List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic characters
This is a list of characters from ', an animated television series based on the My Little Pony toyline created by American toy manufacturer and multimedia company Hasbro. The series features characters and settings developed by Lauren Faust, who sought to create more in-depth characters than the stereotypical "girly" icons used in previous iterations of the franchise. The series premiered on October 10, 2010, in the United States and concluded on October 12, 2019.
The characters have been generally well-received by television critics and parental groups, and are cited as one of the reasons the series' older fans, called "", became attracted to the show. Friendship is Magic characters appear in numerous spin-off franchise media, including a comic book series, a, a children's book series, a, and a spin-off film series titled ', where several Friendship is Magic characters are re-envisioned as humans in a high school setting.
Creation and conception
Hasbro initially hired Faust to create a pitch bible for the show, allowing her to get additional help with conceptualization. Faust said she was "extremely skeptical" about taking the job at first because she had always found shows based on girls' toys to be boring and unrelatable. She was disappointed that what she thought of the toys at the time was nothing like the animated shows, in which the characters, according to her, "had endless tea parties, giggled over nothing and defeated villains by either sharing with them or crying". With the chance to work on My Little Pony, one of her favorite childhood toys, she hoped to prove that "cartoons for girls don't have to be a puddle of smooshy, cutesy-wootsy, goody-two-shoeness". To do this, she incorporated many elements into the show that subverted stereotypes of girls, such as diverse personalities, character flaws and personality disorders, the message that friends can be different and can get into arguments but still be friends, and the idea that girls should not be limited by what others say they can or can not do. Elements of the characters' personalities and the show's settings were based on her own childhood imagination of the ponies' adventures, in part inspired by the animated shows that her brothers would watch while growing up, such as Transformers and . Faust still aimed for the characters to be "relatable" characters, using stereotypical "icons of girliness" to broaden the appeal of the characters for the young female audience.Main characters
Mane Six
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic focuses on six core pony characters, identified as the "Mane Six", a group of friends who are brought together by the "Elements of Harmony", a set of six mystical jewels and an "unstoppable force of good" used to defend Equestria against powerful threats. A seventh main character, Spike, acts as foil to the Mane Six in terms of personality.Each pony character was designed to represent a different element and positive aspect of friendship—honesty, kindness, laughter, generosity, and loyalty —which come together to form the sixth element of "magic".
Princess Twilight Sparkle
- Voiced by Tara Strong, singing voice by Rebecca Shoichet
Twilight's most defining character trait is her humility. She is a natural-born leader, an intelligent and dutiful scholar, wise beyond her years, with an avid love of learning and scientific discoveries. Her skills in magic rival that of Star Swirl the Bearded, having already mastered various advanced spells before her ascension to alicornhood. Director Jayson Thiessen describes her as "kind of a neurotic perfectionist" who has "a touch OCD", prone to suffering from nervous breakdowns when confronted with insurmountable problems or concepts that go against her understanding, though she gradually overcomes this habit in the final season.
Twilight begins the story as the protégée of Princess Celestia, who tasks her with studying the magical properties of friendship and reporting her findings. Twilight detests her assignment in the two-part series premiere, owing her reclusiveness to her obsession with books, but comes to form strong friendships with the rest of the Mane Six, which she realizes is key to harnessing the Elements of Harmony. She resides with her assistant Spike and pet owl Owlowiscious in Ponyville's Golden Oak Library, where she also serves as town librarian. At the end of season three, Twilight's apprenticeship to Princess Celestia ends when she reverses an ancient spell by creating new magic based on her studies of friendship, transforms into an alicorn, and is crowned a princess. At the end of season four, Twilight becomes the Princess of Friendship, and she starts spreading friendship across Equestria with her friends. in season eight, Twilight runs her newly-established School of Friendship to teach ponies and creatures form Equestria and beyond the benefits of friendship with her friends as teachers. In season nine, Twilight prepares to become the new ruler of Equestria before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's retirement. At the end of the show, Twilight is crowned the new ruler of Equestria and she establishes the Council of Friendship to maintain her relationship with her friends over the years.
;Aspects and forms
- Twilight Sparkle is the human counterpart of Princess Twilight and a student of Canterlot High School. Human Twilight's design differs slightly from her pony counterpart: she wears thick black glasses, her hair is tied up into a bun, and the pink highlight in her hair is wider than the pink highlight in pony Twilight's mane.
Spike
- Voiced by Cathy Weseluck
Applejack
- Voiced by Ashleigh Ball
Rainbow Dash
- Voiced by Ashleigh Ball
Pinkie Pie
- Voiced by Andrea Libman, singing voice by Shannon Chan-Kent
In early episodes, Faust worked to depict Pinkie as a "free spirit" to address concerns of the character being seen as too "hyper" and "ditzy". As the creative team grew more comfortable with Pinkie's character and humor, she became "really over-the-top strange and bordering on crazy, with a wacky cartoonish magic all her own". Throughout the show, depending on the episode or scene, Pinkie's friends alternate between disliking and enjoying her company, both ignoring her when she tries to speak to them but doing things with her such as pulling pranks or playing buckball. In the future setting of "The Last Problem", Pinkie is shown to be married to Cheese Sandwich with a child named Li'l Cheese.
