| “ | Ahh… long live the king. | „ |
| ~ King Sombra after retaking over the Crystal Empire. |
King Sombra is the secondary antagonist of the 2010 animated series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, serving as the main antagonist of Season 3 and the opening antagonist of Season 9.
He is a dark and tyrannical unicorn and the former ruler of the Crystal Empire who is bent on reconquering the empire and later taking over all of Equestria.
He was voiced by Jim Miller in Season 3, and by Alvin Sanders in Season 9.
His Evil Ranking[]
What Makes Him Close to Being Pure Evil?[]
In General[]
- While it is true that he is a very enigmatic character with little to nothing known about his origins (meaning it’s unclear if he was corrupted by dark magic or became a monster on his own accord), he still shows to know the difference between right and wrong, and he's aware that he's affected by positive traits from others, such as love, affection, friendship, etc., yet still prefers evildoing preventing him from being amoral.
- While evildoing is his only way to survive considering doing good could literally destroy him, he still embraces his villainy 100% and unlike Discord who changed for good despite having to survive from chaos and took the risk of disappearing, Sombra never intended to change his evil ways despite having the possibility of being helped by the Mane Six, Celestia and Luna considering how forgiving they are.
- While he first came off with little to no characterization, he later showed signs of sadism and during his second revival he had a more clear personality, which saved him from being a "Generic Doomsday Villain".
- His brainwashing and mind control are not only shown to be painful but even the victims show to be aware of everything they do while being under his control and not being able to do enough to snap out of it, thus giving them a fate worse than death.
- Not only that but given that he's competent enough to conquer other lands without the need of an army and still defend himself (unlike Chrysalis) only proves that he simply controls others to hurt, endanger and to have them as servants for himself.
- While he does have a few comedic moments, these are very brief and too minor to detract from his villainy (even when they were only limited to Season 9) and he's taken completely seriously by the characters as a threat in-universe, especially since he's shown to be more competent than most villains, in his second revival he threatens all of Equestria (even nearly succeeding) and he darkens the comedic and friendly tone of the show with his worst actions which are overall played for horror.
- Although he is meant to be an homage who resembles a Sauron-like looming threat and the edgelords, he doesn't come as a parody.
- The so-called "comedic" moments he has aren't prominent enough to make him Laughably Evil since they mostly consist in him being cocky, boastful and arrogant rather than genually comedic, some other comedic moments are only funny because of the characters and situations rather than him being directly part of them, the one that seems the closest to be comedic like being interrupted by Grogar by sending him to the Crystal Empire to avoid listening how he would threaten anyone who gets in his way is too brief and even if it was played for laughs he would eventually subvert it in the moment he threatened all of Equestria and him being the only villain who gets intentionally killed don't make him hilarious since his defeats are somewhat played for horror in the end.
- Despite his limited screentime, his actions and presence left a heavy impact and influence not only on the Crystal Empire, but also the rest of Equestria.
- He even managed to outrank most villains in terms of heinousness in just the few appearances he had.
- He has a legacy so bad to the point that he is mostly remembered by the characters for his crimes and his awful personality as seen when Princess Celestia refers him as a "unicorn whose heart is black as night" while Rarity and Fluttershy refer him as a monster.
- He comes off as a much more personal enemy to the Mane Six than most villains due to his psychological abuse, destroying what helped them defeat most threats since the very beginning and threatening their loved ones while making them fight against each others. For this reason, he and Sunset Shimmer are the two most personal villains in the fourth generation of the franchise from the respective worlds they currently reside. However unlike Sunset who changed for good, Sombra remained evil until the end.
- Although he's not too recurrent about attempting killing others for most time, it's because he prefers torturing others for his own amusement and to leave them in states of despair, not because he has problems with doing so as shown whenever he appears.
- To highlight this, he doesn't care at all if his victims are infants, children or elderlies as shown when he was willing to eat Spike alive, threatened to harm Flurry Heart who was just a baby alicorn into forcing her parents to surrender to him, brainwashed Pound and Pumpkin Cake who are also babies, taunted a filly from the Crystal Empire in front of her parents before brainwashing them, brainwashed the CMC who were just children, Mayor Mane and Granny Smith who were both elderlies were also brainwashed by him.
- While his defeats are both gruesome and brutal, they are well deserved for everything he did and was willing to commit.
- Even The Mane Six (who are known for being a very forgiving group) decided that he was too much of a threat to let him alive unlike the Legion of Doom or Discord who were simply turned into stone at some point, The Pony of Shadows who was imprisoned for 1,000 years, Nightmare moon who was banished to the Moon for 1,000 years.
- Given that he can be revived from time to time, he basically gets away with his crimes in some way.
