My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic is an animated series based on Hasbro's popular My Little Pony franchise. The show premiered on October 10, 2010 on Hasbro's The Hub channel, now known as Discovery Family as of October 13, 2014. It ended after nine seasons on October 12, 2019. This incarnation of the franchise is referred to as the fourth generation, or G4, of My Little Pony. The show was developed for television by Lauren Faust, who is known for her work on two of Cartoon Network's popular and critically-acclaimed franchises, namely The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.

The series stars a unicorn pony named Twilight Sparkle, a student of Princess Celestia, the ruler of the magical land of Equestria. The princess gives Twilight the task of learning about friendship and sends her and her assistant, a baby dragon named Spike, to Ponyville. There, they meet some interesting ponies, including action-loving Rainbow Dash, glamorous Rarity, hard-working Applejack, timid Fluttershy, and hyperactive Pinkie Pie. Together, they go on adventures, solve various problems, and learn about the magic of friendship.

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Twilight Sparkle is the central main character of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. She is a female unicorn pony who transforms into an Alicorn and becomes a princess in Magical Mystery Cure. She is also the daughter of Twilight Velvet and Night Light, the younger sister of Shining Armor, sister-in-law to Princess Cadance, and paternal aunt to Flurry Heart. At the beginning of the series, Twilight and Spike move from their residence in Canterlot to the Golden Oak Library in Ponyville to study the magic of friendship, and in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2, she gains her own castle along with the title "Princess of Friendship". She represents the element of magic. Before becoming a princess, Twilight regularly sends friendship reports to Princess Celestia. In Owl's Well That Ends Well, she adopts a pet owl named Owlowiscious. As of The Last Problem, she is the ruler of Equestria. Twilight Sparkle lives in an ivory tower in Canterlot until Princess Celestia sends her to Ponyville. Accompanied by Spike, Twilight checks the town's preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration and meets the rest of the main characters. The celebration is interrupted when Nightmare Moon, Celestia's nemesis, returns to power and threatens to bring eternal night to Equestria. Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six discover the Elements of Harmony and use them to transform Nightmare Moon back into Princess Luna. Princess Celestia gives Twilight permission to remain in Ponyville to study the magic of friendship. Throughout the series, Twilight learns about the trials and rewards of friendship, periodically sending friendship reports to Princess Celestia. On rare occasions, Twilight and her friends work together to defeat powerful villains such as Discord, Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra, and Lord Tirek. In Magical Mystery Cure, Twilight completes an ancient unfinished magic spell with her deep understanding of friendship. Princess Celestia tells Twilight that she is ready for the next stage of her life, and Twilight transforms into an Alicorn and gains the title of princess. Princess Twilight Sparkle becomes the "Princess of Friendship" in the season four episode Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2. In the season nine episode The Last Problem, she is crowned the new ruler of Equestria, taking Celestia and Luna's place when they retire. Twilight recounts how she got her cutie mark in The Cutie Mark Chronicles. She studied magic with great interest as a filly and sought to enroll in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, though her entrance exam nearly ended in disaster when she failed to magically hatch a dragon egg as requested. A moment after giving up, the shockwave from a distant explosion caused Twilight's magic to surge out of control and wreak havoc around the exam room. After Princess Celestia showed up and diffused the situation, Twilight regained her senses and discovered that her cutie mark had appeared. Twilight is asocial when initially introduced in the show; at the beginning of the first episode, she hastily excuses herself when invited to a friend's get-together so she can study in her room in Canterlot. She later agrees to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville but is dismayed when Princess Celestia also assigns her to "make some friends". Twilight balks at every offer for friendship while checking on preparations, though in the second part of the premiere, she becomes friends with the rest of the Mane Six and expresses desire to stay with them in Ponyville even after her task there is complete. In Amending Fences, Twilight returns to Canterlot and attempts to apologize to her former friends for her past asocial behavior. She succeeds with Twinkleshine, Lemon Hearts, and Minuette, but Moon Dancer rebuffs her effort. Minuette and Twilight liken Moon Dancer's behavior to the way Twilight used to act. Twilight is very close with the rest of the Mane Six and Spike, and she is forgiving enough to lend a hand to those she considers worthy of second chances, such as Starlight Glimmer. For the first four seasons of the show, Twilight resides in the Golden Oak Library in Ponyville and is regularly shown reading and organizing its books. She becomes enraptured upon seeing the large volume of books in the Crystal Empire's library in The Crystal Empire - Part 1, and in My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Forgotten Friendship, Twilight nearly passes out when she learns that the Canterlot Library has a restricted section. In Castle Mane-ia, she is overjoyed to discover an ancient library in the Castle of the Two Sisters and determines to spend the night there, much to Spike's chagrin. Unsurprisingly, Twilight demonstrates intellectual curiosity and textbook knowledge on a wide range of topics throughout the series. In Fall Weather Friends, she cites books on running to explain how she earned fifth place in a marathon without prior racing experience. When Trixie claims to have defeated an Ursa Major in Boast Busters, Twilight becomes intrigued and researches the creature in the library. In Luna Eclipsed, Testing Testing 1, 2, 3, The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone, and other episodes, Twilight shows off a detailed knowledge of the history of Equestria. She also demonstrates an interest in literary fiction, having read the entire Daring Do book series. Twilight strives to be rational even in difficult or unfamiliar situations. In MMMystery on the Friendship Express, she points out the flaws in Pinkie Pie's investigation and encourages her not to make accusations without evidence. When Twilight's "failsafe" spell fails to abate the bizarre phenomena plaguing Sweet Apple Acres in The Return of Harmony Part 1, she assigns her friends a set of physical tasks that address the immediate issues.

