The Bridge: Characters, Development, and Update · 5:20am Mar 1st, 2016
Well my pains right now have subsided from excruciating to extremely painful. So, I'm back here again. To explain what's going on, I got one more week of intensive testing, survey assignments, and school conundrums with Spring Break kicking up on the 7th. During the break I intend to work double time on Bridge, starting with finishing Chapter 29's second part (which already had 9k words and an outline before I split it) and Sound of Thunder's finale (which is all outlined). If I can find a good scene to use, I'll try and give a promo for either of the two later this week if I need a break from work frying my brain.
As for the now, I got a question from both DragonBlitz85 and someone on Tumblr asking for a fan opinion. So if you'd like to offer your two cents, have at it with this combined question. It be lovely to see you guys' and gals' thoughts and it can give me some ideas for stuff down the road.
"Of The Bridge's roster who is the character who's development and progression you've liked the most? Of the roster, who'd you like to see get more development and why?"
I believe monster x and Irys have probably had the most character development as for who needs more thats probably down to each individual me I would think Anguirus and Mothra, maybe Destroyah
What a relief that you are feeling better again
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As for the question, does Monster X have a development change? I feel like he has, but I don't know how to explain it.
As for a character who does need character development, it should be either Gigan, megalon, or Anguirus.
Irys' development has been my favourite to follow by far. As for how needs... not sure... Destroyah got some good ones... Hmm... a bit more insight into Mothra would be nice I guess. She has one of the more complex backstories and motivations.
Oooooh. Tough choice. There's been so much development for everyone that I really can't point to who is the 'best' of them all. But if I had to choose it would be... Destroyah. Watching a being who has known nothing but violence and death be treated with kindness and respect, shown the value of fair treatment for others, and eventually develop a true relationship with other beings of her own volition has been inspiring to be honest. She's an example of how anyone could be saved if just given a chance (while simultaneously keeping a very tight leash on their activity. She may be 'good' now but she's still an engine of unbelievable destruction).
As for who I was to see more of in the future... definitely Junior and Mothra. Junior because a truly heroic Godzilla is a very rare thing to see and his inner conflict of responsibility versus capability is interesting. As for Mothra, I'd like to see more of her having someone to relate to, someone who understands having the constant pressure of being relied upon to lead (*cough* Twlight *unconvincing cough*)
On this note, is there any Kaiju you would like me to focus on, Tarb? I know that my development time for my story is... somewhat slower than you, but I'm making an attempt to improve on that and I'd love any input you might have.
Sincerly, Blaze, author of The Bridge: Humanity's Stand.
Nice to hear you're feeling better. A character who's development I've enjoyed the most would have to be Rodan. As for the roster, I'd have to say, Dessy, Megalon, Gigan, and Lea.
Glad you're feeling better. I really liked Xenilla and Destroyah's development. Anguirus and Ki Seong should get more screen time.
Monster X is my favorite. I like to see more of him, and Irys. Maybe Destroyah.
Well Monster X and Irys both had a good development, but I think Destroyah had the best for the same reason Smjames stated above.
As for who I want some more development, I would go with Gigan. He is my favourite antagonist and I really like how you portrait him. Besides tending him to the good side isn't far fetch since it happened in the comic series. Though I do find Anguirus got a little drop out after his flirt with Tea Seong.
Space Godzilla and his progression with Blade Dancer is entertaining and well executed.
As to who I'd like to see more development from, Godzilla, specifically his much needed education about females and courting. TO the why, for the funny reactions of who is to teach him! XD And I feel it would take several mares to do so! And even then it would take like Twilight's dad to be a stand-in father figure to part some words onto Jr. to help him cope with the new knowledge. Possibly with it ending with him discovering the delight of donuts at the Princess of the Night's favorite 24 hour donut shop.
