MLP Season 4 Blogs: Part II - Favorite and Least Favorite Characters · 12:39am Nov 20th, 2013
Continuing on in my series of MLP Season 4 countdown blogs, here are my favorite and least favorite characters in the series.
Let’s start on a good note with my top ten favorite characters of MLP, starting from the bottom and working up the list. Each entry will include an explanation as to why I like them.
#10 – Nightmare Moon
We’re starting off with the first villain to be featured in the show. A lot of people think that Nightmare Moon is the worst villain in the series, but I think that honor goes to another villain, but I’ll get to that later. Some of my appreciation for Moon comes from her design. I can tell when a lot of thought goes into designing a character, and it’s apparent that they really thought her design through. She looks like a threatening villain, right down to her slitted pupils. My love for this character was increased by the many fanfics about her and her “feature” in issues 4-8 of the MLP comic.
#9 – Princess Cadance
Cadance used to occupy the number spot on this list, but she’s worked her way up recently, mostly due to the MLP comic. (Sorry I keep mentioning it. I just find the comics to be a great outlet for character development.) I also adore her design and I like her portrayal in the series. And her voice… sweet Celestia, her VOICE!!! I don’t care what anypony says, that pony can sing. This Day Aria is on my list of favorite MLP songs ever (where it lies on said list, you’ll find out on Thursday), and I still listen to it on replay. I know Cadance is another pony that’s on a lot of people’s “Least Favorite” list, but there’s a special place in my heart (see what I did there) for the pretty pink princess.
Gotta love those alliterations.
#8 – Zecora
This spot goes to my favorite recurring character in MLP (tied with another character on this list), Zecora the Zebra. Bridle Gossip is one of the episodes whose message I can get behind. I find that these days, society is very quick to judge others solely on appearances without really getting to know them. Zecora is a good example of the misunderstood individual with a kind heart, and I can identify with her because of that. It’s been said in the official MLP guidebook that Zecora was originally intended to serve as a second mentor to Twilight when she was first designed, and we got a little taste of that dynamic in Magic Duel. It’s a shame that this never really became a thing, but I’m hoping that she’ll have a role in the Season 4 premiere since the Everfree Forest, her home, is playing a big part in the plot.
#7 – Fluttershy
I’m a sucker for the shy characters. A lot of my favorite cartoon characters are the shy, meek, or quiet types. Chuckie from Rugrats, Eduardo from Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Hinata from Naruto, the list goes on. Fluttershy is on my list because the episodes featuring her are just a joy to watch (with the exception of “A Bird in the Hoof”). My favorite episode with Flutters has to be “Putting your Hoof Down,” a great example of taking someone’s advice too far. I hear a lot of negative comments about this episode saying that it portrays Fluttershy completely out of character, but… wasn’t that the whole point of the episode. The message that I got out of it was that while it’s okay to try to fix the flaws in your character, you can’t let that change who you are entirely, which is exactly what happened to Flutters. Anywho, this pretty much explains why Fluttershy is number seven on my list.
#6 – Twilight Sparkle
Twilight used to occupy the number four spot, and her decrease in rank has nothing to do with her becoming a princess. I just gained more appreciation for the characters occupying the two spots below her. I honestly don’t care that Twi is a princess, and I think that it opens the door to more development for her as a character. The biggest gripe I hear from others is that Twilight is a Mary Sue, and that was my initial impression of her… until Lesson Zero. Plus, I don’t think that Twi fits the definition of a Mary Sue in my mind. Popular MLP blogger Tommy Oliver (aka BronyCurious) defines a Mary Sue as “a character so perfect that they are never challenged by the events of the narrative.” We have seen countless times that Twilight has been challenged by the events of the show. One of the lowest (if not THE lowest) points for her was in A Canterlot Wedding when everypony, even Celestia, didn’t believe her about Princess Cadance being an impostor. I think that Twilight is also a pretty funny character (again, Lesson Zero) and I look forward to her Season 4 adventures.
#5 – Discord
How can I write an entire fic about this guy and NOT have him on my list? Discord was never my favorite villain, but he was a close second, and now that he’s reformed (something that is still up for debate), he’s tied with Zecora as my second favorite recurring character. I think that Discord’s actions are fun to watch, and after writing, Chaos Next Door, I liked him enough to bump him up from his previous title as number six. There isn’t really any definitive reason for liking the guy, because he’s not a definitive character.
Wait… maybe that IS the definitive reason!
#4 – Princess Celestia and Queen Chrysalis
Of all the characters that had to be tied for a spot, it had to be these two. I just couldn’t decide which one I liked more. One day it was Tia, the next day it was Chryssie. I’ll just explain one character at a time.
I like Celestia not only for her design, but also because her character is open to adaptation in fanfiction. Now you’re probably thinking “What the buck does that mean,” but let me explain. Since we don’t get a true, concrete sense of Celestia’s character, you can take her in so many different directions when writing fanfiction. When done right, you can look at many interpretations of Tia and say “Yeah, I can believe that.”
Now onto Chrysalis. I love my sinister villains just as much as my shy heroes, and Chrysalis has been my favorite MLP villain since I first saw her. Just her design was enough to put her above Discord in my eyes. Add on her sickeningly sweet and almost seductive voice and her sinister personality, and you’ve got a nightmare-inducing character on your hands. I also enjoy Chryssie’s portrayal in more comedic fan-works because she can easily fit the archetype of the dryly sarcastic girl. Tia and Chryssie need their own sitcom, dammit!
