Characters / Friendship Is Magic: Historical Figures

---

Main Index The Main Cast: Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Starlight Glimmer, the Cutie Mark Crusaders Supporting Cast: The Princesses (Princess Celestia, Princess Luna), Mane Family Members, the School of Friendship, Ponyville, Other Locations, Animal Companions Antagonists: Major Villains (Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra, Lord Tirek, Cozy Glow), Dangerous Creatures, Jerks and Bullies, Redeemed Antagonists (Discord) World of Equestria: Races, Historical Figures, the 2017 Movie, Expanded Universe, Toyline Exclusive, Miscellaneous Minor Characters: One-Shots, Other Characters, Background Ponies (Common Background Ponies, Special Background Ponies, Other Background Ponies) Equestria Girls: Heroines (Sunset Shimmer), Villains, Supporting Cast

---

These individuals have played roles of great importance in Equestria's history and lore.

---

General Tropes

• Posthumous Character: As all of these characters lived centuries in the past at minimum, most of them are assumed to be long deceased by the time the show's events take place.

Pillars of Old Equestria

Six legendary heroes that defended Equestria from evil in the long distant past.

Entire Group

• Arc Hero: They collectively act as this for Season 7. Three individual episodes spotlight them in turn before they're all mentioned in the season finale, and during the airing of Season 7 the "Legends of Magic" comic mini-series showed more of their adventures. The main series comics also had a three-part story arc that foreshadowed the Pony of Shadows, their ancient enemy that serves as the Arc Villain for the Season 7 finale.
• Badass Crew: They were the Mane Six of the ancient era, a group of heroes that traveled Equestria fighting evil and darkness together.
• Dream Team: In contrast to the Mane Six's Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: they were each a legendary hero and paragon in their own right before becoming a team. However, by the point they meet the Mane Six they're fairly even in experience worldsaving so this factor doesn't come up much.
• Early-Bird Cameo: Meadowbrook is namedropped in Season 5's "The Cutie Map" and Sunburst names the other four in "The Crystalling — Part 2", although he calls Flash Magnus "Flash Prance". However, it took until Season 7 for any of them to be shown in person. The Legends of Magic comic book also focuses on each of them for an issue, in coordination with the show; the mini-series was released over the same time that Season 7 was airing.
• Embodiment of Virtue: They represent virtues similar to the Elements of Harmony. In fact, they created the Elements! Star Swirl is Sorcery; Rockhoof is Strength; Flash Magnus is Bravery; Somnambula is Hope; Mistmane is Beauty; and Meadowbrook is Healing.
• Famed In-Story: All six of them are remembered as legendary heroes whose stories are still told to this day.
• Fish out of Temporal Water: In the Season 7 finale they're pulled out of Limbo and back to Equestria, now a thousand years displaced.
• Flawed Prototype: Their artifacts and virtues behave similarly to the Elements and the Elements were made from them. However, the Pillars needed Ponehenge to perform a feat the Elements can do naturally and are never shown performing a Combined Energy Attack without outside aid.
• Foil: Each of them is a parallel to the Mane Six, represented through one of the group idolizing them and being familiar with their legends. This is a major plot point in the Season 7 finale; they can't use the Elements of Harmony, so they have to each pair up with one of the Mane Six to combine their powers in tandem.
  • Star Swirl is a magical prodigy who leads the group, like Twilight, but is far more experienced and knowledgeable in exchange for being much more asocial.
  • Flash Magnus is brave and boisterous, like Rainbow Dash, but he's more defensive with his shield while Dash prefers to fight directly.
  • Rockhoof is a stalwart physical powerhouse, like Applejack, but not nearly as responsible and level-headed as her.
  • Somnambula is friendly and optimistic, like Pinkie Pie, but much more dignified and less bubbly.
  • Mistmane is beautiful and self-sacrificing, like Rarity, but known more for her magical prowess than her looks due to her legendary sacrifice.
  • Meadowbrook is compassionate and in touch with nature, like Fluttershy, but her healing and alchemical abilities are her true talent, while Fluttershy's is communing with animals.
  • As a team they also qualify: both are teams of world-saving heroes, but the Mane Six began their career as such as a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits brought together by destiny, while the Pillars had already established themselves individually as heroes before they were brought together with intent to make them into a team.
• Gender-Equal Ensemble: Three stallions, three mares.
• King in the Mountain: The Pillars, despite having lived more than a millennium in the past, are in fact still alive in the present day, but were trapped in Limbo over a thousand years in the past and have been imprisoned there since. When they're freed in "Shadow Play", to them it feels as if no time has passed at all.
• Like a Fish Takes to Water: With the exception of Rockhoof, the Pillars have adapted pretty well to modern Equestria by the time of "A Rockhoof and a Hard Place", either because they can still perform their original jobs (military for Flash Magnus, gardening for Mistmane, healing for Meadowbrook, and research for Star Swirl), or can use their talents and experiences for new purposes (motivational coaching for Somnambula, authoring for Stygian).
• Living Legend: They never died, they've spent over a thousand years Sealed Good in a Can after sacrificing themselves to seal away the Pony of Shadows. The Mane Six set them free and they're back in Equestria again.
• Multinational Team: Star Swirl, Flash Magnus, and Meadowbrook are Equestrian, but their respective tribes only very recently (at the time) formed together into one kingdom (as Star Swirl himself discovered the Windigos that caused said unification), Mistmane is an eastern unicorn from another kingdom at the time ruled by Empress Sable Spirit, Somnambula is from a village that while now part of Equestria was at the time a separate kingdom ruled by its own Pharaoh, and Rockhoof hails from an unnamed island that likewise seems disconnected from Equestria. Their design gives this impression all around: Star Swirl has a more European design, Flash Magnus has a Greco-Roman look, Meadowbrook is equal parts South America and the Deep South, Mistmane has a Chinese influence, Somnambula has an Egyptian theme, and Rockhoof's village is modeled after medieval Scandinavian culture.
• My God, What Have I Done?: This is their reaction when they discover that Stygian wasn't trying to steal their power, but merely copy the artifacts so he could have the power to protect Equestria alongside them, meaning that they cast him out just for wanting to help.
• Only the Chosen May Wield: A bit downplayed in this case. All of the objects the Pillars left behind when they sealed the pony of shadows can be touched or picked up by anyone. However, it's only when the Mane Six who are each a successor to the original heroes of Equestria hold and use the objects that they glow and have power. When each of the Mane six collect the signature items of their predecessors, they perform a feat or deed that reflects what their predecessor was and once they claim the item it begins to glow with energy.
• Precursor Hero: As a group they were the defenders of Equestria from the forces of darkness before the Mane Six became the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Again, this is a plot point; they created the seed that eventually became the Tree of Harmony, and the Elements of Harmony are reflections of the virtues of the Pillars.
• Real After All: Save for Star Swirl, the six of them have faded into legends that people question if they're even true. Turns out, yes they are, and they really lived over a thousand years ago.
• Ship Tease: The Legends of Magic comics show some of this between Rockhoof and Mage Meadowbrook.
  • In #9, Rockhoof briefly becomes attracted to Meadowbrook when she proves herself to be just as big an eater as him.
  • In #10, Meadowbrook blushes when Rockhoof compliments her.
• Sixth Ranger Traitor: They believe the "seventh" member of their group, Stygian, became this. They're partly right; he became the Pony of Shadows, but only because they cast him out over suspicions of his plans to duplicate their powers, which he was going to do just so he could fight alongside them as an equal, not for anything evil.
• True Companions: They're all very good friends with one another (except for Star Swirl, who places much less value on it at first), and were utterly heartbroken when they saw what Stygian had become and felt a great deal of guilt over how quickly they cast him out.
• Ungrateful Bastard: Stygian was the one who brought the Pillars together, and served as The Strategist and researcher for the team. This didn't stop them from immediately presuming the worst when they discovered him with their artifacts. They even came to believe the whole reason he brought them together in the first place was just so he could steal their power.
• Void Between the Worlds: They cast themselves into Limbo along with the Pony of Shadows to bind him there.
• The Worf Effect:
  • All of them are quickly defeated by a powered-up Tirek in "The Ending of the End".
  • They also get easily defeated by the Knights of Harmony.

Star Swirl the Bearded

"Star Swirl the Bearded is only the most important conjurer of the pre-classical era..."

First Mentioned: "Luna Eclipsed"

Debut: "Shadow Play – Part 1"

Voiced by: Christopher Britton

A wizard from the dawn of Equestria's history. He is regarded as the most powerful unicorn in history; he mentored Celestia and Luna, as well as Clover the Clever, he created more than 200 spells, and a wing in the Canterlot castle archives is named for him. Twilight Sparkle and other studious unicorns idolize him and deeply study his work. Despite his importance his fate is unknown, even to Celestia and Luna; he just vanished without a trace one day. The Season 7 finale "Shadow Play" marks his first on-screen appearance and reveals Star Swirl's connection to the Pillars of Equestria and what happened to them. As a Pillar, his relic is the book where he wrote his memoirs and the accounts of the Pillars' deeds.

Prior to Season 7, Star Swirl was very much prone to Depending on the Writer. He had never appeared on the show until "Shadow Play" and details of his life were vague, so depictions of him (both his personality and his role in events in the "1000 years ago" timeframe, like the Tree of Harmony and Nightmare Moon) are very inconsistent. Following the events of "Shadow Play" fleshing out his backstory, the events of many of his prior appearances in novels and comics became a mess of Continuity Snarls—some could still be considered canon subject to Broad Strokes, others have definitely been Retconned and could not possibly have happened.

