@Background Pony #A3C1
there’s an 7th member?

I hope he’ll become an eight member (after Comet the Auroricorn).

@Background Pony #6839
I meant back in the movie.

@MemeManof2018
Oh no, I believe it was fully intentional - because that’s where Sunny, Izzy, and Pipp were at that point. He was trying to, ahem, take care of the “pony problem”

@MemeManof2018
The arc that I would have seen working best would be to explore how Phyllis had failed him as a mother - though also, at a certain point, it becomes an explanation, not an excuse, and he would still be responsible for his own actions.

But I’m not too broken up over not getting that, as like I’ve said elsewhere, I enjoyed what we did get quite a bit.

Also, I really don’t want to describe him as “struggling” to gain the respect of the town, because that implies he was putting in work to gain their respect, which he certainly wasn’t (he accidentally landed on the fear button that his mother had primed the ponies for)

Now the way how Hasbro was showing him in the beginning was that he was a troubled character, he was spolied, lazy, but ambitious. He struggled with his problems while he tried to gain respect from the town. Though he went crazy with power at the end of the movie, he was shown that he had remorse for his actions. He could be redeemed and even though it isn’t needed, he has potential. But Hasbro is failing him as they are trying to keep as a background running gag. I’m not saying he HAS to be a hero who changes the world, but I’m also not saying he has to be pushed into the background, his redemption arc could be something that people want to see.

@Shimmering Spectacle
I don’t think he purposefully tried to demolish her house, his intentions were to try and stop Sunny, but he accidentally ran into her house when not only his mother stepped in the way, but the others were taking apart the robot. He was seen showing remorse in the aftermath, but of course the writers got to fail him.

I don’t think sprout is still scared of them, he was seen talking normally to pipp and accepting misty’s compliment

and that he purposefully demolished his own friend’s old home over it.

@MemeManof2018
Meh, he’s a funny running gag, so I don’t mind.

@MemeManof2018
Pretty sure those don’t disprove that’s what he was trying to do. I mean, he was also trying to incite a race war between the unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth ponies in order to leverage fear of the other to get Maretime Bay to respect him, being too lazy to put the work in like Hitch did (he was obviously very jealous of him). I also wouldn’t be surprised if he was afraid of Sunny and the female members of the Mane 5, being they were other races getting along.

@Starless
I mean in all fairness, he never meant to do that considering the fact that not only his mother stepped in the way to stop him, but the others were disassembling the robot while he was driving it.

@Charcoal Flower
But what I fear is that they are making him a running gag. They could’ve set him up on a path to redemption, I mean didn’t they showcase that is was possible in the game?

@MemeManof2018
I agree

Now understandably, he has his problems, has done bad things, and has made many mistakes, but he deserves a redemption arc. Compared to an average MLP villain, he wasn’t as bad, he was just misguided. There wasn’t really a villain in the movie, it was his problems and his mother’s advice that influenced him.
And considering the fact of how close he was to Hitch in the early years, he doesn’t really have to be a part of the group, just an “outside” companion, he doesn’t deserve to be a literal stranger or a background character, he has potential of being a good redemption symbol.

Now personally to me, I feel like he deserves a second chance.

@Rare
I think this sums up my feelings best

In the right hands sprout could have been a genuinely well rounded character but in mym the writers seem to dial up some his worst character traits are up to 11

@river mines
Well, long story short. The end of season 5 didn’t resonate well with a lot of people because of how sudden it is. The intent is there but the execution is flawed.

Misty hardly needed to be redeemed at all. She slotted into the group easier as a result. I feel like the writers were more comfortable with that than try to have Sprout undergo meaningful character development. Considering the spotty track record of FiM’s redemption stories, I understand why.

@TheQuietMan
I want

Poor Sprout, maybe there is still hope for him.

@river mines
Reading my replied comment, I could tell you a brief history on the Secrets of Starlight.

I don’t understand, why are so many people in the comments acting as if misty being a protagonist and sprout being a protagonist are things that cancel each other out?

@TheQuietMan
Sprout destroyed Sunny’s lighthouse and nearly killed her. Community service isn’t nearly enough, especially since Queen Haven got arrested for simply lying about being able to fly and Sprout did much worse.

@Starless
Didn’t he do community service as his comeuppance?

@Grapefruit Face
I agree Sprout is too unlikable compared to Misty and I’m glad she became the sixth mane character though I do feel Sprout’s story is somewhat incomplete (the video game likely isn’t canon unless confirmed otherwise). The writers of ANG should have had Sprout arrested for his crimes at the end of the movie.

@Grapefruit Face
I’m grateful that Sprout is around.
but why wouldn’t he have the material to be a mane character?
One of the reasons why so many fans want this is because they think he has material

@Grapefruit Face
But why and how can a background character be a big threat though? That’s like making Strawberry Sunrise a conqueror despite practically doing nothing dangerous prior.