Ranking the Mane Six/Seven/Eight Episodes (From Worst to Best) · 5:48pm Mar 2nd, 2019
We've covered the group members individually, now it's time to include the episodes where they're all together. Mane Six is used to describe the original girls, but Mane Seven and Mane Eight are hard to define. Some consider Spike part of the Mane Seven and others only Starlight. Mane Eight means both are involved together. And with that criteria there is a total of 44 episodes focused on them, meaning that only Twilight eclipses group focus episodes (fitting when you consider she's still the main character).
Of course, not just any episode where they all happen to show up will qualify. The group has to all be together for the duration of the episode (so if one character goes off on their own for a while it stops being a group episode, such as in "Daring Don't"). Like with the CMC list we'll be splitting this list up into four parts. One for each of the different group lists, and then one for all the episodes put together. Like always this list is purely the result of my personal opinion so please respect it.
First up are the mane six episodes, there's a grand total of 24 episodes that qualify as mane six episodes (just because Spike appears or is present doesn't automatically make it a mane seven episode, if he's only there for a scene or two and gets no acknowledgement outside it then he's a side character).
24. Hearth's Warming Eve (Season 2, Episode 13 in production order/11 in airdate)
Why it's on the bottom: The basic gist of this episode is that the mane six put on a play, and backstage they're all at each others' throats for some reason. That's it, really. There is nothing else to this episode. It becomes impossible to separate fact from fiction, were the leaders really that shallow and selfish or is it just the mane six's character traits slipping in? The episode even ends without true sort of development or even really a moral. It implies the windigos are real but it never follows up on that. Thankfully, when next we got a play episode the show would actually do it right.
23. Rainbow Falls (Season 4, Episode 10)
Why it's not on the bottom: Season 4 had a really big problem early on of shoe horning the mane six into episodes they didn't need to be in, and this is on full display here. The only one outside of Twilight and Rainbow Dash who should be here is debateably Pinkie Pie, her being a cheerleader fits with her character and personality. But Applejack and Rarity contribute nothing of significance, they're there just to be there. And they end up sucking away focus from what should be a Rainbow Dash episode.
22. Trade Ya! (Season 4, Episode 19 in production order/22 in airdate)
Why it's in the bottom three: Each of the three subplots focused on a different mane six pairing here end up suffering from bad writing choices. For Applejack and Rarity it's that the plot is a recreation of "Look Before You Sleep" and it makes them both look petty. For Twilight and Pinkie Pie it's that the plot not only references "Spike at Your Service" but also ends anti-climatically with an implication of hoarding. And for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy they have to shoe horn in a climax that sees Rainbow sink to a new low, and raises so many implications that clearly weren't intended to be there.
21. Bats! (Season 4, Episode 7)
Why not it's in the bottom three: At least Spike gets a shoe horned role here for one scene, but aside from that the rest of the mane six have no real reason to be in this episode prior to the climax in the orchard at night. This episode called for the Apple Family, not the mane six. Especially when they all side with Applejack over the course of one song, all so we the audience will feel sorry for Fluttershy. But Rainbow Dash in particular doesn't actually care about the Apples' way of life, she's just worried about the cider.
20. Yakity Sax (Season 8, Episode 18 in production order/14 in airdate)
Why it's in the bottom five: After Pinkie's last couple of focus episodes didn't include the mane six at all, it was really jarring to go back to having them around in a Pinkie Pie focus episode. The problem is, their presence means we get to see Pinkie torment them every day and night, ruining their lives. Thus when they tell Pinkie to stop playing we sympathize with them, even when they straight up tell her she's no good instead of maybe encouraging her to take lessons. They do make it up for a little with trying to cheer Pinkie up and throwing a party for her, and that could've been a fantastic episode in its own right, if they weren't instead just trying to rehash every other Pinkie Pie episode without any thought as to whether it worked a second time.
19. Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3, (Season 4, Episode 22 in production order/21 in airdate)
Why it's so low: There's a pretty big contrivence on how all the mane six know the history of the Wonderbolts (aside from Applejack) except the one who should need to learn it for the rest (Rainbow Dash). Fluttershy I can buy, she grew up in Cloudsdale where the Wonderbolts are worshipped so she probably was taught their history in school. Pinkie Pie is maybe picked up a piece or two, but unless Rarity had contacts within the bolts I don't know how she procured those outfits or knew what they were for. The most they contribute to is helping Rainbow Dash learn via their acting (which does lead to a funny meta joke about Rarity as Princess Luna since they're both voiced by the same person).
18. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? (Season 5, Episode 13)
Why it's not in the bottom five: It's a mane six focused episode with Princess Luna also in the spotlight, because every time Spike shows up it's just to remind you that they're not going to do anything with him (aside from the huge shared dream, which is late into the episode). Even then, we don't get to see them do much aside from act surprised whenever the Tantibus shows up. At least each of their dreams offers a hint to their personality.
17. and 16. The Return of Harmony Parts 1 and 2 (Part 2 is lower than Part 1) (Season 2, Episodes 1 and 2)
Why they're low: While it is a mane six episode the focus is very uneven. A lot of it is spent from Twilight's perspective, watching her friends act like their complete opposites and yet she doesn't seem to suspect it's Discord's doing. And then the focus is largely on Rainbow Dash, to the point where other mane six members get so little focus when they're returned to normal.
15. The Best Night Ever (Season 1, Episode 26)
Why it's higher than it should be: Part of this episode's problem is that it came right on the heels of the unexpectedly popular "Party of One" thus anything was going to look lesser compared to that. But even putting that aside, even assuming this episode didn't have a really strong episode to follow up from, it seems to just sort of anti-climatically shatter all the mane six's dreams and expectations in favor of a deconstruction of the "Happily Ever After" trope. Perhaps the most memorable things about this episode are Fluttershy going crazy, and Rarity destroying her glass slipper after chewing out Prince Blueblood for his behavior.
14. Magic Duel (Season 3, Episode 5)
Why it's in the bottom half: Even if the focus is on Twilight and Trixie, the rest of the mane six get a bit of focus in this episode (Spike does explain about the alicorn amulet but even then he's not the one who finds it originally). Though most of it is just spent on them being miserable without Twilight and trying to find a way to help her. They only really come into play during the second duel when Twilight is outsmarting Trixie with smoke and mirrors.
13. and 12. Princess Twilight Sparkle (Season 4, Episodes 1 and 2)
Why they're in the middle: Again, this is more of a Twilight Sparkle episode than a mane six episode but they still have a role to play. Yeah, it's not much of a role but they actually do make some progress without Twilight. The only thing that kind of throws it off is their sudden decision to just send Twilight back in case they don't find the Tree of Harmony, with Rainbow Dash in particular being a blunt jerk about it.
11. The Saddle Row Review a.k.a Saddle Row and Rec (Season 6, Episode 10 in production order/9 in airdate)
Why it's not in the top ten: In actuality it's more of a mane five episode with Rarity having an implied presence, which is why it's not any higher. If not for the whole "What would Rarity want?" arc this episode wouldn't qualify as either a mane six episode or a Rarity episode. Each of the mane six show a surprising amount of growth as they try to think not of themselves but of Rarity, only to find out that in this case they shouldn't have questioned their own judgement and tackled the problem the way they would.
10. Swarm of the Century (Season 1, Episode 10)
Why it's in the top ten: Aside from the mane six not asking obvious questions, the episode itself progresses relatively well at first. The only problem is that they never come up with a permanent solution, their only one is to simply send the parasprites into the Everfree Forest and make them someone else's problem. However, once this episode starts devolving into "Poor Communication Kills" territory, it's really difficult to keep watching, especially when Fluttershy isn't called out for keeping a parasprite despite knowing what a danger they are.
