Ranking All My Little Pony Episodes & Seasons · 4:48am Oct 25th, 2016
So, with the help of a program called Preference Revealer, I have ranked all 143 episodes spanning across all six seasons of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Now let me make it clear that these are MY OPINIONS and if anyone who reads this disagrees with my choices (which is definitely likely), then good for you and I'm glad you were able to get something out of episodes I either didn't care for or hated, just like I got something out of episodes YOU didn't care for or hated. Simple. Following the list, I'll also rank each season as a whole, too, taking into account how many episodes I love/hate from each one and thinking of what an impact the season had on me as a whole. So, here you go:
BEST OF THE BEST (ADORED EPISODES):
Season 5, Episode 18 - Crusaders Of The Lost Mark
Season 6, Episode 25 - To Where And Back Again (Part 1)
Season 6, Episode 6 - No Second Prances
Season 5, Episode 9 - Slice Of Life
Season 6, Episode 17 - Dungeons & Discords
Season 2, Episode 3 - Lesson Zero
Season 2, Episode 14 - The Last Roundup
Season 1, Episode 6 - Boast Busters
Season 4, Episode 12 - Pinkie Pride
Season 3, Episode 5 - Magic Duel
Season 3, Episode 10 - Keep Calm And Flutter On
Season 4, Episode 11 - Three's A Crowd
Season 5, Episode 12 - Amending Fences
Season 6, Episode 16 - The Times They Are A Changeling
Season 1, Episode 25 - Party Of One
AMAZING EPISODES (LOVED EPISODES):
Season 4, Episode 4 - Daring Don't
Season 5, Episode 8 - The Lost Treasure Of Griffonstone
Season 5, Episode 7 - Make New Friends But Keep Discord
Season 2, Episode 1 - Return Of Harmony (Part 1)
Season 6, Episode 19 - The Fault In Our Cutie Marks
Season 2, Episode 4 - Luna Eclipsed
Season 4, Episode 10 - Rainbow Falls
Season 4, Episode 21 - Testing Testing 1, 2, 3
Season 5, Episode 5 - Tanks For The Memories
Season 6, Episode 13 - Stranger Than Fan Fiction
Season 6, Episode 5 - Gauntlet Of Fire
Season 6, Episode 18 - Buckball Season
Season 2, Episode 20 - It's About Time
Season 6, Episode 26 - To Where And Back Again (Part 2)
Season 5, Episode 26 - The Cutie Re-Mark (Part 2)
GREAT EPISODES (LIKED EPISODES):
Season 2, Episode 19 - Putting Your Hoof Down
Season 5, Episode 25 - The Cutie Re-Mark (Part 1)
Season 6, Episode 21 - Every Little Thing She Does
Season 6, Episode 3 - The Gift Of The Maud Pie
Season 4, Episode 5 - Flight To The Finish
Season 3, Episode 6 - Sleepless In Ponyville
Season 4, Episode 15 - Twilight Time
Season 4, Episode 26 - Twilight's Kingdom (Part 2)
Season 6, Episode 2 - The Crystalling (Part 2)
Season 2, Episode 16 - Read It And Weep
Season 2, Episode 26 - A Canterlot Wedding (Part 2)
Season 3, Episode 7 - Wonderbolts Academy
Season 1, Episode 9 - Bridle Gossip
Season 2, Episode 22 - Hurricane Fluttershy
Season 5, Episode 22 - What About Discord?
Season 2, Episode 24 - MMMystery On The Friendship Express
Season 5, Episode 20 - Hearthbreakers
Season 5, Episode 13 - Do Princesses Dream Of Magic Sheep?
Season 5, Episode 24 - The Mane Attraction
Season 4, Episode 18 - Maud Pie
Season 4, Episode 23 - Inspiration Manifestation
Season 4, Episode 9 - Pinkie Apple Pie
Season 6, Episode 9 - The Saddle Row Review
Season 6, Episode 11 - Flutter Brutter
Season 4, Episode 2 - Princess Twilight Sparkle (Part 2)
Season 5, Episode 11 - Party Pooped
Season 6, Episode 24 - Top Bolt
Season 3, Episode 4 - One Bad Apple
DECENT EPISODES (INDIFFERENT EPISODES):
Season 4, Episode 1 - Princess Twilight Sparkle (Part 1)
Season 5, Episode 17 - Brotherhooves Social
Season 4, Episode 16 - It Ain't Easy Being Breezies
Season 4, Episode 13 - Simple Ways
Season 1, Episode 26 - The Best Night Ever
Season 6, Episode 1 - The Crystalling (Part 1)
Season 1, Episode 8 - Look Before You Sleep
Season 4, Episode 25 - Twilight's Kingdom (Part 1)
Season 5, Episode 15 - Rarity Investigates!
