So I know a usual criticism regarding the introduction of Anodites, and hence linking magic and more specifically Gwen's powers to aliens, is about how they sort of "robbed" the franchise of one of its core elements. But have you ever thought that, given the additional information from the OS, something like that might have been Man of Action's intention all along?

I mean, Omniverse retconned Bezel as a part of the franchise. He was introduced as the greatest sorcerer in the universe, as a person, but that was only because the team couldn't get their hands on all the pop-ups from the original show.

You know what the pop-ups said?

This:

Bezel was never supposed to be a great sorcerer, but a different dimension that was more technologically advanced than Earth! The charms only seemed magical because they were literally too advanced for humans to really understand how they worked.

That's how Gwendolyn was able to wield them in the future even though she destroyed them years ago. She went to the dimension of Bezel and asked for new ones.

So given the charms' initial origins, the fact that there were more advanced magical artifacts that, for some reason, Gwen could handle just fine (the Staff of Ages), and the heavy sci-fi setting of the show, is it really that difficult to believe what we came to know as magic was, deep down, some sort of alien energy/technology we didn't understand or know of?

Because it that was Man of Action's intentions all along, then having Gwen's proficiency with magic be due to belonging to a race of mage aliens is a perfect way to answer the questions raised back in the OS.

Now, this admittedly seems like it's disregarding a beloved aspect of the franchise entirely. I personally would feel cheated too if it turned out there was no such thing as magic in the first place, but luckily UAF managed to avoid just that with the introduction of the Alpha Runa and Ledgerdomain.

Although I just found this pop-up that seems to indicate Hex and Charmcaster were originally intended to be from Bezel, as well.

Having said that, if you ask me, I think that in the end the UAF team did a perfect job at blending both interpretations.

If Man of Action did intend to reveal magic was just something too advanced for humans or that we simply didn't understand or know of, the introduction of Anodites and mana covered that splendidily. And on the other hand, the Ledgerdomain lore served its purpose of keeping magic alive and real.

A really great analysis! I do have to agree that there was much more to the charms and magic as a whole in the original series than they let on.

Although, one thing I would like to mention is that the pop ups were added in during the Ben 10 week, the one leading into AF's premiere in 2008. So they're kinda in a weird state of semi-canon.

It's been known that some of these pop ups have some questionable information that doesn't connect with either show (OS or AF), such as Vilgax being from the Shadow Realm, Gwen's mom being named Lily, the Chimera Su Generi birthmarks, Chimera Su Generi as a species craving combat, yetis being from a different dimension, Ben 10,000's daughter, and so on. So I take them with a grain of salt, like WoG. I don't know if they can really be "retconned", since their validity is questionable.

Although I wouldn't they're all weird, like the ones explaining what a species is or what their home world is like. Some of them do get disregarded, like Florona being feral in the pop up, while they're civil in Omniverse. Fans usually come up with a way for both explanations to co-exist for a lot of the pop-ups, though.

And I don't mean to disregard the pop ups completely, either! Their information is fun and flesh out the universe, and beyond, in parts that the series couldn't/didn't explore.

But, I do agree that by adding ledgerdomain into the mix, UAF did a great job at mixing both styles of what magic really is in the Ben 10 universe. Although I'm not personally a fan of how they handled anodites and magic in UAF at first, the way they added onto, and tweaked the lore behind them was really good, as I'm a huge fan of aspects like Ledgerdomain and mana in general.

In all fairness, Man of Action wasn't involved again with the franchise until the reboot (if I'm not mistaken), so it does make sense if most of the changes made were because the writing team didn't have access to all the behind-the-scenes information from the OS.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were non-disclosure contracts involved, even.

On a bit of a side note, though, other criticisms I've seen were regarding how the writers made some poor choices with the intention of staying true to the pop-ups they did find. One such example being the fact that Ben and Kai were supposed to end up together.

(Personally, I'm not a BenKai shipper and given the way the pairing was handled in Omniverse, I can understand the frustration of having that pop-up, of all things, respected—but I don't mean to hate nor bash on anyone who does ship them).

So while I believe the pop-ups still have some validity (for example, just like with Bezel's introduction, the reason Gwendolyn—Ben's daughter—was never introduced is because they couldn't find that particular pop-up), I do agree they should be taken with a grain of salt.

