Why Applejack is awesome and deserves more fanfic · 6:22am Feb 19th, 2013
I have heard that some people find Applejack boring. I know, I know, that isn’t likely to include anyone who likes my stories, since the rule is that Applejack has to be awesome in nearly every story I write. But apparently some people just can’t think of things to write about her.
For a while I’ve been meaning to write this, in hopes that it will convince some people that AJ is an awesome character who deserves more love and fanfiction. I won’t go so far as to say that AJ is “best” pony, but she’s an amazing pony with tons of untapped potential for stories. In fact, in my vault interview I named her my favorite character in terms of fandom, because I feel like a lot of her potential is for stories that would be too grown-up to get covered by the show.
First, let’s talk about what’s cool about AJ’s character:
When it comes to adventure, Applejack is not a “cool” hero. Dash is much more the Han Solo, Tony Stark, Jack Sparrow type. And Twilight is closer to the Luke Skywalker, Frodo, official “hero’s journey” hero. So where does AJ fit in?
AJ is Superman. Captain America. Aragorn. Carrot Ironfoundersson. She’s the hero that stands straight and proud, for truth, justice and all the rest of it. She loves her family, her friends, farm, her town, and her country. Probably in that order. She doesn’t shoot first, but she can’t be budged once she’s made up her mind that something is worth fighting for.
And that carries over to smaller stories, too. Applejack is a character who always does her best. She hates handing burdens to anyone else, and even if she does she will absolutely do everything she can to pick up her share of it. She takes responsibilities seriously, she takes honor seriously, and she’s quick to anger with ponies who get in the way of that.
When it comes to comedy, AJ is Equestria’s perfect straight man. Her common sense and dry wit make her a perfect foil for her more wacky friends. She’s extremely difficult to fluster, unless someone is doing something that interferes with her doing her best.
Her biggest flaw is her tendency to put too much pressure on herself. A lot of AJ’s episodes have to do with that and the way it hurts her (Applebuck Season, the Last Roundup) or causes tension with her friends and family (Look Before You Sleep, Fall Weather Friends, Apple Family Reunion.) She also depends more on common sense and tradition than book learning, which can sometimes help (Feeling Pinkie Keen) or hurt (Bridle Gossip.) Her dedication to her family, and also probably to her friends, farm, and town can be turned on her, blinding her to bigger problems (Over a Barrel.) Also her almost total inability to directly lie can be problematic.
So, that’s why I think Applejack is a cool character, and people should want to write stories about her. But what stories should they write?
Now, I’ll admit that a lot of stories about AJ are about her parents (or lack thereof.) I’ve also seen plenty about something needing to be done to raise money for the farm, or to pay taxes on it or generally related to farm business. Those are the two things about Applejack that writers seem to latch on to, and that’s cool as far as it goes. But canon establishes so much more about AJ that’s just begging for some fanfic writers to fill it out.
I know there are probably a few stories out there about each of these things, but I don’t think any of them have been done often enough to be cliche, and I’d love to see more stories out there that tackle them.
Applejack stories based on canon, that are barely touched by fanfiction:
Applejack is a serious contender in the rodeo.
Did you see that suitcase full of ribbons she won in The Last Roundup? And that was her first time competing on that level. A few more years and she could be a serious star. In one of my mini-fics I played a little with the idea that Spitfire might be a serious rodeo fan who knows Applejack’s name, and who knows what other ponies might have heard of her? On the other side of things, the Garth Brooks song Rodeo always makes me want to do a more serious fic about the dangers and temptations of being involved in a sport that offers glory for potentially dangerous contests.
Applejack is, for all intents and purposes, Apple Bloom’s mother-figure.
I’m using this as a subplot in Gathering Rosebuds, with Apple Bloom reacting to AJ dating Rainbow Dash like many teenagers react to their step-parents or people their parents are dating, and Applejack having to guide Apple Bloom through puberty. But there’s plenty more to AJ’s role in Apple Bloom’s life that’s not touched on much. When Apple Bloom has parent-teacher conferences, or gets in trouble, who on Sweet Apple Acres do you think goes to talk to Cheerilee? If the CMC end up in the hospital after a stunt, who’s going to rush there as Apple Bloom’s guardian? With Mac’s introversion, and Granny’s questionable physical ability and equally questionable grasp on reality, AJ is pretty much Apple Bloom’s default parent when it comes to a lot of situations.
