50 shades of bray

@cheezedoodle  
I couldn’t agree more. She fits into the cast the same way the CMC do in my opinion. And I seem to recall a time when everyone used to complain about how they were the Spotlight Stealing Squad.

Despite OP’s trolltastic b8, this has been my view of her from day one of her reformation. Major character, but not “mane” character. I was happy to find that was the intention all along.
 
And I like her a lot because she’s pragmatic, even a teeny bit subversive at times compared to the rest of the cast. She questions things. She does let things get to her sometimes. She even occasionally flips out. Those traits all make her very relatable.

@Background Pony #C47F  
They don’t dumb the Mane 6 down for her, though. The Mane 6 have just been dumbed down, period. And it’s been going on longer than Starlight’s been a part of the show.

@northern haste  
Which is a load of bs with zero grounding in reality.

@Background Pony #387D  
some people say Starlight was only made because they couldn’t use sunset in the mane show

@Background Pony #0657  
Learn what a Mary Sue is before you apply that term. Starlight has never been one.
 
@Spook Rooster  
She is not a part of the main cast, though. She spends very little time with the rest of the Mane 6 outside of Twilight. Starlight’s episodes are largely focused on her understanding friendship and building her life back up.
 
She participates in group efforts because she is a powerful ally, not because she’s a main character. She is no more a main character than the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

mmhmm. character who becomes friends with the main set of characters and has her own large amount of focus and major importance isn’t a main character. sure, jim

How can she be Sunset’s replacement when Sunset has never been part of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Gr8 b8 m8

Sunset Shimmer: Fat mary sue