@Tavi959  
I wouldn’t count that as penetrating the shield.

@Tavi959  
Well Starlight’s ability with emotionally fueled magic is a double edged sword. It makes perfect sense that she benefit from it, because she’s a dangerously unstable bundle of personality disorders. On the other hand her plans and decision making suck, because she’s… well.
 
Honestly Starlight strikes me as brilliant but lazy. Her natural talent has enabled her to master the stuff she’s interested in (mind control magic, kites, psychology, combat) to a high level, but her lack of interest in other subjects has left massive gaps in her skill set. (I note that she’s never seen using teleportation or shields until after her redemption, suggesting Twilight taught her those)
 
Twilight on the other hand is interested in everything and would rather study from books than actual hand hooves on experience, which means she knows a lot about pretty much everything but tends to struggle applying it in real world situations under pressure.
 
Twilight’s spell copying ability continues to be really powerful and impressive though. I note that even in her fight with Starlight, she takes a hit from Starlight’s ‘encase in crystal’ spell just once and then proceeds to use it against Starlight in the very next round.

@Philweasel  
The thing about Starlight is her ability to channel her emotions like she does. Twilight’s shown impressive aptitude, but then blow for blow in Every Little Thing She Does Starlight still technically wins.
 
Twilight knows a library’s worth of spells, but Starlight’s been practicing what she knows for years. Twilight has a tendency to learn something and move on, never quite perfecting her ability with any given spell in favor of knowing more spells. It’s one of the ways they serve as a foil to each other.
 
The one thing Twilight’s got over Starlight in a straight up fight (there’s no such thing as a fair fight) is surprise. Twilight’s notably weaker without her friends, and she’s only ever been seen channeling her emotions once; when she turned into Ponyta back in season 1 because she was so frustrated.
 
That said, if Twilight were able to get the drop on Starlight unaware, she would win. Starlight would be so confused and unprepared that she couldn’t channel her emotions to boost her strength. Twilight doesn’t need to do that, and with her greater variety of spells she could win handily.
 
If Starlight’s prepared for a fight, though, my bet is on her. Twilight isn’t capable of penetrating her shield spells, where Starlight can penetrate Twilight’s (of note; Twilight obviously learned her primary shield spell from her brother, but Shining is much better at it because it’s innate to his own magical talents) as demonstrated in Every Little Thing She Does. The amount of power it took wrecked the library, but we do see Twilight unshielded by it. Starlight even remarked afterwards “I am on fire!” implying that adrenaline and focus can do the trick.

@PonyPon  
Well people always seem confused that a mad as all hell (and dealing with the consequences of that, such as her decision making and tactical discipline going out the window) could match a rather uncertain and mild mannered Twilight, while not necessarily being stronger than her.
 
It always made perfect sense to me.

I also note that both Starlight and Vegeta are most compelling to me when the plot is kicking their ass.
 
Goku and Twilight are most compelling to me when they’re flawed, goofy and working alongside a team of contrasting personalities.

@Philweasel  
Exactly, but it seems people always mention it like it’s just her.

@PonyPon  
It’s not, and it’s been long established. The elements of harmony and Changlings pretty much run on weaponised emotion, and Twilight, Cadance, Sunset, alt-Trixie, Celestia and Luna have all seen their magic suddenly become more effective when given emotional clarity.

@Derpinator
 
Well he won against Goku, but then lost to the rest of the Z-Group  

@Backgroundpony  
I think that meant he’s never won against his rival.

Never won? I have to ask Dodoria
 

@Philweasel  
That always sounded like a too late excuse to to me.
 
Surely, that wouldn’t be something exclusive to her?

@Philweasel  
“I LOVE having bullshit main character powers!”

@Background Pony #8EAB  
Twilight actually confirms that she couldn’t defeat Starlight in that situation, not that she couldn’t take her in a fair fight. And Starlight notes in All Bottled Up that she was operating on a far higher level than normal.
 
…I might still bet on Starlight, but Twilight has been seen doing combat training since and I can confidently call her better at magic.
 
Honestly I could compare them to the DB duo. Starlight might flex her muscles a lot more, but Twilight is the destined hero with the unique ability to pull overpowered transformations from her ass at will.

Inaccurate but amusing.

@Philweasel  
I would say that of the Mane 6, only Twilight and Pinkie regard Starlight as a friend after the events of Every Little Thing She Does. The others seem to avoid her unless Twilight’s around or there’s other, more pressing matters to deal with.
 
She’s actively friends with her mentor, a boastful stage magician and an alexithymic who likes geology and stand up comedy. She’s passively friends with the alexithymic’s hyperactive sister, a mad god, a baby dragon and a meek changeling king. I don’t really think that’s “everyone”.
 
The comparison is funny, if not completely accurate and completely unnecessary. Vegeta is an asshole, Starlight is merely socially incompetent.

@Philweasel  
She still could have beaten Twilight without it. Twilight pretty much confirms that,

@Background Pony #59C5  
If the other guy is unconscious and you’re not, it’s still a win!
 
I admitted it was rather debatable, but then so were Twilight’s battles against Starlight. (I note the one she lost was the one where she didn’t enjoy prep time and the benefit of choosing the battlefield)

@ILoveMyoozik  
Why does it have to be either?

@Philweasel  
>Majin Vegeta vs Goku also ended with Goku on the ground
 
They literally called that fight off, and on top of that, Goku was holding back SS3. Not to mention Vegeta was only able to compete due to the power boost from becoming a Majin.

What’s the point of this again? Can someone clarify this unnecessary comparison.

@Nightweaver20xx  
I think that’s in universe, and… also isn’t true. Applejack doesn’t seem to like her very much, neither does Mrs Cake, and when Twilight asked her to make a friend outside of the mane 6 she pretty much drew a huge blank.
 
I also hear Chrysalis is somewhat on the fence with her. (where as most of the villains actually seem somewhat fond of Vegeta)

>everyone likes her

Is this pro Starlight or anti Starlight?

Actually Vegeta has technically won two fights with Goku. His first fight ended with Goku completely immobilized with a pair of crushed legs, and he had no further part in the battle.
 
Majin Vegeta vs Goku also ended with Goku on the ground (via sucker punch, but still).
 
And I would… kinda say Starlight’s second fight with Twilight outside the cave was a loss? Twilight stopped her attack effortlessly and Starlight ran away, which counts as one for me.
 
If you don’t count that, then that means Starlight has only ever won one fight against Twilight, since all the others ended in draws.