Sunset Shimmer

Sunset Shimmer is a female unicorn pony and former antagonist introduced in My Little Pony Equestria Girls. She attends Canterlot High School, is a former student of Princess Celestia, and is human Flash Sentry's ex-girlfriend. Following her appearance in Equestria Girls, she has since appeared in other films, animated shorts, film novelizations and chapter books, and several IDW comics.

Development and design
Sunset Shimmer resembles the G3 Earth pony Sunshimmer in pony design and name. Her name follows the same pattern as Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, and Starbeam Twinkle.

An image of human Sunset Shimmer that appears on the back of the Equestria Girls Sunset Shimmer & Twilight Sparkle doll release's packaging was posted online in mid-March 2013.

On March 19, 2013, Meghan McCarthy was asked "Is Sunset Shimmer going to be a Season 4 storyline? The fact that her backstory seems like a show plot" and responded "Nope." On April 1, 2013, McCarthy wrote as part of an April Fools' Day joke that My Little Pony Friendship is Magic season four episode five would be titled "The Student Becomes the Teacher: The Return of Sunset Shimmer".

In early April 2015, Ishi Rudell stated that Sunset Shimmer's phoenix-like appearance at the end of My Past is Not Today was a visual metaphor and that "her hair is lighter... We wanted to tone her color intensity down a bit with the design of her new outfit."

My Little Pony Equestria Girls
Sunset Shimmer first appears as the main antagonist in My Little Pony Equestria Girls. She steals Twilight Sparkle's element of magic crown and during a tussle with Twilight, the crown is thrown into the Crystal Mirror that acts as a portal to another world. She then follows the crown shortly after.

Princess Celestia reveals that Sunset was a former student of hers who began her studies not long before Twilight did. However, when she didn't get what she desired as quickly as she wanted, she turned cruel and dishonest, eventually abandoning her studies to pursue her own path. In this other world, Sunset has been living as a human and student of Canterlot High School for some time. She discovers that Fluttershy found the crown and turned it over to Principal Celestia, much to Sunset's annoyance.

After learning that Twilight will be competing against her for the title of Princess of the Fall Formal, Sunset employs various ways to hinder and humiliate Twilight. She has Snips and Snails record embarrassing videos of Twilight struggling to get used to the human world and releases the videos online, and she doctors photos to frame Twilight for ruining the dance decorations. But Twilight's friends help to counter these ploys by improving Twilight's reputation, and Flash Sentry, Sunset Shimmer's ex-boyfriend, helps prove Twilight's innocence.

At the Fall Formal, when Twilight is named princess and given the crown, Sunset has Snips and Snails kidnap Spike and threatens to destroy the portal to Equestria unless Twilight gives her the crown. Twilight refuses to give the crown up, stating that her being stuck in the human world would be worth stopping Sunset. As Twilight's friends commend her bravery and sacrifice, Sunset snaps and attacks her. Despite Twilight and her friends' efforts, Sunset succeeds in getting the crown and puts it on, and a dark magic aura transforms her into a demon. With her newfound powers, Sunset transforms Snips and Snails into similar-looking minions and brainwashes the other students at the school. She reveals that she never intended to destroy the portal and plans to invade and conquer Equestria with her army of teenagers.

Twilight is able to evoke the powers of the Elements of Harmony when her friends move to protect her from Sunset Shimmer's attack. Temporarily given pony-like characteristics, they use the magic of friendship to defeat Sunset Shimmer and return Snips, Snails, and the rest of the students to normal.

As everyone recovers, a beaten and repentant Sunset is reduced to tears and apologizes to everyone she's hurt. She admits to not knowing anything about friendship, to which Twilight says her friends can teach her. Sunset, Snips, and Snails are later tasked by Vice Principal Luna with rebuilding the part of school they had destroyed during their attack.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks
Sunset Shimmer re-appears in My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks, reformed from her villainous ways in the first film. With the exception of the Rainbooms, the rest of Canterlot High bears resentment toward her, and she even resents herself for the actions she'd taken as what she refers to as a "raging she-demon." She even admits to herself and her friends that she never had a romantic interest in Flash Sentry and only dated him to make herself more popular.

