Theory Time · 10:23am Mar 27th, 2016
Is Sunburst Starswirl?
Sunburst is the only pony referred to as a wizard [even if he's not one], is smart but not strong enough to do the spells he works on, lives in a house that is a wizard hat and has a beard and a cape.
He is going to travel back in time and become Starswirl the Bearded.
Besides the physical similarities there are also two things [and a third BS one] that can back this up.
We've seen how fast Sunburst can form a spell, organise the parts and add in a bit of creation with it. How did Twilight become and alicorn again? [no seriously, how'd that happen, I repressed the entire episode from memory]. She completed an unfinished spell that the maker of couldn't get to work himself.
Starswirl is know primarily for his time travel magic and while Starlight's paradoxical shenanigans aren't directly related to him, the first thing he asked after her confession was 'Did you really travel through time?'.
The third one is just my personal theory [though I suppose all of this is technically] in that Celestia saw him and gave a 'Oh, I know that guy' look. She said he was a student of hers but is everyone who goes to that school technically her student then?
There are some problems though. He does have some signs pointing towards it but his colour and Cutie Mark are all wrong. This can be explained however.
The colour Starswirl is depicted as is grey while Sunburst is orange. You know what else is orange [well, blonde/yellow]? Granny Smith's mane. She aged. So can Sunburst.
As for the Cutie Mark, well, we've seen what his GF can do with those. Changing it is not outside of the possibilities... assuming it hasn't happened somehow already. We haven't seen under his cloak to see his Cutie Mark and the last time they did that was with Maud, who they at one point showed it. Cutie Marks being such a big thing with those two, why wouldn't they show it? This is getting a bit conspiracy theory here instead of regular theory.
Adding Starlight Glimmer had to have some reason behind it. A lot of people think it's to sell toys and same with Flurry Heart [which they are, don't get me wrong] but I haven't seen a single Flurry Heart toy yet and you know how long before it happened we saw Twilicorn toys. Simply put: despite being targeted at little grills, the show is not stupid. It knows what it's doing and I believe there's something actually relevant happening this time with Flurry and Sunburst. I don't exactly know what that is with Flurry but Sunburst... dah.
While I don't think they will do this soon, having two time travel based season finales in a row may be a bit much, but if there is any mention of Starswirl in this season then I'll be absolutely certain of it.
Prediction: Sunburst will have a good chunk of screen time in the finale, possibly some small time through the season [possibly a multiple season play]. Ultimately there will be a Starswirl heavy two-parter with him.
Also he's the one who made the Crystal Heart.
It's interesting, but unlikely, and would complicate things more than is necessary. The obvious implication is that 'wizard' is a form of occupation like a magical scientist or something.