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1AlternativeCharacterInterpretation in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''.
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3[[AC:In General]]
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5* Do the main characters [[EasilyForgiven easily forgive]] villains purely out of altruistic desires and ThePowerOfFriendship, or do they decide who they will and won’t forgive on [[BoxedCrook how useful the villains can be for the defense and protection of Equestria]]? The ponies who reformed the two biggest examples of [[HeelFaceTurn reformed villains]] in ''MLP'' had ulterior motives for their actions: Discord was reformed because Celestia decided [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E11KeepCalmAndFlutterOn his powers can be "used for good"]] while [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E26TheCutieRemarkPart2 Starlight was given the chance to reform just because she was a character who Twilight personally sympathized with in spite of her crimes]]. Cozy Glow, on the other hand, is never even considered for forgiveness despite [[EnfantTerrible her being a child]] and despite her actions being on par with all of the adult villains who received leniency in the eight seasons before she came along. The series portrays her getting locked up in Tartarus for her crimes in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS8E25SchoolRazePart1 School]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS8E26SchoolRazePart2 Raze]]" and then [[spoiler: being [[TakenForGranite turned into a stone statue]] along with Tirek and Chrysalis in the GrandFinale]] as something she totally deserved, and none of the characters express any remorse or regret at all for her fate or even consider if she had a FreudianExcuse or could change for the better.
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7
8[[AC:The Mane Six]]
9* Twilight Sparkle:
10** Twilight Sparkle's difficulty in social situations (most clearly seen at the start of season 1), her love of studying and [[{{Bookworm}} reading]], her knowledge of magic, and her ObsessivelyOrganized nature all point to her being having [[UsefulNotes/AspergerSyndrome Asperger Syndrome]] or some other form of high-functioning autism. [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicTwilightSparkle The WMG page]] and the Princesses section has more speculation. Others interpret the obsessively organised part as OCD instead.
11** Fans enjoy drawing Twilight [[INeedAFreakingDrink needing a freaking drink]].
12** Since Twilight has the darkest hue of the [[FanNickname Mane Six]], it's not uncommon for humanized fanart of her to depict her as Black, Asian, or Indian[[note]]Interesting, given the pseudo-Greek aspects of Equestria and the ancient Greek RealLife belief that unicorns came from India.[[/note]] (mostly following the common stereotypes (AsianAndNerdy, BlackAndNerdy, and BollywoodNerd). This doubles as a GeniusBonus as well: horses with dark coats in real life actually ''do'' have dark skin underneath.
13** "Lesson Zero" gives more insight into Twilight's personality, specifically her [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes deepest fears]]: She is absolutely [[ThePerfectionist terrified of failure]] and the thought of not meeting the expectations of others (a trait further solidified by "The Crystal Empire"). Add her general social awkwardness, the fact that she always wanted to throw a slumber party (even though she and her friends are now adults), and even the lyrics of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiTVSjlTcvc the full version of the theme song]] ("When I was young I was too busy to make any friends / Such silliness did not seem worth the effort it expends."), her obsession with studying and being a good student seemed to be all she had to validate her own self-worth. Therefore, a possible interpretation for why she has that fear is that now that she has real friends, she is completely terrified of losing them and reverting back to the lonely filly she once was.
14** The events of [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E23TheCutieMarkChronicles "The Cutie Mark Chronicles"]] have lead some to speculate that Twilight's obsessive studying and list-making are all about [[DefiedTrope retaining control]] of [[PowerIncontinence her magic]]. Basically prior to the day of the test she was studying to be like Celestia, after the test she's studying so she never again [[{{Transflormation}} turns someone she loves into a potted plant]].
15** As of [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E3TooManyPinkiePies "Too Many Pinkie Pies"]], Twilight is labeled as a mass murderer due to [[FridgeHorror seemingly committing genocide on the Pinkie clones]] the moment they looked away from the paint wall. The entire discussion has sparked a strong back-and-forth debate on the episode discussions of Blog/EquestriaDaily and Website/YouTube about the nature of the clones, the Mirror Pool, and whether Twilight can be labeled as a murderer or not. Considering how in "A Canterlot Wedding" she had been [[spoiler:willing to severely harm, if not kill Cadance, with only the SecretHandshake proving it was the real Cadance]], it's not much of a stretch to assume that... Then again, perhaps her behaviour in "A Canterlot Wedding" was self-defense.
16** [[https://derpibooru.org/pony/unpopular-opinion-time/post/1626480#post_1626480 One fan]] went off on a detailed explanation of how the events of [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E11KeepCalmAndFlutterOn "Keep Calm And Flutter On"]] illustrates how Twilight Sparkle is every bit as extreme as [[WellIntentionedExtremist Starlight Glimmer]], with the only difference being that the former's ideals follow the norm and the latter's go against it.
17** Is her failure to acknowledge her crush on Flash Sentry since "Rainbow Rocks" due to losing interest in him or being too preoccupied with her duties as Princess of Friendship and other happenings to spare it thought?
18** Some people have taken her imagining in "Lesson Zero" about being sent back to "magic kindergarten" involving her classmates laughing at her as evidence that she was bullied when she was a kindergartener. Others have taken it to mean that she was just worried that she would hypothetically be laughed at if she were sent back.
19* Spike:
20** Spike is frequently depicted as a stoner (or maybe a ''[[{{Pun}} gem]]''-stoner?)
21** In "It's About Time" Spike said he likes it when Twilight goes on adventures [[{{Sleepyhead}} so he can nap]]. Is this true or is it just a lie to fool himself?
22** His relationship with Twilight. Does he see her as [[HappilyAdopted his mother]]? [[CoolBigSis His sister]]? [[PlatonicLifePartners Best friend?]] His boss? [[{{Shipping}} Possibly a potential girlfriend?]] Something else entirely? Or an undefinable combination of all of them? Later, the show settles on "they are family", but even then they can't seem to decide if Twilight is his [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS8E24FatherKnowsBeast parent]] or his [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E4SparklesSeven sibling]].
23** Twilight's relationship with ''him'' also gets much scrutiny. Sometimes she seems to view Spike as a beloved family member, other times as just an employee who she can order around. After all, Spike is explicitly a ''baby'' dragon who does lots of hard work for nothing but food and a place to live. There is a reason that [[ParodyFic parody fanworks]] often [[DarkParody outright call Spike a slave]]. ''Friendship Games'' depicts the human world's Twilight having Spike the dog as a pet she mostly treats as such, but he also seems to be her only friend that she talks to about her life, so there is also that interpretation.
24** Even Spike's relationship with the entire cast as a whole tends to be judged rather harshly. The most common interpretations of him range from a [[https://mlpforums.com/topic/11735-do-the-ponies-deserve-spike/ neglected or abused child]] to an [[http://racism-in-a-kids-show.blogspot.ca/ outright ethnic slave]] often without even a hint of joking.
25** Where exactly did Princess Celestia get the egg that Spike hatched from? Did she [[CreatingLife conjure it up with magic]], or find it abandoned somewhere? ''Or did she overpower a dragon mother and steal her soon-to-be child?'' The fact that "Dragon Quest" gives the set-up to answer this question but never delivers in the end only [[FridgeHorror raises further questions...]]
26** Spike's relationship with Rarity. Is he a DoggedNiceGuy or a StalkerWithACrush? Is it OneTrueLove or just a PrecociousCrush?
27** Why did he keep wanting to go back to bed in "Winter Wrap-Up"? Was he just being a LazyBum, was it because (as mentioned in "The Mare in the Moon"), baby dragons need more sleep than adult ponies, or on a darker note, was he trying to keep having the dream about his mother that he had at the beginning of the episode because he feels dreaming about her is the closest he can get to remembering her?
28* Rainbow Dash:
29** Rainbow Dash's tomboyish nature, raspy voice, and rainbow motif have caused some people to come to [[LesbianJock certain conclusions]]. Lauren Faust herself has noted that this is rather unfair to all of the jockishly tomboy straight women ''and'' [[LipstickLesbian feminine lesbian women]] out there. "The Last Problem" does have her and Applejack apparently living together, but [[ImpliedLoveInterest it's left ambiguous as to whether they're lovers or roommates]].
30** Rainbow Dash is often implied to be a LazyBum, yet she has also been shown working her rump off when it is important to her (such as constantly practicing her moves) or to Ponyville (she is a team leader during Winter Wrap-Up). Is she lazy, or is she bored by what she sees as trivial duties and consequently slacks off? Given her preternatural skill in tasks that she is interested in, such as being the only pony in recorded history to perform a Sonic Rainboom, she might be BrilliantButLazy. "Testing Testing 1-2-3" adds a new layer to this by strongly implying that Rainbow Dash has a learning disability.
31** One Website/YouTube commenter had the idea that Rainbow Dash has a Winston Churchill Complex - she equates affection with achievement and assumes that if she is not the best at what she is doing, her friends won't love/respect her. This would possibly explain her [[ThePerfectionist fear of failing]]/[[SoreLoser losing]] and her increasingly erratic behaviour in "Sonic Rainboom" and "The Mysterious Mare Do-Well." This could also explain why she idolises the [[TheAce Wonderbolts]] as much as she does, and why she is such a persistent GlorySeeker in contrast with her more HumbleHero friends.
