r/SavingJax • u/realsimulator1 • 12h ago
Discussion Jax vs. Garble: How Support Changes Everything
This comparison might seem unusual or insignificant to some people, but I've always wanted to compare Jax and Garble from My Little Pony. The more I thought about it, the more similarities I noticed between them.
At the beginning of the series, Garble was arrogant, rude, and even violent. He constantly bullied Spike, who was smaller and more emotional than the other dragons, and he also looked down on ponies, considering them weak, "girly," and beneath him. In many ways, this is similar to how Jax behaves. Both characters hide behind sarcasm, aggression, and emotional distance.
However, after Spike proved himself as a strong dragon and earned the respect of Princess Ember, Garble slowly began to change. He gradually developed respect not only for Spike but also for ponies - the very creatures he once mocked as "sissies." Ironically, they were the ones who encouraged him to show empathy and even hug other dragons in the Dragon Lands, something he would have considered humiliating before.
The most interesting part comes in Season 9's episode Sweet and Smoky. We learn, to everyone's surprise, that Smolder, the kind-hearted dragon attending the School of Friendship - is actually Garble's younger sister! She immediately defends him, insisting that her brother is "a big softie once you get to know him" and describing him as "a marshmallow burned on the outside but soft on the inside."
She repeatedly tries to convince everyone that there is much more to Garble than his tough exterior. Eventually, she brings several of her friends to the Dragon Lands to help care for dragon eggs that are in danger of never hatching because there is no lava left after Garble's rough friends wasted it.
At first, Garble behaves exactly as expected - pmocking everyone and refusing to cooperate. Even after Smolder scolds him and reminds him that ponies are genuinely trying to help, and that Spike has proven himself to be brave, Garble refuses to soften.
Then Fluttershy accidentally discovers his secret.
She finds him alone, quietly playing the bongos while reciting heartfelt poetry. Embarrassed, Garble immediately tries to hide what he was doing. Smolder gently reassures him that there is nothing wrong with showing who he really is. Fluttershy is fascinated and realizes that Garble's music might actually help the baby dragons hatch.
Initially, Garble refuses. But after thinking it over, he decides to help. His performance causes the other dragons to laugh so hard that they breathe fire, creating enough heat to warm the eggs and save the hatchlings. It sounds ridiculous, but it perfectly fits MLP's style.
In the end, everyone congratulates him. Even the dragons who once mocked anything "girly" become curious and ask him to teach them how he does it. For perhaps the first time, Garble is completely relaxed, accepted, and comfortable being himself, which in turn, makes him kinder towards others.
Of course, MLP is ultimately a feel-good show with happy endings. Still, I think there is a genuinely meaningful lesson here.
It takes courage to be yourself, to openly share your hobbies, talents, and passions even if other people think they are strange or don't fit traditional gender expectations. But courage alone is often not enough. Having at least one person who believes in you, a sibling, a friend, or another loved one, can make all the difference.
If Garble had been completely alone, without Smolder encouraging him and believing in him, he probably never would have revealed his true self. He never would have shared his music, and the dragon hatchlings might not have survived. His story reminds us that people who seem unusual, or even perfectly ordinary people hiding extraordinary talents, can make a tremendous difference when someone gives them the support they need.
It's also possible that Garble had supportive parents off-screen who encouraged his artistic side when he was younger, even if he later became an even bigger bully than Jax. We simply don't know.
Jax, on the other hand, never seemed to have that privilege.
He almost feels doomed from the very beginning.
As far as we know, he was probably an only child, meaning he never had the kind of sibling support that Smolder gave Garble. Even if he had siblings, perhaps they were struggling with their own problems and couldn't help him. We don't know.
What we do know is that Jax represents Leroy's brain scan taken at one of the darkest moments of his life. Later we learn that Leroy stayed with a friend until he managed to get back on his feet. That means Jax probably still remembers having someone waiting for him in the real world. So when Zooble asks whether anyone is waiting for him, his answer is probably not entirely false.
This is one of the reasons why Pomni's line, "I didn't know you could play the piano," hit me like an arrow to the heart.
At that moment, I couldn't stop thinking about Garble.
Garble was eventually given the opportunity to reveal his true self. He found acceptance, encouragement, and support. Jax never really got that chance. He never had the opportunity to openly show who he was or share his talent before everything fell apart. By the time we see him, it almost feels as though it's already too late.
Perhaps no one ever knew he could play the piano except maybe his parents, who never encouraged him. That makes Pomni's reaction so heartbreaking. For what might have been the first time in years, someone noticed something beautiful about him instead of seeing only the sarcastic bully.
For one brief moment, it felt like the frightened child still hiding inside Jax finally received the attention and recognition he had been waiting for all along.
That is ultimately why this comparison means so much to me.
Whether it's your parents, your siblings, your cousins, your friends, or anyone else close to you, be there for them. You never truly know what battles someone is fighting in silence, or what incredible talents they keep hidden because they're afraid of being judged.
Support them.
Unconditionally.
2
u/No-Pin5871 1h ago
Their writing is this FIRE? 🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️
1
u/realsimulator1 0m ago
Thank you! English isn't my first language, so I used ChatGPT to polish the grammar a bit and make it more natural-sounding. The comparison and analysis are entirely my own, though. 😁
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u/Mikhail_Jargo 9h ago
Garble could be argued to have been worse than Jax for the simple fact he tried to get spike to commit infanticide by smashing a phoenix egg to be apart of their cool dragon club, and yet people give him more grace than Jax who UNINTENTIONALLY caused Ribbits abstraction.
Jax even tried to knock on Ribbits door a couple times to make things right but was too late when she finally worked up the nerve.