Top Ten Background Ponies · 9:49pm Jun 25th, 2013
Now it's time to make a list of the top ten background ponies. You all know how it goes by now.
10. Carrot Top a.k.a Golden Harvest
I haven't heard the song "Carrot Top's Garden" by Wooden Toaster just so you're aware. Carrot Top has often been painted by fans as the straight mare to Derpy's antics v.i.a the famous joke "I emptied your fridge." She seems to be easily offended considering she once wore green hair (to my knowledge she wasn't planing to screw the rules) in "Boast Busters" and stormed off in a huff when Rarity reacted as if though green hair was a bad thing. Little word of advice Rarity, next time keep your fashion opinions to yourself in public.
9. Berry Punch
Even though she only drank punch in "Call of The Cutie" her cutie mark instantly made many fans assume she's an alcoholic. Regardless she is one of the few background ponies to have her own child in the form of Ruby Pinch and Berry seems to be overprotective of her. Our belief that she's an alcoholic seems to have bled into cannon as of "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000" considering Saberspark said the cider we saw only foams that way when there's alcohol in it. And of course fans have taken this in countless directions. Not to mention the fandom created a remix of a show song just for her. Look up "Drinking Telegram" and if possible find the one animated in SFM, you won't regret it.
8. Roid Rage a.k.a Snow Flake
The reason for this guy being called Roid Rage is because he has this super buff body but these tiny wings, this made fans assume he uses steroids like lots of sports stars and body builders tend to do before they get caught. At least his wings are actually useful for flight. Aside from that and his shouting of "YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" he doesn't really have much of a personality even in the fandom. I don't even know if he has a character tag. At least in "Letters From a Disgruntled Friendship Student" he's an anti drug activist.
7. Thunderlane
Thunderlane and Roid Rage were two background pegasi that first appeared in "Hurricane Fluttershy". Thunderlane was the one that ended up getting sick and inadvertly infecting a few other pegasi with feather flu, in his case it was so bad he had to go the hospital. I suppose that's based off the belief that the chicken poxs is worse if you get it as an adult as opposed to if you get it as a child, not that it's still very uncomfortable. Thunderlane and Roid Rage returned in "Wonderbolt Academy" and Thunderlane got the chance to save Rarity leading a bunch of Rarilane ship fics. Although he has a character tag I'm not really sure if the fandom has given him a standard personality. Thunderlane also has a younger brother named Rumble and he's pretty cute but we don't know if Thunderlane's constantly looking after him or raising him.
6. Octavia
From here on out the characters listed here do have some personality and are the most popular background ponies. Octavia is usually depicted as a prim and proper Canterlot pony though ever since "Epic Wub Time" it's become quite common to have her living in Ponyville. Lots of fans assume she has the nickname "Tavi" and fans love to ship her with Vinyl Scratch, after all opposites attract. There are still a lot of other fics that depict them as roommates or rivals and there are even several fics where they don't know each other. Octavia is part of what fans probably consider "The Background Six" though I'm not sure if she always replaces Rarity or if I'm the only one who thinks that. There was a rumor floating around during Season 3 that she would get a duet with Rarity but that rumor never really materlized. Also lots of fans assume she's one of Pinkie Pie's sisters and though I can see why they might think that I figure Octavia works better as a cousin of Pinkie Pie, not a sister.
5. Vinyl Scratch a.k.a DJ-PON-3
Vinyl Scratch is a DJ where as Octavia is a cello player and much of what I said about Octavia applies to her. Prior to "A Canterlot Wedding" fans assumed that her eyes were red since we never saw them. And even now some fans still assume they are like in "Epic Wub Time". Vinyl Scratch is so popular that her nickname was featured in the "Equestria Girls" promo and she was one of the background ponies humanized in the "Equestria Girls" movie. "Epic Wub Time" gave her two new creations that remain quite popular with fans the "Dubstep Dishwasher" and the "Bass Cannon". Also recently it's become quite the popuar headcannon that she's Twilight's cousin because of the way her mane is styled.