Glad your back up and running, in my opinion since you been giving the other characters more Development you should start to give GJ (Godzilla Junior) much more since he's technically the Big Good and needs more Inlightmant
I'd say the best would be Monster X and his 'posse' of monsters for lack of a better term. They've been great fun to watch. Although, I'd say the character that's had the most development would be the CMC's new 'friend.' Seriously, nearly a 180 from that destroyer.....eh, eh? Get it? Cause the name.....nvm...
Happy to see you getting Better!
Favorite Char.Developments: Definitely Xenilla and Followed by Irys.
Who needs Development: I really like Lea and her motivation and I'm Curious to know why Anguirus seem to Hate Humanity while the defenders (like Rodan and Raiga) doesn't appear to have that Resentment.
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Well just to clarify, Anguirus doesn't hate humanity as much as he is just less willing to stick his neck out to protect them, thinking its best kaiju and humans stay apart and that humans were hardy enough to fend for themselves. So to say, compare him to Raiga, it wasn't that protecting humans wasn't a priority of his, it was just much further down on the priority list. He doesn't care unless he has too and is more focused on preserving the planet as a whole.
I think that Monster X, Irys and Xenilla had went through the most signifiant changes.
I personaly would like to see more Jr. Destroyah and even more X development.
I kind of have to give a top two listing for both of these questions, as for both, the top two are very close.
Destroyah's growth and increasing emotional depth make her development the best, in my opinion, but I must concede that Irys's opening up to friendship and joining the Dark Hunters is a very close second in my eyes.
For who I feel needs more development, both Anguirus and Rodan have, in my eyes, done less by way of development then the others, in that for the most part they have only shown what they have always been. That said, between the two, it's Anguirus that could use a bit of development more then Rodan. Let's face it, while he lacks experience, Rodan has the right attitude for the role he plays; he's helpful, friendly outgoing, attentive to threats, but also easygoing enough not to be bothered by minor problems where Anguirus... is a bit of a grump and can use a bit more polish in the social interaction arena.
Tough question. Very tough. If I had to choose just one, it'd be Monster X. I just love how compellingly tragic his story is, as best summed up by this:
"Every day, I fight for my life and win. Every night, I fight to remember my name... and lose."
And even though his life is a living hell, he still holds on to his honor and morals. Very awesome. Of course, his ultimate test will come when he finally faces the enemy within: Kaiser Ghidorah. If he can emerge victorious from that... well, I'm really pulling for a scene like this to happen at some point:
***
In the midst of a tough fight against Bagan's forces, X transforms into Kaiser.
Gigan: Oh no! X transformed into Kaiser Ghidorah again! Guys, we've got to get out of here before he kills us-
Graviton beams shred Bagan's minions while expertly weaving around the Hunters and the other heroic Kaiju. Afterwards, one of Kaiser's heads looks right at Gigan and nods.
Kaiser?: Don't worry, Gigan. I'm Okay.
If Gigan had organic eyes, they'd be as wide as saucers.
Gigan: What in the... X? X, is that you in there?!
***
Ah, if only. At any rate, a character I'd like to see get developed more? Hmm... I think we could stand to see some more from Anguirus and Rodan. I kinda feel like they've gotten the least focus, and it'd be neat to hear more details about the history surrounding the guardian beasts.
X and Irys have definitely had the best character development, antagonists typically do. Spacey also had some descent development, (Spacey being my nick name for Xenillia since he used to be called SpaceGodzilla) But I would like to see more of Big G, Lea, and Destroyah. Especially Destroyah.
I'm a sucker for villain reformations, so I like how Xenilla, Destroyah, X and Irys have been treated. And I want to see Harmony and Luna meet.
And you're ending Thunder already?
That had such crossover potential like with Equestia Girls and the Maniac comics. I've not 100% familiar with the Mirror! comics but if the connecting mirror between the worlds still existed and Celestia still gets injured when her counterpart does, they could send a message by branding a short message with a hot iron under their Celestia's wing having identical marks appear on ours. Then the gang can work on reconnecting the mirrors, head over and everyone can help. Think about how our evil Xeni and Destoyah could help after the transformations they've gone through. Fight fire with fire, or an evil with (now semi-)evil. It would also allow Ragia to cross over to her proper Equestia and join the others.