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Applejack is a female Earth pony and one of the main characters of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. She lives and works at Sweet Apple Acres with her grandmother Granny Smith, her older brother Big McIntosh, her younger sister Apple Bloom, and her dog Winona. She represents the element of honesty. In The Cutie Mark Chronicles, Applejack tells the Cutie Mark Crusaders how she gained her cutie mark. At one point as a filly, she left Sweet Apple Acres to live "the sophisticated life" with her upper-class relatives in Manehattan. She soon began to feel homesick, however, and while looking wistfully outside her window one morning, Applejack saw a rainbow appear that pointed back to Ponyville. Taking it as a sign to return home, she travelled back to Sweet Apple Acres, whereupon her cutie mark appeared. In Call of the Cutie, Applejack mentions that she was the last in her class to get a cutie mark, a trait that she shares with Big McIntosh and Granny Smith. Applejack is hardworking and diligent in her labor at Sweet Apple Acres and tends to prefer traditional methods of work. In Winter Wrap Up, she insists on removing snow with plows instead of magic and becomes upset when Twilight Sparkle uses a spell to automate a plow. When the Apple family run out of cider in the midst of high demand in The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, Applejack contends that the drink's quality is worth the family's slow method of production. In Applebuck Season, Applejack works through extreme exhaustion to complete an annual apple harvest by herself while fulfilling promises to help her friends, though her diminished focus ultimately creates other problems around town. In Apple Family Reunion, Applejack overhauls the usual family reunion activities in order to make the event as memorable as possible, but her efforts inadvertently end up exhausting the guests and destroying the farmhouse. Applejack speaks with a Southern American accent and tends to employ linguistic conventions from the same region. She frequently refers to individual friends and family as "sugarcube" as a sign of affection and often uses metaphoric "countryisms" to describe or compare. Applejack generally shows little concern for formal etiquette and cleanliness. She doesn't hesitate to enter the Golden Oak Library with muddy hooves in Look Before You Sleep, and later in the episode, she disgusts Rarity by chewing s'mores with her mouth open and burping. In Suited For Success, Applejack tells Rarity that she was planning to wear her "work duds" to the Grand Galloping Gala instead of a dress. On the other hand, when Princess Celestia hosts a brunch at Sugarcube Corner in A Bird in the Hoof, Applejack hesitates to eat and eventually gives up out of concern that she'll eat the wrong dish first. Applejack dislikes things that are overly fancy or feminine. She grudgingly consents to wear a "frou-frou, glittery, lacey outfit" as part of a dare in Look Before You Sleep, and in Suited For Success, she tells Rarity not to make her gala dress "too frou-frou-y". In The Cutie Mark Chronicles, Applejack describes feeling unsatisfied in her youth when she tried living the "sophisticated life" with relatives in Manehattan, leading her to return to Sweet Apple Acres. When Apple Bloom starts speaking French in The Cutie Pox, Applejack declares with horror that her sister is "speakin' in fancy". Despite this apparent disdain for "fancy" things, she crafts a heart-shaped ice sculpture in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1. Applejack wears a light brown Stetson hat almost constantly during her waking hours.

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Fluttershy is a female Pegasus pony and one of the main characters of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. She lives in a small cottage near the Everfree Forest and takes care of animals, including her pet bunny Angel. She represents the element of kindness. Like Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy is originally from Cloudsdale. She was taller and ganglier than average in her youth and had slightly larger wings. In The Cutie Mark Chronicles, Fluttershy explains that she was a weak flier as a filly and faced harassment by bullies at flight camp. Rainbow defended her from the bullies at one point and challenged them to a race, though just after the contest started, the racers accidentally knocked Fluttershy off the clouds. Fluttershy ended up landing safely atop a large swarm of butterflies passing through a meadow. Having never been on the ground before, she marveled at the flora and fauna before the shockwave of a nearby explosion startled the animals into hiding. Fluttershy earned her cutie mark after comforting the animals and recognizing that she had an ability to communicate with them "on a different level". Fluttershy is generally depicted as shy and soft-spoken when interacting with other ponies in the first several seasons of the series. She responds with a nervous whisper when Twilight Sparkle asks her name during their first meeting in Friendship is Magic, part 1. In Griffon the Brush Off, Fluttershy is reduced to tears when Gilda berates her and roars in her face in response to an accidental collision. Before attending Iron Will's assertiveness seminar in Putting Your Hoof Down, Fluttershy avoids confrontation with other ponies at the market even when they take advantage of her. In Dragonshy, Fluttershy tries to warn the townsfolk of a cloud of smoke but is unheeded due to her soft voice. At the beginning of Sonic Rainboom, she cheers as loudly as she can for Rainbow Dash but is unable to manage more than a whisper, much to Rainbow's exasperation. In Magic Duel, Fluttershy finds a book about the Alicorn Amulet and tries to present it to her friends, though they only become aware of the discovery once Spike takes the book from her and shows it off himself. Fluttershy's shy nature tends to overlap with a strong fear of unfamiliar situations or interactions. In Dragonshy, she reveals a fear of adult dragons that delays her friends as they journey up the mountain. The same fear leads her to jump out of her cottage window in Dragon Quest when Rainbow and Twilight Sparkle invite her to join in watching the dragon migration. Fluttershy appears largely unafraid of animals, though in Castle Mane-ia, she expresses concern at the possibility of running into star spiders. Fluttershy's special talent is communicating with animals, which she uses in order to provide them with food, medical attention and other forms of care when they need it. In addition, a host of animals have taken up residence in her home, which she attends to and looks after on an everyday basis. In Dragonshy, she delivers fish to a family of otters and gives worms to a family of birds to eat. In A Bird in the Hoof, she had just finished treating a mouse's broken leg before Angel reminded her of the luncheon for Princess Celestia, at which she discovers Celestia's "sick" bird, Philomena. Without the Princess' knowledge or permission, she takes the bird back to her cottage to try to help Philomena recuperate. However, her abilities prove to be ineffective in "healing" her; it is later revealed that Philomena is a phoenix and was simply nearing the end of her life cycle. In Lesson Zero, she appears to violently attack and injure a bear but is actually giving it a rigorous massage to ease the tension in one of its shoulders. In Keep Calm and Flutter On, Applejack puts Fluttershy's communication talent to use when she summons Fluttershy to negotiate the removal of a dam with a family of beavers, who had caused flooding at Sweet Apple Acres by blocking a stream with said dam.

