Ranking The Mane Six's Families · 4:55am Nov 16th, 2017
Season 7 was really big on the theme of family, official and unofficial. Part of its lasting contributions are finally delving into the families of Applejack and Rainbow Dash, as well as giving Twilight's parents actual personality and screen time. But which families of the mane six (now that all have been revealed) are the best? Which ones leave the most impact one way or another? And how do they stack up overall? Well, that's what this list is going to try and tackle. The same disclaimers as all my other lists applies here, and considering how this list turns out I get the feeling it'll be important to remember that this is just my personal opinion.
6. Fluttershy's Parents a.k.a Mr. and Mrs. Shy
Reason: The only parents so far with no official names beyond just Mr. and Mrs. Shy, they basically feel like Fluttershy clones without any of the charm. Their designs are interesting, and the family resembelence isn't hard to see. But it's really saying something when it seems like Fluttershy is the most assertive member. If nothing else, they're an example of what happens when parents don't draw limits at all, and let their children walk all over them.
5. Rarity's Parents a.k.a Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles
Reason: Their names were disclosed in the official trading card game, not that it stopped fans from coming up with various other names (the most popular being Magnum and Pearl due to their coat colors). Prior to their reappearance in a cameo at the beginning of "Inspiration Manifestation", a lot of people thought Hondo might actually be an earth pony, since his straw hat covered up his horn. Interestingly, Cookie Crumbles was one of the first ponies to reuse Mrs. Cake's body design. I don't hate them at all, but it feels like their inclusion was an afterthought tossed in solely to debunk the strong headcanon prior to "Sisterhooves Social" (though it persisted for some time afterward, at least up through Season 3) that Rarity was actually Sweetie Belle's mother.
4. Rainbow Dash's Parents a.k.a Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles
Reason: As much as I may harp on them for their behavior, I can't deny that they have nice designs. After all, Windy Whistles has her beetus tag on Derpibooru, and there's a meme involving her that goes: "Rainbow Dash may have her father's mane, but she has my cuteness." seeing as Windy was shown making poses similar to the ones Rainbow Dash did in previous episodes. And at least during Scootaloo's visit, it seemed like Bow was a tad bit more hesitant compared to Windy, though that isn't saying much. Really, all that was needed to make me like them more and sympathize with them in "Parental Glideance", was a scene that actually explained why they're so overly supportive. We shouldn't have gotten that in a throwaway "What it means to be brave" story in the IDW comics, surely cutting out some of the redundant scenes of them being excessive fanponies to fit that backstory in, wouldn't have been too hard to do, right?
3. Pinkie Pie's Parents a.k.a Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz
Reason: Alongside Twilight's parents, they hold the distinction of being the first canonical parents to be shown on screen. And whereas Twilight's parents were silent, Pinkie's parents actually spoke in "The Cutie Mark Chronicles" (though Igneous Rock was voiced by Terry Klassen instead of Peter New), making them the first parents of the mane six to do. They are also the only ones to date to appear in the tie in chapter books, appearing all the way back in the second one "Pinkie Pie and the Rocking Ponypalooza Party" (which I highly recommend by the way). They seem to be more or less accepting of their daughter's unusual behavior, and I don't think they were the reason why Pinkie left the rock farm. Heck, none of their daughters speak the way they do, not even Limestone and Marble who (as far as we know) have never left the rock farm at all. They'd be higher if not for the fact that their appearance in "Hearth Breakers", though good, made them a little one note and underdeveloped.
2. Applejack's Parents a.k.a Bright Macintosh and Pear "Buttercup" Butter
Reason: By process of elimination, you can tell which parents rank above them. I bet this comes as a massive shock, considering the Apples' parents are something the fandom was speculating on for years, and after "The Perfect Pear" everyone was gushing over Bright Mac and Pear Butter (Pear Butter especially). The thing is, we've yet to see them as actual parents. Never once has there been a flashback involving them when Big Macintosh and Applejack were younger (it seems like the show goes out of its way to avoid showing this). Still, there's hope that, with how madly in love the fandom is with them, DHX will bring them back somehow, or even just give us more flashbacks involving them.
1. Twilight's Parents a.k.a Night Light and Twilight Velvet
Reason: "Once Upon a Zepplin" really fleshed these two out, in a good way. Night Light is an organization freak, and it seems he's where Twilight got her OCD from. Twilight Velvet is a thrill seeker and adrenline junkie, with most people saying that she's completely different from her children. But I imagine this adventurisitic spirit explains why Shining Armor was motivated to join the royal guard, and why Twilight tends to be very trigger happy with spells or anything that interests her, Velvet inspired a sense of wanting to push yourself and living life to the fullest. Their names even have really interesting origins, Twilight Velvet got her name because many early fans noted her similarities to G1 Twilight, and Night Light was noted to be similar to a G1 German Earth Pony exclusive to the toyline. Prior to Season 4, many fans assumed that because Twilight Velvet was shown to have won the Daring Do Award, she wrote the Daring Do books, but I like to think that she's A. K. Yearling's publisher, and that's how Twilight knows so much about her. But above all else, it seems like Night Light and Twilight Velvet have a healthy relationship, despite their different interests and personalities. Also, Twilight and Twilight Velvet share the same magic color, in addition to the same mane style. The reason I put them above Bright Mac and Pear Butter, is because we get to see them as part of a family and how they interact with their kids.
And there you have it. Come back tomorrow, when we'll update the Top Five Weakest Writers of FiM.
Here's how I rank them:
1. Buttercup and Bright Mac
2. Windy and Bow
3. Twilight Velvet and Night Light
4. Mr. and Mrs. Shy
5. Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz
6. Cookie Crumbles and Hondo Flanks
Honestly, I love this theory and it's why it's such a shame that Smitty91 never got to finish A Mother's Touch. I'd love it if I could continue where he left off, and hopefully maybe even make some improvements along the way. I can totally understand why this their is still so often used in stories involving these two.
Agreed. It would have been nice to see them in episodes like "The Cutie Mark Chronicles", "Apple Family Reunion", or "Where the Apple Lies." Maybe in season 8 we'll get to see more of them. Having expressed interest in coming back to reprise his role of Cheese Sandwich, Weird Al will be coming back in season 8 to do just that, so it's not like they couldn't get Felicia Day to reprise her role as Pear Butter.
Here's my ranking of the parents:
1. Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles
2. Twilight Velvet and Night Light
3. Pear Butter and Bright Mac
4. Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof
5. Me. and Mrs. Shy
6. Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz
4727047 Wait? Weird Al's coming back? I thought he'd merely expressed interest in returning, but hadn't yet come back in to record?
4727111 From what I've heard Cheese Sandwich will be returning in season 8, so I assume that means Weird Al will be reprising his role.
4727286 This is the first I'm hearing of Cheese Sandwich returning for Season 8 anywhere in the fandom. Are you absolutely sure?
4727290 Yes.
4727336 Link to sources?
4727382 According to this, he is merely making a cameo. I'm disappointed.