Is Sunset Shimmer stagnating as a character? Is EqG harmful?

[ManaMinori 4,143]

Much as I hate to admit (because Sunset is awesome, and great, and far more powerful than Trixie), but I fear that she's not really a character. She's completed her redemption arc, and what more is there for her? Unlike Starlight Glimmer, she doesn't really have likes or dislikes, an on-screen backstory, or a separate circle of friends beyond the mane 6, like SG does, with Trizie, Discord, Starburst, and Thorax. Sunset has struggled and fought her way back into the good graces of the high school populace, gained their trust, and saved the world a few times with her friends...who still bring up her past flaws...in spite of them said they've forgiven her. But what's next for her? What are her goals? Her motivations? What are her likes? Her dislikes? Will she ever acquire a rival to challenge her? Where does she live? How does her pony family feel about her being MIA for so long? What challenges will she face that don't involve her past actions or magic that doesn't really belong in the world she's in now? Will she make friends outside the mane six, like Starlight has? What can Sunset exhibit other than being there to support her friends and having them be comfortable with magic?

 

 With Sunset being the element of empathy, and now being able to tell what others are thinking, and immediately work out a solution for them, there seems to be no real conflict for her, going forward. Being the lead character with a power like this, I think it's reasonable to conclude that she might soon be pushed aside to let other characters deal with their issues. Is anyone else worried about all this, going into future EqG media? Is the EqG franchise leaving little room to really develop Sunset? Is FiM truly the better medium for her, to continue to develop in ways that the movies can't really allow?

Edited January 13, 2017 by Nightmare Muffin

[Evil_Emperor 176]

1. We still don't know how she lives or what she did when she first arrived in the Human world.

 

2. She still needs to reconcile her differences with Princess Celestia.

 

3. There was a removed sub-plot, song and scene(involving Sunset and Princess Twilight) which were removed from Friendship Games for Time Constraint reasons which brought up a sub-plot concerning Sunset feeling unfulfilled in the Human world because she misses her magical studies and adventuring(which she apparently did in Equestria).

 

4. They seem to have forgotten that she's not actually a native Human, but a migrant Pony from another world that is radically different from the world she is living in now.

 

These are all things they need to get to work on, because otherwise Sunset Shimmer will waste her phenomenal potential and, as you said, stagnate.

Edited January 13, 2017 by Evil_Emperor

[ManaMinori 4,143]

1. We still don't know how she lives or what she did when she first arrived in the Human world.

 

2. She still needs to reconcile her differences with Princess Celestia.

 

3. There was a removed sub-plot, song and scene(involving Sunset and Princess Twilight) which were removed from Friendship Games for Time Constraint reasons which brought up a sub-plot concerning Sunset feeling unfulfilled in the Human world because she misses her magical studies and adventuring(which she apparently did in Equestria).

 

4. They seem to have forgotten that she's not actually a native Human, but a migrant Pony from another world that is radically different from the world she is living in now.

 

These are all things they need to get to work on, because otherwise Sunset Shimmer will waste her phenomenal potential and, as you said, stagnate.

phenomenal potential, as you've said. I...I honestly can't even comprehend how the hay the Equestria Girls series even makes sense...it...I...I just don't. It's like the writers said "hey, let's take this insanely powerful pony who was good enough to be recognized by, and taken in as a student of the supreme sun goddess everypony worships her as, and regress her to a hormonal teenager in a magicless world of humans, with no real backstory on her family, and no real development other than this singular redemption arc that she carries over from equestria. We can add magic from equestria through plop convenience later, so we don't have to explain all of this, or really develop her beyond that turnaround arc." 