32** A portion of the fandom, part of which includes the older Japanese fancrowd, has suggested that due to the way Rainbow Dash is portrayed as being instrumental to the rest of the Mane Six acquiring their Cutie Marks during the episode ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E23TheCutieMarkChronicles The Cutie Mark Chronicles]]'', she is the Harem Protagonist of the series.
33** Some people suggest that she and Applejack got the wrong Elements and that she should have gotten Honesty while Applejack should have got Loyalty, since Rainbow Dash hardly ever lies and is a BadLiar when she does, while Applejack is [[UndyingLoyalty very loyal]] to both her family and her friend group.
34** A pretty obviously non-canon one, but still one that a lot of fanfics have fun exploring: Rainbow Dash and Celestia, despite almost never interacting in the show, share some interesting traits. Their eye color is nearly identical, both have prismatic manes, and they even share a [[ThePrankster love of practical jokes]]. This has lead to many a fanfic that explores the possible relationship between the two, most commonly [[RelatedInTheAdaptation depicting RD as Celestia's long lost daughter]].
35** Rainbow Dash has several interpretations coming from fans and haters alike. [[RonTheDeathEater In a few fics]], she is a BitchInSheepsClothing who only helped Fluttershy to further her own evil goals, and really doesn't give a damn about anyone but herself. There is also "[[FanNickname Scootabuse]]" to consider, which is basically Rainbow Dash being a {{Jerkass}} to Scootaloo most often [[BlackComedy for humour]]. Whenever she is not portrayed by a fan, many haters will have her be a straight up {{Jerkass}} instead of the lovable JerkWithAHeartOfGold we know from the show. Her ego is often [[CharacterExaggeration Character Exaggerated]] in fanworks such as ''Friendship Is Witchcraft'' to the point she can only really say her name. Often times, [[DumbMuscle due to being an athlete]], she is often portrayed as the token idiot of the group who doesn't know anything, even more than Applejack who was born and raised on a farm (and presumably [[BookDumb never went to school]]). Rainbow Dash has many different fan interpretations, and to list them all would take up an entire page, but these are perhaps the most common.
36* Pinkie Pie:
37** Pinkie Pie being a FourthWallObserver with MediumAwareness who [[BreakingTheFourthWall ignores it when it suits her]] is an ACI so widespread most fans assume it's true. Granted she ''does'' interrupt the IrisOut on three separate occasions, and many times she appears to look directly at the audience (WordOfGod says these are coincidences... at least they used to be, though sometimes in seasons two and three these fourth wall references seem to be intentional).
38** Some fans, who have noticed her BigEater habits, draw humanized art with her being [[HollywoodPudgy bigger than the other ponies]], sometimes [[BigBeautifulWoman considerably so]].
39** After "Party of One" it became very common for fans to depict Pinkie as judging her self-worth entirely by her parties and how much other ponies enjoy them. This is used to explain why she is so eager to be happy and (literally) bouncy all of the time. Less common is the interpretation that she is outright mentally ill, with manic-depression and schizophrenia the usual suspects. Another point of evidence to the former theory, in her "Smile" song, Pinkie sings "There's one thing that makes me happy and makes my whole life worthwhile / And that's when I talk to my friends and get them to smile."
40** Some fans have noticed that Pinkie's abilities (OffscreenTeleportation, obtaining objects from [[{{Hammerspace}} nowhere]], ignoring the rules of magic, use of WrongContextMagic) are very similar to Discord's, leading them to conclude that she is a demi-goddess of chaos, like how Discord is a full god of chaos. If nothing else, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it [[https://trixiebooru.org/1829858 scene in "School Raze"]] confirms that, yes, she ''does'' have powers no other earth pony has.
41** There's a theory that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Sym1h72K2c Pinkie is a changeling]].
42* Fluttershy:
43** Fluttershy's possession of the SmartBall in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E14SuitedForSuccess Suited For Success]]" has led to her exhibiting similar behavior, and that level of knowledge about a number of fields (from writing to gaming to politics), in various fanfics.
44** Due to an offhand comment in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E21OverABarrel Over A Barrel]]", some people think that she is obsessed with becoming a tree. (Her disguise in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E22HurricaneFluttershy Hurricane Fluttershy]]" probably only added fuel to that particular fire.) This is probably not true however, since she clearly doesn't want to be one in "A Health of Information".
45** Is Fluttershy so [[ShrinkingViolet quiet and timid]] because she was [[http://warmfuzzyglow.com/my-little-dv-survivor-761/ abused as a young filly?]] Or is it just a [[SharedFamilyQuirks Shared Family Quirk]], since both her parents are also timid?
46** Were Fluttershy's actions during "Putting Your Hoof Down" simply her trying to be more assertive, or her letting out her true feelings?
47** Because of season one's finale, Fluttershy has been thought of as more than a little unstable, due to her rather [[SanitySlippage terrifying outburst]]. Others have chalked it up to a mental condition that ''all'' ponies have which involves going insane when their cutie marks fail (since the reason for the outburst was because the animals refused to speak to her). Some have also suggested she was [[MatingSeasonMayhem in heat]], drunk, [[SleepDeprivation tired from the late hour]], or (considering she yelled, "You're going to love me!") that she'd been deprived of love in the past.
48** Because of the numerous situations in which Fluttershy [[BewareTheNiceOnes kicks extreme amounts of flank]] ([[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu making a dragon cry]], staring down a [[TakenForGranite cockatrice]], giving [[FluffyTamer belly rubs to Cerberus]], counter-trolling the spirit of chaos) it's common to depict her as the scariest pony in Equestria. In this view, those who know her, also know to be cautious around her.
49** In "The Return of Harmony", is Fluttershy really incorruptably pure, or is she just saying whatever (she thinks) Discord ''doesn't'' want her to?
50** Is Fluttershy ''actually'' the expert on animals she thinks she is, or is she a KnowNothingKnowItAll? While her ''intentions'' are kind, no less [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E10SwarmOfTheCentury than]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E22ABirdInTheHoof four]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E7Bats times]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E18SheTalksToAngel now]] she has made at best poor and naive decisions regarding the well-being and treatment of animals, leaving one to wonder if that's her norm or if we are just seeing her at her worst. Also, were some of those decisions (like giving vegetables to the carnivores in "She Talks to Angel") ''actually'' poor and naive, or is it just that [[ArtisticLicenseBiology animals work differently in the MLP universe]]?
51** Why did she act so nervous, to the point of apparently [[FaintInShock fainting in shock]], of the manticore in "No Second Prances" despite normally being a FluffyTamer? Was she worried that Trixie would die, was she actually worried about ''the manticore'' (since she thought being hit by Trixie would kill it), or was she just pretending to be scared for the sake of the show, and thus the reason she "recovered" so quickly from "fainting" was that it was a FakeFaint?
52* In "Sweet and Elite", the behavior of the Mane Cast outside of Rarity lends itself to some speculation. For instance, was Twilight genuinely ignorant that Rarity was ditching her and the rest to hobnob with the Canterlot Elite? Or was she feigning ignorance to help Rarity save face? Or was their immediate act to crash and trash the Garden Party them being spiteful, meaning that they were simply feigning niceness? Or were they just drunk (we don't see Spike, so they might have been serving intoxicating beverages)?
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54
55[[AC:The CMC]]
56* Apple Bloom's friendship with Twist. Did Apple Bloom abandon Twist for more popular friends? Did Twist abandon Apple Bloom after getting her cutie mark? Or do they hang out off-screen because Twist can't be a Cutie Mark Crusader and the Cutie Mark Crusaders are more plot-relevant?
57* When playing the fan game ''VideoGame/StoryOfTheBlanks'', [[WebVideo/FamiliarFaces CR]] says Sweetie Belle is Rarity's ''[[FamilyRelationshipSwitcheroo daughter]]'' instead of sister, jokingly. (A ShoutOut to [[http://gavalanche.deviantart.com/ Gavalanche's]] fancomics where Rarity is really Sweetie Belle's [[AdaptationalJerkass abusive]] mother who prefers to be called her sister.)
58* Scootaloo:
59** Scootaloo is the only member of the [[PowerTrio Cutie Mark Crusaders]] who had had no familial connections shown or even hinted at until near the end of the series, and is rarely seen apart from her two closest friends. Additionally, she is a pegasus unable to fly for anything but short distances, and is rarely seen without her crude wooden scooter. As such, Scootaloo is often depicted as being stuck in an abusive family, or as a homeless orphan. Her statement in "Parental Glideance" that she has never had anybody to cheer her on, in the way Rainbow Dash's parents do, could support both interpretations. As of season 9, however, the "orphan" part is disproved with the reveal that both her parents are still alive.
60** It is known that pegasi have to learn to fly. So far Scootaloo has not shown any interest in flying. Does she not want to fly, or is she outright incapable of flying? As confirmed in season 4, Scootaloo is unusually old to display no aptitude for flying. Scootaloo being disabled [[WhatCouldHaveBeen was something thrown around during the series' development]], but it may or may not have been abandoned - the ending of the episode in question [[AmbiguousEnding leaves it ambiguous]] as to whether she is truly incapable of flight, or merely a very slow learner.