When Sunset gives the Dazzlings a tour of the school, she gets a bad vibe from them when Adagio Dazzle gets defensive about her pendant. Her suspicions are later confirmed when the Dazzlings mesmerize the students and faculty with their singing. Using a magical book with her cutie mark on the cover, Sunset sends an SOS to Princess Celestia in Equestria. During Twilight's role as the Rainbooms' lead singer, Sunset acts in a supportive role and keeps an eye on the competition, especially the Dazzlings during the Battle of the Bands. At one point, Sunset confronts the Dazzlings, who try to manipulate her insecurities by pointing out that the Rainbooms were reluctant to allow Sunset into the band.

When the Rainbooms lash out at each other during the final round of the Battle of the Bands, Sunset realizes what the Dazzlings' true intentions are and is able to stop the petty arguing. She even accepts partial blame due to her lack of knowledge on friendship.

When the Dazzlings overpower the Rainbooms during the film's climax, Sunset Shimmer steps up and sings on the band's behalf. Her help not only gives the Rainbooms the strength they need to defeat the Dazzlings, but she also undergoes a half-pony transformation like her friends. Afterward, Sunset joins the band as a singer and guitarist, and she uses her old journal that she communicated with Princess Celestia through to write her friendship reports to Princess Twilight Sparkle.

During the credits, Sunset is seen having now been accepted by the rest of the school. The Cutie Mark Crusaders walk happily with her after Apple Bloom catches her journal when it falls out of her backpack, and Bulk Biceps helps her get Angel down from a hard-to-reach perch.

Sunset Shimmer is featured in the songs Welcome to the Show and Shine Like Rainbows in the film.

My Past is Not Today
Sunset Shimmer is the central focus of the musical short My Past is Not Today, having solo vocals during the titular song. In the song, Sunset sings of how misguided her goals were during the first film and letting go of the past. Likening her reawakening to that of a phoenix, Sunset concludes the song by sprouting fiery magical wings.

Friendship Through the Ages
Sunset appears throughout the musical short Friendship Through the Ages and has minor vocals during the song. She interacts with the Rainbooms one by one before meeting them in a warm group hug at the end.

IDW comics
An eight-page featurette included with and My Little Pony Annual 2013, titled The Fall of Sunset Shimmer, details Sunset Shimmer's last days as Princess Celestia's student.

Like Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer is shown to be a magical prodigy. However, unlike Twilight, she's quite boastful and condescending toward others, despite Celestia's lessons about humility. Celestia shows Sunset the Crystal Mirror from the film; in it, Sunset sees herself as a powerful Alicorn—one who could rule Equestria. Sunset briefly sees something else in the mirror, but Celestia guides her away from it before she gets too curious. During the weeks that follow, the mirror is all Sunset can think about, and Celestia repeatedly tells her that she'll learn about the mirror and other lessons "when [she's] ready".

Not convinced, an undeterred Sunset Shimmer begins researching the mirror in a dark magic library behind Celestia's back but is soon caught by the princess and her royal guards. Sunset berates her teacher for hiding such magic from her and demands to be made a princess. Celestia refuses, saying that being a princess must be earned, and removes Sunset from her position as her student and banishes her from Canterlot Castle. She has the royal guards escort Sunset out of the castle, but Sunset overpowers the guards and escapes through the mirror.

As Celestia has the mirror moved to her throne room, Sunset Shimmer emerges in the human world as a teenage girl.

In the Equestria Girls comic of IDW's Annual 2013, Sunset Shimmer interviews the human counterparts of Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack for a story for the school paper, but her expression at the end of the comic suggests a far more sinister motive.

On page 12 of, the binding of one of Princess Celestia's books reads "Progress on Sunset Shimmer". Twilight Sparkle mentions Sunset on page 19 of, and Celestia mentions Sunset on page 3 of.

In the My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Holiday Special comic, Sunset Shimmer has no one close to be with during the holidays. Her friends cheer her up with a series of slumber parties. In the wake of this, an online persona named "Anon-a-Miss" starts making disparaging posts and comments about Canterlot High students in social media, and Sunset is the prime suspect. Through Twilight Sparkle's advice, Sunset convinces her friends that she isn't "Anon-a-Miss". Later, when "Anon-a-Miss" is revealed to be the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Sunset forgives them for their misguided actions.

Chapter books
Sunset Shimmer is featured as the main antagonist in the My Little Pony Equestria Girls film screenplay novelization My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Through the Mirror. In chapter 18, "Back to Equestria", "Twilight had noticed Sunset going around the gym, apologizing to several students. Luckily, most of them had no idea what she was talking about because they'd been in a trance during her little fiery tantrum. But it still showed that she wanted to change."

