History Westernanimation / MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks

** When the Rainbooms' "Shake Your Tail" number begins to fall apart, Pinkie is the only one still having fun, while Rainbow just becomes mildly confused at what's going on. Celestia and Luna are shown clapping happily at the performance, while the rest of the students present just found the performance boring or tried to sabotage it.

** Rainbow is the only one having fun during her "Awesome As I Wanna Be" number, as the rest of the Rainbooms are showing either disdain, annoyance and outrage at her always hogging the spotlight.

** When the Rainbooms' "Shake Your Tail" number begins to fall apart, Pinkie is the only one still having fun, while Rainbow just becomes mildly confused at what's going on.

* OnlyOneFindsItFun: During Snips and Snails' poorly made freestyle rap, Pinkie and Sonata are the only ones enjoying it.

* {{Bookends}}: When Twilight first enters the human world, Sunset offers her a hand up and she noticeably hesitates to take it, showing that while she may have given her a second chance [[ForgivenButNotForgotten she is still wary of her]]. [[spoiler:During the film's climax, after Sunset has proven herself to be a true friend to the rest of the Rainbooms, she offers again her hand to Twilight, who doesn't hesitate to take it this time.]]

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: "Rainbow Rocks" and "Awesome as I Wanna Be" are the only Rainbooms songs that get up to level 5. The rest of the songs in the movie range from 2 to 4. For a brief moment, the battle between the Rainbooms and the Dazzlings reaches a 7.

* BondOneLiner: [[spoiler:Sunset after the Dazzlings have been defeated]]:
-->'''Sunset:''' Guess that explains why these were so special to them.

* NoSell: The Equestria Girls and Sunset Shimmer are unaffected by the Dazzlings' MindControlMusic. [[spoiler:As is Vinyl Scratch since she's always wearing her headphones. The five human girls, however, are eventually rendered vulnerable by [[AppleOfDiscord their own conflicts]], allowing the Dazzlings to feed off their magic and reach their full power.]]

* DarkestHour: With the Dazzlings having secured their victory since the first 10 minutes of the movie and remaining on top ever since, and the Rainbooms [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg plus Sunset Shimmer]] just barely keeping up, it was already looking pretty grim. Then the Dazzlings have our heroines trapped during the finals of the battle of the bands, causing strife and tensions to tear them apart, giving the villains a chance to absorb their corrupted magic to regain their own. [[spoiler:If not for Sunset snapping them out of their funk, the ending would have been '''vastly''' darker.]]

** [[EnthrallingSiren The Dazzlings]] hypnotize the entire school with their enchanted singing, [[AdultsAreUseless including Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna]], into turning the initially friendly musical showcase into a BattleOfTheBands. However, the Rainbooms and Sunset Shimmer, thanks to the [[ThePowerOfFriendship the magic of friendship]] that [[TouchedByVorlons was imbued into them in the previous movie]], are the only ones in the school who aren't mind-controlled into showing animosity towards their schoolmates; in fact, they devise a plan to try to break the Dazzlings' spell on the rest of the school. [[spoiler:Double Subverted into that, due to their arguing over little things along the way, the Rainbooms almost fall into the trap of turning on each other and showing ill-will amongst themselves, thus giving the Dazzlings more energy, until Sunset Shimmer tries to reconcile them and bring the band back together again.]]

** This story marks the first time that [[spoiler:Octavia Melody is ''heard'' speaking as either a human or a pony. Both versions had previously spoken in the comics.]]

** A ''literal'' one happens [[spoiler:in the FinalBattle when the Rainbooms arrive to defeat them, both sides using MagicMusic to fight. The Dazzlings are defeated when Sunset steps in. Adagio lampshades the literalness of the trope when the Rainbooms arrive.]]

* BondVillainStupidity: After knocking [[spoiler:the Rainbooms down during the finale, the Dazzlings' {{Astral Projection}}s just stand there floating above them instead of trying to finish them off, which gives the heroines the opportunity to counterattack and defeat them.]]
* {{Bookends}}: When Twilight first enters the human world, Sunset offers her a hand up and she noticeably hesitates to take it, showing that while she may have given her a second chance [[ForgivenButNotForgotten she is still wary of her.]] [[spoiler:During the films climax, after Sunset has proven herself to be a true friend to the rest of the Rainbooms, she offers again her hand to Twilight, who doesn't hesitate to take it this time.]]

