History BrokenBase / StarVsTheForcesOfEvil

* Despite his popularity as a [[VileVillainSaccharineShow competent, serious and effective villain]], there are a handful of people who don't like Toffee. Some believe he's too serious and out of place for a show like ''Star vs.'', and/or consider him boring. Fans on both sides tend to agree that [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter his full potential went unrealized]], however. Despite the fact that he [[spoiler:died in the otherwise superb ''The Battle for Mewni'' arc, most of his motivations for what he did were unclear in the show itself beyond the most basic level of {{revenge}}.]] Not helping matters was WordOfGod claiming he was [[WellIntentionedExtremist a morally complex character]] who [[VillainHasAPoint had a valid point in viewing magic as something to be destroyed]]. Something ''[[InformedAttribute not clearly expressed any time he was on-screen]]'', only vaguely implied with a situation he was in during a ''flashback''. At the same time, some fans were attracted to Toffee ''because'' of how mysterious he was, and feel like answering everything would lessen him. The fact that Toffee did come to have parts of his backstory explained in ''Literature/TheMagicBookOfSpells'' ([[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot though only by small mentions]]) didn't help matters, with debates refueling again over why such information never made it into the show proper; and even then, major things such as how he gained so much knowledge about magic and the Butterfly lineage remained a mystery.

* The ending of "Cornotation" is controversial [[spoiler: with Rhombulus being the one who discrystalized Globgor to prove how dangerous he can be and with the people of Mewni acepting Globgor as their new King]] some feeled like this was an AssPull to end [[spoiler: Globgor]] arc before the final arc started because [[spoiler: it contradicts previous characterization of Rhombulus from InnocentlyInsensitive to a KnightTemplar and many find weird how it took 2 thirds of the Season for Mewni to start acepting Eclipsa meanwhile Globgor (who is known for making a lot worst things that Eclipsa) is quickly acepted, other fans think it was in character for Rhombulus to do these things in his InnocentlyInsensitive nature and that the people of Mewni had the chance to see with their own eyes Globgor's and Eclipsa's true nature in the Cornotation which is why they acept him more quickly]]
** With that said thanks to the revelation in "The Tavern at the End of the Multiverse" that [[spoiler: it was actually Moon's idea to release Globgor]] and the more controversial "Cleaved" (see below) this one got a more warmer reception, with some calling it one of the best episodes of the season.

* Season 3 post-Battle of Mewni is hugely contested among the fandom with half of the fans calling it a downgrade from the first 2 seasons and the beginning of the SeasonalRot and the other half calling it the best Season of the show thanks to all of the things listed around this page, the only thing fans tend to agree about this Season is that the one who follows it is much, much, much MUCH Worse.

* The incredibly polarizing GrandFinale that was "Cleaved". Detractors specifically point to Star defeating the villain by [[spoiler: destroying all magic]] as a horrible last-second plan that has the side effect of [[spoiler:killing all the inhabitants of the Magic Realm, as well as any beings dependent on magic to survive]], as well as [[spoiler:[[MergedReality the merging of Earth and Mewni]] via ThePowerOfLove]] being a confusing AssPull that diminished the intended sacrifice of our heroes and gives off a lot of FridgeHorror. Meanwhile, fans of the finale feel like it managed to tie up all the important loose ends and that it delivered more than enough great character moments to feel like a satisfying conclusion, from [[spoiler: Eclipsa and Moon interacting with the ghosts of their respective mothers, to Star and Marco giving what they believe to be their final goodbyes, to even Janna and Marco affirming their friendship. And, of course, Star and Marco getting to move forward with their relationship.]]

* The ending of "Cornotation" is controversial [[spoiler: with Rhombulus being the one who discrystalized Globgor to prove how dangerous he can be and with the people of Mewni acepting Globgor as their new King]] some feeled like this was an AssPull to end [[spoiler: Globgor]] arc before the final arc started because [[spoiler: it contradicts previous characterization of Rhombulus from InocentInsensitive to a KnightTemplar and many find kind of weird how it took 2 thirds of the Season to Mewni to start acepting Eclipsa meanwhile Globgor (who is known for making a lot worst things that Eclipsa) is quickly acepted, other fans think it was in character for Rhombulus to fo these things in his InocentInsensitive nature and that the people of Mewnin had the chance to see with their own eyes Globgor's and Eclipsa's true nature in the show which is why they acept him more quickly]]
** With that said, thanks to the revelation in "The Tavern at the End of the Multiverse" that [[spoiler: it was actually Moon's idea to release Globgor]] and the more controversial "Cleaved" (see below) this one got a more warmer reception, with some calling it one of the best episodes of the season.

