@Philweasel  
Much later, but: still, they’re mostly rich jerks who don’t connect well, as seen by the persence of Jet Set there (Suri probably just got in because her parents made her go there). And really, the only one who was even much of an asshole was Sour Sweet–who seems to have some kind of issues, psychologically. IZ was just overcompetitive, SF aloof, SC blunt (and trying to be helpful, sometimes), while LZ was…doing her own thing. They’re more concerned with winning than with someone else’s feelings, but that doesn’t make them bad people, either, per se.

you will know the power of the dark side!

Not running away at the end proved the Shadowbolts aren’t utter sociopaths. I don’t think it proves they’re good people.

This scene of the movie is so powerful

@Background Pony #269F  
Why?
 
A very large number of people have seen it by this point.

You know, this movie was pretty much a supervillain origin story for human Twilight.
 
Sure, it ended well, but 90% of the story was building up to her becoming Midnight Sparkle.

@dynamicv  
So was I

@Trickquestion  
They’re minor villains - just evil enough to be considered more than mere “antagonists,” but also not anywhere on the levels of, say, Tirek or Discord as villains

@Background Human  
I mean I guess being petty is a definitively villainous trait, but the games are so microscopic in comparison to what they could really be accomplishing with this discovery it completely destroys any threat these people hold. If they care about these games so much they’re too pathetic to be real villains.

@Background Human  
Going public with magic isn’t even really an option, if Celestia, Luna and Cadance’s comments to Cinch at the end are any indication.

@Trickquestion  
They’ll have time enough to win ALL the awards later, but the Games are right now. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen from one little live-fire test?

“Yes, let’s unleash the veritably real magic that would conclusively prove every current religion in the world wrong in order to win a high school sporting event. This is the best possible use of this discovery.”

I haven’t been following the previews but I did not expect the villain song.

@dynamicv  
Exactly.

@ArtofCider
 
Yeah she bailed when things got hairy and told everyone to run but the Shadowbolts stuck around to help without any hesitation. A real class act.
 
When they joined with everyone chewing out Cinch at the end I was so happy.

“Unleash the magic, unleash the magic  
If we lose then it’s a crime  
But we can win it if you begin it  
It’s up to you to not fail this time!
 
(Unleash the magic, free the magic now)  
Imagine all I’ll learn by setting it free…  
And now winning these games depends on me…”
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypkLSznrMyU

The students did redeem themselves by helping other students from falling into Equestria. Abacus Cinch did nothing.

@ThisGuyHasNoName
 
They are ashamed in the end, but only a little.
 
(Since they recognize that it’s mostly Cinch’s fault)

@ThisGuyHasNoName  
They are the villains for a reason :P

@ThisGuyHasNoName  
Or reduced to ashes by an enraged geek turned demon goddess?

||Did they all pressure her into releasing the power?
 
If so, they should be ashamed of themselves…. >=( ||