Analysis - Sunset Shimmer vs Discord · 5:34pm Oct 5th, 2014
First, SPOILER WARNING FOR RAINBOW ROCKS
After seeing the film, I told to my friends who hadn't seen the film "Sunset now rivals Discord as the best developed villain of the series". Well, as with any rivalry, I think it only makes sense to contrast and compare them.
A reminder for those who didn't read my coverage of the film or need a refresher - Sunset acts as the film's deuteragonist alongside Twilight. Ostracized and outcast from the school and only finding acceptance among the Humane Five, she has lived with scorn and hatred since the two films, to the point even her mere presence walking around prompts students to sneer at her. Even among the Five, Sunset is an outsider. The Rainbooms quickly bring Twilight onto the band when she returns, leaving Sunset dejected she was never offered a place, and the Dazzlings later mock they didn't invite her because they felt her unpopularity would hurt their band's success. Further, Sunset's defeat in the first film is repeatedly brought up, and though she recognizes the group has underlying tensions that's driving them apart, she keeps quiet about it because she feels it's not her place to intervene.
By the film's climax, however, she finally confronts them over it, and in the fight with the Dazzlings steps up to help the Rainbooms, standing tall in front of a school that curses her name and singing "You're never gonna bring me down / you're never gonna break this part of me / my friends are here to bring me 'round / not singing just for popularity". With the symbolism of taking on her own anthro form and a streak of red lighting up in the group's Rainbow Power beam of light, Sunset comes into her own as their friend and proves her redemption is true, and when Twilight goes home at the end of the film Sunset takes her place in the Rainbooms. It's a magnificent character arc for her and I hope she gets more love from fans now after her admittedly lackluster showing in the first film.
So, that said, let's look at Discord. We don't need to recap Discord's journey in the same depth, of course everyone knows his episodes, they're universally awesome thanks to John DeLancie's show-stealing performance. But as a once-over, Discord is the former spirit of chaos and disharmony who is freed under the intent to reform him, and after experiencing friendship from Fluttershy, he realizes that he can't betray that and comes to be a force for good... sort of. He's still a troll of the highest order and only helps out when he feels like it, and of course ultimately has a relapse in the Season 4 finale. Realizing how low he's sunk when he sells out the Mane Six sans Twilight to Tirek, he's clearly uncomfortable with what he's doing. Then of course Tirek drains Discord himself, returning his treachery in kind and leaving Discord to lament to Fluttershy "You taught me that friendship is magic. I had magic, and friendship, and now I don't have either."
Sunset and Discord are both former antagonists that have reformed themselves and become friends with our heroines, but their character arc leading to that result went in very different ways. As I pondered over these two characters, a comparison came to mind. I think we can draw comparisons between Sunset and Discord, and Spike and Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For those who never watched Buffy, here's a heavily abridged version of these two.
Angelus was a vampire and an unrepentant mass-murdering sociopath who cut a swathe of blood across the world for centuries. His "masterpiece" was Drusilla, who he psychologically tortured to insanity, killing her entire family as part of it, before turning her into a vampire so she could live forever with her suffering as a testament to his cruelty. There's more to the story than that but I won't share it because I wanna keep this posting safe for younger kiddies to read, and what Angelus did to Dru is decidedly PG-13, at best. The Buffy Wikia has an article on Drusilla for the curious, but seriously, it's pretty awful. When Angelus made the mistake of killing a gypsy girl, her people in retaliation cursed Angelus with a soul, giving him a conscience so he could experience the guilt for all the horrific crimes he committed. Angelus reformed as Angel and, after some more struggles, became a force in the fight for good.
Spike is an old friend of Angel's, himself sired by Drusilla, and was famous for killing two Slayers. He attempted (and came close) to making Buffy Number Three, but ultimately was foiled. Spike was captured by a government group called The Initiative that was experimenting on monsters, and had an implant put in his head that caused immense pain if he physically harmed a human. The implant didn't work when he hit monsters though, so Spike was able to fight, just not people. For two seasons he wavered as a very shaky ally of Buffy and her friends, and would sell them out or turn his back on them as it suited him - just because he couldn't be their enemy anymore didn't mean he was their friend by default. He eventually fell in love with Buffy and became a more stable ally of the group, but no one outside Buffy fully trusted him, and even she was squicked out by his affections. After a very long and complex affair between the two that's too much to recap here, Spike realized he was still a monster deep down and she could never love him as he was, rightfully so. He went on a quest to prove himself, and after almost dying from them he reclaimed his soul, hoping to become a proper man that was worthy of her.