And Applejack might not be ready for that. Depending on the person, most people put the Mane Six as being somewhere in their teens or early twenties. Having a kid is a lot of responsibility for someone that age to take on. If you assume that the Apple parents died then not only did AJ lose her parents as a teenager, but she more or less gained a daughter at the same time, with only Granny around to offer advice on raising her.
Applejack is the descendant of the founders of Ponyville and seems to take that seriously.
In both Applebuck Season and The Last Roundup Ponyville honors AJ as an important citizen. And she is. The “most dependable of ponies” is not only there for her friends and family, but there for Ponyville as a whole. She even promises first her prize winnings, then the money she’s supposed to make at the cherry farm, to fix Town Hall. It’s obvious that she feels a duty towards the town, so how far will she take that? What would it take for her to let her town down by choice, and how would she deal with that?
On a lighter note, Applejack would agree to do any number of things for Ponyville, from organizing events to coaching some kind of team for foals. She was the only one of the mane six officially working at the Nightmare Night celebration, after all. AJ is obviously community minded, so there are lots of stories there. Or if Ponyville and Cloudsdale were competing at something AJ and Dash would probably be going head to head, whether rooting for their home towns or competing themselves.
Applejack is the only sane mare.
Applejack is often the voice of reason while other characters go crazy around her. She often seems to act more mature than the rest of the mane six, sometimes to me she comes across as almost motherly (maybe that thing with Apple Bloom has something to do with it.) Playing Applejack as the straight man against one of her friends losing their minds is a perfect comedy set up, but AJ is also among the first to offer comfort when something is really wrong.
In addition to that, AJ functions as kind of the second in command of the mane six. If Twilight needs someone to take charge when she can’t, Applejack is the obvious choice, being the most level-headed, dependable, and organized, after Twilight (and sometimes more than Twilight.) So putting Applejack in charge of organizing Dash, Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy while Twilight does something else makes sense, and could be loads of fun.
Applejack is athletic.
There are plenty of sports stories, outside of rodeo, that could include AJ. Not only would she probably play a lot of sports, but she’d be the obvious choice to coach of any kind of team between her abilities and her organizational skills. If any of her friends were concerned about fitness they’d probably be better off coming to her than Dash, and if Dash was looking for a pony to keep her on a training regiment, AJ would be the best bet.
Applejack (along with Rainbow Dash) is the front line fighter of the mane six.
There need to be more Applejack action/adventure fics. AJ will ride a manticore, and take out a whole hoof full of timberwolves. She’s a tough pony who’s ready to take on trouble, and buck it in the face. AJ vs. Some Big Bad is not written enough.
Even more than that, there need to be more AJ and Dash action/adventure fics. It’s obvious that AJ and Dash have the physical ability, and the combative natures, to really get their hooves dirty. Plus, AJ and Dash have that awesome Captain America and Iron Man thing going on. Why is this not a thing?
Applejack has connections all over Equestria.
Applejack has family all over Equestria. On the show we’ve seen six named places other than the Ponyville/Everfree area, and two of those have been because of AJ’s family. Apple Family Reunion points out that’s just the tip of the iceburg. Applejack’s family could lead her and any combination of the mane six literally anywhere in Equestria, and get them involved in almost anything.
And speaking of family. . .
Applejack has a rich aunt and uncle.
For all of Rarity’s society connections, Applejack is the one who actually has a hoof in the door. (Aside from Twilight, who has royal connections but not much personal interaction with the general upper-class.) Whether she’s going to them for a loan, on Rarity’s behalf, or just dropping their names for respectability someplace, the Oranges seem to be well connected ponies who could get AJ into some interesting situations. Not to mention if they wrote AJ into their will. . .