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Rarity is a female unicorn pony and one of the main characters of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. She is Sweetie Belle's older sister and the subject of Spike's long-term crush. Rarity lives and works at her own shop in Ponyville called the Carousel Boutique, where she takes care of her pet Persian cat Opalescence. She represents the element of generosity. Rarity recounts how she earned her cutie mark in The Cutie Mark Chronicles. As a filly, she dreamed of becoming a fashionista and tried to produce "spectacular" costumes for a school play, though her teacher referred to them only as "nice". Rarity felt discouraged after failing to redesign the costumes to her satisfaction and considered giving up the effort, whereupon her horn suddenly shone with bright light before pulling her far across the land and into a large boulder. Though initially upset at the seemingly pointless journey, Rarity became thrilled when the shockwave from a distant explosion cracked open the boulder to reveal a trove of gemstones inside. She incorporated the gems into her costumes, and as they drew awe from both her teacher and the audience on the night of the performance, her cutie mark appeared. In Sweet and Elite, Rarity states that she was born in Ponyville. Rarity takes great concern for beauty both in herself and in others. She rushes Twilight Sparkle to the Carousel Boutique to fix her disheveled mane when they first meet in Friendship is Magic, part 1, and in Friendship is Magic, part 2, Rarity alone sympathizes with a sea serpent as he despairs over his ruined mustache. In Suited For Success, Rarity takes great care in producing gala dresses for the rest of the Mane Six and organizes a fashion show to display them. Rarity is very knowledgeable about fashion and tries to stay abreast of the latest trends. In Secret of My Excess, she anticipates that ruffled taffeta capes will become popular and asks Twilight for books about them in order to be "ahead of the game". Rarity's outfit impresses a room full of fashion critics in Green Isn't Your Color such that they conclude she "clearly knows a thing or two about fashion". In Rarity Takes Manehattan, after Suri Polomare presents Rarity's signature fabric as her own during a fashion contest in Manehattan, Rarity develops a brand new line overnight based on her hotel's aesthetic and ends up winning first place. Rarity is sometimes overly sensitive about appearance and cleanliness. In Look Before You Sleep, despite fearing that her "wonderfully styled mane shall be ruined" in a thunderstorm, she refuses to take shelter under a picnic table due to a mud puddle. As the Mane Six prepare to confront a dragon atop a mountain in Dragonshy, Rarity fears she may have forgotten to bring a tiara that matches her scarf. In MMMystery on the Friendship Express, when presented with a false eyelash as evidence that she took a bite from the Cakes' contest entry, Rarity dramatically admits to using false eyelashes before casually admitting to eating the cake. In Magic Duel, Rarity becomes inconsolable when Trixie magically clothes her in a dress prominently featuring shades of brown that "should only be used for accents". In Campfire Tales, Rarity also accentuates the value of inner beauty, as showcased in her story about Mistmane, who gave up her own beauty to save her friend and dedicated her life to spreading beauty across Equestria. When her mane gets ruined in It Isn't the Mane Thing About You, Rarity falls into a state of depression, but when her friends remind her of all she has accomplished, she brings her own inner beauty to the surface with a brand new look that becomes popular and inspires a new fashion trend. Several episodes depict Rarity seeking after attention and recognition from the public. When Fluttershy's modelling career takes off in Green Isn't Your Color, Rarity grows jealous of her friend's stardom and claims that she should be the one getting "mobbed by strangers". In Sonic Rainboom, Rarity is pleased when her temporary wings draw admiration from the Cloudsdale Pegasi, and she eventually agrees to compete in the Best Young Flyer Competition despite her initial goal of supporting Rainbow Dash in it. In Sweet and Elite, Rarity lies to her friends so she can spend more time in Canterlot and grow her popularity among the city's elite. Rarity generally acts with dignity and grace and speaks eloquently with a Transatlantic accent. She occasionally employs French vocabulary when speaking in the parlance of fashion and often addresses others as "darling". Rarity prides herself on giving attention to detail in her work, though this sometimes results in neglecting larger issues. When a tree crashes into Twilight Sparkle's bedroom in Look Before You Sleep, Rarity ignores the tree in favor of reorganizing a jostled bookshelf. In Winter Wrap Up, she spends most of the day trying to fix Twilight's botched bird nest instead of creating new ones, leading to delays in Ponyville's Winter Wrap Up operation. Rarity can be tough and resourceful in difficult situations. When kidnapped by the Diamond Dogs in A Dog and Pony Show and forced to find gems, she exasperates the dogs with incessant whining and ultimately convinces them to let her leave with several carts' worth of gems. In Swarm of the Century, while the other ponies are alarmed by the unexpected multiplication of their pet parasprites, Rarity puts hers to work at the Carousel Boutique and comments that they are "quite useful". In Dragon Quest, Rarity tells a group of teenaged dragons menacing Spike that she'll "rip [them] to pieces" if they attack. Whenever Rarity finds herself in a stressful situation, she has a tendency to eat large amounts of ice cream, as seen in Inspiration Manifestation, P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View), or It Isn't the Mane Thing About You. Rarity represents the element of generosity; despite her concern for attention and personal beauty, she generally acts with sympathy and selflessness towards others. She insists on giving Twilight Sparkle a makeover to fix her frazzled mane in Friendship is Magic, part 1, and in Friendship is Magic, part 2 Rarity slices off her own tail and uses it to fix Steven Magnet's mustache.