Rarity
- Voiced by Tabitha St. Germain, singing voice by Kazumi Evans
Fluttershy
- Voiced by Andrea Libman
Recurring characters
Royal Family
The Royal Family are the highest-ranking ponies in the Equestrian nation. The novel Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell establishes that the Alicorn Princesses are "a special breed of pony able to harness the magical powers of the Unicorns, the flight abilities of the Pegasi, and the strength of a good, true heart of an Earth Pony". Faust states that Celestia "embodies the traits of all three ".Princess Celestia
- Voiced by Nicole Oliver
Celestia's status as an alicorn is seen as a symbol of harmony between unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies. She is responsible for magically raising the sun each day from her castle in Canterlot and lowering it to make way for the night; she also acts as a mentor and, as described by Faust, "a bit of a surrogate parent" to Twilight Sparkle, guiding her throughout the first three seasons to her eventual destiny as a princess of Equestria. She owns a mischievous pet phoenix named Philomena, who appears to be a "squawking old bird" before bursting into flames and renewing herself. Faust's original concept for Celestia was a queen rather than a princess, but she was changed into a princess because Hasbro thought that "girls assume that Queens are evil and Princesses are good", and that "the perceived youth of a Princess is preferable to consumers".
Princess Luna
- Voiced by Tabitha St. Germain, singing voice by Kazumi Evans and Aloma Steele
Princess Cadance, Shining Armor and Flurry Heart
- Voiced by Britt McKillip ; Andrew Francis ; Tabitha St. Germain
Cutie Mark Crusaders
The Cutie Mark Crusaders are a club which consists of Apple Bloom, Applejack's little sister, Sweetie Belle, Rarity's little sister, and Scootaloo, a pegasus filly who is unable to fly and idolizes Rainbow Dash. After the fillies met and befriended each other in season one's twelve episode, "Call of the Cutie," they went on adventures while trying to discover their special talents and earn their cutie marks. Later in season five's eighteenth episode, "Crusaders of the Lost Mark," they finally earned their cutie marks, with their talents to help other ponies discover their talents. In season eight's twelve episode, "Marks for Effort," they became tutors for the School of Friendship.- Apple Bloom – A yellow earth pony filly with a red mane and a pink mane bow, and is named for being "full of potential" and having "a lot of growing to do". She is the sassy younger sister of Applejack and Big McIntosh who formulates and spearheads most of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' "missions".
- Scootaloo – An orange pegasus filly with a purple mane, based on the "G3" pony of the same name. She suffers from an inability to fly, and instead uses her wings to propel her specially fashioned scooter. She idolizes Rainbow Dash as an older sister figure, is president of the "Wonderbolt Dash" fanclub, and often tries to imitate Rainbow Dash's attitude and athletic skill; Rainbow Dash loves and mentors Scootaloo, calling her the "most awesome kid sister ever". Scootaloo lives with her Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty, whom Michael Vogel confirmed to be a married lesbian couple.
- Sweetie Belle – A "sweet-natured and sometimes spacey" white unicorn filly with a white coat and a lavender and pink-striped mane, based on the "G3" pony of the same name. She has "a blossoming talent for singing", and strives to become a fashion designer and gain the approval of her older sister Rarity.
Honorary members
- Babs Seed – A dark orange earth pony filly and "tough-talkin' Apple cousin from Manehattan", debuting in season three's fourth episode, "One Bad Apple". The character was created as a "blank flank" bully of the Cutie Mark Crusaders "whose behavior was the result of an insecurity that the Crusaders could relate to and ultimately help her overcome". She joins the Crusaders and forms her own branch of the club in Manehattan because, according to McCarthy, "We've got our three Crusaders in Ponyville and didn't want to add a permanent fourth". Babs earns her cutie mark as a hairstylist in season five's fourth episode "Bloom & Gloom".
- Gabby – A friendly and enthusiastic female griffon first featured in the show's sixth season. Introduced as a social outcast from the griffon city of Griffonstone, she joins the Crusaders at the end of her debut episode, "The Fault in Our Cutie Marks", following her failed attempts to obtain her own cutie mark.
Friends and allies
Discord
- Voiced by John de Lancie
Faust based Discord's character on Q, an omnipotent trickster played by John de Lancie in . The production team considered casting a soundalike of de Lancie to voice the character, and were surprised to learn that de Lancie himself was available. The creative team developed Discord as "the one character who could break all of the rules of the show", by making him put more modernized or contemporary pop culture references than usual in the series' "fantasy storybook" setting. He was not intended to have a recurring role; according to McCarthy, "'reforming' him allows us to tell new stories with his character. He gets to be the not-always-reliable ally instead of the known enemy". Author Begin commented on the "chaotic" settings that accompany the character, such as his home dimension called Chaosville, likening them to "dream-inspired Salvador Dalí paintings".
Big McIntosh
- Voiced by Peter New
Granny Smith
- Voiced by Tabitha St. Germain
Starlight Glimmer
- Voiced by Kelly Sheridan
The "Young Six" are six adolescent creatures who attend the School of Friendship run by the Mane Six. They consist of:
- Smolder, a cocky and competitive dragon. She was initially resistant to the idea of friendship, until she gets to know her new friends, and gotten to secretly like cute things, like dresses, makeup, and tea parties.
