Ponies Make War/YMMV
- Alas, Poor Villain: Empyrean's death is rather sad, given that he was forced to be a villain in the first place, is powerless when he dies, and is killed by his own father.
- Crowning Moment of Heartwarming: When Fluttershy comforts Twilight after she finds her way back to the Loyalists' base.
- That being said, Twilight's reunions with all of her friends qualify... except Rainbow Dash, who can't bring herself to get over what Nihilus did to her. Which makes their eventual reconciliation all the sweeter.
- The Reveal that Spike is still alive.
- Complete Monster: Nihilus
- Terra and Titan as well -- they made the above, with full knowledge that Twilight would still be conscious.
- Esteem. He sees absolutely nothing wrong with murdering his own wife when she discovered his plan to overthrow Celestia, subjecting Rarity to Training from Hell to teach her bladecasting, jamming a Artifact of Doom into Twilight's eyeball to turn her into Titan's puppet, ruthlessly slaughtering any of his superiors and subordinates who refuse to support the new regime, and all on behalf of the Eldritch Abomination he worships.
- Although in fairness, it does give him a Crowning Moment of Awesome when he first meets Prince Blueblood and learns about the encounter he had with Rarity at the Gala.
- Harsher in Hindsight: Pinkie Pie knows every pony in Ponyville. Which means she knows everyone who died during Terra's attack on the town.
- Tear Jerker: Twilight realizing that Celestia used her, and coming to hate her for it, is heartwrenching. Made worse by the fact that Celestia knows this is going to happen, and is devastated by it.
- Just try to get through Terra's flashback sequence in chapter 19 with dry eyes. I dare you.