Sign in to your Collider account
Custom Image by Federico Napoli
The 2010s were full of amazing cartoons, but perhaps the biggest surprise of the decade was My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Directed by Lauren Faust, who worked on shows like Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and is married to The Powerpuff Girls creator Craig McCracken, it follows the adventures of brightly colored ponies in Equestria as they learn friendship lessons. Though aimed at younger audiences, the show developed a surprisingly large following of adult viewers, especially men, who called themselves "bronies".
One of the reasons for the show's success was its strong lineup of characters. Brought to life through on-point animation and phenomenal voice actors, the characters went through compelling character arcs that many could relate to thanks to believable flaws and realistic goals. Over the show's nine-season run, the characters went through significant changes, which further made audiences fall in love with them as they got to watch them change and grow up alongside them.
Your changes have been saved
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Release Date October 10, 2010
Finale Year November 30, 2018
Seasons 9
Character(s) Pinkie Pie / Fluttershy (voice) , Sunny Flare (voice) , Micro Chips (voice) , Sonata Dusk (voice) , Twilight Sparkle (voice) , Timber Spruce (voice) , Sonata Dusk (singing voice) , Aria Blaze (singing voice) , Rainbow Dash / Applejack (voice) , Spike / Mayor Mare (voice) , Sweetie Belle (voice) , Sweetie Belle (singing) , Princess Cadance (voice) , Diamond Tiara (voice) , Discord (voice) , Shining Armor (voice) , Rarity / Princess Luna / Granny Smith / Mrs. Cake (voice) , Scootaloo (voice) , Princess Celestia / Cheerilee (voice) , Matilda / Amethyst Star (voice) , Carrot Cake (voice) , Goldie Delicious (voice) , Octavia Melody / Rose (voice) , Sugar Belle (voice) , Smolder (voice)
Producers Lauren Faust
Creator(s) Lauren Faust , Bonnie Zacherle
Writers Josh Haber , Meghan McCarthy , M.A. Larson , Michael Vogel , Nick Confalone , Cindy Morrow , Kristine Songco , Nicole Dubuc , Gillian M. Berrow , Natasha Levinger , Joshua Hamilton , Corey Powell , Brian Hohlfeld , Ed Valentine , Kaita Mpambara , May Chan , Scott Sonneborn , Brittany Jo Flores , Whitney Wetta , Sammie Crowley , Kim Beyer-Johnson , Noelle Benvenuti , Jennifer Skelly , Barry Safchik
Network Hub Network , Discovery Family
Directors Ishi Rudell , Denny Lu , Mike Myhre , Tim Stuby
10 Spike
Voiced by Cathy Weseluck
Image via Hasbro
As part of her entrance exam to Princess Celestia's (Nicole Oliver) School for Gifted Unicorns, Twilight Sparkle (Tara Strong) hatched a purple dragon egg. She was allowed to keep the hatching, who she named Spike (Cathy Weseluck), and raised as a brother and assistant. Though he sometimes struggles to fit into pony society and makes mistakes due to his age, Spike always works hard to make Twilight proud.
Spike's youth means that he often falls prey to strong emotions like jealousy and pride, but though this causes him to mess up, he always works to correct his mistakes.
Spike had an interesting role in the show, being the youngest of the main cast and the show's principal male character. Spike's youth means that he often falls prey to strong emotions like jealousy and pride, but though this causes him to mess up, he always works to correct his mistakes. He also serves as Twilight's rock, giving her wisdom and keeping her grounded when she gets lost in her head, while also dishing out some sassy comments when appropriate.
9 Trixie
Voiced by Kathleen Barr
Image via Hasbro
Even in a world brimming with magic that can reshape reality, ponies can find entertainment in simple magic tricks. This is the calling of the Great and Powerful Trixie (Kathleen Barr), who travels Equestria to dazzle towns and villages with magical feats, boosted further by her ego and grandstanding. Trixie's visit to Ponyville gets upstaged by Twilight Sparkle when she soothes a rampaging Ursa Minor, prompting Trixie to swear revenge against the more humble unicorn.
Trixie's visit to Ponyville gets upstaged by Twilight Sparkle when she soothes a rampaging Ursa Minor, prompting Trixie to swear revenge against the more humble unicorn.
