Theory Is Luster Dawn Related To Starlight Glimmer & Sunburst?

[Ruchiyoto 49]

I've been doing some research regarding if Luster Dawn is the daughter of Starlight Glimmer & Sunburst. Recently there was an image that was posted on Derpibooru that I found interesting.

source: https://derpibooru.org/images/2341655?q=starlight+glimmer%2C+sunburst

I first took a glance at this on Instagram - it looked accurate to me but I didn't actually believed it. But when I looked at it again, I began to wonder,... maybe it is possible. Sometimes characters may look identical but aren't technically related according to the writers, just like how Wind Sprint and Twilight Sparkle almost look alike, some fans thought they were related but this turned out to be false - of course. Although it may not be possible, but I could explain this with science and genetics. There's quite enough details in the article already from the picture above, so I don't think I need to add anything else to that. Anyways...

While it was never mentioned in the lore, we can assume that Luster Dawn is the offspring of Starlight Glimmer (Dominant) and Sunburst (Recessive), since Luster's cutie mark is more closer resembling to Sunburst's cutie mark that would mean Luster has carried most genetic traits from Sunburst. There is a slight percentage of this happening, genes however are responsible to structure cells in the body, and in those cells are characteristics that were inherited from it's sub-ordinance, which in other words comes from their parents.

 

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punnett_square

We can use this graph as an example, to determine the outcome for the traits that would carry out to Luster Dawn. There is a 25% chance of getting affected by any upcoming conditions from their parents, it's like flipping a coin, a 50/100 percent chance of receiving those traits.

If you want to learn more about genetics and heredity, I recommend you watch a crash course video of biology. Heredity: Crash Course Biology #9 This should be helpful if you need to refresh your memory on genetics or maybe you don't know about heredity.

Although, it has been pointed out by the writers that Luster is not related to Starlight nor Sunburst in any way. "Josh Haber and Jim Miller have disagreed whether either Starlight Glimmer or Sunburst are related to Luster Dawn; Haber implied they may be, but Miller said he felt it would not make sense for the daughter of the heads of the School of Friendship, who are also personal friends of Twilight Sparkle, to have such an anti-friendship attitude and have little idea as to who Twilight and her friends are. However, Miller ultimately said it is up for fans to decide." source: Luster Dawn MLP Wiki Fandom

Even though they just clarified that they disapprove the idea, they did mentioned that fans can decide - but of course not saying I would go out of my way into what is considered to be fanon as canon even if the theorist was being persuasive. But whether you believe  in this theory or have something else in mind, I'll leave that up to you to decide.

...but remember, that's just My Little Theory. Thanks for stopping by!

Edited May 9, 2020 by Ruchiyoto
Just needed to fix a few minor errors at the end of my argument.

[Lucky Bolt 34,915]

 No way! I’ve seen this going around on Instagram too, in fact I was just about to post a thread discussing this theory when I stumbled over this picture: 

 

I actually really like this theory and I support it. I knew Luster looked familiar from somewhere! 

[TotallyNotNyx 15,563]

14 minutes ago, Lucky Bolt said:

 No way! I’ve seen this going around on Instagram too, in fact I was just about to post a thread discussing this theory when I stumbled over this picture: 

 

I actually really like this theory and I support it. I knew Luster looked familiar from somewhere! 

I'm surprised that you haven;t heard about this before. Ever since the finale, people have thought that she might have been Sunburst and Starlight's child.

There's really no proof that she is, so I'm of the opinion that it;s a coincidence that her cutie mark is really similar to Sunburst's. MLP has shown that people's special talents are unique to them, so they can;t be passed on to your children. They aren;t controlled by genes. Also the punnett square assumes that there's only a dominant and recessive allele. In reality, there would be co-dominant alleles, incomplete dominance and so on, so I doubt this can be explained using basic genetics. Such a thing as a cutie mark, supposing it is passed down by genes, would have multiple genes connected to it. 

All in all, similar cutie marks mean nothing lol. Ponies are bound to look similar anyway, that doesn;t mean they are related. The same thing goes for cutie marks

Edited May 9, 2020 by Princess of Hearts 💛🧡

[ggg-2 3,550]

Two earth ponies can have twin offspring with one being a unicorn and the other a pegasus. People don't seem to realize that genetics in MLP are clearly vastly different than our own.

[Oleks 1,983]

Here's what "Big" Jim Miller said in his Q&A:

Q: Luster Dawn looks a lot like Starlight and Sunburst. Any relation?