** More importantly, there's also [[spoiler:Twilight's human counterpart and her Spike, who show up after the credits.]]

* ChekhovsGun: Fluttershy tries to point out to the rest of the Rainbooms that she has written some songs and asks if the band could rehearse and play them, and it becomes a RunningGag that the band doesn't get to play her song. [[spoiler:The Rainbooms, near the end of the film, perform one of Fluttershy's songs to counter the songs of the Dazzlings and break the rest of the student body out of their HatePlague]].

** A nod to "Music to My Ear" with Vinyl Scratch seen walking in the background of the café just like she did in the short. (It can't be the same moment, though, since Twilight and Sunset are here unlike in the short.)

** Sunset Shimmer once again talks to someone in [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls a dimly lit hallway.]]

** [[spoiler:In the climax, the Dazzlings's necklaces are smashed, rendering them unable to even carry a tune]].

-->'''Twilight Sparkle:''' If the sirens had their way, they would have divided and conquered all of Equestria.

** [[spoiler:Later, the audience knows that the Dazzlings are manipulating things to get the heroes to fight and feed on their magic in order to gain power, but the heroes think the Dazzlings are unaware of their magic]].

* EasilyForgiven: Averted with Sunset Shimmer, who is scorned by ''everyone'' except the Rainbooms. It is played straight with Snips and Snails because apparently no-one remembers them being her minions.

** And after that, [[spoiler:Sunset Shimmer leaves the sidelines to join the rest of the Rainbooms in singing against the Dazzlings.]]

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: More like a ''re''-establishing moment with Sunset Shimmer. Her first scene in this movie is offering to help the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and, when rejected, walking awkwardly and timidly towards the Rainbooms under the stares of other students. Then she has help Fluttershy clean paint off her face. It is 180 degree turn from the previous movie and sets a crystal clear start for this one's secondary arc (Sunset Shimmer's on-going redemption).

** When Snips [[MicDrop drops the microphone]] at the end of his and Snails's rap, a loud feedback sound is heard, forcing all the Rainbooms to cover their ears. This doesn't gain the boys any point with the Principals.

* HandWave: Pony Applejack {{Lampshade}}s a possible PlotHole in the sirens' {{Backstory}} -- "But Star Swirl must have sent them there ages ago. How come they're just surfacing now?" -- to which Twilight simply says she doesn't know and moves on. [[TheTeaser The opening scene]] from the Sirens' perspective shows that the events of [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls the first movie]] brought some [[TheMagicComesBack Equestrian magic to Earth]], and the Sirens hope to use it to restore their full power. The main characters never learn this particular detail.

* HeelFaceTurn: Sunset Shimmer proves that hers is legitimate, as she sticks by the Rainbooms and Twilight throughout the movie despite her insecurities [[spoiler:and joins her power with theirs at the end to defeat the Dazzlings. The end credits show that the rest of the school has started accepting her as well.]]

* HeroismMotiveSpeech: [[spoiler:Sunset]] gets two. [[spoiler:The first when she realizes it ''is'' her place to step in and help the girls stop bickering and resolve their issues.]] The second comes [[spoiler:in song when she joins the FinalBattle with the Dazzlings, announcing she's not going to let herself be beaten down when she's trying to change. This leads to her gaining a hybrid form of her own.]]

* HopeSpot: Despite Sunset Shimmer interrupting the Rainbooms during the semi-finals, Celestia declares them the winners and would go on to the finals, giving them more time to prepare the musical counterspell. However, their victory is specifically engineered by the Dazzlings, who mind-control Celestia and Luna. This leads to an uproar amongst the student body, who feels they don't deserve it, making their victory a [[PyrrhicVictory Pyrrhic one]]. And to top it all off, the Dazzlings manipulate Trixie into trapping them under the stage, thus completing dashing any hope of performing the musical counterspell [[spoiler:at least until Vinyl Scratch helps them out.]]

* ImprobablyCoolCar: Vinyl Scratch's sweet ride. It isn't explained how a high school student, who's seen working part-time in a music shop in the shorts, can afford [[spoiler:such a heavily customized TransformingVehicle.]]

* KickTheDog: Flash Sentry, who by this point is [[NotHimself under the Dazzlings']] [[HatePlague spell]] ignores Twilight after she joins The Rainbooms and when she won't take a hint angrily chews her out and insults her, reducing her to tears. The Dazzlings see this and laugh that tears are shedding before the first round is even over.

** Also, one who hasn't seen the Season 4 finale of ''Friendship Is Magic'' might be surprised to see [[spoiler:Twilight's library tree replaced by a huge crystal castle.]]

* LogicalWeakness: Vinyl Scratch shows that since the Dazzlings use MindControlMusic to enthrall people, [[spoiler:those unable to hear it can't be affected.]]

* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: During "Let's Have a Battle (of the Bands)", while everyone is focused on the Dazzlings as they sing their song, [[spoiler:DJ Pon-3 can be seen wearing her headphones and bobbing her head to her own tunes, completely oblivious to the Sirens.]]

* MidnightSnack: Sunset Shimmer wakes up for one during the SlumberParty, finding Twilight in the kitchen (and nothing but whipped cream in the fridge). She must have licked the cream off her thumb [[BehindTheBlack when the camera wasn't on her.]] And then [[spoiler:Maud Pie shows up to feed her pet rock. "Boulder was hungry."]]

** Two by Sunset Shimmer [[spoiler:as she helplessly watches both the corrupt magic from the girls being drained by the Sirens and Twilight going through a HeroicBSOD.]]
** The looks on all three Dazzlings' faces [[spoiler:as they spot the giant alicorn emerging from the clouds are really not happy ones]]. And they have an even bigger one after [[spoiler:their gems are destroyed and they find out they can no longer even ''sing''.]]

* ThePowerOfRock: The first film required the Equestria Girls to win with ThePowerOfFriendship, but this time they specifically need to save the day with song, which becomes visualized in the final battle. They intended to use a {{counterspell}} in song form but end up using [[spoiler: Fluttershy's song that has the ThePowerOfFriendship as its theme.]]

* PuttingTheBandBackTogether: The start of the first trailer puts it this way; not really the case, though, since the "band" technically just formed for the CHS Musical Showcase. Although they do need to reunite with Twilight Sparkle to have the full cast of the first movie. [[spoiler:Pinkie Pie also says the trope name just before they gear up for the final battle.]]

* RageBreakingPoint: Very nearly subverted. Sunset is put through a lot over the course of the film, being outcasted from the student body, constantly given dirty looks, and having her friends constantly bring up her past as a villain. After she tackles Rainbow to stop her from showing her magic in the semi-finals she is yelled at by both the crowd and her friends. The last straw is when [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame Trixie]] says her favorite part was when Sunset tackled Rainbow in a fit of jealous rage, causing Sunset to glare at her and loudly shout that it ''wasn't'' a "fit of jealous rage" before quickly getting herself together. It is quick, but Trixie is shown to cower under her for a second.

'''random student:''' ''[off-screen]'' The ''real'' Sunset Shimmer is ''back''!

* SelfDeprecation:[[invoked]] WordOfGod is that the gym scene where the Rainbooms attempt (and fail) to call on their powers to defeat the Dazzlings then and there was intended as a joke about how often defeating the villain has boiled down to exactly what they did: join hands/hooves and call on ThePowerOfFriendship for a DeusExMachina CurbStompBattle. This time, RealityEnsues, and nothing happens.

** It was also pointless for the Rainbooms to become so preoccupied with [[spoiler:preventing the Dazzlings from seeing their anthropony transformations, since the Dazzlings already knew that the Rainbooms were a source of Equestrian magic due to being ImmuneToMindControl.]]

** The FinalBattle [[spoiler:between the Dazzlings and the Rainbooms plays out like the "Amp vs. Amp" battle from ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld''.]]

* SphereOfPower: For the final battle, the ultimate move of the [[spoiler:Rainbooms singing in unison generates a rising rainbow beam made of the Magic of Friendship, which coalesces into a multicolored sphere of twirling energies. And then a huge pair of glowing wings emerge from it, prelude to the summoning of a giant WingedUnicorn made of light.]]

** The "Bad Counterspell" song and Snips and Snails's rap draw cringes and plugged ears from many in-universe.

* SuperMode: In the finale, the Rainbooms [[spoiler:get rainbowfied super modes on top of their anthropony transformations.]]

* ThemeMusicPowerUp: During the FinalBattle, [[spoiler:when DJ Pon-3 fires the first salvo with her BASS CANNON, followed by cutie-marks sparkles attacks,]] the music is a TriumphantReprise of the theme for the first movie (specifically, from the moment the ''My Little Pony: Equestria Girls'' title card is shown on screen).

** Even worse with the Hub Network/Discovery Family promos, which show [[spoiler:Sunset joining the band in the end as well as the final battle between the Dazzlings and the Rainbooms including the transformations of the former.]]

** The Equestria Girls still transform into their pony-human hybrids as at the finale of the first film, but now the transformations are [[ThePowerOfRock powered by their musical talents.]]

* TransformingVehicle: [[spoiler:Vinyl Scratch's car transforms into a DJ booth with several big speakers and a laser light show]].