Trixie proved to be so popular among the fans that she became a recurring character in Season 6 after developing a friendship with Twilight's new assistant, Starlight Glimmer (Kelly Sheridan). Even after her redemption, she never loses her egotism and natural showboating, brought to life through Barr's phenomenal voicework. Her friendship with Starlight is used to explore more facets of her character, such as her hidden insecurities that are usually masked behind her boastful persona.
8 Princess Luna
Voiced by Tabitha St. Germain
Image via Hasbro
Alongside her older sister, Princess Celestia (Nicole Oliver), Princess Luna (Tabitha St. Germain) defeated the draconequus Discord (John de Lancie) and brought peace to Equestria. However, Luna grew resentful towards her sister, since ponies loved her for bringing the day, and shunned Luna for ruling over the night. Her jealousy led to her being corrupted into the evil Nightmare Moon, and Celestia was forced to banish her to the moon for a thousand years.
This made Luna relatable to audiences despite her limited screentime, especially when, despite her self-loathing, she strives to help others deal with their insecurities through dreams.
Following the show's two-part pilot, Luna is purified by the Elements of Harmony and returns to co-ruling Equestria, though she has a hard time adjusting to modern life and moving past her previous actions. This made Luna relatable to audiences despite her limited screentime, especially when, despite her self-loathing, she strives to help others deal with their insecurities through dreams. Germaine is given many chances to demonstrate her versatility as a voice actor through Luna: normally she speaks with regal authority, but when she gets into modern games and culture, she becomes as giddy as a child, which adds more to her reliability.
7 Applejack
Voiced by Ashleigh Ball
Image via Hasbro
At the heart of Ponyville's economy is Sweet Apple Acres, a massive apple orchard run by the Apple Family, who originally founded the town. Following the death of her parents and the advanced age of her grandmother, Granny Smith (Tabitha St. Germain), Applejack (Ashleigh Ball) took over the operation of the farm. When she goes with Twilight to recover magic artifacts called the Elements of Harmony, Applejack proves herself worthy by committing to the truth and is chosen to represent Honesty.
Yet when push comes to shove, Applejack will swallow her pride and go outside her comfort zone to fix any problem threatening her family or community.
Applejack is the show's practical and down-to-earth character: she believes in an honest day's work, always says what she means, and is committed to helping her friends with whatever they need. However, she's also very headstrong and stubborn, which can lead to Applejack being honest to the point of accidentally hurting feelings or refusing to back down from a project too big to handle alone. Yet when push comes to shove, Applejack will swallow her pride and go outside her comfort zone to fix any problem threatening her family or community.
6 Rainbow Dash
Voiced by Ashleigh Ball
Image via Hasbro
As a child living in Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash (Ashleigh Ball) performed a Sonic Rainboom to win a race, which unknowingly helped her and her future friends obtain their cutie marks. Years later, Rainbow Dash moved to Ponyville to help manage the local weather and was later chosen to represent Loyalty among the Elements of Harmony. She dreams about joining the Wonderbolts, an all-Pegasus team of aerial performers based on the Blue Angels.
Rainbow Dash has the biggest ego out of the main cast, which allows her to work hard and diligently towards her goal.
Rainbow Dash has the biggest ego out of the main cast, which allows her to work hard and diligently towards her goal. Sometimes that ego can get her into trouble, such as getting wrapped up in her hype to the detriment of others or having a rivalry with Applejack that can have rather destructive results. That said, Rainbow Dash is committed to any goal she zeroes in on and loves supporting her friends and young kids who look up to her in achieving their goals.
5 Fluttershy
Voiced by Andrea Libman
Image via Hasbro
While observing Rainbow Dash's race in which she performed the Sonic Rainbow, Fluttershy (Andrea Libman) was knocked to ground level, where she met all sorts of woodland creatures. Fluttershy discovered that she had a talent for calming their fears and decided to dedicate her life to helping animals. This led to her being chosen to represent Kindness among the Elements of Harmony.
Over time, Fluttershy learns how to find confidence in herself, allowing her to better support others and ask for help when needed.
As her name implies, Fluttershy has a hard time socializing with other ponies and can fall victim to crippling social anxiety when expectations are placed on her. Over time, Fluttershy learns how to find confidence in herself, allowing her to better support others and ask for help when needed. Fluttershy also proves herself to be a pony of many talents outside of animals: she has a beautiful singing voice, knows a thing or two about fashion, and is good enough at improv to come up with new personas on the spot.