- Unlike most villains (including the Legion of Doom), he's not given any single redeeming or sympathetic trait, he's not played for laughs at all and he's arguably the evilest and darkest villain of the generation due to his and lack of motivation for his acts of unspeakable cruelty.
- While Cosmos (who despite coming from a possibly different canon) and Midnight Sparkle committed and attempted worse, they have more resources since they have omnipotent power that allow them to cause destruction and endanger others much easier while King Sombra had much less power than them.
Background[]
- Took over the Crystal Empire and enslaved the Crystal Ponies.
- It's implied that he murdered the previous ruler as well in order to take over the Crystal Empire.
- Stole and hid away the Crystal Heart, the empire's most precious artifact, at the top of the castle to prevent it from ever being used against him. He also told the Crystal Ponies that they would never see it again to further break their spirits.
- The only reason he didn't destroy the heart was because it prevented the Frozen North's erratic weather from freezing the empire and also to prevent the Crystal Ponies to fill it with joy and love, not because he wanted the crystal ponies alive.
- Placed a curse on the empire that, in the event that he was defeated, would cause it and all its residents to disappear for a thousand years as an act of spite, which then activated when he was banished by Celestia and Luna thus giving them a hollow victory.
- The curse also caused the Crystal Ponies to lose their memories of what things were like before Sombra took over, and the mere memory of Sombra himself caused them pain.
Season 3[]
- As explained by Celestia, if the Crystal Empire was filled with hatred and fear, that would be reflected in all of Equestria, which ended up happening in an alternative timeline and was possibly instigating a war in the main timeline as revenge against Celestia and Luna for his first defeat, main reason why he wanted so bad to reconquer it again.
- When the Crystal Empire returned, he attempted to conquer it again, but was prevented from entering by Princess Cadence's barrier. Thus, he stalked the outside for any victims.
- It's shown that Cadance had not slept and eaten in order to prevent him from getting inside and reconquer the Crystal Empire.
- When the Mane Six arrived at the Crystal Empire, he chased them alongside Shining Armor. While they got through the barrier, Shining Armor's horn was cursed so he could not use his magic.
- When Cadence's barrier fell, he tried to invade again, but was stopped when Cadence raised the barrier again.
- When his horn falls to the ground of the Crystal Empire, he used the dark magic to create more dark crystals, causing a panic.
- When Twilight and Spike searched for the Crystal Heart, they opened the door where Sombra hypnotizes them into confronting their worst fears.
- Twilight's fear was failing Celestia's test and being rejected as her student.
- Spike's fear was being disowned by Twilight.
- After Cadence was no longer able to perform her spell, he successfully invaded the Crystal Empire and began to torment the crystal ponies.
- Summoned the dark crystals to trap Twilight and prevent her from getting the Crystal Heart.
- After getting his physical body back, he attempted to recapture the Crystal Heart and kill Spike.
- Given that he was licking his lips while Spike was falling, he was possibly trying to eat him alive, which would have been a pretty brutal way of trying to kill had not been for Shining Armor throwing Cadance.
Season 5[]
- In one of the alternate timelines created by Starlight Glimmer, without anyone who stopped him after the Crystal Empire returned he made the Crystal Ponies fight for him against the rest of Equestria, fighting during dark ages of war and conquest with Celestia, and managed to take over half of Equestria.
- This is arguably one of the worst acts a villain has done considering most villains threatened conquest without starting a war while in his plans he endangered everyone alike with possibilities of dying in a regional-possibly global scale without exceptions and even there are hints that he was willing to instigate a war in the main timeline if he succeeded at defeating the Mane Six as it was only due to them he couldn't.
- While it didn't happen in the main timeline, this can't be simply dismissed as something he wouldn't have done since this highlights how dangerous and threatening his plans of conquering can be and he has proven many times he would be willing of everything if that means he could conquer and enslave everyone, this even is explicit enough to endanger and even kill others as seen with Rainbow Dash nearly getting crushed to death and others being badly hurt at the fight.
- As shown in this timeline and explained by Applejack, the "cause" ended up having the rest of Equestria (including children) to work day and night while living on misery 24/7 to keep up the fight and it's heavily implied to have caused several deaths, mass destruction and several collateral damage. As seen with Rainbow Dash getting several injuries such as having a metal wing, one ear chopped and a scar on her left eye, her nearly getting crushed to death by a rock if not for Maud and Pinkie saving her, Granny Smith is implied to be dead due to having her face on the applesauce cans as if it was to homage her and Princess Celestia's guards were shown to be badly hurt while fighting Sombra and the crystal ponies he brainwashed.
