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Fwelin
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).

[@SunlightDrifter](/images/2777898#comment_10011371)
This will probably be my last post here since it's becoming clear we see things very differently.

The opportunity is there *by Twilight simply existing*. She's the Princess of Friendship, and she and her friends have given second chances to countless villains or even just assholes, as long as they were receptive to it. All three of the villains would have known that very well by the time of the last episodes given that Cozy had gone to her school.

Queen Chrysalis could have accepted the explicit offer of forgiveness by Starlight, or even just literally changed her mind at any point and just waltzed up to the heroes. Cozy Glow could have shown remorse after her failed attempt to steal the world's magic and she would have instantly been given another chance, or after Discord had freed her. Tirek had less of a good opportunity than the others, but he could have still done the same after Discord freed him.

Could Twilight and company have been more proactive? Of course, but she wasn't *obligated* to do so, belief in friendship or not. Throughout the whole series, Twilight has never been proactive at trying to help an antagonist until they show signs (even slight ones) of being receptive to that help, whether that be Starlight, Tempest, Discord (in Twilight's Kingdom, not KCaFo), Sunset, Neighsay, etc. Her not jumping to do so for the villains that never showed anything of the sort isn't a betrayal of her character or the themes of the show at all, and is no different than (other than severity) how Flim and Flam never got redeemed.

I know it because that's how the writers consistently and persistently portrayed them, with the **only** even slightly moment saying otherwise is the moment at the end of Frenemies, *which had them reject friendship anyway out of spite*. If they had shown anything, anything at all, she likely would have jumped towards it, but they consistently reject all overtures. Even when their latest plan failed and Twilight wasn't making any moves to attack or imprison them any more, they *still* preemptively declared they would literally not stop no matter what (while Chrysalis was the spokesperson, you can see Cozy with angry eyes if you look closely after the camera zooms out, and Tirek no longer looks afraid).

The accommodations I mentioned was letting them (mostly Chrysalis) attack Equestria over and over again rather than doing something like was done to them in the ending, and letting them go (because even if they offer friendship, none of the three are going to accept it there) would have been another instance. Tirek's "daddy issues" were mentioned in a single line by *Discord*, in an attempt to provoke him. They're even less reliable than everything else Discord says, and no stock should be put into it (other than the existence of King Vorak himself). Even if it's true, it's not something Twilight would have known, and it's definitely not something that is indicative of being some kind of path to reformation. Tirek *had* the opportunity for friends, but rejected them repeatedly (first Scorpan, then Discord, then Cozy Glow and Chrysalis), and Twilight more explicitly extending her hoof isn't going to do any better.

*Celestia, Luna, and Discord* intended for them to be petrified forever, not Twilight (or to be more accurately, only Discord specifically showed that he did, though Celestia has shown herself to be in favor of that attempted punishment before with Discord). We don't get a single line about Twilight's opinion (which is one of the many flaws in the episode) saying that *she* wanted them imprisoned forever. If you look at Twilight's face after the villains are depowered, she had a look of **sadness** on them, not anger or fear. In the absence of her thoughts on the topic, it's entirely plausible that after she becomes leader she could reverse the sentence herself.

There are many things I take issue with for The Ending of the End (Discord's entire plan and him getting zero punishment or being shown to have learned a real lesson, Celestia/Luna/Discord butting in over Twilight at the end, the Windigoes not mattering at all in the end, and the wasted use of the Pillars, Celestia, and Luna, and more), but I fully believe that the villains' punishment at the end is at least conceptually fine, even if the execution leaves much to be desired.
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Edited by Fwelin