Which is the better written character?

[TheGOAT 64]

Character A or character B?

Character A is considered evil because she's bitchy and won a bunch of awards in the past. Character B ran a whole empire based off flawed ideology.

Character A was completely reformed with one blast. Character B was mostly reformed with numerous attempts and a look into her core.

Character A is someone who is loved by the fandom. Character B is someone who is hated (brutally) by the fandom.

Does anyone here see where I'm going?

[Will Guide 21,355]

4 minutes ago, TheGOAT said:

Character A or character B?

Character A is considered evil because she's bitchy and won a bunch of awards in the past. Character B ran a whole empire based off flawed ideology.

Character A was completely reformed with one blast. Character B was mostly reformed with numerous attempts and a look into her core.

Character A is someone who is loved by the fandom. Character B is someone who is hated (brutally) by the fandom.

Does anyone here see where I'm going?

Character A is Sunset Shimmer and Character B is Starlight Glimmer, right?

Personally, I think they're both written well.

[They call me Loyalty 1,946]

I consider Starlight glimmer to be one of the better written characters in the show. As for Sunset shimmer, I know very little about anything related with equestria girls.

[Megas 27,390]

I feel like this thread is gonna be another "OHMYGAWD SUNSET IS OVERRATED WHY DO YOU LIKE HER AND NOT STARLIGHT?!?!?!" thread

Both redemptions were hella rushed, 

However, Sunset had an entire movie dedicated to her turn(as well as a short in the form of "My Past is Not My Today( , where we got to see the consequences of her past actions, and we got to see her actually moving forward trying to right her wrongs in the past and earn everyone's respect

This happened to Starlight and then some within the span of a 3 minute montage, where she gets more or less everything handed to her on a silver platter without really earning it. We never see the consequences of her actions or see her do anything to fix them, instead season 6 proceeds to do dumb shit with her, like ELTSD, or choosing Trixie as her best friend over Twilight(despite doing a lot more for her). They also make her barely show up until the season needed her, then proceed to give her a starring role in the finale she still hasn't earned(while the mane cast gets royally fucked over). S7 really the first season that actually feels like it's addressing some of her issues

Edited May 22, 2017 by Whompy Whomperson

[Nerdy Luigi 2,065]

Character B is the better written one to me (By the way, that's Starlight Glimmer. The other is Sunset Shimmer). Both are written well enough, but I prefer Starlight.

[Zachary 5,519]

Both!

But I would say Starlight Glimmer is the Better Written Character.

[cmarston1 5,956]

While both had really rushed initial reformations, Starlight's was even more so, considering how she managed to not just get forgiven for all of her crimes by the mane 6, she also managed to be forgiven by her victims from the village, in the course of a single montage in a song number that felt like she never had to face major consequences for her actions/work for that forgiveness.

Sunset on the other hand had to deal with the entire school hating her guts and becoming a social pariah due to her actions before and during the events of the Fall Formal, and even her group of friends weren't really that forgiving either.  She had an entire movie to face consequences for her previous actions, and had to work to prove to not only the school, but herself that she changed, and had to earn that forgiveness by the end of it.

Plus it generally helps that unlike Starlight, Sunset even after being reformed didn't continuously mind rape others and get away with it multiple times.

[BastementSparkle 20,317]

I like them both, but I consider Starlight to be the better written character for various reasons. For starters, while both their reformations happened a bit too quickly, Starlight's actually involved her making the decision to stand down, while Sunset just got Rainbow blasted. I like that Twilight had to talk Starlight down, and that it actually worked, as opposed to Sunset just getting the Elements treatment.

 On top of that, Sunset after reformation almost feels like a totally different character. That petty, mean, bully with a ridiculous evil plan has basically nothing in common with the incredibly empathetic Sunset of today, it's like her personally just completely turned around. About the only time they seemed kind of similar was when Sunset snapped at Sci-Twi. I guess this shouldn't be too surprising since villain Sunset didn't leave much of an impact, but still. I like post-reformation Sunset, but I almost view her as a separate entity to pre-reform Sunset.

 But with Starlight? Oh, she won't stop reminding me she's the same character. Using and abusing her magic without thinking through the consequences, casually controlling others without stopping to consider the morality, occasionally manipulating those around her, even her outburst in "All Bottled up"? She's clearly the same pony she was before, and I love it. She's struggled with herself more than anypony else. She's trying to be good, but it's difficult for her, she falls back onto old bad habits because she doesn't know how else to be. She's learning over time, the Starlight we've seen this season has so far been much better at it than season 6 Starlight, with a few slip-ups still, but she is improving.

 That's the thing here, Sunset never felt to me like she was struggling with herself much. Yes, she struggled in Rainbow Rocks to prove herself to others, because they didn't trust her, and yes she's struggled with some guilt too. But Starlight? She struggles with her bad habits, and her inclinations to do things like control others and cast dangerous spells without thinking about it. Starlight has the full support of Twilight and all the others are very forgiving of her, true. She's her own worst enemy, and she's harshest on herself as well. Not trusting herself to help out at the Sunset festival, terrified of doing something bad and feeling like she should never be in charge is one example.

 Also, Season 7 episode 10 Spoilers:

Her Nightmare after using that Cutie Mark switch spell on Celestia and Luna. She says it was the right call at first but then she has a total breakdown about it in her dreams, blaming herself and feeling like she's just doomed Equestria, even though that's an obvious exaggeration.

Honestly, the complaint people have of Starlight continuously screwing up? That's a large reason why I love her, she's flawed and struggles with herself a ton. She doesn't just get a quick lesson and is all "Oh, I'm perfectly good now, Teehee!"