---

• The Ace: He's regarded as the most powerful unicorn wizard in all of Equestria's thousand-year history. Unicorns like Twilight and Sunburst consider him a paragon of what they could achieve through years of hard work and study, and his spells tend to be some of the most powerful and complex. In the season 7 finale, the Pony of Shadows says that Twilight is almost as powerful as Star Swirl, and she's an alicorn. The same episode also provides this dialogue:
  Rarity: Did you know he could that?
  Twilight: He's Star Swirl; he can do anything!
• Alliterative Name: Star Swirl the Bearded.
• Alternate Self: The My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Digital Series episode "Star Crossed" shows he has a counterpart in the human world, who's a famous astronomer. Although there are already some Epileptic Treesinvoked that they could be in fact the same person — after all, pony Star Swirl knows of this world (that's where he banished the Sirens) and is rumored to have created the magic mirror used as portal, so it's not entirely impossible.
• The Archmage: He is an obscenely powerful mage, regarded as the greatest unicorn wizard in history. When the Pony of Shadows engages in a Beam-O-War with Twilight Sparkle, he notes that she's "almost" as powerful as Star Swirl. That would mean that Star Swirl's magic is not only stronger than that of an alicorn princess, but one whose special talent is magic itself (granted, he's established as far more experienced than her).
• Beware the Silly Ones: The comics depict him as a Ditzy Genius, a cooky and eccentric mage who is nonetheless very powerful and someone to fear if you get on his bad side.
• Black-and-White Morality: He strongly believes in the concept of "once a villain, always a villain", and voices his opinion that there is no turning back from the path of evil. This opinion changes after he realizes the truth about Stygian's motives.
• Break the Haughty: Downplayed, but he becomes far less pompous and arrogant after realizing that he was wrong about Stygian.
• Cloudcuckoolander: In Issue #17 of the IDW comic series, Luna considers Star Swirl to be more like Pinkie Pie; we later see in flashbacks to he and Celestia exploring alternate dimensions via a magic mirror that Luna is not far off point, with Star Swirl not quite as random as Pinkie but a lot more hyper than one would have expected.
• Continuity Snarl: Season 7 and the tie-in comic Legends of Magic would retcon and cleanup the Broad Strokes and give him a consistent character on the show onward. This still led to some errors with the show's continuity.
  • The Journal of the Two Sisters mentions him showing Celestia and Luna the Tree of Harmony. Season 7 instead says he and the Pillars planted the seed that, after they were trapped in Limbo, grew into the Tree, leading to a Plot Hole over how they knew about the Tree.
  • In Legends of Magic #11, Star Swirl mentions banishing a centaur to Tartarus, presumably referring to Tirek. This contradicts "Twilight's Kingdom" where Celestia and Luna state that Scorpan went to them to warn them about Tirek, implying they were the ones who defeated him, as they were still in training at this point. It also contradicts Tirek's FIENDship Is Magic issue, which would be canonized by details from it mentioned in the Series Finale, stating Celestia was in power before Tirek attacked Equestria.
• Cosplay:
  • Twilight dresses as him for Nightmare Night in "Luna Eclipsed".
  • Exaggerated in "Three's a Crowd", where Twilight not only dons her old costume again to go to an exhibit dedicated to Star Swirl, but she's also surrounded by other ponies dressed as him, checking out the stands themed after Star Swirl the Bearded.
• The Cynic: In a show where Talking the Monster to Death is practically a tradition to reform them, Star Swirl quips "I doubt we can save our homeland with a conversation!" and "Once a villain, always a villain." When he realizes his inability to see the good in others is what directly caused Stygian to become the Pony of Shadows, he has a Jerkass Realization.
• Deflector Shields: Star Swirl creates a white dome of force over the whole group when confronted with the Pony of Shadows at the climax of "Shadow Play". The villain doesn't do anything about it at first, too busy gloating, but then his dark magic slams against the shield, first cracking it and then blasting it to pieces.
• Depending on the Artist: Before he directly appeared in person in Season 7, he was prone to varying depictions in the expanded universe. While his overall image as a grey-coated unicorn stallion with a white beard and a blue cape and wizard hat remained constant, the details — like the adornments and patterns of said cape and hat, the length of the beard and the presence or absence of a mustache — varied a lot between appearances.
• Depending on the Writer: Because for a long time he was The Ghost in the TV show apart from the occasional in-series artist's rendition of him, his entire character is ripe for interpretation whenever he does appear, giving some inconsistent portrayals across the franchise.
  • In the Reflections comic arc, he's a borderline Genius Ditz who strikes a balance between Twilight and Pinkie Pie's personalities.
  • In FIENDship Is Magic, he's The Comically Serious who breaks into a rap with the same gravitas as one would expect Gandalf.
  • In Legends of Magic, he is a classic Mentor Archetype, which is more in-line with how Season 7 would portray him as a stern and authoritative old wizard.
• Early-Bird Cameo: He shows up first in the comics (the Reflections arc in particular) before finally making a physical appearance in the season 7 finale.
• Famed In-Story: He is a really big deal in Equestria, from having library wings named after him to ponies cosplaying as him to visit his fan conventions. On the other hand, it's more likely that he's a really big deal to eggheads like Twilight since her friends didn't recognize her costume as him.
• Fatal Flaw: Pride. He's one of the most powerful unicorns ever and he knows it, but this puts him on a pedestal where he looks down on others. Even when with the other Pillars, his comrades with powers and heroic deeds comparable to his own, he behaves more like a leader giving orders than a friend, and treats them like subordinates rather than equals. The major reason Stygian turned to evil was because Star Swirl and the Pillars jumped to the conclusion his ritual with their artifacts was for something nefarious, and Star Swirl rejects any suggestion that he might be wrong about Stygian and there being a chance he could be reasoned with. The climax of "Shadow Play" sees him have a Jerkass Realization and he swallows his pride, apologizes to Stygian for what he did to him, and later admitting to Celestia that Twilight knows more about friendship than him.
• Gender Flip: The toyline's Star Swirl has always been female, even in G4, but the name is used for a male character in this show.
• The Ghost: Played with. He's been mentioned a lot in the show, but every depiction of Star Swirl himself so far has been stylized artwork of some sort. He appears for real in the official tie-in comics, and in the show's finale for Season 7, "Shadow Play".
• Good Is Not Nice: He is shown to be this in "Shadow Play". He's definitely a valiant and selfless hero who is willing to do everything it takes to save Equestria, but at the same time he's a cold, haughty and serious individual who doesn't care all that much for the feelings of others. In addition, he is all too willing to banish the Pony of Shadows to Limbo rather than consider other alternatives.
• Grumpy Old Man: In "Shadow Play" he's given this characterization, being dismissive of the Mane Six's heroics and particularly Twilight's magical talent and knowledge, and acting as though they don't realize the danger he's trying to stop. However, this probably has something to do with Twilight and her friends accidentally releasing the Pony of Shadows and not fully knowing about their adventures instead of not respecting them. By the end of the episode he's been given his dose of Humble Pie and mellows out, complete with apologies.
• The Hero's Idol: Twilight Sparkle idolizes him, often raving about his advancements in the field of magic.
• The Illegible: Twilight Sparkle has lots of trouble deciphering his hornwriting in "Shadow Play — Part 1", despite being an expert in Old Ponish. She calls it "almost another language entirely".
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold:
  • He's arrogant, stern and cynical, but everything he does is out of a genuine desire to protect Equestria and its people. He also has a softer side, as shown in his interactions with Celestia and Luna, and he is humble enough to admit when he has made a mistake.
  • His appearance in the "Legends of Magic" comic series also supports this, showing him to be a stern and brutally honest teacher, who, despite appearances, deeply cares about his two students and would gladly charge into battle to save them.
• Knight Templar: "Shadow Play" reveals him to be this. Sure, he genuinely wants to protect Equestria; however, his gung-ho willingness to Shoot the Dog before another, more peaceful solution is quite concerning. In fact, this is revealed to have caused the Poor Communication Kills moment that led to Stygian's Start of Darkness in the first place — which finally forces Star Swirl to eat some humble pie and reconsider his outlook.
• Light Is Good: Unlike other unicorns who have Color-Coded Wizardry with their magical auras, Star Swirl's magic manifests in pure, white light.
• Locked into Strangeness: The Journal of the Two Sisters reveals that, before Celestia and Luna began doing it, it fell to teams of unicorns uniting their magic to control the sun and moon every day. Star Swirl's white hair resulted from him trying to do it himself when no other unicorns could be found at the time; before then he was brown-haired.
• Lonely at the Top: Implied in "Magical Mystery Cure"; a famous mage who created 200+ spells and is still studied in the modern day, yet according to Celestia he "didn't understand friendship" the way Twilight did, and thus he failed at crafting his final spell.
• The Magnificent: "The Bearded".
• The Mentor: He was this to Clover the Clever, one of the founders of Equestria, as well as both Celestia and Luna back when they were in their early days of princesshood.
• My Greatest Failure: FIENDship Is Magic shows that he wanted to redeem the Sirens, believing their abilities could have been used for good, but failed. Unable to defeat them in battle either, he was forced to use his last resort and banish them to the human world. This might give the implication that this is what caused him to develop his cynical worldview (unless the events truly were retconned).
• Mystical White Hair: His mane and beard are white, and Journal of the Two Sisters states this is a side-effect of trying to control the sun and moon by himself.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
  • In the Reflections arc of the comic books, he really should've destroyed his notes after realizing the trouble dimension hoping would cause to the multiverse. This led to Celestia managing to re-create the spell and the events of the arc that followed.
  • Also in the comics, his trying to warn people to stay away from the tainted pond via a sign in Chrysalis's story ended up splitting the tree holding her and her kind and unleashing them across Equestria for the first time.
  • The season 7 finale is entirely his fault for not acknowledging Stygian and going off an assumption rather then get any solid facts. Granted, Stygian shared the blame for not saying anything as well (and none of the Pillars questioning things) but Star Swirl acted way too rashly without bothering to help solve the problem.
  • Similarly, the entirety of My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks happened only because Star Swirl used his favorite method of getting rid of villains, a.k.a. banishing them, on the Sirens, leaving them free to roam in the human world. And, as seen at the film's opening, still being able to wreck some havoc even before Equestrian magic made its way to the human world. Although, considering that Sunset Shimmer was able to improve her reputation at Canterlot High School due to helping to stop the Sirens, it is debatable to what extent this trope applies to this case.
• Not Quite Flight: As with several other notably powerful unicorns, he can accomplish this by levitating himself with his magic.
• Odd Friendship: With Scorpan, who had arrived in Equestria to conquer it with his brother Tirek before coming to love the ponies' lifestyle.
• Old Master: By the time he began performing the great deeds for which he became famous, he was already well grown into his "the Bearded" moniker. Even a young Celestia, pretty much a Physical God, is cowed when he gets angry at her.
• Pals with Jesus:
  • He was around when Equestria was founded, and was Celestia and Luna's personal mentor, friend, and adviser.
  • "Friendship University" shows that he has been sending Twilight postcards during his travels across Equestria, gladly calling her his friend.
• Plot Tumor: He was mentioned a few times in Season 2 as a particularly powerful and important historical sorcerer, but was specifically said to be comparatively obscure; Luna recognized Star Swirl when Twilight dressed up as him in "Luna Eclipsed", but it was a Running Gag that no-one else did. Expanded worldbuilding over the series' run established him as one of the founders of Equestria, a personal friend and mentor to Celestia and Luna, and connected in some manner to several major antagonists.
• Precursor Hero: He didn't just conceive lots of unicorn magic in his days, but also fought against evil creatures on his own, as shown with the Sirens in Rainbow Rocks that he banished to the human world.
• Pride: His Fatal Flaw. When he thinks he's right, he refuses to be contradicted or reconsider. The entire Pony of Shadows crisis is because he was too prideful to consider he might be wrong about Stygian's motives.
• Retcon:
  • The comics first depict him as being around after Luna's banishment as Nightmare Moon. The show and comic later established he vanished before this event.
  • Season 7 changes the story of how he banished the Sirens as shown in the My Little Pony: FIENDship Is Magic comics. The Sirens' issue of the comics described him as, after the Dazzlings came to Canterlot and brainwashed its citizenry into loving them, banishing them through a magic mirror as a last-ditch resort after failing to defeat them by himself in a music contest. "Shadow Play" instead shows him as having defeated the Sirens alongside the other Pillars after they turned the inhabitants of an isolated hamlet violent and hateful, banishing them through a temporary portal as a first resort after a straightforward magical battle.
• Robe and Wizard Hat: He wears a deep blue robe and a broad-brimmed, pointed hat, both decorated with stars and moons and with small golden bells adorning the hem of his cloak and the brim and tip of his hat. Twilight wears all of these on Nightmare Night to emulate him.
• Shoot the Dog:
  • During the flashback sequences of the Reflections storyline, Star Swirl was less than pleased that Celestia was using the dimensional mirror without him just so she could visit with the alternate universe version of King Sombra, especially since he had warned her that crossing over too much could create a dimensional paradox that would threaten the stability of both worlds. He then sealed the mirror shut, which sent Celestia running off in tears. Even though they later reconciled, it was stated that their relationship afterwards was never the same.
  • His assumption of Stygian doing something evil ended up leading the Pony of Shadows to take control of him and turn him evil. Once Star Swirl finds out what Stygian was really doing, he realizes he went right into this trope without thinking.
• Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: He shoots down the idea of trying to reason with the Pony of Shadows, and thinks that true reformation of a villain is impossible.
• Spell Book: Yep, he has one. It's his Secret Diary and also his dedicated artifact among the Pillars.
• Spell My Name With An S: "Star Swirl" and "Starswirl" have both been used. Since he was first named from a list of names pre-approved by Hasbro, the most obvious assumption was that his name is supposed to be spelled the same way as the toyline's Star Swirl. However, the credits of "Shadow Play◊" and "Friendship University◊" spell his name as "Starswirl", a single word without any dividing space.
• Took a Level in Kindness: "Friendship University" shows that he has become much more humble, friendly and idealistic since "Shadow Play", helping ponies during his travels, and even being willing to give the Flim-Flam Brothers the benefit of the doubt.
• Unseen No More: He is referenced in various episodes since season 2. He only shows up for the first time in the season 7 finale and makes a few other appearances in the following seasons.
• Unwitting Pawn: In "Friendship University", Flim and Flam use his enrollment at their University to quickly earn them accreditation, and as an incentive to bring in more students, telling them they can study in the same class as Star Swirl if they work hard enough.
• Walking the Earth: At the end of Season 7, Celestia and Luna invite him to return to Canterlot as a teacher, but Star Swirl says he first wants to see more of what's become of Equestria while he's been away.
• What the Hell, Hero?:
  • Gives one to Celestia in the Reflections storyline of the comics for allowing her romance with the alternate universe Sombra to cloud her judgement and leading her to risk the stability of both worlds.
  • Gives a few to Twilight and Starlight in "Shadow Play", the former for thinking she could unseal just the Pillars without releasing the Pony of Shadows, and the latter for thinking there's any other way to stop the villain other than sealing him away.
  • He in turn gets one as well when it's found out how Stygian became the Pony of Shadows, and likewise dismissing Twilight and Starlight's suggestions of trying to talk down the problem than resort to force.
• Wizard Beard: Why do you think he's called Star Swirl the Bearded? A long beard is a must for this archetypal wizard. In the book seen in Rainbow Rocks, his beard is truly humongous and occupies most of the illustration. In the stylized illustration of a season 4 flashback he is shown to have had a large beard even when Celestia calls him a "young unicorn wizard."
• Wizard Classic: The very image of the old, bearded sorcerer with a cape and hat conjuring spells that warp the world to his will.
• World's Strongest Man: He's regarded as the most powerful unicorn to have ever lived. King Sombra's feats even as a flesh-and-blood unicorn king actually seem to suggest he's more powerful than Star Swirl, though not many creatures in Equestria knew about him. He was certainly this for the period before Sombra showed up and enslaved the Crystal Empire, as well as the period between his being freed from Limbo and Sombra's brief revival. Following Sombra's second death, this title goes back to Star Swirl once again. The Pony of Shadows states he's more powerful than Twilight Sparkle, an alicorn and the bearer of the Element of Magic. This seems to have changed by the "The Ending of the End"; In Part 1, Star Swirl's magic blasts are unable to harm Tirek (even with Mistmane backing him up), yet in Part 2, Twilight is able to knock Tirek down (and dislodge a tooth) with one blast to the face. It should be noted that at that point, Tirek has become even stronger from absorbing all the Pillars' magic.

