"No one is going to remember you at all by the time we're done; all that's left for you is despair and regret."
WARNING: Spoilers Off applies to Tear Jerker pages.
- The Dazzlings tearing apart the school spirit Twilight created in the first film. Especially so after "Better than Ever" showed that the students were closer than ever.
- It's not just that. They didn't break everyone up into groups. They made the students believe it's everyone for themselves! If anything, they broke up the school even more than it had been before.
- And some of their lyrics sound like they're directly attacking Twilight's message, which is a real gut punch to those whom it touched.
- Even Flash joins in, who was the first to join in on the Cafeteria Song with his improv guitar solo in the previous movie. An earlier scene even shows that he still has feelings for Twilight Sparkle.
- Sunset Shimmer walking through a gym full of students glaring at her. Clearly the events of the last film have not been forgotten, and she's visibly uncomfortable being around so many people who know what she did and possibly hate her for it. The commentary track for the film indicates this story takes place at least five and a half months after the first. That's a long time to endure that level of scorn. And it's pretty safe to assume it was probably even worse right after the Fall Formal, too. It's honestly pretty surprising she didn't get run out of town by an angry mob.
- The human CMC rejecting her clearly tears her up inside.
- Even Principal Celestia takes a passive-aggressive shot at her, saying that she hopes the Battle of the Bands will be "the most exciting event since the Fall Formal" (though it was likely a case of Innocently Insensitive rather than her intentionally targeting Sunset). This prompts another round of nasty looks Sunset's way, causing her to blush, slump down against the wall, and hide her face in a Troubled Fetal Position, clearly on the verge of tears. It's hard not to feel bad for her.
- Later Celestia and Luna, already under the Dazzlings' spell, accuse her of trying to make the Dazzlings look bad so everyone will forget about her mistakes.
- The Dazzlings picking on Sunset when she tries to stand up to them, playing on her insecurities about her friends liking Twilight over her.
- Up until that scene, Sonata had appeared to be slightly less evil than Adagio and Aria. But here she freely joins in with the bullying of Sunset, even shoving her and saying "too bad, so sad" - showing that she is just as nasty as the other two.
- And everyone accusing her of turning bad again when she tackles Dash during the semi-finals when really she saw that Dash was transforming and panicked.
- Just listen to her when Trixie believes Sunset tackled Dash out of a fit jealous rage. She very nearly loses it.
Sunset Shimmer: IT WASNT A FIT OF JEALOUS RAGE!- Whenever she starts to shrink down, such as the above scene with Trixie, Sunset suddenly gets knock-kneed, holds her arms, and casts her head down. Does that physically sound familiar? Because that's how Fluttershy looked in the last film when Sunset was bullying her. You just know she's been on the receiving end of a lot of hate between films that being put on the spot prompts this kind of physical reaction.
- Rarity commenting on Flash Sentry's obvious crush on Princess Twilight, right in front of Sunset Shimmer, his ex. While Rarity is quick to realize what she did and apologize, Sunset's insistence that she was only using Flash to become more popular seems a bit forced.
- On Flash's side, he seems a bit down that Twilight won't be coming back.
- Sunset's reason for volunteering to show the Dazzlings around? She wants them to get to know the new her before they hear about the old her and start hating her like the rest of the school.
- Later, after showing them around and heading to lunch, she originally writes off their weird behavior as them having heard about it after all and gets a bit depressed.
- Rainbow dismissing Fluttershy when the girl asks if they can play the song she wrote, saying that "they'll get to it".
- It's very quick, but in this trailer
that shows Twilight returning to Canterlot High, there's a part where all her friends rush to hug her. Except for Sunset, who meekly backs away◊, not feeling worthy enough to be a part of the group. And in the movie proper, after Twilight flies through the portal and lands on the ground, Sunset offers a hand to help her up, but Twilight takes a minute to accept it.- This becomes a bit of Fridge Brilliance when you take into account the season 4 finale in which Twilight was betrayed by another "reformed villain".
- Twilight crying when Flash Sentry insults her because he's been taken over by the Hate Plague. It's especially heartbreaking since he was really looking forward to seeing Twilight again.
- Even worse was when Sunset tackled Rainbow Dash during their performance because she was conjuring up her magic when she wasn't supposed to and Sunset didn't know what else to do. However, the entire student body took this as her going back to being an Alpha Bitch. What hurt the most, was when Flash stood up and said "Now there's the bad girl we all love to hate!"
- After Sunset tackles Rainbow Dash, the Rainbooms head offstage, glaring at Sunset. After she explains why she tackled her, Rarity basically tells her that she should've just let them handle the situation and to stay out of it. Then when Sunset apologizes, you could hear her voice crack a little.
- When the Dazzlings brainwash Celestia and Luna into picking the Rainbooms to go against them in the finals as part of their Batman Gambit, they get booed by everyone in the auditorium. Photo Finish even yells, "This never should have been you, Rainbooms!" The ashamed looks on the girls' faces as they make their walk of shame through the jeering crowd are soul-crushing.
- The Hate Plague affected everyone in school, including the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Yes, even the Crusaders despise their sister (figures) under the Dazzlings' spell!
- It's even worse in novel adaptation. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle have additional dialogue after Principal Celestia announces the Rainbooms are moving on to the finals:
Sweetie Belle: Thanks a lot, Rarity! Now my friends and I will never be the rock stars we were obviously meant to be! All because of you.Apple Bloom: Worst. Sister. Ever. - Twilight completely failing at being able to craft a musical counterspell to the Dazzling's music, and her obvious distress at not being able to help her friends when they need her most is quite saddening.
- The lowest point of the film; Twilight's absolutely lost and can't come up with a musical counterspell to defeat the Dazzlings, the Rainbooms are at each others' throats and only fueling the Dazzlings' power, and Sunset's stuck in the middle, all too aware that it's hit the fan, but still too scared to speak up. The Dazzlings would've won if the Rainbooms failed to get out of the below part of the stage.
- The absolute disaster the Rainboom's first performance is - Rarity collapses and bursts into tears at the end. During the semi-finals, it's Fluttershy who runs off stage crying.
- It's brief, but when the Rainbooms automatically let Twilight join their band, Sunset starts to whimper. Keep in mind that this was before the Dazzlings tell her how she's never included in anything, so these feelings have been present for a long time in Sunset.
- Prior to the movie's release, everyone assumed Sonata would have a Heel–Face Turn. Unfortunately, it doesn't happen. Sonata fans argue that she did not deserve to have her singing voice taken away.
