Help! My Heart is Full of Pony! - Wonderbolt Academy

I just finished watching Wonderbolts Academy. This episode was the first to really move one of the characters forward toward accomplishing one of their life goals. Yes, throughout much of Season 3, Twilight's destiny is alluded to, and Rarity had already made a name for herself in high society, (first with the attention she got from Hoity Toity in Suited for Success, and later with Canterlot's upper class in Sweet and Elite), but at this point in the series, their progress was moving forward only nebulously.

Here, we see Rainbow Dash enlisted in Wonderbolts Academy, where she officially starts on her path toward becoming a Wonderbolt. What sets Rainbow Dash apart from other characters in the series with lifetime aspirations is that she had built her entire identity around a single goal with only one narrow path to success. Her life, her sense of worth, her very idea of self - it all hinged on becoming a Wonderbolt, and (unlike Twilight's goal of succeeding in her studies, or Rarity's dream of becoming a fashionista), there was no way to realize that goal except to excel at the academy.

And she turned it all down. She walked away.

For those who don't remember, Rainbow Dash had been partnered with Lightning Dust, an ambitious hot shot flyer. Throughout the episode, Lightning Dust was rewarded for her gusto, even as her increasingly dangerous stunts did harm to other cadets . In the end, her tornado almost killed the Mane Five (who had travelled via hot air balloon to visit Dash in basic training, and shown up at just the wrong time).

Rainbow Dash quit - slapped her insignia on Spitfire's desk, and said, "If that's what gets rewarded around here, I don't want any part of it." And she left.

It broke her heart into a million pieces, but she walked away, turning her back on everything she'd spent her whole life working towards.

All too often we are led to believe that doing the right thing feels good. That we are to seek satisfaction in it, like a simple Pavlovian reward. But in real life, that is very often not the case. Doing the right thing can be absolutely devastating.

Rainbow Dash walks out of that office both completely empowered and totally shattered. This was more than an ambition for her - more than a dream. Rainbow had built an entire sense of self around her identity as a future Wonderbolt, and she was prepared to sacrifice it all for her principles.

It's one of the most powerful, character-defining moments in the entire series. The only way it could possibly have been better is if they had saved this episode for Season 4, and made it the one where Rainbow Dash earned her "key."

Discuss.
-Sprocket

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Comments

[Reese]

As usual, thank you for your commentary and insight. :)

[Lysander Shadowheart]

...But in real life, that is very often not the case. Doing the right thing can be absolutely devastating... It's one of the most powerful, character-defining moments in the entire series... made it the one where Rainbow Dash earned her "key."

I could not agree more.

Rainbow had built an entire sense of self around her identity as a future Wonderbolt, and she was prepared to sacrifice it all for her principles.

I would love to say I could do what she does in this episode, but I not sure I could in reality. Hell I might, if I saw the damage being done, first-hand. However honestly this is one of the most memorable episodes for me because of what rainbow sacrifices for her loyalty and overall principles. Given that they're not even overbearing principles that some people can have, they are the simplest of principles which she decides are more important than her entire life's work of becoming a Wonderbolt.