Rockhoof

"Rockhoof was known far and wide for his incredible strength. But he didn't start out that way..."

First Mentioned: "The Crystalling – Part 2"
Debut: "Campfire Tales"
First Speaking Appearance: "Shadow Play – Part 2"

Voiced by: Matt Cowlrick

An earth pony from a seaside village that dreamed of nothing more than joining the warriors of the Mighty Helm that protected it, but he was too scrawny and weak. When a volcanic eruption threatened the village, Rockhoof's will to protect it was so strong that he spontaneously grew into a mightly stallion, and rapidly dug a trench to divert the lava flow and save his people. As a Pillar, his relic is his trusty shovel.

---

• Acrofatic: Zig-Zagged briefly in Legends of Magic. After a lifestyle of partying makes him fat, he shows off some athletic prowess saving two Helms and running down a mountain. Other than that, his weight impedes his ability to deal with the cherufe on the volcano and it prompts him to get back in shape.
• Big Eater: In Legends of Magic, he takes this to comical levels — most of his nights out are spent taking on one eating challenge after another, ranging from scarfing down bowls full of oats and mountains of bread to literally eating his way out of a pit full of corn. Deconstructed when destiny calls and his eating habits have caught up to him.
• The Big Guy: Both literally and figuratively. As the embodiment of Strength, Rockhoof is the physical powerhouse of the Pillars. Further, he's utterly massive, taller at his shoulders than many other ponies are at their head, and he's also a lot bulkier than other ponies tend to be.
• Boisterous Bruiser: At the end of his segment and in Legends of Magic, he is almost always posing, yelling his dialogue, eating and drinking to excess, and kicking ass.
• Braids of Barbarism: Rockhoof, a pony famous for his great strength and hailing from a culture visually inspired by medieval Scandinavia, sports a long braid in his mane in his bulked-up form.
• Brought Down to Normal: When Tirek drains his magic, Rockhoof reverts back to the scrawny stallion he once was. He is later restored by Twilight's magic after he and the other Pillars are teleported out of their prison cells.
• Commonality Connection: In the final issue of the first Season 10 comic arc, he forms a connection with Tempest Shadow, as they are both warriors to the core who love a good fight.
• Despair Event Horizon: Rockhoof reaches it in "A Rockhoof and a Hard Place" when he starts to feel that he has no place in the modern world. He asks Twilight to cast a spell to turn him to stone, so he can be remembered as the hero he once was, rather than the "disappointment" he's become.
• Determinator: Despite his initial lack of strength, and knowing full well that the odds were against him, Rockhoof put everything he had into digging the trench to save his village. His determination was rewarded by his sudden increase in strength.
• Does Not Know His Own Strength: One of Rockhoof's biggest problems throughout "A Rockhoof and a Hard Place" is that he unwittingly causes damage or destruction whenever attempting a new livelihood because he's just that strong that nearly everything is more fragile than he is.
• Easily Forgiven:
  • An out-of-shape Rockhoof retreats from investigating the volcano near his village in failure, resulting in a stern talking to from Captain Steela. After he loses the weight he gained from partying, he and Steela climb the mountain together where they find the cherufe that was giving Rockhoof a hard time. Rockhoof reunites the cherufe with its mother, and Steela thanks him for saving the village again.
  • After Rockhoof accidentally causes the Hippogriff navy to crash into some rocks during "A Rockhoof and a Hard Place", General Seaspray dismisses him but doesn't show any signs of anger when doing it, even saying it was an honor to serve with him. Silverstream later excitedly tells the tale to her classmates after hearing it from her brother Terramar.
• Eye Remember: When Rockhoof sees what appears to be a fire in "A Rockhoof and a Hard Place" (actually Spike and Smolder having a fire-breathing contest), images of the volcano he fought appear in both his eyes.
• Fast Tunnelling: After his massive gain in strength, he became fast enough to dig his trench at running speed.
• Fat Comic Relief: Rockhoof temporarily becomes this in the comic with the village ponies even mocking him after his excessive partying takes its toll. His armor is way too small, flies are buzzing around him, he tires easily when climbing the mountain and he gets burned by a cherufe while retreating from the volcano.
• The Fat Episode: His featured issue in Legends of Magic, brought on by excessive eating and partying.
• Formerly Fit: Defied. When he realizes that his eating habits have impeded his speed and stamina, Rockhoof gets right back to training.
• Friend to All Children: In "A Rockhoof and a Hard Place". He quickly becomes popular with the School of Friendship students (especially Yona) due to his larger-than-life personality and habit of telling tall tales.
• The Glomp:
  • Right after saving his village, Rockhoof gave the members of the Mighty Helm a big hug, showing that he held no grudge against them.
  • In the comics issue #89; After Zecora refuses a hug from her old friend Marini, Rockhoof eagerly takes her place, squeezing tightly.
• Growing Muscles Sequence: Rockhoof magically became bigger and stronger, apparently just from being willing to risk his life to save his village from an erupting volcano.
• Hot-Blooded: Both his greatest strength and his Fatal Flaw. His tendency to launch himself into everything he does with all his heart is clearly what made him a hero, but it also leaves him with little sense of proportion.
• I Got Bigger: Rockhoof used to be downright scrawny◊. When we're first introduced to him, the other guardponies made fun of him when he couldn't pull an ax out of a target.
• Legendary Weapon: His shovel. Unlike Flash Magnus's shield, there doesn't seem to be anything particularly special or magical about it other than acting as a focus for his proto-Element of Strength, and in fact it wasn't even the shovel that he saved his village with (as it was destroyed in his Legends of Magic comic). It's legendary because it's his main weapon and iconic item.
• Lightning Bruiser: He's the strongest earth pony to ever live and a mountain of a stallion, but he's also anything but slow.
• Mr. Vice Guy: In Legends of Magic. He is a genuinely brave and heroic character, but gluttony and pride nearly prove his undoing.
• One-Sided Arm-Wrestling: At the beginning of the comics arc "The Farasian Shores", Rockhoof is seen struggling in a hoof wrestling match against Big Macintosh, who isn't even paying attention.
• Out of Job, into the Plot: What kicks off the events of "A Rockhoof and a Hard Place"; His attempts to help out with the excavation of his old village don't work out, due to his overpowering strength and lack of regard for the historical nature of the artifacts, leading Professor Fossil to send him over to Twilight.
• Screams Like a Little Girl: Played with during his story. When he sees the volcano erupt, his eyes bulge and he seems to let out a high-pitched scream. But it is revealed through a scene transition that this sound was actually Apple Bloom letting out a squeal of delight at her favorite part. It is unknown how Rockhoof's scream actually sounded.
• Shockwave Stomp: Due to a combination of his size and strength, he can create minor shockwaves by slamming his hoof on the ground, or even just by sitting down.
• Shovel Strike: He kept the shovel he was using when he gained his incredible strength as his signature item, and it's more or less his weapon. Even when the original was destroyed in his Legends comic, he created a new one and used it instead.
• Stating the Obvious: In #91 of the comics, when the group he's with reach a large gorge:
  Rockhoof: Fearless leader Applejack, I know this is a foreign land, and I am from a distant time, but given my expertise in the ways of digging and such... I would wager a guess that this is a hole. And a big one at that.
  Applejack: [stares at him for a panel] Thank you for that analysis, Rockhoof.
• Suddenly Voiced: He speaks in the Season 7 finale, after having had no speaking lines in his debut episode.
• Super-Strength: He's super-strong even by earth pony standards, which is saying something. With nothing but his shovel as a lever, he can hurl giant boulders through the air.
• There Was a Door: A Running Gag in "A Rockhoof and a Hard Place".
  • To be fair, Rockhoof does use the door to the classroom... it's just that with his large bulk and the shovel on his back, he also resizes the doorframe at the same time.
    Rockhoof: HELLO, CLASS! *SMASH*
  • He later bursts through the wall of the same classroom when he believes there's a fire on the second floor, and evacuates the students through the hole.
• Undying Loyalty: Like all three legendary figures from "Campfire Tales", he displays great loyalty towards something. In his case, it's his village, which he worked desperately to save from the volcano even at risk of his life.
• Vocal Evolution: His voice shows to change with his form. When he speaks in his strong muscular form he sounds like a grownup viking. But, as seen in the finale, when Triek drains him of his magic and turns him back into his small form, his voice becomes much smaller and squeakier.
• The Voiceless: Rockhoof doesn't speak a word during his story, and has to wait until the Season 7 finale to get spoken lines.
• World's Strongest Man: He's referred to as "the strongest pony in the realm" in the synopsis for his Legends of Magic comic. While Star Swirl is the strongest unicorn in Equestrian history and in magical strength, it seems Rockhoof is the strongest earth pony and in physical strength. If his story is to be believed, he once beat an Ursa Major one-on-one with nothing but a shovel.
• Wrecked Weapon:
  • He loses his original shovel during his Legends of Magic issue.
  • In the finale, his second is broken when he tries to attack Tirek, causing it to shatter against the centaur's leg.
  • The handle of his third shovel snaps in comics Issue #92 when he lands a particularly powerful blow against the Grootslang.
• You Shall Not Pass!: In the final issue of the comics' first "Season 10" story, he and Tempest Shadow (and later, Applejack) hold off the Grootslang while their friends get to shelter. They put up a decent fight, but are ultimately beaten back (with Rockhoof being knocked unconscious).