Applejack is the earth-poniest earth pony who ever earth-ponied.
What does this have to do with anything? Well, lets say you’re writing about Scootaloo (or some other pegasus) never being able to fly. If there is one pony who’s never going to let another pony be ashamed of not being able to fly, it’s AJ. If wings and magic are out of the picture for some reason, AJ is the pony who’s going to know how to get shit done. And if anyone knows what the hell earth pony magic actually is, it’s Applejack.
And there are plenty more details that could be expanded upon- AJ apparently plays the fiddle. She’s a baker on a level that even Pinkie has to respect. She gets a little silly about her favorite apple trees. She’s pretty frequently impatient with small, fluffy animals.
. . . now that I’m writing all of this, I’m even more impressed. Applejack is one amazingly detailed character. Seriously, why is this fandom not in love with her?
Any idea listed here is free to use. I might write something similar sometime, but I think everything is vague enough that our directions probably wouldn’t overlap.
You make a ton of good points, but really, it comes down to one simple fact for me. That accent. Seriously, I live in the South and I can do a pretty damn impressive western/redneck accent, but I just can't put it into the written form. Maybe that's why people tend to avoid using her.
A lot of ways of explaining the obvious,
Have you read the upheaval fanfics? If not, try it. Aj goes absolutely badass in it, and becomes the squad leader for the mane6 in the war against the wolves. 
Oh...my...gosh...
I didn't know my love for Applejack could possibly grow any larger, but now....oh, the possibilities...why have these not been done more?!
845705 Ah'n wha in tarnation not, sugarcube?
845705
That may be true. One of the characters in my book is from Appalachia, so I've been writing the accent for a while, but I can see how it might be intimidating at first. I mean, the accent itself is easy, but the phrasing is hard to explain.
845711
Stating the obvious for us maybe, but I have heard rumors that some very good fanfic authors consider AJ boring.
I haven't read those fics, though. Maybe I'll keep my eye out for them!
845722 Just look them up. I only found out when I saw that Forest Rain was doing reading of them on YouTube. I decided to read them, and found them here. Afterwards, I decided to create an account, so theyre what got me started here.
The first is Upheaval:breaking point, and it'll blow your mind. 
Applejack may not be my favorite pony, but she certainly is a pony that deserves more respect. I haven't done a whole lot with her most of my fics, but she is more prominent in my current story "The Apple of My Bulls Eye" and had a decent supporting role in "My Little Wasteland" and has been featured in all of my TwiMacVerse stories (that aren't side stories anyway). I don't find any of the mane six to be useless; they all have something that's fun and unique. This was a well written essay (or blog entry, whatever you wanna call it), and you're one hell of a writer in general. MUSTACHES
"The Immortal Game" takes this super literally, as it expands on the Earth Pony side of magical ability and makes AJ the next-best-thing to indestructible.
845722
I mean, I know what she's going to say, but to put that into written form is difficult as hell. I can't find any book or website on the internet on how to do it correctly either.
845721
Exactly my point! How the hell do you write like that?
It was interesting to see what things I've already considered when writing AJ and what I hadn't thought about.
AJ is definitely under-utilized and under-appreciated. She has had some moments to shine in my long action adventure fic so far, but her glory is still forthcoming and I shall try to do her justice. I think what's really great about MLP is how much depth there can be found for all the main cast. An essay can be written like this for any of them. Not today, though. Today it's AJ's turn.
My name is Anonymous Pegasus, and I've been in love with Applejack and a secret member of Applejack Anonymous since S1E3.
[I am aware of the fanfic of the same name, but the joke was too easy to pass up.]
845705
I think the accent's kind of cute.
I just plain love:
Writing Applejack in this latest thing I'm doing, and for many of the reasons you've listed here, too. In fact, I start Biology: A Romance, the first story in the series, with a scene that makes many readers terribly uncomfortable due to it being quite literally, as you say, "Applejack having to guide Apple Bloom through puberty." The first chapter's called "Red" because it's all about Applejack explaining to Apple Bloom how menstruation works when you're a Little Pony. And the rich aunt and uncle are major characters in the section of the second story, History: A Romance Continued, that I'm working on right now.