Hmm, it's very hard to say. Out of all of them, Destroyah has come the farthest though. I mean, she literally wanted to kill everything. She didn't care about anyone, while the others had at least something to care about or did, so seeing her grow closer to the CMC was certainly something amazing.
As for more, I think Xenilia has a bit of a ways to go and still offers a lot of potential..........Also, he has to get Dancer's plot. It's highly essential to the story.
Well all of them started with barely any character to begin with.
Although I have to say Monster X/Prateoran has the most character development. We have a clear picture of who he was, how he came to be, and what motivates him in the present. Throughout everything he has gone through, X is still fighting and I hope he succeeds.
Xenilla would be my 2nd in terms of character development. We only have glimpses, but we see what really motivates him and learn that he is still coming to grips with how he came to be. Xenilla believes he is doing what he sees as the right thing for his family even despite the circumstances. His personality gives us insight to these decisions.
I love Destoroyah mainly because she's becoming passive-aggressive rather than full-blown aggressive and would love to see more of her because of it. I'd honestly like to see more of Leia and her BREEZIES, but my second favorite monster is Biollante. It's a shame you never brought it in (yes. It. It's a plant. It has both genders).
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As much as I'm a Xeni/Dancer fan, part of me disagrees. Xeni cares about Junior, but life has twisted them into needing to murder each other. "I am a slave to no emotion" in the light of Sombra's nightmare means he's learned to ignore them, not that he does not have them. Yes he likes her, but he's not staying and she can't leave.
In real life she's the size of his teeth, but in a worse case scenario if she comes to earth the transfer might turn her into a human. Ponies are immune to radiation because of magic, but as Junior said in his observations ponies are the equivalent of humans. If the dimensional transfer turns her human, she can't get anywhere near him.
And he can't stay. His Father's last memory (when his blood was taken) and his first is Bagan. He's the personification of his father's will to kill him. Choosing between being happily ever after in Equestia and returning to the hell of earth, he's going to make the personal sacrifice and return to earth. No different than how he's rationalized away his love of Junior vs. the need to kill him.
If this subplot escalates any further, to remain realistic Xeni needs to be beating his head against the wall going "What the hell is wrong with me?!" I also see him surprised then chewing out Destoyah for becoming close to the CMC. She's not much of a thinker and even if its not a conscience thought, she's happy in Equestria and isn't obsessed with leaving at the moment.
I've probably said this already, but out of all the characters that I've read in the Bridge, I think it's safe to say that MONSTER X has had the most development in my eyes, both from his original source, and within the universe.
When I first saw Monster X, I was impressed that they would use a "humanoid" monster as the "Ultimate Monster" to fight Godzilla in the final battle. But then, when he transformed into Kaiser Ghidorah, I collectively groaned. "Oh great, ANOTHER "Ghidorah". Come on, give us some originality will you?!"
But how Monster X has been written in this story, not just as a Final Boss, but as a character with a huge element of tragedy is probably one of the best characterizations I can see for him. Transforming himself into Monster X to protect his wife (tragically) from KING GHIDORAH himself was a nice touch, especially having them face off, but also adding a huge element of tragedy to Monster X's life. Like an inverse King Caesar as you mentioned. And the added stoic nature really captures how much he sees himself as just a weapon, even though traces of his past life are itching through the surface. He's good at what he does, and he knows it.....but he doesn't know the aspects of life outside of being a weapon and following orders. Thankfully, thanks to Irys and the gang, those feelings are coming through, along with another possible inclusion to the gang.
