Best posts made by Tactical Ochoa

I don't consider Ben 10: Alien Force to be a good show. To me, it lies somewhere between decent and mediocre. The show just doesn't live up to the quality of the Original Series and the direction that it went doesn't really give the Ben 10 franchise the proper justice and treatment that it deserved. Even by itself, Alien Force has many significant issues with its writing and characters that degraded its overall quality. However, one of the few things about Alien Force that I did like were the Highbreed. I thought that they were pretty good villains with characteristics and their motives for doing what they do to be something that stood out well for them and they do create a good level of tension after seeing what they're capable of doing. I don't think they are at the level of other Ben 10 villains such as Vilgax, Hex, Kevin, etc but they are a nicely well implemented set of foes for the main characters to face...for the most part. There is one issue that I have about the Highbreed that stands out the most about them and I would like to discuss my thoughts on them. This will contain spoilers for Ben 10: Alien Force so if anyone reading this hasn't seen the show and does mind about plot spoilers, you have been warned. It has been a while since I saw Alien Force so if there's anything that I missed, feel free to let me know.

In the show, the Highbreed see themselves as a superior race of species that looks down upon every other species. They believe so much in this ridiculous viewpoint about themselves that the Highbreed try their best to ensure that they maintain their racial purity only for that to backfire on them terribly when they ended up constantly inbreeding with themselves to the point where the current generation of Highbreed were thus plagued with a weakened immune system and became incapable of reproducing new offsprings. Knowing that the Highbreed race is doomed, they decide to go on a massive intergalactic genocidal campaign on every other species in the universe to ensure that nothing surpasses the Highbreed after they become extinct. To resolve this issue, Ben uses the Omnitrix to repair and rewrite the Highbreed DNA structure and problem solved. The Highbreed get to continue on with their lived and they look pass their old ways while the rest of the universe is no longer at risk of being wiped out by the Highbreed. At the very least, this is a very quick summary of what happened in order to add some context to my topic of discussion here.

My issue is how the resolution of the conflict with the Highbreed was played out. The Highbreed basically went full-blown Nazi on the rest of the universe, exterminating any species that were unfortunate enough to be in their path. They kidnapped innocent human beings and enslaved them by turning them into DNAliens. They destroyed Galvan Prime as well as attacking other planets. The Highbreed overall caused so much destruction, death, and suffering and season 2 ends with the Highbreed race being saved and returning home and the rest of the universe continuing on as if nothing happened? Sure, the war is over but considering everything that the Highbreed race did, were they ever held accountable for it? Did they ever make reparations for their action in the show? Did they face any sort of punishment for causing so much death, destruction, and suffering? To me, it felt like the Highbreed had it too easy. That they were let off the hook considering what they did. Stuff like this was pretty much an issue with most, if not all, of the conflicts that Alien Force and Ultimate Alien had. Both shows would build up huge conflicts that the characters had to find a way to resolve and the resolution of these conflicts usually don't pay off in the end. Often times, the writers push for something only to hold back on it at the last moment. The last part of season 1 of Ultimate Alien could've ended with Kevin going back to his old ways and becoming a villain again (like how he was originally supposed to be) but instead, the writers held back on that and Kevin remained allied with Ben and Gwen. Kevin going crazy during that part prominently illustrated the major issues of Kevin being a hero character and being in a relationship with Gwen. In regards to the Highbreed, I felt that the same happened here as well. The writers held back at the last moment and therefore, it felt that the resolution to the war that the Highbreed were responsible for causing didn't really pay off well. In fact, even if the Highbreed did make reparations for what they did, to me, it still felt like they had it too easy. That it wouldn't be enough.

What I think should've happened instead is this. The Highbreed should've lost the war. Ben stops the portal from opening, thus preventing the Highbreed from invading Earth...for now. Earth could still be at risk of invasion by the Highbreed. It would just take longer for the Highbreed to reach Earth. Plus, the Highbreed would still go about invading other planets that are closer to them as well. This could lead to two outcomes. With the invasion of Earth having failed, other planets manage to push back the Highbreed and thus the Highbreed lose the war and face the consequences of their actions. Either that or most likely the universe, including Earth, would still be in danger of the Highbreed. Destroying the jump-gate portal would only temporarily prevented the Highbreed from invading Earth and other planets would still be at risk of being destroyed. Ben decides to do one thing to end the war and that is to follow the original, real purpose of the creation of the Omnitrix. Ben uses the jump-gate portal to go to the Highbreed home world, Augstaka, to communicate with the Highbreed leaders. Either he fights his way to them or the Highbreed leaders let him approach them. Most likely the latter. From there, Ben communicates with the Highbreed leaders and negotiates and eventually convinces them to end the war. The dialogue that would play out during this moment would illustrate character flaws within the Highbreed and likely within Ben as well. That's what I think would be the best approach to take to illustrate the conversation between these characters and how the conversation further develops said characters; especially in regards to Ben. Eventually, the Highbreed leaders would realize and come to understand the flaws that their species has and thus they are not actually not superior over other species, come to an understanding of the very doomed fate that they put themselves in, and praise and credit Ben for being willing and able to persuade them to come to the very understandings that I just mentioned. The Highbreed leaders call the war off and the Highbreed race face the severe consequences that would result in the actions and atrocities that they committed upon the universe. However, Ben doesn't use the Omnitrix to save the Highbreed race. Instead, the Highbreed accept their fate and some time later, the Highbreed species would go extinct while the rest of the universe rebuilds and continues onwards towards the future, learning from the actions that the Highbreed made to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again. Meanwhile, that very moment with the Highbreed further develops Ben as a character, helping him to further understand Azmuth's intentions when he created the Omnitrix. Further help Ben come to an understanding that not every situation had to be resolved by fighting but instead some situations could be resolved by communicating and talking with his opposition. That some situations can be resolved in more peaceful ways and that sometimes Ben can't save everyone.

