The King's Top 10 Favorite MLP Characters · 5:25pm January 12th
Greetings, subjects. With my list of least favorite MLP characters laid out, I now give the positive counterpart. And let me tell you, this was considerably harder to narrow down than the previous list. The thing is, for all the ups and downs this show has, I still really like My Little Pony and I'm really invested in it's characters. Honestly, I had to cheat a bit to make a satisfactory list as you'll soon see.
So, let's get into it. Here are the 10 MLP characters I love the most.
10. KING SOMBRA
To be clear, I'm talking about classic Season 3 Sombra, not the Season 9 version who is so drastically different, I'm comfortable with classifying him as a separate character entirely.
Sombra was the best villain in the main show. While we didn't get to see much of tyrant himself, what we did see told the story. Unlike the other villains who fail due to their arrogance and overconfidence, Sombra wasn't just powerful, but intelligent and paranoid. He set up the entire Crystal Empire to disappear with him in case he was defeated and he set up several traps to protect the Crystal Heart which would have beaten Twilight several times over had it not been for Spike. There was an overlooking sense of dread; like, if Sombra returned to his full power, it was game over. In the first bad future as seen in The Cutie Re-Mark, Sombra's rise to power is shown to mean a very brutal and chillingly depicted war. Plus, the guy has such a cool design; lot of people dismissed it out of this weird prejudice with darkly colored ponies based on common OCs, which is absurd; Sombra has an awesome design and a unique disposition compared to the other villains. Compare all that to the arrogant moron from Season 9 who throws away several chances for victory out of stupidity and straight up crap writing.
9. RAINBOW DASH
Out of all the major characters in MLP, none of them have had as many ups and downs as Rainbow Dash. I would not question anyone putting RD in their list of favorite or least favorite characters. Heck, for the first two seasons, she was definitely the least likable of the Mane 6. Then episodes like Hurricane Fluttershy and Sleepless in Ponyville came along and we got to see a different side to her. Then she continued to grow and I can say confidently that she's had the most character development of the Mane 6. While she suffered from a lot of bad writing, including the Wonderbolt storyline which totally screwed her over, if anything, it just made me more sympathetic to her.
Perhaps some of Dashie's appeal also comes from being a fanfiction author; Rainbow just seems to be a great character to build stories around. Seriously, My Little Dashie, Austraeoh; heck, even Cupcakes and Rainbow Factory. There's just something about Equestria's awesomest Pegasus that invites storytelling, both in and out of canon.
8. TWILIGHT SPARKLE
What can I say? I like nerdy girls.
Twilight, like Rainbow, is another character you really have to take the good with the bad. Often being stupid and egotistical, especially in the early season, Twilight continued to grow as a character. She has such a charm to her, definitely helped by Tara Strong's performance. But what really pushes her onto the list for me is how badly she got screwed over in Season 9. Even her worse qualities, from her self-assurance to her treatment of Spike, I can easily blame on Celestia and how she pretty much raised her. I just feel bad for her; she deserves so much better. Also, like Dash, she's a great character to build fanfictions around.
7. FLUTTERSHY / PINKIE PIE / IZZY MOONBOW
Like I said, I cheated a bit. I just love these three so much and for very similar reasons. So, I figured 'Hey, my list, my rules'.
Fluttershy and Pinkie are the characters that got me into the show to begin with; shoutout to Vannamelon and Smile HD. Fluttershy was always such an adorable little cinnamon roll; with her shyness and love of animals, I could relate to her quite a bit. And Pinkie was oddly enough quite inspirational to me, with her heartfelt desire to make people laugh; to make people happy and bring smiles when they're needed. It's something that continues to inspire me and for me, encapsulates what Pinkie's character is really about. In the same way, Fluttershy's compassion and unflinching drive to help those in need is also something that inspires me greatly. Both of them certainly have had their faults; Pinkie could often be the most annoying of the Mane 6 and Fluttershy was probably the least developed of the 6, but they remain very lovable nonetheless.
As for Izzy... Man, I loved her from her first line. Izzy is just the word 'precious' personified. She embodies so much of what makes Pinkie and Fluttershy so endearing. Her ditzyness, her sweetness, her artistic escapades; she really shined the most in the New Generation movie. I really struggled to figure out how to place these three, so I just put them together.
6. ZIPP STORM
I didn't think any Gen 5 character would surpass Izzy, but for all of the Gen 5's post-movie faults, Zipp's development has been a highlight for me. Despite Zipp being outwardly similar to RD; being an athletic Pegasus tomboy with a multicolor mane and a love for flying; the similarities are only skin deep. Zipp is a very academic and thoughtful pony who hates being in the spotlight and prefers investigation; this not only gives her a nice contrast with RD, but also creates an interesting dynamic with her sister and mom. Zipp is a crown princess who really isn't built to be one. She prefers being a detective, learning the mysteries of Equestria's past; away from the glitz and glamour that Pipp and Haven bask in.