[Thrond 3,260]

See, it's more complicated than that. 

Sunset Shimmer didn't have a terribly satisfying reformation, but her redemption arc is arguably more satisfying, if only because she had to endure more and was much more charming while doing it. Starlight Glimmer mainly had to face her own self-doubt, which is satisfying in its own right, and while I do think others' distrust would just bog down Starlight's struggles, it's a little hard to accept that nobody is wary around her given the severity of her character flaws. Sunset's had fewer barriers to plausibility and, broadly speaking, was more endearing, whereas Starlight's is more complicated but also has a few major missteps.  

As for continuity, Starlight is unambiguously better. She just is. I still think that one outburst in "Friendship Games" was trying to establish some continuity for Sunset, but Starlight actually has retained her sketchy morals from her villainous days. Starlight also has the better backstory, because Sunset's is pretty underdeveloped. Sunset still wanted to bring a brainwashed army into Equestria, so I don't think you could call her less evil, but she was also more generic overall, whereas Starlight had a nice-sounding but woefully misguided set of ideals and some truly horrific methods. 

What Sunset does have over Starlight is development. Sunset has grown less interesting with each successive film, but her concerns in each are very different in each. By "Legend of Everfree," she's completely moved past her redemption arc and has moved on to... nothing, really, but it's still different. Starlight, meanwhile, keeps coming back to variations of the same topics over and over and over again, and not all of them are entirely coherent. Her repeated dangerous use of magic would be a lot more palatable if it weren't simply what we expect from the character, and watching her complain about being misunderstood would be tiresome even if it was based on reality.

With that said, Starlight does have more of a personality, even if that's not saying much. Both are characterized primarily by some very generic, anonymous traits, and both lose a lot once their self-doubt goes away. However, Starlight at least has those serious flaws, worrying though they might be, and unlike Sunset, we even know what she's interested in besides magic. Both are blunt, intuitive, and vaguely sarcastic, and to me that feels like a very light stereotype rather than a properly interesting character. Say what you want about "realism," but it doesn't suit the show's style if you ask me. 

So I feel that Sunset has been more consistently well-written, whereas Starlight's recent writing has been better. I'm generally not all that fond of how either has been written in recent entries (Legend of Everfree and all of season 7, respectively), but I feel both have their own advantages over the other. 

Edited May 22, 2017 by AlexanderThrond

[KatonRyu 1,032]

I think both of them are well written. Sunset was absolute rubbish as a villain but from RR onwards she's easily become my favorite character in the EQG world. Starlight was a terrifying villain with a very weak justification for being evil, but since she became good I really like her as a character. Using extremely powerful magic to solve every problem is something Twilight wouldn't really do, at least not in the way Starlight does, and I enjoy the situations created from that. Ultimately, I think they're equally well done, but very different characters.

[ShadowPhoenix 153]

Sunset is honestly a weird one. Is she honestly going to remain in the human world forever? Kind of discards her apprenticeship under Celestia to relive High School of all things. It might never happen canonically within the show's timeframe but she, as a legal adult, will have to graduate with the Humane 5 one day.

[bluseymoe 258]

They both suck. 

 

Next question pls.

[K.Rool Addict 718]

On May 22, 2017 at 9:14 AM, TheGOAT said:

Character A or character B?

Character A is considered evil because she's bitchy and won a bunch of awards in the past. Character B ran a whole empire based off flawed ideology.

Character A was completely reformed with one blast. Character B was mostly reformed with numerous attempts and a look into her core.

Character A is someone who is loved by the fandom. Character B is someone who is hated (brutally) by the fandom.

Does anyone here see where I'm going?

 

On May 22, 2017 at 9:19 AM, WiiGuy2014 said:

Character A is Sunset Shimmer and Character B is Starlight Glimmer, right?

Personally, I think they're both written well.

 

Wait... WHAT!? When the hell has Sunset Shimmer been adored by the fandom!? I always HATED both her and her awful design. I'll admit, she was far more likable in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th movies than in her first appearance, but still I was always under the impression that most bronies hated her too  

Starlight Glimmer is the one I have seen most people in love with >.> Even myself (if I take into consideration her characterization / development in season 6).

 

Are you guys sure OP is not talking about some other pair of characters? I assumed it was about Luna and Celestia, or Luna and Crysalis way before I even thought about Glimmer or Shimmer lol

[Jeric 46,844]

On 5/22/2017 at 9:14 AM, TheGOAT said:

Character A or character B?

Character A is considered evil because she's bitchy and won a bunch of awards in the past. Character B ran a whole empire based off flawed ideology.

Character A was completely reformed with one blast. Character B was mostly reformed with numerous attempts and a look into her core.

Character A is someone who is loved by the fandom. Character B is someone who is hated (brutally) by the fandom.

Does anyone here see where I'm going?

Neither. That isn't writing. That's barely a blub on the back of a book. Nothing you stated speaks to theme, motivation, personality, approachability, believability, traits, or anything descriptive that would tell me anything that an author would use to create a great character. 

I haven't read the replies, but I suspect most of them entered compare/contrast or defense mode for Sunset or Starlight. 

Which kind of suggests that you didn't go vague enough to hide who you were talking about, and should have just said "Who is a better character - Sunset or Starlight?'

[Ganondox 899]

I think this has less to do with which character is better written, and more to do with the fact the original Equestria Girls movie was poorly written in general. Also, Starlight is better because she is canon.  

[Jeric 46,844]

1 hour ago, Ganondox said:

I think this has less to do with which character is better written, and more to do with the fact the original Equestria Girls movie was poorly written in general. Also, Starlight is better because she is canon.  

Mirror Magic tho