A: I say no, but Josh Haber says yes. So, you can decide!

So, as many other things this was deliberately left open to interpretation, and even the show staff have different opinions.

 

[BastementSparkle 20,312]

I just honestly don't see how she could be. The way she acts in the finale seems to me that she knows not a lot about Twilight and friends. But if she's their daughter she'd have had to grow up in Ponyville, where 5 of the Mane Six live, and considering Starlight is friends with all of them and Twilight...It just feels really unrealistic that she wouldn't know they're still friends. That lack of knowledge just doesn't make any sense to me if she's Starlight's daughter, unless Starlight never talks about or to Twilight and friends anymore and none of them have ever really interacted with her, which would be very odd to me.

[Latecomer 438]

Indeed, it seems to be a genuine disagreement between different parts of the production.

[Jane 121]

I was eager to talk about it.
I'll be honest, as much as they look alike, Luster is not the daughter of Sunburst and Starlight, I prefer to say an embodiment of both, just as Twilight is an embodiment of Celestia and Luna, unrelated by blood. Luster seems too old to be their daughter, according to my calculations, Luster must be close to being the age of Flurry Heart, (maybe a little younger) since if we assume that the mural is from his coronation as ruler of the Crystal Empire and it's relatively recent, Flurry Heart must be the right age to take on that role, and it's been roughly 20 years since Flurry Heart was born, which was born just as Starlight and Sunburst met again, so Luster would have been born out of magic of the friendship between Sunburst and Starlight, only in another place in Equestria and born from two other random ponies, and she embodies the physical and magical characteristics of both. Also, Luster (Dawn) is just when the first rays of the sun appear (Sunburst) and the stars are no longer visible (Starlight). And from what is said at the end of the episode, Luster Dawn's fate in Ponyville would be closely related to them, who would function as Luster's mentors, and we know that at least Griffin is a student of the School of Friendship, and maybe the other three are too, so Luster's life in Ponyville would revolve around the School of Friendship, it's Headmare Starlight, and it's vice-stallion (?) Sunburst. Just as if she was destined to meet them.
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This would also support because Twilight would send Luster to Ponyville and then become a princess if Twilight has only been ruling for two decades, maybe Luster's destiny isn't immediately becoming a princess and in 5 years Twilight retires and she is crowned ruler of Equestria, it's more like taking a big role in Ponyville and the School of Friendship, which would mean at least another ten years for Twilight to rule.

In addition to what I already said, I don't believe in the arguments of "if her mother is the headmare of the School of Friendship, how come she ignores friendship?" When her teacher is literally the Princess of Friendship.

[Excuse me if there is a misspelling, Google translator is not always the best translator hehe]

Edited May 9, 2020 by Jane

[CypherHoof 26,479]

I thought she might be the filly of Stellar Flare and Firelight....

[Venomous 18,813]

I think that she is their daughter. Her messy mane is similar to Sun Burst’s (I know that isn’t a genetic thing but I thought I would mention it), she is very talented in magic like Starlight Glimmer, and her cutie mark is similar to Sun Burst’s. I feel like the staff of the show wanted us to figure this out for ourselves through observation.

[ShadOBabe 18,984]

StarBurst is definitely one of my ships, so I’m all for it. I definitely can see the appeal, and that cutie mark resemblance is uncanny.

As always, nothing wrong no matter which stance you take! Heck I LIKE StarBurst, but I still might not use the theory in my personal fanmade stuff since I also like TwiBurst and I’m torn. XD

Edited May 10, 2020 by ShadOBabe

[FlareGun45 2,221]

Starburst is a good ship - but Luster being their daughter makes no sense to me. You'd think she'd know all about friendship if she were their kid, and it looked like she never been to Ponyville before nor even met Starlight or Sunburst.

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

That would be cute if she was

[ShootingStar159 2,155]

6 hours ago, BastementSparkle said:

But if she's their daughter she'd have had to grow up in Ponyville

Says who? She could have been accepted to Twilight/Celestia’s school at a young age, and grown up in Canterlot. And there’s nothing stopping Starlight and Sunburst’s vacationing in Canterlot so Luster doesn’t have to leave her home in Canterlot.

And the argument for her not knowing about Twilight’s friends applies equally to her being Twilight’s student as it does to her being Starlight’s daughter, there is no reasonable explanation. Either way, it doesn’t make sense that the personal Student of the Princess of Friendship doesn’t know her mentor meets with her friends, regardless of who her parents are.