Of course, these are "Applejack x Futashy" stories, so that makes readers even more uncomfortable. But what other character in the series would be able to give Fluttershy the love and support she needs in order to come to terms with her transgendered nature? Only Applejack!
Mike
845731 Ah'm not certain... Jus kinda read sum aj fics, ah guess. Read that thur story called the Grapes O Wrath, ah'n ah'm sure yer gonna figur it out, sugarcube.
845731
That might be a blog post for the future, then. It really isn't that hard, there are a few simple rules that will get you started, plus I'd love to write something in support of getting rid of "Ah" for "I."
That was all amazing and interesting to read....but my mind latched onto one thing. Comparing Applejack to Carrot Ironfoundersson. They must meet, they must! And now I'm wondering about the trouble Vimes would bring if he came across Equestria and I can't stop thinking about Discworld things! Its overwhelming, you opened the flow!
Still, great post. I still prefer Rainbow Dash but Applejack has always been pretty damn awesome. Even if she caused a bunny stampede, which I consider something of an achievement. I wonder if it can be weaponized...
845752
Thanks, I'd really appreciate that if you did.
845749
Hmm, might hit that up then. Thanks for the suggestion.
I still don't get why some people hate on her for that. It's adorably endearing!
Huh, these are all really good points. AJ's actually more fun to write than I previously thought she would be, maybe because she is the perfect straight man in the group. After everyone's done freaking out its nice to have a more down to earth character to write for. Most adventure fics I've read that include her have her as the tank role, the backbone of the group, which makes sense. I think I actually find Fluttershy the most boring (even if I've never written her. Who knows, maybe I'll try it and it'll be super entertaining, but so far no dice) to write and read about. Then again, a lot of that depends on the author and the context, so I guess it could go either way.
Oh, and Applejack as Aragorn totally works. The ponies reenact LOTR parody on youtube sold me on that
Alas, poor Rainbowamere...
845737
I totally agree, the characters in MLP are all awesome. Applejack just got an essay because she seems to be the one whose awesomeness is most often overlooked. Polls always put her on the bottom, and I've heard that some big authors have said they have no interest in writing stories about her.
845752 Ah'm offended!! Ah can't believe tha not replacing this 'ere I for an ah is what yer's ah thinkin!!
Applejack really is the best protagonist for an adventure fic. Especially since it just dawned on me how much she is like Captain America, mah favorite Mahvel hero. Both have crap for powers, but can take on impossible odds and come out on top, while still being down to earth enough to relate to the common man. I love that archetype.
She also plays a fantastic support role too--I might have mentioned it before, but I've always considered her the Samwise Gamgee of the group--the actual emotional heart of the series. The one willing to go through anything for the people (ponies) she cares about. The one that refuses to fall even when presented with power. The one that doesn't get enough credit where credit's due.
But yeah, there's a reason I write almost nothing but AJ--she doesn't get enough credit, when she could potentially be the most well-designed character for action/adventure fics, due to her character and physical attributes. Been trying to show that with the Heist fics and The Laughing Shadow, but eh.
...Though I kinda want to do a Captain Equestria now...
Oh bookplayer. Your words make me happy. I always love seeing talented people talking about how awesome AJ is. I think I might like Applejack a little too much. My friend (fanatigeekbrony down there) told me the other day that if Applejack was real, then I'd be a creepy stalker.
845804
I can totally see her as Sam, too, but she does seem to have that hero-of-Ponyville thing in the show. She actually gets plenty of recognition in the show, more than just about any other individual pony. It's the fandom that just refuses to recognize it.
But I would so read Captain Equestria.
845818
Not to blatantly self-promote myself and derail, but I may have done that in my RariJack fic, haha.
845818
I think one of my problems with RariJack, outside of not liking opposites attract relationships in general, is that often they seem to be about how AJ just has to learn how special Rarity is.
While I'm not a huge RariJack fan, I will support it if you properly understand how AJ is awesome.
