Sunset Shimmer isn't a pony, originally?

[#1 Flutterfan 174]

My question is--is Sunset Shimmer actually originally a pony(Unicorn) or is she a human first? Your initial reaction may be "PONY" but my question stems from about 18 minutes into the movie; when we hear Principal Celestia talking about the Fall formal and how they have selected winners. Notice--it is Sunset Shimmer this time, the next and then there's a third picture.



Sources have said that her history is explained in the comic (is the comic Canon?) but from what the movie shows--it suggests that Sunset Shimmer was a human, and then went into Equestria and then came back to the human world--but is that what happened?

[techno915 408]

I think that she was Celestia's student for a while, got angry at Celestia, and then found the portal. Already knowing about Twilight, she knew that at any moment, Twilight would be given the crown. So, during Sunset's final year, she decides to attack her in the pony world and then return to the human world. This is my hypothesis.

[Leafeon 2,702]

Gonna be honest, the writing in the movie suggests both.

She could have come from the human world originally, and then realized the magical properties they had in Equestria. She then could have figured out how to use it to her advantage in the human world. But... The question remains how she learned she needs Twilight's element in that scenario.

 

I like the scenario Techno915 suggested more. It seems to fit Sunset's character a bit better. But it still leaves some questions unanswered....

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

She is a pony. The last time she was in Equestria was 30 moons ago. Which is two and a half years. That's why there are 3 pictures of her. I like the way her expression changes in each picture, too. In the first one, she looks exciting and disbelieving, the second she looks smug, and in the last one looks like she's giving an evil overlord laugh.

 

But she was an Equestrian pony first.

[Red Diamond 549]

She got angry at Celestia, and she found the portal, and went in.

 

So obviously, she was a pony first, but found a new life on our universe.

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

What confuses me is that there's both a human version and a pony version of Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and even Twilight, according to Pinkie Pie. If there's two Twilight's, then is there two Sunset's? We know there's a human Sunset Shimmer in the EQG universe, but shouldn't there also be a pony version of her, or perhaps two human Sunset Shimmers? I'm not sure where the Sunset in the movie originated, but in theory, she should not be the only Sunset Shimmer across both worlds.

[Solar Cloud 493]

This should answer the question of what Sunset Shimmer really is. This is a panel from the comic specifically issue number nine. Well. The SDCC version of it.

[True Rarity 1,240]

I think she just stumbled upon the portal or perhaps went through on purpose after she got angry at Celestia. She either studied up on the humans (see above post), or she went through on accident and learned to adapt, just waiting until she could come back and steal the Element of Magic.

[Fhaolan 4,483]

The pictures indicate that Sunset was there for approximately three years at least (in that universe). In order to be a former student of Celestia's but having *never met* Twilight or Twilight even being aware of her, she must have been a student from before Twilight entered the Celestia's school (and gained her cutie-mark), which given current estimates of the ages of the ponies are, will have been 10 years ago or more (in that universe). However Sunset mentioned that she was knew about the recovery of the Elements of Harmony, and it is implied that she was aware enough of current events to know who had the Element of Magic, and that pony would be at the castle that night. Which possibly means she's popped through the portal on a regular basis without anyone realizing it, to keep 'up to date'.

 

So it's very likely that time runs at a different speed in the humanverse relative to the ponyverse, at least when the portal is not 'active'. The real question is that when Luna said the portal would be closed for 30 moons.... was that 30 moons in the ponyverse, or the humanverse? Is Luna and Celestia aware of the time differential between universes, and that's the real reason they told Twilight to get back on schedule?

[Sylentmana 271]

This should answer the question of what Sunset Shimmer really is. This is a panel from the comic specifically issue number nine. Well. The SDCC version of it.

I just had to point out that she is currently reading the Necronomicon from the Evil Dead movies. I saw this and laughed, I couldn't help it.

[Nature's Spell 526]

There are a lot of gaps in her backstory, but I feel pretty comfortable with the idea that she is a pony. The discussions of time between Equestria and the humanverse is interesting. For example, Twilight arrived mid-morning Wednesday and left Friday evening so call it 2 1/2 days, but I can't believe her friends and the other princesses waited there that amount of time and just happened to all be preset when she and Spike returned. Maybe they did but Dash's pacing almost implied that, to them, only hours past.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Nature Spell

[Pergold 1]

There are a lot of gaps in her backstory, but I feel pretty comfortable with the idea that she is a pony. The discussions of time between Equestria and the humanverse is interesting. For example, Twilight arrived mid-morning Wednesday and left Friday evening so call it 2 1/2 days, but I can't believe her friends and the other princesses waited there that amount of time and just happened to all be preset when she and Spike returned. Maybe they did but Dash's pacing almost implied that, to them, only hours past.

 

Yeah, I do have to agree. Her backstory does need some TLC. But the whole time difference is amazing to me. It's the best theory to why the ponies where just sitting there since Twilight left.

[Scootalove 10,689]

My theory is she is originally a pony, went down the dark road and left as Celestia's student, planning to steal Twilight's Element, and returning back to the human world. She spent at least three years in the human universe but, 30 moons in Equestria.

[Nature's Spell 526]

Yeah, I do have to agree. Her backstory does need some TLC. But the whole time difference is amazing to me. It's the best theory to why the ponies where just sitting there since Twilight left.

I really have to believe there is something to the time difference because otherwise it's just odd. It's possible they all reconvened before the portal closed I guess. That would be the other answer.

[Dreadmallon 353]

   Sunset Shimmer was initially a pony. Whether or not you find the comic as canon, it explains how Sunset Shimmer found the portal, got curious and greedy, and eventually ran off from Celestia's teachings.

 

   Also, in the movie, it explains how the portal opens "every 30 moons." That implies that Shimmer was in the human world for the same period of time previously. Anyways, it is widely believed that "30 moons" means 2 and a half years, about the same time period the show has been running. Therefore, Sunset Shimmer has been more than able to win 2 times in a row. Also, take into account that the HuMane 6 explain that Sunset Shimmer arrived when they were in sixth grade, and now they are in the later grades of high school.

Edited September 21, 2013 by Alkryn

[DokiLoki 519]

Well according to what Princess Celestia told Twilight about her student Sunset Shimmer she would have possibly got quite mad and wanted to leave, then she found the portal leading to the human world and stayed there for quite awhile. 

[PRINCESSSKYLACUTE 0]

I honestly think that she was a human first,but came to Equestira to just steal Twilght's crown which makes me mad. aaaaahhh

[uml4mj4m 134]

Let's just assume that Sunset Shimmer was Celestia's student a couple years before the actual series. She then gets mad at Celestia, and runs to the Human dimension.

 

Skip foward a couple years.

 

Sunset Shimmer returns back to Equestria, and steals Twilight's crown. When Twilight moves into the Human dimension, she sees pictures from Sunset Shimmer's past. Those pictures are from before Twilight (when Sunset Shimmer first ran away into the Human dimension).

 

In conclusion, I'm assuming that she was Princess Celestia's student a little while before Twilight.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,307]

This should answer the question of what Sunset Shimmer really is. This is a panel from the comic specifically issue number nine. Well. The SDCC version of it.

I love some of those book titles!

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Quantum Physics - S. Beckett

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