I saw this artwork here:
There’s another piece featuring Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow together, exploring the theme of friendship.
I believe the artist’s perspective is flawed. Making friends does indeed indicate that a person can be good or that redemption is possible; it ultimately depends on how one chooses to use those friendships.
Additionally, just because a character struggles to make friends does not mean they are inherently bad.
I propose that sometimes, in the context of friendship, tough love is necessary, even if it involves punishment. The Legion of Doom may have a genuine bond, but they need to recognize that their actions are misguided. They should understand that the ponies and other creatures care about them and want to help, but there are times when they must face consequences for their behavior.
For characters like Tirek and Scorpan, it illustrates that sometimes, brotherly love means punishing those you care about so they can hopefully learn important lessons. The goal of my idea, if this were to happen in the show, is to show the Legion of Doom that they are welcomed and cared for despite their past actions because the ones who know them most or still want to help genuinely want to support them.
In other words, they should show them love—whether it’s platonic or maternal-like.
The belief that “just because you learned about friendship does not mean you are a good person” is simply not true. Yes, it may take time, as was the case with Discord, for example, but he ultimately redeemed himself, just like Starlight and others did.
It frustrates me when people express ideas that make me question the nature of friendship or the concept of being good. The notion that having qualities such as care or compassion for someone does not inherently make you a good person is utterly ridiculous.
TL;DR: Making friends does inherently show you have a good heart inside it just depends on how you use it.