This is how I think the conflict with the Highbreed should've been resolved. The Highbreed properly face the consequences of their actions and instead of being saved, they go extinct while the rest of the universe is saved. As for Ben, he experiences a major moment in his life that further significantly develops him as a character, helping to further improve him and make him a better hero. If anyone has any thoughts and opinions on this, feel free to comment down below.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Deviant-art, and the Ben 10 Club. Links are down below.

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Gabrielzm122

Deviant-art:
https://tacticalochoa122.deviantart.com

Ben 10 Club:
https://ben10club.org/user/tactical-ochoa

Also, feel free to help support the Ben 10 Club by subscribing to their YouTube channel and watching and liking their videos as well as signing up on the official website itself and going to the "Donate" link on the top of their website home page to donate to them through PayPal to help keep the website up and running. Ben 10 Club merchandise is also available for purchase on Teespring and you could access said merchandise by clicking on the "Merch" link next to the "Donate" link. Feel free to follow the Ben 10 Club on Twitter as well.

Official Website:
https://ben10club.org

YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVuVgrKdnHirU63g1BCN2fA

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ben10club_bg

I'm hearing "brain needle".

Maybe discussion videos where you cover the latest Ben 10 news, provide your own opinions on certain topics, etc. You could maybe also try and post podcasts as well where you talk with other members of the Ben 10 Club website, other YouTubers, some of the people working on Ben 10 (if possible), etc.

@mortie-10 It was a lot more than just not re-airing old shows. One of the major reasons why Cartoon Network is going down hill is because they keep mistreating their properties and refuse to truly innovate. Their announcement of Thundercats Roar is just another of the many examples that shows this.

As for Ben 10, it was a lot more than just Omniverse that shows why the franchise is also going down hill as well. The Ben 10 franchise had constantly been mistreated by Cartoon Network since the original show ended. The massive success of the original show went from a blessing into a curse. Cartoon Network was more focused on selling more Ben 10 merchandise. There's also the shows themselves. plenty enough of fans and viewers had issues with Alien Force and even more had issues with Ultimate Alien and even more had issues with Omniverse and even more had issues with the reboot show and it was all because of how these shows were made.

Yeah, it really does just come back to the merchandise here. It pretty much is the biggest reason why the reboot show was made. Although, didn't someone mention on here that Cartoon Network stopped releasing new toys by season 3?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-9v24ADo9M

So, with the apparent end of the Ben 10 reboot show and fans of Ben 10 demanding to take the franchise back to the original continuity via stuff like #BringBackActionBen and #RestoreTheOmniverse and whatnot, I figure that I would like to revisit what I think is the best direction for Ben 10 to go towards. What I think the franchise really needs and how it can be improved. To me at least, I think Ben 10 has been in quite a tight spot since Alien Force and still is after the reboot show. I think a lot needs to be taken into consideration for what’s to come next for Ben 10. So, let’s get started here.

I think there are three major factors to take into consideration for handling the next iteration of Ben 10. Consistency, balance, and Ben 10,000.

Consistency
Let’s start with consistency first. The franchise overall is so inconsistent and therefore just a mess. There are so many things that are inconsistent from one show to the other. Tone, art style, characters, lore, continuity (christ, those retcons, man), etc. To be a little more specific here and to provide some examples:

• Alien Force and Ultimate Alien were primarily dark, mature, and serious. Omniverse and the reboot show were often too comedic and lighthearted. The Original Series is a mix of both (more on that later).
• In the later shows, Ben was more mature and serious and then became more cocky and impulsive to an annoying and frustrating degree. Kevin went from an absolute psychopath to an unfitting hero character. Kevin also went from being a mutant to being an alien hybrid back to being a mutant. Gwen went from being a fully human sorceress to a half human/half alien hybrid. Hex became a more caring uncle to Charmcaster despite the implication that he was abusive towards her in the Original Series. Zombozo became a zombie. Etc.
• The Plumbers were retconned from an Earth-only organization to an intergalactic police force. Alien Force and Ultimate Alien tried to apply a more scientific explanation to magic. The Omnitrix went from storing DNA samples in the watch itself to a wireless receiver and back to storing samples back in the watch. Azmuth’s reason for creating the Omnitrix changed a couple of times. The origin of the Plumbers’ kids were changed. Etc.
• The franchise so far has a total of four different art styles. The Original Series art style is reminiscent of anime and/or comic books. Alien Force and Ultimate Alien's art style is more reminiscent of DC shows that came out during that era in Cartoon Network's history. Omniverse went for a more cartoonish art style. The reboot show's art style is reminiscent of that post-Adventure Time art style that Cartoon Network has been using for so many of their shows in recent years.