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Pinkie Pie, full name Pinkamena Diane Pie, is a female Earth pony and one of the main characters of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. She is an energetic and sociable baker at Sugarcube Corner, where she lives on the second floor with her toothless pet alligator Gummy, and she represents the element of laughter. Pinkie writes and performs many songs, and she is the source of many of the show's comical and cartoonish gags. She is called Ponka Po in some merchandise. In The Cutie Mark Chronicles, Pinkie Pie recounts how she was raised on a rock farm with her sisters Limestone Pie and Marble Pie and her father and mother Igneous Rock Pie and Cloudy Quartz. Her third sister, Maud Pie, is first mentioned in the chapter book Pinkie Pie and the Rockin' Ponypalooza Party! and appears in the episodes Pinkie Pride, Maud Pie, and Hearthbreakers. According to Pinkie, while working on the farm one day, she saw a rainbow emanate from a distant explosion and felt a sudden immense joy. Wanting to recreate the feeling for others, she put together a party in the farm's silo and invited her family inside. Their initial surprise upon entering was soon overtaken by excitement, and as the family celebrated together, Pinkie's cutie mark appeared on her flank. In Pinkie Pride, Cheese Sandwich reveals that he was inspired to become a party planner after attending a party thrown by Pinkie sometime after she acquired her cutie mark. Pinkie investigates a possible relation with the Apple family in Pinkie Apple Pie, though the truth is left ambiguous in the end. Pinkie is hyperactive, excitable, outgoing, and quirky, often speaking and acting in non sequiturs. As expressed in the Smile Song, she loves to befriend other ponies and make them happy, such as with Twilight Sparkle in Friendship is Magic, part 1 and Cranky Doodle Donkey in A Friend in Deed. To this end, Pinkie frequently organizes parties around town for various occasions. Pinkie tends to behave in a lighthearted manner even in serious situations, such as pausing to drink chocolate milk rain just as the main characters confront Discord in The Return of Harmony Part 2. On other occasions, she appears to overreact to mundane circumstances, such as assuming Rainbow Dash will have no recollection of her friends when they visit her in Wonderbolts Academy. As a result, the rest of the Mane Six sometimes dismiss or criticize Pinkie's behavior; in Swarm of the Century, the friends become frustrated with her efforts to gather instruments only to learn later that parasprites can be led away with music. Pinkie frequently performs cartoonish feats such as phyics-defying motion, wild takes, and entering into frame at impossible angles. She plays ten instruments at once in an impractical manner to lure away parasprites in Swarm of the Century and mislead Trixie in Magic Duel. On occasion, Pinkie's feats will interact with "normal" characters, such as when she blows a large bubble that appears to make Twilight Sparkle's head expand in MMMystery on the Friendship Express, or when she uses her hooves to give Cranky Doodle Donkey an oversized smile in A Friend in Deed only for his elongated lips to flop back into a frown. Pinkie sometimes breaks the fourth wall and shows awareness of cinematic elements. She pokes her head through the iris wipe at the end of Over a Barrel to comment on Twilight's friendship lesson, and in Magic Duel, she stretches the iris wipe wide open and climbs into the black screen to demand that her mouth be restored. In Make New Friends but Keep Discord, Pinkie's excitement about Discord buying all the cakes in the bakery leads her to shake the camera. She tells Princess Cadance that keeping her and Shining Armor's secret was a "piece of cake" at the end of The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows, though as the screen irises in on her, Pinkie shakes her head directly at the viewers. Pinkie Pie is a talented and enthusiastic party organizer, having earned her cutie mark by throwing a party for her family. Upon meeting Twilight Sparkle for the first time in Friendship is Magic, part 1, Pinkie invites everyone in town to a surprise welcome party for her at the Golden Oak Library so that Twilight will have "lots and lots of friends". In Griffon the Brush Off, after watching Gilda antagonize ponies in the Ponyville town square, Pinkie throws a party in her honor in hopes of improving her attitude. In Pinkie Pride, Cheese Sandwich challenges Pinkie to a "Goof Off" contest to determine who will host Rainbow Dash's birth-iversary party. In Party Pooped, Pinkie's friends accidentally discover that she has a secret party-planning cave in the Sugarcube Corner basement, complete with notes on what kind of parties everyone likes and plans for parties years in the future. In Sweet and Elite, Pinkie ignites a "party cannon" to launch decorations that land in perfect arrangement across a ballroom for Twilight Sparkle's birthday party. The cannon reappears many times after this, including as a means to fight off changelings in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2. In My Little Pony The Movie, Twilight's friends use a giant version of Pinkie's cannon to launch themselves into the Storm King. Pinkie frequently performs songs and plays a variety of musical instruments in the series. She plays a one-pony band in Swarm of the Century and Magic Duel, as well as the pipe organ in Castle Mane-ia despite having no prior knowledge of having played said instrument. During an afternoon in Party Pooped, she plays drums.