* If you love The Romance Subplot and are a Starco shipper, you are gonna love "Curse of the Blood Moon" and considered one of the best episodes of the series, if you don't like the Romance Subplot, considered the weakest part of the show or just indiferent about it you will think is unnecesary and an example of all the problems that the Ship Tease introduce in the show. The ending is either an huge TearJerker or {{Narm}} depending on how invested you are in Starco (for many fans was more of a LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt situation)
* "Surviving the Spiderbites" is either a fascinating exploration on the show's mythology and backstory for showing [[spoiler: that Globgor did some horrible things showing he wasn't just misunderstood like it was believed before]], a detour in the already overloaded Season Arc and wasn't very well-explained, [[TakeAThirdOption or]] a retcon that contradicts information from both the previous season and ''Literature/TheMagicBookOfSpells'' and creates plot holes that weren't even brought up in any of the later episodes, giving the impression that the "reveal" was only introduced to create forced tension between Eclipsa and Star.

* "Surviving the Spiderbites" is either a fascinanting exploration on the show's mythology and backstory for showing [[spoiler: that Eclipsa and Globgor did some horrible things showing they weren't just mistunderstood like it was belived before]] or an detour in the already overloaded Season Arc and wasn't very well-explained. One thing both sides agree is that it should have been explored in future episodes.

* If you love The Romance Subplot and are a Starco shipper, you are gonna love "Curse of the Blood Moon" and considered one of the best episodes of the series, if you don't like the Romance Subplot, considered the weakest part of the show or just indiferent about it you will think is unnecesary and an example of all the problems that the Ship Tease introduce in the show. The ending is either an huge TearJerker or [[Narm]] depending on how invested you are in Starco (for many fans was more of a LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt situation)

** The fact that [[spoiler:Star and Marco's first kiss happened while she was still dating Tom]] was immediately controversial, even if it did happen under duress. On one hand, there were fans who felt that [[spoiler:the kiss was forced and that Marco looked like a jerk for making Star "cheat" on Tom. However, others pointed out that he had good intentions since the two of them wouldn't have been able to leave the photo booth (or at least, genuinely thought they couldn't) unless such action was taken. It was also pointed out that Tom had done worse things to Star and probably [[NotSoDifferent wouldn't have been much different]], along with Star being very much aware that she was still with Tom during her moment of shock afterwards. [[TakeAThirdOption There's also a third group of people -specifically the more diehard Starco shippers-]] that didn't care about any of the above as long as the two finally got to kiss]].

[[folder:Episodes and Seasons]]

* On that note, Marco in Season 3 also gained many detractors due to how badly he handled everything following ''The Battle for Mewni'' by not admitting to Star that he had feelings for her too when he had the chance, obsessing over Star and Mewni while ignoring everyone and everything on Earth, leading to Jackie breaking up with him, then being generally useless as Star's squire when he returned to Mewni.

* The events of Season 3 proved divisive amidst the fandom:
** The decision to leave Earth as the main setting in favor of Mewni. Some were fine with it, feeling Earth had plenty of time in the spotlight for the first two seasons and that Mewni had a large amount of untapped potential, ranging from the Butterfly family history to the ongoing racial tensions between Mewmans and Monsters. Others, however, felt it shafted the Earth cast outside Marco and [[AscendedExtra Janna]], and left potential plot threads [[LeftHanging hanging open]]. The latter group also had members who noted that the separation between Earth and Mewni was completely arbitrary anyway, given that dimensional scissors (which both Star and Marco had easy access to) make travel between different worlds literally easier than walking across the street, meaning that an increased focus on Mewni never required abandoning Earth at all.
** Marco's characterization in season three. Some believe Marco had TookALevelInJerkass or was constantly grabbing the JerkassBall,[[note]]His frustration at not really being a knight, his feud with the other squires, and him not telling Hekapoo about Star causing the portals just so he can keep working with her.[[/note]] and that his boredom with Earth came out of left field. Others believe Marco's characterization was a natural progression of the insecurities he's always displayed, and his need to prove himself was blinding him to the consequences. Many in the latter group felt that it wasn't Marco who grabbed the JerkassBall at all, but that the Mewni characters had a firm hold on it.[[note]]Marco had every reason to expect to be made a knight seeing as King River specifically promised to do so, and the fact that he gave Marco his meat blanket and pretended it was a cape and somehow expected that Marco would never come back is inexplicably stupid even for [[TheDitz River]]. The other squires acting as if Marco didn't earn his position was pretty dubious seeing as, unlike Marco, who at least tries helping out, they were all missing in action during the fight against Ludo and Toffee.[[/note]]