9. Bridle Gossip (Season 1, Episode 9)
Why it's high: There's definitely a lot of good comedy here, and the mane six do function well as a group here. If not for Twilight suddenly flip flopping from not believing in curses to believing in curses this episode probably would've been harmless enough. The bigger problem is the lack of subtlety, it's not enough for us to be told Zecora is different and to see how the ponies react to her, they have to try to hammer home how creepy she appears.
8. The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows (Season 5, Episode 21 in production order/19 in airdate)
Why it's not higher: This is a Pinkie Pie episode where the mane six play a contributing role to her conflict, albeit indirectly. In fact, the resolution and the big news that comes with it really feels abrupt and jarring when you realize Spike isn't part of it. He's going to be impacted by this too since he's part of Twilight's family, so why isn't he present for the news? The rest of the mane six get only a little time to do anything, and of the bunch only Rarity really feels like she left any kind of memorable impact (aside from Twilight, who would be impacted by the secret Pinkie knows).
7. Dragonshy (Season 1, Episode 7)
Why it's not as high as it could be: The first ever mane six focus episode since the pilot (which was really focused more on Twilight's perspective and the rest of the mane six only really came into play in the second half), this one was also the group's first adventure since they all became friends and it still holds up pretty well to this day. If anything it's kind of ironic that Rainbow Dash and Applejack have since swapped roles, to where Applejack is the one who is less patient of Fluttershy's antics while Rainbow Dash is more supportive. There's still some fun bits here and there, including Pinkie Pie beating Rarity at tic-tac-toe thirty five times in a row.
6. Rarity Takes Manehattan (Season 4, Episode 8)
Why it's not in the top five: Of the episodes where the mane six got thrown in where they didn't have much to do, this one feels the most like one they deserved to be in. Rarity is quite talented but even she wouldn't have been able to make an entirely new line all by herself in the span of a single day. The only thing that holds this episode back is that despite Twilight being a princess she is somehow unable to get a cab for Rarity when it matters.
5. Maud Pie (Season 4, Episode 18)
Why it's in the top five: Spike really deserved to be in this episode since it's Pinkie's friends who are bonding with Maud. Season 4 unfortunately also had a tendency to either abuse Spike or ignore him even in episodes where he should've had a role. This episode largely shines because each of the mane six are given an opportunity to shine on their own (though Rainbow Dash is still kind of a jerk). It's easy to forget they're not the stars considering how much they're around.
4. Party Pooped (Season 5, Episode 11)
Why it's not in the top three: Even though the focus is on Pinkie Pie, the rest of the mane six are not completely ignored. They try their best to appease the yaks even to the point of attempting to throw their own party. And when they discover Pinkie's secret party cave they are impressed and realize how much pressure they've been indirectly putting on her. And of course the episode is fully focused on showing off as many new expressions as possible for the mane six.
3. The Cutie Mark Chronicles (Season 1, Episode 23)
Why it's in the top three: Even if the Cutie Mark Crusaders are the instigators for this plot and Rainbow Dash is a big driving factor for the story, each mane six member gets an opportunity to share their backstory. Each feels just right for the length of time given, offering enough details to get us invested but also laying the foundation for future stories to come. Admittedly the very end is cheesy and scrapping the barrel for a message, but other than that the episode works just fine.
2. and 1. The Cutie Map a.k.a Cutie Markless Parts 1 and 2 (Season 5, Episodes 1 and 2)
Why they're on the top: The last time the mane six would truly get a chance to shine on their own, a chance for them to show how far they'd come and how they could serve as role models to others. Aside from the very beginning and the obligatory reminder of the mane six's personalities, this episode allows them all to shine and show off their growth. It doesn't feel like one individual is more important to the mission's success, it truly feels like a group effort that couldn't succeed if they all weren't doing their part. So for all those reasons I'm putting these two parts in the top spot.
Now it's onto the Mane Seven episodes, which I define as the mane six and Spike (largely because as I said with my Starlight Glimmer list she's kind of the sixth/extra ranger to the mane six, especially considering she came into play over halfway through the show's running). There's only 9 to consider here.