[ShootingStar159 2,155]

I do want to point out something about the show staff’s disagreement on the subject. Jim Miller may have been the director, but Haber wrote the episode, and more importantly, wrote the character. If there’s a matter of discussion, the person who actually created the character has greater say in who and what the character is, and Haber didn’t directly confirm or deny it, he just gave a very coy “maybe.” That means Luster Dawn’s creator wants you to draw the conclusion that she’s Starlight and Sunburst’s daughter, but isn’t making it outright canon so you don’t have to accept it if you don’t want to.

 

As for Luster Dawn, I choose to see her as Starlight and Sunburst’s kid because without that, she’s empty as a character. As their daughter, she has a connection to other characters, has built in relationships and themes. Without that, she’s just Twilight Clone #172 and that is uninteresting and entirely unoriginal (sooooooooo very unoriginal).

[Miss 6,211]

Personally I would say no. I've always been anti Sunburst x Glimmer cuz it's totally a one sided relationship. Sunburst does not have much interest in Starlight the way she does in him. 

You know who she does have interest in tho and has interest in her back? Trixie! Startrix all the way.

Tho, just cuz I shipped 2 others doesn't mean that I wouldn't be against other ships. However, I am against this ship. Uncommon Bond layed their relationship out perfectly and there is no dynamic between the two, and if there is, it's not a good one. 

The staff did talk on this tho of their own opinions. Josh Haber said yes, Big Jim said no. If she is the daughter there was no implication of it at all in the ending. No guardian dynamic when Sunburst and Starlight are shown in the school nor is there any romantic indication. 

That is def. something that was left open to interpretation without any implications imo. I find the "likenesses" to be coincidence. 

Personally, I would like her to be not connected to any of the characters. Hate this constant "they must related to someone" talk that's in every fandom. I find that to be an overdone boring trope. 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Misscellanio

[Dark Qiviut 22,177]

StarBurst is a great ship. They have very believable chemistry together in a friendly way and care very deeply for one another. It makes a lot of sense.

However, as interesting as the fanonical idea is Luster Dawn being Starlight and Sunburst’s daughter, I just can’t see her being one without really reworking TLP. Luster doesn’t believe in the Magic of Friendship due to a lack of understanding. While at Twilight’s school, she never saw her with anyone other than Spike, enforcing her theory that friendship fades away, all the while not having any idea that friendship takes work to maintain. Additionally, she has no strong connection with anyone Twilight knows outside of Spike; until TLP, they were basically strangers to her, and she had no apparently strong knowledge of Ponyville.

42 minutes ago, ShootingStar159 said:

Says who? She could have been accepted to Twilight/Celestia’s school at a young age, and grown up in Canterlot. And there’s nothing stopping Starlight and Sunburst’s vacationing in Canterlot so Luster doesn’t have to leave her home in Canterlot.

Twilight was born and raised in Canterlot, so the School for Gifted Unicorns is convenient for her. When school’s not in session, Luster would be making herself home with whatever family she has. Starlight and Sunburst live in the tightly knit Ponyville, and so do most of the Young Six and most of the Mane Eight. If Luster was their daughter, Starlight and Sunburst would’ve raised her, let her know that Twilight is still close friends with her and everyone else, and at least one of them outside of Twi, SG, and Sunburst would have some level of bonding with them.

Edited May 10, 2020 by Dark Qiviut

[Latecomer 438]

50 minutes ago, ShootingStar159 said:

 

And the argument for her not knowing about Twilight’s friends applies equally to her being Twilight’s student as it does to her being Starlight’s daughter, there is no reasonable explanation. Either way, it doesn’t make sense that the personal Student of the Princess of Friendship doesn’t know her mentor meets with her friends, regardless of who her parents are.

We don't know how long she's been Twilight's student (and not even a personal one, I don't think).She's presumaablu been her parent's daughther all her life.

[ShootingStar159 2,155]

11 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

I just can’t see her being one without really reworking TLP. 

TLP Needs a rework, and the absurdity of Luster Dawn is why. Her parentage isn’t even really the problem.

 

12 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

If Luster was their daughter, Starlight and Sunburst would’ve raised her and let her know that Twilight is still friends with her and everyone else.

Luster Dawn knows that Spike and Twilight are still friends, but she still believes friendship isn’t worthwhile if friendships fade away. Why is it okay for her to believe that Spike and Twilight are still friends, but Starlight and Twilight still being friends is what makes it ridiculous. Luster knowing that Starlight and Twilight are still friends is hardly the strong point you think it is.