While I've only gotten up to the Christmas special for Gen 5 and therefor have yet to see the further development of the characters, Zipp has already stood out to me. Her unique dynamics, perceptive personality, love of lame jokes, and just overall awesomeness make her my favorite Gen 5 pony.
5. LIMESTONE PIE
One of the most fascinating things about this fanbase is how people grow attached to minor/background characters. Whether it be Derpy, Lyra and Bonbon, or any of the many side characters on this show, you only need a little bit of screentime to get people to grow attached to you.
For me, that pony is Limestonia Delores Pie. I love all the Pie Sisters and I love how all their personalities are opposite to each other. Pinkie is hyper and overly friendly, Maud is monotone and seemingly emotionless, Marble is even more Fluttershy than Fluttershy, and Limestone is just ready to lay the smackdown in a moment's notice. Something about her unrestrained attitude just resonates with me, especially later on as we see how much she treasures her family and how goog of a big sister she is behind her aggressive demeaner. I just adore this crazy pony.
4. RARITY
To think there was a time where I would call Rarity my least favorite of the Mane 6. What a fool I was. Rarity is simply fabulous. While Pinkie is the Element of Laughter, Rarity is easily the funniest character on the show. I could listen to Tabitha St. Germain talk in Rarity's voice all day. I'm inspired by her generosity and compassion, I laugh at her nonstop witty dialogue, I invest in her artistic endeavors; Rarity is simply the best of the Mane 6.
3. THE DAZZLINGS
Equestria Girl's biggest missed opportunity was not building on the Dazzlings' story. So much potential with such memorable characters. Especially since, unlike the villains of the specials, the Dazzlings were likable and easily could've been made sympathetic and redeemable as numerous fanfics have shown. For characters with such short screentime, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata are some of the most memorable characters in the whole series. Their dynamic with each other, the excellent antagonist role they played, their awesome songs; they really stole the show in Rainbow Rocks and easily could've done so much more. I will never forgive the writers for teasing us with their return in Sunset's Backstage Pass, only to give them a borderline pointless cameo and instead set the antagonist slot with a couple of nobodies. The Dazzlings are fantastic and I'm under their spell.
2. SCOOTALOO
Some say Fluttershy; others say Sweetie Belle. I say Scootaloo is the cutest pony. Scoots is the underdog you can't help but root for. Between her disability and her neglectful family, Scoots is one of the biggest woobies in Equestria, but rather than wallow in her situation, she strives to be tough and daring. She latches onto Rainbow Dash because she's the kind of pony she wants to be, and the two develop a beautiful sisterly relationship, helping each other grow as characters.
Despite how they seemed to be set up as Scrappy characters at first, the CMC grew into very lovable kids and Scootaloo is the most precious of them all.
1. SUNSET SHIMMER
This was a tough list to decide. Scootaloo, Rarity, or the Dazzlings easily could've taken the top spot; but in the end, I had to go with the character that made me feel the most. Sunset Shimmer is the best written character in the whole franchise. She's probably the only villainous character with a good redemption arc in the series; she actually benefits from not having a tragic backstory, having to gain audience sympathy purely from her efforts to prove herself as a better person and the struggles she has to accomplish it. While she may still struggle with her temper and pride, she stays on the right path and shows how even someone on a very dark path can still become a better person. Her song, My Past is Not Today, may be my favorite in the entire series as it resonates with me in a way not a lot of songs can and encapsulates what makes Sunset such a great character; the themes of forgiveness and bettering oneself, symbolized by a rebirthing pheonix is just so powerful.
While there are many characters in MLP I adore, I simply couldn't place anyone else as Number 1. Sunset Shimmer is simply the best.
So, that was my 10 favorite MLP characters. Did you agree? Of course, you didn't. So, let me know who your favorite characters are and why. And here's to an improved year.
Sombra deserved more screen time. He was underutilized, especially when wasting time on Starlight, though I get why he wouldn’t show up again as he was one of the ‘cool characters to make the boys watch’ in a ‘little girls’ show. I’d have loved an episode of him meeting Stygian.
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Yeah, it would've been so cool to have him return with more screentime (Season 9 doesn't count; like I said, completely different character).
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Heck, having him be the mastermind behind Grogar instead of Discord would’ve made things even better. Faking his defeat by pretending he’s that cocky, planning to come back when he and the other villains have prepared to their fullest, he would be an excellent twist.
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If you have to do the 'Grogar isn't actually Grogar' twist, that's definitely a better way to do it. It would also explain why Sombra acted like such a bozo after being revived... though it wouldn't explain him throwing away a surefire chance at victory when he had it in the bag.