Sunset Shimmer is featured as a protagonist in the My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks film screenplay novelization My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks: The Mane Event. In chapter 20, "Battle of the Bands", her half-pony transformation includes wings.

Sunset Shimmer is featured as the main protagonist in My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Sunset Shimmer's Time to Shine. Wanting to find her place in a world without magic, she decides to become a "magic investigator" and study her friends' pony transformations in great scientific detail. She also helps her friends organize a school fundraiser to raise money for new Wondercolt uniforms.

Software
Of Hasbro's online games, Sunset Shimmer appears as a human in the Equestria Girls game See Yourself as an Equestria Girl, appears both as a pony and as a human in the Equestria Girls game Dash for the Crown, appears as a pony in the game Memory Match Game, appears as a human in the Equestria Girls game See Yourself as an Equestria Girl - Rockified, and appears as a human in the Equestria Girls game V.I.F.

My Little Pony (mobile game)
Sunset Shimmer is one of the available playable characters in Gameloft's mobile game, added to the game on June 13, 2013. In the first week of June 2013, Hasbro's My Little Pony Facebook page and the official Facebook page of the game posted the clues "The path to a new adventure is magical...", "Everyone will love me now!", "Beware, Equestria!", "A beautiful pony that has nothing but power and potential", "I'm better than all of you!", and "Magical mirrors shimmer".

Mobile game description
''Sunset Shimmer is one of the most promising students at Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns. Her cutie mark is a shimmering sun.''

Hasbro online descriptions
On April 26, 2015, Hasbro's My Little Pony Facebook page referred to Sunset Shimmer as Princess Cadance's former student, edited the post twenty-one minutes later to instead identify Sunset Shimmer as a version of Princess Cadance, and re-edited the post thirty-two subsequent minutes later.

Hasbro.com Equestria Girls description
''Sunset Shimmer rules Canterlot high with an iron hoof...uhh hand. There’s no one in the school more feared, manipulative and dishonest than her. And she doesn’t care who she has to intimidate, frighten, or push around to keep it that way. But this year, there’s a new challenger, and Twilight Sparkle might be the one who finally dethrones her.''

Hasbro.com Rainbow Rocks description
''A loyal friend with a good heart, Sunset Shimmer is always looking out for what’s best for the Rainbooms. She made some mistakes in the past, but now she wants to prove to everyone they can trust her.''

Hasbro.com Rainbow Rocks Encore description
''Sunset Shimmer is a former bully turned nice. Now she’s ready to mend her friendships and cheer on their band, despite feeling out of place sometimes. Will she ever feel like part of the group? Stay tuned.''

Merchandise
A Playful Ponies toy of Sunset Shimmer was displayed wearing a masquerade mask at the 2013 New York Toy Fair, and was released with the mask and a comb as part of the Crystal Princess Celebration line. The back of the release's packaging bears the general statement "The ponies wear beautiful masks to dress up for a special celebration!" and the specific statement "Sunset Shimmer knows a magical path to faraway adventures! Years ago, she was also a student of Princess Celestia."

An Equestria Girls human doll of Sunset Shimmer was released with another such doll of Twilight Sparkle and other items, including an element of magic crown accessory. Sunset Shimmer's description on the back of the release's packaging reads, "Her striking sense of fashion steals a lot of attention!"

A mini-figure pony toy of Sunset Shimmer has been displayed at the 2014 American International Toy Fair. The toy was released as part of the eleventh wave of mystery pack toys and collector cards. The card states that "SUNSET SHIMMER loves faraway adventures!"

Two human Sunset Shimmer dolls have been released for My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks: one in a fashion set with an extra outfit and a "Time to Shine" doll with wings.

A brushable Fashion Style pony doll of Sunset Shimmer was also released as part of Hasbro's Cutie Mark Magic toy line.

In the Enterplay collectible card game's expansion sets, Canterlot Nights card of Sunset Shimmer gives her the description "Sunset Shimmer would go to any lengths to achieve her goal of conquering Equestria. Thievery was just the beginning!" and Absolute Discord card of Sunset Shimmer gives her the description "Sunset Shimmer picked up plenty of tricks from Princess Celestia before leaving Equestria. She also learned that sometimes you have to give up something you want to get something you need."