Season 5, Episode 1 - The Cutie Map (Part 1)
Season 1, Episode 16 - Sonic Rainboom
Season 2, Episode 5 - Sisterhooves Social
Season 2, Episode 15 - Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000
Season 6, Episode 4 - On Your Marks
Season 2, Episode 2 - Return Of Harmony (Part 2)
Season 5, Episode 16 - Made In Manehattan
Season 1, Episode 24 - Owl's Well That Ends Well
Season 6, Episode 20 - Viva Las Pegasus
Season 5, Episode 14 - Canterlot Boutique
Season 2, Episode 25 - A Canterlot Wedding (Part 1)
Season 5, Episode 3 - Castle Sweet Castle
Season 4, Episode 3 - Castle Mane-ia
Season 2, Episode 7 - May The Best Pet Win!
Season 5, Episode 2 - The Cutie Map (Part 2)
Season 4, Episode 20 - Leap Of Faith
POOR EPISODES (BORING EPISODES):
Season 3, Episode 3 - Too Many Pinkie Pies
Season 2, Episode 17 - Hearts & Hooves Day
Season 4, Episode 22 - Trade Ya
Season 1, Episode 12 - Call Of The Cutie
Season 1, Episode 13 - Fall Weather Friends
Season 2, Episode 9 - Sweet & Elite
Season 1, Episode 2 - Friendship Is Magic (Part 2)
Season 1, Episode 1 - Friendship Is Magic (Part 1)
Season 6, Episode 10 - Applejack's “Day” Off
Season 4, Episode 14 - Filli Vanilli
Season 3, Episode 11 - Just For Sidekicks
Season 1, Episode 19 - A Dog & Pony Show
Season 3, Episode 8 - Apple Family Reunion
Season 1, Episode 7 - Dragonshy
Season 6, Episode 22 - P.P.O.V. (Pony Point Of View)
Season 5, Episode 6 - Appleoosa's Most Wanted
Season 1, Episode 23 - The Cutie Mark Chronicles
Season 2, Episode 12 - Family Appreciation Day
Season 1, Episode 3 - The Ticket Master
Season 4, Episode 19 - For Whom The Sweetie Belle Toils
Season 1, Episode 14 - Suited For Success
BAD EPISODES (ANNOYING EPISODES):
Season 4, Episode 6 - Power Ponies
Season 5, Episode 21 - Scare Master
Season 5, Episode 4 - Bloom & Gloom
Season 1, Episode 11 - Winter Wrap Up
Season 3, Episode 12 - Games Ponies Play
Season 1, Episode 5 - Griffon The Brush Off
Season 4, Episode 7 - Bats!
