Top Ten Earth Ponies, Version 5 · 3:20am Nov 7th, 2017
Another season, another round of examining characters. Starting with the earth ponies, and we got quite a few. At least one of the newcomers made it onto the list, but how many new ones did and who did they end up replacing? Well, you're about to find out. Here's the fourth version, from the end of Season 6. Let's see who moved up, moved down, got added, or dropped off. Before we begin though, there are some honorable mentions (they are as follows: Bright Macintosh, Granny Smith, Quibble Pants, Tender Taps, Apple Bloom, Pipsqueak, Countess Coloratura a.k.a Rara, Double Diamond, Filthy Rich, Babs Seed, and Coco Pommel). And of course, the same rules as my other lists apply, it's not official, it's the result of my personal opinion.
10. Applejack
Why she moved down: Applejack really didn't get much to do this season, even now that Starlight, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy have all gotten something to at least define them outside Ponyville, and/or character and personality traits that could set up more stories for them. Applejack just continues to be what she's been almost from day one, a straight mare. "Honest Apple" is just yet another example of why her focus episodes don't tend to do well. Without a defined character trait or goal, her flaws have to exaggerated to generate a conflict. Yes, there's "The Perfect Pear". But that wasn't really an Applejack focus episode, it was about the entire Apple family.
9. Cheerilee a.k.a Miss Cheerilee
Why she moved down: After Season 6 marked a glorious return to form for her in the form of "The Cart Before the Ponies", it's sad to see that Cheerilee fell back to being a background pony in Season 7 with only three minor roles. "A Flurry of Emotions" had the potential to expand on her character, after all who better to know about child care and responsibility than the local school teacher who has to teach multiple classes and grades of school aged children? But no, we got nothing but some new facial expressions. Oh well, at least Nicole Oliver got to make up for Cheerilee's demotion with more screen time for Princess Celestia, and new roles like Daybreaker and Dr. Fauna.
8. Rockhoof
Why he was added: While his personality was mostly confined to his Legends of Magic comic, Rockhoof still made enough of an impression when he finally spoke in "Shadow Play" to justify a slot here. While I may love Bright Macintosh, his personality is basically just a nice guy and a big, lovable oaf. It's not bad, but it doesn't particularly define him in comparison to his fiance and later wife. Rockhoof, on the other hoof, even if he seems to have shades of the typical "The Big Guy" archetype, makes more of a name for himself. He has a good deal of fluctuation in his voice, particularly when recounting the backstory for Stygian. I just wish I knew what kind of accent he's supposed to have. Is it Scottish, Celedic, Nordic, or Russian (or maybe a combination?), I'm kind of leaning towards either Celedic or Nordic because of his design.
7. Diamond Tiara
Why she stayed the same: Well, a noticeable non-speaking cameo was an improvement over Season 6 where she was all but absent save for a few cameos that were unnoticeable (and at first she just had those in Season 7), but she's still had no speaking role at all since her redemption. Now I daresay even her father has had more of an on-screen presence and speaking time than she's had. It doesn't make any sense considering her redemption has undeniably made her more popular in fanfiction and fandom content.
6. Cheese Sandwich
Why he moved down: Cheese Sandwich moving down? Bet you'd thought you'd never see the day given how much I still love CheesePie, and considering I told you a few days ago about his minor cameo in the movie? Well, a few other characters really shined this season, and with at least two more newcomers still to be included, Cheese just couldn't hang on to his spot in the top three, or even make it into the top five. If he made a return appearance in the show, he'd probably have more going for him. By now I'd say the ship wars between CheesePie and PartyPie have died down, even in spite of the rise of SugarMac leaving Party Favor single (as far as I know no one's gone back to shipping him, poor guy). But even CheesePie seems to have fallen by the wayside now.
5. Maud Pie
Why she moved up: After being knocked out of the top three and top five last season, Maud managed to rally back up to the top five with "Rock Solid Friendship". Seasons 5 and 6 mostly played Maud as the stoic, a flat and emotionless character with no vocal range. "Rock Solid Friendship" brought her back to how she was in her debut appearance, and "Uncommon Bond" helped. I think this was the first time we've ever seen Maud express visible anger, and certainly the first time in a while she's expressed concern. Some even say that because of what was revealed about her love for rocks in "Rock Solid Friendship", she's autistic, and speaking as an autistic myself, I'd say there's a pretty strong case to be made for that. I do think it was a bit of a stretch how she befriended Sunburst so easily in "Uncommon Bond" though, it sort of makes her difficulty connecting with Pinkie's friends seem like it only existed for the sake of the plot.