And why would Starlight tell Luster about the rest of the main six? The main six and Starlight have never been shown to be close friends, not like Trixie, Maud, or Sunburst. Luster would only know Starlight is friends with Twilight. She wouldn’t know anything about the rest of the main six.

Quote

When school’s not in session, Luster would be making herself home with whatever family she has.

Yes, and as I already stated, there’s nothing in the show that stops her from living in Canterlot full time while Starlight and Sunburst’s go to Canterlot to spend their vacations with her. In fact, she could have a room in the palace just like a Twilight did, with the castle staff or a hired caretaker to look out for her. After all, Starlight and Sunburst don’t have a close relationship with anyone permanently in Ponyville. Sugar Belle should have been the closest personal relationship she had in town, and Starlight wasn’t even invited to her wedding. The closest person Starlight would be to in Ponyville was Maud, and she’s pretty solitary. Seriously, who in Ponyville, noT Ponyville adjacent, are Starlight and Sunburst so close to that they couldn’t leave town for a couple months? There is no reason to insist that Luster Dawn HAD to have grown up in Ponyville if she was Starlight and Sunburst’s daughter.

 

But all of this is besides the point because it doesn’t matter who Luster’s parents are, her position in the epilogue is nonsense. Twilight made a school and hired all of her friends as full time teachers. She never once invited any of them to be guest and teach at her magic school? Never had them as a substitute, or took them on a field trip to see the Wonderbolts, or Fluttershy’s sanctuary, Rarity’s fashion empire, had Pinkie throw a party, etc. etc. This episode demands that either Twilight completely cut her friends out of her public life, or Luster Dawn so completely isolated herself from everyone that she was oblivious to almost everything. The first is ridiculous, and the second one, guess what? Is a poor, but reasonable explanation for why she wouldn’t know anything about Twilight and her friends, even if she was related to one of them.

5 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

We don't know how long she's been Twilight's student (and not even a personal one, I don't think).She's presumaablu been her parent's daughther all her life.

Sorry, but “we don’t know” is an argument that works both ways. Which is what I’m saying there is no evidence or argument that proves or disproves who her parents are, so I choose to believe the answer that gives the character value.

[Splashee 28,537]

8 hours ago, Oleks said:

Josh Haber says yes

Bill Gates of FIM has spoken. If you like the guy, you believe! If you don't like the guy, well, he wrote the episode so What can you do?

[Latecomer 438]

1 hour ago, ShootingStar159 said:

 

Sorry, but “we don’t know” is an argument that works both ways. Which is what I’m saying there is no evidence or argument that proves or disproves who her parents are, so I choose to believe the answer that gives the character value.

I reallu don't see how having the Headmare and Vice-Head of the School of Freindship produce a ponu totallu ignorant of it gives value... no wait, I can, if that was the begginnig of a storu. not so much at the end.

[TotallyNotNyx 15,563]

8 hours ago, Jane said:

I was eager to talk about it.
I'll be honest, as much as they look alike, Luster is not the daughter of Sunburst and Starlight, I prefer to say an embodiment of both, just as Twilight is an embodiment of Celestia and Luna, unrelated by blood. Luster seems too old to be their daughter, according to my calculations, Luster must be close to being the age of Flurry Heart, (maybe a little younger) since if we assume that the mural is from his coronation as ruler of the Crystal Empire and it's relatively recent, Flurry Heart must be the right age to take on that role, and it's been roughly 20 years since Flurry Heart was born, which was born just as Starlight and Sunburst met again, so Luster would have been born out of magic of the friendship between Sunburst and Starlight, only in another place in Equestria and born from two other random ponies, and she embodies the physical and magical characteristics of both. Also, Luster (Dawn) is just when the first rays of the sun appear (Sunburst) and the stars are no longer visible (Starlight). And from what is said at the end of the episode, Luster Dawn's fate in Ponyville would be closely related to them, who would function as Luster's mentors, and we know that at least Griffin is a student of the School of Friendship, and maybe the other three are too, so Luster's life in Ponyville would revolve around the School of Friendship, it's Headmare Starlight, and it's vice-stallion (?) Sunburst. Just as if she was destined to meet them.
------------------------
This would also support because Twilight would send Luster to Ponyville and then become a princess if Twilight has only been ruling for two decades, maybe Luster's destiny isn't immediately becoming a princess and in 5 years Twilight retires and she is crowned ruler of Equestria, it's more like taking a big role in Ponyville and the School of Friendship, which would mean at least another ten years for Twilight to rule.

