Lightning Dust

Lightning Dust is a female Pegasus pony who first appears in the episode Wonderbolts Academy and makes subsequent appearances in later episodes, IDW comics, and magazines. Her cutie mark usually consists of a lightning bolt and three stars. She leaves a blue and yellow thunderbolt streak behind her when she flies, similar to Rainbow Dash's rainbow streak and the Wonderbolts' trail of lightning clouds. She is called Lighting Dust in The Elements of Harmony Vol. II guidebook.__TOC__
==Development and design==
 Lightning Dust resembles Indigo Zap in hairstyle, eye color, and goggles, resembles Sassaflash in pony type, color scheme, and lightning-bolt(s)-including cutie mark, resembles Issue 10 Unnamed Mare - Yellow Star in pony type, color scheme, and star-including cutie mark, resembles "Thunder Dust" in pony type and color scheme, resembles "Whoa Nelly" in coat and iris colors and stars-including cutie mark, resembles Unnamed Girl #19 in color scheme, and resembles Sky Stinger in pony type and thunderbolt streak.
Lightning Dust was scripted as a wingpony at the end of Wonderbolts Academy. Archived locally.
The original Wonderbolts Academy script included a final scene where Lightning Dust acknowledges that she was out of control.
According to the My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Friendship Games DVD/Blu-ray audio commentary, Lightning Dust was originally going to appear in film, but she was replaced by Indigo Zap.
On Twitter in mid-December 2015, the day after concluded Siege of the Crystal Empire, IDW comics writer Jeremy Whitley was asked, "Was there meant to be more done with Flim, Flam, Iron Will, and Lightning Dust that got cut? They just kinda...disappeared.", and replied, "I'd actually like to do a ff with LD and IW. I stand by Flim and Flam as unrepentant opportunists".
On Twitter on August 4, 2018, between the magazine comic Super Sub! and The Washouts, Jim Miller was asked, "is Lightning Dust capable of being reformed into a protagonist", and answered, "I’m sure if that’s a story a writer wanted to tell, we could make it work." On Twitter in mid-September 2018, Nick Confalone was asked, "Now that Lightning Dust has most likely ended up in a full body wing & hoof cast via rocket explosion will The Washouts take safety regulations seriously for future shows now!?😅😋", and answered, "Never! Lightning Dust don't need no 'redemption.' She got a steady gig doing what she loves with adoring fans all over Equestria. Girl's true calling brought her a ragtag rad-rad bunch of friends and teammates. LD = too big a bamf for a kids show to handle so how bout Safety LAST".
==Depiction in the series==
 In Wonderbolts Academy, Lightning Dust appears as a cadet at the Wonderbolt Academy who quickly forms a friendship with Rainbow Dash. However, she ignores Rainbow Dash's injury during an academy team exercise and brushes off the fact that her tornado put Rainbow Dash's friends in danger. Her recklessness and utter disregard for the safety of others eventually lead to her being kicked out of the academy and her team leader status being given to Rainbow Dash.
Lightning Dust is mentioned by Scootaloo in Parental Glideance. She also appears in the same episode as a filly in flashback.
 In the season eight episode The Washouts, Lightning Dust reappears as the leader and founder of the Washouts, a professional stunt team comprised of fellow ex-Wonderbolts. She and her team members do away with many of the Wonderbolts' safety regulations and perform far more death-defying stunts. Lightning Dust briefly recruits Scootaloo into the Washouts, intending to have her perform an extremely dangerous stunt (in spite of her growing protests) but Rainbow Dash intervenes before she gets seriously hurt during her debut. When Lightning Dust's hoof gets caught on a rope attached to Scootaloo's stunt rocket as it takes off into the sky, she is dragged along with it. As she is pulled into the sky, she declares that she and Rainbow Dash are "rivals for life".
==Other depictions==
===IDW comics===
In , Lightning Dust appears on cover A and page 16, in both appearances behind Princess Luna and multiple other characters in Ponyville. On page 19, Lightning Dust appears at the Ponyville Flea Market. She also appears in being recruited by Radiant Hope to attack the Crystal Empire. During the attack, she antagonizes Rainbow Dash and Rarity with water balloons, but she is eventually captured. King Sombra frees her in , and she and the other recruited villains defeat the Mane Six, but she harbors second thoughts about her actions by .
