helpful guide on how to know when i'm drawing mean/bully sunset shimmer or good/reformed sunset
(yap below)
I have lots of headcanons for Sunset Shimmer, but there are 2 main ones I'd like for people to acknowledge; them being her demon ears & being transmasculine.
In my headcanon universe, after the Mane 6 defeated Sunset, she kept some of her demonic features—more noticeably her ears. It's very helpful for differentiating when I'm drawing pre-reform Sunset & post-reform Sunset.
I thought it would be a neat detail. Other demonic features she kept were her fangs, but I forget to draw them lol.
She also gained two large scars on her back due to her wings. When I re-watched Equestria Girls, I thought about it since I'm a fan of scars & reminders of what a character has become (and nonhuman features in general.) But then found out it was a pretty popular headcanon, and I'm honestly glad it is. I love my fellow scarred Sunset Shimmer truthers.
As for transmasculine Sunset, this may be projection but I always thought of her like that. Sunset Shimmer is a t-masc butch 4 me, and I hope I'm expressing it well enough in my art haha. I don't mind if my design is considered a genderbend, I think boy Sunset is pretty neat.
I sometimes may draw him with body & facial hair, it's kinda inconsistent but I try lol.
older drawing, but another key feature on my Sunset design is his top surgery scars.
My Demon Sunset Shimmer design has top surgery scars (because I thought it would look neat, lol) and that's another feature she kept post-redemption.
I know the concept may be a little silly, like "that was the most painful transformation I've had in my life but it's okay cause at least I got free top surgery and testosterone." but I just wanted an excuse to draw Sunset with stylized top scars haha
so yeah, everytime I draw Sunset Shimmer with demonic ears & top scars, that means it's post-redemption. If I dont, it's pre-redemption. Lol.
Also she didn't magically become trans after redemption, I like to think she's been trans since before coming to the human world or little after coming to the human world. Bully Shimmer is trans too!!!!!
btw, i headcanon he/she pronouns for sunset.