Background Pony #6F3D
@Lancalot  
Well, as prevoiusly discussed his flaws are rather shallow. As some people said on fimfiction  
A Gary-Stu is often defined by being a lot of things, but we’ll focus on the stuff that Flash exhibits. He has no noteworthy flaws (beyond being ‘adorably clumsy’) that make attaining goals or interacting with others challenging, and his only real defining character trait is that he is Twilight’s love interest in the movies.
 
A character’s flaws are promises to the reader about the future story development. If a character has problems standing up for himself, the issue will likely be addressed later on. He will get confronted with his problems and either overcome them or work for a way around it. If you have a Sad or Dark story, he might also crumble under the pressure. No matter what, it’s character development and therefore part of an interesting storyline.
If the character keeps overcoming his flaws, he will eventually get flawless, but it won’t make him a Mary Sue.
Contrary to that a Sue is a character that gets implemented in a way, that makes such growing impossible. If he has no fears, no physical or mental problems, this is a guarantee to the reader that the character cannot develop and will stay flat for the entire story.
By this definition Flash is a Sue. He got introduced as a mix of different positive stereotypes. He is popular, has enough money to buy an expensive car, attractive, has a nice hobby and yet despite all of that he’s still humble and nice to Twilight even though he doesn’t know her and she seem kind of weird.
Lancalot
Non-Fungible Trixie -
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Magic Neighsayer
@Background Pony #7E84  
He has far too many flaws to be a Gary Stu. He’s the jock character, for Pete’s sake. Not the Gary Stu role. Sunset is the Mary Sue of the EQG universe.
Background Pony #6F3D
@Evil Emperor Proteus  
You kidding me? I know exactly what it means. It is not my definition of a Mary Sue which has been severely restricted to some extremely rare cases.
Evil Emperor Proteus

Master of Science
Background Pony #7E84 Flash is not a Gary Stu, stop using a term you don’t know the meaning of. Look at all the effort you’re putting into this out of wounded pride.
Background Pony #6F3D
@Fwelin  
He pretty much is over-idealized in the context of it being a high-school teen romance. He’s not the dumb-cool guy stereotype. Rather he has all the attributes of the perfect sensitive cool guy. He wouldn’t be much of a Gary Stu if he just was a stereotypical dumb jock cool kid. I’d argue he outshines every other possible love interest Twilight could have had throughout the show. It just happens that after several seasons, Twilight turns human and immediately falls in love with one of the first people she meet.
Fwelin
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).

@Background Pony #7E84  
Even if you’re going for a less stringent definition of Mary/Gary Sue/Stu, Flash doesn’t count. He isn’t overskilled (his one known skill is that he can play the guitar pretty well, which is not an especially rare skill), overidealized (fitting the stereotype of cool guy wouldn’t be idealization even by itself unless you ACTUALLY think that cool guys are the ideal archetype, but he also goes directly against the stereotype again and again), and he doesn’t outshine any important established characters, since “possible love interest for Twilight” is not a slot filled by any other character, nor is he even the 5th most important character in the the first movie (he’s probably like 9th).
Background Pony #6F3D
@Fwelin  
Not necessarily. A Mary Sue doesn’t need to be the primary focus and hero of the story, just be generally over-skilled and over-idealized and outshine long-established characters. Which in the case of Brad seems to fit pretty well.
Fwelin
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).

@Background Pony #7E84  
No, it’s YOU that doesn’t understand what a Gary Stu is. Perfection (which he isn’t) is NOT a sufficient trait to be a Gary Stu. Gary Stus are black hole characters of fiction, where every event, and every character in the story is setup to make them look important and good, against all logic.
 
If Flash was a Gary Stu, int he first movie he would have had everyone talking good about him every few minutes, he would have quickly befriended Twilight, reassured her, and then singlehandedly defeated Sunset Shimmer while simultaneously reforming her (like the EoH, except instead of magic, it’s because he’s awesome) and making her like him, too.
 