61** Some humanized versions of Scootaloo have her with a prosthetic limb, due to the aforementioned plans of her originally being disabled and the ambiguity that she may actually be disabled herself.
62** Another theory gaining some popularity is that Scootaloo is the product of a mixed marriage and for whatever reason-death, divorce, etc.-the Pegasus parent is a missing parent. Leaving Scootaloo to be raised by an Earth Pony or Unicorn, neither of which can teach her how to fly. Some fans have speculated that that is what first attracted her to Rainbow Dash, having someone who could help her get flying. The Cake twins being born to Earth Pony parents has led to an alternate take, where Scootaloo is a "throwback" born to two non-Pegasus parents.
63** "Growing Up is Hard to Do" and "The Last Problem" show Scootaloo's adult body with child-size wings. Shortly thereafter, [[DiagnosisOfGod one of the staff]] [[https://www.derpibooru.org/images/2157535 confirmed via twitter]] that that was indeed meant to indicate an actual disability, but included the line "But fans are welcome to interpret things how they like" (given that Bulk Biceps can fly despite having even smaller wings, Scootaloo's situation still is technically open to interpretation).[[note]]That line could just as easily be interpreted to mean "We're trying to have it both ways" -- that is, satisfy both the fans who wanted to see Scootaloo eventually fly and those who had held her up as a quality specimen of disability representation.[[/note]] It could mean that she has a disability that will always hinder her ability to fly, but won't leave her grounded for life.
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65[[AC:The Princessess]]
66* Celestia:
67** [[TheHighQueen Princess Celestia's]] characterization can vary greatly depending on who you ask or what fanfiction or fanart you look at. Canonically she is a wise and loving BigGood, but in the fandom she is very prone to RonTheDeathEater characterizations:
68*** Some see her as a {{Troll}}, perhaps as an effect of her {{immortality}} and position making her day-to-day life very dull. Thus she needs to [[ItAmusedMe have fun]] sometimes. She ''does'' demonstrate a more mischievous and fun side sometimes, such as inviting the Mane Six to the Grand Galloping Gala in the hopes that they will liven up the boring tradition for once. While she can still be loving and wise while this way, some fans go for full [[JerkassGods Jerkass God]] who toys with her subjects for her own amusement.
69*** There is also the interpretation that she is fully evil, ruling a CrapsaccharineWorld as a vicious tyrant who enforces conformity, segregation and control. These can vary from her being a KnightTemplar who sees such control as needed to keep Equestria from falling apart, to DespotismJustifiesTheMeans, focused on keeping her control over the land by any means necessary.
70*** Some fans have noted that devastating, highly important events in Equestrian history are either completely unknown to the general populace ([[TheDarkTimes Discord's reign]], the disappearance of the Crystal Empire) or only known through inaccurate myths (Nightmare Moon's [[TheNightThatNeverEnds longest night]]). They thus speculate that Celestia [[InternalRetcon regularly alters official histories]] to remove undesirable elements, which in turn leads to speculations as to whether she does this out of misguided benevolence or a malicious attempt to hide her own mistakes.[[note]]One alternative to these alternatives is that she just lets the natural distortion of historical events happen, and everyone usually thinks that she is too busy or important to fact check with her. In Nightmare Moon's case, who is going to ask her about the time she banished her own sister and risk reopening old wounds?[[/note]] Her actions in the Season 9 finale, where she swept Discord's involvement in the Legion of Doom under the rug and pinned all the blame on the others, adds serious weight to this theory to the point of practically proving it: it is very evident Equestria was not allowed to know that Discord was directly responsible for the entire incident in the first place, since as far as the newspapers say and anyone outside of Celestia's circle know the ''only'' ones responsible for the Legion of Doom were Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Tirek.
71*** Some fans have also noted the rather troubling number of ponies who have feared being banished by the princess[[note]]Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash on three separate occasions[[/note]]. Are they just being paranoid, or does Princess Celestia have a history of banishing ponies for arguably minor infractions of the law? It does not help that Princess Celestia and her followers seem to only give forgiveness to villains [[BoxedCrook whose powers they can use]] or to villains they are [[{{Nepotism}} related to or personally sympathize with]], while not actually caring what crimes they committed or how many people they hurt along the way. This shifts the "merciful and wise" depiction the writers were going for to a "cruel unless they have a use for you" interpretation.
72*** The [[MemeticMolester "Molestia"]] interpretation is so common it comes with its own sub-categories; from a shiftless layabout who has grown bored of her duties and dodges administration to watch porn, to a [[ReallyGetsAround very open]] but harmless nympho with a [[SafeSaneAndConsensual light BDSM]] fetish (the most popular, thanks to the infamous ''Blog/AskPrincessMolestia'' blog), to a serial-rapist and pedophile.
73** Celestia as a BrokenBird is a less common but still prevalent interpretation. The theory goes that fighting against Discord, forced to banish her sister, and spending a thousand years defending Equestria from [[TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed frequent threats]] all alone, while everypony else dies of old age, left her bitter and permanently hiding behind a ToughLeaderFacade.
74** Speculation about Celestia's relationship with Twilight is rampant, with interpretations ranging from polite but distant professionalism, to a close friendship, to Twilight being Celestia's ''only'' friend aside from Luna, to [[TeacherStudentRomance outright romance]]. A common theme in nearly all of them though is Twilight having (or used to have) a crush on Celestia.
75** In most of the two-parters, Celestia is put into question. Is she TheChessMaster who has thousands of {{Batman Gambit}}s lined up, can plan someone's life from the day they were ''born'', but can be blind-sided when an OutsideContextProblem comes into the picture with a plan of her own? Or is Celestia a GeneralFailure whose successes are either based around relying on {{Deus Ex Machina}}s, the villains holding {{Idiot Ball}}s or pulling off last-minute resorts in a desperate attempt to gain ''some'' victory? Both these interpretations have evidential footing and it all falls in how the viewer sees Celestia, either in a positive or negative light.
76** One wonders how hard Celestia's job actually is on a normal day, and how much authority she actually has. She does a fine job leading when everything is going well, but the ''second'' things go south and she is called upon to take charge, she begins making terrible decisions, gets defeated effortlessly, and has to sit back and hope others can save the day on her behalf. Perhaps she is actually a ''terrible'' leader outside of her ability to raise the sun, being merely a [[PuppetKing figurehead]] at best who is the "face" of an empire that is actually run by others, so everything goes fine until she is put on the spot and called upon to actually lead. Organizations like the EEA being able to tell Celestia what to do seems to suggest that she actually makes very few decisions on her own, while Twilight Sparkle being able to easily do the job of both Celestia ''and'' Luna in the DistantFinale hints that perhaps she and Luna's duties aren't much of a burden since most of the work is done by others.
77** Celestia's tendency to do absolutely nothing other than sent Twilight and the gang after a perceived threat against Equestria, along with her utter [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomping]] by Chrysalis the one time she ''did'' try something (granted Chrysalis had a power boost, but you would expect Celestia to have at least been able to put up more of a fight than ''that'') and how Nightmare Moon had her on the ropes in their flashback battle until Celestia brandished the Elements of harmony, have made many fans question her strength. Is she actually powerful and holding back to do behind the scenes work, or just a BadassOnPaper who knows that she does not have the power to do much of anything against a powerful enemy and has to hide behind others? ''The Cutie Remark'' showing that every single future of Equestria without Twilight and her friends is a [[BadFuture war-torn post-apocalyptic nightmare]] only serves to imply the latter. While this means that only one villain succeeded and the rest were defeated, there is no word on whether Celestia or [[EnemyCivilWar the current dominant villain]] was responsible for it. Later episodes have attempted to address this by claiming she [[WillfullyWeak holds her power back]] out of fear of harming others, but this raises other questions. Does she honestly believe standing by and doing nothing, holding back to the point villains defeat her, and/or only relying on others ''actually'' endangers her subjects less than just fighting back herself?
78** Princess Celestia calling out Chancellor Neighsay at the end of School Daze and allowing Twilight Sparkle to run her school without EEA accreditation leaves you wondering where she actually stands on the issue. While she allowed Twilight to skirt the rules she certainly didn't seem to make any attempt to remove authority from Neighsay or reform the policies of the EEA, with them operating completely unchallenged as late as the season finale despite Celestia apparently disagreeing with how they were operating, and at the time she had rather strict gender and racial exclusions in her military and leadership. Does Princess Celestia actually believe in Twilight's methods and beliefs, or does she actually agree with Neighsay but was just siding with Twilight [[{{Nepotism}} because of their relationship]]? Perhaps she actually agreed with Neighsay's beliefs, but had faith that if anyone could do it Twilight could. Or Celestia knew that Neighsay was a noble stallion deep down and would ultimately be swayed by Twilight. Or she initially only sided with Twilight to save face, but was swayed along the way like Neighsay was. It is even possible she [[BothSidesHaveAPoint saw the value in both sides' arguments]] and was treating Twilight's school as a preliminary test to see if the EEA's policies ''should'' be changed.
