What If Starlight Glimmer Was Written As A Filly?

[Odd Ball 231]

I've been thinking about the idea of Starlight Glimmer being a filly instead of a grown up and The Cutie Map happened not too long after Sunburst got his cutie mark. It would have made better sense for her believing cutie marks destory friendships at such a young age, plus her revenge and childish behaviour would have be more justified.

 

What do you think?

Edited February 29, 2016 by Wink Link

[Nuke87654 1,849]

That would be rather terrifying to see how a filly managed to turn a whole village of adult ponies onto her beliefs or even how she can even match and beat Twilight in a magic duel. Though at least it can provide an excuse for Starlight's immature reason to turn bad.

[Megas 27,870]

It'd both disturbing and hilarious just because of how absurd it'd be. I'd also probably make more sense

[Odd Ball 231]

That would be rather terrifying to see how a filly managed to turn a whole village of adult ponies onto her beliefs or even how she can even match and beat Twilight in a magic duel. Though at least it can provide an excuse for Starlight's immature reason to turn bad.

I envision it as something like The Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life".

[Twireadbok 142]

Wow that would actually make more sense. Also in the end, she wouldn't become part of the mane 6, but she would be more like a student for Twilight, kinda like celestia and Twilight's relationship.

 

I'm really digging this idea... fanfiction writers, get on it! 

[Unlikeable Pony 2,699]

The only problem is that starlight is ALREADY freaking Plot armored up to unbelievable levels (Being more powerful than THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC HERSELF, AN ALICORN at magic), and having a CHILD be that powerful would be even more utterly unbelievable.


You'd seriously have to finangle in some sort of artifact to make her believable at that point.

[Twireadbok 142]

The only problem is that starlight is ALREADY freaking Plot armored up to unbelievable levels (Being more powerful than THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC HERSELF, AN ALICORN at magic), and having a CHILD be that powerful would be even more utterly unbelievable.

 

 

You'd seriously have to finangle in some sort of artifact to make her believable at that point.

Fair point. 

 

How about if she wasn't a child, but not quite an adult yet either. If she were an insecure teenager, then her hate for cutiemarks and obsession with revenge would still be more believable. Yes, the plot armor would still be hard to swallow, but that's will always be the case, I'd much rather have her motives be solid. 

[Number62 1,264]

The only problem is that starlight is ALREADY freaking Plot armored up to unbelievable levels (Being more powerful than THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC HERSELF, AN ALICORN at magic), and having a CHILD be that powerful would be even more utterly unbelievable.

 

 

You'd seriously have to finangle in some sort of artifact to make her believable at that point.

That artifact would need some explanation, especially on how a filly managed to get a hold of it.

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

It would have been interesting, to say the least. There are some documented histories of child cult leaders, and the idea of a child prodigy using their talents to command, control, brainwash, and threaten people is probably even more creepy than an adult doing it, purely because of how the child is probably not yet able to realize the extent of her actions.

 

She definitely would have gotten more of a pass for her backstory considering that she would have been assumed to not have been old enough to understand the implications of her actions, and that kids are probably far more susceptible to envy as adults are. I don't think she would have gotten a complete pass (I think many would still complain about it either way), but it would have definitely been more believable.

 

I think the only complaint left would be those who feel that Starlight's raw magical power was tantamount to "plot armor", even more so considering she's a kid in this hypothetical.

[Silver Letter 1,832]

It would have been pretty interesting if she was a foal and had at her command a gang of foals at her call instead of adults. It would have been a different kind of story although she wouldn't have stood a chance against Twilight.

[Unlikeable Pony 2,699]

That artifact would need some explanation, especially on how a filly managed to get a hold of it.

Obviously she went down to the same magic store where trixie got hers.

They were probably doing a sale on Godhood granting items

 

 

 

Fair point. 

 

How about if she wasn't a child, but not quite an adult yet either. If she were an insecure teenager, then her hate for cutiemarks and obsession with revenge would still be more believable. Yes, the plot armor would still be hard to swallow, but that's will always be the case, I'd much rather have her motives be solid. 

Well, it would still be messed up for a teenager to be that powerful though without explanation; plus, you'd take away from the entire point of having her be that young since a child would be far more mentally unstable than a teen, and you'd still expect a teen to be more intelligent than that.