- This timeline is meant to homage both World War and Industrial Revolution.
- This is arguably one of the worst acts a villain has done considering most villains threatened conquest without starting a war while in his plans he endangered everyone alike with possibilities of dying in a regional-possibly global scale without exceptions and even there are hints that he was willing to instigate a war in the main timeline if he succeeded at defeating the Mane Six as it was only due to them he couldn't.
Season 9[]
- He shows no gratitude for being revived by Grogar and he was totally fine with not being revived again if he lost the bet they made.
- Upon revival, he refused to join Grogar's (who is Discord in disguise) Legion of Doom out of arrogance and selfishness just because he doesn't like sharing victories.
- He even claimed that he would destroy anypony who gets in his way, which proves he has no problems at all with killing.
- Starting to lay siege to the Crystal Empire with ease.
- Brainwashing all the Crystal Ponies and Royal Guards from the Crystal Empire into his slaves.
- He threatens to harm Flurry Heart to force Shining Armor and Princess Cadence into surrendering (even chaining her and putting her a muzzle).
- Managed to capture the Crystal Heart to fully take over the Crystal Empire and brainwashes the royal guards there.
- Forces the Crystal Empire royal family to bow to him by having his guards threaten them with spears.
- Imprisoning the Crystal Empire royal family in the dark crystal.
- Tried to force the Mane Six to confront their worst fears.
- After following the Mane Six to the Cave of Harmony, he destroyed the Tree of Harmony and the Elements of Harmony to prevent the Mane Six's source of power, much for the girls horror and later sadistically laughing for doing so.
- What makes this worse is the fact that the tree has shown to be sentient, making this a disguised murder.
- Although the Tree managed to revive thanks to the Young Six, this doesn't lessen Sombra's main intention and it's not like he knew it could be revived due to not being alive to know.
- This act alone makes him the first villain who successfully kills a character onscreen instead of just being an implied or attempted murder.
- After imprisoning the Mane Six inside the dark crystals, he proceeded to taunt them and said that he will take over all of Equestria starting with their hometown Ponyville and their loved ones before he leaves.
- He was about to brainwash the Mane Six, but he decided to against it since he is already forcing them to endure their worst fears by experience them while leaving them on a state of despair.
- Brainwashing all Ponyville residents, including Spike, Starlight Glimmer, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and the Mane Six's other allies and loved ones, into becoming his slaves and in order to take control of Canterlot.
- His destruction of the Tree of Harmony caused the Everfree Forest to overgrow.
- Despite not noticing the overgrown, it's not like he would have cared.
- Invaded Canterlot and its castle alongside his brainwashed army.
- He had the Mane 6 alongside their friends, allies and loved ones to fight against each other while the Mane 6 were reluctant to do so.
- After barging into the Princesses' throne room, he took over their throne as he believed that Celestia and Luna are too cowardly to face him.
- Tried to destroy the Mane Six and Discord, but Discord dispels all of his attacks.
- Attempted to attack Fluttershy just because Discord mentioned her to be his favorite, but Discord took the blast for her and pretended to be injured instead in order to encourage the Mane Six.
- While Discord was pretending to be on a state of agony, it's far from detracting the intention of murdering since Sombra really thought Discord was dying and didn't mind he took the blast and was completely fine with letting him to die, even claiming the Mane Six they couldn't defeat him with Discord's help.
- Tried to destroy the Mane Six for the second time, but their magic was generating more than ever.
- Because of him the Mane Six not only lost some confidence and had self-steam issues later on, but also influenced others, since everypony he enslaved were celebrating after his defeat because they were aware of everything he did to them, Grogar (Discord in disguise) used his defeat to keep the Legion of Doom to fear him and the Mane Six had a harsh time by defeating not only him but also the Legion of Doom.
- Despite his refusal on "Grogar"'s offer to join the Legion of Doom (later revealed to be Discord), his second death was the catalyst for Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow's betrayal on "Grogar", which resulted in Discord being exposed in his Grogar's disguise, which triggered him to put Equestria in mortal peril for making a grave mistake for his actions since impersonating "Grogar".
What Prevents Him from Being Pure Evil?[]
- While he seems to be extremely heinous on paper, due to coming from My Little Pony a series that doesn't allow a bit graphic details like words such as "death" with the exception of the IDW comics, a lot of his crimes rely on Fridge Horror such as lives being supposedly endangered and his nearly successful attempt in taking over Canterlot.
Trivia[]
- He's alongside the Storm King one of the two My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Near Pure Evils to die, and while Queen Chrysalis was turned into stone nothing confirms she died.
- However, unlike the Storm King whose death was mostly caused by himself, King Sombra was intentionally killed by the Crystal Ponies the first time and by the Mane Six the second time.