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Rainbow Dash is a female Pegasus pony and one of the main characters in My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. She maintains the weather and clears the skies in Ponyville. As a huge fan of the Wonderbolts, she becomes a reservist member of the elite flying group in Testing Testing 1, 2, 3 and a full member in Newbie Dash. In Sonic Rainboom, Rarity and Princess Celestia both declare that she is the best flier in all of Equestria. Rainbow Dash has a pet tortoise named Tank, whom she acquires from Fluttershy in the episode May the Best Pet Win! She represents the element of loyalty. In Games Ponies Play, Rainbow Dash recalls experiencing disappointment as a filly when she learned that Fillydelphia would host the Equestria Games rather than her hometown of Cloudsdale, though she was selected to carry Cloudsdale's flag in the Games' opening ceremony. She boasts in Flight to the Finish of doing "tricks with that flag the likes of which nopony saw before and nopony's seen since!" In Call of the Cutie, Rainbow mentions that she was the first in her class to get her cutie mark. She recounts the story of how she earned her mark to the Cutie Mark Crusaders in The Cutie Mark Chronicles. While attending a youth flight camp, she defended Fluttershy from a pair of bullies and challenged them to a race, wherein she discovered a passion for flying fast and "winning". Her intense speed ended up generating a sonic rainboom, and as she passed the finish line, her cutie mark appeared. Rainbow Dash represents the element of loyalty and demonstrates the trait throughout the series. In Friendship is Magic, part 2, Nightmare Moon offers to make Rainbow the leader of an elite flying team called the Shadowbolts if she abandons her friends and their quest to find the Elements of Harmony, but Rainbow refuses. In Rainbow Falls, Rainbow is offered the opportunity to fly with the prestigious Wonderbolts instead of the Ponyville team at the Equestria Games' aerial relay competition. She secretly practices with the Wonderbolts at first but ultimately decides to fly for Ponyville. In The Return of Harmony Part 1, Rainbow promises not to leave Ponyville until the bizarre weather clears even though Cloudsdale is facing similar trouble. Later in the episode, however, Discord shows her a false vision of Cloudsdale falling apart in her absence and magically convinces her to abandon her friends in the Canterlot Castle hedge maze. In The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2, in an alternate-timeline Equestria ruled by Nightmare Moon, Rainbow is one of her loyal royal guards and demands that Twilight Sparkle answer her questions. Rainbow Dash often engages in competitive behavior, having discovered a passion for "winning" while racing a group of bullies in The Cutie Mark Chronicles. She makes two attempts to become the Equestria ball-bouncing record holder in Dragonshy, and in A Bird in the Hoof, Rainbow tries to start a race with Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle as they head toward the Ponyville fountain. In Fall Weather Friends, Rainbow gets upset when Applejack beats her in a game of horseshoes and challenges her to an Iron Pony competition. After using her wings to gain advantage and win the contest, Rainbow accepts Applejack's challenge to a marathon race, though she continues to use underhand tactics throughout. In The Ticket Master, upon hearing that Spike won't join Twilight at the Grand Galloping Gala, Rainbow and Applejack face off in a "hoof wrestle" to win his unused ticket. In Castle Mane-ia, Applejack and Rainbow stay overnight in the Castle of the Two Sisters in a contest to win the title of "most daring pony". When Rainbow starts practicing with the Wonderbolts in Rainbow Falls, she tells a concerned Twilight that it's more fun flying with the "winners" than the "non-winners" and insists Ponyville will still qualify with her on the team. By the end of the episode, however, Rainbow concludes that even though she loves winning, she loves her friends "waaaaay more". In Non-Compete Clause, Rainbow Dash and Applejack lead together a teamwork-building field trip for the School of Friendship students. They show the students how to not work together, however, as their competitiveness for winning the "Teacher of the Month" award constantly disrupts the activities. Nevertheless, the students, having learned to do the opposite to their professors' actions, nominate them both for the next Teacher of the Month vote. ainbow Dash is often blunt and unreserved when condescending others, including her friends. She casually refers to Twilight as an "egghead" in Fall Weather Friends and Read It and Weep and calls Spike a "lame dragon" in Dragon Quest. When Twilight tries to convince Rarity that she isn't a laughing stock after her failed fashion show in Suited For Success, Rainbow counters that "she kind of is". In Three's A Crowd, after Twilight shares her plan to spend the day with Princess Cadance at the Star Swirl the Bearded Traveling Museum, Rainbow blames her subsequent gagging sound on a "big ball of lame" stuck in her throat. Rainbow sometimes acts with unnecessary aggression. She angrily