And I love rockabilly! Have you ever heard of Southern Culture on the Skids? They're my favorites, outside of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen.
845840
Ooh, I agree with you there. Rarijack works a heck of a lot better when it's Rarity doing the growing. AJ is the smart and sensible one, as you said. Of all the character's canon personalities, AJ is the one who needs to change the least to be ready for a relationship. All the others are arrested in their emotional development somewhere between 'relationships are a bad idea until you're actually an adult,' and 'you're not quite ready, but if you get in a relationship that you're serious about, you'll figure it out without needing an epiphany.' Making AJ conform to Rarity is downgrading; Rarity needs to buck her attitude and re-categorize her personal priorities to really be ready for a relationship. She's caught up in the romance of the prince charming, even if deep down she absolutely does not want that. I've been of half a mind to write a fic where Rarity gets swept off her hooves by a sophisticated, well-to-do upper class unicorn, who takes her away to Canterlot where after about a month of being waited on hoof and hoof (damn these idioms not translating to horsepuns), socializing at parties, attending events, etc., where she has no control over her schedule, no need to sew, and no say in what she's doing at all, she goes absolutely bonkers and stomps back to her boutique to get some damn work done.
For my part, I've been playing with this element of Rarijack in my writing. No one's really cottoned onto it in the comments on my Rarijack-kissed fic that the reasons the two of them had for getting together were actually vaguely terrible. No one's ever said that a successful couple has to start on the right footing in order to make it work eventually, if they learn some lessons along the way.
845896
Humanized AU: Sometimes more pony than pony fics.
Feel free to look, I dig dem comments.
Edit:
845886
I'll agree for the most part. At the same time however, an 'opposites attract' couple should involve compromise from both parties. IE, Rarity grows to understand and appreciates blunt, honest viewpoints from growing attached to Jack. Likewise, AJ learns to be a bit more empathetic in regards to people (ponies) she doesn't like, and learns how to not always run herself ragged.
845905
Oh yeah, totally with you on that. I was simplifying a bit. All relationships, regardless of how off-the-cuff compatible bother partners are, need some compromise along with growth and change. The joys of romance fiction that looks beyond the 'meet cute, kiss' stage of a relationship is in my opinion seeing both partners become better than they were separately simply by being together. For Rarijack, it's seeing Rarity break down her priorities into something more honest and heartfelt, learn to appreciate others beyond a harsh aesthetic, and learn to appreciate a more rustic, blunt viewpoint on the world, while with AJ it's seeing her learn to cut loose some of the time, indulge in some hedonistic pursuits that she'd normally shirk due to being too busy, and get in touch with the femininity that she has but tends to hide (because forced into a motherhood role and needing to be one of the main breadwinners too young). The best pairings are, in my opinion, the ones where just being together results in the two characters sanding off each other's edges.
I don't intend to and YET ANOTHER wall of thext to this comment section, but you put my feelings about AJ on paper
It's not random that AJ is my Vaifu
I'm sending this to my editor and going to beg for him to look it over. He detests Applejack for some reason (even though he edits all my writing with her objectively). Here's hoping this will score some points with a character I find incredibly stable and reliable.
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/271/8/d/applejack_clopplauding_by_mihaaaa-d3hohmg.gif
You are right in every single point that was mentioned in this post.
And I love you for that.
AJ is my number one and you just showed her awesomeness to everyone. There is no way I could have done this so good because I'm not really good at writing but I want to thank you for the post. You are damn awesome.
You're totally right, and that's why I love her so much, and she's my personal Role-model. But a lot of bronies out there, look for the coolest, the silliest, the craziest.... not the most level-headed, dependable and adorable pony ever.