Which of course brings me probably to the next biggest characterization of your cast story, not just of the Kaiju, but of the MLP cast as well: Aria Blaze. When Rainbow Rocks first came out, Aria barely got much of a character flowing out, only being described as the "sarcastic one" if referring to tropes. Adagio and Sonata where the ones that have been given course the MOST attention in the fandom, Adaigo being the "Alpha Bitch" of the group, and Sonata starting the biggest meme every since Derpy. Thus, Aria was kind of left in the dust. But her personality in the Bridge is not only accurate to her personality portrayed in Rainbow Rocks, but has another level of 3-dimension added to her: Her resentment towards Adagio for having them banished from their home to forms that have NOTHING to do with their original bodies, and trapped maybe forever with no way to return. It's no wonder how Aria has developed into the bitter, sarcastic Siren in MLP. But thankfully, her interactions with Monster X have probably opened up the door to a part of herself that was probably once lost before, especially if you regard the most recent chapter (spoilers!!)
I could probably continue even further with just how many characters have additional depths from their original sources, but both Monster X and Aria are characters in MY opinion that have had a good depth of development.
God I have really enjoyed SpaceGodzilla's development (I'm used to calling Xenilla that XD). I have seen a side of a monster, born from a black hole, has killed god knows how many people, and has caused massive amounts of chaos that could give Discord a run for his money. Xenilla in my opinion is growing to be more like Junior, in his own way of course. But he isn't used to the new feelings he is experiencing. And so its screwing with his mind. Because of this he, besides Junior, are my favorite characters in the story.
Not to mention I like SpaceGodzilla in his movie and video game appearances.
The sibling dynamic between Xen and Jr. More development for Bagan.
I just hope you manage to get better soon, buddy. Nobody should get to be in that sort of pain for any amount of time. And my only hope is that you recover. I just wish i could help you a bit more than with simple words of encouragement.
But i can at least answer that question of yours: 
the characters who's development i've been enjoying i think goes to Irys, Xenilla, Destoroyah, and Bagan. When the first three began, they were as ruthless, vindictive, and evil as any villain you could imagine. But then: Irys found someone who could truly care for her, giving her her first friend, and encouraging her to make friends out of X's group. Xenilla has stayed the same as i've seen him in the story up until is clash with Sombra: he ended up feeling truly vulnerable for the first time, and needed someone who could help him through it-blade dancer was the one, and now he's slowly opening his heart. The more time she's spent with the CMC, the more Destoroyah learn that she has feeling other than anger, and hatred. And after the aggregate affair: she's also opened herself to goodness, and friendship. Her hardness, and savagery has dimmed greatly, and it's spectacular. Bagan continues to grow more interesting as time goes on. And the latest chapter showed me that some part of him does indeed remember his days as Reijuu, the guardian. But it's also clear that he only sees them as memories now. Just another part of his past that is no more. He's moved on, and has made peace with himself, embracing his dark heritage. Like those villains with a somber backstory who had pretty much everything, until something caused that to change. I'm not sure what it was, but i already know it was something major. Almost a shame he's under noone's influence, nor was he corrupted by an outside force. He simply grew weary of his task, and decided he had enough. That seems like a great possibility. But whatever the answer: it wasn't anything good. Either way, that's my input on your subject. Sorry it's kind of a mouthful, but i hope you like it regardless.
"Giant Response" mode activated. Standby for long-winded diatribe.
I think this deserves an intro:
Esteemed gentleman of the reply thread. And I'm sure there's maybe one female too. The question before us today, regards our preferences for character development, and whom we would like to see receive more of it.
Now this is not a question to be considered lightly, or answered in passing. Therefore, it is the concern of reasonable men under the auspices of this forum, to provide the author with sound and judicious commentary.
At the risk of being repetitive, I must echo the sentiment of several others when I say that I have enjoyed the development of Xenilla the most.
While I would say that Monster X has has the most character development so far, I have much preferred SpaceGodzilla's. Maybe it's because X' story has had so much anime flavor to it, while Xen's has been more traditional.
