I Want a Shining Armor Episode

here a forum about pony (General Pony Talk)

Moderators: Wayoshi, Venusy

Post Reply
Dal
User avatar
Praise the Sun
Celestia's Champions
Posts: 70
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:43 pm
Gender: Male

I Want a Shining Armor Episode

Post by Dal (?) » Fri Dec 15, 2017 2:58 pm

Hear me out.

Shining Armor may seem like a one dimensional gag character for Dads to relate to, but there is more to him than that. He is a devoted husband, a caring father, an amazing brother, and a warrior. Yes a warrior.

Shining' special talent is that he protects ponies, and while we have never seen how he got his cutie mark, we have seen the barriers he can make. And I bet it was that drive to be the best protector he could be that lead him to becoming the head of the royal guard at such a young age. Of course he gave up his position when he married Cadance, and such is his devotion to her, but he still sees himself as a guardian - it's what his cutie mark is telling him after all.

So why an episode on him? We have all witnessed what happens when stuff interferes with a pony's special talent, season one had a lot of these moments. Ponies lose their freaking minds. Now let's look at what has happened to Shining during the series.

His first appearance has his wife to be kidnapped and replaced right under his nose. Next he has to sit by and watch his wife struggle to keep back an ancient evil that she eventually destroys. Later on he and the rest of his family are abducted - including his newborn daughter. Then in the movie his wife is turned to stone leaving a real possibility that he would have to raise Flurry by himself.

As a person whose entire life - the very fiber of his being - has been dedicated to the ideal of protecting others, when push came to shove, he couldn't. He couldn't save the princesses. He couldn't save his sister. He couldn't save his wife. He couldn't save his daughter.

This has to be driving him insane. And I want see how he deals with so much self doubt and the feelings of worthlessness that comes with it.
Image
Undecided wrote:Every time you write a story I cant help but sigh, because I know Im gong to lose another man card.

Highbrow Dash
User avatar
But why would you post such a thing?
Rarity's Roughnecks
Posts: 147
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 2:23 am
Gender: Male

Re: I Want a Shining Armor Episode

Post by Highbrow Dash (?) » Fri Dec 15, 2017 5:13 pm

I find him really dull but I'd be ok with giving him a chance to shine. Better than another Discord episode, anyway :v:

Fizzbuzz
User avatar
Stare Masters
Posts: 1048
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 10:54 pm
Gender: Male
Location: TN
Contact:

Re: I Want a Shining Armor Episode

Post by Fizzbuzz (?) » Fri Dec 15, 2017 5:24 pm

Gosh, that's an interesting take on him. That might be a bit too heavy for this show's target audience, but I imagine it would be a good episode if it were written well enough even with kids in mind.
Image

Auxiliatrix
User avatar
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:57 pm
Gender: Female

Re: I Want a Shining Armor Episode

Post by Auxiliatrix (?) » Fri Dec 15, 2017 9:29 pm

Dal wrote: ↑
Fri Dec 15, 2017 2:58 pm
Hear me out.

Shining Armor may seem like a one dimensional gag character for Dads to relate to, but there is more to him than that. He is a devoted husband, a caring father, an amazing brother, and a warrior. Yes a warrior.
Truth be told, Shining Armor didn't become a gag character until the most recent seasons. Sure, he wasn't always the most competent, but he was, in my opinion, fairly respectable at one point. I completely agree with your assessment of Shining as a great father, husband, and warrior, because even as his portrayals start to somewhat drift away from these ideas, he's still, at his core, all of those things.

If an episode ever were to focus on him, I'd want to see more of that side of Shining return.
Image

Life in one image. Interpret as you wish.

The Doctor
User avatar
Turner Of All Things Timey Wimey
Celestia's Champions
Patreon supporter
Posts: 806
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:42 pm
Location: Time & Space

Re: I Want a Shining Armor Episode

Post by The Doctor (?) » Fri Dec 15, 2017 9:44 pm

They kind of started downplaying him as far back as The Crystal Empire. Having him totally sidelined the entire episode rather than being the one to cast that shield to keep Sombra out. You know, the very thing he was doing in the last episode. I would like to see more of him (and Cadance), but I feel all they are now is parents and we'll probably never see anything beyond that.

Fizzbuzz
User avatar
Stare Masters
Posts: 1048
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 10:54 pm
Gender: Male
Location: TN
Contact:

Re: I Want a Shining Armor Episode

Post by Fizzbuzz (?) » Fri Dec 15, 2017 10:28 pm

The Doctor wrote: ↑
Fri Dec 15, 2017 9:44 pm
I would like to see more of him (and Cadance), but I feel all they are now is parents and we'll probably never see anything beyond that.
Y'know, that kinda does also happen IRL with people who have kids. Maybe this cartoon horse show is actually striving for accuracy!
Image

PonyHag714
User avatar
Here comes the helmet!
Posts: 317
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:14 pm
Contact:

Re: I Want a Shining Armor Episode

Post by PonyHag714 (?) » Fri Dec 15, 2017 11:13 pm

I'd love to see SA in a more serious role than he has had in recent appearances.
Image ("Don't try to reform me, Hag, because I'm made of cold stone.")

Auxiliatrix
User avatar
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:57 pm
Gender: Female

Re: I Want a Shining Armor Episode

Post by Auxiliatrix (?) » Fri Dec 15, 2017 11:19 pm

The Doctor wrote: ↑
Fri Dec 15, 2017 9:44 pm
They kind of started downplaying him as far back as The Crystal Empire. Having him totally sidelined the entire episode rather than being the one to cast that shield to keep Sombra out. You know, the very thing he was doing in the last episode. I would like to see more of him (and Cadance), but I feel all they are now is parents and we'll probably never see anything beyond that.
You make a good point about Shining Armor not really having any "serious" roles past "A Canterlot Wedding". I'm not really annoyed by Shining being comic relief; I just wish we had more examples of him doing his job well or having to make a difficult decision.

"Once Upon a Zeppelin" was one of my favorites of Season 7 (if not my overall favorite) partially because I thought the role Cadance served was great, and while Shining Armor was mostly comic relief, I felt the episode used their position as a royal couple to impact the story positively (though obviously the parental element was still there).
Image

Life in one image. Interpret as you wish.

West Filly
User avatar
Stare Masters
Posts: 767
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 6:46 am
Gender: Male

Re: I Want a Shining Armor Episode

Post by West Filly (?) » Sun Dec 17, 2017 2:47 am

There's an easy answer to getting the story you want and it's fanfiction.

I do think a way to lighten this potentially heavy story would be to do a typical paranoia episode where he goes nuts trying to make everything defended and the lesson is the usual "you can't make everything safe, or if you do you take away everything that's potentially good so please let our house out of the magical bubble." A lot of kids shows do the "ahh germs everywhere" episode, and this would be no different just with fear of magical threats instead of germs.
πŸ‘‰πŸ‘‰πŸ₯œπŸ 

Dal
User avatar
Praise the Sun
Celestia's Champions
Posts: 70
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:43 pm
Gender: Male

Re: I Want a Shining Armor Episode

Post by Dal (?) » Sun Dec 17, 2017 5:26 am

I know better than to think they would do a PTSD episode, I was thinking something more like what you said.
Image
Undecided wrote:Every time you write a story I cant help but sigh, because I know Im gong to lose another man card.

Post Reply