- Ocellus, a timid and studious changeling who has the ability to change her appearance into that of other creatures, much like the other changelings.
- Silverstream, Queen Novo's hyperactive niece who can alternate between the forms of a hippogriff and a seapony. She is similar to her cousin, Princess Skystar, in terms of personality, and has shown interest over the littlest things like stairs and indoor plumbing.
- Yona, a friendly and clumsy yak. Yona is shown to be excitable, but she has her own vulnerabilities. Being a yak, Yona is one of the strongest members of the Young Six, often using her strength to help out. In the show's final episode, an older Yona is seen running Carousel Boutique alongside Sandbar.
- Gallus, a sarcastic griffon. Initially unfriendly toward others, Gallus becomes more friendly and warm, while maintaining his sarcastic personality. He is revealed to be claustrophobic, and is actually an orphan.
- Sandbar, a laid-back earth pony. He usually serves as "straight man" to counterbalance his friends' more eccentric personalities.
Other characters by region
Equestrian characters by region
Federal government characters
- – The unicorn head of the Equestria Education Association that strictly regulates the schools and colleges within Equestria. Neighsay is strict and conservative, preferring to do things by the EEA guidelines. He is also very prejudiced against anyone who is not a pony, openly referring to non-ponies as "creatures" or "savages" in a dismissive manner. He has a fascist and speciesist world view, is critical of Princess Twilight's reformist agenda to expand higher education outside of Equestria's borders, and has denied accreditation in light of the Mane Six's questionable qualifications for the teaching profession. In particular, he openly disapproves Twilight's School of Friendship unsegregated inclusiveness of non-pony creatures, which he considers a foolish act that threatens Equestria's national security. It is not until the events of season eight's two-part finale "School Raze" after being rescued by the Young Six that he begins to change his mind about non-pony creatures.
Ponyville characters
- ' – An earth pony who serves as the mayor of Ponyville.
- ' – Mr. Carrot Cake and Mrs. Cup Cake, both earth ponies, are the owners of the Sugarcube Corner bakery. In season two's thirteenth episode "Baby Cakes", Mrs. Cake gives birth to twin foals, a pegasus colt named Pound, and a unicorn filly named Pumpkin.
- ' – An earth pony based on the "G3" toy of the same name, appearing as a school teacher at the Ponyville Schoolhouse.
- ' – Two dimwitted unicorn colts who create mischief in Ponyville. The short and pudgy Snips is "known for his enthusiasm" while the taller Snails is "slightly more relaxed".
- ' – Two wealthy, snobbish earth pony fillies who tease the Cutie Mark Crusaders for not having their cutie marks, calling them "blank flanks". It is shown in season five's eighteenth episode, "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" that Diamond Tiara's behavior stems from her stress about meeting the expectations of her father Filthy Rich and mother Spoiled Rich. By the episode's end, she and Silver Spoon make peace with the Crusaders.
- ' – A pinto earth pony colt who hails from Trottingham, a location outside of Ponyville. He speaks with a Cockney accent in most of his appearances.
- ' – Cranky Doodle Donkey is a donkey and "crotchety old grouch" who rejects Pinkie Pie's friendship until she reunites him with his long-lost "special friend" Matilda, a female donkey. The two marry in the one-hundredth episode "Slice of Life |Slice of Life".
- ' – A muscular pegasus stallion with small wings. His design was partially based on John Kricfalusi's animation style. He first appears as a nameless gag character in "Hurricane Fluttershy", where his shouts of "Yeah!" are recorded by Thiessen. Dobson performs the character in full speaking appearances starting with season four's tenth episode, "Rainbow Falls".
- – A unicorn magician and braggart who exaggerates her magical abilities, calling herself "The Great and Powerful Trixie". She makes appearances in the show and various spin-offs, beginning as a rival to Twilight Sparkle in season one's sixth episode, "Boast Busters", but becoming more apologetic after seeing the error of her vengefulness in season three's fifth episode, "Magic Duel". She makes recurring appearances starting from season six's sixth episode, "No Second Prances", where she befriends Starlight Glimmer, another reformed unicorn; in the ninth season, Starlight appoints her as guidance counselor for the School of Friendship.
Canterlot characters
- ' – A unicorn who is Princess Celestia's distant nephew and an object of Rarity's affection until he proves to be "quite vain" and "a pompous fool".
- ' – An earth pony "fashion guru" who gives make-or-break critiques to designers.
- ' – A famed earth pony fashion photographer who speaks with an Austrian accent.
- ' – An earth pony singer known as the "Pony of Pop", based on the "G3" toy of the same name.
- ' – A good-natured unicorn socialite with the highest position in elite Canterlot society, often appearing with a readily agreeable entourage.
- ' – A unicorn who is the manager of "Canterlot Carousel", Rarity's boutique in Canterlot that opens in the season five episode "Canterlot Boutique". Her design was inspired by Emily Blunt's character Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada.
- – A pegasus pop star and celebrity who appears as the headlining act for Canterlot's Friendship Festival in My Little Pony: The Movie.