Moreover, I would say that that for all he's gone through, Monster X is more or less the same character. the stoic soldier, martial arts fighter, tortured soul. I would say his development has added to him, rather than been transformative.
Xen meanwhile was well expressed initially, followed in depth during his trials, and during his emergence on the other side. His transformation was also joined by Blade Dancer, whose own journey has taken her from being a convenient plot device to one of the pivotal pony-side influences in the crossover.
I think others have done the job of covering Aria already, so I'll leave her alone. The same with Destoroyah, though I will say that we've yet to really explore her transformation.
Other than Xen, I've liked Blade Dancer's parts a lot, she makes for a great foil for SpaceGodzilla.
For characters like Gigan, Irys, and Megalon, they've been entertaining to watch. Their place as mavericks gave them considerable room for Tarb to do what he wanted with him.
I don't want King Ghidorah to change one iota. He's what I call a moral guide post. It is by comparison to characters like him, either good or evil, that we measure the morality of others. Or it is by him that a character's morality changes, pivoting around him like a fixed point.
Rodan really hasn't had to do much, he pretty much came on as a compatible character. So there was really no need for him to change. Quill Coat plays a good part, he's a great straight man.
As for who I'd like to see more development out of, I'd have to say Godzilla, Mothra, and the Mane 6. Godzilla, is arguably the alleged main character, at least, that's who he started out as. And I sorta feel like everything else that has happened, is the side-story to what's going on with him. I know they've had their times to shine already, and right now someone else is getting the spotlight, which is perfectly fine. But I personally am waiting for the next Godzilla scene, which apparently will be at the Canterlot summit.
Mothra Lea hasn't done too much since her fight with the Gyaos in the Everfree, excepting of course the row with all the Destoroyah babes. It just seems to me like there's a lot more she and Twilight could be doing.
But then again, it has only been a week, and we readers have no idea where we stand in the wider story arc. So these are tentative observations. I don't mean for any of that to sound sour. Tarb is only one man, and can only write so much. Plus it's his story and he can write whatever he wants, whether I think it's manna from heaven or not.
I think I may have said it before, but I almost forget at times just how little we've seen of the Mane 6 compared to everyone else. not that I expected the characters to pair off and be given equal screen time, but sometimes when one pops up, I'm like: "oh yeah, they're in this too".
To encapsulate, I've liked SpaceGodzilla's development the most, and want to see more Godzilla, Mothra, and Mane 6.
Let's see where the rest of, The Bridge takes us!
Honestly, I liked Xenilla's development the best as it was interesting to see him change from an ambiguously evil guy that held little respect for the ponies to someone that can hold up a comraderie with Blade a Dancer and be on civil terms with Cadance. As for development, I'd like to see more of Anguirus and his interaction with Ki Seong
I feel that Monster X, Irys, and Xenilla have definitely developed the most out of all the characters you've shown.
As for characters that I want to see develop more, I'd go with Anguirus, Rodan, Godzilla, and Destoroyah, maybe the Anteversers.
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Sheer statistical probability.
I wouldn't mind seeing more of the dynamic trio (Godzilla, Anguirus, and Rodan) get some bro time together maybe have a sparing match or something and have the mane 6 and the princesses freak out thinking there fighting for real and have Spike and the CMC act like everyone's inner Godzilla fan.
I'd have to go with X on the most developed. I think you did well with making a blank slate of monster into a rather interesting character, even turning his Ghidorah transformation into something grand. I also give it off to Destroyah. She's becoming slightly 'softer' though obviously has the edge. At least she's nicer to kids then she was when she first started off... I wonder if someone in-universe will mention that. It be either humorous or a mood point if Junior was near by when it's said.
As for character I'd like more of, I say Mothra. I feel there's more to her like her fear of her best friend which would be interesting to see more of. Which would be terrible for Junior if he ever figured that out.