4. Mage Meadowbrook
Why she was added: You know, it's a funny thing. With Sonambula being the Pillar Six/Legend Six to Pinkie Pie, and Meadowbrook being the Pillar Six/Legend Six equivalent to Fluttershy, in a way Lauren Faust's early visions for those characters was realized (initially Pinkie Pie was gonna be Surprise, a pegasus pony, and Fluttershy was gonna be Posy, an earth pony. The plans were scrapped when Lauren was informed Hasbro had lost the rights to those names). It does seem questionable that Meadowbrook never bothered to write down the cure for Swamp Fever in her journal, in regards to how to obtain it. Even if she was more a healer than a licensed medical professional, I'd imagine she would want to have a written account of how to obtain the cure in case she ever forgot. I'm also curious as to what Cattail's exact relationship to her is, since IDW Main Series #58 confirms Meadowbrook never had foals, so Cattail can't be a direct descendant (unless he's the descendant of one of her siblings, which she didn't appear to have), perhaps that'll be addressed in Season 8? I can't really talk much about her that I didn't already mention in my Top Ten Mares list just yesterday, so I apologize if this seems a little vague.
3. Big Macintosh
Why he moved up: Reaching up to his highest rank yet on this list, Big Macintosh returned to the highs he reached at the end of "Brotherhooves Social" two seasons ago. Even if it was mostly reserved until late into the episode, it was nice to hear him speak normally in "Hard to Say Anything", and for this trend to be continued a little in "The Perfect Pear". He'd probably have moved up higher, if not for the newcomer that has yet to be included on the list, and who ended up in the number two spot as a result. Still, here's to hoping that Season 8 won't be the same as Season 6 and go back to making him solely an "Eeyup"/"Eenope" character, because if this list proves anything it's that Big Macintosh is at his best when he gets to speak at least a little about how he's feeling.
2. Pinkie Pie
Why she moved down: What's this?! Pinkie Pie has been demoted from the top spot after holding it more or less effortlessly all four prior times?! Well, if you can believe that, it's exactly what's happening. I've nothing against Pinkie Pie, she was absolutely wonderful this season with only "Secrets and Pies" as a real blemish on her record (even "Not Asking for Trouble" at least handled her character decently, it was just everything else in the episode that didn't add up). Everything I've said about her before still holds true, and I'm hopeful Season 8 will not bring about an end to this relatively strong trend of writing she's enjoyed in the past couple of seasons. With Meghan McCarthy likely returning to write (though she will not be story editing) now that the movie is done, I'm concerned that she still may not be all that good at writing Pinkie Pie, and Nicole Dubac has yet to indicate how much of a grasp she has on the characters in an episode she writes alone. Time will tell, but for now let's see who the lucky pony was who knocked Pinkie Pie off her pedestal this time around.
1. Pear Butter a.k.a Buttercup
Why she's number one: If it weren't for the fact that she ended up marrying Bright Mac, I imagine Pear Butter would've become the fandom's new waifu, not unlike the way the fandom for Coco Pommel exploded overnight after her debut in "Rarity Takes Manehattan". She's just so adorable, and she has such a lovely voice. And there's her song, "You're In My Head Like a Catchy Song", which Felicia Day performed to absolute perfection. Pear Butter is probably at least part of the reason "The Perfect Pear" did so well (on top of everything else it did right), and honestly what is there to say that hasn't already been said? It'd be nice to maybe see her and Bright Mac again, possibly in more flashbacks or even as ghosts (if Twilight can pull ponies back from limbo with assistance, surely alicorn and unicorn magic has ways of contacting the spirits of the departed).
And there you have it. Come back tomorrow, when we'll take a look at the Top Ten Unicorns.
Here are my picks:
1. Cheese Sandwich
2. Buttercup
3. Bright Mac
4. Toola Roola
5. Pinkie Pie
6. Derpy
7. Bon Bon
8. Rockhoof
9. Meadowbrook
10. Double Diamond
4719259 Derpy's a pegasus, not an earth pony.
4719398
I don't know HOW. I could have made that mistake.
Here's my proper picks:
1. Cheese Sandwich
2. Buttercup
3. Bright Mac
4. Toola Roola
5. Pinkie Pie
6. Bon Bon
7. Octavia
8. Rockhoof
9. Meadowbrook
10. Double Diamond