 

It pains me to criticize SS, but this is literally what the writers have done, and because in doing so, have (from my perspective) written themselves into a corner, thanks to their leaving good plot potential and further development on the cutting room floor, like in that deleted scene from FG, I'm not even going to try and pretend that I can understand this asinine decision NOT to put SS back into equestria, for at least some attempt to include her in the mane 6's second circle of friends (like RaRa is to AJ, or the Canterlot crew from S1 is for Twilight)

[Ganondorf8 11,118]

Sunset still has to reconcile with Celestia, something that needs to be done at some point given that it's the one lingering aspect of her past that hasn't been resolved. At the same time, she could also reconcile with her family as she hinted she wasn't very close to them, and the changes in her life might be enough to convince her to make contact. In terms of where Sunset lives, the comics--this is where the family issue came from--show that she lives in the library much like what Twilight did when she first came to the human world so perhaps Sunset wanted to do the same thing as a means of following in the footsteps of Twilight.

 

There is one other thing that can happen, and that involves a human version of Sunset showing up. I know that it's a predictable plot convenience but it should be taken into consideration. If Sunset were to meet her human self, there's no telling how she would react to it other than being surprised that it didn't happen a lot sooner.

[cmarston1 5,951]

There is still the whole dropped Sunset feeling homesick for Equestria subplot, that could still be integrated into future installments of the series.

As well as how she still needs to reconcile with Princess Celestia.

There are still things that could be done with Sunset's character.

Edited January 14, 2017 by cmarston1

[ManaMinori 4,143]

There is still the whole dropped Sunset feeling homesick for Equestria subplot, that could still be integrated into future installments of the series.

As well as how she still needs to reconcile with Princess Celestia.

There are still things that could be done with Sunset's character.

I know there's plenty of things that COULD be done with her character, as I mentioned in the op. Question is, WOULD the writers do them? They've had several opportunities to do more to develop her character beyond her redemption arc- which is now over. But they never took them. And one has to wonder if the movies are the best platform for them to really delve into her character, or if she'd be better off going- and staying back in equestria, Provided that that allow for realistic amounts of screen time that would do just that; offer her the character depth that she really needs. 

[cmarston1 5,951]

I know there's plenty of things that COULD be done with her character, as I mentioned in the op. Question is, WOULD the writers do them? They've had several opportunities to do more to develop her character beyond her redemption arc- which is now over. But they never took them. And one has to wonder if the movies are the best platform for them to really delve into her character, or if she'd be better off going- and staying back in equestria, Provided that that allow for realistic amounts of screen time that would do just that; offer her the character depth that she really needs. 

Given how the events of Legend of Everfree ended with the whole magic leaking out from the portal into the human world, I can easily see Sunset being homesick for Equestria somehow managing to be translated into the plot of whatever installment of the franchise whether it be a mini series, the specials, or a 5th movie incorporating the two together.

[Evil_Emperor 176]

The Sunset feeling homesick sub-plot is probably going to be the main plot of a movie. Might be the real reason they removed the scenes, they felt it would be better served as the main focus. Besides, it had Princess Twilight, so it'd be nice to do it in a movie where she is back, I miss her.

Edited January 15, 2017 by Evil_Emperor

[Thrond 3,257]

I don't think she'd necessarily be better in FiM, because by all means these movies ought to be taking the time to develop their most interesting character, but as of Legend of Everfree, it just doesn't seem like there's much to her. I continue to insist that Friendship Games seemed like it was setting up genuine characterization for her, but Everfree ditches all of that groundwork entirely. Starlight Glimmer in the show doesn't really have so much more in the way of unique and compelling interests, but she has flaws and goals which Sunset at this point just seems to lack. What Everfree suggests is that what's next for her is just to fight off magical monsters, and... that just doesn't sound terribly exciting, and doesn't give her any memorable or distinguishing traits. She was most exciting when she was dealing with questions of identity in the first two sequels, and without that (or at least as Legend of Everfree presents it) there's just nothing to her. 