#3 – Princess Luna
The number three spot goes to Best Princess herself, Princess Luna. There’s little that I don’t like about this character. Her design is great, her portrayal in the show is superb, and like her older sister, she’s open to adaptation. Just look at how I portray her in my Chaos Next Door story. Luna Eclipsed was a standout for me in Season 2. I enjoyed it for the same reason I enjoyed Bridle Gossip, but I’ll go into more detail about that tomorrow (hint hint). I just get excited whenever I see her make an appearance in the show, and it was confirmed that she’d be getting her own song this season! SQUEE!!!
For my top two, I put a lot of thought into this. I couldn’t have two ties in one list, so I made my decision, and here are my top two characters
#2 – Rarity
Rarity is so high on my list because, like Zecora, I can identify with her. Unlike Zecora, I can identify with her on an even deeper level. While I’m not a fashion designer, I am an artist. It’s my dream to one day have my comics published and sold in stores, and I can appreciate Rarity’s passion for her craft. Another thing that I have in common with her is that we both have a little sister that we struggle to get along with for very similar reasons. We’re both fussy and dramatic at times, and we’re both generous and giving at other times. We both obsess over details, and we both appreciate the beauty in the world Also, I love Tabitha St. Germain’s voice work for her. I swear if I ever get my comic turned into a cartoon, I’m gonna do everything in my power to get her as one of the voice actors. Rarity is so emotive and expressive, a trait that’s shown at its best in A Dog and Pony Show, and she’s just an overall great character. You can imagine my dismay when I learned that she wasn’t getting an episode in Season 3. Here’s hoping that she gets at least two episodes this season.
And my number one MLP character is…
Wait for it…
……………………….
Applejack!
That’s right, the southern belle of Ponyville herself! Some of you smart folks probably already guessed this because of my profile pic. I just love Applejack (and I ship her with Rarity so hard!). While I don’t relate to her as much as I do with Rarity, she still stands as my number one. She’s the backbone of the Mane Six; a pony that the others can lean on. She’s like the bass guitar in a rock band, or like the stapler in your office. She may not seem important at first glance, but she holds things together. I can understand why she doesn’t get much love, and I’d like to see her have an episode that wasn’t about apples or family or her stubbornness (they had the right idea with The Last Roundup), but that just makes me love her more, because I have faith in her. While Rarity represents the type of person I am, Applejack represents the person I strive to be. I want to be someone that others can depend on. I want to be someone that will always be there for their family. I want to be that person that can trust over everyone else. AJ is just an awesome character, and I hope she gets a solid episode in Season 4.
Note: Tommy Oliver has a great video on why AJ gets no love. LINK
Honorable Mentions: Trixie, Fleetfoot and Rainbow Dash (I didn’t like her at first, but she’s been growing on me)
Now, there are few characters I actually dislike, and after writing about ten (technically eleven) characters I DID like. I’m gonna keep it short and sweet. So, here are my top four LEAST favorite MLP characters.
#4 – King Sombra
I had hopes for this guy. I thought that he was gonna replace Nightmare Moon in my top ten favorites, but he disappointed me. He was really underdone and is, in my opinion, the worst MLP villain.
#3 – Sweetie Belle
I don’t care for the CMC, because I find that they, as a group, are annoying. ESPECIALLY Sweetie Belle. I find her voice to be really grating and I think she’s just an annoying character. My least favorite moments with her were when she sang in Stare Master and in Sleepless in Ponyville.
#2 – Diamond Tiara
She’s a bitch. Plain and simple.
I know I’m gonna get a lot of hate for this, but my least favorite character is…
Pinkie Pie
Man, raidenpony78 is gonna hate me for this. Take Sweetie Belle’s annoyingness, subtract the cute, multiply it by a thousand, and you get Pinkie Pie. I just find her to be a really annoying character, and I feel tempted to skip her episodes whenever I rewatch a season. Imagine my dismay when I found out that she was getting a shit-ton of songs this season.
DIShonorable Mentions: Apple Bloom, Flash Sentry, and Silver Spoon.
Tomorrow I’ll be talking about my favorite and least favorite episodes of MLP.
Oh Pinkie is your least favorite because she's annoying. She's not annoying. Okay well maybe a little, but still. Pinkie Pie is so fun. And silly, and not to mention, in the Babs episode she was punny.
1521969
The only Pinkie moment that got a genuine laugh out of me was the G3 face from Too Many Pinkie Pies.
Then again, I deserved that laugh after sitting through an episode of multiple Pinkie Pies.
Hold the phone... Pinkie pie? Really? You don't like her either? We seem to have more in common each and every day. Are you sure we aren't related? I like her but she's my least favorite character in the Six.
This fits my idea of Pinkie Pie, guess who's who.
And You like Chryssi too! Freaking sexy voice, and she's a competent bad guy. with Brains and a little luck rather than pure power like NM and Sombra. and a reason, contrary to DisQord.
But Zecora take my number one spot though so finally something that isn't the same. Well we can't agree on everything.
1521971 I assume you cannot relate to her. Right?
1521991
I don't, but it's not a reason why I don't like her. I can't relate to Chrysalis either, and she's #4.
1522022 Really? I think we can all relate to Chrysalis. Ever had a huge group project and most of the work went to you. You did not want to let your group mates down so you did a hasty half-ass job to get it in on time. Then the repercussions for halfheartedness were worse than if you spent time on it.
1522151
You got a point there. Still though, I don't think that not being able to relate to a character is a reason not to like them.
1522160 I guess.
This brony knows what they're talking about.
They have correctly identified Applejack as best pony. Now play Southern Soldier!
1522022 I'm going to let this one slide just cause your my bro. (Put the katana down put the katana down.)