If You Clould Replace Starlight Glimmer

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

People who don't like Starlight Glimmer, what kind of character would you add for the seventh member of Mane Six instead of her? Describe what's she like, the chemistry with the other Mane Six & Spike, what kind of episodes you could come up with.

Edit : My options

1. No seventh member. Plain and simple. We don't even have enough time for the mane six and Spike.
2. Just Bring Sunset Shimmer already. It's what most people want and they know it. (or else they wouldn't have made Spring Breakdown) She's one of few good things EQG has ever created and it's Hasbro's asset. Make her useful because sometimes it feels like she is too good for EQG. Just one or two seasons of her staying in Equestria and then she eventually goes back.
3. Moondancer. Starlight's backsory suddenly makes sense and hits home this time. She is also good or maybe better than Twilight at magical theories. She is introverted and not very social. She is nerdy and edgy. She can have the position of Twilight's evil twin sister. Someone who is most similar to Twilight and who understands her most.
4. Grown up Flurry Heart. If you're going to give a spotlight to a new character, do it shamelessly. Flurry Heart had a pretty major push from the get go by the writers, and she eventually ended up contributing next to notging to the story. Just bring the grown up version of her to Canterlot or School of Friendship or whatever, everybody cares about her, she's a princess so she's rightfully important and deserves screentime. Beside, don't they want a super powerful unicorn who can fix all the problems? Now you got not just an Alicorn, but the only natural born Alicorn in millenials. The important part about her character is that she doesn't want to be a princess and doesn't like the attention and expectations.
5. Derpy. And she contributes nothing to the story, rarely interacts with anybody else. Just sick of keep seeing her in the background. Now she's alongside the Mane Six at season finales and nobody cares.

Edited May 31, 2020 by Sepul-Coloratura

[Megas 27,620]

My issue was that they treat her like another mane 6 then didn't then did then didn't. It's like they couldn't decide. One episode she tries to do something with then they all fall through and then bring back Trixie so she has a new friend and honestly it always felt like they only did so so they could attach Starlight to a popular character. I wouldn't replace her, if anything they needed to do more of her with the mane 6 individually. I always use this as an example as I think it's one of the better examples of this, but in Avatar when Zuko joined the good guys, he had episodes dedicated to working with a few of the other main characters like Aang, Sokka and Katara and Starlight really could have benefited with something like that. The closest we got to that was Pinkie Pie and even then it was done for her stupid sister instead

[Latecomer 439]

i think it's better that she formed her own friend group than just joininng the Manes.

as for an alternative...perhaps a cristal pony looking to find a new life far from memories of Sombra? Although that might get a bit dark...

 

 

[Thrond 3,263]

Were I in charge I wouldn't have added a seventh (or, lets be real, eleventh) main character in the first place. Not convinced there was a need for it. 

[Sazama Ichida 2,367]

Isn't it obvious? I'd replace her with Sunset Shimmer. I have nothing against Starlight. But in my opinion she has no reason to exist. She just feels like a watered down version of Sunset Shimmer. She's similar but not as interesting or as well-written.

[Latecomer 439]

2 minutes ago, Asbel Lhant said:

Isn't it obvious? I'd replace her with Sunset Shimmer. I have nothing against Starlight. But in my opinion she has no reason to exist. She just feels like a watered down version of Sunset Shimmer. She's similar but not as interesting or as well-written.

Sunset has her own series, though. And she and Starlight are surprising dissimilar, particularlu in thier redemption arcs.

[TotallyNotNyx 15,566]

For the heck of it, why not stick Derpy or Lyra in as the seventh character of the Mane 6. That would have been interesting

[Adorable Lovestar 243]

I love Starlight Glimmer, so I may be biased, but I don't really think she was an extension to the Mane Six so much as she had her own circle of friends and did her own things.

[Flutterstep 47,073]

Vinyl because she could be in the background nodding for each scene.

[Goat-kun 2,527]

Not the 7th member. I'd crush her on her own playing field!

 

After purging an entire writing team with swiftness and efficiency of His most Holy Inquisition, I'd exile Starlight from the board by the power vested in me by the old gods so that no servant of soy could pull her out of the graveyard.

 

 Now let us turn time back to the beginning of S05: As I've said before, I'd incorporate the team of villains into the story much earlier than the last season. Also, Starfoals have traditionally been big nicked about Starlight's not-by-a-long-shot forbidden magic use, so I'd be giving them what they've always wanted with an actual villain: Cozy Glow. She'd be the cult leader, and the magic artifact in question would carry with it an Easter egg connection to Tambelon. She'd use that to purge cutie marks off of pony butts. No equal signs. Just puff, gone is your destiny, and you mana pool. Now, Cozy would have a puppet cult leader who'd actually believe in the equity crap while she'd be working from the shadows. When Mane 6 would get captured, Cozy would come across as a sympathetic little filly who'd try her best to help them escape. Too bad they'd get recaptured. Fear not though, as I'd also be gradually introducing another late concept: non-pone friendship team!