Season 2, Episode 21 - Dragon Quest
Season 6, Episode 23 - Where The Apple Lies
Season 1, Episode 10 - Swarm Of The Century
Season 2, Episode 6 - The Cutie Pox
Season 6, Episode 8 - A Hearth's Warming Tail
Season 5, Episode 23 - The Hooffields & McColts
Season 3, Episode 1 - The Crystal Empire (Part 2)
Season 1, Episode 22 - A Bird In The Hoof
Season 2, Episode 10 - Secret Of My Excess
Season 6, Episode 14 - The Cart Before The Ponies
Season 3, Episode 1 - The Crystal Empire (Part 1)
Season 2, Episode 23 - Ponyville Confidential
Season 1, Episode 18 - The Show Stoppers
Season 1, Episode 4 - Applebuck Season
Season 2, Episode 18 - A Friend In Deed
Season 1, Episode 17 - Stare Master
Season 2, Episode 11 - Hearth's Warming Eve
Season 1, Episode 20 - Green Isn't Your Color
Season 4, Episode 17 - Somepony To Watch Over Me
Season 6, Episode 12 - Spice Up Your Life
WORST OF THE WORST (HATED EPISODES):
Season 6, Episode 15 - 28 Pranks Later
Season 5, Episode 19 - The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows
Season 2, Episode 13 - Baby Cakes
Season 3, Episode 13 - Magical Mystery Cure
Season 3, Episode 9 - Spike At Your Service
Season 1, Episode 21 - Over A Barrel
Season 4, Episode 24 - Equestria Games
Season 5, Episode 10 - Princess Spike
Season 4, Episode 8 - Rarity Takes Manehattan
Season 1, Episode 15 - Feeling Pinkie Keen
Season 6, Episode 7 - Newbie Dash
Season 2, Episode 8 - The Mysterious Mare Do Well
SEASON RANKINGS:
Season 1:
Adored Episodes: 2
Loved Episodes: 0
Liked Episodes: 1
Indifferent Episodes: 4
Boring Episodes: 9
Annoying Episodes: 8
Hated Episodes: 2
Season 2:
Adored Episodes: 2
Loved Episodes: 3
Liked Episodes: 5
Indifferent Episodes: 5
Boring Episodes: 3
Annoying Episodes: 6
Hated Episodes: 2
Season 3:
Adored Episodes: 2
Loved Episodes: 0
Liked Episodes: 3
Indifferent Episodes: 0
Boring Episodes: 3
Annoying Episodes: 3
Hated Episodes: 2
Season 4:
Adored Episodes: 2
Loved Episodes: 3
Liked Episodes: 7
Indifferent Episodes: 6
Boring Episodes: 3
Annoying Episodes: 3
Hated Episodes: 2
Season 5:
Adored Episodes: 3
Loved Episodes: 4
Liked Episodes: 6
Indifferent Episodes: 7
Boring Episodes: 1
Annoying Episodes: 3
Hated Episodes: 2
Season 6:
Adored Episodes: 4
Loved Episodes: 5
Liked Episodes: 6
Indifferent Episodes: 3
Boring Episodes: 2
Annoying Episodes: 4
Hated Episodes: 2
First off, I find it really interesting how I wound up with exactly 2 hated episodes from each season, which is honestly very fair. Even if you're a lame individual that tries to say crap like "I love ALL the episodes, because I love the whole series, and there ARE no episodes I hate!", because that's a bold-faced lie, it's still nice to spread out the love between seasons and appreciate each one for what it is. So, if I total up the number of episodes in the first three categories (Adored, Loved, Liked) and then the three at the bottom (Boring, Annoying, Hated), leaving the ones in the middle alone (Indifferent), this would be my rankings of the seasons:
BEST SEASON:
Season 6:
Liked Episodes: 15
Indifferent Episodes: 3
Disliked Episodes: 8
Season 6 is #1 not because of how recent it’s been and having a bias to that, but because of just how much fun a lot of the episodes were. There are really two types of MLP episodes when you break things down: serious and sweet episodes, and crazy and entertaining episodes. Both of them are what make the show great. Personally, I love the latter just a little bit more, but that’s just me. And season 6 had a great deal of both, almost doubling the amount of good episodes compared to bad ones.
2ND BEST SEASON:
Season 5:
Liked Episodes: 13
Indifferent Episodes: 7
Disliked Episodes: 6
Season 5 is just behind at #2. As you can see, a lot of the episodes were hit-or-miss, depending on what you like, but there were still a good number of great ones. A lot of redemption and redeeming going on in this season (Gilda, Twilight’s Friends, Diamond Tiara, Starlight Glimmer), and a lot of sweet moments (Twilight getting used to her castle, Tank hibernating, Luna overcoming her own nightmares, Apple Bloom bonding with Big Macintosh, the Crusaders getting their marks, Shining Armor & Cadance having a baby, the Pie and Apple families getting together for the holiday, Applejack reuniting with an old friend), so overall the season was less on craziness and more on touching your heart. Plus, it DID have the amazing fan service episode “Slice Of Life”, which kicked ass.
