Why Did Sombra "Become Evil"? The Difference Between Overwatch‘s Infamous Hacker and My Little Pony‘s Dark King
Unlike the ominous King Sombra from My Little Pony who embraced his destiny to become a monstrous overlord, the notorious hacker Sombra from Overwatch doesn‘t have an obvious "turning evil" moment in her backstory. While she carries out mercenary assignments for the terrorist group Talon, Sombra‘s goals mostly center around exploiting intelligence and furthering her own mysterious agenda rather than causing destruction and mayhem. This puts her more in an ethical grey area of anti-heroes and free agents instead of clear-cut comic book villainy.
Sombra‘s Background
| Grew up… | An orphan in Mexico‘s Omnic housing projects |
|---|---|
| Took refuge… | With Los Muertos hacker gang as a young teen |
| Key talents | Infiltration, hacking, encryption, information brokerage |
| Works for… | Primarily herself, takes jobs from Talon as it conveniences her |
| Motivated by… | Blackmail potential, uncovering secrets, personal quest for answers |
After spending her youth as an orphan taking refuge with the Los Muertos gang in Mexico, Sombra developed her talents through self-teaching and ambition. She became a preeminent hacker and infiltration expert before going freelance and surfacing onto Overwatch‘s radar as a stealth agent.
Unlike Reaper‘s violent crusade against the former agents of Overwatch or Widowmaker‘s Talon brainwashing to transform her into an emotionless assassin, Sombra follows her own personal quest while merely aligning with Talon temporarily. "Trust no one" is her operating motto – she plays her cards closely while keeping others in the dark.
Sombra‘s Key Characteristics
| Self-motivated lone wolf | Values independence above all else |
|---|---|
| Amoral but not genocidal | Breaks laws but lacks destructive bloodlust |
| Selective loyalty when beneficial | Fair weather friend to both sides |
| Driven by infiltration and intel-gathering | Knowlege and blackmail as power over others |
Sombra‘s willingness to work with either side at times while always prioritizing her own goals above all else makes her more morally complicated than the traditional chaotic evil archetype. She doesn‘t gain satisfaction from wanton cruelty or domination like King Sombra – just themeans to unlock more devastating access, dirt, and secrets through her elite hacking prowess.
King Sombra‘s Descent into Villainy
King Sombra from My Little Pony embraces wickedness in a far more straightforward ascent (or descent) into depravity. As ruler of the Crystal Empire in Equestria, Sombra gains knowledge of his shadowy origins and malevolent destiny as intended "monster".
He uses dark magic to terrorize the populace into slavery, rob them of hope and love, and twist their hearts with fear – culminating in a curse that makes the kingdom itself vanish. It takes Princess Celestia and Luna to finally defeat him in a great battle, turning Sombra into a disembodied black shadow of himself that haunts the arctic north.
The Two Sombras Compared
| Characteristic | Sombra (Overwatch) | King Sombra (MLP) |
|---|---|---|
| Motivation | Self-interest, the thrill of hacking, pursuit of secrets and leverage over others | Sadism, cruelty, subjugation of others through tyranny |
| Backstory | Orphan turned hacktivist with Los Muertos before going freelance | Corrupted friend of Princess-to-be who embraced idea of becoming prophesied evil overlord |
| Endgame | Unknown personal agenda involving global conspiracy | Rule through fear, destroy hope and enslave populace |
| Morality | Grey area between hero/villain binary – her skills make her a wild card | Definitively evil from the start of his rule as Crystal Empire warlord |
| Defining vice | Manipulation, infiltration, cunning self-preservation instinct | Brutality, oppression via dark magic, feeds off suffering of others |
So in the end for Sombra, pinning down precisely when or why she turned evil proves slippery given her decentralized network allegiance. She‘s invested more in tipping battles to her favor regardless of sides for potential gain rather than devoted dedication to some malign master plan. That willingness to double-deal categorizes Sombra‘s particular flair of "evil" as more an illicit means than chaotic ends in themselves.
