassy Saddles since she only really an antagonist at all because Rarity let her take over.

8. One Bad Apple (Season 3, Episode 4)
Why it's on the bottom: The CMC never would've even bothered to save Babs Seed at all if Applejack hadn't told them what she should've told them from the get go (Babs is being bullied at home), and Babs never would've felt compelled to join them. The most she does once she realizes her mistake is do what Applejack should've done (tell off Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon). And sadly, considering she only got one insignificant appearance after this and then got uncermionously discarded a few seasons later, her being a bully for the most insulting of reasons is probably the thing she's most remembered for.

7. The Cutie Re-Mark Parts 1 and 2 (Season 5, Episodes 25 and 26)
Why it's not on the bottom: It was obvious going into this two parter that Starlight was going to be reformed, and sadly they did not do a very good job of selling us on that concept. Not only is Starlight plot armored to a ridiculous degree, but she is completely unrepentant even in the wake of seeing what her agenda will cause. She is still perfectly willing even after all that she sees to subject Equestria to any number of horrible futures, all because she's mad that one of her friends got his cutie mark before she did. Yet on a whim, Twilight magically convinces Starlight not to be bad and that's just it. Starlight never does anything to prove that she can be good, never does anything to justify Twilight trusting her the way she does. Yes, Starlight was really powerful, but that doesn't mean she automatically needed to be added to the group with no consequences.

6. School Raze Parts 1 and 2 (Season 8, Episodes 25 and 26)
Why it's in the bottom three: So while this two parter is trying to buck the trend of having reformed villains in the spotlight, it still has one anyway in the form of Chancellor Neighsay. And if they were trying to show that he deserved a second chance, they completely messed it up. The Neighsay we see here is just as unrepentant as he was before, he exploits Twilight's absence to take over and hijacks the school to suit his agenda. He locks up the student six just because he doesn't like them, yet foolishly believes Sandbar has changed on a whim (though why he locked Sandbar up with the other students in the first place makes no sense), and all throughout it he stupidly believes Cozy Glow is actually in charge. Yes, he does ultimately get deposed by Cozy Glow and chained up, but even then he never truly apologizes for what he's done and just leaves to get help, when it really would've been better off seeing him stand and fight with the students he once despised for being different. But of course if they did that they couldn't have a student six finale where the student six save the day, so much like Starlight, the CMC, and the mane six, Neighsay had to go.

5. Magic Duel (Season 3, Episode 5)
Why it's in the bottom half: Trixie's redemption comes so late into the episode that it almost feels like an afterthought, a last minute change done because they couldn't think of how else to end the episode. In fact, the next time Trixie appeared they had to more or less retcon this ending since Twilight and Trixie are still somewhat hostile to each other (largely because Trixie keeps acting like a smug snake with something to hide). Considering she'd just taken over Ponyville and used an artifact that was probably illegal, Trixie getting off scot free and without fanfare just leaves you shaking your head. She has made strides since then, Season 8 in particular really saw her mature, but I'm considering her initial redemption and what little we had to go on originally was pretty barebones. It was probably one of those concepts they did that they never expected to come back to, thinking the show was going to wrap up.

4. Shadow Play Parts 1 and 2 (Season 7, Episodes 25 and 26)
Why it's in the top half: While Stygian's redemption isn't done poorly, the fact of the matter is he went behind the pillars' backs, stole artifacts of importance to them, and didn't tell them why he needed them or what he was using them for. What were the pillars supposed to think in that situation? And on top of that, Somnambula at least indicates they expected him to return and seek forgiveness, so they didn't originally hold it against him. Plus, I don't exactly like it's Starlight of all ponies who makes the suggestion contradictory to Starswirl. She had a role to play to be sure, but they way overplayed it. Her role could've been toned down and given to someone like Princess Luna or Discord, who might better examplify the flaws in Starswirl's "Once a villain, always a villain" logic. And when the map calls everyone to Hollow Shade (though not Starlight even though they'd already established she could be called by the map) it becomes clear that reformation is what lies in store, not banishment. It doesn't detract from the overall episode because it's still an engaging story, but Stygian's redemption could've used a bit of work.

3. Crusaders of the Lost Mark (Season 5, Episode 19 in production order/18 in airdate)
Why it's in the top three: Diamond Tiara's redemption within this episode was very well done, and that was no easy sell considering how hated she was prior to this episode (originally even I doubted they could show another side to her). The problem lies in what we had to go on before this episode, and that was nothing. Aside from perhaps the establishment of Filthy Rich and a family legacy, there was nothing to even remotely indicate Diamond was the way she was because of troubles at home. Not even a throwaway line or two was given to imply that maybe there was something deeper going on, she was just the bully character and that was that. The establishment of Spoiled Rich in this episode doesn't automatically absolve Diamond of the blame for all the things she willingly did before, but it goes a long way toward putting said actions into context as it becomes easy to see how Spoiled's influence could've turned Diamond into such a terrible pony. Often times, when a child is a bully at home it's either because the parents themselves don't prevent it or they themselves are bullies. When a child sees a grown-up they look up to do something like bullying, they start to think it's okay to do it too. And what Tiara needed was ponies to show her that she can break the cycle, be better than who came before her. Of course, the saddest thing is that just when Diamond became likeable and popular, the show discarded her and Silver Spoon all together.

2. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone (Season 5, Episode 8)
Why it's not on the top: Much like Diamond Tiara, Gilda hasn't been seen since her change of heart (though she does at least seem to have an implied presence through Gallus), but that's not what we're here to talk about. We're here to discuss the episode that involved her redemption, and they did a pretty good job with it. It's surprising that Pinkie Pie of all ponies is the one who wants to help Gilda, but then you remember that all the way back in "Griffon the Brush Off" she just wanted to throw Gilda a party in the hopes it would get her to stop being so mean and nasty. And that's what she wants here and now. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was the one who didn't know Gilda was so mean, and now she's written Gilda off because of how she acted and because they've been out of touch for so long. It does take a while, but we eventually see that behind that gruff exterior lays a very delicate griffon, one who would do anything for a friend and to feel like she belonged.

1. Keep Calm and Flutter On (Season 3, Episode 10)
Why it's on the top: Even if it seems like a concept that they wrote for what they thought was the last season and one that subsequent seasons have struggled with, Discord being reformed made sense. Even without knowing about Tirek, we can deduce that Princess Celestia wanted him reformed so as to not always have him escape whenever the Elements of Harmony passed on to a new generation. And it makes sense that Fluttershy was given the task since she was the only one Discord couldn't directly manipulate, he had to resort to force. Given what we knew of Fluttershy up to that point it makes sense that she'd want a relationship where she has control, and even then we learn that she isn't a fool, she knows Discord. In the end it all works, Discord realizes that he has something he doesn't want to lose, and he takes his first steps toward being one of the good guys. So for all those reasons, I'm putting this episode in the top spot.

And there you have it, come back tomorrow when we'll rank the Musical episodes.

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