Starlight shoulda been a main character

[FlareGun45 2,209]

I really liked Glimglam in the series! She's my 2nd favorite character and I really enjoyed her story arc! However, her position in the show either as a main character or a supporting character isn't really that clear, much like Spike. Sure the devs say one thing, but the show says a completely different thing because of how much they do in the show. I know people don't like her, but yunno what? I think Starlight shoulda been a main character and stuck with the Mane 7 since her first appearance, rather than having her go independent. 

I like that she became Headmare of the School, but since the 2nd half of season 8, her closeness with the Remane 5 pretty much tumbled and the only ones she really bonds with in the group are Twilight and Spike. It seems like they were setting something up with her and the Mane 7 before, but it seemed to be just abandoned, and the Mean 6 was the last time that happened. Starlight even helped the Mane 7 run the school! Adding a main character in the middle of the series felt like it had alota potential, cause it definitely worked with Amy and Bernadette were made main characters in Big Bang Theory!

I know she bonds better with her own group of friends like Sunburst and Trixie, but then again so does Spike with Big Mac and Discord, and Spike is only with the Mane 6 to help them out, he's not that close with half of them, and Starlight's only close with two of them. She and Spike pretty much have the same exact position in the show - both with the Mane 6, but both didn't have an Element of Harmony, and whether or not they're main characters or supporting characters is undetermined. Hell, when Starlight was there, Spike didn't look like such an oddball in the group anymore! Felt like the two could heavily relate to eachother, and it's a shame that wasn't talked about in the show.

So y'think Glimglam shoulda been an actual main character all the way to the end right alongside the Mane 7?

[Metemponychosis 1,189]

Should've had her own spin-off.

[Thrond 3,222]

What do you mean by “main character”? She frequently gets episodes where the mane six barely appear. How is she not a main character?

[CypherHoof 26,443]

While I am sad we will no longer see further adventures for Glimglam (and the rest of the cast too, of course) I don't think she did badly either; she got similar exposure to that of the CMC, significant character development and screen time, and a fair amount of walk-on parts in episodes that weren't focussed on her. Her roles in the two-parters are also well above the norm; S5 and S6 both have her playing key focus roles in both premiere and finale, which until then had focussed on Twi's personal growth - Co-focus in S5, and not sharing the limelight at all in S6. So... yeah. I don't think you can say she has been slighted by the writers.

[Castle Bleck 18,968]

She was more or less Mane #9 (with #7 being Spike, and #8 being Sunset).

Edited September 20, 2019 by Anti-Villain

[Kamii 593]

She should have been a main character if she had been built up differently. She literally caused a handful of chaotic futures, including one where everyone and everything seemed to have died, because she felt abandoned as a child. She never had to learn from her mistake as she was forgiven as soon as she gave up on her plans.

Sunset Shimmer, a very similar character no matter what you say, caused a lot of damage herself (although not as much as Starlight) and, not only was she hated by her peers for a long time, she also had to help rebuild the school she destroyed. She had to earn respect and trust from others. Starlight just became part of the cast too suddenly in my opinion, which just made me dislike her from that finale onwards.

[FlareGun45 2,209]

3 hours ago, Anti-Villain said:

She was more or less Mane #9 (with #7 being Spike, and #8 being Sunset).

Alright, we're talkin' bout Equestria's mane here, not EG. That's two different mane groups

[AuroraGlimmer 3,288]

I feel as if though @Dynamo Pad might have something to say about this

[Will Guide 21,234]

Wheter she's considered a main character or not is up to the individual viewer. I personally thought she was already a Main Character who had her own arc, but it shouldn't be such a big deal if she was strictly supporting character.

Besides, as the Mayor said at Cranky and Matilda's wedding, "Every pony is the star of their own stories. And it's not just the main character that make life so rich; it's everypony. Those who play big parts and those who play small parts" So, just because Starlight didn't get as much screentime as the other, that doesn't make her less important. (I'll have more examples later)

Heck, with so many characters and so many episodes, sometimes for fun, I'll pick a character and simply watch all the scenes with chosen character in chronological order. I find it gives an interesting POV that way.

[Latecomer 435]

She pretty much was from at least Season 7 (Season 6 tried). The comparisons with Spike are pretty apt - both of them have served as the groups seventh at times but are mainly satellites of Twi's* - but she gets much more exposure with her outside friends than he does (I think).( If you're wondering why she only turns up (or at least speaks) when she has at least a scene, that's because Kelly Sheridan is a bit more expensive than the other Mane actors.)

