History YMMV / MyLittlePonyFiendshipIsMagic

** Celestia calling Sombra "a Unicorn whose heart was as black as night" in Season 3. He's a LivingShadow made by an EldritchAbomination crystal to rule the Empire via ThePowerOfHate, and after years of failing to ScrewDestiny by doing good, he finally snaps and invokes ThenLetMeBeEvil.

* CounterpartComparison: Sombra's backstory has got him this to [[Franchise/StarWars Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader]]. [[Film/ThePhantomMenace Staring out sympathetic]] until [[Film/RevengeOfTheSith his fear led him to attack those he looked up to and embrace the dark side]]. He also has a StarCrossedLover who he offered a WeCanRuleTogether to and whose love failed to redeem him. Sombra even gets a quote relating to the AwfulTruth of Vader.
-->'''Sombra''': [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack Why didn't you tell me?]]

** Chrysalis' issue has made her more this then ever. The reveal [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld she's existed for at least 1000 years prior]] and spent much of it ''not being'' {{sealed| evil in a can}}away. What she and the changelings did during this time, and their origins, are [[CerebusRetcon even darker then what was expected of them]], raising their threat level. Chrysalis shows [[MagnificentBitch impressive brilliance throughout]], like having a changeling impersonate her, letting her get the drop on everyone despite [[ProperlyParanoid suspicions of "her" behavior being a trap]] and break out. Scoring the first straight case of TheBadGuyWins in the series has left fans exited for what she'll do next.
* MagnificentBitch:
** Nightmare Moon. Since the Nyx have never met a pony before, she's able to manipulate one of them into helping her by promising friendship and faking interest in their work, and plots to use nightmares to torment Celestia until she releases her. Celestia's mind is too strong to penetrate? Give nightmares to all the other ponies of Equestria so Celestia will expend her energy helping them and be too weak to fight off her own nightmares. Nightmare Moon's plan fails, but she still decides to spend the next 1000 years tormenting ponies with nightmares in indirect vengeance for her banishment. And along the way, she corrupted the Nyx into the Nightmare Forces to serve her willingly. Her issue proves there's a ''reason'' the Equestrian equivalent of Halloween is dedicated to Nightmare Moon as a boogeyman that haunts Equestria's dreams -- because she ''is''.
** Chrysalis proves herself a Queen of the trope as we learn her backstory. She's brought down bustling cities and powerful political leaders through manipulation, subterfuge, and cunning, and even when cornered by a dragon she's able to talk her way out of becoming a meal and escape it. This culminates in the story's climax, where it's revealed the ragged and mentally drained Changeling Queen the mane six have been talking to throughout the issue was one of her commanders transformed into her likeness the entire time. The real Chrysalis was hiding above the door, waiting for somepony to open the door so she could escape, and all the conversation the fake Chrysalis had with the Mane Six was to work her way to a point they trusted her enough to do it.

** Nightmare Moon has been a victim of VillainDecay. Her debut had her fail to be anything more then a nuisance before her defeat, even her [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E2PrincessTwilightSparklePart2 original confrontation with Celestia]] [[AntiClimaxBoss was over surprisingly fast]] and she ''still'' failed to do anything else. Her entire established history on the show had her fail [[InformedAttribute to live up to her villainous reputation]]. Here, she shows [[KickTheDog more cruelty]] then ever before, [[HijackedByGanon retroactively took over as the Big Bad in the comics arc that implied she was a pawn]], and even in defeat, was able to spend her 1000 year banishment inflicting nightmares on ponykind as revenge. Her finally showing why she became associated with NightmareFuel in-universe has been well received. That said, it does NOT give an explanation as to why she tried to scare the mane six with inanimate objects (that didn't even look that scary) which has long been a subject of mockery by fans.

* CryForTheDevil: All the major antagonists are given sympathetic backgrounds, with the exception of Chrysalis, who was hatched as an EldritchAbomination.

** These fans seemingly miss the Sirens stating in both their issue and ''Rainbow Rocks'' that they feed off disharmony and seek to cause it wherever they go - primarily through their music.

** Star Swirl got a RonTheDeathEater treatment for how he banished the Sirens, despite his acknowledging he regretted doing so. Come the "[[CanonDiscontinuity actual]]" events of their banishment, Star Swirl was ''even worse'', displaying no guilt or empathy (not that the Sirens [[AdaptationalVillainy did anything to deserve it here) to the point it would become his FatalFlaw.

* DesignatedVillain: The Sirens. The way the issue is told, they don't come off as much as a threat as the legends told in ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks Rainbow Rocks]]'' implied. Particularly, their singing doesn't cause strife or arguing between other ponies, it makes ponies adore them, and it's implied the Sirens do this as a way to get fame and attention, not to purposefully create trouble. If any harm was caused, it was {{Offscreen|Villainy}}. Enter Star Swirl who, after repeatedly failing to best them in music to stop their spells, just banishes them to another world to get rid of them. Some fans go so far as to say ''Star Swirl'' is the villain of the comic, that the story that Twilight read on ''Rainbow Rocks'' was a clear case of WrittenByTheWinners and that the Sirens were victims DrivenToVillainy after their banishment.