After all, once one project goes from the hands of one writer to another, it becomes quite difficult to replicate what the original creator had in mind.

So I know a usual criticism regarding the introduction of Anodites, and hence linking magic and more specifically Gwen's powers to aliens, is about how they sort of "robbed" the franchise of one of its core elements. But have you ever thought that, given the additional information from the OS, something like that might have been Man of Action's intention all along?

I mean, Omniverse retconned Bezel as a part of the franchise. He was introduced as the greatest sorcerer in the universe, as a person, but that was only because the team couldn't get their hands on all the pop-ups from the original show.

You know what the pop-ups said?

This:

Bezel was never supposed to be a great sorcerer, but a different dimension that was more technologically advanced than Earth! The charms only seemed magical because they were literally too advanced for humans to really understand how they worked.

That's how Gwendolyn was able to wield them in the future even though she destroyed them years ago. She went to the dimension of Bezel and asked for new ones.

So given the charms' initial origins, the fact that there were more advanced magical artifacts that, for some reason, Gwen could handle just fine (the Staff of Ages), and the heavy sci-fi setting of the show, is it really that difficult to believe what we came to know as magic was, deep down, some sort of alien energy/technology we didn't understand or know of?

Because it that was Man of Action's intentions all along, then having Gwen's proficiency with magic be due to belonging to a race of mage aliens is a perfect way to answer the questions raised back in the OS.

Now, this admittedly seems like it's disregarding a beloved aspect of the franchise entirely. I personally would feel cheated too if it turned out there was no such thing as magic in the first place, but luckily UAF managed to avoid just that with the introduction of the Alpha Runa and Ledgerdomain.

Although I just found this pop-up that seems to indicate Hex and Charmcaster were originally intended to be from Bezel, as well.

Having said that, if you ask me, I think that in the end the UAF team did a perfect job at blending both interpretations.

If Man of Action did intend to reveal magic was just something too advanced for humans or that we simply didn't understand or know of, the introduction of Anodites and mana covered that splendidily. And on the other hand, the Ledgerdomain lore served its purpose of keeping magic alive and real.

Speaking of the pop up trivia, there was another one from Lucky Girl that hinted at her Anodite nature.

Wonderful addition, thank you.

Why Benkai is NOT Endgame: A Deconstruction of The Most Dangerous Ship | Catgirl

(Pun in the title absolutely intended.) 

Explicit language ahead. Viewer discretion is advised. 

Regardless of it being really weird that people even want this glorified abuse to be a thing...by the series' own logic, it is not and can not be the conclusive “endgame” for the main character. 

And it’s not just because I don’t like it. 

Let’s start from the beginning: Kai Green was the first and final love interest introduced in the Ben 10 series for the protagonist. For some, that is enough of a justification for this to be the case because, allegedly, it’s been “planned” to end up this way right from the start.

My immediate thought regarding that is that the series wasn’t actually planned ten years in advance, as you should infer from the several retcons throughout the continuing plotline. Ben 10 was a series that continued as it gained popularity, therefore something as insignificant as the romantic subplot would most likely not be prioritized in the production process that early on.

Now, the bigger issue is that, when it comes to the writing of the actual relationship dynamic...well, they basically sank their own ship. Voluntarily. 

Thanks to a certain misinformed child Spanner and episodes like “The Most Dangerous Game Show,” much of the audience came to accept this was the girl our main hero was going to marry without a doubt. 

I’m here to tell you right now, that, by the series’ own logic, that is not true. 

I’ve explained the reasons why, canonically, the Prime Timeline can not be anchored to just one of the future outcomes introduced in the series here. But, to reiterate, all of reality exists in the form of an Omniverse. Therefore, there are several future outcomes for the main character’s future and all of them can, and do, exist at the same time. 

By that logic, in regards to relationships, technically, any ship you can think of can exist in its own separate alternate universe. As is the case for the Ben 10K future where he wields the Biomnitrix, and where the relationship in question does end up happening. 

But, let’s be clear, this is one alternate universe within the Ben 10 Omniverse. For all we know, things could have gone very differently in that reality, since reality can “branch off” at any point in time. 

