[SPOILER] Noticed something about Shining Armor's cutie mark...

[cuteycindyhoney 13,307]

The magic is the only similarity and it does make sense, he can cast a HUGE shield spell (and the only one to do so) and I noticed, the only "weapons" are spears and magic bolts (like twi was using) so maybe his magic bolts are more concentrated and pack more of a punch?

 

I think you hit it. His cutie mark is a shield. His name is Shining Armor. His super special talent is protecting the citadel. It's another case of a pony having a name that reflects their cutie mark before they got it. Twilight can produce the force-field though. She encircled the library with it when "Gabby Gums" PO everypony in Ponyville. Shouldn't she have been able to at least clear the Changelings from the castle with it?

 

I just found something interesting!

 

 

 

 

 

[Jibbs93 64]

Judging by his role as Captain of the Royal Guard, and the meaning of Twilight's cutie mark, I'm going to guess that Shining Armor's cutie mark represents his talent in defensive magic. He DID conjure up the Canterlot-sized force field to protect the city after all!

[NavelColt 22,881]

I've never actually noticed that before, but that makes a lot of sense. It makes perfect sense for it to represent everything you mentioned :3

[bagelbass 29]

Well, I doubt it has anything to do with Twilight, considering he was born first and most likely got his cutie mark first.

[Glowing friendship eyes 3]

I also noticed that twilight and the two of them shared extremely similar cutie marks, but when I saw that I also remembered something else. You know who else has three stars in their cutie mark? We saw them in "Cutie Mark Chronicles"

 

That's right, Twilight's mom. Seems to run in the family no? And their father has double moons as his mark. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I only remember two other ponies with astrological symbols as their cutie marks.

 

That is also right, the freaking princesses. Celestia has the sun, Luna the moon, and Twilight the stars. She and her brother both have immense magical talent, they share a lineage of celestial cutie marks in similar with the incredibly powerful rulers of the land, and Twilight just HAPPENED to have a princess as her foal sitter (back before her cutie mark you will notice, which means it wasn't just a favor to Celestia to watch over her pupil)? I think we may be learning some interesting things in season three, their families may have more ties than we were originally let on upon.

[karizake 6]

While family relation and protection of his sister are part of it, there is another part to Shining's cutie mark. While Twilight's cutie mark represents her talent of "general" magic, Shining's shows his talent of primarily "defense" magic.

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Twilight also has 5 little stars around the main star.

Twilight is the Element of Magic. The most important and powerful.

And there's 5 others.

The 5 other stars are obviously the others in the Mane 6, probably because a) they're her best friends and b ) there's 5 other Elements of Harmony.

 

As far as Shining Armor's cutie mark...

They ARE brother and sister, after all.

[Aerial~Shot 177]

I saw it this way:

 

Twilight's special talent is advanced magical skills, which is what the stars in her cutie mark represent. The fact that Shining Armor also has a large pink star in his cutie mark suggests his talent involves magic - the shield means it's protective magic, like the giant forcefield he made. I expect he got it when defending Twilight.

 

That's just my thoughts

[The Weapon 168]

Support of everyone. I saw the cutie mark and thought "Protective (shield) magic (LE STAR). Basic symbolism." right there. And whadaya know, it was! Didn't see the 3 stars above it until later. They're for... Lemme guess.... Calculating Friendship=Magic over Twi's cutie mark stars... Twilight, Cadence, and somepony else are his closest friends?

 

Actually, a few other nobility had stars and astronomy-related cutie marks, I could have sworn I saw a few at the Gala. Maybe star-related cutie marks symbolize high rank or magic? And thus, since friendship is the focus...

 

Friendship Is Magic. Yay!

[Guru Dj Pon-3 2]

I think that the cutie marks can have many meanings. They can have the brother and sister theory and the magic ability theory put together.

[Spectre2343 78]

Their mother has stars as her cutie mark, as seen in The Cutie Mark Chronicles:

 

Their father has 2 moons as his:

 

Anybody got any idea on possible relations of cutie marks between Twilight + Shining & their mother and father?

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

I noticed, but I didn't think much of it, so I think you hit it dead on. I thought the star represented magic, and the shield just represented how he guards Magic... So since Twilight is the element of magic he guards twilight.

[zzuxon 16]

I noticed immediately.

I think the purple starburst is a family crest. Which would explain why both Twilight and Shining Armor have it.