That's also something I believe it's awesome about AJ. Everypony says "Oh, Fluttershy's so cute." Or "Fluttershy is the most adorable pony." Yet to me, the pony with the most prize-winning adorable scenes, is AJ
Like
stream1.gifsoup.com/view1/4401578/more-apple-fritter-o.gif
or...
iambrony.steeph.tp-radio.de/mlp/gif/9668__safe_rainbow-dash_applejack_animated_blushing_god-that-quo-s-cute.gif
845752
That was something I dealt with over the course of Rustic & Romantic. Earlier chapters were full of Ah / mah / yer / fer and so forth. Later I switched to I / my / your / for but tried my best to write the phrasing and pacing rather than the phonetics. I kept plenty of ain't / cain't / y'all but dropped the rest. I've never gone back to rewrite the earlier material, so it almost reads like a progression in AJ's own speech patterns. I live in the deep South and I grew up here; even so, I have to think before I put her diction to paper.
845840
Agreed that there has to be something more to a story than just "opposites attract". My Rustic story is RariJack all the way, and while I try to show them as unique individuals, I want my readers to leave realizing that AJ and Rarity are more alike than they care to admit. This farmer and this Belle (pun on the last name is intentional) need each other. I picture Rarity as more Southern Belle than city-pony. I even had a reader offer to do fanart for that story, and the working concept is "Rarity overlooking Tara".
846198
On the southern belle thing, I agree more than you know, the problem is that Rarity is totally Scarlett, and AJ is closer to Ashley than Rhett.
I think the sticking point is deception. Rarity's life is illusion from her fake accent and her make-up, to that being basically what her whole career is based on, and her preferring social manipulation over actual communication. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, just I feel like AJ would need some solid ground, something Rarity (at time of canon) is very uncomfortable providing.
845946
Do actually do agree with the business thing. I've often thought that a story that focuses on that could possibly be a good starting point for a RariJack story I wouldn't hate. The other stuff is a little shakier, since Applejack is all about the Ponyville crowd, and Rarity doesn't seem to give a shit about them, outside of her friends and Sweetie Belle.
845946
Yeah, I think the whole 'opposites attract' idea is a misnomer. Most opposites attract pairings (well, at least the ones that work and make sense) are really two similar characters that are opposite in one or two big ways. How they're opposite needs to be complementary and they need to have a core level of understanding so they have something to work off of and be able to relate to each other. Rarity and AJ aren't the best pairing choice for this (and they're honestly not my favorite pairing even though I like them), not like some others I really like (cue Twidash discussion and argument, redacted for sanity), but if they had no common ground they couldn't possibly work out. It's like Flutterdash with me. At times I think the only common ground the two of them have is that Fluttershy was there for parts of Rainbow Dash's fillyhood (big freaking whoop) and they're both sentient beings. That does not a couple make.
This gets me thinking... Dash is that for pegasi, and Twi (pre alicornication, and maybe even post, one could argue, maybe) for unicorns... which would be great to have those three in an adventure setting (rather than Rarity instead of Twi, as in 'Dangerous Business').
Almost makes one wonder if Celestia did some selective breeding/nudging with their ancestors, hmm~
845722
No it ain't
All's you got to know is, a drawl is real lazy. Seem like it jes' ooze off th' tongue like molasses.
Other ponies' diction is interspersed with clear breaks and syllables interrupting phonetic smoothness, in the interest of grammar correctness!
Ain't no thing to talk Applejack, long as you leave them tricky things lay an' flow it right. Maybe it don't add up to a proper sentence but if it read like butter Bob's yer uncle. Or whoever your uncle is, anyways!
I'm sorry, and I'm not sure if it's rudeness to mention it, but how is that pronounced? Do you mean 'read' as in lead—wait, that's a homonym as well, darn it. Do you in fact mean read as in bleed, or red as in dead?
Y' tryin' to tell me somethin', sugarcube? Happens I meant read like heed, as in, you heed my words, girl, you ain't gonna sound like no country pony without loosenin' up and settlin' down. 'I hesitate to raise the possibly sticky subject, but do you in fact' my apple butt!
All 'righty'!
I agree with everything about this article. Applejack is my second favorite pony (after Rainbow Dash, of course.) it is a complete crime that she is overlooked so much! I find Applejack to be charming and endearing in her characterization. She's strong, level-headed and just. She is also the perfect companion to Rainbow Dash. Adventure stories with Rainbow Dash and Applejack are seriously lacking, which I intend to remedy with an upcoming project of mine. But seriously Applejack f*cking rocks.
