This might sound kind of weird, but now that I think about it, Spike's portrayal in canon feels kind of off to me. Based on their ages, Twilight's influence seems like it should've rubbed off on him more. He either is or almost a teenager at the start of the series, but the mental gap in their abilities feels far too wide. I could be wrong, but the version I'm writing now feels more reflective of his actual upbringing, especially during later seasons. I know some of it might've been intentional since he was often relegated to comic relief, but does anyone else get the impression he should've behaved more thoughtfully? It's a discrepancy I only noticed not too long ago. Granted, it could be chalked up to a mixture of inexperience and adolescent rebellion, but from a storytelling perspective, he likely would've picked up on significant portions of Twilight's personality. Based on what we know, they both grew up in Canterlot and were probably around Celestia equally as much. He just seems a tad immature for someone with that kind of background, but what do you guys think? Is it a character flaw the writers left in on purpose or something they overlooked? I honestly think it could go either way, but I'll leave it for you to decide. I'm mainly asking for feedback so I don't stray too far from his character.

Some creatures, in nature, don't require that much attention from their parents for their development. It can be difficult to tame them, because their instincts are geared toward independent survival early on. Perhaps one could say dragons in the wild tend to develop in a certain with, whether they are part of a thunder of dragons or not.

7951590

We actually don't know several key details that could contribute to your theory.

We know for certain that Twilight hatched Spike at a young age, way too young for her to take care of him as if he were her child. Also hatching him is what made it so she could become Princess Celestia's student.

I can only assume that Twilight was way too busy for awhile to be a large part of Spike's development. So that raises the question of who actually raised him, my guess would be Twilight's parents.

I believe it's only after Spike was old enough to actually be Twilight's assistant that the two spent significant time together. Resulting in who he is.

7951590

The relative age of dragons might also be different to that of a human or a pony! While he might be a teen/preteen depending on how old you assume Twilight was when she hatched him vs how old she is now, for dragons he might be at a less mature development stage. All that depends on your own headcanons of course!

I personally put him at about 10 years old at the start of the show! He's immature at times because he is, haha.

7951590 It was shown that Spike wasn't under Twilight in his early years but was part of her family, basically like her brother, but more like the family's pet. It was never shown that he attended a school of any kind. So, while Twilight was at school, Spike probably played with crayons at home.

Given that he never went to a kindergarten, much less a school, it's a miracle that he even knows how to read.

7951590
Sure, at times he was a comic relief but at other times he would be the only sane one in the group. He wasn't entirely consistent as sometimes he's shown to be very capable and insightful but sometimes he is also very clumsy and oblivious. Really depends on what episode needed him to be. He was always written as being young character, though probably older than CMC. Pony age is unclear for a reason, so characters could be at the same time responsible adults and very immature in order to appeal to target audience.

Oh and I find it entirely realistic that Spike isn't more like Twilight, Twilight wasn't the sole influence and influence itself is limited if personalities clash. Also it would be very redundant to have two Twilights, now that's lazy writing.

7951590
I don't get it. I have a twin brother. We started from the same point. We are not the same. We are pretty dang far apart. It happens.

7951590
So I have a few points on this:

1. Spike had been referred to as a baby dragon for a while, especially given that dragons have really long lifespans, he hadn't grown out of that stage until he had grown his wings, more than likely. So as the earlier comment stated, he is still a kid.

2. Twilight doesn't just have to influence his personality. She can influence habits or ticks as well (i.e. making a mental list for the plans of the day, or breathing methods to calm down, etc.).

3. Spike should be more a Social Savant type character than a book smart (BookHorse) character. Canon ever only really brought this up twice. The two scenes when Twilight's friends turned their backs on her. At the wedding, he turned back to check on Twilight clearly looking distressed, but he chose to leave with everyone anyway. The second time? He stayed because he knew how bad, how low, Twilight had been hit emotionally.

At times, he's scarily perceptive at reading the room, or anticipating how someone will react. Sure there are times he's wrong, but there are some where he is right, such as with Thorax in the Crystal Empire. It's why he'd be the best fit for Friendship Ambassador. It is also what helped him make friends with Thorax and Ember, who would later become the leaders of their respective races.

He knows how to talk (and listen) to others. Which Twilight, Early Twilight especially, lacks. She does get better, but she isn't anywhere near Spike's theoretical level (assume he doesn't act childish and he isn't written as comic relief). So them having a 'mental gap' is fine, as it goes the other way when social situations are involved.

7951590 I forgot to mention. In the comics, it is shown that it wasn't Twilight that took care of Spike. Celestia was taking care of him.