79* Nightmare Moon:
80** Is Nightmare Moon really a GreenEyedMonster MadGod or was she banished for leading the ponies into an ultimately failed civil war against Celestia's rule? Combined with the aforementioned "Tyrantlestia" interpretation is the theory that Nightmare Moon [[HeroWithBadPublicity was the hero]] and is only the victim of WrittenByTheWinners.
81** It isn't even clear what Nightmare Moon WAS, given that once the Elements of Harmony were used on her, she reverted to Princess Luna, who is far more mild-mannered. Was she brainwashed by the elements, or was Nightmare Moon some sort of possessing force that Celestia herself could not extricate? [[ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW The IDW comics]] seem to indicate that Nightmare Moon was the result of an outside force, given that [[spoiler:they possess Rarity and make her their new Nightmare Queen]]. However, it is not clear if the show treats the comics as canon, and ''Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?'' centered entirely around Luna addressing her [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone guilt]] of becoming Nightmare Moon of her own accord, with absolutely no mention of the Nightmare Forces.
82* Celestia and Luna being {{Physical God}}desses is itself an ACI; there are numerous hints for it, most significantly their dominion over celestial bodies, [[PaintingTheFrostOnWindows the aspects of nature they represent]], and their [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld extensive lifespan]], but the actual ''word'' god/goddess has never been used in the series. Less common is the interpretation that they are "merely" extremely powerful ponies, or two of the few remaining [[AscendedFanon alicorns]] after their race was nearly rendered extinct. With the introduction of "Age Spells" in "Magic Duel", spells that can alter the age of the target but can only be cast by the most powerful of casters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's immortality may not even be inherent but the product of repeated self-cast Age Spells (which would also explain Luna's difference in appearance between her first and second appearance).
83* This is further complicated by the presence of Princess Cadance. Is she also a Physical Goddess? [[AllThereInTheManual We are told]] that she is the niece of Princess Celestia, but she couldn't be Luna's child. Luna spent the last thousand years in the moon. So who are her parents? Is she also immortal, and will she outlive her husband Shining Armor? Does she even have a blood relation to the Royal Pony Sisters? (It should be noted that Cadance was originally conceived as a unicorn but made an alicorn because of ExecutiveMeddling.) ''Literature/TwilightSparkleAndTheCrystalHeartSpell'' expanded on Princess Cadence's backstory and where she came from: It is revealed that Cadence was originally an orphaned pegasus that was adopted by an earth pony village. A WickedWitch by the name of Prismia attacked the village by draining all their love for each other. Cadence somehow defeated her and was magically transported to the same "interstice" that Twilight went to when she completed Starswirl's unfinished spell. She met Princess Celestia there and was turned into an alicorn, adopted by Celestia, and made a princess herself. Whether this is canon or not is up in the air right now, but this is the closest thing to a backstory she has so far. It's also noting that Prince Blueblood is said to be Celestia's nephew, but is clearly not Luna's son, so perhaps being Celestia's niece or nephew is more of a title.
84* Then Twilight became an [[WingedUnicorn alicorn]], also making her a princess, bringing another whole host of questions. Do all alicorns "earn" their ascension this way? If so, how did the other three do so? Can it be given as some sort of reward or a EnlightenmentSuperpower? Is Twilight now immortal? And if she is, is this a way to give Celestia some more company for her eternal life?
85* When Flurry Heart was born, Celestia noted that she was the first natural-born alicorn in Equestria. Does this mean that Celestia and Luna were not born alicorns, or that they're not from Equestria? If they weren't born alicorns, does this mean they earnt their ascensions, or that they were part of a race which is born with only wings or only horns and grows the other body part later in life, similar to getting a cutie mark?
86* At the end of "The Crystalling", Flurry Heart gets a spell cast on her to make her PowerIncontinence a non-issue. However, it didn't render her completely incapable of using magic, since she uses magic in "A Flurry of Emotions". Did the spell weaken her magic, or did it make accidental magic impossible (meaning that she now can only use magic on purpose)?
87
88[[AC:Villains]]
89* Trixie:
90** Is [[LargeHam The Great and Powerful]] '''[[EnsembleDarkhorse TRRRIXIIEEE]]''' a {{Jerkass}}, or [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex insecure]]? Was Ponyville a lousy stop? Did the Mane Cast have the right to interrupt her show and performance with [[TheHeckler heckling]]? There is also a very large part of the fanbase that remains adamant that Trixie is just as powerful, if not ''more'' powerful than Twilight, despite "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E6BoastBusters Boast Busters]]" showing that her special talent is in stage performance.
91** Others have suggested the exact opposite. One fanfic, ''[[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NzHgSUpMl2X7jICAuMOiM_ZcQesbXdnBoafDmlLTG6o/edit?hl=en&authkey=CKyjrPAC The Liar]]'', portrays Trixie as a run-of-the-mill [[ConMan con artist]]. It suggests that [[spoiler:Trixie has NO magical ability, that her powers are all based off of the machines she uses in her act (including powdered poison joke to disrupt attempts to show her up), and that her special talent is really the ability to tell the most convincing lies.]] (Fair warning: This fic reads in reverse chronological order)
92** A common fanon portrayal of Trixie depicts her MilesGloriosus streak as a mask over a DarkAndTroubledPast with a side order of [[TheWoobie woobie]]. (It is quite possible you get bonus points for the degree of cruelty with which you kill off the parent who inspired her to start a magic act.)
93** Others have suggested that Trixie suffers from an InferioritySuperiorityComplex. She did not make it in magic school, because she was a bully whose only real talent was using her [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]] to pick on others. This compared to other unicorns that can do much more ''useful'' magic. Similar to common fan theories about Applebloom's nemesis Diamond Tiara, this theory holds that Trixie is such a showboating {{Jerkass}}, because her talent is nothing special and she is desperate to convince herself and everypony else otherwise.
94** Was she actually being a true hero in "To Where And Back Again", or just tagging along and letting the others do all the work so she could falsely be called a hero and get an undeserved medal of honor to boost her ego even more?
95** When she tries to do the stunt involving diving into a manticore's mouth in "No Second Prances", was she suicidal? Was she counting on Starlight saving her? Or was the manticore trained, and so she wasn't actually in any danger?
96* Gilda:
97** [[OurGryphonsAreDifferent Gilda]] is viewed in a couple different ways, ranging from a full-on {{Jerkass}} thug who feels [[ClingyJealousGirl overly possessive]] of Dash, a JerkWithAHeartOfGold that got caught on a bad day, or a genuine CoolBigSis character tripped up by [[BlueAndOrangeMorality cultural boundaries]] which Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie [[PoorCommunicationKills didn't consider]] and [[DisproportionateRetribution overreacted to]]. Her second appearance in the show seemed to imply the latter.
98** Her treatment of Pinkie has been interpreted as her trying her best to keep her anger in check (at least up until she bullies Fluttershy) as she just doesn't want her meeting with her friend to be interrupted. Some people also find it understandable for her to blame Pinkie for Rainbow's pranks, after Pinkie's earlier behavior. They reason that Gilda left town out of frustration, when her only friend yelled at her.
99* Perhaps Diamond Tiara's bullying is her lashing out at others out of insecurity. Her special talent is merely wearing jewelry, possibly on the issues of TruthInTelevision beauty pageant attendees.
100** Similarly, Silver Spoon may be a [[BetaBitch stereotypical "queen bee"]], because she is insecure about being rich and useless, hence her cutie mark.
101** Despite her rhetoric against Blank Flanks, the only ponies Diamond Tiara is ever seen bullying are Applebloom and those who hang around Applebloom. Maybe she is less a generic bully and [[JerkassToOne hates Applebloom]] specifically (and by extension, those Applebloom hangs out with hanging around). "Flight To The Finish" seems to support this, as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon switch to bullying Scootaloo about her inability to fly, when they realize their "Blank Flank" comments aren't getting to the CMC anymore. (Although they did have a reason for going after them specifically that time - they were worried about the CMC's act being better than theirs and wanted to destroy their confidence so that they would lose.)
102** While Diamond Tiara is usually thought to be a simple AlphaBitch (although see the Trixie example for one way some people interpret her more sympathetically), her friend Silver Spoon is sometimes suggested to be a much nicer filly. She is mean to Apple Bloom because she is imitating her best friend. Silver Spoon is noted to genuinely care about Diamond Tiara's feelings, seeing how she tried to cheer her up at the end of "Call of the Cutie". She was also the very first in the class to applaud Granny Smith's story about how the Apple Family founded Ponyville, despite Diamond Tiara refusing to. (This also indicates that the two friends have different reactions to certain people).
103** "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" shows that Diamond Tiara has some ''extreme'' mommy issues. After standing up to her mother, she gets her first genuine PetTheDog moment. Whether it leads to a full-on HeelFaceTurn or a FriendlyEnemy at best is still up in the air, however, as she hasn't had a proper appearance as of the first half of Season 7.