I think a large part of this is due to how the franchise is interpreted and approached by creators after the Original Series. Take Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, for example. Those shows were created by folks such as Dwayne McDuffie and Glen Murakami, who both share a background in making DC shows...and it shows here. At least to me, Alien Force and Ultimate Alien don’t feel like Ben 10 shows. They feel like DC shows, such as Justice League, Batman Beyond, Static Shock, etc. They put their own style and interpretation into Alien Force and Ultimate Alien instead of incorporating the style and direction that the Original Series had and put the franchise on the map in the first place. There’s also a matter of understanding the source material, which is something that I think Dwayne McDuffie and Glen Murakami missed the mark on given the numerous retcons that were introduced in those two shows. And yeah, even the folks that worked on Omniverse didn’t completely nail it either despite their attempt to bring the franchise back to the Original Series. Even the creators of Ben 10 themselves missed the mark with the reboot show despite it reusing the premise of the Original Series and many other elements throughout the entire franchise.

With each show after the next, all sorts of drastic changes were made to Ben 10 with many of those changes not ending up being for the betterment of the franchise. Again, this franchise is just a mess. It’s all over the place and has divided the fanbase significantly because of how inconsistent it has become. In order for the franchise overall to be fixed and improved, it needs to have consistency again.

Balance
I mentioned before how the tone of the Original Series was a mix of both Alien Force and Ultimate Alien’s tone and Omniverse and the reboot show’s tone. Many fans want for the series to go back to being dark, mature, and serious while many other fans want for the series to be more fun, comedic, and lighthearted. The Original Series provides a good and proper balance of both sides here. That’s something that the team behind Omniverse seemed to miss when making Omniverse and trying to return back to the tone of the Original Series. Whereas the Original Series was a fun, action-packed, comedic, lighthearted, and entertaining show, it was also dark, mature, and serious. Where you have lighthearted moments like Ben playing pranks on Gwen, Max’s cooking, Ben and Gwen having fun on the hoverboard, Gwen’s magic mishaps, etc., there are also some really messed up moments such as Kevin acting like an absolutely psychotic maniac, Vilgax being the terrifying warlord that he is, Zs’Skayr possessing Gwen and threatening to make her jump off a building to her death, Zombozo stealing people’s positive energy, a giant alien tick trying to suck Earth dry of all its resources, Gwen’s apparent “death” in Secret of the Omnitrix, etc. The Original Series was just as dark as it is lighthearted. It was just as goofy and comedic as it is mature and serious. It does so many things yet it manages to blend together all those elements very well. Like say the porridge in Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Alien Force and Ultimate Alien were too dark, mature, and serious and therefore it felt boring and uninteresting, at least to me. Omniverse and the reboot show was often too comedic, ruining many moments where things should’ve been taken more seriously. The Original Series’ tone is just right. A good and proper blend of both sides.

There’s other elements where balance factors in as well, such as Ben and Gwen’s relationship. Many have complained about Ben and Gwen often bickering at and arguing with each other in the Original Series but the thing that they seem to miss is that they have a well-written, well-developed, dynamic relationship. Where there are plenty of moments where they do argue with each other, there are also many moments where they’re shown to have some really good chemistry with each other. In fact, Ben and Gwen balance each other out. They keep each other in check. Their characteristics and personalities don’t actually conflict with each other but instead compliment each other and fulfill what Ben and Gwen need in their lives. Gwen has the focus that Ben needs and Ben has the fun-loving nature that Gwen needs. It’s like Batman and Robin or Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. Ben and Gwen work so well together and balance each other out well that they pretty much need each other to work as characters. That Ben doesn’t work as a character without Gwen and vice versa. That’s why I don’t think reducing Gwen’s importance and role as a character in Omniverse and replacing her with Rook Blonko was a good idea. It’s also why I don’t think a Gwen spin-off show is a good idea either.

Even Ben on his own has a good balance and good character development in the Original Series compared to his portrayals in the sequel and reboot shows. Many fans want for Ben to be more mature and serious, like in Alien Force and Ultimate Alien. Many other fans are ok with Ben being a fun-loving, cocky goofball, like in Omniverse and the reboot show. The Original Series provides both sides of that in a well-balanced way. Ben was a fun-loving, cocky, impulsive kid that often got himself into trouble but when the moment was right, he did show a lot of maturity and seriousness and had a good, strong grasp on being responsible. He even had some good, well-written character development. He does learn from his mistakes. He does become better and more responsible and capable as a hero and character. Ben started off in one spot at the beginning of the Original Series and ended up at a different but better spot when the Original Series ended.

Other things to take into consideration are stuff like balancing out science and magic. One of the major issues with Alien Force and Ultimate Alien was how it focused too much on science fiction and not enough on magic. So much so that those shows even tried to use science to explain the magical elements. How is Gwen able to cast magic? Oh because she’s actually half alien and magic actually originates from an alien species. And yet, they couldn’t even stick with that because applying science to magic doesn’t make sense. I mean, it’s magic. That’s not something that you can explain with science. To Omniverse’s credit, they did focus more on magic compared to Alien Force and Ultimate Alien.

Even the Original Series' art style has a good balance here (go figure since that it was made to fit the tone and style of the Original Series). Alien Force and Ultimate Alien had quite a detailed, serious-looking, action-oriented art style (again, reminiscent of DC shows) while Omniverse and the reboot show had a more cartoonish art style to match up with their more comedic tone. The Original Series' art style fits both sides of that coin. It's detailed yet capable of being cartoonish. It fits both action and comedy. It's capable of being quite expressive visually. It's a flexible and well-made art style that fits well with a flexible and well-made show and its tone and style.