Cloudsdale characters
- ' – A squad of pegasi that perform "aerial feats of wonder", based on the Blue Angels. They are captained by Spitfire, a "spirited competitor" and "no-nonsense instructor" at the Wonderbolts' training academy, and her second-in-command Soarin. Their costumes were designed by Craig McCracken. According to writer Amy Keating Rogers, the name of the Wonderbolts' founder, General Firefly, is a tribute to Faust's online username "fyre-flye", in turn named after the "G1" toy Firefly.
- ' – A trio of pegasus stallions introduced in "Sonic Rainboom" serve as Rainbow Dash's childhood bullies. They consist of Hoops and two nameless ponies nicknamed "Billy/Dumb-Bell" and the unvoiced "Score".
Las Pegasus characters
- – Traveling unicorn "salesponies" and con artists-turned-"respectable business people" operating a successful resort and casino in Las Pegasus. They are proficient at "liberating the burdens of wealth" from their patrons and exploiting legal loopholes to avoid getting caught. They often use song and dance to manipulate ponies into either purchasing their usually faulty products or patronizing questionable "get-rich-quick" venture schemes. Writer M.A. Larson said he "particularly enjoyed" writing for Flim and Flam, saying that "their energy and optimism infuses the actual writing".
Manehattan characters
- – An earth pony costume and fashion designer who works in Manehattan. She is introduced in "Rarity Takes Manehattan" as the assistant to Suri Polomare, Rarity's chief rival in a fashion competition, and quits after observing Suri's unscrupulous tactics for winning. Rarity's generosity was a huge inspiration for Coco, who grew up being told: "It's everypony for themselves!". Coco designs costumes for plays over in Bridleway Theater District and is currently chief manager of Rarity's Manehattan branch of fashion stores, Rarity For You. Her name is a reference to fashion designer Coco Chanel; it was later changed to "Miss Pommel" for "legal reasons".
Crystal Empire characters
- ' – A male unicorn and Starlight Glimmer's childhood friend who first appears in season five's two-part finale, "The Cutie Re-Mark". Following the events of season six's two-part premiere, "The Crystalling", he is appointed as Flurry Heart's "crystaller" and magic advisor. Later in season nine, Starlight hires him as vice-headstallion for the School of Friendship.
- ' – A tyrannical unicorn king who first appears in season three's two-part premiere, "The Crystal Empire". Described as a "snarling black-hearted monster", he enslaved the crystal ponies in the past until Celestia and Luna banished him. His efforts to reclaim the Crystal Empire in the present are thwarted when the magical Crystal Heart that protects the city obliterates him. Sombra returns in season nine's two-part premiere, "The Beginning of the End" after being resurrected by Grogar. He refuses to team up with him and the other villains in favor of conquering Equestria by himself. He destroys the Tree and the Elements of Harmony and takes over Ponyville and Canterlot, but is vanquished once again by the Mane Six. Miller based his performance on the vocals of the Mastodon song "Crystal Skull".
Everfree Forest characters
- – A zebra shaman and herbalist who always speaks in rhyme and lives in the Everfree Forest, a "mysterious" forest on the edge of Ponyville. The townsfolk misjudge her as an "evil enchantress" until the Mane Six befriend her in "Bridle Gossip", often turning to her for her wisdom afterwards. Her appearance and mannerisms are influenced by African tribal cultures.
Hope Hollow characters
- ' – A kindhearted, enthusiastic unicorn stallion who serves as the current mayor. He cares deeply for all of his citizens and tries to nurture their talents whenever possible, always praising them even if they themselves might not care about their work. His father and grandfather served as mayor before him.
- ' – An optimistic, hardworking, and intelligent earth pony mare who never gives up hope on the ponies she cares about. Petunia holds several different jobs within the town, including librarian, innkeeper, and historian, and takes pride in ensuring that the town's residents are well-read.
- ' – An earth pony mare who provides repair services. She is highly skilled at fixing a range of items, both ordinary and magical, but does not really take pride in her work until Applejack encourages her to do so.
- ' – A pegasus mare and fashion designer who operates a boutique in Hope Hollow. She has used Rarity's outfits as a starting point for her own designs, but hesitates to put them on display until Rarity encourages her to exhibit her talents. Kerfuffle wears a wooden prosthesis to replace the lower half of one hind leg.
- ' – A middle-aged unicorn couple who moved to Hope Hollow from Manehattan. They provided baked goods for the Rainbow Festival in past years, but the quality of their pies has suffered due to the color loss, making it difficult for them to tell ripe fruit from unripe.
- ' – An elderly, grouchy earth pony stallion and the neighbor of the Hoofingtons. He grows lush apricot trees, but keeps all the fruit to himself until Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie persuade him to share the crop in exchange for a share of the Hoofingtons' pies.
- ''' – Fraternal twin pegasus foals who greatly admire Rainbow Dash and try to copy her moves. Their inexperience with stunt flying foils their attempts until Rainbow gives them lessons, showing them the basics and then moving on to more advanced techniques.
