#1 OCT 1, 2014 · 11 yr ago
I realize that i'm not very popular on this forum and will likely get a lot of guff for posting this, but i just had to post this, because it seemed like a good discussion: the contrast between the good guys and the bad guys (and i use both terms loosely since the show itself is pretty gray on both sides).
It occurred to me this afternoon that Mumm-Ra's goal and Slithe's ambition both seem to be darker versions of those of Lion-O's:
Lion-O wants to bring peace to the races of Third Earth and believes that Diplomacy, not force, is the key to achieving that goal. What's more, he also wants to protect his own people, but while he will fight to protect them if necessary, he won't forsake his ideals to do so and actually no longer believes the illusion that the Cats are all heroes anymore. He acknowledges the fact that his people pretty much brought their current plight on themselves, as well as the fact that the Cats, above all else, will have to change their way of life in order to prevent their current tragedy from repeating itself.
Mumm-Ra also seems to want to bring order and stability, just on a much grander scale (the universe). However, instead of accomplishing this goal through alliances forged from mutual desires, Mumm-Ra sought to use a "Might makes right" way of doing things, meaning: whatever he wanted, he took unconditionally. He also relied, not on his "people"'s trust or loyalty to him, but on their fear of his power and strength, and their own selfish desires, which he promised to indulge should they join him. While Lion-O tries to see the best in people because he wants to build a better future for everyone, Mumm-Ra relies on the negative aspects of people's personalities because they're what allows him to manipulate people into doing his dirty work.
Slithe clearly wants what's best for his people too; he wants the Lizards to finally get what they've been denied for years because of the Cats' quest for supremacy. However, while Lion-O believes that the best way to help his people is to repair the damage that they've done and make peace with the animals they've oppressed, Slithe seems to follow a "If they hit me, I'll hit back harder" way of thinking, believing that the only way to beat his enemies is to be worse than them in terms of ruthlessness, even if it means siding with someone who has the power to help them, but cares nothing for them. This even applies to his own treatment of his fellow Lizards, the very people he's fighting to protect in the first place: in one episode, he was willing to sacrifice three of his loyal soldiers just to kill the Cats, even though the only reason he was hunting them was to avenge the persecution of his own people. The fact of the matter is, while Lion-O refuses to sacrifice his ideals to achieve his goals, Slithe has allowed himself to become the very thing he (allegedly) was fighting against.
It occurred to me this afternoon that Mumm-Ra's goal and Slithe's ambition both seem to be darker versions of those of Lion-O's:
Lion-O wants to bring peace to the races of Third Earth and believes that Diplomacy, not force, is the key to achieving that goal. What's more, he also wants to protect his own people, but while he will fight to protect them if necessary, he won't forsake his ideals to do so and actually no longer believes the illusion that the Cats are all heroes anymore. He acknowledges the fact that his people pretty much brought their current plight on themselves, as well as the fact that the Cats, above all else, will have to change their way of life in order to prevent their current tragedy from repeating itself.
Mumm-Ra also seems to want to bring order and stability, just on a much grander scale (the universe). However, instead of accomplishing this goal through alliances forged from mutual desires, Mumm-Ra sought to use a "Might makes right" way of doing things, meaning: whatever he wanted, he took unconditionally. He also relied, not on his "people"'s trust or loyalty to him, but on their fear of his power and strength, and their own selfish desires, which he promised to indulge should they join him. While Lion-O tries to see the best in people because he wants to build a better future for everyone, Mumm-Ra relies on the negative aspects of people's personalities because they're what allows him to manipulate people into doing his dirty work.
Slithe clearly wants what's best for his people too; he wants the Lizards to finally get what they've been denied for years because of the Cats' quest for supremacy. However, while Lion-O believes that the best way to help his people is to repair the damage that they've done and make peace with the animals they've oppressed, Slithe seems to follow a "If they hit me, I'll hit back harder" way of thinking, believing that the only way to beat his enemies is to be worse than them in terms of ruthlessness, even if it means siding with someone who has the power to help them, but cares nothing for them. This even applies to his own treatment of his fellow Lizards, the very people he's fighting to protect in the first place: in one episode, he was willing to sacrifice three of his loyal soldiers just to kill the Cats, even though the only reason he was hunting them was to avenge the persecution of his own people. The fact of the matter is, while Lion-O refuses to sacrifice his ideals to achieve his goals, Slithe has allowed himself to become the very thing he (allegedly) was fighting against.
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