Balance is another key factor that needs to be taken into consideration here. Unlike the sequel shows and the reboot show, the Original Series has a lot of variety and does a good job of balancing out all that variety as well. This helped to add a lot of depth to the show because it does so much yet does it so well.

Ben 10,000
In a more broad sense, there needs to be more of a focus on story and character development and less on monster-of-the-week type of filler episodes. There can still be the occasional filler episode here and there but story and character development should take priority. When it comes to Ben 10, the next story that needs to be told is Ben 10,000. There needs...to be...a focus...on Ben 10,000. Whether the return to the original continuity involves it being a sequel to Omniverse or a new sequel to the Original Series or whatever, it has to be about Ben 10,000. It has to be about Ben’s transition into Ben 10,000. It needs to focus on Ken 10. I say that they need to stop kiting around this. There’s this trope that I found out about a while back called Knight in Sour Armor (link below). This trope fits Ben like a glove and I think that this is the best direction to go for Ben as a character. The Ben 10,000 storyline felt like the next logical and natural step for the franchise after the Original Series, and we have yet to see this storyline get realized in an official Ben 10 show.
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/KnightInSourArmor

My Recommendations
Taking all of this into consideration, what do I think would be the best route to take if we were to return back to the original continuity? Those that know me well enough should know what I’m about to say here. Make a new sequel to the Original Series. Ignore the continuity of Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, Omniverse, and the reboot show and make a new continuity. Granted, I don’t mind using elements from the other shows because there are some elements of the other shows that I do like, such as the Highbreed and DNAliens, the Plumbers’ kids, some of the aliens that Ben unlocks, Professor Paradox, etc. This is what I think the franchise really needs. But why?

As I said before, one of the biggest issues with this franchise is how inconsistent it is. It needs to be consistent again, which is pretty much the biggest reason why I don’t think making a sequel to Omniverse is a good idea. At that point, three sequel shows have caused all sorts of drastic changes to the franchise and made the franchise as a whole a mess in many ways. I think what’s needed here is a clean slate. Granted, not a complete clean slate. I don’t think this franchise needed to start from scratch, like what the reboot show tried to do. I think making a new sequel to the Original Series and taking what made the Original Series at its best and using it for this new sequel is a good way to make the franchise consistent again as well as to also give it a more proper clean slate. No need to be concerned about retcons, character inconsistencies, maybe different art styles, etc. And again, elements from the other shows can be used as well just as long as they fit well enough into the new sequel.

And speaking of character inconsistencies, again, all of that would be of no concern in this sequel. Ben isn’t being tugged back and forth between being mature and serious and cocky and impulsive. Gwen isn’t a half alien hybrid anymore and is back to being a fully human sorceress. Kevin is a psychopathic mutant again. Hex is evil again. Dr. Animo is in the state where he was relatively a threat again. Etc.

I think bringing back the Original Series art style would be a good route to go here for consistency as well. Not just bring it back either but also make some improvements to it. Maybe some elements of Japanese anime or something of the likes. Regardless, for the direction that I think the franchise should go towards, at the very least, it needs an art style that fits well with that direction while also allowing for the next iteration of Ben 10 to stand out more compared to the other shows that Cartoon Network made in recent years. Cartoon Network really needs to branch into making more varied and unique art styles. People are getting really sick and tired of seeing that same-y art style (Cal-Arts style or bean-mouth style or whatever people call it as) that has plagued so many cartoon shows on the network.

As I also said before, many fans want for the franchise to be more dark, mature, and serious while many other fans want for the franchise to be more fun, comedic, and entertaining...and the tone and style of the Original Series provides a good and proper balance of both. Incorporating the style and tone of the Original Series is something that I think will work best in a new sequel to the Original Series. Again, consistency. It would help make things feel more natural and fitting and it provides what many fans want out of a Ben 10 show.

Then there’s the Ben 10,000 direction. Like I said before, the Ben 10,000 storyline and Ben’s transition into Ben 10,000 felt like the next clear, logical, and natural step for Ben 10 after the Original Series ended. Therefore, it’ll feel the most logical and natural in a new sequel to the Original Series. There’s so much potential with this route that it really shouldn’t be ignored anymore. Again, focus on Ben’s transition into Ben 10,000. Then, take the setting into the future and focus on Ben 10,000 and Ken 10. This is what I think the franchise needs.

I mentioned how going this sequel route would make Kevin back to how he was in the Original Series. I get that a lot of people like how Kevin was portrayed as in the sequel shows but I find that Kevin is just better off as a villain than a hero. Kevin to Ben in the Original Series was like the Joker to Batman or Venom to Spider Man. Kevin is just a much better and more fitting evil and opposite Ben than Albedo is. I also think that Kevin has better potential as a villain than a hero and would be a fitting factor to leave a significant impact on Ben as a character that would influence his transition into Ben 10,000. That’s not to say that Ben and Kevin can’t work together again though. They have worked together before in the Original Series because they had to in order to survive (the episode, Grudge Match). Ben and Kevin can work together again to combat a greater threat, such as the Highbreed. This could lead to an opportunity where Ben tries again to help Kevin become a better person, but once the Highbreed threat has been taken care of, Kevin goes back to his old ways and becomes Ben’s enemy again, doing something to Ben that proves to be quite traumatic to him and, again, influences his transition into Ben 10,000. I also think that Kevin has the potential to be one of the best and most terrifying villains in the franchise due to how he was set up in the Original Series. There’s also, once again, the matter of consistency considering that the episode, Ken 10, portrayed a future version of Kevin that is still his old, psychotic self. We already have official shows in this franchise portraying Kevin as a hero character. I think that it’s fine to try something different to that this time around. Go all out with Kevin as a villain this time.