Background characters
- ' – A cross-eyed pegasus with frequent background appearances throughout the franchise. Originally the subject of an overlooked animator's joke in the first episode, the character was dubbed "Derpy Hooves" and characterized as a well-meaning klutz by 4chan board users. The creators have since recognized "Derpy" as the fandom's mascot and included her in easter eggs throughout the show. She was addressed by name and given lines during the initial broadcast of "The Last Roundup" as a direct call-out to the fandom. Following complaints from viewers who felt her appearance and actions negatively reflected those of mentally handicapped people, the scene was modified to remove the character's name, alter her voice, and reduce the degree to which her eyes are crossed. Amidst concerns that Derpy would be removed from the series due to these responses, the character was re-introduced in the fourth season as a "surprise" for fans after having been reduced to background cameos in previous episodes. According to Miller, the character was renamed "Muffins" for "legal reasons that I don't understand" prior to "Slice of Life".
- ' – A unicorn disc jockey rarely seen without headphones and sunglasses, first seen in "Suited for Success". The names "DJ Pon-3" and "Vinyl Scratch" were created by the fan community, with the former being used in official products, such as the "Equestria Girls" music video parodying Katy Perry's song "California Gurls". In derivative fan works, Jesse Nowack voices DJ Pon-3, and is considered the "official voice" of Vinyl by the fan community.
- ' – An earth pony who was named "Doctor Whooves" by fans for his purported resemblance to David Tennant's portrayal of the Tenth Doctor in the British television series Doctor Who. He appears in later episodes as an eccentric scientist, and he exhibits similarities to his namesake in episodes such as "Slice of Life". He is voiced by various actors besides New, who voices him in "Slice of Life".
- and – The unicorn Lyra and earth pony Sweetie Drops appear together as best friends in several scenes. One such scene in "Slice of Life" outs Secret Agent Sweetie Drops, a disavowed secret agent living in Ponyville under the assumed identity "Bon Bon". Some time after the bugbear was defeated by the Mane Six, Agent Furlong approached Sweetie Drops and informs her that S.M.I.L.E. remained in operation and needed her help once again; he decided to recruit her best friend Lyra Heartstrings after learning that she was aware of Sweetie Drops' true identity. The two agents were dispatched to Appleloosa, Applewood, and the Crystal Empire in search of changeling infiltrators, with Lyra and Sweetie discovering a changeling named Delilah in Appleloosa. Despite some infighting between the veteran and her rookie partner, they were able to expose the villains and summon the Mane Six to help defeat them. Afterwards, the pair were established as a permanent team, remaining in Ponyville. They are voiced by various actresses, with Ball voicing Lyra and Libman as Sweetie Drops in "Slice of Life" and the ' film and shorts. Having been popularly paired by fans as a lesbian couple, they were officially confirmed as such in Season 9, proposing to each other in the background of one scene in “The Big Mac Question” and shown to be married in “The Last Problem”.
- , and ''' – Three unicorns who are given focus in "Amending Fences" as Twilight Sparkle's friends from before her move to Ponyville, while Minuette and Twinkleshine appear alongside Lyra Heartstrings as Princess Cadance's bridesmaids in "A Canterlot Wedding". Among various other actresses, they are voiced by Husain, St. Germain, and Ball in "Amending Fences".
- ' – An earth pony who plays the cello, originally seen in "The Best Night Ever". She is featured in a scene in "Slice of Life |Slice of Life", where she rehearses an "electric cello dubstep" number with fellow musician DJ Pon-3 for Cranky and Matilda's wedding; Octavia's portion of the song was performed by Tina Guo.
Extended families of main characters
- ' – Applejack's extended family of earth ponies that live throughout Equestria. Family members include Braeburn, Applejack's cousin from Appleloosa; her "high-society" Aunt and Uncle Orange from Manehattan; Hayseed Turnip Truck, a yokel-type odd-job worker; Babs Seed ; Auntie Applesauce and Apple Rose, two older relatives and friends of Granny Smith; Goldie Delicious, an old cat lady who hoards family heirlooms; and Grand Pear, Applejack's maternal grandfather and patriarch of the rival Pear family. A possible distant relationship between the Apple and Pie families is uncovered in "Pinkie Apple Pie", but never confirmed.
- ' – The Pies are Pinkie Pie's family who live on a rock farm outside of Ponyville. They are depicted as a clan of dour, drably colored earth ponies in contrast to Pinkie's bright appearance and personality. They consist of Pinkie's father Igneous Rock, mother Cloudy Quartz, and three sisters : Limestone Pie, the surly oldest sister; Marble Pie, Pinkie's withdrawn, younger twin; and Maud Pie, an older sister who rarely expresses emotion and is obsessed with rocks.
Equestrian characters of unspecified origin
- ' – A pegasus and the main character of the adventure novel series of the same name parodying Indiana Jones. Author Begin describes her as "essentially a different-colored Rainbow Dash in a hat". In "Daring Don't", the books' author A.K. Yearling is discovered to be Daring Do herself, who writes her books after her real adventures, such as her encounters with the Aztec mythology-inspired villain Ahuizotl and criminal pony Dr. Caballeron.
- ' – A unicorn baker who lives in a village founded by Starlight Glimmer. She begins a romantic relationship with Big McIntosh and becomes Mrs. Cake's part-time apprentice in Ponyville before marrying Big Mac in "The Big Mac Question".