9. Over a Barrel (Season 1, Episode 21)
Why it's on the bottom: What makes this a mane seven episode is that Spike's kidnapping is acknowledged and he's playing the piano during Pinkie's musical number, not to mention the whole "Huffy the Magic Dragon" bit when Spike grumbles about being woken up. But this entire episode feels really weird, like a stoner comedy. And I just don't get the appeal of those types of films, why should I be in an altered state of mind to find something funny?
8. Power Ponies (Season 4, Episode 6)
Why it's not on the bottom: In order to show that Spike isn't useless or just a sidekick, this episode has to make the mane six completely helpless and even kind of incompetent, which just undercuts the moral since that implies Spike is only truly helpful if the mane six are incapicitated or otherwise powerless/useless. Not to mention the fact that Spike himself instigates the plot in a very stupid revelation at the end about an enchanted comic.
7. What About Discord? (Season 5, Episode 22)
Why it's in the bottom three: At least the rest of the mane six improve on their behavior from "A Canterlot Wedding" considering they actually stop and take notice of Twilight being upset. But Twilight acts like she's shocked that her friends had fun without her, even though friends don't have to do everything together to be friends, and Twilight herself chose to seclude herself in her library for an entire weekend. And whenever we try to get any clues as to what happened, it falls into the realm of "Don't explain the joke", which just leaves us feeling disappointed and like we wasted our time.
6. Castle Mane-ia (Season 4, Episode 3)
Why it's not in the bottom three: When we already have Rarity and Fluttershy, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash in the castle, alongside Twilight and Spike, you just know Pinkie Pie has to be involved somehow because it wouldn't make sense to exclude her otherwise. I kind of think it would've been better if they tricked you into thinking Pinkie was the one playing the organ, when in fact it was actually the shadowy figure we saw at the end of the episode and that's where Pinkie got her cloak from (thus foreshadowing Tirek). It's not that the plots with a haunted castle aren't funny or enjoyable, because they are. But the whole time you're just waiting for Pinkie Pie to be revealed as being involved, and for Twilight and Spike to stumble upon their friends
5. A Dog and Pony Show (Season 1, Episode 19)
Why it's in the middle: This is really more of a Rarity episode with the rest of the mane six and Spike along for the ride, trying to mount a recuse operation. It is pretty funny and interesting, but their fantasies sort of make you wonder how much they really know Rarity (Spike's at least is understandable given his crush on Rarity). Of course they're not completely helpless here, they all get a chance to show off their stuff against the Diamond Dogs. But the recuse itself ends anti-climatically (though humorously) with Rarity having outwitted the Diamond Dogs completely.
4. The Ticket Master (Season 1, Episode 3)
Why it's in the top half: Twilight and Spike are this episode's saving grace, because we have to watch the rest of the mane six be incredibly shallow and selfish, doing all kinds of favors just to get the extra ticket. It does lead to some good snarky Twilight bits, and a memorable chase scene. But even then the resolution turns out to be a simple "Why didn't you say so?" solution.
3. and 2. The Crystal Empire Parts 1 and 2 (Season 3, Episodes 1 and 2)
Why they're not on the top: There's a fair bit of mood whiplash involved as this two parter goes on, particularly in the second part where we cut back and forth between Twilight and Spike searching for the Crystal Heart before the barrier fades, and the rest of the mane six distracting the Crystal Ponies so they won't notice the Crystal Heart is missing. Plus, this two parter tries to fit the mane six's personalities into the story but doesn't always do the best job. Sometimes it hits, and when it does it really hits. But there are also times where it misses, and when it misses it shows just as strongly as the hits.
1. Keep Calm and Flutter On (Season 3, Episode 10)
Why it's on the top: Even though the rest of the mane six and Fluttershy are part of the two ongoing plots that connect to each other in the climax, Spike gets a fair bit of time to himself and feels like he has a presence and a role to play. He helps Twilight search for a reformation spell and delivers Fluttershy's Element of Harmony, plus he reveals to Fluttershy what Discord was doing while he was being himself. It makes sense for them not to trust Discord right away after all he's done, especially since Discord was in fact trying to use Fluttershy as a "Get Out of Jail Free" card, never realizing that Fluttershy had worked her way into his heart by offering him something he never knew he needed. Ultimately, for all the reasons I mentioned above this episode takes the top spot.