In addition to what I already said, I don't believe in the arguments of "if her mother is the headmare of the School of Friendship, how come she ignores friendship?" When her teacher is literally the Princess of Friendship.

[Excuse me if there is a misspelling, Google translator is not always the best translator hehe]

You make a good point here actually.The timeline doesn;t make much sense then. 

Depends on how old Luster Dawn is, but if she's around 20 or higher, then it just makes no sense that she is Starlight's and Sunbursts child.

[Dark Qiviut 22,177]

1 hour ago, ShootingStar159 said:

Why is it okay for her to believe that Spike and Twilight are still friends, but Starlight and Twilight still being friends is what makes it ridiculous.

Luster’s very familiar with Twilight and Spike and saw them them together often. Now that Twi and Starlight are very busy in two different cities, they haven’t spent much time seeing each other, either. It’s no different than Twilight not being able to see the RM5.

1 hour ago, ShootingStar159 said:

And why would Starlight tell Luster about the rest of the main six?

Twilight and her friends are the seven most important people in her life. They could’ve justifiably banished her away from Equestria, but they all agreed that teaching her true friendship’s better. Their patience with and presence around her helped shape her into becoming the pony she is today. Without all of them, she would never have able to take charge in her own life. If she was her mom, it makes no sense for her to omit them or their impact in any way.

1 hour ago, ShootingStar159 said:

In fact, she could have a room in the palace just like a Twilight did, with the castle staff or a hired caretaker to look out for her.

Probably not during long times of recess. When school’s out for the summer, she likely won’t live on castle grounds. The School of Friendship’s closed for break; the same logic applies to Luster and hers.

1 hour ago, ShootingStar159 said:

This episode demands that either Twilight completely cut her friends out of her public life, 

No, Twilight never cut them out of her life nor did TLP suggest it. Everyone’s so busy and have very important lives that interact with communities from an international level they can’t spend time beyond the once-a-moon randezsvous or enemy emergency.

• Fluttershy’s maintaining a growing animal sanctuary and works there full time.
• Dash captains the Wonderbolts.
• AJ is a full-time aunt on top of leading Sweet Apple Acres.
• Pinkie Pie’s a mom and needs help running Sugar Cube Corner with the Cake twins and Cheese Sandwich.
• Rarity’s fashion brand’s global, and because she had to travel from Yakyakistan to see Twilight And Yona & Sandbar live and work in Canterlot Boutique today, she likely doesn’t live in Equestria anymore.
• Starlight runs the highly reputable School of Friendship.
• Twilight leads a massive country, maintains strong international relations, teaches in a prestigious school, and raises/sets the sun and moon. By far the busiest of the Mane cast.

Aside from Twilight, the CMCs, and maybe Starlight, they don’t teach anymore. That’s how busy life is in the Realm. 

The purpose for her decree was so Twilight and her friends were able to meet up, even for one day per lunar cycle, and not lose touch. Their lives changed over the years, but they remain friends and budget their time to keep their promises.

By not seeing the rest of Twilight’s friends, Luster’s suspicions are merited. She had reason to believe that friendship didn’t matter. Princess Twilight’s and Spike’s personal recap of what happened leading up to and at the coronation as well as arranging the meeting to be at the time of rendezvous proactively teaches her that not being around them all the time doesn’t mean they’re no longer close.

Edited May 10, 2020 by Dark Qiviut

[Thrond 3,257]

I don't have any strong feelings about how plausible this idea is but I think it would be a really uninspired storytelling decision. So Twilight opens her school to the entire known world, even allowing foreigners from countries that had until recently been closed off to Equestria to study there, but her student just happens to be the child of one of her closest friends? I'm not saying it's impossible or even unlikely, but it has a whiff of favoritism that doesn't follow from literally everything else we saw in the show. Surely some random nobody managing to become the princess' personal apprentice is a more inspiring possibility. 

[Latecomer 438]

1 hour ago, AlexanderThrond said:

I don't have any strong feelings about how plausible this idea is but I think it would be a really uninspired storytelling decision. So Twilight opens her school to the entire known world, even allowing foreigners from countries that had until recently been closed off to Equestria to study there, but her student just happens to be the child of one of her closest friends? I'm not saying it's impossible or even unlikely, but it has a whiff of favoritism that doesn't follow from literally everything else we saw in the show. Surely some random nobody managing to become the princess' personal apprentice is a more inspiring possibility. 

Zebra Luster for the win!