On the respective front and back of a printed insert bundled in the Barnes & Noble Special Edition of the chapter book My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Sunset Shimmer's Time to Shine, a letter to Sunset Shimmer from Rarity includes some concept art of human Sunset Shimmer wearing her rock star dress and a letter to Rarity from Sunset Shimmer includes a draft of the song My Past is Not Today.

Pony Sunset Shimmer is shown on Acidfree's first art print.

Personality
Throughout the first film, Sunset Shimmer is shown to be self-absorbed, condescending, manipulative, and dishonest. She frequently insults and belittles others and thinks little of it. According to human Fluttershy, Sunset makes life miserable for "anyone who stands in her way." As a result, most of the Canterlot High School student body is afraid of her. She is also not above making threats and blackmail in order to realize her goals.

When Sunset puts on the element of magic, she transforms into a demonic visage of herself. While in this form, she becomes more ruthless, going so far as attempting to dispose of Twilight. After she is defeated, Sunset Shimmer becomes immediately repentant and apologizes for her actions, appearing to renounce her prior dishonest and unkind ways.

In the second film, Sunset Shimmer appears to have completely discarded her old self and starts believing in friendship, being kind toward others and befriending former enemies. She is also deeply repentant for her actions in the first film, referring to her transformed self as a "raging she-demon." However, she suffers from a lack of confidence, keeping silent in situations she feels it isn't her place to speak up and falling prey to the Dazzlings' taunting. During the final battle, she finally overcomes her insecurities and joins the Rainbooms in defeating the Dazzlings, gaining a half-pony form in the process. By the end of Rainbow Rocks, Sunset starts writing friendship reports to Princess Twilight using the book she once used to communicate with Princess Celestia.

In the My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Holiday Special comic, Sunset Shimmer displays a forgiving and compassionate side when she forgives the Cutie Mark Crusaders for framing her as the rumormonger "Anon-a-Miss".

In Sunset Shimmer's Time to Shine, Sunset displays a considerable level of intelligence, being ahead of her friends and classmates in school and smart enough to develop various computer applications.

Quotes
"Sorry it had to be this way... princess!"

- To Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony Equestria Girls

"You must be new here. I can speak to anyone any way I want."

- To Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony Equestria Girls

"Twilight Sparkle wants to be your Fall Formal Princess. What does it say about our school if we give someone like this... such an important honor?"

- Voiceover in an anti-Twilight Sparkle video, My Little Pony Equestria Girls

"Spoiler alert: I was bluffing when I said I was going to destroy the portal. I don't want to rule this pathetic little high school; I want Equestria! And with my own little teenage army behind me, I am going to get it!"

- My Little Pony Equestria Girls

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know there was another way."

- My Little Pony Equestria Girls

"A demon. I turned into a raging she-demon."

- Referring to her transformation, My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks

"Must be nice to have everyone always looking to you for answers to their problems... instead of waiting for you to cause a problem."

- To Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks

"I've changed! I'm in a much better place now!"

- To the Dazzlings, My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks

"It wasn't a fit of jealous rage!"

- To Trixie, My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks

"I don't think anyone is supposed to have all the answers. But you can count on your friends to help you find them."

- To Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks

"I also play guitar."

- My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks

"Hmpf. I have better things to do than socialize. I'm going to re-read 'Advanced Elemental Magical Practices' and then practice for my advanced summoning spells exam. What are you studying for? Nothing, that's what."

- The Fall of Sunset Shimmer

"I deserve to stand beside you and be your equal... if not your better. Make me a princess."

- To Princess Celestia, The Fall of Sunset Shimmer

"Believe me... I've got everything I need to know about you."

- Equestria Girls comic

"You're more than my friends—you're my family. You know me better than anyone. Ask yourself: would the Sunset Shimmer you know—the real Sunset Shimmer, the person I am now—would she do this?"

- My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Holiday Special

"You just have to memorize the formulas and the reactions and the periodic table and all the elements, and be able to predict reactions, and check your answers, and do all the math without making a mistake. That's all."

- Sunset Shimmer's Time to Shine

"Eureka!"

- Sunset Shimmer's Time to Shine

"Twilight Sparkle thinks she can win Fall Formal Princess over me? HA! I'm going to rule this school once I get that crown!"

- Thought, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle doll packaging