Well... I am going for an AppleFire shipping... But I am fearful of throwing out my own fanon for the sake of canon.
Should I ditch whatever fanon I had before hand and just go with canon? I honestly don't wanna do it if I don't' have to, but it seems that is what the readers want. Ya see, I like tweaking the canon to my own benefit. I like adding my own personal twist to things. And I like to use things from previously established fanons before canon comes along as the official.
Does my story HAVE to conform to the norm? If so, then is it really my story at all?
Don't want to force in canon when it ain't needed, especially since there are some parts that...
Irk me a bit. I suppose you could attest that to my naturally rebellious nature, preferring to use fan made material over canon.
You wouldn't believe how many good concepts out there have bit the dust just for the sake of staying true to canon. I don't want
my story to fall ill to that fate....
So any advice?
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/83612/farming-in-the-icy-inferno
The story itself is here....
And one of the three images that inspired me.
th08.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2012/094/2/d/applefire__by_jinyaranda-d4v0g3d.jpg
847353
Um, I don't see what in your story is breaking any canon. You could probably use an editor or a prereader, but I'm not clear what you're so worried about.
846816
This is also my headcanon as far as pony genetics go. AJ, Dash and Twi are veritable paragons of their respective races, I see them as purebred through at least five generations or more.
Whereas Pinks, Flutters and Rare are a bit more mixed. I see Rarity as having not a small amount of Earth Pony heritage given her inborn talent for gem finding, Fluttershy as well with her connection to all her critters, and everything about Pinkie just screams Unicorn without a horn to me. I see her as having near Twilight levels of magical ability, but unfocused and instinctual rather than learned and practiced.
But back to Applejack and Earth Ponies in general, in the classic mind, body and spirit trifecta, I see those three qualities as being representative of and being expressed through each race's magic. Unicorns have strong minds, Pegasi have strong spirit and Earth Ponies of course have strong bodies. Take Applebuck Season for instance, even while horribly sleep deprived and out of her wits, AJ was still able to buck a treeful of apples with a single hoof. (And ignoring the exaggerated comedy aspect, Big Mac was able to drag an entire house in order to get to Cheerilee.) That, I think, forms the basis of Earth Pony magic, and is how it's expressed in the Alicorn race as Celestia, Luna and Cadence are so much bigger than regular ponies.
An early story idea of mine, now moot or at least relegated to AU status involved Twilight having achieved the very height of magic prowess and having to learn and hone, mainly from AJ and Dash, those other two aspects of Alicorndom to earn her status as a Princess.
[/ramble]
Also: An admirable abstract aggregating awesome Applejack attributes awaiting assertion.
I freakin love Applejack in fact i like earth ponies in general and Applejack represent that just fine. i wish applejack had more songs she's got such a beautiful singing voice.
Dammit, woman! Stop giving me ideas for more Applejack fics! I really soooo many I haven't even started yet ;_;
This gave me such an idea.
Such. An. Idea.
Depressing Applejack Rodeo Story Go!
845705 It's probably easier for me because I don't know the accent well enough to know how badly I'm screwing it up.
Applejack is the only sane pony. And I'm counting the diarchs.
Well, you don't have to tell me. Applejack has been in almost everything I've written. She just below Twilight for best pony status in my book.
I haven't read all the comments, so maybe this has been mentioned before, but I just wanted to point out one Applejack Attribute (Applejacktribute?) that you didn't really touch on:
Applejack has all the cool.
She has this amazing easy grin that just makes you believe in its genuine-ness. Rainbow Dash is probably more known for physical ability than Applejack, but Applejack makes it look so much easier. Rainbow Dash takes her athleticism almost too seriously. Applejack might wink at you as she does some awesome trick. At the same time, AJ knows how to get serious, and there ain't no other pony who can sell determination like her. I've known a few people like her - people who exude the same easy grace, charm, and good cheer. Every time, I've been kind of almost intimidated. I'm sure that I'd have the same reaction if I met AJ in real life.