Related to that is the issue of this kid…

…whose main reason for insisting that the pairing in question is “endgame” is because he is “from the future,” allegedly, and if the pairing in question does not happen, according to him, he will suddenly no longer exist. Again, as I’ve already outlined in the aforementioned essay, his logic is not only extremely flawed, but entirely wrong.

In short, due to his reality already existing, it can not cease to exist because every reality exists within a collective Omniverse at the same time. 

Therefore, claiming that it’s “endgame” because of a supposed “destiny” is also wrong. 

You know what was established from the very beginning? The toxic relationship dynamic. 

Let me put it this way: Do you really think that after saving the whole universe several times, and dedicating his entire life to continuing to do so...THIS is what Ben deserves? Do you have no respect for the character who was at the centre of your childhood nostalgia, who is clearly important enough for you to stick around this long, whatsoever? You really DON'T think he deserves better than THIS? 

If you, the reader, are one of those people, I’m glad you’re here. Every episode they are in together has something to unpack. And I fully intend on presenting a comprehensive list of everything you need to know. 

Benwolf. 

I find it really funny when people think that this is the only reason the character in question is so disliked. It is, by far, the least incriminating episode for her. I mean, considering Ben was capable of making good decisions at his age during his first run of saving the world, I'd argue one should be capable of knowing better when it comes to something as simple as what you should and shouldn’t say to someone. But regardless, rejecting a guy because you don't feel the same is not inherently bad. Especially at their age. 

The real problem begins two installations later once she is reintroduced within the series continuity and doesn’t at all improve from her first appearance. 

An American Benwolf in London, six years later. 

In which, Kai calls Ben for help after the Forever Knights get in the way of her “archaeological mission.” 

Before we go any further, I want to preface by acknowledging that Ben did not have to do anything she said. His only obligation was his own job, and what he chose to do in this situation was entirely because he wanted to help. 

Moving on, as soon as they land, as Ben is introducing Rook to Kai, she cuts him off and says this: 

“I just called you for backup, you know.” 

In case you’re not getting the picture, she was the first one to sour the mood with this uncalled for comment. As you’ll see later on, Ben isn’t the one starting their arguments, contrary to what some like to argue. From this point on, the rest of Ben and Kai’s interactions follow the same pattern.

Despite that, this episode also includes the second time in the series Ben has saved her life. I feel as though, since it’s expected of him to do so because he’s a superhero, it’s glossed over. But it shouldn’t be. Ben doesn’t discriminate on whose life to save based on their behaviour towards him. Just take a look at “Alone Together,” where Ben literally has to work alongside his former enemy (who at that point in time wanted him dead) in order for the both of them to survive. He’s very clearly able to cooperate and try to get along, even with those who were previously his mortal enemies. 

But Kai clearly only directs her bitchiness towards him. 

Finally, they both exclaim, simultaneously, “he’s/she’s NOT my boyfriend/girlfriend!” Enough said. 

Fight at the Museum. 

In which Ben is first treated as a nuisance and then emotionally manipulated into being a security guard. Don’t believe me? Here, take another look.

The episode opens with a museum exhibit, which we quickly learn is Kai’s exhibit, of course, and full of artifacts of alien origin, some of which she doesn’t even know the history behind. Which is a whole issue in itself that ties into the actual fight in this episode. Nothing Ben said throughout the exhibit tour was offensive to any extreme degree. However, despite that, the fact that he even spoke at all was enough to warrant treating him (the guy she emailed an invite to) as a nuisance.

Tell me why, then, does she change her attitude so drastically as soon as she needs him to meet her own ends?

Afterwards, they spend the whole episode fighting and then viciously denying wanting to be together at any point in the future. Ben says there is “no way”, and Kai agrees, saying “the feeling is mutual.” 

I mean, it was already a dumb move to put all the artifacts she (quite literally) stole on display where criminals can easily find them and steal them (and did), so she really wouldn't have been "nice" to Ben for any other reason besides needing him for some purpose that benefits her. And Ben, always being inclined to do the right thing, couldn't say no because of two reasons:

1. If he left, and something was stolen, the blame would be put on him for not being there to help prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. (Despite that happening anyway because she put herself in that situation, not because Ben didn't do a good enough job.)