And now it's onto the Mane Eight episodes, which are episodes including the mane six as well as Spike and Starlight. There's 11 episodes to consider, mostly including two parters.
11. and 10. School Raze Parts 1 and 2 (Part 2 is lower than Part 1) (Season 8, Episodes 25 and 26)
Why they're on the bottom: Considering how much I ragged on this two parter back when it came out you'd better believe it wasn't going to get a favorable rating this time around. Nothing has changed since my initial review of it, it's still a very poorly designed season finale with a badly written antagonist and with writing decisions that make no sense. It's all about shoving the mane six, Spike, and Starlight to the side in favor of letting the student six save the day. But what, I ask, was so bad about allowing the mane six and Spike and Starlight (and maybe the CMC as well) to work alongside the student six to save the day?
9. Fame and Misfortune (Season 7, Episode 14)
Why it's in the bottom three: This is only loosely a Mane Eight episode, but since this is really the only episode where Starlight takes the place of what was clearly supposed to be Spike there's nowhere else I could hope to put it. In fact, it's partially because Starlight takes Spike's place that this episode isn't really good. Of course the real problem is that this episode is one giant middle finger to the Brony fandom and to critics, treating anyone who ever dared to be critical of the show as petty, self-entitled, and completely missing the point. And all saying that it's okay they're not perfect because they're aimed at kids, so we shouldn't expect more.
8. The Mean Six (Season 8, Episode 13)
Why it's so low: This episode is a disappointment on every level, plagued by stupid and cliche writing. The changeling clones are very poor rehashes of the Discorded mane six with very little changes to some of them. Starlight is mostly just along for the ride, she's never the direct target of Chrysalis' plan, which makes no sense. And by episode's end no one is any the wiser as to what has transpired, they all just think their friends randomly starting acting like their polar opposites for no reason.
7. and 6. School Daze Parts 1 and 2 (Season 8, Episodes 1 and 2)
Why they're in the bottom half: Spike gets a little time to shine here but not much. Of course we all know that this two parter was to establish the School of Friendship and the student six, and it did both to varying degrees of success. The student six definitely end up becoming more and more the focus as time goes by, and there are two big problems with that. The first is that when they run away we know they're not in any danger, so their leaders going to war over them being missing makes no sense. And second and more importantly, this two parter is about Twilight needing to learn to listen to her friends, even though that was a plot point of the movie that's supposed to take place just before this two parter.
5. and 4. The Crystalling Parts 1 and 2 (Season 6, Episodes 1 and 2)
Why they're high: Starlight and Spike are a big part of what carries this two parter, especially in the second half. Heck, Spike is in top form this whole episode. He plays off of Starlight so well but he also doesn't fall for her tricks, he keeps her on the straight and narrow even when she'd rather weasel her way out of it. It's not that the mane six don't get to do anything, because they do. But three of them are wasted on an unnecessary third subplot of them trying to convince the Crystal Ponies to move indoors, leaving us with only half of the mane six to help find a spell to repair the Crystal Heart and keep Flurry Heart under control.
3. Horse Play (Season 8, Episode 7)
Why it's not on the top: It's a Celestia episode first and foremost, a really good one at that. So outside of Twilight the rest of the group doesn't get nearly as much to do (though Applejack makes for a much better voice of reason than Starlight). And there's the bit where Spike gets thrown to the angry crowd to please them, when any of the mane six could've and should've taken the fall instead (like say Rainbow Dash who talked up the play and thus drew such a huge crowd). At least unlike the last time Fluttershy got into character, this time it made sense (even though we'd seen Fluttershy dressed up as Princess Celestia before).