Mistmane

Click here for her youthful appearance^note 

"Mistmane was a very promising young sorceress. She was as talented as she was beautiful and kind..."

First Mentioned: "The Crystalling – Part 2"
Debut: "Campfire Tales"

Voiced by: Ellen-Ray Hennessy

A famous unicorn sorceress, Mistmane was the most beautiful pony in her homeland. While she was away to study magic, her friend Sable Spirit botched a spell to make herself beautiful and made herself ugly, and in jealousy ruined the village to take away its beauty. Upon her return, Mistmane performed a powerful spell that restored both Sable and the village to their former glory, but did so at the cost of her looks. As a Pillar, her relic is the single flower she used as a focus for her beauty spell.

---

• Animal Talk: She's able to do this by the time of her appearance in Legends of Magic, and teaches Luna how to do it too. It's noted as not being based on speech, but in the ability to read body language and think more deeply about context.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Mistmane was the most beautiful and gentlest unicorn in the land, and also a magical prodigy who could employ some very impressive and powerful magic in a duel.
• Cast from Lifespan: She presents a non-fatal version. Mistmane cast a spell that restored the beauty to her land at the cost of her own youth and beauty.
• Equivalent Exchange: Mistmane cast a spell to restore life to her home village and Sable Spirit's beauty, but in exchange, her own appearance became elderly and withered.
• Fertile Feet: Late in life, Mistmane causes flowers to grow from the ground wherever she walks.
• Friendship Favoritism: While she showed forgiveness toward her old friend Sable Spirit after everything she did (to the point of sacrificing her beauty for her), Mistmane saw Stygian as nothing but irredeemable after he became the Pony of Shadows.
• Greater Need Than Mine: Mistmane willingly gives up her own beauty to restore beauty to her home. The gesture is so selfless and heartfelt that it changes Sable Spirit for the better. Is it any wonder as to why this is Rarity's favorite legend?
• Green Thumb: Not only can she make flowers grow wherever she walks, she's capable of growing plants with her magic. While the primary usage of it is to restore beauty, she's capable of using it offensively by summoning powerful vines to trap opponents.
• Holding Back the Phlebotinum: It's noticeable that despite being a unicorn with a very prominent horn, Mistmane never uses her magic in her Legends of Magic appearance. She even holds off from using telekinesis, preferring to manipulate objects with her own hooves.
• Magic Hair: Her mane constantly flows, as if unaffected by gravity, not unlike Celestia and Luna's. This is most likely a sign of her high level of magic.
• Mercy Rewarded: Shows mercy to Sable Spirit after defeating her by restoring her youth and beauty, even at the cost of her own. This act inspires Sable Spirit to change her ways and become The Good Queen for their homeland.
• Rapid Aging: Undergoes this as she sacrifices her beauty to bring her village back to life.
• Tarnishing Their Own Beauty: Mistmane was willing to give up her looks just to help her friend and home.
• Undying Loyalty: Like all three legendary figures from "Campifre Tales", she displays great loyalty towards something. In her case, it's towards her old friend Sable Spirit, whose beauty she restores alongside the land's even after seeing how cruel she had become.
• Vocal Evolution: Her voice becomes old and wrinkly to go with her Rapid Aging appearance after she sacrifices her beauty.
• World's Most Beautiful Woman: Mistmane, before sacrificing her beauty to restore that of her homeland, was (at least according to Rarity) the most beautiful unicorn in the land.
• Wutai: The land Mistmane comes from is heavily influenced by Oriental culture, especially imperial-age China, from the architecture to the way the local ponies dress to the background music.
• Younger than She Looks: She looks like an old mare, but she's in truth no older than her fellow Pillars. She gained her old appearance as the result of sacrificing her beauty to restore her homeland and her friend Sable Spirit.

Flash Magnus

"A long time ago, before the Wonderbolts were even founded, Flash Magnus was a lowly cadet in the Royal Legion..."

First Mentioned: "The Crystalling – Part 2"
Debut: "Campfire Tales"

Voiced by: Giles Panton

A pegasus soldier from the Cloudsdale Royal Legion. After a pair of dragons captured his companions and his allies were too afraid to attempt rescue, Flash Magnus distracted the dragons with nothing but a magical shield to defend him. His comrades were rescued and Flash Magnus became honored for his bravery, keeping the shield as proof of his valor. As a Pillar, his relic is his shield, Netitus.

---

• Ash Face: After leading the two dragons into a huge stormcloud, Flash Magnus is seen covered in ash from being struck by lightning.
• Birds of a Feather: Out of all the Pillars, he gets along the best with his counterpart in the Mane Six; he and Rainbow Dash quickly establish a bond of mutual respect, due to sharing similar confident, courageous personalities.
• Honor Before Reason: His sense of honor seems determined to drive him into foolish decisions, and Ironhead always tries to argue him out of them. Still, his courage and ability to inspire others always helps him beat the odds.
• Implausible Boarding Skills: At a few points, Flash Magnus uses the shield Netitus to briefly surf on the dragons' fire breath.
• Irony: Flash Magnus earned his shield (and his legendary reputation) by facing hostile dragons. In the present, his shield not only ended up in the Dragon Lands, but in the claws of Garble, one of the worst dragons of them all.
• Legendary Weapon: Netitus, a legendary magical shield that he was given by his superior while going to save his captured comrades. It's fireproof and invulnerable enough to protect him from beams that can vaporize solid rock without any harm to him. His reaction to being given it implies it was already legendary when he got it, he just made it more so.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: When acting as bait to divert the dragons, Flash Magnus is given Netitus, a legendary fireproof shield, to protect himself from the dragons' fire breath. During the Pillars' battle with the Sirens, it proved strong enough to withstand their Breath Weapon powerful enough to vaporize solid rock.
• Made of Indestructium: Netitus, his legendary shield, is unbreakable. It's not only completely fireproof, but it can withstand blasts capable of vaporizing huge boulders in second completely unharmed. After over a thousand years of neglect, it just needs a quick cleaning to be good as new.
• Named Weapons: His shield is called Netitus, and it's also a magical legendary artifact.
• No One Gets Left Behind: Whether it's his own companions or griffon civilians, Flash Magnus will never abandon anyone to an uncertain fate.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: In his Legends of Magic appearance. After being ordered not to assist the griffons in dealing with the powerful storm heading their way for fear of provoking war, he goes off to rescue them anyway and his fellow squad members follow suit.
• Shield Surf: When distracting the dragons in "Campfire Tales", he briefly stands on Netitus and uses it to surf across the flames one of the dragons is spewing.
• Stone Wall: Unlike Star Swirl, Mistmane, and Rockhoof, who were most famous for their combat prowess and their ability to alter the world around them, his most notable trait was the defensive abilities of his legendary shield. Said shield is insanely durable, to the point Flash Magnus can tank a beam capable of vaporizing huge boulders in seconds without injury or his shield being damaged at all. In combat, his primary tactic centers around presenting his shield to his enemy and using it to weather out their attacks, counting on it to halt whatever his opponent throws at him.
• Undying Loyalty: Like all three legendary figures from "Campfire Tales", he displays great loyalty towards something. In his case, it's his companions, to point of putting himself at great risk by drawing the dragons' attention to himself to allow for their rescue. His loyalty is especially notable, as his is the favorite legend of Rainbow Dash, the bearer of the Element of Loyalty.
• We Need a Distraction: Flash Magnus offers himself as live bait to lure the dragons away from the cave, so his companions can rescue the prisoners.

Somnambula

The pony who never gave up hope.

"Like her fellow villagers, Somnambula didn't have much, but she used what she had to keep others from giving up hope..."

First Mentioned: "The Crystalling – Part 2"
Debut: "Daring Done?"
First Speaking Appearance: "Shadow Play – Part 2"

Voiced by: Murry Peeters

The namesake of a village in Southern Equestria, Somnambula was a pegasus who gave hope to her people in times when a Sphinx terrorized the land. When the prince of her village tried to stand up to the Sphinx and was abducted, Somnambula rescued him by walking across a narrow bridge blindfolded, relying on his voice to guide her. The furious Sphinx flew away and Somnambula became honored by her people as a hero. As a Pillar, her relic is the blindfold she wore during the Sphinx's trial.

---

• Adaptational Heroism: Zig-zagged. Somnambula was a villain when she appeared in My Little Pony and Friends. Here, she's a historical hero who had an entire town named after her in memory of her bravery and hope. However, she is also Somnambula In Name Only.
• Adaptation Personality Change: In the Legends of Magic comics, Somnambula is similar in personality to Pinkie Pie, being very energetic and quirky. In contrast, her appearances in the show depict her as being level-headed and sensible, with none of the energy or quirkiness of her comics self (unless one assumes she simply grew more serious and mature).
• Adaptation Species Change: The original Somnambula was a human witch; this version is a pegasus.
• Bilingual Bonus: Her name is derived from "somnambulism", which is Latin for sleepwalking.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Her comic appearance has her acting in a totally casual and unhurried manner to a giant snake eating the entire army and several villages, several characters noting in exasperation that she doesn't seem to be taking it seriously. She eventually demonstrates that she knows exactly what she was doing, and never saw the need to panic because she had the situation totally under control the whole time.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Legends of Magic shows her to be about as out-there and nonsensical as Pinkie Pie.
• Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Somnambula's headdress and clash with a sphinx mark her namesake village as Equestria's version of Ancient Egypt. Said village also has traits of an actual Egyptian village or town, most of its residents seem to wear kohl, and it is located near ancient pyramids. Further, her homeland was explicitly ruled by a Pharaoh in her time.
• Hope Bringer: For the village of Somnambula, the eponymous heroine becomes the very embodiment of hope through her selfless actions, with a gigantic statue of her serving as a reminder of her legacy. Thus, it is hardly surprising why the villagers hate Daring Do for accidentally destroying that statue during one of her adventures.
• In Name Only: Aside from being female, Somnambula has nothing in common with her G1 counterpart, who was an evil human witch from the show's present day rather than a heroic pegasus from the distant past.
• Irony: She personifies hope itself, yet admitted that Stygian's transformation into the Pony of Shadows dashed even her hopes of redeeming him.
• Nice Girl: Even before defeating the Sphinx, Somnambula was already famous by her kindness, inspiring the prince to help his starving subjects.

• Plucky Girl: Bravery and optimism are her main characteristics. She kept a positive attitude during the Sphinx's rule and didn't back down from facing her to save the prince and her people.
• The Smart Girl: It's uncertain how much of an education she's had, but she's a excellent lateral thinker with a good memory and eye for details. She even appears to have a decent working knowledge of magic.
• Suddenly Voiced: Not counting her first appearance, she speaks in the Season 7 finale.
• Trrrilling Rrrs: Somnambula's foreign-sounding accent involves trilling the R sound somewhat.
• Unfazed Everyman: While the other pillars are magic users and warriors, Somnambula is just a plucky village girl that gets involved with magical threats and deals with them without batting an eye. According to the comics, the prince invited her to move in to the palace as a counselor, but she chose to keep her simple life along with the other villagers.
• The Voiceless: Like Rockhoof, she didn't speak during her story, though the apple vendor manages to mimic her voice when talking during such, and has to wait until "Shadow Play" before her real voice can be heard.
• Wronski Feint: She pulls this on the Dazzlings in the "Shadow Play — Part 2" flashback. By circling around the Sirens, she annoys them enough that all three give chase to her. Thus Somnambula leads them toward the interdimensional portal that Star Swirl just opened, and feints at the last moment by flying up. The Sirens, bigger and less agile than a pegasus, can't stop in time and fly straight through the portal.

Mage Meadowbrook

"Mystical and masked, she came in the night and cured everything from hoof cough to fur blight..."

