Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Improves The Original By Redefining Its Villains

Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off!While fans have been divided on the execution, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off improved on the original story by redefining its villains. Netflix’s long-awaited anime, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off has finally been released, and to say it’s polarizing would be an understatement. Many fans have voiced their opinions on the new direction for Scott’s story after taking a massive left turn in the first episode. While it’s different from what many fans expected, the changes made to the League of Evil Exes helped to improve upon an already great story.

The League of Evil Exes was always depicted as one of the primary antagonists in the Scott Pilgrim series. While Scott would learn that the real person holding him back is himself, personified by his dark half Nega-Scott, Ramona’s exes were always the main draw of the story. However, there was always one thing that stood out in both the original graphic novel by Bryan Lee O’Malley and the 2010 film adaptation: the Exes never got much character development. They would be given backstories to fill Scott and the audience in on their brief history with Ramona, but the story rarely expanded beyond that. This was something that many fans criticized for years regarding some of the story’s flaws, and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off rectifies this perfectly.Related: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Reinvents the Series in the Best Way Possible – Review

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Explores Reconciliation Over Vengeance

Since Scott is supposedly dead after his first fight with Matthew Patel, the story opens up to following Ramona as she tries to figure out what happened to him. As a result, she confronts her exes and manages to give them the growth they desperately needed after all this time. For example, Roxy Richter receives overdue closure surrounding her short fling with Ramona in college as the latter apologizes for hurting her. Meanwhile, Lucas Lee shares that his break-up with Ramona hurt him in a way that he never stopped trying to be the best at everything to try and win Ramona back after she quickly dumped him for Todd Ingram. Character moments like these, which explore how their relationship ending with Ramona made them feel, make them more human.

Humanizing the League of Evil Exes Helps Ramona Learn Her Own Flaws

Created by Science Saru, based on the original graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley

By giving the Exes a chance to voice the effects of their relationship with Ramona, it paints the series’ iconic heroine in a new light. She begins to realize that her running away from these people without giving proper closure is a major flaw. When she finally confronts them while trying to find Scott, she begins to see just how her past actions harmfully affected them. Roxy developed a vengeful attitude because of Ramona, not showing any connection with her outside a brief romance. Lucas tried to prove himself to her countless times that he’s the best, and it led to him socially shutting out others.

It all comes to a head though in the anime’s ending when she learns that this is a flaw her future self hasn’t learned yet, as she refused to contact Old Scott even though she had feelings for him. It’s a huge moment that shows that her constant running is more harmful than the pain she feels having to confront the issues, and it all came from giving the Evil Exes a chance to voice their feelings.

While the overall story surrounding the Evil Exes changed, the series proves that there’s more to explore in Scott Pilgrim’s world than fans thought. The humanization of the series’ villains paved the way for important development for the Exes and Ramona alike. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off ultimately showed that its new direction was the way to go, as the redefined villains improved the original story for the best.

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