2. It's his job to protect everything and everyone. He's technically working overtime (and as a teenager), but being a hero is a 24/7 job and he's dedicated to it to the point of attaching his worth as a person to being seen as a hero and doing his job efficiently.

And then there’s the ending. Ben promises to do everything in his power to help, regardless that he and Kai have been fighting all day. I mean, can he even have every single Plumber in the galaxy on the job? That’s a big request just to make one person feel better. 

But Kai turns around and doesn’t even realize this. Instead, chooses to yell in his face. I can see very well that she’s upset, and I can acknowledge that when people are upset they may act erratically, or irrationally. But, this was not his fault, and judging by the way he reaches out for her when she turns away, shows that he clearly feels guilty for not having done enough to solve the problem and help immediately.

But she completely ignores it and in the next episode, continues to put the blame on him. 

The Secret of Dos Santos. 

In which Ben comes to help Kai replace her previously stolen artifact literally only because someone (Kai, who else) was acting as if it is his fault it was lost in the first place. When, let’s not forget, it wasn’t. 

Let’s be reasonable. Ben is not responsible for her inventory. Kai was the one who had voluntarily put it all in harm's way. He didn’t sign up to be her security guard. He doesn’t “owe” her anything. 

On the contrary, Kai actually does owe him something: her life, considering by this point he saved her several times. The very least she could do is be grateful, even if Ben doesn't demand that of anyone he saves. Every time he saves the world from a threat, he indirectly saves the lives of people who may not even like him, allowing them to continue to be a nuisance in his life. But, again, he doesn’t discriminate against who to save. His job is to save lives, and that’s what he does. 

That being said, it seems like every vaguely nice thing she does for him is regretted instantly, as if she is looking for reasons that he is not deserving of it at all. 

In this episode, Kai is searching for a temple, and once Ben comes across said temple, he makes the choice to run back to her and let her know where it is. And, that choice is important to mention, because Ben and Kai just got into (yet another) argument. Instead of allowing her to find what she was looking for herself, he chose to put their fight aside to do what he came here to do in the first place: help her out. 

She was appreciative until she learned that Ben hadn’t been the first one to notice the temple, took back her gratitude, and lashed out. This was uncalled for because it didn’t matter if Skurd had noticed the temple first, it was Ben who chose to turn back and literally bring her to what she was looking for. He had still helped her out.

That doesn’t call for a face stomping. 

Just because Ben can handle it, since it’s a common occurrence for him in his line of work, that does not mean he should have to put up with this sad excuse for a potential love interest treating him essentially the same way some of his worst enemies do. 

Let this sink in: the only other character who’s ever stomped on Ben was Vilgax. 

It’s pretty clear you don’t treat someone you care about, much less someone who has saved your life, and won’t hesitate to do so again, like literal trash on the ground. 

And, if using his face as rug for her dirty ass boots wasn’t bad enough, after they enter the temple, get past the traps, leading to the three of them falling to their would-be certain brutal injury if Ben hadn’t stepped in (and done most of the work fighting off their opponents) she fools him into thinking she was going to help him up and proceeds to drop him on his ass.

For absolutely no reason, might I add, besides that it’s somehow okay, in her mind, to do this to Ben only because it’s him. She most likely wouldn’t do this to any other character unless she had some kind of aversion towards them or they were a bad guy who is deserving of it. Which Ben is not. 

If everything that happened in this episode was supposed to strengthen their relationship somehow, or push them together, the fact that Kai said that Ben can "forget about all the stuff Spanner said about them being a couple someday," before storming off despite the fact that Ben was joking about it, showing that he wasn’t serious about it either...doesn’t really work to prove to the audience that it did anything besides divide them even more. 

The Most Dangerous Game Show. 

In which the entire episode once again attempts to push them together, eventually leading up to another character being used to try to “confirm” that they will eventually get married and live happily ever after all the shit I just outlined. Romance by force, huh? Really convincing argument. 

But, as bad as that is, it’s besides the point. Even the character they use to try to further push this narrative, Charles Zenith, in the end, claims the following:

I may be reading between the lines here, but it almost sounds like they’re indirectly addressing the fandom with this line, since it’s commonly known that a lot of us are divided on certain decisions made in canon. 