Now I know that there’s going to be a portion of the fanbase that’s going to be against this. Here’s the thing about that. As I said before, with how inconsistent this franchise has become, it has created a divided fanbase. Whatever comes next for Ben 10 and whatever it’s going to be, one thing that I know will happen is that the next iteration is going to get a backlash from a portion of the fanbase. That is because this has always happened with the Ben 10 franchise. Many had complaints about Alien Force. Many had complaints about Ultimate Alien. Many had complaints about Omniverse. Many had complaints about the reboot show. Many that are fans of these shows had complaints about the Original Series. With the direction of a new sequel to the Original Series with a new continuity, I’m sure that many would complain that it would wipe away the sequel shows and reboot show. It won’t. Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, Omniverse, and the reboot show will still exist and will remain unchanged. If people prefer those shows over a new sequel to the Original Series, that’s completely fine. Regardless, there’s going to be a backlash no matter what the next show in the Ben 10 franchise is going to be. Therefore, I say screw it and let’s at least give this direction a chance. Let’s give making a new sequel to the Original Series with a new continuity a try and see how it plays out. Also, one thing that I’m hoping to say to try and make the franchise consistent again is that it would at least significantly reduce that divide within the fanbase. Regardless, I think making a new sequel to the Original Series with a new continuity is at least worth a try.

Closing Statement
I think that’s everything that I wanted to cover here but I'll be making some edits here and there over time to help polish this page up more. Therefore, if anyone has any thoughts of their own in regards to this, feel free to comment down below. Either way, Ben 10 is quite a mess right now and I think this is the best way to clean it up. If this franchise does return back to the original continuity, I think this is the best direction to go with that very return.

@coreofthesun Yup. Pretty much agree with everything here. I wouldn't say that Vilgax mastered the Omnitrix though. At the very least, he's done enough research on it to have some of an understanding of how it worked and what it does. It bothers me so much that the people behind UAF seemed to have so little of an understanding of the Original Series source material because of the many moments like Vilgax, for some reason, being completely stumped on how the Omnitrix worked in Alien Force despite his knowledge of it in the Original Series.

And yes, I'm going to pull up Little Moments again as an example here. I like how that series approached Vilgax. I felt that Vilgax didn't need an origin story but I was genuinely surprised with how well Warlord Ascending handled that very origin story. It added a lot to Vilgax as a character. Did a really good job of explaining why he ended up as the villain that he is. The chapter where Vilgax attacked Phoenix, Arizona really did his portrayal quite well too. There was a lot of fear and tension that was going on in that chapter. Even though Ben was able to successfully kill him, it felt like Vilgax won that day. What happened in Phoenix really left quite a significant and traumatic impact on Ben and Gwen. It acted as a proper stepping stone that would eventually lead to Ben becoming the version of Ben 10,000 that future Gwen was trying to prevent. I think Little Moments really handled Vilgax quite well.

Ben and Gwen's interaction was nice and sweet. However, I hope that they don't end up making Gwen too soft as a character. I liked how Ben and Gwen's relationship in the Original Series was done and I already explained why on my Bwen page.

Diamondhead just looks ok and average.

Background images are pretty cheaply made and feel out of place but they're ok.

Man of Action are at least back.

Most of the aliens (such as Heatblast, Grey Matter, and XLR8) look from acceptable to good.

It's a...puzzle game? This is Ben 10 we're talking about here. A series about Ben using the Omnitrix to fight villains and evil aliens. Who the hell wants to play a Ben 10 puzzle game? Also, yeah, CN really wants to introduce the new generation of kids to the Ben 10 series through the reboot yet this shows that Omniverse is still very much relevant even to that very targeted generation.

I'm not saying the game looks bad. I'm just saying. In a series about a boy with an alien watch fighting bad guys, who the hell wants to play a puzzle game based on that very series? Yeah at least some people would play this game but still.

Also, that's such a smart move. Release the game in Europe yet don't even bother about the American and Asian fans. Especially since that I believe the series is at it's most popular in Asia. This is unless there's a limitation for the release or the game would later be released in other countries and regions later on.

@coreofthesun I've been wanting to make a revised, more updated version of the original post on this page but never got around to it.

That does seem like one factor behind why Bwen was so popular, but ultimately, I say it comes down to how their relationship was handled. Ben and Gwen's relationship in the Original Series was well written. It was dynamic and engaging and had a lot of chemistry. Ben and Gwen start off on not so good terms with each other and over time, they've grown to really care for each other. Ben and Gwen have the best relationship in the franchise. Whenever those two are on screen doing something together, everything just works. It works so well that Ben and Gwen just don't work as characters without their relationship. They need each other in order to work as characters. Gwen is just as important to have on the franchise as Ben is. That's why many think that Ben and Gwen would be a good fit to be in a romantic relationship with each other.

Everything else I agree with. In fact, you suggest having a middle ground with how Ben and Gwen's relationship should be handled in the sequel shows and, well, I recall that the Little Moments series did that. In that series, Ben and Gwen do gradually become more and more mature but they still maintained their usual banter with each other. It became more of a game to them. It went from Ben and Gwen pushing each other's buttons to annoy each other to pushing each other's buttons just to have fun with each other and tease each other. Their relationship was handled so well in Little Moments that it felt very natural and fitting.