2. and 1. Shadow Play Parts 1 and 2 (Season 7, Episodes 25 and 26)
Why they're on the top: Despite also having to share the spotlight with the pillars and Stygian/The Pony of Shadows, the group gets plenty of time to show just what we like about them. Everyone has a role to play, everyone is helpful (though some admittedly get more of a role than others, particularly Twilight and Starlight). Heck, despite even Sunburst being involved Spike doesn't get completely shoved aside and forgotten. Of all the finales focused on an alternative mane six (we've had three or four depending on what you wanna count) this one is easily the best because it understands the golden rule of team-ups, you have to ensure both groups play an equal role in solving the problem. You can't make one team or side really powerful and the other team or side really weak. So for all those reasons I'm putting this two parter on the top.
And finally, we rank all 44 episodes from worst to best. No thoughts this time since doing so would be repetitive.
44. Hearth's Warming Eve (Season 2, Episode 13 in production order/11 in airdate)
43. and 42. School Raze Parts 1 and 2 (Part 2 is lower than Part 1) (Season 8, Episodes 25 and 26)
41. Fame and Misfortune (Season 7, Episode 14)
40. The Mean Six (Season 8, Episode 13)
39. Over a Barrel (Season 1, Episode 21)
38. Rainbow Falls (Season 4, Episode 10)
37. Trade Ya! (Season 4, Episode 19 in production order/22 in airdate)
36. Power Ponies (Season 4, Episode 6)
35. What About Discord? (Season 5, Episode 22)
34. Bats! (Season 4, Episode 7)
33. Yakity Sax (Season 8, Episode 18 in production order/14 in airdate)
32. Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3, (Season 4, Episode 22 in production order/21 in airdate)
31. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? (Season 5, Episode 13)
30. and 29. The Return of Harmony Parts 1 and 2 (Part 2 is lower than Part 1) (Season 2, Episodes 1 and 2)
28. The Best Night Ever (Season 1, Episode 26)
27. and 26. School Daze Parts 1 and 2 (Season 8, Episodes 1 and 2)
25. and 24. The Crystalling Parts 1 and 2 (Season 6, Episodes 1 and 2)
23. Magic Duel (Season 3, Episode 5)
22. Castle Mane-ia (Season 4, Episode 3)
21. and 20. Princess Twilight Sparkle (Season 4, Episodes 1 and 2)
19. A Dog and Pony Show (Season 1, Episode 19)
18. The Ticket Master (Season 1, Episode 3)
17. The Saddle Row Review a.k.a Saddle Row and Rec (Season 6, Episode 10 in production order/9 in airdate)
16. Swarm of the Century (Season 1, Episode 10)
15. Bridle Gossip (Season 1, Episode 9)
14. The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows (Season 5, Episode 21 in production order/19 in airdate)
13. Dragonshy (Season 1, Episode 7)
12. and 11. The Crystal Empire Parts 1 and 2 (Season 3, Episodes 1 and 2)
10. Rarity Takes Manehattan (Season 4, Episode 8)
9. Maud Pie (Season 4, Episode 18)
8. Party Pooped (Season 5, Episode 11)
7. Horse Play (Season 8, Episode 7)
6. The Cutie Mark Chronicles (Season 1, Episode 23)
5. Keep Calm and Flutter On (Season 3, Episode 10)
4. and 3. Shadow Play Parts 1 and 2 (Season 7, Episodes 25 and 26)
2. and 1. The Cutie Map a.k.a Cutie Markless Parts 1 and 2 (Season 5, Episodes 1 and 2)
Whew, and there you have it. Come back tomorrow when we'll rank the Student Six episodes.
Hi. Again...
5022093 Hello?
5022096
Hello.
5022096
I commented first on your last blog...
5022098 I know.
5022100
Great.
Here's my list:
The Mean Six
Shadow Play
Fame and Misfortune
School Daze
Saddle Row Review
Best Night Ever
The Cutie Mark Chronicles
Castle Sweet Castle
Castle Mane-ia
Trade Ya!
Games Ponies Play
Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?
Swarm of the Century
Hearth's Warming Eve
Friendship is Magic
The Ticket Master
Bridle Gossip