First Mentioned: "The Cutie Map – Part 1"
Debut: "A Health of Information"

Voiced by: Mariee Devereux

Known to most as a world-renowned earth pony^note Originally described as a unicorn in Season 5 sorceress who possessed eight mystical items, Mage Meadowbrook moonlighted as an elusive masked healer called the "Mystical Mask", traveling Equestria to heal the rarest and most terrible of diseases. As a Pillar, her relic is her healer's mask.

---

• Alchemy Is Magic: Meadowbrook is an earth pony, and thus can't use the flashier and more direct kind of magic usually seen on the show. Instead, she specializes in brewing cures and potions, which was evidently sufficient to earn her the appellation of "sorceress" and "mage". She is also an expert in how unicorn spells work, despite her inability to use them, being able to judge a complex spell and say that it could work after giving it only a short perusal.
• Arboreal Abode: Before she left to travel Equestria to cure disease, Meadowbrook lived with her mother inside a hollow tree in the bayous of the Hayseed Swamps.
• Didn't Think This Through: You were able to publish your knowledge of cures before deciding to send the Pony of Shadows into Limbo, right?
• Healing Magic Is the Hardest: This trope's persistence in the show's canon makes her status as a legendary healer all the more of a stand out. She's exceptionally good at a school of magic that is already exceptionally rare.
• Heart Is an Awesome Power: While she's a healer more than a fighter, her ability to whip up magical brews can be highly useful. During the comics' "Knights of Harmony" story arc, she created a potion that not only freed her allies from Morrigan's Mind Control, but warded others against it, effectively neutralizing the villain's threat.
• His Name Really Is "Barkeep": She's addressed as "Mage" in the IDW comics, and she's known as a sorceress and healer.
• I Have Many Names: Besides Mage Meadowbrook, she is also widely known in the modern day as the Mystical Mask, and at least Zecora and Fluttershy are more familiar with her by that title than by her given name.
• Living Distant Ancestor: After coming back from Limbo, she's one to Cattail, which she meets upon reinvesting her ancient abode in Hayseed Swamp.
• The Medic: She was a skilled healer, and was famous for traveling all over Equestria to cure dangerous diseases and epidemics.
• Muggle with a Degree in Magic: She is an earth pony, and as such lacks the ability to cast spells or use active magic. However, much like Zecora, she's an accomplished herbologist and alchemist, and gained legendary status due to her ability to cure any ailment, magic or mundane, that she encountered. She's also evidently well-versed in unicorn magic, as shown when she's able to tell that a newly devised experimental spell would be able to work successfully after briefly reviewing its written form.
• Mythology Gag: She shares her name with a G3 pony, which also happened to be one of the names Lauren Faust considered for Fluttershy.
• Plague Doctor: She wears a birdlike mask is visually reminiscent of the beaked masks worn by historical plague doctors, and healers in her time likewise wore such masks to avoid catching sick themselves. Her origin story also focuses on curing a dangerous disease that was ravaging her hometown, like the historical plague doctors would try to find a cure for the Black Death as it ravaged Europe.
• Retcon: Twilight calls her an Eastern unicorn in "The Cutie Map", but when she makes her debut, she's an earth pony straight out of the Deep South. This is addressed via Shrouded in Myth.
• Shrouded in Myth: More so than the other Pillars, her feats have been carried on as stories of legendary healers so disparate that even the studious Twilight wrongfully thought of her as an eastern unicorn. It took a lot of book reading to connect the pieces and find a lead on who she really was and where she once lived.
• Tareme Eyes: A notable trait she shares with Fluttershy is the shape of her eyes, softening her features.
• Thou Shalt Not Kill: She normally prefers to avoid combat, but if absolutely forced to do so she will fight physically. She will not however take a life of any sort, and makes it clear that she will not help others to do so either.

Founders of Equestria

Entire Group

The Mane Six as the founders of Equestria; from left to right: Smart Cookie, Private Pansy, Clover the Clever, Princess Platinum, Chancellor Puddinghead, Commander Hurricane

• Ambiguous Gender: While they are presented as mares when the Mane 6 act as them, their future appearances in other media show that some of them, like Clover the Clever and Commander Hurricane, could have been male.
• Ambiguous Situation: In Feats of Friendship, the Thracians claim that their founder, king Thrace, was cast out and shunned by the Equestrian founders, justifying their cultural hatred of Equestria. This is the only time this is brought up, and it's ultimately left unclear if this is the true story or if Thrace is an Unreliable Expositor.
• Alliterative Name: Clover the Clever, Princess Platinum and Private Pansy if you include titles.
• Beleaguered Assistant: To say that the assistants were annoyed at the behavior of their leaders would have been an understatement.
• Depending on the Artist: Since the only thing we learn about their appearances in Hearths Warming Eve is what kind of pony they are and what clothes they wore, their mane and coat colors, face shapes and even gender can change a lot in their future appearances in comics, games and even later episodes.
• Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: The assistants took out the Windigos and saved Equestria. As always, this involved blasting them with weaponized friendship. Notable because it was accidental.
• Fantastic Racism: This was an unfortunate trait of the three races before they were united under Equestria's founding: the earth ponies resented the pegasi and unicorns for messing with the weather and their demands for food, the pegasi were angry at the earth ponies for not being able to grow food and the unicorns were viewed as too haughty by the other two. This is especially evident in the leaders.
• Hypocrite: According to Thracian history, immediately after the three tribes unified in friendship, they refused king Thrace's attempt to join them and cast him out in the cold. Note that the only source on this is Thrace.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Each of the three leaders of the pony races had this kind of relationship with their assistants, with the leaders being red while the assistants were blue.
• Universal-Adaptor Cast: In the Hearth's Warming Play, the six founders are played by the Mane Six both in-universe (as they're literally playing them on-stage) and in the cartoon itself (as the cuts to the founding of Equestria proper use the main characters dressed in period clothing to represent the ancient founders).

Clover the Clever

Clover as seen in the Gameloft mobile game

^{Click here to see his design from Forgotten Friendship} 

^{And here to see his alternate design from the IDW comics} 

Debut: "Hearth's Warming Eve"

Star Swirl the Bearded's student and protégé and assistant to Princess Platinum, Clover the Clever accomplished some notable feats of his own, including defeating a sorceress who used an enchanted stone to erase people's memories. Played by Twilight Sparkle in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.

---

• Ambiguous Gender: Although the character is played by Twilight, no gender pronouns are used to address Clover. The Journal of the Two Sisters implies that Clover the Clever is female, while Princess Celestia and the Summer of Royal Waves implies Clover is male. He is eventually established as having been male in Equestria Girls: Forgotten Friendship.
• Expy: Possibly of G2's Clever Clover.

• The Magnificent: "The Clever", a title he earned for his quick thinking and clever solutions to the problems he faced.
• Nice Guy: The play depicted him as being kind and friendly, in addition to not sharing the unicorns' snobbishness, and easily befriending Private Pansy and Smart Cookie.
• Note to Self: When chasing the original holder of the Memory Stone, Clover the Clever wrote notes to himself to make sure he'd always know who to chase in case his memory was stolen.
• Precursor Hero: Beyond his role in the founding of Equestria, like his mentor he's known for other heroic deeds (compiled in the book The Seven Trials of Clover the Clever), among which is pursuing the Sorceress that created the Memory Stone.
• Seers: Implied, as he predicted that the founders would see reason.
• The Smart Guy: Clover didn't earn the nickname "The Clever" for nothing. Equestria Girls: Forgotten Friendship points out how, while pursuing a sorceress who could erase memories at will, he still managed to stay on track by taking frequent notes of everything happening.
• Straight Man: To Platinum, by being reasonable and mature in contrast with her being a spoiled royal brat.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Clover the Clever hid the Memory Stone in the human world to keep its power away from Equestria, but didn't count on a human finding and making use of it.

Princess Platinum

Princess Platinum as seen in the mobile game

Debut: "Hearth's Warming Eve"

The daughter of the Unicorn King at the time of Equestria's founding. Played by Rarity in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.

---

• Ambiguous Gender: Averted, unlike the other founders in the episode. Due to the "princess" title, she is the only role in the play that is definitely given one gender.
• Ermine Cape Effect: She wears only her royal robes, due to the Limited Wardrobe of the episode.
• Graceful Ladies Like Purple: Her gown is purple and she is the princess of the magic-using tribe.
• Heel–Face Turn: After the Windigoes' defeat, she becomes softer and agrees to share Equestria harmoniously with the other two tribes.
• Hidden Depths: When she and the other tribe leaders seek refuge in a cave and fight over a mere rock, her reasoning for wanting to have it is the possibility that there are jewels inside, implying she is insightful.
• Nerves of Steel: Princess Platinum may seem flighty, but she faced down an angry Luna and her manticore pet with only a tremble in her voice.
• Pimped-Out Dress: Her ermine-trimmed gown.
• Princesses Rule: Possibly; we never see her father and she's the one who goes off to found Equestria, not him.

• Royal Brat:
  • Until the Windigos' defeat, she was haughty and liked pulling rank.
  • The Journal of the Two Sisters reveals she didn't entirely learn her lesson, being extremely indignant about Celestia and Luna outranking her.

Commander Hurricane

Commander Hurricane as seen in the mobile game

Debut: "Hearth's Warming Eve"

The leader of the Pegasi. Played by Rainbow Dash in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.

---

• Ambiguous Gender: Hurricane is referred to as "sir"^note which can be gender neutral in certain situations multiple times, as well as being named a "brute" (an insult which is usually Always Male) throughout the play. However, Pansy calls Hurricane "her" multiple times and the role is played by the female Rainbow Dash. The Journal of the Two Sisters describes Commander Hurricane as male, though.
• Blood Knight: Hurricane is fond of battle, as he lived in an era when pegasi were more interested in conquering than competitive flying.
• Boisterous Bruiser: Much like Rainbow Dash who plays him, Hurricane seems rather full of himself and prone to fighting.
• Cross-Cast Role: According to The Journal of the Two Sisters, he's male but was played by the female Rainbow Dash in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant. Justified because Rainbow Dash is also a major tomboy, so she can settle into a masculine role rather well.
• General Ripper: To contrast Princess Platinum, he's a military-style Jerkass.
• Heel–Face Turn: After the Windigoes' defeat, he becomes softer and agrees to share Equestria harmoniously with the other two tribes.
• Hot-Blooded: Princess Platinum (Rarity) once referred to him as Commander Hothead.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: After the Windigos' defeat, he tones down the jerkiness and values friendship.
• Mean Boss: To Private Pansy for his pushiness and abrasive orders.
• Proud Warrior Race Guy: According to the play, Hurricane's love of battle and conquest was typical of pegasi at this point in history.
• The One Guy: According to The Journal of the Two Sisters, Commander Hurricane was the only stallion amongst the six founders.

Private Pansy

Private Pansy as seen in the mobile game

^{And here to see her alternate design from the IDW comics} 

Debut: "Hearth's Warming Eve"

A subordinate of Commander Hurricane who accompanied him in a mission to scout for a new land to inhabit. Played by Fluttershy in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.

---

• Nice Girl: She doesn't dislike the other two tribes like the rest of the pegasi, and is quick to befriend Clover the Clever and Smart Cookie.
• Shrinking Violet: Like her actor, Pansy was a shy and timid pony.
• Straight Man: To Hurricane by reacting meekly to all the military posturing.

Chancellor Puddinghead

Chancellor Puddinghead as seen in the mobile game

Debut: "Hearth's Warming Eve"

The leader of the earth ponies, Chancellor Puddinghead is... something of an eccentric character. Played by Pinkie Pie in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.

