YES YES YES A MILLION TIMES YES!!!!!!!!!!

@The Twelfth Doctor Whoof  
While we’re on the subject, it’s obvious that Celestia blames herself for Sunset’s rebellion. This casts some of her interactions with Twilight in a somewhat different light. Spike, in particular: was his true purpose to form a bond with Twilight that would keep her from rejecting others so thoroughly as her predecessor did?
 
I think it’s possible (likely, even) that there were several things Sunset failed to grasp, and she didn’t necessarily have all the revelations simultaneously.

@Thaecrasis, @PonyPon, @Scrounge  
I think more people need to rewatch the transformation scene from the first movie, because there are some subtleties in it that I missed the first time but caught on subsequent viewings.
 
As soon as Sunset puts on that crown, she realizes immediately that something is very wrong and she screwed up major. She tries to take the crown off but can’t. As her body is corrupted into something demonic, we see her crying, struggling to fight the corruption and failing, her tears burned away by magic. I think that’s the point where she understands what Celestia had been trying to teach her (or at least realizes how much she has yet to learn), not when she got blasted with Twilight’s taste-the-rainbow a few minutes later. Being transformed into a demon against your will will do that.
 
And no, she wasn’t always evil. Celestia isn’t perfect, but she definitely saw some good in Sunny-sun, otherwise she’d never have taken her in. Sunny just wasn’t compliant enough and for whatever reason channeled her asocial bookworm tendencies into arrogance when around others. I have my theories as to why, but that’s just headcanon. Celestia’s refusal to adequately explain her reasoning (and the magic mirror & Alicornication spell) pushed Sunset over the edge.

@Thaecrasis  
Even if the whole change didn’t happen then, that doesn’t mean it didn’t start then. Having the Human Five look after her while the rest of the school wanted to burn her at the stake certainly would have helped, too.
 
During the kitchen scene in Rainbow Rocks, she seems downright worried that she might do something her old self would do.
 
@PonyPon  
Being face-down in a smoking crater probably inspires you to rethink your priorities.

@Thaecrasis  
Course it was, did you see her?
 
She was battered about by magic that hard.

@Scrounge  
People can change, but I’m saying it’s EXTREMELY unlikely that her core self would have changed completely in a matter of minutes before and after that fight in EQG1

@Thaecrasis  
So Twilight’s true self is an antisocial shut-in who would rather be surrounded by books than friends? Because if you’re saying people can’t change, you can’t pick and choose when it applies.
 
I was skeptical too. I was not convinced at the end of the first movie at all that she had changed, but in RR she actually followed through and acted different. That’s good enough for me.

@Scrounge  
Luna was different; she was possessed by Nightmare Moon; and once that part of her was destroyed, she was back to normal.
 
Sunset however: she was evil before she changed into that demon, thus her normal self is evil.

I’m not a pony, but… YES. (and for what it’s worth, I’d still have said yes even before your redemption)
 
@RIG  
Why am I not surprised.

Will you settle for very special somehuman? I’ve yet to earn my hooves.
 
 
@RIG  
@Thaecrasis  
I’m sure you’re both convinced Luna will be trying to overthrow Celestia and usher in eternal night again any day now, too. :P

People take joke comments way too seriously here.

@RIG  
Same, I get that she can act all cute and innocent, but we all know her true self

Always

of course sunny

@SunsetShimmer  
Don’t lisen to him darling you are the best thing that has happend to me will you pleas be my waifu?. Besides Eddy is a lying cheating brat his words means nothing.

@RIG  
Stay buttmad, breh.

(Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!)
 
Yes.

nope, i still see you as a bitch.