4. Bon-Bon
Bon-Bon is one half of the most common background ship and to date has had five different voices. As a result I often call her "The Mistress of 1,000 voices" though most fans often assume her real voice is the first one from "Call of The Cutie" (The one that said "I didn't put those in my bag). Bon-Bon apparently runs a sweet shop though we've also seen her hauling garbage. Often times she's painted as the straight mare to Lyra's antics and possibly for good reason. She's also gotten a lot of fan made comics on her, the most popular one probably is "Moving too fast".
3. Lyra Heartstrings
Lyra was first seen lying on a park bench like an actual human and this lead to the fandom belief that Lyra belives in and is possibly even obessed with humans, If that's not your cup of tea there are a lot of fics that don't include that though you'd be hard pressed to find a fic that Doesn't ship her with Bon-Bon. I have seen a few where she was once Octavia's marefriend but I doubt that's ever going to become popular among shippers. Lyra has gotten her own fan song called "Anthropology" and apparently has a talent for playing a lyre, hence her name. Lyra has a few different fan voices, sort of like Bon-Bon not that anyone minds. Lyra and Bon-Bon became so popular that we got to see them together again in "Magic Duel" and Lyra's obession with humans led to "Ponies with Hats" a ponyfication of "Llamas with Hats".
2. Time Turner a.k.a Doctor Whooves
I have seen a little of "Doctor Who" and I'll admit it's an impressive show but I have other shows I'm watching at the moment. That being said this isn't the only pony who reminds of the famous Doctor but this one remains the most popular, possibly because he's based on the most pouplar doctor according to Whoovians, David Tennant (Famous for such lines as "Wibbly Wobbley, Timey Wimey, Stuff." and "I don't wanna go.") Needless to say some fans wish he'd actually be voiced by David Tennant but BBC would have to change their contract terms in order for that to happen. Regardless some fans have actually delivered a pretty good David Tennant voice for Time Turner and a lot of fan media revolves around him and Derpy being time travel partners. My favorite one being the "Ask Lovestruck Derpy" tumbler. Of course that isn't to say this guy hasn't been written as something else entirely but so many fans have used him for "Doctor Who" crossovers that it's kind of hard to find fics where he isn't The Doctor.
(Alright quick recap before we get to number 1. 10. Carrot Top, 9. Berry Punch, 8. Roid Rage a.k.a Snowflake, 7. Thunderlane, 6. Octavia, 5. Vinyl Scratch, 4. Bon-Bon, 3. Lyra, and 2. Time Turner a.k.a Doctor Whooves.)
1. Derpy Hooves a.k.a Ditzy Doo
Come on you know she was going to be number 1. As I said before Derpy is a mascot for the Brony fandom and fans have done a lot of things with her. Some potray her as literal minded, some potray her as disabled due to her walled eye (which was the result of an animation error), some potray her as a time travel partner for Doctor Whooves, and some simply potray her as a loving mother to her daughter Dinky Hooves who the fandom often assumes is "Derpy's Litttle Muffin". I must admit that Bald Dumbo Rat does an awesome job voicing her and it makes me wonder why Hasbro hasn't contacted to voice Derpy yet. Derpy was so popular she got a brief speaking role in "The Last Roundup" and when it was changed because some people said she was a sterotpe of the mentally disabled outraged errupted. Thankfully Derpy still appears in the background and Hub Promos and the voice of Princess Azula has tweated that she'll be voicing a grey colored character that says "Muffins" in Season 4 so Derpy's not going anywhere.
Well there you have it.
You do realize that Octavia has been given an official last name right? It was announced earlier this year shortly after the Season 3 finale, they gave her the last name 'Melody'. Personally and several bronies can agree with me on this but having Melody as a last name is rather "tacked on" for lack of a better term. Now Philharmonica or Von Cleft would've been perfectly acceptable last names, hell even sticking Pinkie's last name would've sufficed, but Melody? It doesn't feel right in my opinion.
1168389 I did not know that.
1168397 Here's the proof.
1168615 Well who else could've been number 1? I already listed all the alternatives.