---

• Alchemy Is Magic: The special My Little Pony: Best Gift Ever revealed that he created a magical pudding for the first Hearth's Warming meal between the three nations. Like Mage Meadowbrook, his being an earth pony makes this an especially impressive deed.
• Ambiguous Gender: Puddinghead is played by Pinkie in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant, though no gender pronouns have been used to describe this pony. The Journal of the Two Sisters implies that Puddinghead is female, along with an illustration in the pop-up book My Little Pony: The Castles of Equestria, while "Marks for Effort" has an illustration of the character looking male.
• The Caligula: A mild example before the Windigos' defeat; a leader who is annoyingly quirky instead of dangerously insane.
• Cloudcuckoolander: If Pinkie's interpretation of Puddinghead is accurate, then he wasn't exactly grounded in normal logic.
• Genius Ditz: According to The Journal of Two Sisters post-Character Development and founding of Equestria, he turned out to be this, never losing his quirkiness but employing it in smarter ways. Luna suspects him of Obfuscating Stupidity.
• Heel–Face Turn: After the Windigoes' defeat, he becomes softer and agrees to share Equestria harmoniously with the other two tribes.
• Insane Troll Logic: If Pinkie's interpretation of the character is anything to go by, Puddinghead ran on this. He was elected because he could think outside of the box, which means he could also think "inside the chimney". Can you think inside a chimney?
• Loony Laws: May have been responsible for a few; notably, he tried to pass a law mandating earth ponies to drink carrot juice at every meal.
• No Sense of Direction: He believed wearing an upside-down map on his face was all the direction he needed. Of course, whether it's upside or not is irrelevant; the world is round, so there is no up or down.
• Pointy-Haired Boss: It's a wonder the earth ponies managed to function with him in charge. To make matters worse? He was ELECTED!
• Signature Headgear: He wore a hat reminiscent of a bow of pudding; in the Hearth's Warming Eve play, Pinkie wears a hat that is literally shaped to be an actual bowl of pudding sitting on her head.
• Supreme Chef: The pudding he created for the first Hearth's Warming meal required its ingredients to be measured exactly, in order to avoid "untold culinary devastation". While he managed to avoid that, when Twilight Sparkle attempts to make it, several extra ingredients are (unbeknownst to her) added by her niece Flurry Heart, causing it to flood the castle and attack anypony who came near it.

Smart Cookie

Smart Cookie as seen in the mobile game

^{And here to see her alternate design from the IDW comics} 

Debut: "Hearth's Warming Eve'

Chancellor Puddinghead's put-upon secretary and aide. Played by Applejack in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.

---

• Honest Advisor: She always speaks her mind to Puddinghead.
• Nice Girl: She doesn't dislike the other two tribes like the rest of the earth ponies, and is quick to befriend Clover the Clever and Private Pansy.

• Servile Snarker: She serves up regular snark at her boss. All the weird behaviors provide no shortage of material.
• Straight Man: To Puddinghead, her straightforward and rational attitude contrasting with her boss's Insane Troll Logic and inanity.

Gusty the Great

Grogar

First Mentioned: "A Flurry of Emotions"
Debut: "The Beginning of the End – Part 1"

Voiced by: Doc Harris

A treacherous ram who ruled Equestria in ancient times, before the three pony tribes united as one. Known as "the Father of Monsters", he unleashed a horde of terrible creatures across the land. When the legendary heroine Gusty the Great stole his magical bell, Grogar's reign was brought to an end.

For tropes applying to his G1 counterpart, see My Little Pony 'n Friends.

---

• Adaptational Badass: Zigzagged. He was able to escape his imprisonment over time, while the G1 Grogar never did, and he's established as being more powerful than all the other villains and claims he's stronger than Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow combined, while the original Grogar was powerful but not to those kinds of levels. However, then comes The Reveal that he was just Discord in disguise. On the other hand, his bell is able to transform Cozy Glow into an alicorn, empowered Tirek on a level equivalent to hundreds of ponies, and grants Chrysalis a new form that is able to beat Starlight Glimmer in a direct battle. This leaves it ambiguous as to how powerful he really is, but if the magic contained within his bell was the bulk of Grogar's own magic like he implies, then his proclaimed power levels are probably accurate.
• Ambiguous Situation:
  • With the reveal that the real Grogar never escaped his banishment, it's uncertain where he is or if he's even still alive, particularly as it's not known where he was banished to anyway.
  • Given Grogar's status as the "Father of Monsters", it can be assumed that at least some of the monsters seen throughout the show are his offspring or descendants. If so, however, we don't get any confirmation as to which ones they would be.
• Ancient Evil: He predates the founding of Equestria and the rise of Celestia and Luna. He's so old that even Chrysalis, Tirek, and Sombra, all of whom are at least over a thousand years old, only know the legends and stories of his existence and never actually met him.
• Art Evolution: Downplayed. Compared to Tirek and the Smooze, who have designs inspired by their G1 counterparts but otherwise are distinct from them, Grogar looks identical to how he did originally◊, just updated for G4's Flash animation.
• Artifact of Doom: His bell, provided one knows the spells for doing so, can drain other beings of their magic, even beings as strong as Discord. This extends to nullifying magical attacks. It can then hold that magic within itself, or grant it to another being. This makes it an all-in-one Amplifier Artifact and Power Nullifier. Finally, the bell itself is said to be indestructible.
• Attack Its Weak Point: Grogar was banished by Gusty the Great taking his bell.
• Beware the Skull Base: His lair is in a giant skull-shaped monolith rising from a putrid swamp covered in slime and moss, in the middle of a stretch of flat gray rock.
• Big Bad Wannabe: For all his power and intelligence, all his accomplishments were due to lesser villains doing all the work. Before Grogar can do anything himself he's blindsided and hapless once said villains turn on him. Then it is revealed he was never actually the real Grogar at all, and was just Discord pretending to be Grogar, thus he was never a serious threat anyway.
• Chekhov's Gunman: In Season 7's "A Flurry of Emotions", Grogar, alongside Gusty the Great, is mentioned by name in a storybook Twilight reads to sick foals in a hospital. The ram himself is confirmed real two seasons later. Subverted though, as he was just impersonated by Discord.
• Color-Coded Wizardry: His magic (and the magic from his bell) is gold mixed with black.
• Disc-One Final Boss: Set up to be the Final Boss of the series, but it turns out he's actually Discord in disguise and the real Grogar is still banished. Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis take over.
• The Dreaded: How else would you describe an Ancient Evil spoken in legends?
• The Emperor: He was Emperor of Equestria in ancient times before the three tribes united as one.
• Eviler than Thou: Grogar is this for his recruits in the Legion of Doom. He constantly reminds Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow that he is in-charge of their Villain Team-Up and keeps them in-line with threats or physical force. He then becomes a victim of this himself when all his recruits trick him into believing they failed to retrieve his bell before successfully betraying him and draining him of his magic with his own bell. This is all downplayed once it is revealed that he is actually Discord pretending to be Grogar, who is no longer evil by this point, and is simply using the other villains as a final test for Twilight.
• Evil Old Folks: He's the oldest threat to Equestria, predating Tirek, and presumably the most vile.
• Evil Sounds Deep: He's got a very deep, raspy voice.
• Fade Around the Eyes: Does this at the very end of "The Beginning of the End - Part 2" when he forces the remaining villains to work with him. Becomes coincidental as while the screen fades to black, it appears to give a glimpse of his real eyes — Discord's when posing as him.
• Famed In-Story: Despite being one of the oldest villains to ever appear in the show, Grogar is probably one of the most well-known of them all. Most of the other villains he gathers have heard of his tyranny in the past, with Tirek even claiming he heard of Grogar back when he was young. Ponies in the present also know of him through the story of Gusty the Great, detailing his defeat at the hooves of the titular character — although most think of him as just a legend, they do know about him and who he is, which is more than can be said for the other villains.
• Final Boss: "The Beginning of the End" sets him up as the Arc Villain of Friendship is Magic's final season which is the primary media of My Little Pony Generation 4, and he's gathered together several past major antagonists to form a Legion of Doom to defeat Twilight and her friends once and for all. This presents Grogar as the biggest threat the cast has faced, and the last great enemy they must defeat to secure Equestria's safety. Subverted when it's revealed he's still banished and it was Discord impersonating him, making the three antagonists gathered together the real final boss.
• For Doom the Bell Tolls: His primary source of power was his bell; Gusty's theft of it weakened him, but he's still here and still strong. He locates the bell in "Frenemies", but the other villains make plans to betray him and hide it again, lying that they couldn't get it. It's then later revealed that it was only Discord pretending to be Grogar, and that the real Grogar was truly defeated and banished after Gusty took the bell.
• Foreshadowing: Very mildly.
  • He first appears right after the scene where Celestia and Luna announce their retirement.
  • When Celestia and Luna delay their retirement, Discord is annoyed and acts like his pretend Heroic Sacrifice and Rousing Speech was all for nothing.
  • Discord's line in "The Summer Sun Setback" regarding how Twilight will be ready for whatever comes her way is a hint that he is actually posing as Grogar. The fact that Grogar also leaves the lair to "get something" and returns in the end at exactly the right time also no longer seems coincidental to the fact.
  • Discord saw Twilight's Character Development as "boring", and perks up right when the Celebration begins to go downhill.
  • Note that Grogar's eye design very closely resemble Discord's; the brows in particular are very much the same as Discord's. It's most noticible when the screen fades to black around them.
• The Ghost: Since it's revealed that the real Grogar never escaped his banishment. Presumably, Discord impersonated what he looked like, but the actual Grogar never appears on-screen.
• Gruesome Goat: One so powerful and evil as to cow other major villains with his presence alone, and to still loom large in the legends of Equestria long after his defeat.
• Impersonation-Exclusive Character: He ultimately turns out to have been Discord in disguise all along. The real Grogar did exist some millennia ago, and his signature weapon is dangerous as ever, but what became of him after his defeat is not known.
• Made of Indestructium: In "Frenemies", Grogar describes his magical bell as indestructible. That's why Gusty the Great was forced to hide it rather than simply destroy it. During "The Ending of the End", not even a huge rainbow blast from the combined powers of Twilight Sparkle, the rest of the Mane Six, Spike, the Pillars, and the Young Six is enough to destroy the bell. However, the bell containing cracks implies it's still not completely indestructible.
• Maker of Monsters: He's referred to as the Father of Monsters, and states that during his reign he gave life to foul, monstrous creatures and set them loose upon the world.
• The Man Behind the Monsters: He's directly responsible for the creation of several monsters and for setting them loose in the world. How many or which ones isn't elaborated on, but it was enough to earn him the title of "Father of Monsters".
• Mysterious Past: It's unknown who he was before he took over Equestria or what the origins of his bell are.
• Mythical Motifs: His status as the biggest, baddest villain in Equestria, coupled with his "Father of Monsters" title bring to mind Typhon, the fearsome giant from Classical Mythology who sought to overthrow Zeus and also produced the foulest of creatures.
• No-Nonsense Nemesis: Is shaping up to be this. So far, he's made his plans clear to his Legion of Doom, explained (and displayed) himself when Chrysalis believed him to be powerless, and whisked Sombra away when he decided to go solo. Needless to say, this combined with his Ancient Evil reputation has quelled the rest of his Villain Team-Up into following him, especially after his winning wager against Sombra. Following the reveal that we never actually met the true Grogar, it's unknown if he fits this, but given how dangerous he is implied to have been, it is likely.
• Orcus on His Throne: Despite claiming to be more powerful than several previous villains combined, gathering together several of them to form a Legion of Doom, and aspiring to take over all of Equestria, Grogar spends most of Season 9 (which in-universe is probably several weeks, if not months) sitting in his lair making vague plans. The other villains even complain to him that they're getting bored waiting around and he just snaps at them to be quiet. Justified once it is revealed that he was Discord all along and only formed the Legion of Doom as a challenge for Twilight to defeat and reassure her of her capabilities. Discord didn't intend for the trio to do anything dangerous until Twilight's coronation day, likely for the Rule of Drama, and he certainly never intended for them to actually become a serious threat to all of Equestria.
• The Power of Hate: It's stated in the storybook Twilight read that fear gave him power.
• Primal Stance: A quadrupedal version. He tends to walk with his head and neck slung low, making him appear much shorter than he is and keeping his horns pointed forward.
• Real After All: He was thought to only be a character made up in a storybook legend, but he is very real. And even though he never actually appeared in the flesh, the bell is proof of his existence.
• Red Baron: He's also known as the Father of Monsters and Emperor of Equestria.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Like Cozy Glow, his eyes are colored red.
• Red Herring: It turns out he's not the real Grogar. Discord was posing as him. The real Grogar never escaped his banishment.
• Satanic Archetype: Although he lacks Tirek's Big Red Devil look, he's the most ancient evil in Equestria who created many of its most foul creatures. Although he's officially a ram, he looks very much like a goat, an animal often associated with Satan.
• Sealed Evil in a Can: He was defeated and banished from the land that would be Equestria by Gusty the Great before the series started. Turns out he's still banished since his battle with Gusty. He never escaped, and Discord was impersonating him the whole time whenever we see him on screen.
• Shrouded in Myth: He's so ancient and has been out of action for so long that many in modern Equestria have either never heard of Grogar or think he's just a legend. Tirek and Sombra both mention that Grogar was a legend one thousand years ago when they were both young.
• Small Role, Big Impact: His only appearances are mentions in "A Flurry of Emotions" and illustration depictions in Season 9 due to him being impersonated by Discord even during the few episodes he's appeared in, but he is responsible for the events of the show, ruling the land that would become Equestria when it was a mere collection of farms and pastures, and unintentionally being responsible for the Equestrian civilizations that would later take root.
• Supervillain Lair: He has one in the form of a hollowed-out volcano with a ram skull at its mouth, overlooking stone stairs and a circular table with a dark Crystal Ball on it (a dark mirror of the Mane Six's living situation). Following the reveal that the Grogar we see throughout season 9 was Discord in disguise, it's unknown if the real Grogar used it as his lair during his reign, though the fact that it resembles his head suggests the possibility. Illustrations in the book explaining how to use his bell also depict him using it on a unicorn in a brown background that looks very similar to the lair, further suggesting this.
• Take Over the World: He managed to do it once before, but was banished by Gusty the Great.
• Taught by Experience: Albeit not his own experience, but Grogar claims to have been watching all the previous villains attempt to conquer Equestria and witnessed their defeats against the Mane Six and knows why they have all failed. He realizes that the other villains failed at defeating the Mane Six because of the ponies' strength of unity, and therefore resolves that they will do the same to beat them. When Sombra arrogantly declines and declares he'll beat the Mane Six on his own, Grogar humors him to go ahead and try, correctly predicting Sombra will fail because he didn't heed his warning. Subverted when it's revealed that Grogar never actually escaped his imprisonment and couldn't have possibly learned anything.
• They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: Unlike most other ancient villains who are Obviously Evil, Grogar looks rather normal, just a blue ram with a collar, and he's not even very big, about the size of the Princesses. This is a sharp contrast to his power levels, where he seems to outstrip every previous villain except maybe Discord, so when Grogar shows off what he can do and demonstrates how ruthless and vile he is, it's all the more threatening.
• Time Abyss: Grogar was alive well before the civilizations of Equestria had taken root, and declared himself emperor before the land was even called Equestria. Tirek, one of the oldest creatures in the series, was just a kid when he heard about the legends of Grogar. Cozy Glow lampshades how different Grogar's perspective on time must be if he can disregard a depowering that lasted for millennia as simply a "temporary" setback.
• Unseen Evil: The true Grogar fits this: being an outlandishly powerful, unspeakably evil ancient force that never actually appears but his presence is felt.
• The Unfought: He never got to fight the heroes due to already being long defeated.
• Villainous Legacy: Despite being defeated long ago, his legacy surpass the other main villains. He's also responsible for creating many of the monsters that plague the land. It turns out this Grogar was a disguised Discord using Grogar's reputation to manipulate the other villains to his ends, but it's the real Grogar's Bewitching Bell that enables the villains to be the threat they were in the finale.
• Walking Spoiler: The Reveal about him in "The Ending of the End" fundamentally changes everything about him, his goals, and his motive. The Grogar seen throughout Season 9 is just Discord in disguise. Discord was trying to prove to Twilight that she was capable of becoming the ruler of Equestria.