- In the IDW Comics, Sombra isn't considered Near Pure Evil for being too inconsistent for the title since he has a genuine tragedy, cares for his friend Radiant Hope, genuinely believed being evil was destined and beyond his choice and redeems himself by the end of the Seige of the Crystal Empire arc. However, the comics are considered non-canon due to them being contradicted by Season 9, therefore, it doesn't affect the TV version of Sombra's NPE status.
- Also, the good King Sombra from the alternate future in the Reflections comic arc obviously does not qualify either. While he does turn evil at the end of it, he only did so by sacrificing his good energy to purify the alternate Celestia and Luna and even so, he still cares about the main timeline Celestia and misses her when she has to leave. However, this Sombra just highlights how evil his main timeline counterpart is by being the equivalent of both Celestia and Luna, while other characters such as Flim & Flam, Derpy Hooves, Trixie Lulamoon and even Queen Chrysalis (another NPE in his main timeline) are the equivalent to the Mane 6.
- While the King Sombra from the IDW Comic crossover series My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron could count or even be PE due to being the same one from the TV Show due to the black crystal being him in a state that only needed magic to revive and also attempting to take over Cybertron and Equestria while brainwashing ponies, Autobots and Decepticons alike, however it's unknown if these comics are canon or not to the TV Show or if he is a different Sombra who still committed the same crimes from the TV Show or not, or if he fails or passes the Heinous Standards from the Transformers universe.
- Due to how enigmatic he is, there are several theories implications and possibilities that not only could have made him worse than he was but also could have allowed him to be PE.
- It is theorized by most fans that he was responsible or at least involved in Princess Luna's transformation into Nightmare Moon as he could have sensed her resentment to her older sister Celestia during his battle with them and magnified it with a curse. This makes sense as his curse on the Crystal Empire remained during his banishment along with the fact that Luna was transformed into Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago and a thousand years ago is when Sombra was defeated. If this is confirmed to be true, then not only would this give him very personal villainy towards Celestia and Luna, but he would also be responsible for Luna creating Tantabus to punish herself for everything she did when she was Nightmare Moon.
- It's heavily implied that his main intention with the Crystal Empire was to make it disappear forever and not temporary after being defeated for the first time due to the fact that the Crystal Empire disappeared before Princess Luna's banishment to the moon which lasted 1,000 years and the Crystal Empire lasted even longer to return, this could be implied as an outright attempted genocide against the Crystal Ponies due to how unlikely the Crystal Empire was to ever return.
- Some have theorized that there used to be crystal unicorns and pegasi living in the Crystal Empire, given as how Princess Amore and Radiant Hope were both unicorns (However, it's unknown if the latter was canon to the tv series) along with Cadance (who is a distant relative of Princess Amore) who was originally a pegasus yet had some kind of connection to the Crystal Empire, which implies King Sombra massacred them so they couldn't stand up or fight against him, since the only crystal ponies that reside in the Crystal Empire are earth ponies which had no magic unlike the others, which may justify the high amount of houses for the original residents who ended up being not too many even if other ponies from other places later decided to reside there.
- It could be implied that when he controls others minds he's also capable of interfering and see through their memories as seen when he subjects them to their worst fears, causing PTSD to the crystal ponies as well as making them lose their memories and happiness and knowing where the Mane 6 lived (even before Rarity said it) and who were their loved ones, while also knowing Flurry Heart was Cadance and Shining Armor's daughter despite never meeting her before. If this is true, he would no longer rely on Fridge Horror due to having a way to know about the damage that the Everfree Forest would cause after the destruction of the Tree of Harmony.
- It is very possible that he was the one who created the Alicorn Amulet given as how it has his same color scheme, and it possessed similar abilities to his. This would mean that he was indirectly responsible for the events of "Magic Duel".
- As revealed in the comic "Rise of Cadance", it's possible that he had been responsible for what Cadance had to go through since it was revealed that she was a relative of Princess Amore. Due to a threat (possibly his) to Cadance's parents, they had to abandon her to protect her from being recognized as Amore's relative and the heir of the Crystal Empire. It's also possible that Sombra murdered Princess Amore which might be the reason her relatives were away from the Crystal Empire in order to avoid meeting the same fate. If this were true, this would give him personal villainy towards Cadance (and by extension her relatives) for being responsible for leaving her orphan in the first place and banishing her original home for over 1,000 years.
External Links[]
- King Sombra on the Villains Wiki
- King Sombra on the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Wiki
- King Sombra on the Entertainingly Detestable Wiki
- King Sombra on the Shonen Villains Wiki
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 Near Pure Evils
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