@Ebomnitrix Bandai's history of failing toy lines is a good point to make as well. Still, Ultimate Alien and Omniverse's poor ratings and mediocre quality still had a major affect on the sales of Ben 10 merchandise having gone down quite badly.

Another thing to mention as well is that people don't buy toys and merchandise just because of the Ben 10 name alone. The reason why the Ben 10 OS toy line did so well was because the OS was a great show that built up a large fanbase that was very willing to buy Ben 10 toys and merchandise because they like the OS and want to show their support and appreciation for it because, again, it's a great show. That's why the original Powerpuff Girls merchandise line was so successful as well. If Cartoon Network really wants to profit off of selling toys so much, then make good shows. It's not guaranteed to work because it's also up to the toy companies to make good toys but there is a better increased chance that toys and merchandise will sell well enough if the shows are at least good and popular.

@Ben-10-Fan Yeah again, I'm not saying that it looks like a bad game but it's just so out of place in the Ben 10 series. I would rather prefer an open world action game, which is obvious from me since that I have my Ben 10 game idea.

@coreofthesun In the case with Kai, a really easy solution would've been to just have her apologize to Ben and have her be more kind and respectful towards him. Instead, they made her even worse in Omniverse. I could at least excuse Kai's behavior in the Original Series as her simply being a kid and not knowing better. Kai having an attraction towards Ben's alien forms while not being respectful towards Ben himself was just stupid.

There is that cultural factor as well. It's one of the reasons why I don't mind about cousin relationships. Different countries have different cultural views towards all sorts of stuff. As you said so yourself, the southern Asian region are more accepting towards cousin relationships and marriages. People (as far as I can tell, it's usually Americans) that would condemn Bwen and be disrespectful and throw insults at Bwen shippers I don't think tend to factor this stuff in. Almost like they think that their cultural views apply to everywhere or they think that everyone should conform to their cultural views or something of the likes. That's my assumption at least.

As long as it doesn't cause actual harm towards others, I prefer respecting other people's cultures. Even if I disagree with them, it's not my right to demand that they should conform to something else. It's also not right to disrespect other people's cultures either.

As for your last point, once again, like how Little Moments handled their relationship. Whether their relationship is made to be romantic or not, at least maintain that dynamic that Ben and Gwen had in the Original Series. Have their relationship improve and grow more but also keep Ben and Gwen as their old selves and maintain their banter with each other.

I don't know if this bit of info was mentioned on here yet but according to this article, the Ben 10 reboot would air on April 2017.

http://www.iol.co.za/tonight/tv-radio/this-isnt-your-moms-ben-10-2067184

The article also mentions the concept of having the characters grow up with the audience. What I'm going to focus on is mostly in regards to the first paragraph, which I will quote here. The overall concept and argument that the article covers is something to take note of as well though.

From the article:
When you grow up watching a cartoon series, there comes a time when you quit the show because it just doesn’t make sense anymore. We have to grow up and when that happens, it becomes apparent that The Smurfs isn’t that cute anymore. Men can still wear Voltron T-shirts, but that’s just clinging to the beautiful yet distant memory of a past that’s long gone.

To me, at least, the article makes the argument that once you have grown up, cartoon shows are just not good anymore because you've grown up now. Or at least that's the argument that I interpreted them making. That's not true at all here. I still enjoyed watching Ed Edd n Eddy, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Kids Next Door, Chowder, and even the more recent Regular Show. Even though I haven't seen much of Regular Show, I still saw plenty enough to have a good sense of how the show is like and I found enjoyment in it. Like I even said before, despite the numerous problems with Ben 10 Omniverse, there were some moments that were pretty good. The reasons for liking these shows aren't that of nostalgia and I didn't stop watching certain shows because I grew out of them and the same goes for most others as well. I like these shows because they were well made shows that were, and still are, great and fun to watch. I stop watching other shows because they're terrible, or have become terrible, shows or they just don't interest me. Steven Universe is a good show but I don't watch it because I'm just not interested in it. I've seen some episodes of the PPG reboot but I don't watch it anymore because it's a terrible show. Not because I didn't grow up with it. Again, this is the case that goes with most other people, if not everyone.

I do appreciate Ben 10 going the direction of having the characters grow up with the viewers but that's not the real reason as to why people keep watching the show or stop watching the show. Some people keep watching Ben 10 because they still enjoy watching it and still think that the series is still of good quality; not because the characters were of the same age as the viewers. Some people stopped watching Ben 10 because the quality of the series diminished and each entry into the series got worse and worse; not because people grew out of the show.

Even then, another thing to take note of is that the concept of having the characters grow up with the fans and viewers didn't actually stick around for long with Ben 10. Cartoon Network really only stuck with this concept till the end of Alien Force. After that, Ben has remained as a teenager till Omniverse and now instead of going back to that very concept and focus on the characters now being adults, Cartoon Network went back to making Ben a kid again when instead they could've made a Ben 10,000/Ken 10 show with Ben now as an adult and his son Ken being a kid.