Gusty the Great

First Mentioned: "A Flurry of Emotions"

A unicorn hero who sealed away the evil wizard Grogar and ended his reign of terror, long before the founding of Equestria.

---

• Adaptational Badass: G1 Gusty wasn't a pushover, but was still just one part of the cast. This Gusty is a legendary hero who managed to defeat Grogar, who in this continuity is immensely powerful to the point that his bell alone is able to turn Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis into existential threats to Equestria even divided between them.
• Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Managed to defeat and seal away Grogar, who is implied to be immensely powerful and was the Evil Overlord ruling Equestria at the time. As it turns out, she permanently defeated him.
• Guile Hero: She managed to steal Grogar's bell from right under his nose.
• Magic Hair: The Flashback featuring her in "Frenemies" depicts her as having this. Unlike Celestia, Luna and Mistmane, the whole mane doesn't flow together, but rather individual locks.
• The Magnificent: She's always referred to as Gusty the Great, even by the villains.
• Mythology Gag: She and Grogar are both characters from the original My Little Pony 'n Friends show. In "A Flurry of Emotions", the protagonist on the cover of the book containing her tale really is accurate to the G1 character.
• Non-Standard Character Design: Her horn is shaped unlike any other unicorn's (even those in Mistmane's village), being much more curved. Although that might be the illustration style taking some liberties with historical accuracy.
• Precursor Hero: She rose against, defeated and sealed away Grogar long ago, back when he still ruled the land that would become Equestria.

Others

The Tree of Harmony

"My cutie mark!"

^{Click here to see the tree's avatar} 

^{Click here to see the Treehouse of Harmony (SPOILER)} 

"Friendship is in your nature."

Debut: Princess Twilight Sparkle – Part 2"
First Speaking Appearance: "What Lies Beneath"

Voiced by: Tara Strong (in the form of Twilight Sparkle)

The source of the Elements of Harmony. Over 1000 years after they were taken to defeat Discord, the Tree was dying without the Elements, necessitating their return to save it. In turn, the Tree grew a chest that when unlocked, granted Rainbow Power and grew into Twilight Sparkle's castle, granting her the title Princess of Friendship. Afterwards it created the Cutie Map, enabling the heroes to continue their task of spreading friendship with greater efficiency. The Tree's role in Equestria's backstory and its abilities have literally grown as the series goes on.

---

• Ambiguous Situation: It is unknown why the treehouse built around it or the castle above it are gone by the time of My Little Pony: A New Generation. Also, since it's not clear if only the ponies lost their magic or all of Equestria lost magic, it's not clear if the tree lost its sapience by the time. It shows no signs of still being alive by the time of the film when the characters come across it. It has lasted a very long time, which could suggest it still retained some magic. If it has lost its sapience, it may or may not have been restored by the end.
• Arboreal Abode: Once restored, the Tree grows a large house for the Young Six to hang out in.
• Back from the Dead: After being shattered by Sombra, the Tree is able to be restored via the Young Six using the broken pieces to build a treehouse together, which the Tree is able to transform and inhabit due to their friendship, restoring it as something greater. The Elements, however, remain shattered for good.
• Came Back Strong: In the third episode of season 9, "Uprooted", the Tree manages to regrow into a new Treehouse form as thanks to the Young Six. This new form is much larger and more impressive than it was previously, even having leaves, having grown straight through the roof of the cave and up to where Celestia and Luna's old castle stood.
• The Cameo: It appears in My Little Pony: A New Generation, as confirmed here.
• Creepy Good: The Tree of Harmony helps the Young Six overcome their fears and strengthens their friendship — by throwing them headfirst into their worst fears. The projection of Princess Twilight it uses to communicate has a creepy quality, with an otherworldly wide-eyed stare and oddly enunciated speech. And then there's what it did to the Mean Six in self-defense.
• Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: Chrysalis making clones of the Element wielders and said clones even attacking the Tree is enough for it to immediately see right through the plan, angering it to the point the Elements unleash tendrils of light which grab the fake ponies, hold them high, and drain the spell that made them alive.
• Dream Walker: In "Uprooted", the Tree of Harmony's spirit, taking again the form of Twilight Sparkle, sends a message to the Young Six in a shared dream. It does have a special connection with them, however, thus it's doubtful it could enter anyone else's dream like Luna does.
• Everything's Better with Rainbows: The Elements of Harmony, Rainbow Power, and its own magic has often taken the form of rainbows.
• A Form You Are Comfortable With: The Tree of Harmony projects a sparkly hologram of Twilight to interact with the Young Six.
• Genius Loci: "What Lies Beneath" reveals the tree is sapient.
• Good Is Not Soft:
  • In "The Mean 6", it defends itself from the Mean Six by effectively killing them in such a graphic manner it had to be toned down in the official release.
  • "What Lies Beneath" has it subject the Young Six seemingly horrific or life-threatening illusions to teach them friendship.
• Greater-Scope Paragon: As the source of the Elements of Harmony, it's the enabler of the Big Goods. Once the Elements were returned, it created the Cutie Map enabling the Mane Six to better continue their work of spreading friendship. Despite being the uncontested ultimate source of good in the setting, it was unable to act on its own until "What Lies Beneath".
• Light Is Good: Its magic, the biggest force of good in the series, comes in white and rainbow light. The Tree itself glows white except when its power is depleted.
• MacGuffin: "Princess Twilight Sparkle" and "The Mean 6" revolve around the characters attempting to find the tree for their own purposes.
• Made of Good: It was grown from the Pillars of Equestria's elements of Healing, Bravery, Beauty, Strength, Hope, and Sorcery. These would become the Elements of Kindness, Loyalty, Generosity, Honesty, Laughter, and Magic respectively.
• Only Sane Man: A non-human example in "The Mean 6"; the Tree was the only one that knew the Mane 6's mean counterparts were not the real ponies, and destroys them in response.
• Retcon: The Journal of the Two Sisters has Star Swirl show Celestia and Luna the Tree. This was made Canon Discontinuity by "Shadow Play" where Star Swirl planted the seed that would grow into the Tree right before his disappearance.
• Schrödinger's Canon: The Journal of the Two Sisters has a cutie mark on it that Twilight Sparkle recognized as hers in "Princess Twilight Sparkle — Part 2", which is how Celetia knew Twilight's destined role. While the events surrounding the Tree in Journal have been decanonized, this detail may still apply.
• Silicon-Based Life: A living, seemingly crystalline tree.
• Spock Speak: Its projection of Twilight does not use contractions when speaking.
• Suddenly Voiced: It first spoke, proving that it was indeed sapient, though a projected avatar of Twilight Sparkle in "What Lies Beneath", stating it only recently developed the capacity to do so.
• There Is Another: The final arc of the IDW comics establishes that there are five other trees with their own elements in the far-off kingdoms of the other races in Equestria.
• Trash the Set: In the season 9 premiere, it gets destroyed by King Sombra, along with the Elements. And since the Tree is sapient, it was murdered by Sombra. Fortunately, the following episode reveals that it's not quite dead, and it gets a new form.
• World Tree: The Tree's power keeps the Everfree Forest from growing out of control. It created the Cutie Map which can sense friendship problems across the known world and summoning the exact individuals needed to resolve it, suggesting omnipresent intelligence.

Scorpan

First Mentioned: "Twilight's Kingdom"

Tirek's brother. Scorpan and Tirek came from a distant land to take over Equestria and its magic a very long time ago, but Scorpan came to appreciate Equestria after he befriended Star Swirl the Bearded and the other ponies. He tried to convince Tirek to join him, but he refused, so Scorpan alerted Celestia and Luna of his plans and Tirek was imprisoned in Tartarus, while Scorpan returned home to his own land.