104* [[InexplicablyAwesome Near nothing is known about Discord]], and so speculation about him runs rampant:
105** Is he a sadistic [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] villain who is giddy over [[MindRape Mind Raping]], [[CorruptTheCutie corrupting]], [[BreakTheCutie breaking]], and generally torturing poor defenseless ponies ForTheEvulz? Despite his [[RealityWarper level of power]] and how he could have literally won by snapping his fingers, he takes his time to set up this "game" to torture the mane six, repeatedly rubs Twilight's face in her failure, and when she falls off of the DespairEventHorizon he laughs at her misery.
106** Is he the AnthropomorphicPersonification of chaos that is just hard-wired to want chaos, just as the ponies are hard-wired to want harmony and peace? If so not only is he unwilling but incapable of [[BlueAndOrangeMorality maintaining anything resembling a moral compass]]; even if he ''could'' feel empathy for the beings he torments for his own amusement, he wouldn't be able to maintain it long enough for it to make any difference. By this interpretation, he is TheSociopath because he is hard-wired to be incapable of internalizing emotions that could let him live in harmony with others. By his very nature, Discord must consider himself separate from and in conflict with the rest of existence. "Keep Calm and Flutter On" seems to suggest that [[spoiler:he ''can'' understand and even enjoy friendship, however his [[ItsAllAboutMe selfishness]] and chaos-mongering tendencies have always prevented him from ever having a real friend.]]
107** Is he a GodOfEvil, but merely doing his job [[ChaoticNeutral and not truly evil]]? [[OrderVersusChaos Chaos isn't inherently evil]], and sometimes is even necessary for things to change, and he might see what he does as essential work and spreading the influence of his pantheon.
108** Is Cheerilee correct when she called him a Draconequus and there is an entire species like him? If so, is he the LastOfHisKind?
109** Do he and Celestia have a more amiable history? Many fans think that the two [[WeUsedToBeFriends were close friends]] or even lovers long ago, and that their falling out has at least something to do with his [[DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans tyrannical intentions]]. Their dialogue hints at a deeper relationship of some kind that we are only able to speculate about. The way they brush off each other is very similar to the way [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Q (who Discord is based off of) would ruffle the feathers of Captain Picard]], who had a lot of HoYay.
110** As of "Keep Calm and Flutter On", has Discord [[spoiler:truly reformed? Or is he just pretending to play nice, still intent on screwing with people but keeping his actions within a certain limit so that he won't be imprisoned again]]? In the opening for season 4, [[spoiler:he is unconcerned with the havoc his vines are causing, and he refuses to tell the main cast what they are, for no real reason other than his own amusement.]]
111** His relationship with Twilight; is it a platonic/obsessive friendly antagonistic relationship much like [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Q and Picard]]? Or is it that Discord [[InterspeciesRomance has sexual tension with Twilight]]? It seems that Twilight is the only one he sees as a WorthyOpponent. He constantly teases her like a childish boy does to girls he likes. His friendship with Fluttershy could be a way to get in good with her social circle and start making his moves there. To add ACI on that, is his relationship with Twilight a mirror image of his relationship with Celestia? Could it be now that Twilight is an Alicorn, Discord is projecting his feelings of Celestia onto Twilight?
112** His gambit of [[spoiler: posing as Grogar to trick Queen Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow for the sake of a grandoise accomplishment for the Mane Six was a dubious plan at best. It can be interpreted as Discord still having shades of EvilCannotComprehendGood and thinking the ponies enjoy busting up bad guys more than they actually do (much like he enjoyed toying with his opposition before), or, given his MeanBoss antics as Grogar and intended YankTheDogsChain for the three villains, Discord trying to find a loophole around his HeelFaceTurn, and deciding to vent his troll impulses on characters who deserved it.]]
113* Were the Windigos evil spirits intentionally causing the ponies suffering and grief, or non-sentient beasts who were merely feeding and [[EmotionEater their natural way of survival]] made them a dangerous threat? Likewise, were they [[AnIcePerson making the snow]] on purpose or not?
114** The same episode made people claim, as a joke, that Fluttershy [[PsychicPowers was clairvoyant]].
115* Is Queen Chrysalis a bad guy seeking to subjugate an entire nation to make her and her minions stronger, a JerkassWoobie who is a victim of her upbringing, or a WellIntentionedExtremist who just wanted to [[EmotionEater feed]] her people? "To Where and Back Again" made it pretty clear her biggest priority is looking out for number 1, but these questions ''still'' stand.
116* Lightning Dust (from "Wonderbolts Academy"): an arrogant, self-absorbed victory hound who only respected Rainbow Dash because she was a WorthyOpponent or an enthusiastic cadet who was told to give her best and went too far unintentionally? Spitfire also could be said to hold some of the blame in Lightning Dust's overzealous attitude as she encouraged her behavior and never stepped in once it started getting out of hand.
117** "The Washouts" has Lightning Dust offer Scootaloo a place on her new stunt team, exploiting Scootaloo's inability to fly in order to undermine her relationship with Rainbow Dash. She ends up putting Scootaloo into a dangerous stunt that she had no chance of surviving if not for Rainbow Dash rescuing her. Was Lightning Dust ''trying'' to [[WouldHurtAChild get Scootaloo killed]] to get back at Rainbow Dash? Or did she sincerely believe that Scootaloo could have pulled it off, biased by her devil-may-care attitude towards safety?
118* Lord Tirek seems to hold an extreme grudge towards his brother for betraying him (in self defence), and shows disgust for Twilight's loyalty to Discord, despite Discord selling her out earlier. Given he himself backstabbed Discord as a stepping stone for his conquest, is this standard villainous MoralMyopia, or does he merely find contempt in said characters valuing and boasting the importance of friendship (which he openly devalues) [[AtLeastIAdmitIt despite having the same self serving tendencies]]?
119* Sombra:
120** While Discord has been given a clear character in the show, Sombra hasn't gone through any character development at all. The only thing we know about him is that he is power-hungry and strong enough to subjugate an empire and pose a threat to Celestia. [=ACI=]s about him largely go into one of the following:
121*** The one view closest to what little we get in the show is that he is actively malevolent, seeking only to expand his own power and influence, while driving his subjects to death if need be.
122*** Another view is that he is more akin to [[Franchise/StarWars Emperor Palpatine]]. Power-hungry and even sociopathic, but mostly uncaring about his subjects. He wants power for power's sake, but as long as he has said power, he doesn't care what happens to his subjects.
123*** The third view is that he is [[DracoInLeatherPants actually benevolent]]. Sure, he may be a tyrant, but he still wants to keep his subjects fed and happy. This mostly lines up with the Tyrannical Celestia mentioned above, as it implies that Celestia and Luna actually attacked the Crystal Empire preemptively, possibly because [[DirtyCoward they feared him]].
124** Lots of fans have drawn a line between Sombra and Luna. It is outright depicted that Luna and Celestia were the cause of Sombra's downfall (though this is not stated), and many see a connection between Sombra, who is associated with shadows, and Luna, who is associated with night and darkness.
125** Some people have interpreted King Sombra's animalistic behavior as a sign that his defeat and long imprisonment have driven him insane. While he ''was'' a nasty person ''before'' that, this would explain why he acts so feral and inequine. Celestia outright states that he was "turned to shadow" when he was overthrown. The phrase "a shadow of his former self" springs to mind.
126* Starlight Glimmer:
127** Were Starlight's intentions really [[AntiVillain as well intentioned as she claimed]], or was she just trying to ensure [[spoiler:no one in Equestria but her had their Cutie Mark]]? Evidence is given for both.
128** [[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2016/03/pony-spotlight-9-starlight-glimmer.html This Equestria Daily article]] argues that Starlight showed no intent to kidnap/brainwash the Mane Six to her way of thinking until they started to investigate her, perhaps originally planning to persuade them benevolently. Given Starlight was [[OffstageVillainy only explicitly shown to use evil/forceful methods on the Mane Six and associates]] when they threatened her way of life ([[{{Revenge}} at first]]), and all but three of the townsfolk were content with the life she offered, it's possible she wasn't as ([[ObliviouslyEvil intentionally]]) evil as [[{{Cult}} her methods]] and FridgeHorror hinted to. This would explain why the town was [[EasilyForgiven was so quick to forgive her]]. While Starlight does claim to have "enslaved" them in later seasons, by that point she is carrying such guilt over her action it may have clouded her perception of it. (The implication is that Starlight perceives her own past actions in a far more negative light than they actually deserved.)
129* Is Chancellor Neighsay just a [[FantasticRacism genuine racist]] or are his beliefs of non-ponies being a threat a [[StrawmanHasAPoint genuine concern]] based on Equestria's history of being invaded by non-ponies like the formerly evil changelings and the Storm King's army? Is he just calling out Twilight's school and teachers for being bad at their jobs to fuel his racial agenda or does he genuinely believe that they are unfit to teach as well? His eventual HeelFaceTurn and support of Twilight's school does little to clarify this.
130* The Flim-Flam brothers coming back to help the heroes in the final battle. Is this a case of EvenEvilHasStandards in opposing three wannabe tyrants, or are they simply engaging in PragmaticVillainy since it would be hard to succeed in a dystopian hellhole? Technically it could even be both. By that point Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow had mane enemies out of practically everyone, so we see characters of any alignment joining forces against them.