 

It turns out that darkness and griffins have been waging a secret war for millennia. They're like Chaos and Empire. And so, the Mane 6 would be aided by a griffin witch hunter who came seeking the Tambelonian artifact. He'd also hate ponies, especially the horned kind. It's part of the trade, really. Historically, alicorns and unicorns have always been screwing things up. Anyhow, since the grey pony cultists can get hijacked by their own shadows, things get messy, but our heroes manage to shatter the artifact by working together. It's also important to note that Mane 6 are depowered throughout both of the episodes and only start regaining their magic back at the very end when they are back in Ponyville. It'd be a demonstration on how they perform by being themselves without their special talents while relying on a mean griffin for "firepower".  Of course, they are also "helped" by Cozy. In fact, Mane 6 are so impressed by her that Twilight grants her a status of her own friendship student.

 

So, Starlight's role has been shattered:

-The role of an imperfect student who dabbles in forbidden magic has been taken by Cozy Glow who will inevitably betray Mane 6 to free Tirek ... and other even more nightmarish entities.

-The role of a grumpy sane male who does things directly and scoffs at ponies who make huge problems out of social kerfuffles has been taken by the griffin witch hunter

 

-The role of an actual friendship student ... well, the closing two-parter will have an answer to that, since Cozy's betrayal and Tirek's release would be planned for the beginning of the next season. That way he can rampage while getting character development throughout the whole season. And so I'd stomp on the wretched hive of soy and impotence that is Haber's legacy and rewrite the changeling invasion. It would be Cadence, Shining Armor, and Twilight Sparkle who'd clash with Queen Chrysalis empowered by her black mama-eating rock and get rekt. In their quest to depower Chrysalis, the Mane 5 (+Spike) led by Celestia and Luna would be aided by a group of changeling traitors commanded by a changeling princess nymph who would later become Twilight's true student and a queen of her own little hive. Meanwhile, Chrysalis would retain her changeling army as most lings are cruel and cunning like their mother. And on the lore side of things, Cozy and her secret un-friendship teacher would provide the origin of that black artifact.

 

 TL; DR: You can get many better and more interesting characters by shattering one Mary Sue.

[Lulaypp 2,555]

I think the problem was not really Starlight more to how writer handle her (probs because too many writers with different ideas). So I might not change her really. Though I might power her down a lil' and highlight her cutie mark talent more.

 

 

57 minutes ago, Flutterstrike ⚡️⚡️⚡️ said:

Vinyl because she could be in the background nodding for each scene.

Mane Six to Battle: Vinyl Nods

Mane Six Group Meeting: Vinyl Nods

Cutie Map Adventure: Vinyl Nods

Mane Six Defeated in Battle: Vinyl Nods

Impromtu Song: Vinyl Nods

Vinyl to the Rescue: Vinyl Nods

Edited May 30, 2020 by Lulaypp

[Latecomer 439]

8 hours ago, Princess of Luck 🍀⚡🔥 said:

For the heck of it, why not stick Derpy or Lyra in as the seventh character of the Mane 6. That would have been interesting

nah, going mainstream would ruin them.

 

[SBaby 660]

I don't think she necessarily needed to be replaced.  She just needed better writing.  Also, I really wish they would have done some research on what it means to be an additional member.

[Latecomer 439]

Just now, SBaby said:

Also, I really wish they would have done some research on what it means to be an additional member.

Huh?

[SBaby 660]

13 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

Huh?

The term, 'Additional Member' is a term you see a lot in cartoons and action shows to describe characters that join the cast of a show later in the series.  It originated in Japanese shows and is now used in some American shows as well (with the most often used example being Terra from Teen Titans).  Basically, additional members are characters that join the cast part way through the series and are members of the team for some period of time (sometimes the rest of the series, sometimes not), but aren't necessarily always as much of a focus as the starting main characters.  But they usually have something special about them, often complimenting the other characters' own specialties.

Starlight isn't really that special of a character, yet the show seems to focus on her quite often after she joins, as if it was trying to hint that there WAS something special.  But then there never really was, outside of her just taking her place to help solve the problems of the week.  So it almost felt like a tease.  They should have given her something unique to add to the table, such as possibly making her an expert tactician, or an expert diplomat.  Maybe even have her occasionally give Twilight advice on something.  That's what an additional member is there for, to help the other characters in areas they may not excel in, even if the additional member might be mediocre in the areas the others DO excel in.

Edited May 30, 2020 by SBaby

[Splashee 28,563]

What's with this topic's title @Sepul-Coloratura?

 

It is difficult to replace someone when there are nothing to replace with. Removing is an option, but I don't see why that would make the show any better?

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

1 hour ago, Splashee said:

What's with this topic's title @Sepul-Coloratura?

 

It is difficult to replace someone when there are nothing to replace with. Removing is an option, but I don't see why that would make the show any better?

Removing + adding someone new to the same position means replacing. The position is the seventh member of Mane Seven.

And the question is for people who think it would be better whatever way they think. Not changing at all is of course an option.

[Splashee 28,563]

Just now, Sepul-Coloratura said:

Removing + adding someone new to the same position means replacing. The position is the seventh member of Mane Seven.

And the question is for people who think it would be better whatever way they think. Not changing at all is of course an option.

In that case, I would exchange Starlight Glimmer for Maud. She would be more fun as a Mane 7. It would be alike an opposite form of Pinkie Pie.

[dead account 2,710]

If I could replace her, then...

...I wouldn't do it!

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

7 hours ago, Sven Glimmer said:

If I could replace her, then...

...I wouldn't do it!

Me either! I could never replace Starly!

[EpicEnergy 23,218]

I would replace her with Autumn Blaze!