I want to assume that they’d be paying attention to the opinions of the people who are watching the show they’re producing, and if that audience is generally unhappy with certain decisions that can’t be undone by this point, the only way to appease them would be to make it so that nothing is set in stone.

Stating things like “this doesn’t really have to happen” within the episode, and a writer also confirming that what they’ve hinted at on screen “isn’t necessarily” the future of this character only further adds to that speculation.

Pretty much everything being done with this series is “for entertainment purposes only.” The “fun of the character” is to tell his story in many different ways instead of forcing him into a specific box. As such, the fandom also proceeds to do the same, creating endless alternate universes for these characters simply because it’s fun. 

Furthermore, I have no doubt that they know the original series is extremely cherished by the whole fandom due to nostalgia, and, by extension, the original series Ben 10,000 future is also extensively praised by the majority. Them choosing to have this character say “we’re just giving the people something they want” seems like they’re referring to forcing Omniverse Ben onto the path to that particular future so early on with the whole “Ben has to marry Kai” thing, despite their questionable chemistry.

It’s like they want that possibility out there to appease certain people, but also make it so that it’s not absolutely necessary. If it was, they would have made more of an effort to make them compatible.

The End of an Era. 

Where the alternate universe that Spanner came from is literally shown on screen. Proving, for a final time, that it is not  “endgame,” actually. 

Keeping all of this in mind, behind the scenes, the writers were likely using the multiverse plot line as a means to bring back Ben 10,000 (or introduce a new version of him, actually) because, as I said, if you’re at all familiar with the fans of the series, they love the concept of Ben 10,000.

Focusing on the multiverse allows them to insert Kai into a story taking place in an alternate universe within the Ben 10 Omniverse and (attempts) to give her an actual role besides just "love interest," through which there would then be more of a reason to then reintroduce her into the main storyline as a new "love interest", whether or not they become a thing officially and definitively.  

It’s likely this was done to tie up loose ends from the series before, as opposed to shoving the story into ONE direction, because that writes them into a corner and goes against the logic they set up in the final series.

Now that I’ve gone over their history and we’re all caught up, I’ll go over some common excuses. 

“Her lifestyle fits into his lifestyle.”

“Her attitude balances out his arrogance.” 

"It's just teasing."

Would YOU let someone step right on your face, drop you flat on your ass into a body of water fully clothed, and take every opportunity to discredit you and just say "oh, it's okay, they're just teasing me"?

You're making excuses for what would realistically be considered bullying, at the very least, if you absolutely can not accept the use of the word "abuse" to describe this dynamic. No, that isn’t harmless. The aggression is completely intended and done on purpose. 

Some people argue that Kai as a character had a lot of wasted potential. But, while I admit there is no reason she couldn’t have been written differently, I disagree. I won’t like a character just because they might have had the possibility to be something else, or something better, they were chosen to be portrayed this way. By doing that, you’re ignoring the issues I have just outlined and acting as if they don’t exist. 

I realize that no relationship is "perfect," but again, that is no excuse because they deliberately chose to show us all the flaws in this pairing alongside next to nothing good, when they could have very well done the opposite. In the end, it just seems like the only point they were trying to make was what a bad idea this would be in the first place. 

So, no, Ben did not “end up” with her. If that’s what you think, you need a rewatch. 

And, when it comes to the future of Ben 10, I’m all for more official content, but please, let’s leave this shit in the past.

If you think about it, Anodites and Celestialsapiens are conceptual opposites.

On the one hand, you have Anodites. They're known for being hedonistic free-spirits who often use their power for self-satisfaction and, judging by how Verdona spent decades on Earth and needed to reconnect with her roots, or how she probably had to be far from Anodyne to be captured in the first place when she met Max, it wouldn't necessarily be far-fectched to say they have an adventurer, wanderer side that makes them leave Anodyne for unspecified periods of time.

But on the other, you have Celestialsapiens, who not only prefer to be home at the Forge of Creation, surrounded by their kind and away from everyone else, but are so (ironically) restricted in the use of their powers that they literally have to come to an agreement with themselves before they can do anything.

And speaking of powers, Anodites actually only have control over one thing; mana. And yet, their power over it is so vast it becomes an incredibly versatile ability that even allows them to mimic a Celestialsapien's reality-warping, albeit to a lesser extent. Whereas Celestialsapiens, who are canonically the most powerful species of the universe and, by definition, have power over practically everything, have no control over mana, and are therefore incapable of imitating an Anodite's natural abilities.