Again, this was just something that I wanted to point out and counter-argue on. This video also helps to further explain my argument as well. Overall though, again, viewers don't watch shows because the characters grow up with them and viewers don't stop watching shows because they've out grown them. The real reason that viewers watch cartoon shows is because they're of good or better quality while viewers stop watching other shows because the quality of those other shows had diminished and went down. I've heard that some of the more recent shows such as Steven Universe and Adventure Time are actually more popular with teens and adults than with kids. Those shows don't have the characters grow up and age (at least as far as I could tell since that I don't watch those shows) and many, if not most, of the viewers that watch those shows are older and didn't grow up with them. Again, characters growing up with the viewers is not the real reason why many viewers still watch those very shows. It's because those shows have really good quality to them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38r9WSqkLzk

As I stated before, according to the article, the Ben 10 reboot will air on April 2017. I don't know or remember if that was mentioned on here before so just in case it hasn't, there's some little new bits of info here. That's my stance and opinion that I have with the topic that this article covers as well.

That's right. The Ben 10 Original Series episodes are re-airing on Sunday July 31, 2016. Good. They should've done this back during the 10th Anniversary of Ben 10 but still good. I don't know if it'll be on Cartoon Network or Boomerang though.

https://twitter.com/Ben10Planet/status/759075491135430656
http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/tv/ben-10/EP00795953?aid=tvschedule

I recall hearing how some of the best villains in fiction tend to be those that are a reflection of the heroes/main characters. Can't say that I disagree with that because, well, it is pretty much true. Some of the best villains that we've had in fiction do indeed tend to be a reflection of the heroes. The Joker to Batman. Darth Vader to Luke Skywalker. Venom to Spider-Man (although, I think other villains like Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus also act as evil reflections of Spider-Man as well). Voldemort to Harry Potter. Etc.

And, as the title relates to, Kevin Levin as an evil reflection to Ben Tennyson. I've spoken of this many times before. I didn't like how Kevin was handled after the Original Series. I felt that his transition into a good guy and how he became friends with Ben and started a relationship with Gwen didn't make sense and doesn't fit the character. I think Kevin would be better off as a villain and being like how he was in the Original Series. How he should go further down towards a darker insanity. How Kevin has the potential to be one of the best and most dangerous and terrifying villains in the franchise. All that stuff. Granted, I don’t think I’ve covered much on Kevin being a reflection of Ben. Likely a few times, but not to a more in-depth degree. So, let’s cover that.

So why an evil counterpart? Why make villains an evil reflection of the heroes? Well, most importantly, it’s to challenge not just the hero themselves, but everything that they stand for. To act as a critique to the heroes and their morals. To be a symbolic representation of what the heroes could become if they make the wrong choices in their journeys. Suffice to say, these are the types of villains that pretty much test the heroes the most and push them to their absolute limits. The types of villains that would have more of a significant impact on the development and growth of said heroes compared to other types of villains.

Before going over to Kevin as an evil reflection, I want to address the other evil counterparts of Ben, Albedo and Eon, and why I think they don’t work as evil reflections of Ben. First, Albedo. Albedo is a Galvan and a former assistant to Azmuth and built his own copy of the Omnitrix because he felt that Ben wasn’t a worthy choice to wield the original. Albedo is one of the more generic and bland examples of an evil counterpart. He’s a villain that has the main hero’s appearance but with a different color pattern and that’s what makes him an “evil counterpart.” The problem, however, is that Albedo doesn’t have much of a connection with Ben. There’s little to nothing about them that relates them to each other. Ben and Albedo are very different characters to each other. If anything, given his background, it would be more fitting for Albedo to be Azmuth’s evil counterpart. Albedo connects more with Azmuth than with Ben. Ditching the Ben look that he has and making him a reflection of Azmuth I think would’ve been a much more interesting direction for him as a villain.

Then there’s Eon, who doesn’t work well as an evil counterpart to Ben because that’s not what he was originally created to be. Eon being an evil version of Ben from a different timeline is a retcon. In Race Against Time, Eon was basically just another villain that Ben crossed paths with. He was an evil alien that wanted to use the Omnitrix to kickstart an invasion of Earth. Despite the retconned version being an actual evil version of Ben, it doesn’t feel like Eon and Ben have much of a connection with each other, again, likely because being an evil version of Ben was not what Eon originally was. I don’t think it was ever established how this version of Ben became Eon as well. What sort of choices that he made that led to him becoming evil, which I believe is a pretty important aspect behind what makes a villain a proper reflection of the hero. To understand what factors led to the villain becoming the villain and how the hero should avoid making those very same decisions and mistakes. The point here with Eon is that it’s not really the best idea to take a character that’s set up in one way and make them into something that they really shouldn’t be and doesn’t fit well for them.

Speaking of characters that were changed into something that they shouldn’t be, let’s get on to Kevin. Kevin’s debut episode in the Original Series involved just how close Ben was to becoming like Kevin. Both Ben and Kevin are human characters of similar age with unique and extraordinary abilities. They can be impulsive and like having fun, but often get themselves into trouble. As the Kevin 11 episode showed, both Ben and Kevin also acted quite rebellious and selfish as well. Where they differ, however, is in their upbringing. Despite how Ben acted, he was a good person at heart raised by good people that cared about him. I mentioned before how Ben almost became like Kevin during their first meeting with each other. Ben was being selfish throughout the episode like Kevin was, but in the end, when people’s lives were on the line, Ben’s good heartedness is what pulled him away from that same path that Kevin took. Kevin, on the other hand, went through all sorts of struggles that didn’t do his mental state any favors. He was abandoned by his parents and bullied, mocked, and tormented by others, often being called a freak due to his abilities. His abilities didn’t do him much favors either. As Kevin absorbed more energy, it further deteriorated his mental state. It got to the point where Kevin developed psychopathic behaviors and tendencies, showing no consideration for the lives of others as shown when Kevin tried (and fortunately failed, thanks to Ben) to make a money train and passenger train crash into each other just to steal the cash, despite the outcome would have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent people. Kevin also developed other elements to his deteriorating mental state, such as insecurity, low self-esteem, and paranoia as well as a deep hatred for other people and society in general given the struggles that he went through.