 

Honestly, I don't mind the idea of her working better as a child, just you'd need to have some sort of magic possessing her, ala rarity in inspiration manifestation or whatnot.

[Buck Testa 5,505]

Obviously she went down to the same magic store where trixie got hers.

They were probably doing a sale on Godhood granting items

 

 

 

Well, it would still be messed up for a teenager to be that powerful though without explanation; plus, you'd take away from the entire point of having her be that young since a child would be far more mentally unstable than a teen, and you'd still expect a teen to be more intelligent than that.

Honestly, I don't mind the idea of her working better as a child, just you'd need to have some sort of magic possessing her, ala rarity in inspiration manifestation or whatnot.

(Mental note, where did that Stallion get that artifact anyway) 

 

I agree though, having her be some abnormally powerful Filly or having some super powered artifact making her act irrational would actually go a long way to making that whole story arc a lot more believable and palatable. I'm sure they can smooth out the landing with Starlight and make her a better character, but that whole backstory is just incredibly flimsy with her being an adult mare. 

[Unlikeable Pony 2,699]

(Mental note, where did that Stallion get that artifact anyway) 

 

I agree though, having her be some abnormally powerful Filly or having some super powered artifact making her act irrational would actually go a long way to making that whole story arc a lot more believable and palatable. I'm sure they can smooth out the landing with Starlight and make her a better character, but that whole backstory is just incredibly flimsy with her being an adult mare. 

 

 

Honestly, the more I think about it, the more having her affected by or using an exterior magic source of some type makes her work better; Magic in the show has a strange tendency to be shown to have a habit of driving characters insane (unless its their own magic), what with Trixie, inspirarity, Sunset and twilight in EQG, ect.

Having her being affected by some sort of magic beyond her control would make it easier to forgive her since there'd be another reason for her to act the way she did, plus would have made her able to match twilight seem less like an asspull.

Hell, it would also have explained why she had such a sudden power jump between the premier and the finale, where she was running scared and easily countered by twilight at the end in the premier where she was suddenly more powerful than twilight in the finale, since her finding some sort of magical power up between the premier and finale would explain that and her poorer motivation in the finale.

[Goat-kun 2,530]

Honestly, the more I think about it, the more having her affected by or using an exterior magic source of some type makes her work better; Magic in the show has a strange tendency to be shown to have a habit of driving characters insane (unless its their own magic), what with Trixie, inspirarity, Sunset and twilight in EQG, ect.

Having her being affected by some sort of magic beyond her control would make it easier to forgive her since there'd be another reason for her to act the way she did, plus would have made her able to match twilight seem less like an asspull.

Hell, it would also have explained why she had such a sudden power jump between the premier and the finale, where she was running scared and easily countered by twilight at the end in the premier where she was suddenly more powerful than twilight in the finale, since her finding some sort of magical power up between the premier and finale would explain that and her poorer motivation in the finale.

An external source is a very interesting thought indeed. Even more so because powerful magical scrolls that can change the very course of history aren’t just lying around for some half-baked ungulate to pick them up. I’m not sure even curio shops have something of this caliber in stock.

 

One of my very first Glim-Glim ranting escapades included a thought that this debacle could easily be mended with a good old fashioned Pact story. We all know this one: the little one is weak and helpless, so the little one makes a pact with a daemon. The fiend agrees to grant our feeble wretch power in return for … a little bit of this and that. The little one, frustrated and careless, takes the offer. Thus the pact is sealed and everyone is happy until the claim is made.

 

Objection of some dude: But She’s Plot Swirl’s something-something!

 

Fear not my dude as I shall provide you with a sizeable plug to fit into your plot hole: if she had indeed been in the possession of such an item (and power), then she’d have used it to make everypony equal from the start. There would be no need for her to become a poor fan’s Gideon Gleeful. So it is quite fair of me to assume that she’d had nothing to do with timey-wimey stuff before Twilight decided to rustle her jimmies. Also, nopony knew she had to use the castle’s map, and Twilight never even explicitly mentioned it in her lectures. However, one could always assume it was all just bad writing. Pick your poison. I recommend the latter, wink, wink.

 

Pact would be really nice though. Glim-Glimmers could then explain her bullshit power without excessive mental acrobatics and all of us haters would get to snicker in the corner as she’d get demolished by her own stupidity. Everybrony wins!