131* Is Cozy Glow truly a monster despite her young age, or does she have a FreudianExcuse, making her being sent to Tartarus and turned into stone an overreaction?
132
133[[AC:Minor Characters]]
134* Pets:
135** According to some fans, the single most evil entity in all of Equestria is none other than [[KillerRabbit Angel Bunny]], especially after he is seen being mean to his owner Fluttershy [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E19PuttingYourHoofDown "Putting Your Hoof Down"]]. Although he has [[TookALevelInKindness taken a level in kindness]] since then.
136** Another candidate for "most evil thing in Equestria" is [[CatsAreMean Opalescence]]. Rarity's cat who [[TroublesomePet often lashes out with her claws]].
137** Angel Bunny refusing to eat his carrot after Fluttershy told him not to eat so fast or he'll get a tummy ache in "Dragon Shy" -- was he just being defiant like usual and protesting being told what to do, was he afraid he'd get a tummy ache, or was he trying to alert her to the smoke?
138* Some fans have grown fond of the idea of Snails being a GeniusDitz with an encyclopedic knowledge of insects, or even a FriendToBugs, rather than just the dimmer of ThoseTwoGuys.
139* Sunburst was Starlight Glimmer's old filly friend, she claims they did everything together. Yet when he gets his cutie mark, he immediately runs outside to celebrate with other people. Without so much as a second look back at his supposed closest friend. He also made no attempt to stay in touch with her, barely remembers her when they reunite, and shows no remorse for ditching her, save saying he should have 'stayed in touch'. While they do reconcile, it easy to question if he ever was that close or good a friend [[InformedAttribute as Starlight claimed]]. If this makes their falling out being Starlight's StartOfDarkness more or less sympathetic is its own ACI. It is made clear that Starlight adored him, but Sunburst seems indifferent to her until their reunion in adulthood. Which suggests that Starlight's feelings were not reciprocated (she saw him as a friend, but he saw her as an acquaintance).
140* Granny Smith. Are her eccentricities just "old people are funny" humor or waaay back in her youth was she the Pinkie Pie of her social circle? The Zap Apple prep stuff that she is shown to do in "Family Appreciation Day" supports this. Pinkie often knows what she is doing even if it seems strange, and it would explain how Granny discovered things like Zap Apples prefer polka dots; she did Pinkieesque things and kept doing them when they made the jam better. Besides, running off into the most dangerous forest in the world alone at night is not very sensible.
141* Big [=Macintosh=]:
142** Applejack's brother Big Macintosh has been portrayed in fanon as a [[GentleGiant simple, big-brother type]], a [[GeniusBruiser civilized, not-quite-country boy with a lot going on in his head]], and in the case of one particularly moving fanfic derived from a short three-panel comic, a [[ShellShockedVeteran veteran shocked or similarly motivated into silence by what he saw.]] The latter was disproven by "Where the Apple Lies", which shows that his silence wasn't a shock response from being a veteran; it was a deliberate choice based on believing he talked too much and listened too little after an incident from when he was a teen. Though all of them agree that he is a ChickMagnet.
143** With Big Mac turning into an ''alicorn princess'' (or prince? not sure how that works) in "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep", some have theorized that he may be a UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} mare. Others see this as a mere power fantasy after "Brotherhooves Social" showed that Big Mac feels inadequate that he is "just a farm hand while his sister saves the world."
144** Between the aforementioned horned Big Mac in "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?", his [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Oubliettes and Ogres]] character in "Dungeons and Discords" being a unicorn, and his new unicorn girlfriend in "Hard to Say Anything", it is possible that that Big Mac [[HasAType has a unicorn fetish]].
145* The "[[FanNickname Screwball]]" pony flying around with a propeller hat could be like Pinkie: a pony that would be happy if Discord's reign was permanent ("Eternal chaos comes with chocolate rain!"). Then there is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA9dFZJtQWc the idea that she was created by him.]] When she first appeared there were interpretations that she is a normal pony, possibly a baseball star, who only seemed unusual due to Discord screwing with everything.
146* Blueblood's behaviour at the Gala has been interpreted by some as him recognizing Rarity's intentions. He was screwing with her because he has met countless [[GoldDigger other mares with the same vapid dream]], and he is not willing to play the part of a Prince Charming for them.
147* Some people don't really buy Carrot Cake's explanation of why his children are a pegasus and a unicorn (not that the show [[ChocolateBaby gives them much reason to]]). They believe that magical fertility treatments or infidelity may be involved somehow. Some also think that the Cakes are in an open relationship, but that Mr. Cake is ashamed of it.
148** Two scenarios have been explored on the infidelity or open relationship side: either a male alicorn is the father of both, or she was impregnated by ''both'' a pegasus and a unicorn.
149** A popular joke is that [[AWizardDidIt Molestia did it]].
150* {{Fanon}} has five general depictions of [[MemeticBystander Derpy Hooves]] ([[IHaveManyNames also known as Ditzy Doo, Bright Eyes, etc.]]):
151-->1) An ordinary pony with the same kind of problems as everypony else, who is just clumsy and misunderstood because of her eyes (not that popular, but made moreso by ''AudioPlay/DoctorWhoovesAndAssistant''. "Parental Glideance" also suggests that her clumsiness is because of her eyes rather than a mental thing, since a flashback shows her becoming increasingly worse at racing as her eyes got more wonky.)
152-->2) An airheaded but well-meaning and perfectly functional klutz (this seems to be the most common interpretation, and the one which most closely matches "The Last Roundup")
153-->3) A kind pony with genuine mental disabilities, who speaks in broken and (seemingly) senseless sentences that may or may not make sense in hindsight. This one became less popular after "The Last Roundup" showed her perfectly capable of speaking normally.
154-->4) A complete idiot.
155-->5) A genius - smarter than Twilight - who is assumed to be an idiot due to her eyes and clumsy nature (sometimes also has speech problems).
156** In the iTunes redub of the beginning of "The Last Roundup", the pony formally known as Derpy Hooves was made to sound more "intelligent" and her eyes are no longer as "derpy" as before. This causes her wanton destruction of the town hall to appear completely senseless. Is she still genuinely slow and/or clumsy, or is she {{troll}}ing Rainbow Dash [[DisabilityAsAnExcuseForJerkassery without any concern for the property damage that she is causing, and how this could potentially bankrupt the town]]?
157* Exactly how useful are the Royal Guard and the Wonderbolts? Are they really as useless [[MilitariesAreUseless as their constant failures suggests]]? If so, why does Equestria bother having them? Or do we only see them when they fail, [[TheoryOfNarrativeCausality so the main characters can save the day]]? Is it a result of [[WeHaveBecomeComplacent complacency]] due to [[PhysicalGod the Princesses]] being the ones who normally [[RankScalesWithAsskicking take care of things]] and anything [[TheWorfEffect able to threaten them]] is beyond what anyone else could be expected to do any better against?
158** Are the Royal Guard kept around due to tradition? To project authority? Because the Princesses [[FantasticNuke powers would risk collateral damage]]? Or their duty consists of carrying out more mundane responsibilities? And is their failure in those tasks (like finding a lost pet) due to ineptitude or being outside their training?
159** One interpretation is that since there hasn't been any implication of large scale war in Equestrian for 1000 years, and even then the "wars" were mostly individuals with abnormal powers, the Royal Guard may simply be underprepared. If there has been no notable war for centuries, then training would naturally fall to the side.
160** Interestingly, the Royal Guard and the Pegasi were able to hold their own against Sombra's army of mindless husks. Does that mean the husks are just as bad soldiers, or are the guard not quite as bad as we thought? Or does the fact that they are evenly matched by untrained, unarmed, smaller numbers of mindless ''civilians'' serve as proof that they couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag?
161** There's lots of [[MildlyMilitary ambiguity if the Wonderbolts are military]], or if they have evolved from those origins to just be stunt flyers who now lack the skills or training to be any more useful.
162** Speaking of the Wonderbolts, did Spitfire ''actually'' have a change of heart at the end of "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E7WonderboltsAcademy Wonderbolts Academy]]", or was she only suddenly concerned because the behavior she was encouraging had happened to endanger a member of royalty? It seems a little convenient, especially now that she is suddenly praising the leadership qualities of someone who showed no real leadership qualities for most of the episode. She does so after "coincidentally" learning that Rainbow Dash is best buddies with Princess Twilight. After all, [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E10RainbowFalls come next episode]] Spitfire has [[AesopAmnesia conveniently forgotten the moral lesson]] and turned her back on comrades for personal gain. So one wonders if Spitfire is not just [[ProfessionalButtKisser kissing up to Twilight by giving Rainbow Dash preferred treatment]] and [[TheScapegoat throwing Lightning Dust under the bus to pass the blame off of herself]]. Alternately, a later episode has her outright admit that she has wanted Rainbow Dash in the Wonderbolts since day one. Since Spitfire only "cared" about Lightning Dust's antics once Rainbow Dash tried to quit, it is quite possible her only motive behind firing Lightning Dust was merely to entice Rainbow Dash to stay. If Dash hadn't tried to walk out, Spitfire couldn't have cared less about Lighting Dust's antics.