Also, appearance wise, both species are humanoid while being distinctively non-human. However, it's rather ironic how Anodites, the show's most recurring energy beings, are much more human than Celestialsapiens (do we even know what they're made of?) and their bodies don't look as ethereal. While Anodites are made of compressed mana (which makes them look more solid) and are very expressive, both through facial expressions and their "hair", Celestialsapiens look like literal humanoid galaxies and lack any form of expression.

And finally, even though we've seen both male and female Celestialsapiens, only male ones have had any real relevance (except perhaps that one Celestialsapien Mother) as opposed to Anodites, who were all female as they appeared in the franchise.

But the craziest thing by far has got to be that this is all likely a coincidence.

If I’m being perfectly honest, the first half of Girl Trouble was executed very sloppily. 

It doesn’t make sense, plain and simple. 

And I’m not talking about Sunny’s introduction. We already got a completely new one-shot family member when we got Ken. I’m talking about the way they led the plot up until the point it was revealed Sunny was an anodite, and more powerful than Gwen, on top of that. 

We can all agree the only reason Sunny was with them during the attack of the robots from the 12th Dimension was because Nathalie made Gwen take her with them. Which…makes no sense at all????

If my memory doesn’t fail me, Gwen very explicitely told her mother she didn’t have time for family drama because they had a killer robot attack to stop, and what was Nathalie’s answer to that?

“Take your cousin with you.”

What the Hell?!

Here she is, sighing at the discovery that Sunny is an anodite, which we all know she isn’t very fond of, and outright admitting to Gwen that Sunny wouldn’t be there with them had she known.

You see where I’m getting at, right?

She didn’t know her niece was an anodite, meaning she thought she was a regular human girl with no powers or special abilities whatsoever, and she still makes her daughter take her cousin to a dangerous and potentially lethal mission?!?!?!?!?

They were supposed to look after her and keep her away from bad influences (though we know Sunny’s way worse an influence for Antonio than the other way around…) not kill her!!

And the worst part? 

This is all so they could have an excuse for Sunny to show off her powers at the right time. 

And now I find myself asking you: wouldn’t it have been better if they actually tried to hint Sunny’s true colours earlier on instead of this?

Just imagine. While Gwen and the boys go to fight the robots, Sunny’s supposed to stay at home. But as the team’s getting closer to their destination, they spot Sunny on the street. Seeing as she is too far from Gwen’s house and they don’t have time to go back anyway, they reluctantly pick her up and take her with them, all the while Gwen tells her off for sneaking out while asking herself how on Earth she even made it that far to begin with. 

And that way you have a believable reason as to why a supposedly normal girl would be in the same place as a dangerous species of killer robots while simultaneously hinting there is more to her than meets the eye. 

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Better

Gwen being jealous and annoyed with Sunny being a better anodite than her is very similar to how Charmcaster is jealous and annoyed with Gwen being a better "magician" than her.

While I won't deny the possibility of Gwen being jealous over Sunny's more developed powers, I think the main problem, from Gwen's P.O.V., is that the two had led very different lives.

Even if, academically speaking, Gwen is sort of "the golden child" of the Tennyson family, which is why Sunny's so jealous of her--because she's favoured over her despite her lack of proper training and, say, refusal to accept her true heritage--, Gwen has grown up with high expectations set on her.

Given Nathalie's portrayal so far in the franchise, it wouldn't be far-fetched if she were also an Education Mum; always demanding and expecting the best from her daughter. So, naturally, that shaped Gwen into a very mature, goal-driven individual. Not only that, she's also been saving the world since she was 10, so by the time Girl Trouble took place Gwen was more than used to getting down to business and getting serious.

You could say neither Ben or Kevin act that maturely either compared to her. And for the most part you'd be right. But for all their bantering and fooling around with their opponents, their top priority is to take care of whatever problem they face. Even if they usually have more fun while they're at it than Gwen, they're both responsible, too.

Sunny... Despite her alien heritage, she is pretty much your typical 16-year-old spoiled brat. She is only concerned about having fun, flirting with her boyfriend (and any other cute guy she meets), and avoiding getting in trouble with her parents and grandma because in her case they are the highest authorities she has to answer to.

