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Do Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, and Starlight Glimmer all share lineage?


PonyMage

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This is an idea I have had for some time. One can note that Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, and Starlight Glimmer all have some striking similarities. These being:

1. Their names. All three of their names are formed from two words: a light or color display in the sky + a type of light.

2. A cutie mark which, apparently, symbolizes magic talent (hypothetically in Sunset Shimmer's case), is a kind of heavenly body, and also matches their name.

3. Two toned manes. This is a small detail as many ponies (unicorns included) seem to have two toned manes. Still, it deserves consideration.

 

So, I am curious as to why three random ponies, all potentially from different parts of Equestria, would have such similarities in their names, talents, and appearance. This has led me to ponder the idea that they are all descendants of an ancient unicorn tribe, one which held magic and outer space in high regard. Perhaps they deeply studied these two subjects, maybe even considered them to be related to each other in some way. As a result, all of the tribe would have had magic and space related names and cutie marks. But as time passed, they scattered and their descendants are now far and wide in the world of Equestria.

It is also worth noting that while their names do not have the "light or color display in the sky + a type of light" format, Moon Dancer, Starswirl the Bearded, and Sunburst all meet several of the above criteria as well. They have space or light based names, a heavenly body for a cutie mark, apparent magic talent, and two toned manes. Perhaps they too are tied to this hypothetical tribe in some way.

 

What are your thoughts? Why do so many unicorns have these traits? Is is simply a "unicorn" thing?

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The way I've always viewed this is that Sunset was originally created to be a counterpart to Twilight, someone who was just as skilled with magic but chose a different path in life after going through the same experiences. Some would say that Sunset was effectively Twilight 2.0 especially during the first Equestria Girls movie yet has now become her own character with her own strengths and weaknesses

 

Starlight on the other hand I viewed as her being Twilight 3.0 throughout season five, but in season six she has become Sunset 2.0. Her reformation and becoming Twilight's student mirrors what Sunset went through, yet Starlight didn't have to atone for her actions while Sunset was ignored and treated as an outcast when the students of CHS found out what she had been doing to them for years.

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DHX has nothing else to think of so they're recycling a character knowing that kids wouldn't be able to see the difference anyway. The character runs across very similar hardships and comes across the same solutions. Just putting different themes like a magic music battle or something.

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I highly doubt it. I highly suspect that names derived from celestial objects are simply commonplace in Equestria, and while high mana pools *might* indicate a common lineage, I don't think it's really any more plausible than this just being a complete coincidence. Of the six characters mentioned, two were personally mentored by Celestia herself, one lived a significantly long time ago, and two aren't directly implied to have comparable magical power. Additionally, a lot of ponies have cutie marks reflecting their names, and cutie marks showing celestial objects don't exactly seem uncommon either, so this all seems like an explanation for something which doesn't need explaining - most of these characters were designed as foils for Twilight, but I suspect their similarities could just as easily be a coincidence. 

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Perhaps the ones with these traits are descended from Starswirl? It seems that magic ability is genetic to some degree--for instance, Shining Armor isn't as powerful as Twilight, but that shield spell must take considerable magical power.

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I suspect having a light theme name is coincidence, as much as having people with the same name as each of us all over the world :dash:. I don't think talent with magic necessarily is hereditary :huh:, but those three mares sharing a common ancestor? That's interesting, and it's not impossible either

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I would say it is possible that they share some sort of distant ancestor. We really don't know since the history of Starswirl and early Equestria is so shrouded in mystery. Celestia also knows a lot more than she is telling,  and I would imagine there are still some secrets yet to be revealed.... I have personally kicked around the idea that Twiight may in some way be related to Starswirl, but had not considered Sunset and Starlight...

 

I would be kind of ironic to find out they are all related in a way through some powerful bloodline.. and possibly all tied not only to each other, but also to the fate of Equestria itself. It does seem a lot of Twilight and her destiny is "foretold" already, so maybe it is possibly some set of events was put into motion that would bring all of these characters together along with the avatars of the elements of harmony for some great event.

 

The more I think about it, the more interesting an idea it becomes.

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