interrogates Fleur De Verre when researching how to protect the Crystal Empire in The Crystal Empire - Part 1, and in The Crystal Empire - Part 2, Rainbow deters the residents from seeing the fake Crystal Heart by growling angrily at them. In Friendship is Magic, part 2, when Twilight retreats to the Golden Oak Library after Nightmare Moon declares eternal night, Rainbow barges in and directly accuses her of being a spy. After Flim and Flam earn the exclusive rights to Sweet Apple Acres in The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, Rainbow threatens to "press [them] into jerk cider" before being stopped by Applejack. Rainbow Dash is generally playful and roguish towards others. She tries to amplify her friends' fear of entering the Everfree Forest in Friendship is Magic, part 2 by claiming no one has ever made it out. In It's About Time, after Twilight determines to stand completely still to avoid an expected disaster, Rainbow spooks her by pretending to spot a mouse nearby. In A Bird in the Hoof, Rainbow tries to break the stern countenances of the royal guards by making silly faces directly in front of them. Some episodes prominently feature Rainbow playing tricks on other ponies. She goes on a pranking spree around Ponyville with Pinkie Pie in Griffon the Brush Off, and at the end of the episode, Rainbow reveals that she organized the pranks for Gilda's party. In Luna Eclipsed, she spends Nightmare Night startling other ponies with a lightning cloud while dressed as a Shadowbolt. In 28 Pranks Later, Rainbow plays a series of pranks on the residents of Ponyville, include disguising herself as a dragon-like monster to frighten Fluttershy, replacing Cranky Doodle Donkey's hairpiece with a live skunk, and putting a brick in Mr. Cake's sandwich. Rainbow Dash tends to think highly of herself and exudes confidence in her physical abilities. In Boast Busters, she joins her friends in criticizing Trixie for bragging about her magic powers, noting that they already have Rainbow "being better than the rest" of the townsfolk. In The Crystal Empire - Part 2, she convinces Fluttershy to join her in a jousting match to cheer the Crystal Ponies, claiming that her "awesomeness has a way of putting ponies into a pretty good mood". When Fluttershy breaks down crying after the first match, Rainbow grudgingly agrees to go easy on her but insists that she has a reputation to maintain. At times, Rainbow's self-confidence waivers. In The Mysterious Mare Do Well, she basks in the positive attention of the Ponyville townsfolk after performing several heroic feats; later in the episode, however, Rainbow becomes upset when Mare Do Well steals the spotlight with her apparently superior abilities. Rainbow doubts her capacity to win the Best Young Flyer Competition after being taunted by a group of bullies in Sonic Rainboom. Later, when the Cloudsdale Pegasi convince Rarity to join the competition with her captivating butterfly wings, Rainbow collapses in a nervous fit. Rainbow tries to maintain an image of bravery and athleticism and tends to avoid activities or behaviors that appear feminine. In Ponyville Confidential, she despairs after being labeled a "super softie" in the Foal Free Press. At the end of The Last Roundup, Rainbow tears up as Applejack becomes reconciled with her friends, though she bemoans that the situation made her act "all sappy". Despite this image, Rainbow occasionally shows a more caring and cultured demeanor. In Just for Sidekicks, she shows affection toward Tank when she thinks no one is looking. When Scootaloo confesses her fear of scary stories in Sleepless in Ponyville, Rainbow reveals that she used to be afraid of them as well and agrees to take the young Pegasus "under [her] wing". In Rarity Takes Manehattan, Rainbow expresses excitement for watching the latest hit musical. Rainbow Dash discovers a love of reading in the episode Read It and Weep. After a failed aerial maneuver lands Rainbow in the hospital for several days, Twilight Sparkle finds her a Daring Do novel to help pass the time. Rainbow dismisses the idea of reading as antithetical to her athletic persona, but when boredom sinks in, she picks up the book and becomes enthralled with the story. Following a botched attempt to retrieve the book after her discharge from the hospital, Rainbow admits her interest in reading to her friends, who express their complete support. Twilight offers Rainbow access to her Daring Do book collection upon learning of her interest in the series, and Rainbow is seen reading the novels in A Friend in Deed and Too Many Pinkie Pies. After A. K. Yearling's identity is revealed in Daring Don't, Rainbow and Twilight reference complex Daring Do storylines as they argue about the intent of the author's assailants. In Trade Ya!, Rainbow tries to procure a first edition Daring Do book at the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange and eventually succeeds; upon realizing the burden it would place on Fluttershy to uphold her end of the bargain, however, Rainbow reverses the transaction. In Spike at Your Service, Rainbow mentions that she's writing a novel about "this awesome Pegasus who's the best flyer ever and becomes the captain of the Wonderbolts".