* The incredibly polarizing GrandFinale that was "Cleaved". Detractors specifically point to Star defeating the villain by [[spoiler: destroying all magic]] as a horrible last-second plan that has the side effect of [[spoiler:killing all the inhabitants of the Magic Realm, as well as any beings dependent on magic to survive]], as well as [[spoiler:[[MergedReality merging of Earth and Mewni]] via ThePowerOfLove]] being a confusing AssPull that diminished the intended sacrifice of our heroes and gives off a lot of FridgeHorror. Meanwhile, fans of the finale feel like it managed to tie up all the important loose ends and that it delivered more than enough great character moments to feel like a satisfying conclusion, from [[spoiler: Eclipsa and Moon interacting with the ghosts of their respective mothers, to Star and Marco giving what they believe to be their final goodbyes, to even Janna and Marco affirming their friendship. And, of course, Star and Marco getting to move forward with their relationship.]]

* Despite his popularity as a [[VileVillainSaccharineShow competent, serious and effective villain]], there are a handful of people who don't like Toffee. Some believe he's too serious and out of place for a show like ''Star vs.'', and/or consider him boring. Fans on both sides tend to agree that [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter his full potential went unrealized]], however. Despite the fact that he [[spoiler:died in the otherwise superb ''The Battle for Mewni'' arc, most of his motivations for what he did were unclear in the show itself beyond the most basic level of {{revenge}}.]] Not helping matters was WordOfGod claiming he was [[WellIntentionedExtremist a morally complex character]] who [[VillainHasAPoint had a valid point in viewing magic as something to be destroyed]]. Something ''[[InformedAttribute not clearly expressed any time he was on-screen]]'', only vaguely implied with a situation he was in during a ''flashback''. At the same time, some fans were attracted to Toffee ''because'' of how mysterious he was, and feel like answering everything would lessen him. The fact that Toffee did come to have parts of his backstory explained in ''Literature/TheMagicBookOfSpells'' didn't help matters, with debates refueling again over why such information never made it into the show proper; and even then, major things such as how he gained so much knowledge about magic and the Butterfly lineage remained a mystery.

* Mina Loveberry is a particularly divisive character, mainly from those who find her cuckoo crazy behavior to be endearing and relatable, or annoying and in your face.

* There's a rift between those who [[FanPreferredCouple ship Star and Marco]] and those who prefer them as PlatonicLifePartners. The latter are mostly tired and bored of the typical cliché of "the two opposite-sex leads become the OfficialCouple" and feel having the duo just be close friends would be more interesting. The former either disagree with that reasoning, or agree in principle but think that the show itself [[TropesAreTools executed the friends-to-lovers trope extremely well]], and that Star and Marco's chemistry more than compensates for that cliché.

* The incredibly polarizing GrandFinale that was "Cleaved". Detractors specifically point to Star defeating the villain by [[spoiler: destroying all magic]] as a horrible last-second plan that has the side effect of [[spoiler:killing all the inhabitants of the Magic Realm, as well as any beings dependent on magic to survive]], as well as [[spoiler:[[RealityMerge merging of Earth and Mewni]] via ThePowerOfLove]] being not only a confusing AssPull that diminished the intended sacrifice of our heroes. Meanwhile, fans of the finale feel like it managed to tie up all the important loose ends and that it delivered more than enough great character moments to feel like a satisfying conclusion, from [[spoiler: Eclipsa and Moon interacting with the ghosts of their respective mothers, to Star and Marco giving what they believe to be their final goodbyes, to even Janna and Marco affirming their friendship. And, of course, Star and Marco getting to move forward with their relationship.]]

* The polarizing final episode that was "Cleaved". Detractors specifically point to Star defeating the villain by [[spoiler: destroying all magic]] as a horrible last-second plan that has the side effect of [[spoiler:killing all the inhabitants of the Magic Realm, as well as any beings dependent on magic to survive]], as well as [[spoiler:[[RealityMerge merging of Earth and Mewni]] via ThePowerOfLove]] being not only a confusing AssPull that diminished the intended sacrifice of our heroes. Meanwhile, fans of the finale feel like it managed to tie up all the important loose ends and that it delivered more than enough great character moments to feel like a satisfying conclusion, from [[spoiler: Eclipsa and Moon interacting with the ghosts of their respective mothers, to Star and Marco giving what they believe to be their final goodbyes, to even Janna and Marco affirming their friendship. And, of course, Star and Marco getting to move forward with their relationship.]]