The craziest thing was despite these two characters with opposite personalities, they were both voiced by the same person, Andrea Libman. It still blew my mind to this very day!
And I agree! Sunset is the number 1!
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Yep, Andrea Libman voiced Pinkie and Fluttershy, Ashleigh Ball voiced RD and AJ, and Tabitha St. Germain voiced Rarity and, due to Tara Strong recording in a different studio, Twilight during rehearsal.
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As with most other things in Season 9, as it is it isn’t perfect. Rewriting it with the intention of Sombra being the twist would require rewrites in other parts of the story as well.
With Discord being the twist, it makes sense that he doesn’t watch over them closely because he doesn’t see anything they do as a threat, and that’s also why he doesn’t know they have the bell.
But with Sombra, he’s been meticulous in his actions with the Empire. From the way he guarded the Crystal Heart to his rule over the crystal ponies, and what would have happened if he wasn’t defeated when he came back. He would have no reason to not be keeping an eye on them unless he was doing more plans at the same time, and would either sabotage the bell or swap it out for a fake, taking all their magic for himself before trying to take over Equestria again.
And with taking Tirek’s magic, he’d also be able to defeat Discord more easily by sucking it out instead of the unreliability of the Bell giving him raw chaos magic.
I don’t really have the energy to do a full list here myself, and a lot of the choices here are far too subjective for me to raise my personal opposition to them (I cannot find it in me to elevate such minor players as Limestone this high, and while I enjoyed them in the film, the Dazzlings never did much for me beyond that).
This list did make me realise how whatever several of them are quite fantastic, I don’t think I can have any villains on my top ten list. They are either around too briefly, are undermined by later writing decisions, superseded by their reformed self, or were wet farts to begin with. While I don’t know I go as far as you with Sombra, I always really liked him and what they did with him in “The Crystal Empire”, so I respect this placement.
You noted before how my list on your 10 least favourite characters seemed driven intellectually rather than by emotion. That’s largely true here, except for my top few choices. They are emotional driven (my lists for films from a given animation studio and video games from a given franchise tend to be similar – top few are more subjective than the rest).
Ironically, those top two are the only ones of the Mane 7 you don’t have here: Applejack is my fav, and Spike is second. Despite both being notoriously shaky when it comes to being the lead characters, yes. Maybe some other time I’ll elaborate on this more, but AJ is just a character I look up to and (mostly) manages to not be boring even when she’s the sensible one as ever. While Spike, despite his treatment from others that went from okay at the show’s start down to its low in Season 4 and back up to only getting good right as the show started going to hell in Season Six, just has a mix of maturity from his upbringing and being a kid that works for me. That, and his subservient nature conflicting with the more assertive nature of the ponies around him does lead to personality and moments of changing on his part that I really like.
Incidentally, I am pretty tired of everyone just going “…oh” when I say I like Spike that much. It wouldn’t be an issue if it didn’t happen so much. Meanwhile, I honestly find Sunset super overrated. I get it, she has had one of the few reformation arcs actually well done. But I just find her actual personality (as opposed to her arc) not all that interesting, and the human EqG art style and designs doesn’t help (most Sunset fanfics I read are from her time as a pony, unsurprisingly).
Rarity is third for me among the Mane 7, and where objectivity starts to take over a bit, with how fantastic she is and how comparatively more consistent she is among the Mane 7. Twilight as a unicorn would be level with her, maybe even higher, but I just find her blander and not as interesting with how she was written thereafter, so on balance, she’s probably fifth of considering both versions of her together. Fluttershy would be 4th, and Pinkie 6th, with Dash 7th. And Dash, being honest, is the only one I don’t unreservedly adore.
You make an interesting and true point on Twilight and Rainbow Dash, despite swinging between good and bad treatments by the show, slotting into holes that make them especially appealing for dramatic stories, which can be seen in their fanfic output (though Spike is level with Dash, showing that, unlike most young sidekick characters, he does appeal as something to do with more or less at the level of the rest of the Mane 6, once you account for the Mane 6 tag).
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Well, I'd love to hear your Top 10 when you feel more up to it. And yeah, as I said, Limestone is kinda my Derpy in terms of having an attachment to such a minor character.
Honestly, I easily could've put Season 9 Sombra on the other list. I do appreciate love for classic Sombra.
Yeah, I was waiting for someone to mention the lack of Applejack when the other members of the Mane 6 were on here. If you don't mind me being blunt, she's boring compared to the others. I don't find her stories as interesting as the others. I'm sorry.
And Spike; man, probably the single most screwed over character in the whole show. Considering what I said about Twilight and RD, you'd think that would make me feel for him similarly. But it's like the creative team for the show just never had any respect for him, from the first season to the last. Like, if you don't respect your character, why should I? To be clear, I still like Spike and Applejack, but not enough for them to be in my Top 10.