3RD BEST SEASON:
Season 4:
Liked Episodes: 12
Indifferent Episodes: 6
Disliked Episodes: 8
Season 4 is a heavy mixed bag, but it still had 12 liked episodes and only 8 disliked ones, so it’s #3 on my list. There was a lot of failures on this season (the Equestria Games, a lame attempt at Mane Six superhero comic characters, pathetic vampire bats, Rarity being a bitch, the Wonderbolts being dicks, Applejack somehow acting like a child), but there was a lot of highlights as well (Daring Do being proven to be real, Pinkie and Applejack more or less being proven to be related, Discord episodes, Weird Al Yankovic, Maud Pie, Rarity going insane with power, Twilight fighting a monster from Hell). It’s all over the place. A lot of groaners, but a lot of delights, too. Take the good with the bad and you get season 4.
4TH BEST SEASON:
Season 2:
Liked Episodes: 10
Indifferent Episodes: 5
Disliked Episodes: 11
Season 2 is technically the third worst season for me, or the fourth best, depending on if you see the glass as half-full or half-empty. Personally, because I had 11 bad episodes and only 10 good ones, this season is more of a half-empty season. They improved a lot from season 1 and began making things more interesting, but it wasn’t quite there yet. Since the bottom three seasons are literally the first three in the series, I think it goes to show that they hit their stride from season 4 onward. There were some huge highlights from season 2 (Twilight going insane, Luna getting an episode, the Derpy controversy, Rainbow Dash enjoying reading, Fluttershy actually being hilarious for once, Twilight yet again going insane with time travel, the introduction of Changelings), but a lot of crap as well (Dash’s friends pretty much giving her depression by becoming Mare Do Well, an episode about the Cake babies, Spike being stupid a lot, the Crusaders being even dumber). Not the worst, but not that great.
5TH BEST SEASON:
Season 3:
Liked Episodes: 5
Indifferent Episodes: 0
Disliked Episodes: 8
Season 3 is the second-to-worst season, which may be a bit unfair since it’s the only season to have 13 episodes, but it is what it is. Ironically, I either didn’t like or really liked all 13 episodes this season, and was indifferent on none of them. Sadly, since I only liked five of them, that says it all. The highlights were easily the amazing Fluttershy/Discord episode, the touching Scootaloo/Dash/Luna episode, the Trixie/Twilight episode, and the Babs Seed episode. Sadly, it couldn’t make up for a horrendous Spike episode, an annoying Pinkie Pie episode, a dreadful and controversial finale, a boring and anticlimactic two-part premiere, and just not all that memorable others. Some big highs, but too many lows, sadly.
WORST SEASON:
Season 1:
Liked Episodes: 3
Indifferent Episodes: 4
Disliked Episodes: 19
Season 1, shockingly, winds up as the worst season. I know this seems sacrilegious to say, but when I went back and looked at all these episodes…I’m sorry, but they were honestly just really boring or lame when compared to the great stuff we’ve gotten the past three seasons. We had an episode about Twilight’s friends wanting a gala ticket. An episode on simply introducing Apple Bloom. An episode on Celestia’s pet phoenix. An episode about Fluttershy being scared of modeling. An episode of Fluttershy staring at things, including one of her scolding a dragon. An episode about cutie marks. I mean, it goes on and on. Sure, you can say the episodes are “simplistic, yet memorable” and that they’re “the ones that got us into the series and thus are amazing in their own way”, but I just don’t see it that way. Just because it was the first season doesn’t make it that amazing. The first Final Fantasy wasn’t that good. The Playstation 1 sucks compared to the later ones. Survivor Borneo really isn’t that great. Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone wasn’t…well…okay, it was pretty good. But you get what I mean.
Quite interesting. I too find Season 6 to be the best, but there's still room for improvement in Season 7, and I think it's saying something when each season to me at least is better than the previous one. Season 1 was a good starting point, but it took until "Suited For Success" for the show to find its identity prior to that it kind of drifted from place to place. And even once it hit its stride it was hampered by clashes between Lauren Faust and Hasbro with the DHX staff caught in the middle and trying to walk a desperate tightrope between pleasing one or the other. Season 2 was largely free of this as Lauren began to transition away, but the last few episodes were hindered by being the show's first attempts at going against Lauren's vision. Season 3 was the transition, since it was only a half season. Season 4 started the show's growing of the beard, and Season 5 finished it. Season 6 seems to largely be continuing from there, but at times it seems they weren't doing as well as they could have (P.P.O.V. (Pony Point Of View) being a good example).
Also, I'm curious as to how the episodes of Season Six stack up in your book.