*Can anyone list the occasions where all 8 of them are together as a group?

[Lambdadelta 1,454]

Actually, she is kinda a main character from S6 to S7 (kinda). Her potential bonding with the mane 6 outside Twilight has been sparked in some few ep (like The Mean 6), that what they promised us in the end of S5 finale, remember? It turned out to be a false promise. Starlight formed her own group of friends with other side characters and have their own adventures, so no mane 7. When people ask Jim what they want to do with Starlight like if they want make her a new element or a new princess, and the answer is none of that, they just want to have that girl take time to amend for her bad deed and to my speculation, they may realize the backlash during S6 too so they tone her down from S8 and onward, less appearance and less prominent role. Her conclusion is inherent Twilight position as principal of friendship school while she and her friend become ruler just as intended. Starlight last bang ever could be her final confrontation with Chrysalis, as it was promised in S6 finale but it looks like Chrysalis didnt even pay attention to her anymore so they may drop that too, i dont think they want to waste some sweet time for those two, it’s the finale for the Mane 6 and Spike afterall (and maybe the student 6 too, because The Harmony talks to them). Even with everything i said, Starlight is still one of my most favorite things of the show, i’m happy for her new position as principal of friendship school (even they dont make it very ceremonial) more than Twilight overcome her freakout conclusion in Setback and finally become a ruler as her destiny intended. A good little epilogue for her character would be nice. 

Random: one last thing i want to see before i die is Starlight shoot some laser beam to Chrysalis face. Do it, writers or my imagination will do the rest.

[Sepul-Coloratura 748]

One of the biggest drawback of the character is that she was so obviously promised to be the next main character, so there were obvious thing to be done for it to be accomplished, but the show didn't actually fully commit to do anything with her and she ended up stranded in an awkward noncommittal unintended position.

Like the Student Six, even when I don't like the characters, at least the show has to care and commit to them and sell them to me, which they didn't.

Starlight's redemption was not earned, it was given, her apology and details of it was done in a snapshot, and her heroic qualities weren't fully fledged yet. People liked her already with the hint of what she would become instead of what she actually was in that moment. I liked her for the same reason for a while. But she never became what I looked further about her and what I thought she might become, so I don't like her anymore. It's not OK to just abandon a character that needs something to be done.

[Lucky Bells 34,677]

Well I'd say she is already considering recent episodes.

[Kadeda 175]

She been a main character since season 6. What show are you watching?

[Goat-kun 2,421]

Blind Starfoals, hurling your dreams into the void! If Mane 5 had been written as main characters of Twilight's caliber and if Twilight had been written as a main character beyond the needless shackles of FIM's pathetic narrative then such mistakes like Starlight would have never come to past. Only fools worship symptoms of their own demise.

Edited October 3, 2019 by Goat-kun
The sleeping gods are watching

[Latecomer 435]

14 minutes ago, Goat-kun said:

Blind Starfoals, hurling your dreams into the void! If Mane 5 had been written as main characters of Twilight's caliber and if Twilight had been written as a main character beyond the needless shackles of FIM's pathetic narrative then such mistakes like Starlight would have never come to past. Only fools worship symptoms of their own demise.

 

Care to translate?

[KH7672 1,598]

1 hour ago, Latecomer said:

Care to translate?

Starlight's only purpose is to be written into flimsy roles that the Re-Mane 5 couldn't work in context. The writers refused to expand upon their established characters and instead created a new one to profit off of easy stories, that we fans are lapping up because it makes her seem purposeful but only in the context of her own weakened narrow characterization, and in the long run doesn't benefit any of the Re-Mane 5's. Thus making fans think she should belong but that's only because she's just as clumsily tied to Twilight as the rest of them.

Note: Not my opinion, just a translation 

[Latecomer 435]

1 minute ago, KH7672 said:

Starlight's only purpose is to be written into flimsy roles that the Re-Mane 5 couldn't work in context. The writers refused to expand upon their established characters and instead created a new one to profit off of easy stories, that we fans are lapping up because it makes her seem purposeful but only in the context of her own weakened narrow characterization, and in the long run doesn't benefit any of the Re-Mane 5's. Thus making fans think she should belong but that's only because she's just as clumsily tied to Twilight as the rest of them.