Non-Equestrian characters by region
Tartarus characters
is a supermax penal colony administered by prison warden Cerberus, a monstrous multi-headed dog. Anyone may enter Tartarus, but no one can leave through its entrance doors; "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" are inscribed on them. Tartarus provides housing for extraordinarily dangerous creatures; for these reasons, its exact location is classified.- ' – A red centaur who first appears in season four's two-part finale, "Twilight's Kingdom". Based on the character of the same name from the animated My Little Pony special Rescue at Midnight Castle, he is depicted in Friendship Is Magic as a villain who escapes from Tartarus, manipulating Discord to help him steal magic from Equestria's ponies. The Mane Six eventually defeat and reimprison him with "Rainbow Power", a powerful magic acquired from the Tree of Harmony. He also appears in season eight's two-part finale, "School Raze", where he helps Cozy Glow with her plan to drain Equestria of its magic. The plan fails, and Cozy Glow is locked up in Tartarus with him; however, he and Cozy Glow are later freed by Grogar and join his team of villains. In season nine's two-part finale, "The Ending of the End", he, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow use the magic of Grogar's Bewitching Bell to make themselves all-powerful and attempt to take over Equestria, but are eventually defeated by the Mane Six and their allies, and turned to stone. Character designer Phil Caesar strove to make Tirek appear as intimidating as he could without being deemed "too scary" for younger audiences, giving him design elements such as a black upper body to "tone down the intensity".
- ' – A female school-age pegasus and former student of the School of Friendship who first appears in season eight's twelve episode, "Marks for Effort", and later reveals her villainous nature in the season's two-part finale, "School Raze", where she steals all of Equestria's magic in a plan to rule it. She is foiled by the Young Six with the aid of the Tree of Harmony, leading to her imprisonment in Tartarus with Tirek, her partner in crime. She and Tirek are later freed by Grogar and join his team of villains. In season nine's two-part finale, "The Ending of the End", she, Chrysalis, and Tirek use the magic of Grogar's Bewitching Bell to make themselves all-powerful and attempt to take over Equestria, but are eventually defeated by the Mane Six and their allies, and turned to stone.
Changeling characters
- ' – The former queen of the changelings, a race of insectoid "grotesque shape-shifting ponies" that feed off of ponies' love for each other. She first appears in season two's two-part finale, "A Canterlot Wedding", where she invades Canterlot by impersonating Princess Cadance to control her fiancé Shining Armor, only for the changelings to be driven off by the couple's combined magic. She also appears in season six's two-part finale, "To Where and Back Again", where she is deposed by Thorax. She later joins Grogar's alliance of villains. In season nine's two-part finale, "The Ending of the End", she, Tirek, and Cozy Glow use the magic of Grogar's Bewitching Bell to make themselves all-powerful and attempt to take over Equestria, but are eventually defeated by the Mane Six and their allies, and turned to stone. Character designer Rebecca Dart drew Chrysalis and the other changelings with an insect-like design after reading the character's name in the script, drawing inspiration from manga artists Junko Mizuno and Hideshi Hino.
- ' – The leader of the changelings succeeding Chrysalis. He first appears in season six's sixteenth episode, "The Times They Are a Changeling", where he befriends Spike after explaining that he is different than other changelings and doesn't want to cause harm. In season six's two-part finale, "To Where and Back Again", he helps depose Queen Chrysalis after appealing to his fellow changelings and becomes their new king. He has an older brother named Pharynx, who acts as chief of security for the hive.
Griffonstone characters
- ' – A female griffon who first appeared in "Griffon the Brush Off". She is introduced as a childhood friend of Rainbow Dash, who later ends their friendship when Gilda tries to assert herself over Rainbow Dash's pony friends by bullying them. The two later reconcile in "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone".
- ' – A grumpy old griffon who first appeared in "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone".
Yakyakistan characters
- – A temperamental male yak and the prince of Yakyakistan. He first appears in "Party Pooped" as part of a Yakyakistani delegation to Equestria.
Dragon Lands characters
- ' – The daughter of Torch and the youngest dragon to obtain the title of Dragon Lord. Unlike her father, Ember is diplomatic and compassionate, with genuine concern for the welfare of her people. Ember desires to learn more about the ways of friendship, and agrees to share letters with Twilight regarding the ways of dragons.
- ' – A gargantuan elder dragon and former Dragon Lord, who is succeeded by his daughter, Ember, in "Gauntlet of Fire". Currently the oldest and largest dragon in existence, Torch used his wealth, size, and experience to extort and intimidate his way up the dragonkind hierarchy to become Dragon Lord.
- – A teenage dragon who leads a gang of dragon bullies and an adversary of Spike. He is also Smolder's older brother, as revealed in the season nine episode "Sweet and Smoky".
Klugetown characters
- – An anthropomorphic cat and con-artist who appears in My Little Pony: The Movie. He meets the Mane Six when they arrive at the desert town Klugetown and pretends to help them while hiding his true intention of selling them to a local crime boss to settle a debt. However, after Rarity demonstrates generosity towards him, he has a change of heart and helps Twilight's friends rescue her when she is captured and free Canterlot from the Storm King's control, after which he joins the ponies in their celebration at the Friendship Festival after the Storm King is defeated.