[Steve Piranha 28,747]

Meeting, or at least knowing what happened to human Sunny could spark some of pony Sunny's family history also

[ManaMinori 4,143]

I don't think she'd necessarily be better in FiM, because by all means these movies ought to be taking the time to develop their most interesting character, but as of Legend of Everfree, it just doesn't seem like there's much to her. I continue to insist that Friendship Games seemed like it was setting up genuine characterization for her, but Everfree ditches all of that groundwork entirely. Starlight Glimmer in the show doesn't really have so much more in the way of unique and compelling interests, but she has flaws and goals which Sunset at this point just seems to lack. What Everfree suggests is that what's next for her is just to fight off magical monsters, and... that just doesn't sound terribly exciting, and doesn't give her any memorable or distinguishing traits. She was most exciting when she was dealing with questions of identity in the first two sequels, and without that (or at least as Legend of Everfree presents it) there's just nothing to her. 

I refuse to believe that Sunset can't be properly developed if put into FiM. You know why? Because a relatively obscure background pony character in the show has received a decent and respectable amount of character development, (going from nothing, to becoming a FRIKIN WONDERBOLT!!!) across very brief on-screen appearances in both the fore- and background!!!!!

Take a look at this, and tell me something similar can't be done with Sunset, if put into FiM.

YES, the movie SHOULD be taking time to develop her proper, but they're NOT. As proven by all the dropped subplots, and the reasons that you also pointed out. But FiM- who can spare A BACKGROUND CHARACTER enough time to set up a LEGIT story through 5 second clips and flashbacks that you have to hone in on ONE character, specifically, in a crowd of dozens, to take notice of, then it's no doubt that Sunset will be better treated and developed as a character, in FiM

[Thrond 3,257]

I refuse to believe that Sunset can't be properly developed if put into FiM. You know why? Because a relatively obscure background pony character in the show has received a decent and respectable amount of character development, (going from nothing, to becoming a FRIKIN WONDERBOLT!!!) across very brief on-screen appearances in both the fore- and background!!!!!

Take a look at this, and tell me something similar can't be done with Sunset, if put into FiM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NzvnnNRERk

YES, the movie SHOULD be taking time to develop her proper, but they're NOT. As proven by all the dropped subplots, and the reasons that you also pointed out. But FiM- who can spare A BACKGROUND CHARACTER enough time to set up a LEGIT story through 5 second clips and flashbacks that you have to hone in on ONE character, specifically, in a crowd of dozens, to take notice of, then it's no doubt that Sunset will be better treated and developed as a character, in FiM

I dunno, that seems rather doubtful to me, given the show's recent struggles with Starlight Glimmer, and with such a huge cast and the burden of intriducing a character who many viewers would be unfamiliar with, there could be problems. Again, the thing is that: 1. She will never be in FiM, and 2. There's no reason the films can't develop her on their own.

[Sovereign Leader Rarity 12,000]

I disagree. I don't feel as though Sunset needs to reconcile with Celestia. I'm not against it, it just seems a tad unnecessary to me. By this point Sunset has grown so much over the course of all 4 movies that, when you think about it, does she even need to rely on her backstory or origins at this point. What would it actually offer her character? She's became secure of herself, her position and the world she currently resides in. By this point she knows who and what she is and has embraced it. Reconciling with Celestia would be pointless since nothing major would come of it. 

 

As for "stagnating as a character" I also disagree. Yes, she has taken on a new and different role, especially in LOE but I wouldn't call it a bad one. She has become a mentor/adviser like figure to the new Twilight, just like Equestria Twilight once was for her and has helped her cope with some difficult and problematic times. She has became what holds the EG main 6 together and is actually the main reason I watch these films.

 

To give me something that the main show cannot. Otherwise, what's the point of the series in the first place?

[Tropico 225]

I dont think she's stagnating but yeah i agree with yall that she has tons of potencial. and i would LOVE to know more about her past and so, but i think that the right time to tell that is over (unless its in a comic form xD)

 

 

 

As for "stagnating as a character" I also disagree. Yes, she has taken on a new and different role, especially in LOE but I wouldn't call it a bad one. She has become a mentor/adviser

 

 

I tottally agree! Also to me Sunset is the one that keeps united the group. shes the glue!