4 Rarity
Voiced by Tabitha St. Germain
Image via Hasbro
After discovering a natural talent for locating gemstones, Rarity (Tabitha St. Germain) realized she could use them as accessories for her dresses. This led to her starting her own business called Carousel Boutique in Ponyville, with plans to expand into other locations, like Manehatten and the capital city of Canterlot. A natural socialite, Rarity is always willing to help others, which got her chosen to represent Generosity among the Elements of Harmony.
Rarity is also a massive drama queen, freaking out at even the slightest inconvenience, which gives Germain plenty of chances to ham it out with her delivery.
Rarity is the most traditionally feminine of the main cast, with a love for fashion, high-class society, and a passion for helping others bring out their innermost beauty. Rarity is also a massive drama queen, freaking out at even the slightest inconvenience, which gives Germain plenty of chances to ham it out with her delivery. Sometimes her generosity can lead to Rarity getting into bad situations, but if someone is in need, she won't hesitate to give up her time or her tail to help them become their best selves.
3 Discord
Voiced by John de Lancie
Image via Hasbro
Before being turned to stone by the royal sisters, the embodiment of chaos, Discord, transformed Equestria into a wonderland of randomness. An argument between schoolchildren eventually freed him from his stone prison, and though he tried to force conflict between Twilight and her friends, he was again petrified. Later, Celestia believed Discord could be reformed, and with Fluttershy's help, he agreed to give up his villainous ways, though not his love for chaos.
When he reforms, Discord's chaotic actions usually have a moral or a hidden test of character attached to them, though it doesn't stop him from delivering them in the most sarcastic and backhanded way.
Discord loves nothing more than to mess with the natural order of things, either by turning rain into chocolate milk or planting little seeds of doubt in a pony's mind and watching what happens. When he reforms, Discord's chaotic actions usually have a moral or a hidden test of character attached to them, though it doesn't stop him from delivering them in the most sarcastic and backhanded way. John de Lancie's voicework is spot on, and it's hard not to compare Discord favorably to his previous cosmic troll: Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
2 Pinkie Pie
Voiced by Andrea Libman
Image via HasbroBorn on a rock farm, Pinkamena Diane Pie's (Andrea Libman) gray worldview was flipped when she witnessed Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom. Inspired by the colors, she threw a surprise party for her family, delighting in watching them smile and have fun. As an adult, Pinkie Pie works as Ponyville's assistant baker and resident party pony, making her the perfect choice for Laughter among the Elements of Harmony.
Pinkie Pie approaches the world with a happy, child-like innocence, always assuming the best in others and often finding direct and uncomplicated solutions to problems, whereas others get lost in the weeds.
Pinkie Pie is a pony-shaped ball of fourth wall breaks and cartoon physics guaranteed to increase your dopamine levels. Pinkie Pie approaches the world with a happy, child-like innocence, always assuming the best in others and often finding direct and uncomplicated solutions to problems, whereas others get lost in the weeds. However, Pinkie can be hit hard with depressive episodes, especially when she thinks her friends and family don't like or need her.
1 Twilight Sparkle
Voiced by Tara Strong
Image via Hasbro
As the personal student of Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle might be the most gifted unicorn of her generation. On Celestia's orders, she moved to Ponyville and made friends with five others, allowing them to obtain the Elements of Harmony– of which Twilight represents Magic– and defeat Nightmare Moon. Afterward, she continued to study the magic of friendship and was eventually rewarded for her efforts by transforming into Equestria's fourth Alicorn princess.
Twilight Sparkle is the protagonist of the show, and her growth is the most notable of the cast.
Twilight Sparkle is the protagonist of the show, and her growth is the most notable of the cast. The early seasons have her learning to work through her anxiety and neurotic habits to make friends, while after her transformation, she learns about leadership and educating others. Strong's performance is a highlight of her career, capturing Twilight's child-like excitement over something as simple as reading a good book, the worry of turning a small problem into a big one in your mind, and the calm wisdom of a teacher trying to help their students avoid making the same mistakes they did.
NEXT: The Best Episode from Each Season of 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,' According to IMDb
English (US) ·