And, let's face it, we'd all be pretty pissed if our cousin openly flirted with our boyfriend right in front of us, only to backpedal and change tactics, therefore proceeding to tear down our relationship by comparing it to hers, the moment we call her out on it.

I think what really miffed Gwen about Sunny was that, even before her powers were revealed, she was constantly looking down on everything she and the guys did. Which is all the more poignant when you remember they were literally trying to thwart a group of killer robots' plans.

I mean:

Gwen and the guys discuss the robot issue in front of her? Sunny looks down and high-key blames Bellwood for it.

She finally gets to see what they're really up to? She treats the team fighting against robots as a regular fun activity you'd expect from a group of friends just hanging out. Even when there's a bomb added into the mix, Sunny treats the whole situation like a fun escapade her mean cousin won't let her participate in.

She literally attacked Gwen when she threatened with telling on Sunny to her parents.

It doesn't get any more childish than that.

Overall, I think Gwen's animosity towards Sunny was based mostly on the fact that she was, essentially, forced to babysit her in the worst possible time. But considering Sunny was constantly rubbing her more advanced powers in her face, she could also have been a little annoyed by that.

I think it's a pity we never got to see what happens when Gwen loses control of her mana.

I remember reading that she loses control of her powers if, for example, she's angered enough:

But we never really got to see that, you know?

The one time anything like this happens is in Double or Nothing when, incensed by the Gwennettes, she accidentally activates her powers.

The thing is, this is a one time thing and it wasn't even treated seriously.

The most that's ever happened when she got really angry is her unleashing her Anodite form, but, leaving aside the risk of losing her humanity, that was always more of a power-up than something she had to be careful about.

It's true Gwen is the most disciplined member of the team, more so before Rook's arrival, but she is still a teenager with a wide range of emotions who is constantly facing stressful situations.

Perhaps it would've added to her character if she'd actually been shown trying to keep her powers in check. Something like Gwen's mana disrupting the space when she grows frustrated, for example. After all, the ability to manipulate life energy itself should have much more of an effect than accidentally projecting said energy—it wouldn't be far-fetched to have things get a little out of control.

Having her frustrations resulting in, say, small explosions of mana breaking bases or damaging technology when Sunny or Lucy were around and getting on her nerves would've been a good way of showing this.

I'm sorry, it's just the way Gwen's Anodite heritage is often only expanded upon in additional material (mostly the creators talking about it but never doing anything to include such things in the franchise) and generally disregarded almost completely gets on my nerves.

I think it's a pity we never got to see what happens when Gwen loses control of her mana.

I remember reading that she loses control of her powers if, for example, she's angered enough:

But we never really got to see that, you know?

The one time anything like this happens is in Double or Nothing when, incensed by the Gwennettes, she accidentally activates her powers.

The thing is, this is a one time thing and it wasn't even treated seriously.

The most that's ever happened when she got really angry is her unleashing her Anodite form, but, leaving aside the risk of losing her humanity, that was always more of a power-up than something she had to be careful about.

It's true Gwen is the most disciplined member of the team, more so before Rook's arrival, but she is still a teenager with a wide range of emotions who is constantly facing stressful situations.

Perhaps it would've added to her character if she'd actually been shown trying to keep her powers in check. Something like Gwen's mana disrupting the space when she grows frustrated, for example. After all, the ability to manipulate life energy itself should have much more of an effect than accidentally projecting said energy—it wouldn't be far-fetched to have things get a little out of control.

Having her frustrations resulting in, say, small explosions of mana breaking bases or damaging technology when Sunny or Lucy were around and getting on her nerves would've been a good way of showing this.

I'm sorry, it's just the way Gwen's Anodite heritage is often only expanded upon in additional material (mostly the creators talking about it but never doing anything to include such things in the franchise) and generally disregarded almost completely gets on my nerves.

10000%

I've always had this headcanon that Gwen NEEDS to meditate or do something that keeps her calm everyday or else her her mana builds up with her frustration and things start going crazy.

Showing her difficulty in controlling her mana could've been added as a reason as to why she's got snappier over time.