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Spike, also known as Spike the Dragon, is a male dragon and one of the seven[5] main characters[6] of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. He is Twilight Sparkle's best friend and number one assistant; as a dragon, he uses his magic fire breath to transfer scrolls to and from Princess Celestia. Spike is referred to as a "baby" dragon in several episodes and other media, though in 2018, co-director Jim Miller indicated that the character was by then "more like a pre-teen". In the season eight episode Molt Down, Spike gains a pair of wings after undergoing a developmental stage for dragons called the "molt". In The Cutie Mark Chronicles, Twilight Sparkle describes using magic to hatch Spike from an egg as part of her entrance exam for Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot. After Twilight failed to magically open the egg on her own, the shockwave from a distant explosion caused her horn to surge with magic that not only hatched the egg but also caused Spike to grow instantly into a full-sized dragon. After Princess Celestia intervened and dispelled the magical outburst, Spike returned to his newborn size. In the IDW comics' My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #40, Spike becomes Twilight's friend and assistant. Spike's egg is colored shades of purple in The Cutie Mark Chronicles, The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1, and Dragon Quest; in Friendship is Magic, part 1, however, he tells Fluttershy that he hatched from a "cute little purple and green egg", and in The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1, one of Twilight's slides depicts a white and green version. Although generally caring and pleasant, Spike occasionally amuses himself with the misfortunes of others. When the Mane Six are afflicted by poison joke in Bridle Gossip, Spike comes up with nicknames for them based on their bizarre ailments. He makes fun of Twilight Sparkle's poor nest-making and skating skills in Winter Wrap Up, and in It's About Time, Spike joins Rainbow Dash in making fun of Twilight for trying to avoid a disaster by standing completely still. Spike also enjoys dancing and attending festivities with the ponies. He dances at Pinkie Pie's surprise party in Friendship is Magic, part 1, even as Twilight sequesters herself in her room the whole night. In The Best Night Ever, Spike expresses excitement at the prospect of spending the Grand Galloping Gala together with the Mane Six, though they end up pursuing their own interests. In She's All Yak, Spike emcees the Amity Ball at the School of Friendship under the stage name "DJ Scales-n-Tail". His appearance as a full-grown dragon in My Little Pony: Make Your Mark shows that he still has some of his old playfulness; when the awestruck Sunny Starscout asks if she can call him by name, he jokingly says that it would be weird if she called him "Fred" instead. Spike can be emotionally sensitive, both in terms of recognizing the needs of others and feeling insecure about himself. In Owl's Well That Ends Well, he grows jealous and combative when Twilight's new nocturnal assistant, Owlowiscious, appears to outperform him in daily tasks. In The Crystal Empire - Part 2, Spike is brought to tears by a false vision in which Twilight sends him away forever. In Lesson Zero, Spike is the only one of Twilight's friends to take her growing desperation seriously and ends up asking Princess Celestia to intervene. Spike is often defensive about his masculinity and outwardly dismissive of things he considers girly, although he shares many interests with his female pony friends. In The Ticket Master, Spike repeatedly scoffs at the idea of attending the Grand Galloping Gala and refers to it as "girly gala gunk", though he becomes secretly overjoyed when Princess Celestia sends him a ticket at the end. He joins the Mane Six at the Ponyville Day Spa in Ponyville Confidential and becomes annoyed when Rainbow Dash disrupts his cucumber facial. In A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1, Spike roleplays with the bride and groom cake toppers several times throughout the episode. When Pinkie Pie demands that Spike "confess" during an interrogation about her friends' activities in Party of One, he misunderstands her intention and instead admits to admiring his own reflection in a mirror when nobody else is around. After Twilight tells Rainbow she can be both smart and athletic in Read It and Weep, Spike presents himself as an example and kisses his bicep, though this yields only strange looks in response. In Dragon Quest, Spike becomes aware that other dragons are larger and more aggressive than he is and feels abashed when his pony friends find him "adorable". He determines to join up with other dragons and find his place among them; however, after encountering irreconcilable differences with the group he ends up involved with, Spike returns to Ponyville and concludes that he's proud to have ponies as his "family".

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Ponyville is a town in Equestria, the main setting of the series My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, and home to the leading characters. Ponyville is first featured in the first episode and is the setting for most of the episodes. Canterlot's mountain is visible from the town. A map that Granny Smith shows in the episode Family Appreciation Day portrays Ponyville's location relative to Cloudsdale, Canterlot, and the Everfree Forest. The episode MMMystery on the Friendship Express takes place on a train going from Ponyville to Canterlot. In The Best Night Ever, the main characters travel to Canterlot in a horse-drawn carriage. Granny Smith describes the founding of Ponyville in the episode Family Appreciation Day. When Granny was young, her family travelled around collecting and selling seeds before Princess Celestia granted them land near the Everfree Forest. The family planted an orchard there but faced food shortage while waiting for it to grow, so young Granny Smith ventured into the forest one evening in search of food and came across Zap Apple trees. She retrieved some seeds and grew the trees in the family orchard, and after seasons of trial and error, she developed a jam from the fruit that drew in ponies from across the land. Stinkin' Rich opened a market nearby to sell the jam, and the area soon developed into a "nice little town, bustling with all kinds of ponies." Because the town was founded by Earth ponies, they had to clean up winter by hand instead of by magic. In the present day, Ponyville still performs Winter Wrap Up as a tradition; in the episode Winter Wrap Up, Twilight says Ponyville has done this for "hundreds of years". In Magic Duel, Trixie takes over Ponyville and exiles Twilight Sparkle after defeating her in a magic duel. She puts up statues and flags of herself all over town and forces the citizens to perform labor for her or face punishment. The town returns to normal at the end of the episode when Twilight beats Trixie in a rematch duel. In Simple Ways and in the IDW comics' eleventh story arc, the ponies of the town celebrate the Ponyville Days Festival, which commemorates the town's founding. A "pony of ceremonies" is selected to organize the event according to a theme of their choosing.