So, what comparison am I drawing between Angel and Spike, and Discord and Sunset? Well, again, these are two characters that reformed as heroes, but in different manners. And that different manner makes all the difference. On Angel's titular spin-off, he and Spike came to blows over their desire to fulfill a prophecy that, along with some fine print, will restore the drinker of a sacred cup to human form. As the two fight they argue over who deserves it more, and Spike says that while he and Angel are both monsters, they are nothing alike. Angel had a soul forced on him, because the gypsies wanted him to experience the guilt of what he did and suffer for it. Spike on the other hand fought for his soul, he recognized he was a monster and underwent trials to get it back, because it was the right thing to do and he wanted it. The catch, of course, is that Spike is absolutely right. Several times Angel loses his soul and reverts back to Angelus, who not only is as bloodthirsty and psychotic as he ever was, but expresses contempt for Angel's friends feeding his humanity.
I think the comparison is obvious. Discord has reformed, but when you actually stop and think about it, he has never actually redeemed himself. The Season 4 finale aside, Discord has never expressed regret or remorse for the things he has done in the past, nor has he ever done anything to atone for them. Discord became a good guy because of the threat of the Elements of Harmony, he had a choke chain around his neck and behaved himself to avoid getting it pulled. Remember in the Season 4 premiere he's elated when he finds out the Mane Six returned the Elements to the Tree of Harmony, and Fluttershy talks him into keeping in line. It's played as a joke, but it does foreshadow the finale when Discord, free of his leash, returns to his old ways with comparatively little pushing from Tirek. To be fair, he does experience remorse and guilt for his actions during the finale and is obviously sorry for what he did, but so far, we haven't seen any atonement for that either. The finale didn't have time for it and we'll need to wait for Season 5 to see if Discord attempts to make proper amends, but so far, nothing. And no, the amulet does not count, we see nothing to imply Discord knew the chest's contents could defeat Tirek or that giving the amulet to Twilight would turn it into the last key.
Sunset Shimmer, on the other hand, has both reformed and redeemed. We see her trying to do good things even as people shoot her down, we see clearly she is remorseful over what she did, and she ultimately helps the group defeat the Dazzlings and save the school. We never see anything to imply that this is forced upon her. While I of course adore The Long Road to Friendship by the Albinocorn, there is nothing in canon that says the Elements exorcised the evil from her, or forced her to change her ways. True, it's a drastic personality shift that when she's defeated she's suddenly crying and wishing she had friends like Twilight, but it's all her.
Sunset wants to change, she wants to become a better person, and ultimately through struggles and hardships, she becomes one. Discord, on the other hand, does not. We see nothing prior to the Tirek incident that tells us he wants to be a good guy. This is where I draw the comparisons to Spike and Angel. Angel and Discord had reformation forced on them, while Spike and Sunset sought it out. And that makes their redemption so much more meaningful because they wanted it. There is a difference between reforming and redeeming. Discord has reformed, but he has not been redeemed. Sunset has done both. Discord was a villain that so far has done nothing to atone for his actions. Sunset has. And on that basis, I am inclined to say Sunset Shimmer is the better developed villain.
HOWEVER, before you post disagreements, I so far reserve final judgment. Sunset has had an appearance after her fall from villainy to develop, Discord has not. Will Season 5 show proper redemption from Discord and give him the chance to actually make up for his crimes? We'll have to wait and see.
So, what are your thoughts on the matter? Sunset or Discord, who is the better developed villain in your opinion and what do you think the future holds for them moving ahead?
Sunset also has backstory both as a Pony and as a Humanoid on which story can be hung. She was Princess Celestia's student and dated Humanoid Flash Sentry. Discord, in the show quite so much, though the show's hinted that he may have once been friendly with the Sisters, especially Celestia.
I'd argue the Dazzlings are the best villains in the show, but that's just me.
As for Discord v Sunset?
Well
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I rest my case.
2509008 Oh, for best actual villain, that's another story. But the villain with the best development as in a character arc? I think that it's between Sunset and Discord (I consider Luna's possession by the Nightmare Forces to discount her since she wasn't really evil in the first place)