Note: Not my opinion, just a translation 

Expanding a character to fit stories they don't can undermine their existing characterisation. And I really can't see any of the ReMane 5  filling most of Starlight's roles. It's true that she doesn't have a strong archetype like them, but she definitely has character - she's basically a pro-social sociopath.

[Goat-kun 2,421]

16 hours ago, Latecomer said:

Expanding a character to fit stories they don't can undermine their existing characterisation. And I really can't see any of the ReMane 5  filling most of Starlight's roles. It's true that she doesn't have a strong archetype like them, but she definitely has character - she's basically a pro-social sociopath.

Ah, the One-True-Story fallacy. An all-time favorite! And expanding stories that don't fit the existing characters can undermine the whole thing. You can either claim that Starlight's story is more important than the potential stories of Mane 6 that would not require the addition of a character like Starlight, or you can claim that Mane 6 are not important enough as characters of FIM so that one could simply add a main-ish character that does not fit into the group to tell whatever story one would want (within the rating, of course). Either way, you'll be full of shit.

 

Also, it is Cozy Glow that has personality issues. Starlight only seems to be that way cause she's a hollow slave of her own episodes' narrative. Compare them and witness the error of your ways.

[Latecomer 435]

4 hours ago, Goat-kun said:

Ah, the One-True-Story fallacy. An all-time favorite!And expanding stories that don't fit the existing characters can undermine the whole thing. You can either claim that Starlight's story is more important than the potential stories of Mane 6 that would not require the addition of a character like Starlight, or you can claim that Mane 6 are not important enough as characters of FIM so that one could simply add a main-ish character that does not fit into the group to tell whatever story one would want (within the rating, of course). Either way, you'll be full of shit.

Still needing translation here...

And Cozy is a psychopath. Starlight is a sociopath. (At least, that's what my armchair psychologist friend tells me.)

[Goat-kun 2,421]

42 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

Still needing translation here...

And Cozy is a psychopath. Starlight is a sociopath. (At least, that's what my armchair psychologist friend tells me.)

If one can make great stories with Mane 6 that do not require the creation of a character like Starlight then one should prioritize those stories. If one needs to create a character for a story to work then one should ask oneself if that character can benefit the existing ones and/or is useful for worldbuilding.

 

Your friend is an idiot, as is Starlight. Cozy may as well have a personality disorder but it would take a bit more effort to support my arguments with psychiatric guidelines than I care to invest into this debate at the moment.

[Latecomer 435]

1 minute ago, Goat-kun said:

If one can make great stories with Mane 6 that do not require the creation of a character like Starlight then one should prioritize those stories. If one needs to create a character for a story to work then one should ask oneself if that character can benefit the existing ones and/or is useful for worldbuilding.

 

Your friend is an idiot, as is Starlight. Cozy may as well have a personality disorder but it would take a bit more effort to support my arguments with psychiatric guidelines than I care to invest into this debate at the moment.

 

I don't necessarily agree that adding a new semi-independent character to an ensemble show like this one is a bad thing. And I don't care to have an argument over the details of psychopathy and sociopathy with you either.

[Goat-kun 2,421]

6 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

I don't necessarily agree that adding a new semi-independent character to an ensemble show like this one is a bad thing. And I don't care to have an argument over the details of psychopathy and sociopathy with you either.

An independent character can work if you can worldbuild. If it's something different and exciting. If you're just gonna excrete yet another powerful horned pony with a sparkly name and a "tragic past" into the IP then buck it.

[Latecomer 435]

2 minutes ago, Goat-kun said:

An independent character can work if you can worldbuild. If it's something different and exciting. If you're just gonna excrete yet another powerful horned pony with a sparkly name and a "tragic past" into the IP then buck it.

 

Well, that's your opinion. Others of us liked Starlight, or at least what they did with her. And nothing about her stops other characters from being written well.

[Goat-kun 2,421]

5 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

Well, that's your opinion. Others of us liked Starlight, or at least what they did with her. And nothing about her stops other characters from being written well.

Read the first claim of mine: if Mane 6 would have been written better then Starlight would have never existed. Starlight does not inhibit Mane 6 to be written better. Starlight is a symptom of shit writing, not the cause.