** Also, the moment in the battle [[spoiler:where DJ Pon-3 fires the first salvo with her BASS CANNON, followed by cutie-marks sparks attacks,]] uses the theme from the first movie (specifically, the part when the ''My Little Pony: Equestria Girls'' title card shows on screen) in a more upbeat/rock cover.

** Twilight Sparkle gets into one too [[spoiler:when the Rainbooms are trapped under the stage and start blaming each other, and she admits that she couldn't get the counterspell ready and agonizes over how she could have failed like this.]]

* UnwittingPawn: Trixie and the Illusions. They're basically regular, neutral members of the student body, but are [[spoiler:manipulated into trapping the Rainbooms just before the final battle.]]

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** Sunset, Sunset, Sunset. You can have as genuine a reformation as you want, but people are not just going to forget your past misdeeds, especially when they included turning everyone into zombie slaves for your evil army.
** Trying to use friendship-powered magic in a universe where magic normally doesn't exist results in nothing happening. At least, not without a magical object from Equestria to harness it from.

** The equalizer display [[spoiler:in front of DJ Pon-3's transformed car]] also use [[RainbowLite six colors of the rainbow]] in order.
* RealityEnsues:
** Sunset, Sunset, Sunset. You can have as genuine a reformation as you want, but people are not just going to forget your past misdeeds, especially when they included turning everyone into zombie slaves for your evil army.
** Trying to use friendship-powered magic in a universe where magic normally doesn't exist results in nothing happening. At least, not without a magical object from Equestria to harness it from.

'''Adagio Dazzle:''' Why? Because ''[[NotSoDifferent you]]'' didn't?

* NotSoDifferent: Sunset Shimmer has gone from being Twilight's EvilCounterpart in the first film to being a more direct counterpart. [[spoiler:She even starts writing Twilight friendship letters at the end.]]

* DestroyTheVillainsWeapon: The Humane 6 and Sunset Shimmer manage to make a rainbow beam big enough to defeat the sirens and destroy their pendants that enable their powers. Not only have they lost their magic, but also their ability to sing afterward.

** Photo Finish was TheVoiceless in the first film, but has a brief speaking role during the announcement of the finalists, with [[UnexplainedAccent the same accent as her pony counterpart]].

* BookEnds: When Twilight first enters the human world, Sunset offers her a hand up and she noticeably hesitates to take it, showing that while she may have given her a second chance [[ForgivenButNotForgotten she is still wary of her.]] [[spoiler:During the films climax, after Sunset has proven herself to be a true friend to the rest of the Rainbooms, she offers again her hand to Twilight, who doesn't hesitate to take it this time.]]

* TheVoiceless: DJ Pon-3[=/=]Vinyl, Derpy, Lyra, and Sweetie Drops/Bon Bon. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle also lack dialogue despite the latter's [[Creator/ClaireCorlett voice actress]] being credited.

* {{Thememobile}}: Vinyl Scratch's sweet ride very much follows her color scheme, with musical notes decorations and a hood ornament shaped like DJ Pon-3's unicorn counterpart. (The toy version even has a detachable windshield that can be used as CoolShades.) It has various[[invoked]] {{Fan Nickname}}s (Vinylmobile, [=DJmobile=], Wubmobile...) with the most popular being Bassmobile. To top it all, [[spoiler:it is a TransformingVehicle that can become a DJ booth with several big speakers and a laser light show]].

* WorldOfCardboardSpeech: [[spoiler:Sunset]] gets two. [[spoiler:The first when she realizes it ''is'' her place to step in and help the girls stop bickering and resolve their issues.]] The second comes [[spoiler:in song when she joins the FinalBattle with the Dazzlings, announcing she's not going to let herself be beaten down when she's trying to change. This leads to her gaining a hybrid form of her own.]]

* DiegeticMusical: As noted below, despite this being a musical film and featuring the most songs in an MLP-related production, all of the songs are performed as acts, rehearsals, performances, the Dazzlings' planned MindControlMusic, and the musical battle in the climax.

* ByTheLightsOfTheirEyes: During "Under Your Spell", the Crusaders are shortly back-lighted as dark silhouettes, but their eyes stay visible.
* ByThePowerOfGrayskull: Twilight tries to invoke the pony-up TransformationSequence that will enable her and the others to use magic by joining hands with the Rainbooms and shouting "Friendship is magic!" Unfortunately, it's not that easy.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Both Rainbow Dash and Apple Bloom are seen making the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_of_the_horns sign of the horns]] at one point. A common gesture among rockers, true, but also considered to have satanic connotations.

** Trying to use friendship-powered magic in a universe where magic normally doesn't exist results in nothing happening.