Ornithia characters
- – An anthropomorphic parrot and pirate captain with a prosthetic limb who appears in My Little Pony: The Movie. She meets the Mane Six after they stow away on her ship while escaping from Tempest Shadow. Celaeno and her crew initially intend to throw the ponies overboard, as they have been forced into the Storm King's service, but Rainbow Dash inspires her to defy orders and take her and her friends to Mount Aris. Later in the film, Celaeno and her crew join Twilight's friends to rescue her after her capture and defeat the Storm King, and she joins the ponies in their celebration after the Storm King's defeat.
Hippogriffia and Seaquestria characters
- ' – A cheerful hippogriff and Queen Novo's daughter who appears in My Little Pony: The Movie. She first meets the Mane Six when they arrive at Mount Aris and leads them to Seaquestria, where she tries to convince Novo to help Twilight and her friends save their home from the Storm King. When Novo refuses and banishes the ponies from their kingdom, Skystar disobeys her mother and joins Twilight's friends to save her after her capture by Tempest Shadow and to defeat the Storm King, after which she joins the ponies' celebration in Canterlot and is grounded by Novo for leaving their home.
- ' – The ruler of Seaquestria and Hippogriffia who appears in My Little Pony: The Movie. She is first seen when her daughter Skystar leads the Mane Six to her throne room, and refuses to use her magic pearl to aid them against the Storm King. She is later convinced by Skystar to help the ponies, but banishes them from her kingdom when Twilight tries to steal the pearl. In the film's ending, she joins the ponies' festival in Canterlot after the Storm King has been defeated and grounds Skystar for her disobedience.
- ' – Leader of Queen Novo's navy.
- ' – Silverstream's younger brother.
- ' – Silverstream and Terramar's father, a hippogriff.
- ' – Silverstream and Terramar's mother and Queen Novo's sister, a seapony.
Non-Equestrian characters of unspecified origin
- ' – Tempest Shadow, real name Fizzlepop Berrytwist, is the Storm King's lieutenant in My Little Pony: The Movie. She is a cold and ruthless unicorn with a scarred right eye and a broken horn—having lost it to an ursa minor attack—who leads the Storm King's takeover of Canterlot and captures the four alicorn princesses to empower his staff with their magic, with the promise of the Storm King using it to restore her horn. However, she is betrayed and nearly swept up by the tornado he creates, only to be saved by Twilight Sparkle, inspiring Tempest to befriend Twilight and help her and her friends defeat the Storm King.
- ' – A satyr-like conqueror of lands who invades Equestria in My Little Pony: The Movie. He tasks Tempest Shadow with capturing Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight to use their magic to empower his Staff of Sacanas in exchange for him restoring her broken horn. After absorbing the four princesses' magic, the Storm King conjures a massive tornado to destroy Canterlot and betrays Tempest as well. He is defeated by the combined efforts of the Mane Six and Tempest, and his body is turned to stone and shattered to pieces.
- – A bumbling, gluttonous hedgehog who appears in My Little Pony: The Movie. He is a minion of the Storm King and Tempest Shadow's sidekick who accompanies her through the film in her quest to capture Twilight.
Historical characters by region
Pillars of Old Equestria
are six legendary ponies responsible for creating the Elements of Harmony. With the Tree of Harmony, they strived to ensure future generations could defend Equestria in its darkest hours. In season seven's two-part finale, "Shadow Play", the Pillars are brought into the present era after the Mane Six release them from a millennial imprisonment in limbo alongside the Pony of Shadows, forming a tense alliance with them to defeat and ultimately rekindle the Pillars' friendship with the villain. As with the Mane 6, each Pillar represents one of six traits similar to the Elements of Harmony—strength, healing, hope, beauty, bravery, and sorcery.- Star Swirl the Bearded : The unicorn leader of the Pillars. Originally envisioned as an archetypal wizard character with a prominent beard, similar to Merlin, he was considered by Celestia to be the "wisest and most powerful pony; a wonder that rivaled an Alicorn". As detailed within the series and various tie-in media, Star Swirl is a brilliant polymath: with a lifetime spanning over one thousand years, he had extensive knowledge of all creatures, legends, artifacts, and every known spell. Star Swirl's greatest contribution was in his service to Celestia and Luna—as their mentor, father figure and royal advisor. Star Swirl's spellbook is a key figure in "Magical Mystery Cure", where Twilight is directed by Princess Celestia to finish Star Swirl's "unfinished masterpiece" written within, resulting in her ascension as an alicorn princess.
- Rockhoof : A male earth pony whose clothing is inspired by Scandinavian culture; his first appearance was in "Campfire Tales". When every guard abandoned their kind and fled in panic to escape an erupting volcano; Rockhoof did not move. Shovel artifact in hoof, he stayed and fought to protect, lent his strength to make a barrage against the lava. Fast and powerful, many lives were saved—thus Rockhoof succeeded in becoming the unwavering hero he is known for.