---

• Adaptational Heroism: While the original Scorpan did assist in Tirek's defeat, this one is the active cause of his brother's downfall.
• Adaptation Species Change: In the original special, Scorpan was a human prince transformed into a monster by Tirek. G4's Scorpan's a natural-born gargoyle.
• Cain and Abel: The Abel to his brother's Cain. Ironically he was the one who betrayed Tirek, but only because Tirek wouldn't listen to reason.
• The Ghost: He doesn't appear in the episode himself, but still plays a pivotal role in his brother's imprisonment and indirectly, Tirek's second imprisonment.
• Heel–Face Turn: He was going to take over Equestria alongside his brother, but he befriended Star Swirl the Bearded.
• Last-Second Chance: Tried this with his brother. After his Heel–Face Turn, he tried to convince Tirek not to continue their original plan, but Tirek wouldn't listen, leaving Scorpan with no other choice but to get his brother imprisoned in Tartarus.
• Love Redeems: Of the friendship type of love, as Star Swirl's friendship along with other ponies resulted in his redemption.
• Memento MacGuffin: He had given his brother a medallion. Tirek would later give it to Discord as a sign of their friendship and trust. Tirek was lying and it meant nothing to him, except to remind him how much he hated his brother for his betrayal. The medallion would become Twilight's key.
• Mythology Gag: Based on Scorpan from the G1 special, where he was one of Tirek's minions who eventually made a Heel–Face Turn.
• Odd Friendship: With Star Swirl the Bearded — a former would-be conqueror and tyrant became friends with an asocial, arrogant wizard who was also one of the most important figures of the nation said would-be conqueror had set out to overtake.
• Our Gargoyles Rock: According to the comics, he's a gargoyle, like his mother.
• Related in the Adaptation: Scorpan was Tirek's minion in the original special. Here, he's Tirek's brother.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: He was last heard to have returned to his homelands shortly after Tirek's initial imprisonment. Given that this was several centuries ago, his current status and whereabouts are unknown.

King Grover

First Mentioned: "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone"

The first king of Griffonstone, who united the griffons with the golden Idol of Boreas.

---

• Founder of the Kingdom: He was the first king of Griffonstone, and the one who formed the divided and squabbling griffons into a powerful and united kingdom.
• Look on My Works, Ye Mighty, and Despair: With the Idol of Boreas, he united the squabbling, divided and selfish griffons of his time and created a mighty kingdom known and admired throughout the world for its splendor and wealth. Griffonstone fell when the Idol was lost, and now all that's left to show the glory of the kingdom he forged are a backwater, run-down slum of a city, an empty and derelict castle in severe disrepair and his statue, still rearing fiercely, cracked, broken and covered in lichen and detritus.
• Our Founder: There's a statue of him in front of the Griffonstone library (or at least what's left of the Griffonstone library).

King Guto

First Mentioned: "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone"

The fourteenth and last king of Griffonstone.

---

• My Greatest Failure: Under his rule, the Idol of Boreas was lost to Arimaspi and the Abysmal Abyss.

Arimaspi

First Mentioned: "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone"

A goatlike, one-eyed monster, Arimaspi attacked the city of Griffonstone during the reign of King Guto to steal the Idol of Boreas. He fell into the Abysmal Abyss while fleeing from the city, and the Idol was lost with him.

---

• Adaptation Species Change: In Herodotus' writings and subsequent appearances in classical mythology, the Arimaspoi were simply a race of one-eyed humans. Here, to avoid breaking MLP's policy of never having human characters in the main show's setting, Arimaspi is represented as a gigantic, one-eyed humanoid goat.
• Animal Eyes: As part of his caprine design, his single eyeball has a slitted, horizontal pupil like those of real-life goats. This puts him in stark contrast with the the majority of the other characters and creatures in the show, which regardless of species have much more human-like eyes.
• Artistic License – Linguistics: "Arimaspi" is a plural noun, being the Latin version of the Greek name of the mythical Arimaspoi people; the singular should be "Arimaspus".
• Cyclops: He was a giant, one-eyed, humanoid goat. The cyclops part is a holdover from the Arimaspoi he is based on, which were a race of cyclopes, while the goatlike part was added to get around MLP's no-humans policy.
• Disney Villain Death: While fleeing from Griffonstone, a lighting bolt shattered the stone bridge he was crossing. He plunged into the depths of the Abysmal Abyss, and that was the last anyone ever saw of him. The characters happen upon his remains later, confirming this did in fact kill him.
• Gruesome Goat: An evil, one-eyed, apelike being with the horns, legs and eye of a goat, and the one responsible for stealing the Idol of Boreas and causing Griffonstone's decline.
• Hellish Pupils: The pupil of his single eye is a long, slightly wavy horizontal slit, much like those of the goats he is based on, and set in a uniformly off-yellow eyeball with no distinction between white and iris.
• Villainous Legacy: He's long dead by the time of the show, having fallen to his death shortly after stealing the Idol, but the once-powerful kingdom of Griffonstone never recovered from his theft of the Idol of Boreas. Its current state of disrepair is because of this.

Sable Spirit

Debut: "Campfire Tales"

Voiced by: Elysia Rotaru

Mistmane's childhood friend, Sable Spirit was deeply jealous of her friend's beauty and skill. She attempted to perform a spell to make herself beautiful, which backfired spectacularly and made her hideous instead. She eventually made herself empress, after which she dedicated herself to stealing the beauty of her land for herself.

---

• 0% Approval Rating: Sable Spirit is apparently disliked by her own people so much that when Mistmane defeats her in a magic duel, her own royal guards actually cheer for Mistmane.
• Beauty to Beast: She attempted a spell to make herself beautiful that backfired on her, turning her from a pretty young mare into an ugly old hag.
• Foil: To Mistmane. They have diametrically opposite views on beauty — Sable Spirit is obsessed with external, physical beauty and takes it from others by force, while Mistmane values the beauty spread by one's actions and dedicated her life to spreading it in the lives of others. Their transformations are also in contrast. Sable Spirit accidentally made herself look old and hideous while trying to make herself beautiful, and spent the rest of her life resenting this. By contrast, Mistmane willingly gave up her youth and beauty, and did so selflessly for the sake of others.
• God Save Us from the Queen!: She became a tyrannical ruler who hoarded everything beautiful in her country, due to her bitterness over her transformation. Mistmane's act of selflessness in restoring her good looks even though she didn't deserve it causes her to change her ways.
• Green-Eyed Monster: She was jealous of Mistmane's beauty and magical prowess, which led to her trying to cast a spell that would make her more beautiful. After this worked badly and made her hideous instead, she decided that if she couldn't have beauty, then no one could. So, she seized the throne and stole away everything beautiful from the villagers.
• Heel–Face Turn: She underwent one after Mistmane's Heroic Sacrifice also restores her good looks as well, becoming a kind benevolent ruler.
• The High Queen: She is said to have become a much better queen after her Heel–Face Turn, ruling with kindness and compassion.
• Inept Mage: Her attempt to cast a beautifying spell on herself backfired and turned her into a wrinkly old mare.
• The Resenter: Towards Mistmane. Her entire character is driven by her jealousy towards her friend’s beauty, popularity and talent at magic.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: During her battle against Mistmane, she faces off against her completely by herself, not even ordering her royal guards to aid her.

Prince Hisan

Debut: "Daring Done?"

The prince of Somnambula's homeland. He attempted to stand up to the Sphinx that was terrorizing it, but was captured by the creature instead. He was rescued by Somnambula, whom he afterwards made one his closest advisors as a reward for her deeds.

---

• Bilingual Bonus: In Arabic, "Hisan" means "good", or "handsome".
• Distressed Dude: He has a tendency of getting himself in sticky situations and needing Somnambula to pull his chestnuts out of the fire.
  • In Somnambula's story in "Daring Done?", his attempt to stand up to the Sphinx results in him getting abducted, trapped inside a pyramid and having to be rescued by Somnambula.
  • In "Legends of Magic 10", a cursed amulet turns him into (his idea of) a mummy and starts a mummy apocalypse, requiring Somnambula, Stygian, Flash Magnus, Rockhoof and Meadowbrook to rescue him.
• Not Afraid of You Anymore: Moved by Somnambula's kindness to his people, he confronts the Sphinx, but all he succeeds in doing is enraging the giant beast.

The Sphinx

Debut: "Daring Done?"

A giant, pony-headed monster that terrorized southern Equestria more than a thousand years before the show's time, the Sphinx forced the ponies to give her their food as tribute, causing a famine. She kidnapped Prince Hisan when he tried to confront her, but was driven away after losing a contest to Somnambula.

---

• Big Bad: Of the Somnambula village tale. The Sphinx was never a Non-Malicious Monster in the beginning but certainly wasn't as evil as she could have been. Given her size and powers, the potential for wreaking havoc across the land was equally enormous. She only demanded tribute from the citizens, but when she goes as far as to abduct Prince Hisan and endanger Somnambula is when the story can no longer gloss over the details of her villainy.
• Cute Monster Girl: The typical face of a cute pony, mounted on the body of a lion, which is being drawn in the typical art style of the show and is cute as well.
• Didn't Think This Through: Blindfolds Somnambula and disables her wings, but doesn't also cover her ears to allow Hisan to provide her with directions straight to him.
• Field Power Effect: When Somnambula takes up her challenge, the Sphinx casts a spell on the temple preventing pegasi from flying within it. This prevented Somnambula from flying directly to Hisan and rescue him, and lingers until the show's present day to prevent Daring Do from reaching Rainbow Dash by flight.
• I Gave My Word: In line with ancient Greek mythology, she really does keep her promise of going away and never returning if Somnambula succeeds, despite having nothing to gain from that. She could've easily gone back on her promise, kept Hisan and no-one present could stop her.
• A God Am I: Demanded tribute, offerings and exaltation across the domain she terrorized.
• Hidden Depths: The Sphinx knew that to be without hope is to be truly lost and doomed.
• Karma Houdini: She never actually pays for her crimes, as she simply flies off after Somnambula manages to rescue the prince, never to be seen again.
• Mix-and-Match Critters: Unlike the classic sphinx of mythology, which possesses a human head, this version has the head of a pony (with razor-sharp teeth), along with the body of a cat and the wings of a bird, to avoid breaking FiM's policy of including no humans or part-human creatures in the show.
• Our Sphinxes Are Different: An enormous, purple, winged catlike creature with a vaguely pony-like head (as all partly-human creatures in the setting have their humanoid body parts replaced with something else) and a stylized nemes headdress. It's portrayed as a hostile monster who terrorized Somnambula's home, kidnapped its prince when he tried to stand up to her and took the crops from the people. When Somnambula came to rescue the kidnapped prince, the sphinx demanded that she solve a riddle before being permitted to do so, and after Somnambula did so further demanded that she rescue the prince from a prison in the middle of a pool of corrosive slime after having her ability to fly removed by the sphinx's magic.
• Riddling Sphinx: When she kidnaps Prince Hisan, she demands that any who try to rescue him solve her riddle before being permitted to do so.
  Sphinx: I shine brightest in the dark. I am there, but cannot be seen. To have me costs you nothing. To be without me costs you everything.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After Somnambula made it through the challenge and rescued Prince Hisan, the Sphinx departs from both the land and known history, never to be seen again.
• Sore Loser: When Somnambula solves her riddle, the Sphinx becomes enraged and only calms down when Somnambula offers to go through another challenge.
• Vocal Dissonance: Although she is depicted as female, her voice sounds male. Justified, because an elderly stallion is telling the story and his voice is used for the characters speaking as well as the narration.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: The Sphinx simply disappears from Equestria after Somnambula completes the challenge, with no signs of her ever being seen again.

---