* Season 4 is also seen as lackluster in comparison to prior seasons. The continued ignoring of the MythArc in favor of [[RomanticPlotTumor shipping drama]] is the biggest point of contention, as potential plot lines would constantly be set up only to be [[AbortedArc abandoned]] soon after. Add in a slew of moments in which the characters come across as UnintentionallyUnsympathetic and/or lacking in common sense, episodes that (even when entertaining) come across as {{filler}} in the greater narrative, lackluster writing, the final villain of [[spoiler:Mina Loveberry]] coming across as a BigBadWannabe compared to previous ones, and the controversial GrandFinale which has Star [[spoiler: solve all her problems by destroying all magical beings in the multiverse]] and raises more questions than answers, and you have a final season that feels like a total mess.
** To speak more on the polarizing final episode that was "Cleaved", its detractors have a long list of grievances that can be summarized as "it felt confusing, rushed, and turned the main character in a genocidal monster." Star defeats the villain by [[spoiler: destroying all magic]], a plan that was not only formed and committed to within seconds, but also has the side effect of [[spoiler:killing all the inhabitants of the Magic Realm, as well as any beings dependent on magic to survive]]. In addition, the [[spoiler:[[RealityMerge merging of Earth and Mewni]] via ThePowerOfLove]] was not only a confusing AssPull that diminished the intended sacrifice of our heroes, but is also believed to have created a mountain of future problems relating to [[spoiler: the humans of Echo Creek and the various creatures of Mewni adapting poorly to elements of each others' worlds]]. Combine this with the show's supplementary material implying there's still a contingent of villains out there that may now be undefeatable as a result of Star's actions here, and you have a lot of fans crying out that this was an EsotericHappyEnding.

** To speak more on the polarizing final episode that was "Cleaved", its detractors have a long list of grievances that can be summarized as "it felt confusing, rushed, and turned the main character in a genocidal monster." Star defeats the villain by [[spoiler: destroying all magic]], a plan that was not only formed and committed to within seconds, but also has the side effect of [[spoiler:killing all the inhabitants of the Magic Realm, as well as any beings dependent on magic to survive]]. In addition, the [[spoiler:merging of Earth and Mewni via ThePowerOfLove]] was not only a confusing AssPull that diminished the intended sacrifice of our heroes, but is also believed to have created a mountain of future problems relating to [[spoiler: the humans of Echo Creek and the various creatures of Mewni adapting poorly to elements of each others' worlds]]. Combine this with the show's supplementary material implying there's still a contingent of villains still out there that may now be undefeatable as a result of Star's actions here, and you have a lot of fans crying out that [[OnlyTheLeadsGetAHappyEnding only Star and Marco ended the series on a happy note]]... with WordOfGod implying even that won't last.

* Queen Moon became one as Season 3 progressed, with the final episodes of season 4 only adding fuel to the fire. Due in part to how controlling she was of Star, there are many complaints that she was a terrible queen who later comes to mis-blame Eclipsa for the problems she's faced in her life.[[note]]Being too blinded by prejudice against monsters, too stubborn to see how misguided it was, neglecting their problems, denying there being a problem like it's below her pay grade when Star calls her out on it, etc.[[/note]] On the other hand, some fans find her behavior understandable. Her DarkAndTroubledPast gives her a legitimate FreudianExcuse to distrust monsters[[note]]Her mother, Queen Comet, was assassinated by the Monster Leader's treacherous General, Toffee, in the midst of signing a Peace Treaty.[[/note]], and Moon can reasonably blame Eclipsa for some of the recent struggles she's had to deal with, even if much of it was accidental on the Queen of Darkness's part.

* Queen Moon became one as Season 3 progressed, with the final episodes of season 4 only adding fuel to the firw. Due in part to how controlling she was of Star, there are many complaints that she was a terrible queen who later comes to mis-blame Eclipsa for the problems she's faced in her life.[[note]]Being too blinded by prejudice against monsters, too stubborn to see how misguided it was, neglecting their problems, denying there being a problem like it's below her pay grade when Star calls her out on it, etc.[[/note]] On the other hand, some fans find her behavior understandable. Her DarkAndTroubledPast gives her a legitimate FreudianExcuse to distrust monsters[[note]]Her mother, Queen Comet, was assassinated by the Monster Leader's treacherous General, Toffee, in the midst of signing a Peace Treaty.[[/note]], and Moon can reasonably blame Eclipsa for some of the recent struggles she's had to deal with, even if much of it was accidental on the Queen of Darkness's part.

** Her fate from the season 3 finale onward is also divisive. [[spoiler: Eclipsa's spell, which was meant to kill her, turns her into a baby. The base is split into two camps. One side finds this an acceptable compromise since she'll at least be around people who care for her to help reel her in due to her mental health issues. The other side thinks she should have been punished in some way due to finding her actions too malicious to the point of finding her completely irredeemable.]]