Should they write Spike out?

[CalcusSmileyGibs]

But who am I going to have a fireball competition with? :<

[Ashton]

Spike? You mean the other-half of Twilight?

 

While I agree there is much unused potential to him, and that int he vast majority of episodes his role could easily be filled by any other pony (Castle sweet Castle is a good example --- the role was important, the character filling it less so. Just for example they could have had SB pestering Twilight to teach her more magic, or even Derpy getting twilight to help deliver the mail, ANY distraction would have worked) The important part is that he *completes* Twilight. They were specifically designed to be used together with equal-yet-opposite sides of most arguments. Without spike, Twilight is one twitch away from being a hopeless broken maniac who could destroy the world on accident because she didn't think something through... (Yes, in short, it would only take a little effort after removing spike to make Twilight into a villain!) ...granted this has improved some (compare S1 and S5) but I still stand by the argument. 

 

Besides that, he also serves, as other have pointed out, as a framing device for the series, as well as a simple method of exposition to compress an entire offscreen 'episode' into a dozen seconds of explanation so the story can get back on track. Lets also not forget how important it is to keep comic relief around to prevent the onset of Cerebrus Syndrome to a series.

 

So in short, I think it should go the OPPOSITE direction, instead of writing him out, give him more IMPORTANT missions and plots, and restore the original Twilight/spike pairing dynamic where one is the voice of logic and the other the voice of (well-intended) insanity!

[Wysteria]

I agree with you, Ashton. I think the Spike/Twilight dynamic is very interesting and I hope they'll expand on it more one day. Something like in the Crystal Empire finale when Spike was confronted with his worst fear - losing Twilight. More character development that doesn't degrade him wholly as a side character, basically.

[Ashton]

I agree with you, Ashton. I think the Spike/Twilight dynamic is very interesting and I hope they'll expand on it more one day. Something like in the Crystal Empire finale when Spike was confronted with his worst fear - losing Twilight. More character development that doesn't degrade him wholly as a side character, basically.

 

That was imo one of the two most powerful scenes in the whole series (the other being Twilight in her bedroom singing "what have I done?")

[VGAddict]

Lemme ask you something: Where do people get the idea that the Mane Six don't treat Spike well, especially Rarity? Rarity has shown on numerous occasions to care about Spike:

She EXPLICITLY calls Spike her friend in Inspiration Manifestation and Secret of My Excess. She says, "My DEAR FRIEND, Spikey-Wikey".

She's shown concern for him. She threatened to kill a teenage dragon if he harmed him in Dragon Quest. Listen to how she says, "Spikey Wikey!" in Crystal Empire Part 2. She's clearly concerned for his well-being.

She gives him various pet names, like "Spikey-Wikey", "Spikey-boo", "Spikey-poo", and "Precious Scales".