- Mistmane : A female unicorn whose clothing is inspired by Japanese culture. She makes her first appearance in My Little Pony: Legends of Magic Issue #3 and her first in-show appearance was in "Campfire Tales". Mistmane was kind and generous as an angel: she was gracious, magnificent, and loved by all. An ugly empress, overcome with jealousy, stole the lifeforce from the land to achieve eternal youth, and allowed nature to perish. When Mistmane saw the pitiful decaying state of the land, she fought and defeated the empress, sacrificing her beauty to restore nature to its proper balance.
- Flash Magnus : A male pegasus who wears Roman legionnaire-inspired armor; he makes his first appearance in My Little Pony: Legends of Magic Issue #4 and his first in-show appearance was in "Campfire Tales". Thanks to his fortuitous spirit, Magnus saved members of his platoon from a flock of dragons; knowing reinforcements would never arrive in time, Magnus bravely led them into a trap of thunderclouds, thus defeating them.
- Somnambula : A female pegasus who wears Egyptian-inspired clothing. She is first mentioned in season six's "The Crystalling"; she makes her first appearance in the IDW comics' My Little Pony: Legends of Magic Issue #5 and her first in-show appearance was in "Daring Done?". Courageous and proud, Somnambula was the only one who dared encounter the sphinx, which kidnapped her prince. For his release, the sphinx gave her a riddle to solve: she found the answer, which enraged the beast. Fearing for her prince's life, Somnambula asked for another challenge: limbs bound, blinded by her own blindfold artifact, she had to cross a dangerous bridge. However, she smiled, for she remembered, and successfully rescued her prince.
- Mage Meadowbrook : A female earth pony who wears West African-inspired clothing. She is first mentioned in season five's "The Cutie Map"; she makes her first appearance in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #58 and her first in-show appearance was in "A Health of Information". Regarded as the greatest doctor to have lived, Meadowbrook used her knowledge and skills for the greater good: she cured innumerable diseases, and created many antidotes, vaccines and potions. Meadowbrook is best remembered for having discovered a way to heal a deadly pandemic; legends stated that her shamanic plague mask was the reason for her miracles.
- Stygian : First mentioned in "Castle Mane-ia" as the subject of a ghost story, the Pony of Shadows first appears in season seven's two-part finale, "Shadow Play". He is the alter ego of Stygian, a resentful unicorn who is mistaken for a traitor and shunned by the Pillars of Old Equestria, and bonded with an evil entity that takes the form of a shadowy alicorn-like monster. The Mane Six inadvertently free him alongside the Pillars, thwarting the Pillars' millennium-long effort to contain him in limbo. The Pillars eventually recognize Stygian's innocence and work with the Mane Six to separate him from the shadow creature, which is returned to limbo in the Pillars' place.
Founders of Equestria
- Princess Platinum – Daughter of the Unicorn King and assistant leader of the unicorns. Played by Rarity in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.
- Clover the Clever – Star Swirl the Bearded's protégée and assistant to Princess Platinum. Played by Twilight Sparkle in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.
- Chancellor Puddinghead – Leader of the earth ponies despite doing silly things. Played by Pinkie Pie in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.
- Smart Cookie – Secretary to Chancellor Puddinghead. Played by Applejack in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.
- Commander Hurricane – Leader of the pegasi. Played by Rainbow Dash in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.
- Private Pansy – Subordinate of Commander Hurricane. Played by Fluttershy in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.
Tree of Harmony
In "Shadow Play", it is revealed that the Tree of Harmony was grown by the Pillars of Old Equestria to protect Equestria in their absence. In "The Mean 6", Chrysalis and the "evil clones" find the Tree of Harmony, but the Elements destroy the clones when they attempt to use them. In "School Raze", the Tree's magic prevents Starlight, the Young Six, and the magic of Equestria from being sucked into Cozy Glow's vortex.
In "The Beginning of the End", King Sombra destroys the Tree of Harmony, and the Elements of Harmony shatter along with it. In "Uprooted", the Young Six are called by the Tree to the site of where it was destroyed. After arguing over how to best memorialize it, they use the Tree's broken pieces to build a small treehouse, and the Tree's magic transforms it into a grand treehouse at the center of the Castle of the Two Sisters' ruins.
Historical characters of unspecified origin
- – An evil ram sorcerer based on the character of the same name from the My Little Pony 'n Friends four-part episode "The Return of Tambelon". He was first mentioned in season seven's third episode, "A Flurry of Emotions" before making his first physical appearance in season nine's two-part premiere, "The Beginning of the End", where he forms an alliance of villains, consisting of Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, and Cozy Glow, to defeat the Mane Six and take over Equestria. In the season's two-part finale, "The Ending of the End", Grogar is revealed to have been Discord in disguise all along, attempting to create the biggest challenge for Twilight and her friends to prevail and boost their confidence. The real Grogar, known as the "Father of Monsters", once ruled Equestria as its first emperor before being defeated and banished by Gusty the Great.
- Gusty the Great is a legendary historical figure who banished Grogar, "The Father of Monsters". First depicted in Celestia's flashback in My Little Pony Micro-Series Issue #8, she is also mentioned in "A Flurry of Emotions", "The Beginning of the End" and "Frenemies".