“Perfect Cool Guy” is hardly an accurate descriptor when he does so many things that go against said image.
Background Pony #6F3D
@Starswirl  
Nope. You seem to be the one who doesn’t understand what a Gary Stu is. Brad is perfect in almost every way. The only flaws he has shown were circumstantial, otherwise he’s the perfect cool guy with everything going for him. You may pretend that being cutesy clumsy in response to infatuation is some deep personal flaw, but it really isn’t. You may also pretend that standing up to authority is somehow a bad trait which should be held against him, and again that’s wrong.
Starswirl
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@Background Pony #7E84  
You don’t really understand what those words mean, do you? Gary Stu, really? When he’s getting kicked down in the latest film several times?
 
Well, I can’t help you then. If you’re so determined to cling to your personal narrative, fine. We’ve already established that a series of events can’t be a factor in your worldview when it comes to Flash Sentry. He has no character, and if he does have any it must be bad, especially if it’s actually nice.
 
Some folks can’t be argued with. Good day, then.
Background Pony #6F3D
@Background Pony #7E84  
of teen romances*
Background Pony #6F3D
@Starswirl  
And you’re still repeating the same 3 events as defining his character. Walking into a wall. Insulting a couple of people and being Snarky, everything which is perfectly in line with being the cool, rich, guitar playing Mustang driving Gary Stu which is the embodiment is teen romances.
Starswirl
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@Background Pony #7E84  
You’re still ignoring the finger pistols, the walking into a wall when he was thinking about making a smooth exit thus making a fool of himself, the insults towards Sunset and Sandalwood and snarking at Celestia, the way he flips out about his hair getting glitter caught in it, the smarmy grins, the way he tries to be really really nice to Twilight…
 
That’s all things he did. Not something happening to him without his input. Not even the running into a wall thing, because he plain wasn’t looking where he was going.
 
So, what was that about not arguing things he himself does in the films and shorts?
Background Pony #6F3D
@Starswirl  
No. The difference is, you created a personality for him not based upon he acts, but on what happens around him. Half your post describing his personality is about him stumbling on Twilight, something which seems to be brought up again and again when describing his personality. If your description of someone is “a few times he stumbles upon somebody” then that character is not a good character.
Starswirl
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@Background Pony #7E84  
Just so we’re clear: In your understanding of what personality traits are, events that happens several times and fall into a general pattern should not be permitted in a given interpretation?
 
I guess Fluttershy really is a coward who never steps up for her friends. Okay, maybe she did, but those were just single events, right?
Background Pony #6F3D
@Starswirl  
Nope. I’m pointing out that you’re trying to insert a personality into him based on single events, yet he’s still the bland Gary Stu he always was.
Starswirl
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@Background Pony #7E84  
Three times, actually. That shouldn’t be difficult to count, now should it?
 
Or did you mean the not looking where he’s going thing? That’s up to five now, I believe. Still more than one. You need to check your math, my friend.
Background Pony #6F3D
@Starswirl  
*Like when he did this one thing this one time which totally changes his entire bland personality.
Starswirl
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@Background Pony #7E84  
And Flash has a smart mouth that can run away with him. Like when he yells at Sunset Shimmer in Rainbow Rocks or insults Sandalwoods about his spirit animal or when snarked at his principal in front of the whole school in Friendship Games. He’s a romantic at heart judging from every time he tries to get close to Twilight yet hardly ever gets a break. And he acts like he’s all cool when really, he’s a dork who doesn’t look where he’s going half the time.
Pagan

Gay Viking
@lasty  
Not quite what came to my mind.
lasty
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition

dead to you
@Pagan  
full
Background Pony #7E42
@Background Pony #3275  
Nah, I know it’ll never become popular, but even the silliest of crackships often get a couple things eventually.
Background Pony #ED0A
@Background Pony #9D08  
It wont fly, don’t get your hopes up, son.
Pagan

Gay Viking
@lasty  
Mufflash? Aaaaah gross think about what you just typed.
Background Pony #7E42
I’m still waiting for art of the Lyrabonderpflash ship.