I thought this was interesting. Sometimes really damaging things happen to ponies (and people) when they are very young, and develop really unhealthy ways of coping with and thinking about their issues. Some ponies recover well, but somehow Starlight never learned how to move past her issues in a healthy way.
 
It’s interesting that once she finally understood that there are way better ways of dealing with her issue, she really understood how badly she messed up.
 
I’m hoping we get to see Starlight work through her issues next season. I’m really curious to see how they’ll deal with this.

@Mojo  
I question the “saner than Tirek or Chrysalis” bit. Tirek was power hungry (literally) and Chrysalis was a predator trying to secure a food source. Both of those are perfectly sane (if evil) motivations.
 
Sunset Glimmer wanted to create a world without cutie marks because her feelings were hurt when her best friend got one and she didn’t. And even when she did get her cutie mark, she STILL wanted to do away with them all. That pony is an emotional head-case.

@Krek  
People say antagonist avoid the consequence of their action,it would have been good to see her getting punished. A fault confessed is half redressed

@PonyPon  
Bulls,you can being resigned to your fate and feel remorse,that’s called being honest to yourself.Starlight clearly saw that she fucked up big time and was ready to face the consequence of her actions

@Krek  
Would have indicated some real remorse rather than just being resigned to her fate.

@Background Pony #5115  

 
How so?

@Mojo  
“and accepted punishment”  
Oh, i forgot about that that she was willing to pay for her fault. I would have liked to see her insisting to be punished despite accepting the mane 6 friendship.That would have solved a lot of controversy

@Amethyst_Crystal
 
Well for one she’s saner than Tirek or Chrysalis are and she repented and accepted punishment in the end, the Mane 6 just chose to not grant it.

@Background Pony Number 17  
I already agreed to this in my reply to tigerrobocop.
 
My point is why does she get redemption when other terrible vilains don’t?  
She’s easily one of the worst.
 
Why does she get a ‘get out of tartarus’ card?  
Because lazy writing? Because she looks like a normal pony?

@Amethyst_Crystal  
What’s wrong with the villain having an absolutely petty excuse for an origin story, though?  
It’s called “The Banality of Evil” for a reason, after all.

@0verlord  
I can use that excuse for Sombra and Chrysalis if I really wanted to.  
Tirek already has a half an excuse.

@Amethyst_Crystal  

 
the suffering she’s caused, I meant.

@Amethyst_Crystal  
when something affects you that much during your childhood, it can drastically effect how you are as you grow up

@tigerrobocop  
This is completely true.
 
My point though, is that I feel a line should be drawn sometimes.  
The line was drawn for Chrysalis, Sombra, and Tirek.  
Why not this selfish bitch?
 
The vast contrast between what she suffered and the suffering she’s called.  
It’s the ridiculously huge contrast, you see.

@SeraphimDawn  
Seriously, this must have been intentional!

@BlazingDazzlingDusk  
MINDBLOWN!

@Amethyst_Crystal  
it kinda works tho.  
lots of people do horrible things for pathetic and petty reasons, it shows how weak-minded someone needs to be to do that kind of thing.  
and with Starlight isn’t any different.

Most pathetic shallow weakling excuse to be a selfish bitch villain, ever.

She looks even more like Aria! Starialight Glimmer.

She’s crying over his pigtails.