Alternative Character Interpretation: What were the real goals of the Ephorate in the Lunar Rebellion? A poorly disguised power grab with their championing of their culture over the other two tribes? Or a lashing out against a monarch who is disconnected with them when they are fine on their own? Or is it a mix of the two?
Shadow Kicker. A noble mare in the right place or an Unreliable Narrator that also just happens to be a Creator's Pet due to most of the story from being her point of view?
Dusk Charger. A deluded stallion that was blinded by his loyalty towards his country over doing the right thing or someone that is using My Country, Right or Wrong to justify being on the wrong side of the conflict longer than it should have been? His Fake Defection reveal was considered the moment many readers stopped liking him and the Distant Finale revealing that he married Gale Kicker after all that he has done felt undeserved and forced even after losing the clans he based his entire identity on.
Celestia's passive involvement in the Lunar Rebellion and reasoningbehind it. Is it a justifiable In-Universe reason or a barely disguised Deus Exit Machina? A third opinion shared by the readers is that while the reasoning is sound, it is being used against her as her lack of involvement paints her as a useless monarch who only sits on her throne while her subjects are dying for her. In the story, the protagonists, especially Shadow Kicker and Sunbeam Sparkle are frustrated at her constant refusal of their requests to join the frontlines while the rebels spun this rhetoric as a way to show how little her subjects mean to her as a means of justifying their cause. Whether or not incinerating thousands in the penultimate battle makes her a hypocrite or someone who wants to end the war as quickly as possible with minimal casualties is another contested issue altogether.
The reason as to why the pegasi clans were dissolved in the first place when it was revealed. Some felt that judging them to be untrustworthy to leave alone after the actions of only one individual is Disproportionate Retribution while others felt that there also other reasons like how the clan system promotes and glorifies being a Proud Warrior Race means that the pegasi can only live as warriors and nothing else unlike the other two tribes. Not only that, leaving them alone on Cloudsdale is precisely what caused the rifts of Culture Clash to happen in the first place, preventing harmony.
The Clipping of a pegasus filly. The wings are completely chopped off, leaving behind two bloody stumps. Shadow Kicker can even see the blood trail from the wings.
Midnight Sparkle's general behaviour is either usually this or Creepy Cute.
Sir Radiant Day's death. Imagine that you are camping out in the dark tunnels in a supposedly quiet battlefront with the only sources of light being torches on the wall. Suddenly, a rebel army shows up seemingly out of nowhere, given away by one of their unicorns blowing their cover. Your entire army is still caught off guard as the decisive battle is being held in another front. In the mad rush from both sides, the entire tunnel goes dark as the torches were snuffed out in the chaos, blinding everyone involved. As you struggle to fight with someone who you hope in the dark is an enemy soldier and not one of your own soldiers, all of a sudden something grapples you, pins you down and proceeds to bash your head repeatedly until the last thing you feel is your skull caving in.
hite Knight reveals that the whole thing was happening right in front of her eyes, the sight of her older brother having his skull caved in made her freeze in terror and surrender upon losing.
Dusk Charger's perspective didn't make it any better. When he was grappling in the dark, he jumped at the nearest unicorn in the confusion. This means that his kill of Radiant Day is flat out accidental. When the torches were finally relit after yelling out a victory cry, seeing the grisly aftermath of the injured being pinned under piles of bodies has him say this: "I think I preferred the ignorant bliss of blindness."
The Avatar of Nightmare Moon's Body Horror. Dusk Charger notes that the wounds on her body cannot be healed, revealing pulsing organs and flesh underneath. By the time she is defeated for good, her body's state is akin of a horror game boss.
In response to an aide going to turn against her upon topics of dark magic usage, the Avatar blasts a seemingly quick beam right through the chest...before he explodes into Lidicrious Gibs right in the tent, showering the occupants in gore. The fact that it was a faked death doesn't help how surreal it was.
The battles after the Siege of Canterlot. They are effectively unnecessary and only served to delay the inevitable outcome. Thousands of lives are lost over pride and tradition. How they died is even worse. The first rebel army was incinerated due to the a spell cast on the surrounding heat without even a fight, meaning that their opposition only had to walk up and check on their incinerated corpses after it was done. The second rebel army attempted a failed surprise attack that is practically a suicide run, getting decimated long before they even got in range of their enemy. It took Celestia forcibly restraining the few survivors just to stop the killing.
Tear Jerker: With the a substantial body count of notable charcters, you better get some tissues on hand.
The tragedy of the Sierra Doo. Her husband is the Number Two to the opposition's leader. After the battle in the tunnels, she receives multiple injuries and even Dawn Charger tells Dusk Charger to make her last moments comfortable. Even then she still stubbornly clings on to life. When the enemy army comes to take her prisoner, she was informed of her husband's Disney Death. Realising that with both parents gone, her daughter Astra will be an orphan. Her will to live was crushed by a broken heart. Her last words are about who will take care of her daughter with tears in her eyes before losing consciousness and passing on shortly after. Even after the war, the news of her passing caused a rift between Stalwart Kicker and Astra Kicker that would not be healed for many years. Stalwart re-marrying a unicorn war widow didn't help matters.
Nimbus Kicker was killed while she was pregnant. Dusk Charger's Big "NO!" just sums up the situation.
The pointless battles that were fought after the Siege of Canterlot. Thousands of lives were lost just because their commanders refuse to surrender over traditions and pride.