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Equestria is the main setting of the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic franchise. Equestria is inhabited by magical ponies and other talking creatures, such as griffons and dragons. Other animals and creatures also live in Equestria. Equestria is called a kingdom in the first episode of the show and in other media, though it does contain other "kingdoms" within it such as the Crystal Empire; the show and other media take place in many locations and their exact affiliation with Equestria is not explored. Equestria was co-ruled by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, who resided in a palace in the city of Canterlot until The Last Problem, when they retire with Twilight Sparkle taking their place. The name "Equestria" is derived from the word "equestrian", which denotes a relation to horseback riding. Consequently, it also has an origin in equus, the Latin word for "horse." According to Lord Tirek in The Beginning of the End - Part 1, the land that would eventually become Equestria was originally a collection of farms and pastures until Grogar declared himself emperor of everything. He created various monsters to seize what they wanted and destroy everything else. A unicorn named Gusty the Great eventually rose up against Grogar and banished him. The story of the founding of Equestria is relayed in software, and part of this explanation is covered in Hearth's Warming Eve. The episode's most prominent feature is a play about the founding of Equestria, narrated by Spike. He explains: "Each of the three tribes, the Pegasi, the unicorns, and the Earth ponies, cared not for what befell the other tribes, but only for their own welfare. In those troubled times, as now, the Pegasi were the stewards of the weather, but they demanded something in return: food that could only be grown by the Earth Ponies. The unicorns demanded the same, in return for magically bringing forth day and night. And so, mistrust between the tribes festered, until one fateful day, it came to a boil. And what prompted the ponies to clash? It was a mysterious blizzard that overtook the land, and toppled the tribes' precarious peace." The blizzard led to famine, at which the three tribal leaders eventually agreed to meet for a summit and decide what to do about the snow, but this only devolved into arguing and blaming each other. The leaders of each tribe then decided to journey to a new land. They all arrived at the same place, and soon began fighting over it, and the blizzard quickly followed. "And so the paradise that the ponies had found was soon lost, buried beneath a thick blanket of snow and hard feelings." Eventually, the leaders' assistants find out windigos are causing the storm by feeding off of hate. The assistants' friendship creates the magical Fire of Friendship which does away with the windigos and the snowstorm. The three leaders then decide to join forces and found a country shared by all three tribes, and name it Equestria.

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Canterlot is a city first featured in the series' premiere episode as the residence of Twilight Sparkle, where she studies under Princess Celestia. The city holds the royal castle, making it the capital of Equestria. It is also the venue of important cultural events like the Grand Galloping Gala. The name of the city is a portmanteau of "canter," a three-beat horse gait, and Camelot, a British kingdom from Arthurian legends. Canterlot is built into the side of a tall mountain that overlooks Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle and Spike travel the distance between the two locations in a short amount of time, riding in a flying chariot pulled by two Pegasus royal guards in Friendship is Magic, part 1. Princess Celestia travels in the same way in Swarm of the Century, and in Sweet and Elite, Rarity's friends manage to get from Ponyville to Canterlot within a day. In MMMystery on the Friendship Express, Pinkie Pie and her friends travel from Ponyville to Canterlot via train on an overnight trip. The spires of Canterlot, protruding from the mountain, have been shown to be visible from Ponyville. Many high-society ponies in the show hail from Canterlot, including Photo Finish, Hoity Toity, Sapphire Shores, and Fancy Pants. In Sweet and Elite, the vast majority of its residents are unicorns. According to Spike in Winter Wrap Up, the residents use magic to change the seasons, rather than by hoof like in Ponyville. The city is featured prominently in such Canterlot-centered episodes as Sweet and Elite, during Rarity's stay at Princess Celestia's castle, and in A Canterlot Wedding, when Twilight Sparkle's brother Shining Armor gets married to Princess Cadance. In the latter episode, the city briefly comes under siege by Queen Chrysalis and the changelings. In the future seen during The Last Problem, Canterlot is shown to have been greatly expanded over the course of many Moons, with multiple new buildings added. It is also home to several species other than ponies. The city features numerous ivory towers with golden spires and many waterfalls and rivers running through it. Twilight Sparkle and Spike's original home is first featured in Friendship is Magic, part 1. It is a loft at the top of a tall tower where Twilight keeps multiple shelves worth of books and reference material as well as a large hourglass. In Amending Fences, Twilight gives Moon Dancer the key to the tower and allows her to come and go as she pleases. Canterlot Castle is the palace where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna lived and ruled Equestria from, first featured in The Best Night Ever. It consists of at least the throne room, a large ballroom, a kitchen, a telescope observatory, and the Pony Princess Wedding Castle ceremonial hall. Starting with School Daze - Part 2, the throne room is redesigned so that now both Celestia and Luna have their own thrones, patterning after its design in My Little Pony The Movie.