In My Little Pony: Deviations, Lightning Dust appears on pages 13-15 fighting against Nightmare Moon in an alternate timeline. She appears in Princess Eris' casino on page 12, page 20, pages 2-3, and page 14.
===Storybooks===
Lightning Dust is mentioned in the chapter books Applejack and the Honest-to-Goodness Switcheroo and Fluttershy and the Fine Furry Friends Fair.
===Magazines===
In the Signature My Little Pony magazine issue 69 comic Daring friends and the missing story!, Lightning Dust appears at the Canterlot Magic Fair. In the comic Just the ticket!, she gets Songbird Serenade tickets from Ponyville and refuses Rainbow Dash's flying-race challenge at the Crystal Empire. In the comic Super Sub!, set between Rainbow Dash's promotion to full Wonderbolt and Thunderlane's promotion to full Wonderbolt, she is one of the "new recruits at Wonderbolts Academy" whom Rainbow Dash helps train.
===Software===
Lightning Dust and Washout Captain are available characters in Gameloft's mobile game. She was added to the iOS version of the game on December 9, 2013 and on the Android version on December 17, 2013. Lightning Dust's in-game description states, "Lightning Dust is a Pegasus pony whose cutie mark is a lightning bolt and three stars. She is very competitive, but reckless!" Washout Captain's in-game description states, "Who could that reckless mystery pony POSSIBLY be--Oh wait, it's clearly just Lightning Dust. She may be a jerk, but she DOES look good in black!" The two versions of Lightning Dust serve as an enemy minion and boss during the "Wonderbolt for a Day" event, which involves Lightning Dust attempting to persuade Wind Sprint to join the Washouts.
==Merchandise==
A mini-figure toy of Lightning Dust has been displayed at the 2014 American International Toy Fair.
In Enterplay's trading cards, Lightning Dust is featured on series 2 #30 and appears on series 3 #E59. In the Enterplay collectible card game's expansion sets, Lightning Dust is featured on Canterlot Nights #160 C, Absolute Discord #10 U, Equestrian Odysseys #13 C, and Friends Forever #10 R.
On pages 20-21 of the book Winning Style, "Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust can't wait for the flying competition at the Equestria Games. They work on their speed and agility while flying through the clouds."
Lightning Dust is shown on Acidfree's first art print.
In a Signature My Little Pony magazine issue's Guess who’s coming for dinner?, Lightning Dust—stated to have a Cutie Mark of "a thunderbot and stars"—is joining Rainbow, Gilda and Tank as "[a]nother flying friend" guest for spaghetti.
===The Elements of Harmony Vol. II guidebook===
LIGHTING DUST is a highly competitive flyer and Rainbow Dash's good friend. She flies recklessly, and doesn't always see how her actions will affect other ponies. She might have an even bigger ego about her flying than Rainbow Dash, and was actually removed from her leadership role in the Wonderbolts because of it.
==Personality==
 Lightning Dust is shown to be a vigorous and highly competitive flyer who loves to test her limits. She has strong attitude, speed, and love for flying. However, because of her competitive spirit, she is also very reckless and shows little concern for anyone who becomes a victim of her actions. She also appears to have a bigger ego than Rainbow Dash.
During the comics storyline Siege of the Crystal Empire, Lightning Dust is shown to be deeply resentful of Rainbow Dash, blaming Rainbow for her getting kicked out of the Academy. She joins Radiant Hope after being offered the chance to prove once and for all that she's better than Rainbow Dash. However, she starts having second thoughts after King Sombra takes over the Crystal Empire, and leaves soon after, unwilling to continue playing a part in the proceedings.
In Just the ticket!, Lightning Dust openly doubts that she would win a flying race against Rainbow Dash.
In The Washouts, Lightning Dust claims to have acknowledged that she went too far during Wonderbolts training, but quickly proves that she has learned nothing from her dismissal, having no qualms over endangering Scootaloo's life during a performance. She also enjoys mocking Rainbow Dash by claiming Scootaloo "used" to respect her.
==Quotes==
==Gallery==
==See also==
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==Notes==
==References==
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ru:Лайтнинг Даст
Category:Antagonists
Category:Supporting characters
Category:Wonderbolt Academy cadets