@Alexlayer  
That I can agree with.

@MegaAnimationFan  
We have standards. 😜

@Alexlayer  
That’s what I thought. I dunno why I even bothered to ask. Nothing would satisfy any of you.

@MegaAnimationFan  
You haven’t been reading the comments now, have you? ^^U

There. It’s confirmed that Starlight was never meant to be a seventh member of the group, straight from the horses mouth.  
You people happy now?

@tehwatever  
Based

To me Spike and Starlight are both the sixth rangers.

To those who keep bringing up the FACT that Starlight was easily forgiven, let me tell you this again and again. BEING FORGIVEN DOES NOT EQUAL BEING REDEEMED.
 
What horrible part of the world do you guys live in, that to forgive someone they must first redeem themselves? For how long?
 
You forgive, but you don’t have to forget. If someone is legit willing to work towards repaying you for the shit they put you through, why can’t you make peace with them? Man, I don’t get you guys. You guys keep equating forgiveness with redemption it’s ridiculous.
 
My parents and teachers, thank god, were tolerant bunch who would forgive me for ANY wrongdoing, but would also remind me of my mistakes so I could make up for them or at least don’t do it again.
 
Wherever you guys live, if I ever go there, I’ll make sure to never offend anyone because the price of forgiveness is apparently super high over there, goddamn–and that’s not counting redemption.

“Listen up, Beanpoles! Earning redemption doesn’t happen overnight!” It takes a solid 77 seconds of singing to earn that redemption!” :P  

@Background Pony #56E8  
PREACH.
 
@Background Pony #B38A  
THIS! Honestly, if Starlight was their attempt at a better redemption story, then MAN did that backfire, ‘cause it’s easily one of the worst.
 
@FlutterButterButt  
Yeah, I really don’t get what they mean with “long term redemption”. Seems like nobody ever told the writers the meaning behind “You can’t have your cake and eat it.”

@Background Pony #CC5E  
https://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Friends_Are_Always_There_For_You
 
And based on what I’ve observed it’s the majority not half.

@FlutterButterButt  
I think not everyone forgave her. Just say half of the fandom and when did she sang except for the In our town
 
Edit  
Oops, my bad about the song. I should check it before put it in here.

@Alexlayer  
It’s possible but we’ll never know for sure. It’s probably best if we just stick with what we think.

BOI! She sang ONE SONG and everyone forgave her IN THE SAME EPISODE. She goes back to the village for the first time ever since being a dictator and noone has even a HINT of having any hard feelings about her.

@Background Pony #B38A  
What? If your indicator of redemption is being absorbed and accepted into the mane cast, then you are putting too much importance into the Mane6 and thus take away some of their appeal: in that they’re at their cores, just regular ponies.
 
DO NOT CONFLATE BEING FORGIVEN WITH REDEMPTION! there is a difference!
 
If your mom forgave you for breaking her favorite dinner plate and didn’t hold a grudge, that doesn’t mean you’re redeemed: that means your mom is nice. You gotta compensate with something equal to redeem yourself.
 
On the contrary, say you’ve paid all your debts and served your time, but there is this guy who is still somehow a jerk to you because you owed him something in the past (but you paid back) or you were a criminal at one point in life. You’re redeemed, but the guy is just salty for reasons.
 
Starlight being forgiven by the mane6 and others showcases how nice and forgiving the Mane6 are. Starlight however, HAD NOT done a single thing to redeem herself until the Season 6 finale or even Season 7 finale.
 
Take the infamous Mirror Magic. Is Juniper redeemed? NO. Is she forgiven? YES. Is Wallflower redeemed? No. Is she forgiven? YES.
 
Is Discord redeemed? YES. Is he forgiven? For the most part, yes. But ponies are still suspicious of him because he’s well, him.
 
So JIM, was RIGHT. Starlight’s road to redemption was long, for anytime she did something good, she screwed something up and had to make up for it later. In general, Starlight had been taking small steps towards redemption and it probably ended at S7 finale.

@Background Pony #B38A
 
Turning things around in just one movie is no more realistic or believable than Starlight’s situation

@Background Pony #B38A
 
The thing is, in contrast to Sunset, who had an instant turnaround in her behavior, Starlight didn’t.
 
Starlight has had true relapses in the course of correcting her behavior, but Sunset has been somewhere closer to a saint in comparison. And she (Starlight) did have to sincerely apologize to her friends for doing that.
 
Come to think of it, Twilight never had to apologize onscreen to the ponies she mind-controlled in Lesson Zero.

Honestly, there’s such a gap between this supposed authorial intent, and the final result, that I’m beginning to question if there’s actual sincerity behind that tweet. Not because Jim might be necessarily lying, but because he might have one idea of what they were supposed to do with Starlight, while the rest of the team might have had another.

Seriously though, what does it matter if she’s “officially” a main character or not? Some ppl count her as part of the main cast, some don’t. Some count Spike as part of the main cast, some don’t. Some count the CMC as part of the main cast. Some don’t. WHO CARES? “Main character” is a ridiculously arbitrary title and whether she’s a “main character” or a “recurring character” or “semi-recurring character” doesn’t change ANYTHING about the show.

Good. Starlight’s gang spinoff when? Starlight should go around recruiting “Mane6 counterparts” or something, and make her own show.  
@Chuy Ryu  
Ms.Perfect can HAVE her element, Mane status, geode and empathy superpower. The Meme Counselor needs none of them to be a good entertaining character or to now be a recurring main character.