Gwen was far more irritated with things in ultimate alien than alien force, it couldve been because since she's using her powers souch her anodite form is trying to come and Gwen's trying really hard to control it.

Either way, it's such a wasted opportunity.

As of Alien Force, Gwen became a mixture of Starfire and Raven in terms of powers (both of magical and alien origin; hell, even the colour palettes), if you're going to have her emotions play a key part in her powers, do something about it!!

But what really frustrates me is, despite how immensely powerful Gwen is supposed to be, we never get a glimpse of that power, or the struggle of keeping it under control.

That's why I say her powers should've manifested in little explosions or something if she lost control over them—again, similar to Raven's.

(Not exactly what I had in mind, but close enough).

I know the whole point of her fight with Ben in Absolute Power was to show she actually holds back but...come on. Again, she's a teen. She requires seasons of character development before she can get that far. Are we really forgetting that, for all the studying she probably did, during the years between Ben giving up the Omnitrix and Alien Force she possibly couldn't have got the same training as she does fighting aliens and bad guys?

Wasted potential.

Yeah, the show took her "mature and responsible" character trait waaaaay too seriously. They barely ever showed her like the teen she actually was.

The show had its moments, but they often sucked at getting the team to act like teenagers.

They often acted more like Gwendolyn and Ben 10,000 before Gwendolyn brought their past selves back. That is to say, way too serious for their age.

In Gwen's case it's especially glaring how she always seemed to have everything under control. We are talking about a girl who has incredibly high expectations set on her, even by herself, and who never gets the hero treatment that Ben does, and yet, the only time we see her remotely struggling is during It's Not Easy Being Gwen.

One (1) time.

One (1) episode!

And even then, despite all the effort in showing how hard Gwen has it, she still pulls everything off! The worst that happens is that her spell started setting the letters on fire and she forgot to have breakfast.

That's it.

Don't get me wrong. The simple action of Gwen neglecting to take care of herself, with the implication it happens so often her best friend comes ready with extra food just for her, is a clear indicator of the pressure Gwen's under and how it affects her life. But it's still very unfair this is never expanded upon outside of this episode.

Even if she clearly loses hours of sleep over fighting bad guys, that never becomes a problem!

And Kevin's situation... Don't. Just don't. Don't get me started.

If I’m being perfectly honest, the first half of Girl Trouble was executed very sloppily. 

It doesn’t make sense, plain and simple. 

And I’m not talking about Sunny’s introduction. We already got a completely new one-shot family member when we got Ken. I’m talking about the way they led the plot up until the point it was revealed Sunny was an anodite, and more powerful than Gwen, on top of that. 

We can all agree the only reason Sunny was with them during the attack of the robots from the 12th Dimension was because Nathalie made Gwen take her with them. Which…makes no sense at all????

If my memory doesn’t fail me, Gwen very explicitely told her mother she didn’t have time for family drama because they had a killer robot attack to stop, and what was Nathalie’s answer to that?

“Take your cousin with you.”

What the Hell?!

Here she is, sighing at the discovery that Sunny is an anodite, which we all know she isn’t very fond of, and outright admitting to Gwen that Sunny wouldn’t be there with them had she known.

You see where I’m getting at, right?

She didn’t know her niece was an anodite, meaning she thought she was a regular human girl with no powers or special abilities whatsoever, and she still makes her daughter take her cousin to a dangerous and potentially lethal mission?!?!?!?!?

They were supposed to look after her and keep her away from bad influences (though we know Sunny’s way worse an influence for Antonio than the other way around…) not kill her!!

And the worst part? 

This is all so they could have an excuse for Sunny to show off her powers at the right time. 

And now I find myself asking you: wouldn’t it have been better if they actually tried to hint Sunny’s true colours earlier on instead of this?

Just imagine. While Gwen and the boys go to fight the robots, Sunny’s supposed to stay at home. But as the team’s getting closer to their destination, they spot Sunny on the street. Seeing as she is too far from Gwen’s house and they don’t have time to go back anyway, they reluctantly pick her up and take her with them, all the while Gwen tells her off for sneaking out while asking herself how on Earth she even made it that far to begin with. 

And that way you have a believable reason as to why a supposedly normal girl would be in the same place as a dangerous species of killer robots while simultaneously hinting there is more to her than meets the eye. 

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.