** Nightmare Moon has been a victim of VillainDecay. Her debut had her fail to be anything more then a nuisance before her defeat, even her [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E2PrincessTwilightSparklePart2 original confrontation with Celestia]] [[AntiClimaxBoss was over surprisingly fast]] and she ''still'' failed to do anything else. Her entire established history on the show had her fail [[InformedAttribute to live up to her villainous reputation]]. Here, she shows [[KickTheDog more cruelty]] then ever before, [[HijackedByGanon retroactively took over as the Big Bad in the comics arc that implied she was a pawn]], and even in defeat, was able to spend her 1000 year banishment inflicting nightmares on ponykind as revenge. Her finally showing why she became associated with NightmareFuel in-universe has been well received.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: [[spoiler:Even before it was revealed as all just a trap anyway,]] Chrysalis's JerkassWoobie (see above) state in ''#5''. Given how [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDWIssue1To4 her previous appearance]] had already established her as explicitly genocidal and murderous (and well-beyond just needing to fulfill her EmotionEater needs) against innocent beings, some readers couldn't help but see this as a CruelMercy LaserGuidedKarma instead.

** ''Issue #5'' explained that the holes in the changeling's legs are leftover battle wounds from battling Princess Celestia a thousand years ago. While fans were fine with the idea of Chrysalis herself being that old, most found it odd and off-putting that the entire changeling species was that one swarm that never aged, healed, or increased in number.

* DesignatedVillain: The Sirens. The way the issue is told, they don't come off as much as a threat as the legends told in ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks Rainbow Rocks]]'' implied. Particularly, their singing doesn't cause strife or arguing between other ponies, it makes ponies adore them, and it's implied the Sirens do this as a way to get fame and attention, not to purposefully create trouble. If any harm was caused, it was {{Offscreen|Villainy}}. Enter Star Swirl who, after repeatedly failing to best them in music to stop their spells, just banishes them to another world to get rid of them. Some fans go so far as to say ''Star Swirl'' is the villain of the comic, and the Sirens were victims DrivenToVillainy after their banishment.

* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: King Sombra wasn't exactly the most [[BaseBreaker well-received villain]] back in Season 3's ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E1TheCrystalEmpirePart1 Crystal]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E2TheCrystalEmpirePart2 Empire]]'' due to being fairly one-dimensional. Giving him a legitimately tragic and well-written backstory to turn him into a TragicMonster redeemed him in the eyes of many fans.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids:
** The King Sombra comic ''really'' doesn't seem like something you'd find from ''Franchise/MyLittlePony''. Nothing in the comic is any darker than some Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon films like ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'' or ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'', but some of the imagery and tones are rather scary and frightening for younger readers.
** The Queen Chrysalis comic similarly amps up the amount of horrific scenes that borderline what would be appropriate for children.

** Many fans were also off-put by the idea in ''Issue #4'' that Nightmare Moon was literally trapped ''on'' the moon (in a temple with a species that creates dreams) for a thousand years instead of being sealed ''in'' the moon instead.

** Some felt Celestia [[TheWorfEffect losing to Chrysalis]] in the [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E26ACanterlotWeddingPart2 season 2 finale]] [[FauxActionGirl excessively cheapened the ability of the former]]. Their confrontation in final issue confirms that, [[WorfHadTheFlu without Chrysalis getting her power boosted]], Celestia beats her hooves down. [[OneWomanArmy And the rest of the changelings.]] [[ScarsAreForever AND permanently damaged then]], something not even Twilight Sparkle could do despite giving them her biggest, empowered, magical beatdown [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E26TwilightsKingdomPart2 par her fight with Lord Tirek]]. There's a good reason Chrysalis [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu was as surprised as anyone else she beat Celestia this time]].

** Chrysalis appears so ragged and tired, not to mention edging against the DespairEventHorizon, that even the Mane Six feel sorry for her when they see her state. True, we later learn that this was all a trap and it is one of her commanders disguised as her, but still, give the changelings credit for pulling off such a convincing ruse.

** ''Issue #5'' explained that the holes in the changeling's legs are leftover battle wounds from battling Princess Celestia a thousand years ago. While fans were fine with the idea of Chrysalis herself being that old, most found it odd and off-putting that the entire changeling species was that one swarm that never aged, healed, or increased in number.

* ParvumOpus: The Sirens issue is the most criticized, due having the LoveToHate villains from ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks Rainbow Rocks]]'' [[DesignatedVillain fail do do anything that villainous]], and failing to show (even {{joss|ed}}ing) [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot what would have made their backstories interesting]].

* FanDislikedExplanation: Good luck finding anyone who views the banishment of the Sirens to the present, thus [[{{Jossed}} invalidating]] their ReallySevenHundredYearsOld aspect {{Fanon}} held them to, as necessary or desirable.

* HarsherInHindsight: Celestia calling Sombra "a Unicorn whose heart was as black as night" in Season 3. He's a LivingShadow made by an EldritchAbomination crystal to rule the Empire via ThePowerOfHate, and after years of failing to ScrewDestiny by doing good, he finally snaps and invokes ThenLetMeBeEvil.

** The Nightmare Forces from [[ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW the main comic series]] were criticized for their implied being TheManBehindTheMan for Nightmare Moon, reducing her relevance while adding nothing themselves. Nightmare Moon's issue reveals that ''[[HijackedByGanon she]]'' [[HijackedByGanon was the one who corrupted them in the first place]], restoring her roll as the BigBad [[TheChessmaster and then some]].