163** Is Shining Armor an effective captain? Is the Royal Guards' aforementioned ineptitude due to his poor leadership or just making him look bad? As a soldier, are his constant defeats despite [[BarrierWarrior his powers]] a demonstration of his ineptitude? Was he simply caught off guard or went up against opponents [[AntiMagic who can negate his powers]]? Or are his powers only useful defensively? Why is he in command as opposed to using his power as a supporting role? RankScalesWithAsskicking? Is it the best place to use them? Does [[{{Nepotism}} his relationship to Twilight Sparkle or Princess Cadance have anything to do with it]]? The two mares are respectively Celestia's favorite student and her niece, and Celestia is likely to have appointed Shining Armor. Whether she seems merit in him is another question.
164** Speaking of, Shining Armor's personal BadassDecay over the series, going from a strong but outmatched BarrierWarrior who would bravely stand up to the likes of King Sombra and Lord Tirek to a helpless {{Dumbass In Distress|Disorder}} who [[ProneToTears cries at the drop of a hat]] and won't even try to fight anymore opens a lot of alternate interpretations . It may be he feels that what he does is a HopelessWar, as no matter how hard he or the guards fight they will be stomped into the dirt without anyone of Equestria even seeming to care. While the Mane Six show up to save the day and get all the glory. He may have figured that [[DespairEventHorizon trying is pointless]] and now puts himself above his duty. After all, [[IronicEcho you can't have a nightmare if you never dream]]. More generously, it is possible that Shining Armor has become a HouseHusband, who no longer has any real duty or authority. He simply stands back with his daughter, while others get the job of saving Equestria. Of course, it is also possible that he was [[MilesGloriosus never a badass in the first place]] and was simply attempting to do a job he was KickedUpstairs into. It is a ''persistent'' theory that he was given command of the royal guard [[{{Nepotism}} because he is Twilight Sparkle's brother]], as ''many'' characters in the series were given jobs because they were friends or family of one of the princesses.
165** The Royal Guard seem to have little to no presence whatsoever anywhere except Canterlot. Characters like Ahuizotl and Starlight Glimmer rule over entire regions of Equestria until the Mane 6 happen to swing by. Other places like Appleoosa are policed only by mobs of citizens. Even locales near Canterlot, like Ponyville, are attacked by monsters often enough for the ponies to be completely accustomed to it. Are there too few guards to be there? Are they stationed in important locations and only respond to emergencies? These emergencies are apparently rare given how said locals seem to manage.
166* A decent amount of fanfics like to give Star Swirl the Bearded an HistoricalVillainUpgrade. When he finally ''did'' make an appearance in {{Canon}}, they weren't too far off the mark. While he was no villain, he certainly [[GoodIsNotNice was a jerk]] who followed BlackAndWhiteInsanity to a T.
167* Possibly in response to his general Hatedom, there have been several fan works that portray Flash Sentry as a complete ButtMonkey, unable to get the universe to stop hating him. In canon, he is portrayed as a love interest to both Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer, but has had no stable relationship.
168* Pinkie's sister, Maud Pie, has at least two interpretations to her character: Is her general behavior a sign of autism, or does she deliberately behave in an asocial manner because she simply doesn't want to be friends with Pinkie's friends? Or is it [[SharedFamilyQuirks a family thing]], since her parents and non-Pinkie sisters are [[TheStoic stoics]] too?
169* Were the Pies genuinely incapable of happiness before Pinkie Pie got her cutie mark and threw her first party, or [[TheStoic were they just not expressive]] and didn't feel happiness ''to that extreme'' before?
170* In "Slice of Life", a Changeling is seen at Cranky and Matilda's wedding, and according to a collectible card, his name is Kevin. His description reads, "I'm just here for the food" -- does "food" refer to [[EmotionEater the Changelings' usual diet of love]], is he there for the actual food served at the wedding (such as the cake), or (seeing as he shows up in his true form) is he actually not just there for the food at all, but rather an invitee and a friend Cranky made on his travels? Some also think that "Kevin" was actually Thorax, but this is unlikely since if he ''was'' Cranky's friend it wouldn't add up with Thorax talking as though he'd never had a friend before, and Thorax's wings are green while Kevin's are blue.
171* What was Zecora searching for when she was pawing the ground in "Bridle Gossip"? Was it water (which is what real life zebras are searching for when they do that), or was it ingredients for one of her remedies?
172* Was the manticore in "No Second Prances" truly a dangerous beast, or (considering it didn't chew Trixie up during the trick and it makes humanlike gestures such as bowing), was it trained?
173* Why did Mrs. Cake get angry at Starlight for conjuring up a cake with magic in "No Second Prances"? Does she dislike magic in general, is she fine with magic in itself but thinks that ''cake-baking'' specifically should not be done with magic (believing that cakes should be baked with hard work), was she just shocked that Starlight did it perfectly on her first try and overreacted, or does she [[GreenEyedMonster dislike better bakers than herself and her husband]]?
174* Why did the animals not want to talk to Fluttershy in "The Best Night Ever"? Were they tired because they were diurnal animals and the episode takes place at night? Were they even shier than Fluttershy? Or were they scared off by her showy dress?
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176[[AC:General]]
177* The land of Equestria as a whole might be a less-than utopian autocracy where the unicorns stay in power thanks to their control over magic and learning, and the pony population as a whole oppresses and even enslaves the other hoofed races. The posters in [[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/19993725/ this discussion thread]] analyze the show and eventually come to the conclusion that Equestria is basically a fascist utopia, rife with rigid caste systems, engineered environments, slavery, class imbalance, all controlled at the beck and call of an all-powerful, godlike being that somehow manages to keep her subjects ignorant of the underlying problems of their society. To make matters worse one could easily interpret the different friendship-related events to be BreadAndCircuses, which even the villain of [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017 the movie]] brings up when she calls out Equestria for wasting all their time on parties rather than actually ''doing something'' about constant attacks. The series has consistently shown, with creatures like the Windigos and ThePowerOfFriendship being literal, that their celebration of friendship could be closer to a mandatory ritual than something done for the sake of friendship. Season 8 even showed that while there is an ''illusion'' of Equestria being a constitutional monarchy with laws and policies the princesses have to follow, they are ultimately still free to bend, change, and outright break them on whims. Which raises the troubling interpretation that the ponies are tricked into thinking they have rights and protections to keep them content. That Equestria seems to have no legal process whatsoever outside of "whatever the princess who decided to show up feels like doing that day" and casually ignores what are even the most basic human rights in our world when imposing the law, certainly doesn't cast Equestria in a positive light either.
178* Another theory is that Equestria ''used'' to be a facist caste system because of the Hearth's Warming Eve play. It is the only time we see the ponies divided along earth pony/pegasus/unicorn lines and that is explicitly set in the past, implying that modern Equestria is much more racially balanced. If the unicorns somehow controlled all the learning and knowledge, then why is the most prominent teacher character (Cheerilee) an Earth pony? Also, if the unicorns oppressed the earth ponies in a 'first and second class citizen' manner, then why is the mayor of Ponyvile (Mayor Mare) an earth pony and what's to make of what happened to the Film Flam Brothers (both unicorns were run out of town by angry customers?) Queen Chrysalis being able to almost ''effortlessly'' sow distrust between the three pony types in no time at all in the SeriesFinale shows that, if this interpretation is true, the ponies have probably only been balanced this way for a very short amount of time and ''still'' deep-down harbor considerable dislike and distrust of one another.
179* ''Ms.'' magazine infamously ran a blog post that interpreted the characters in unflattering ways, including: magical white ponies had all the power and oppressed dark-colored ponies, you need the government to tell you what to do, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking girls that wear rainbows are butch]]. ''Creator/LaurenFaust herself'' [[http://msmagazine.com/blog/2010/12/24/my-little-non-homophobic-non-racist-non-smart-shaming-pony-a-rebuttal/ responded]].
180* Just who exactly is benefiting from the friendship reports that Twilight sends to the Princess? Are they intended solely to help with Twilight's personal growth as she learns more about friendship? Or are they for Princess Celestia as a way to understand the common Ponyvillers and how to interact with them? Or are they for Luna? "Magical Mystery Cure" heavily implies that all of Twilight's training, Friendship Reports included, were to make her ready [[spoiler:to become an alicorn]].
181* The entirety of [[Fanfic/EquestriaAHistoryRevealed this fanfic]] relies on this concept intensely, as the narrator analyzes almost every character, action, and event in a radically different way than portrayed in the show. From the goodness of Discord, to the evils of Celestia, and the fact that the Elements of Harmony are supposedly powered by [[spoiler: dark magic]] instead of friendship. But the fic [[PlayedForLaughs plays this up for laughs]].
182* The episode "Putting Your Hoof Down":
183** Did the entire town of Ponyville just happen to take about [[TookALevelInJerkass twelve levels of jerk-ass]] or, since this is the only time we have seen Fluttershy interact with them in general, is this how they [[FridgeHorror always treat her]]? It might explain why she tends to prefer the company of animals.