That’s Kevin in the Original Series. That’s the character that he is. That’s the identity and purpose that he’s given. While he does seem like a character that you can sympathize with given everything he’s been through, that doesn’t excuse the actions and choices that he’s made in the Original Series. A character like Kevin doesn’t seem like one that deserves redemption nor even wants redemption. Ben has tried to help Kevin. Offered Kevin the chance to have a better life and to be with a family that does and will care about him. Kevin was offered a chance at redemption in the Original Series and yet, he turned it down. Stuff like this is why Kevin’s redemption arc in Alien Force doesn’t make sense and why he’s better off as a villain and being Ben’s evil reflection. Ben needs someone like Kevin to be his evil counterpart. Those, such as Albedo and Eon, just don’t really cut it for such a purpose like that. I think there’s no better option for this than Kevin.

Warning: Spoilers

The Filth (S1E1): What am I watching here? The Roadrunner cartoon? A good portion of the episode felt as if I was watching the Looney Tunes and not Ben 10 and not in a good way. Also, instead of having to find something to throw at the maggot monster to get that magnet that's holding it together, Ben could've just simply change into Heatblast and burn the maggot monster down. Nothing else to throw at the monster? There's a bunch of barrels lying around that'll work just fine. There's no need to grab the Rustbucket and throw it. I found no jokes in this episode to be funny at all and the action was just average. Ben also cleaned the entire Rustbucket so he should already have finished all of his chores. What else on that list of chores did he have to do when the entire Rustbucket is clean? The joke at the end was just stupid and a pretty mediocre way to end the episode on.

Overall, that really wasn't a good episode and the story was just weak. The jokes weren't funny. The action was just average. A good portion of the episode didn't even feel as if I was watching a Ben 10 show. The writing was pretty bad. The pacing felt too quick to the point of feeling rushed. The episode was just mediocre.

Freaky Gwen Ben (S1E2): A tank at a Swap Meet? I don't think that's how it works but whatever though. The Wildmutt reference is ok although if Wildmutt himself doesn't get added into Ben's alien roster, I don't think at least a good bunch of people are going to like that reference; especially Wildmutt fans. Apparently Ben, Gwen, and Max already know about Hex so does he make an appearance in Waterfilter or The Ring Leader or...are these episodes being aired out of order? Or maybe is this reboot making the same mistake that the PPG 2016 reboot made where you have to have past knowledge of the previous Ben 10 shows to understand what's going on? Anyways, so yeah, they're doing "A Change of Face" again just with Hex this time around and not Charmcaster. Well, at least Ben and Gwen are arguing with each other so that's good. Like I said, I find it better for Ben and Gwen to be at each other's throats since that it makes it all the more satisfying when Ben and Gwen do get along with each other and their relationship with each other improves in the short and long run so yeah, that's good at least. Although, Gwen gave up too early and quickly after her initial run with using the Omnitrix for the first time. Even Gwen in the OS was a lot more determined, dedicated, and focused with using the Omnitrix for the first time in "A Change of Face." For the reboot, it felt out-of-character for Gwen to just give up so easily in this episode even though she didn't even do much as Four Arms. Max casting spells? What the hell? The police officer that arrested Hex is an idiot. Yes, destroying a Swap Meet and endangering people's lives is against the law. They just leave the spell book on the ground? What the hell? That was really stupid of them to do that?

Overall, it was a little better than The Filth. Hex was just ok. The story was ok. The pacing, again, felt too quick to the point of feeling rushed. I didn't find any the jokes to be funny either. The action was a little better than The Filth. The writing really needs improvement though. Really, the only thing that I did like was Ben and Gwen's interactions with each other and their willingness to work together to stop Hex and that was pretty much it for the episode. In the end, I found this episode to just be either average. When compared to "A Change of Face" from the OS though, this episode was just not good and could thus make this episode look at least below average.

@Mortie-10 My apologies then. I know that everything isn't about me and my opinions. Other people's opinions do matter here. No I don't look at everything through "nostalgia-glasses" because I don't want to be biased here. Or at the very least I try not to. I have autism. It's hard for me to let things go because I have something that impairs my capability to interact socially. I understand that I can be too harsh at times. I'm trying to do better here. It's harder for me but I'm at least trying. So no, I'm not some perfectionist either. I just have flaws that can hold me back here and I'm trying to work around those flaws. I'm still relatively new to the internet myself so adjusting to a new social environment is harder for me. It certainly doesn't help me either that I've been tired from working a lot and been dealing with some stress lately because of work and college. Mistakes happen. Again, I'm trying my best here to do better so again, my apologies for causing this to you.

@Omni-Triforcer I have a tendency to make my opinions seem like fact? You guys seem to have a tendency to get all up in arms whenever I express an opinion that you don't like. You like Yuri's performance as Vilgax; I don't. Agree to disagree and leave it to that if you don't want to get into an argument with me.

(cough) Little Moments and Breaking Point (cough)