Talk:The Return of Harmony Part 1/@comment-37447652-20191122152140/@comment-27578467-20191123063717

Personally I think the Cosmos arc, though not that bad in its own right, painfully oversimplifies Discord's character as built in the early seasons of the show. As to his motives, he indicates in Keep Calm and Flutter On that Fluttershy is the first friend he ever had; in real life, being ostracized often leads to antagonistic and antisocial behavior as a way to maintain a sense of self-worth by putting down those who appear to attack it. Honestly, Discord's character in the early seasons is not too far off from someone I know who faced severe ostracism due to certain health issues and who has formed a habit of manipulating and intentionally frustrating others as a means to feel a sense of control over them.

My issue with Cosmos is that they simplify the intention. Discord certainly wasn't violent, but I really got the sense that the degree to which he was truly malevolent was intentionally blurred, which made his character really quite interesting.