He stood there lika fool when cadence got tbe heart instead off shooting at the heart while it was in the thing that levitated it, which probably would spread hatred and fear, and considering how it made everyones coat crystal like, he probly wouldvetu red the elements into evil versions off themselves

@Background Pony  
She throws Twilight and friends at every problem though. It’s also worth mentioning that the last time Celestia and Luna tried to save the Crystal Empire, they failed.

@supermanhulkjesus  
Celestia wasn’t even considering him a threat. She already knew that he will lose to Twilight. And he would be defeated by Celestia and Luna anyway.

@Mayojar77  
That and we know that if he had won the crystal ponies would have suffered, and there would be consequences for the rest of Equestria.

@supermanhulkjesus  
I consider him a threat because if Spike wasn’t there at that exact moment, and if Cadence didn’t catch him when she did, He would have won.

The question was, why should we consider him a credible threat. I agree that as a character he’s lacking, but I still consider him an affective villain because he was a credible threat and challenged the protagonist in meaningful ways.

@supermanhulkjesus  
Meaningful interaction with the other characters.

@ClownDicks  
We see the crystal ponies in shackles during his rule and he refers to them as his slaves. What more do you need to know?

@Trickquestion  
Either way, they’re a terrorist organization that’s taken seriously, even though we don’t get to see why they’re a terrorist organization.

I’m going to guess he’s of the type who’s immune to psychological pain… Or an inanimate object, same difference. :T

@TenchiFreak5  
I think he’s talking Renegade Cobra Commander.

@Mayojar77
 
I sure as hell wouldn’t call Cobra Commander of all people menacing.

@marxon7  
Cobra Commander. Never once seen killing anyone in the original show, yet is still considered a terrorist.  
The Lich from Adventure Time. Never actually kills anyone on screen, yet everyone knows he could and would.  
That’s the problem with people like you. They don’t understand what makes a good villain. Villains don’t need to actually kill anyone on screen to be menacing. It’s what they did when you weren’t looking at them that makes them villains.

@marxon7
 
Well, at this point I’m just going to have to say I disagree.

@Zennistrad  
Im afraid villain have to do something on screen to show that rules of setting stopped working, otherwise he is as imposing as guys with invisible pistols. Giving him scarier story is like giving guys with invisible guns invisible tanks.

@marxon7
 
It’s true that he can’t hurt anyone on screen because this is a children’s show, but while watching the show you’re supposed to forget that and focus on what’s actually going on.
 
He enslaved an entire race, is implied to have wanted to kill Spike, and trapped the main character in an emotionally traumatizing illusion where the person she most cared about abandoned her, which is really one of the most horrifying things that can happen to a person, and was only barely defeated by Shining Armor throwing Cadance at the very last second.
 
You don’t need to have a story be “OMG SOMEONE DIED, THIS IS SRS!” to have the villain present a credible threat to the characters. If the characters’ lives or well-being are in danger, which they were, then that’s enough to make a villain worth taking seriously.

Or other example. Arceus, said to be creator of pokemon universe. In film he gots owned by meteor, in game he is just strong pokemon who can lost to other pokemons or get owned by masterball. Fanboys still claim he could solo any setting.

@Zennistrad  
You cannot expect audience to fear villain that cannot hurt anyone. What was said about him means nothing, and will definitly not everule how setting works. Omega shenron was said to be omnipotent and he got his ass whooped by guys who are nowhere near omnipotence.

@marxon7
 
What part of “you don’t need to have a villain kill people to be a threat” is confusing you?
 
Sombra never actually succeeded in killing anyone, but he enslaved an entire kingdom and made every inhabitant so miserable they couldn’t even remember their lives, incapacitated Shining Armor with little effort, and would have almost certainly killed Spike to obtain the Crystal Heart had Cadance not caught his fall. Hell, from the way he licked his lips it looked for a second like he would eat Spike.
 
On some level, I knew he wouldn’t succeed, because this is a kids show, but that doesn’t make it any less tense when you are watching it.

@Zennistrad  
That suspension fragment reminded me of something. “Get real, what are those? magical bullets that will send us to the shadow realm?” Yeah, knowing 4kids they propably shoot harmless rubber bullets”

@Zennistrad  
There are tons of ways to write antagonists. You can write tragic character who believes that what he does is necessary for greater good or is forced into doing evil. You can write that is not omnicidal maniac so his victory do not mean killing everyone so he can win from time to time.

@marxon7
 
I disagree. MLP would be pretty damn boring if every villain was played for laughs. Having them present an actual threat makes for a much more tense and dramatic experience in a show that would otherwise just be various character-based comedy bits, which gets boring after a while.
 
Sure, they might not be able to kill anyone, and we do know they’ll lose, but you’re supposed to suspend your disbelief when experiencing any sort of fictional work. There are numerous action cartoons where the bad guys never kill anyone on-screen, but still present a very real threat to all of the characters.

@Zennistrad  
You are close to get it. Sombra is bad villain because he is in the wrong setting. Place him somwhere where he ca kill people and protagonist do not auto win and he might be decent villain. Not great but decent. In mlp universe he will always be the joke.

@marxon7
 
Emotional pain is just as, if not more, effective then physical pain.

@marxon7
 
Diamond Tiara only bullied others. She never placed them in a life-like illusion where the very worst thing you can imagine comes to life.
 
For example, imagine if you were a small child and your mother told you she didn’t love you anymore and never wanted to see you again.
 
That’s what Twilight and Spike went through. Twilight sees Celestia as a mother figure, and Spike sees Twilight as his mother. And keep in mind that Spike is still a child, so seeing Twilight outright abandon him must have been quite the scarring experience. A simple bully could never do anything anywhere near as emotionally traumatizing.