There’s a difference between a Mary Sue and an escapist character. A Mary Sue is usually a void of insufferable perfection with no amount of practicality or nuance. Escapist characters are larger than life and likely out of the realm of plausibility, but they’re interesting enough or fun enough to be entertaining. Again, like Batman.

@OneOverTwo  
I know that was my point: popularity isn’t an excuse from being a Sue in some people’s eyes.

@Darth Prime  
The thing about Mary Sues is that it’s somewhat subjective.

@Darth Prime  
Batman too had to learn all those skills to be the best ever. Same with Sunset.

@ApplejackFan204  
Batman’s pretty popular too doesn’t mean he doesn’t deep into that territory sometimes.

@OneOverTwo  
And Sunset is very popular amongst the fanbase so that means she is no Sue.

There’s nothing I’d change  
In my graffiti soul

@Evil Emperor Proteus  
A Sue is less about how skilled they are & more about whether the viewer finds them unbearable to watch.

@marik_azemus34  
I’m afraid it’s not that simple, good sir.

The Is Sunset Shimmer a Mary Sue? test
 
Does Sunset Shimmer have character flaws?  
Yes✔️  
No
 
Sunset Shimmer is not a Mary Sue.

BEST. GIRL!!!!

@angrybrony  
Only once in this short has she used it to save Rarity’s skin.

i like how the “critics” don’t seem to get how sunset’s hobbies don’t make her a sue. having a bunch of hobbies only make her a sue if they’re all used to save the day, which they aren’t.

@Evil Emperor Proteus  
Not quite, but she’s certainly getting too busy.
 
Like, when do you fuckin’ sleep, Sunny?

@Evil Emperor Proteus
 
Sunset Shimmer? The character who has nary a flaw to her name and continuously pulls new talents and abilities out of thin air?
 
Of course not. What would give you that idea?

@Zharkaer  
Four if you count video games, chess and fencing.  
But who knows, how good she is in those hobbies.

@Evil Emperor Proteus  
A Mary Sue would have everything needlessly center around them for no reason.  
_{Sunset sort of has the opposite problem, in my opinion.}

@Evil Emperor Proteus  
no.

@Evil Emperor Proteus  
She had to learn a lot of these skills in her time in the human world.

What is her artist name? Flanksy?

@Evil Emperor Proteus  
>all these skills  
>only one new skill shown

@Evil Emperor Proteus  
Becoming?

Sunset has all these skills all of a sudden. Is she becoming a Mary Sue?

Sunset Shimmer’s Gettin’ Up Contents Under Pressure.

When your favorite character copies your style…I LOVE IT! xD