As I alluded to, Sunset is a character that touches me in a way that no other character in the franchise has. Her story carries messages that are very important to me. Her songs 'My Past is Not Today' and 'Let it Rain' touch my heart and help me through tough times. It's not just her being well-written; which she is, I again will argue her being the best written character in the show; it's how the character has affect me personally.
Also, I never had issue with EG's designs or art style, but that's a discussion for a different blog.
Oh yes, Rarity is queen. And like I said, I very much understand people loving or hating Dash.
Guess that shows our little dragon buddy has fandom support. And yeah, that kinda stuff can appeal to fanfiction authors quite a bit.
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I would actually argue this isn't true. It just seems to be because, unlike many other characters who alternate periods of respect/no respect from the writing from episode to episode, Spike's tends to bunch up together. I did highlight Season 4 (otherwise quite a good one, and my third-favourite in the show) as his low point for a reason).
Point of fact, I would actually argue that, until near the end of Season One, he was done very well. If you consider Twilight still being socially awkward even after she's moved to Ponyville, you'll notice Spike often does a lot of the early talking for her, to the other or ponies in Ponyville (probably something he often did for her back in Canterlot). He's more outspoken and such than she is, there isn't that much of him being pushed around, others get on really well with him, etc. Not until Twilight really settles in around the end of the seasons, with his first starring episode "Owls Well That Ends Well" do we start to see the problem in the form we know, and it continues to rear its head more in Season Two (plus, him being absent without reason from quite a few episodes).
But I would still say, in the Faust era, he was done well, or at least to the point of not being any more inconsistent or wobbly than the Mane 6. Long as one can accept that he's not an adult, and has been an assistant and helper his whole life, so he won't always be proactive the way most of the Mane 6 are.
In the McCarthy era, yeah, he was largely in a rut. Around Season Six, he finally balanced out, through a mix of episodes like "Gauntlet of Fire", the Mane 6 not getting as many episodes a season just like him due to the new cast, so they "sunk" down closer to him a bit, etc.
Still, enough writers clearly do respect him and use him well (M.A. Larson in particular, nails the Twilight-Spike relationship as it should be), that I cannot say none of the creative team had any respect for him. A fair chunk, for sure (though many of them, like Josh Haber and Nicole Dubuc, had no respect for anyone, so…). But not all.
Nothing wrong with that. In some ways, parts of Spike hit me personally too. But I can't comment about your affection for Sunset there when she holds no personal interest for me.
Eh, gotta put my foot down there. Better written in EqG, for sure. Best written redemption arc in all of G4, no question. But best written in the whole show, FiM and EqG alike? Nope. Literally the only way one this reasoning holds fruit, is if one statistically averages every character's outing on how well it showcases them, which would make all the FiM characters that do outrank Sunset be weighed down by poorer writing in the show's back half, where it dropped the ball. And since EqG only had the equivalent of two seasons of FiM across all its content, it didn't last nearly as long to let that seasonal rot settle in. Making the comparison objectively scientifically unfair. To make it fair, you'd need to compare Sunset in EqG to any FiM's character's two best seasons.
When looking at characters that way, after a fashion, one has to just cut off the bad seasons when they become the norm. You did so with Sombra. Otherwise, no one from The Simpsons would have a hope in hell of making any "best animated characters" list, now the golden age occupies less than a third of its run.
You don't need to respond to this to tell me I'm wrong. I don't expect you to agree, and that's cool. Just showing my reasoning so you understand it.
Ah. I only said I didn't unreservedly adore her. That's a ways off of hating. She has too many stellar episodes and moments for that. All I can say for sure is she'd be the one member of the Mane 7 who wouldn't chart my top ten.
Well, you're probably more the expert of the matter. To me, it felt like half the time, he was either a slave or forgotten.
Just as you don't have a personal attachment to Sunset, I don't have a lot of attachment to Spike, and I've tried with him. So, I guess I can't comment on it either.
You're probably right on that. Sunset is lucky she didn't get tainted by bad writing. But if I were to do all the statistics you talk about... Well, I'm not writing a character statistic exam, and I doubt it'd change my opinion anyway.
I wasn't implying you hate her. Anyways, I guess she takes the spot that AJ does on my list.
I also noticed the only characters you haven't commented on are Zipp and Izzy, and Scootaloo. I recall seeing a blog where you reviewed one of my stories ranting about G5, so I take that you're not a big fan. I doubt a lot of people on here would include any G5 characters on their Top 10; a lot just don't have the kind of connection with the characters as they did in FIM.
Celestia didn't groom Twilight for anything. Twilight wasn't "forced" to take the throne against her will. She still had free will to turn down the offer if she really truly believed she wasn't qualified or would do a bad job. And her flaws are entirely her own, not the result of anyone else.
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I just now realized I didn't tag you in my response comment. Why must I be such a Sonata sometimes?