184** The episode itself has received this, with some believing it is actually a WholeEpisodeFlashback to a time ''before'' Twilight arrived, since Angel was never that much of a {{Jerkass}} in earlier episodes and Fluttershy herself [[TemporarilyExaggeratedTrait isn't that timid]] in earlier episodes.
185* [[OurDragonsAreDifferent The nature of the dragons as a species is widely debated]]. Common interpretations are that wild dragons tend to be {{Jerkass}}es and Spike's a NiceGuy because he was raised by ponies, while others suggest that adult dragons are powerful and dangerous when provoked but also intelligent and non-malicious. In which case they are the antagonists, only because we keep seeing them at their worst. The purple dragon had suffered a personal crisis, the red dragon was unreasonable because [[SleepDeprivation he was exhausted and the Mane Six kept interrupting his nap]], the green dragon overreacted because he thought Spike wanted to steal all his food, and the teenage dragons were immature idiots that hadn't learned how to behave.
186** The episode "Gauntlet of Fire" suggests that dragon culture is one based on AsskickingLeadsToLeadership, with a hierarchy and promotion system based on shows of strength, agility, and resourcefulness; and that compassion towards each other, while not looked down upon, is uncommon enough for it to be weird to other dragons. The episode also implies the dragons have an antagonistic relationship with the ponies, with both sides considering the other an enemy and engaged in a cold war. It is left unclear if dragons just dislike cute, friendly things or there is a deeper cause behind their enmity.
187* According to [[https://www.derpibooru.org/pony/unpopular-opinion-time/post/1563438#post_1563438 one fan]], the teenage dragons from "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E21DragonQuest Dragon Quest]]" did ''nothing'' wrong. She points out that the dragons, despite teasing Spike a bit, gave him multiple chances to prove himself and readily accepted him when he did. As for the phoenixes, while the dragons were a bit dickish about it, she saw them as an essential part of nature which was keeping down the population of a never-dying species which defends itself by lighting itself on fire, which would realistically be an over-populating and highly-destructive pest without another species to keep them in check like the fire-proof teenage dragons.
188* Are the duplicates from [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E3TooManyPinkiePies the Mirror Pool]] mindless constructs, reflections of Pinkie Pie's surface personality, or simply [[ReallyWasBornYesterday innocent children]] with [[{{Manchild}} adult bodies]]? The tone of the episode changes greatly depending on which interpretation the viewer uses. The problem is with the last clone to get zapped: Fans generally assume that she was the very first clone Pinkie created, who spent considerable time learning about the main characters, and as a result had more emotional range and depth than the clones who were cloned off of her. While the other clones cared very little about being zapped into oblivion, she was clearly ''terrified''. Opinions on this have been divisive at best, with some fans shrugging it off as "they were just mindless copies", with other fans going far enough to label Twilight's zapping of them as the ''single most evil thing portrayed in the show''.
189** As of [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E10TheSaddleRowReview season 6]] we know at least one escaped and lives in Manehattan. She was wearing a trenchcoat and fedora and actively hiding from Pinkie. It seems that duplicates can grow and learn, though at what point they become Pinkie's twin and not a destructive homonculus is another debate. Both of these could suggest that they are initially non-sentient, but can ''become'' sentient.
190* "A Canterlot Wedding Part 1":
191** How much of what Shining Armor said to Twilight was him being brainwashed, and how much of it was what he really meant?
192** Did Twilight's friends, mentor, and brother ''really'' abandon and shun her after her outburst until her vindication, or did they walk away (possibly for only a few minutes) to give everyone time to cool down, only to later be unable to find her? One of Equestria's most talented unicorns couldn't have been kidnapped, especially not in the middle of a secure castle on high alert, so she must have left on her own. Worrisome, but there is no reason to think that she is in danger. They can all have a long talk after the wedding.
193* "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E26TwilightsKingdomPart2 Twilight's Kingdom Part 2]]":
194** Was Lord Tirek planning to betray Discord from the start or did he feel betrayed when he learned that Discord was omitting info on Twilight?
195** Did Discord really join Tirek because he wanted to, or was it all part of his plan to help Twilight find her key? He was savvy enough to lead them to discover the other keys through their journal after all. In all it may seem a bit out of character for him to simply fall for Tirek's plan like that. And he may have omitted Twilight at first for this very reason. Another possibility is that he was following whatever whim struck him, you know, god of chaos and all.
196** Was Discord [[FaceHeelTurn siding with Tirek]] a deliberate betrayal of his friends, or did (save Fluttershy) [[TheFriendNobodyLikes none of them actually liking him]] and [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E11KeepCalmAndFlutterOn Celestia claiming she had him freed because he could be useful]] make Tirek's [[BreakingSpeech argument that their "friendship" was just a way to keep him in line]] seem legit? Helping is that seeing Shining Armor and Fluttershy [[EtTuBrute shocked and hurt by his betrayal]] caused Discord to [[HeelRealization regret his actions]].
197** Was the stained glass window depicting Princess Twilight left by Celestia in a moment of carelessness and haste? Or did the pony master of the BatmanGambit deliberately set up the Twi vs. Tirek conflict, to help her get the final key? It might be stretching it, but she might also have set up Discord against Tirek in a BatmanGambit as well.
198* The Crystal Empire. The term Empire refers to a nation that controls a large sovereign territory, as well as maintaining indirect or direct control over other territories, such as vassals, subjects or colonies. The only thing we see of the Crystal Empire is maybe 100 square kilometers, a single settlement, and it is ruled by a King (later a princess). It is possible that the Empire encapsulates a much larger territory than shown, or that it used to, but the different territories were annexed by other nations (namely Equestria) following the Empire's collapse.
199* TheReveal in the season finale is that the Legion of Doom was staged to give Twilight Sparkle a boost in confidence and groom her to take Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's place. One notices that all these villains only seemed to show up once Twilight began her friendship lessons, and seemed to go away again once she ''did'' take Celestia and Luna's place. There are also mysterious circumstances behind some of their escapes and returns. Princess Celestia's tendency to be a TricksterMentor raises a ''disturbing'' alternate interpretation of the events of the entire series. Was Discord just being Discord by staging a conflict and was called out for as such, or has Princess Celestia been doing this from the get-go and Discord was JustFollowingOrders and only got chastised for getting caught? It is even possible he, after watching Celestia do this, [[FollowTheLeader stupidly thought it was an okay thing to do]].
200* That said, how ''do'' we know that Discord didn't betray his friends for real in the final season? The only "proof" the ponies have that he didn't create the Legion of Doom in a genuine bid to [[FaceHeelTurn turn bum]] was his claim that his motives were valid, and Discord [[CompulsiveLiar struggles to tell the truth]] even when he is not [[ManipulativeBastard deliberately lying to them for a chuckle]]. Not to mention it is not [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E25TwilightsKingdomPart1 the first time he betrayed them for real]] only to [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E26TwilightsKingdomPart2 come crawling back when he was betrayed in turn]], and he is well aware the ponies have a track record for [[EasilyForgiven trusting and forgiving villains at the drop of a hat if they sound off about friendship]]. And, on the other hand, while he is not the sharpest tool in the shed at times, Discord is definitely intelligent enough that you would think he would realize a far safer plan would be to whip up some fake villains, since he is easily powerful enough to create thinking living threats that he could control if things went sour and he has indeed [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E2PrincessTwilightSparklePart2 done this in the past as well]].
201* Every non-pony race seems to at best be [[FantasticRacism irreverent to ponies and at worst outright want them dead]], and it leaves you wondering if the ponies don't bring a lot of this on themselves. On one hand the ponies are undoubtedly good folks who as a whole are trying to do right by the world and spread friendship and non-pony races do tend to be jerks by default. On the other hand the ponies [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E21OverABarrel have no qualms stealing land from other races]], [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS8E1SchoolDazePart1 have nauseatingly racist laws as official policy]], seem to by default treat other races like sheep, cows, griffons, on occasion even Spike, and characters like Ahuizotl as either lesser entities or outright villains by default, seem to be willing to treat [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E6BoastBusters even]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E19PuttingYourHoofDown their]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E1TheCutieMapPart1 own]] horridly at the drop of a hat, and have been directly or indirectly responsible for nearly every world ending threat the series has ever seen. It makes you wonder if the low opinion these other races have for them is wholly justified or even outright deserved. If the ponies were in a series where [[ProtagonistCenteredMorality they weren't the stars]], they would be at best [[FantasticRacism racist]] HolierThanThou [[CantArgueWithElves smug "elves"]] or outright villains.
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203[[AC:[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls Equestria Girls]]]]
204* ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsLegendOfEverfree Legend of Everfree]]'' has Sunset Shimmer respond to Flash Sentry's unwanted [[DoppelgangerReplacementLoveInterest interest in human Twilight Sparkle]] by saying he should get over his feelings for Twilight. Was she being InnocentlyInsensitive to his feelings for pony Twilight Sparkle, which she previously supported? Did she know or assume pony Twilight has lost interest or was too busy for romance, and never found the time or way to break it to him earlier? Was her reaction motivated by Sunset's desire to be (back) together with Flash, to be together [[LesYay with (either) Twilight]], or to be together with Flash to keep him from an uninterested Twilight? Or was she too preoccupied at the moment to give a more thought out response?

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