PixelatedPony 
Luna Best Princess
I'm starting to regret posting my original comment here since I didn't realize it was right after a similar argument ended about Discord... but as long as the discussion isn't getting heated or personal we should be fine... right?
[@Background Pony \#0D88](/forums/pony/topics/pony-venting-thread?post_id=5277597#post_5277597)
Since CORD addressed the first half of your argument much better than I would have I'll just address the second portion:
> I’ve never understood the “trickster mentor” characterization people give Discord. There’s little evidence of this in canon.
>
This is where I feel like we weren't watching the same show, or interpreting it *very* differently - in almost every scene Discord is in he's either using his magic to play a light prank (most of the time) on somebody or as a gag whether directly telling a joke or in the background, like him sneezing making a house fly behind the main events.
> Three’s a Crowd: Discord EXPLICITLY states that the reason he faked being sick was to see if Twilight cared about him, not to teach her a lesson.
What About Discord?: Discord CLAIMS he was trying to teach Twilight a lesson about jealousy, but the way he rubs in the fact that he intentionally made her miss out on a weekend with her friends makes me think otherwise.
Celestial Advice: Discord outright says that he just wanted Starlight as his roommate. There’s no reason to think he was actually trying to help Twilight by pointing out that she needs to figure out what to do with Starlight. It’s more likely he was trying to make Twilight freak out, and Twilight learned a lesson by complete accident.
>
I'm not sure about this sure the part about him pretending to be sick was just being a dick, but that was also in his very early stages of development.
I also can't say that everyone of those examples you mentioned could be accidental lessons, especially when there are future episodes which absolutely show that he was the one making a grand plan. When he intentionally brought back King Sombra for example and fake being injured to deliver of the best speeches in the series to show the Mane 6 and Twilight that they didn't need the elements of harmony because they embody it themselves. Discord was being successful in his attempts to prepare Twilight to became the ruler of Equestria aside from that miscalculation with the villains.
> I’ve even heard people try to say that Discord planned to join forces with Tirek to unlock the keys and show Twilight that she deserves to be a princess. Except, no, he didn’t. Discord’s not this 4D chess player that the fandom seems to think he is. If anything, the show goes out of its way to show that he’s not NEARLY as smart as he thinks he is.
>
I don't know about the Tirek stuff but in his initial reveal making the mane 6 turn on each other with ease is a pretty intelligent feat. And not to mention also tricking 3 also intelligent villains that he's Grogar is a good feat of intelligence.
[@Background Pony \#11F7](/forums/pony/topics/pony-venting-thread?post_id=5277610#post_5277610)
> Hmm, could it be that the development of what happened in the wake of reforming Discord may have influenced the way the Mane 6 handled dealing with Starlight? Discord was free to come and go as he pleased despite the distrust, whereas Starlight was kept much closer to Twilight, as she didn’t find it wise to just cast her off without guidance. In short, Starlight was given a more consistently hands-on approach. As well, Starlight pre-reformation simply had a skewed idea of the meaning of friendship while Discord rejected the concept outright until Fluttershy made him experience it.
>
That is a good point you make but you could also just say Starlight was kept so close because Twilight appointed her as her pupil so of course shes going to want her student nearby to teach.
I'm not sure about the last part though, Starlight pre-reformation's idea of friendship was very childish, meanwhile with Discord he didn't really reject the idea of it per say, it's just that he was never introduced to the concept until Flutteryshy came along.
[@Background Pony \#0D88](/forums/pony/topics/pony-venting-thread?post_id=5277597#post_5277597)
Since CORD addressed the first half of your argument much better than I would have I'll just address the second portion:
> I’ve never understood the “trickster mentor” characterization people give Discord. There’s little evidence of this in canon.
This is where I feel like we weren't watching the same show, or interpreting it *very* differently - in almost every scene Discord is in he's either using his magic to play a light prank (most of the time) on somebody or as a gag whether directly telling a joke or in the background, like him sneezing making a house fly behind the main events.
What About Discord?: Discord CLAIMS he was trying to teach Twilight a lesson about jealousy, but the way he rubs in the fact that he intentionally made her miss out on a weekend with her friends makes me think otherwise.
Celestial Advice: Discord outright says that he just wanted Starlight as his roommate. There’s no reason to think he was actually trying to help Twilight by pointing out that she needs to figure out what to do with Starlight. It’s more likely he was trying to make Twilight freak out, and Twilight learned a lesson by complete accident.
I'm not sure about this sure the part about him pretending to be sick was just being a dick, but that was also in his very early stages of development.
I also can't say that everyone of those examples you mentioned could be accidental lessons, especially when there are future episodes which absolutely show that he was the one making a grand plan. When he intentionally brought back King Sombra for example and fake being injured to deliver of the best speeches in the series to show the Mane 6 and Twilight that they didn't need the elements of harmony because they embody it themselves. Discord was being successful in his attempts to prepare Twilight to became the ruler of Equestria aside from that miscalculation with the villains.
> I’ve even heard people try to say that Discord planned to join forces with Tirek to unlock the keys and show Twilight that she deserves to be a princess. Except, no, he didn’t. Discord’s not this 4D chess player that the fandom seems to think he is. If anything, the show goes out of its way to show that he’s not NEARLY as smart as he thinks he is.
[@Background Pony \#11F7](/forums/pony/topics/pony-venting-thread?post_id=5277610#post_5277610)
> Hmm, could it be that the development of what happened in the wake of reforming Discord may have influenced the way the Mane 6 handled dealing with Starlight? Discord was free to come and go as he pleased despite the distrust, whereas Starlight was kept much closer to Twilight, as she didn’t find it wise to just cast her off without guidance. In short, Starlight was given a more consistently hands-on approach. As well, Starlight pre-reformation simply had a skewed idea of the meaning of friendship while Discord rejected the concept outright until Fluttershy made him experience it.
That is a good point you make but you could also just say Starlight was kept so close because Twilight appointed her as her pupil so of course shes going to want her student nearby to teach.
I'm not sure about the last part though, Starlight pre-reformation's idea of friendship was very childish, meanwhile with Discord he didn't really reject the idea of it per say, it's just that he was never introduced to the concept until Flutteryshy came along.