Characters / Ace Combat: Equestria Chronicles

The Character page for Ace Combat: Equestria Chronicles fanfics.

Please see the original page for the show's canon character portrayals.

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Mirage squadron

A group of seven pegasi ponies (five, initially) who become Equestria's main aerial defense force when the Wonderbolts are incapacitated. Driven by purpose and bound by friendship, they will do everything in their might to protect their homeland.

Tropes shared by all members

• Action Girls: Each of them are capable of taking on multiple Mooks and beating them.
• Badass Crew: Feared by enemies, praised by their allies.
• Cute Bruisers: They look and act like normal ponies, unless they are fighting the enemy. They can take a beating and still celebrate a victory.
• Determinators: When they have an objective, they won't stop until they will succeed.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Firefly, Rainbow Dash, Medley and Cloud Kicker are the reds to Fluttershy, Lightning Bolt, and Derpy's blues.
• Made of Iron: Despite the fact they get injured many times, they keep on fighting until the end, setting prime example for other squadrons to follow.
• True Companions: While not as close as The Mane Six, they become those over the course of The Equestrian War.

Rainbow Dash

A blue pegasus pony, representing the Element of Loyalty and second-in-command of the Mirage squadron. Regarded as the fastest pegasus in Equestria. She's headstrong and determined to fight against even the most difficult of odds. Rainbow hopes to become a member of the Wonderbolts in the future.

In Wings of Unity, she takes flight once again, this time as the squadron leader and renowned as a truly exceptional flier as well as a honorary member of the Wonderbolts.

Callsign: Rainbow (aka Mirage 2)^note  Mirage 1 since Wings of Unity

• Big Brother Mentor: To Medley, in a sense.
• Break the Cutie: Both physically and mentally in chapter 11 of The Equestrian War, courtesy of Gilda.
• Cool Big Sis: Behaves this way toward Fluttershy.
• Deadpan Snarker: Her sarcasm gets the best of her sometimes, usually in situations she doesn't consider serious.
• Dynamic Entry: Makes one by the end of chapter 12 of The Equestrian War. Another one is made in chapter 3 of Wings of Unity.
• Heroic BSoD: Being the Element of Loyalty, she doesn't take Gilda's betrayal very well.
• Heroic Resolve: She wishes to avenge the Wonderbolts and protect Equestria with all of her heart.
• I Am What I Am: Explains it to Firefly and later, to Gilda; that she learned to overcome her faults with a help from her friends and now she is the pony they see. The same on the outside, but different inside.
• Implied Love Interest: Wings of Unity show that Rainbow has a mild (and most likely, one-sided) crush on Mobius, even though she is aware he might not appear in her life again.
• It's All My Fault: Says it several times in chapters 11 and 12 of The Equestrian War, accusing herself of being unable to protect Medley and almost letting her die.
• Lightning Bruiser: Especially when she's facing a difficult oponent; she becomes not only fast, but also physically strong.
• Morality Pet: To Firefly, at the beginning. She helps her in realizing what is really important for a pegasus fighter.
• "No More Holding Back" Speech: In chapter 20 of The Equestrian War, while fighting against Gilda.
  Rainbow Dash: I hate to break it to you, G, but you’ve lost this battle the moment you attacked Firefly. No... actually, even back when you hurt Medley. But I’ve got to thank you for one thing. For challenging me! Thanks to you, I still have one more reason to fight and live! We may not be so different after all, but I can clearly see who is who. And you’re not yourself! But since there is nopony else in the sky besides us, now you’ll get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see just how fast I really am!
• Plucky Girl: Doesn't hesitate to jump straight into the lion's mouth, no matter how difficult things may seem.
• Red Baron: She receives the nickname "Princess of the Skies" by the end of The Equestrian War.
• Save the Villain: Prevents Gilda from crashing to the ground after defeating her.
• Signature Move: The Sonic Rainboom.
• Supporting Leader: When the team splits, Rainbow Dash leads one group while Firefly leads the other.
• Super-Speed: Easily one of the fastest pegasus fighters in all of Equestria.
• The Rival: To Gilda.
• Undying Loyalty: Never leaves her friends behind.

Firefly

The leader of the squadron. Upon her return to Equestria, she is permitted by Princess Celestia to form her own team in an attempt to help other ponies in defending their homeland. But she also has a personal motive for coming back. Being a determined and confident mare, she has a natural knack for being a leader. Though Firefly may seem cold and apathetic, she has a sensitive soul and is a likable, understanding pony.

Upon giving leadership to Rainbow Dash in chapter 18 of The Equestrian War, Firefly remained in the team as second-in-command. In the epilogue, she decides to live with Rainbow as her "older twin sister". In Wings of Unity, she stands with the others against the Exile invasion.

Callsign: Flash (aka Mirage 1) ^note  Mirage 2 since Wings of Unity

• Break the Cutie: What Black Star did to her.
• Broken Bird: She suffered a lot as a teenager and has a hard time trusting others.
• Dark and Troubled Past: And how. Lost both of her parents and nearly got killed herself when she was younger.
• Deadpan Snarker: Even more so than Rainbow Dash.
• Dynamic Entry: Does one in chapter 2 of The Equestrian War, helping Rainbow Dash against the Talon squadron.
• Friendless Background: Was too focused on training to make any friends. Thanks to Mirage squadron, she discovers friendship anew.
• Happily Adopted: At the end of The Equestrian War, she decides to stay in Equestria and live together with Rainbow Dash - her cousin and sister alike.
• Horrible Judge of Character: In the beginning. She thought of Derpy's quailing for her daughter as "drama", initially considered Fluttershy a wimp for not wanting to fight the griffons, and failed to notice that her friends really do care for her. Thankfully, she's gotten better.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She may appear cold toward her teammates at times, but deep down inside, she cares for them like for her own family.
• Lightning Bruiser: Thanks to quick reflexes and above-average physical strength, she can take on tough opponents and give them a hard time.
• Orphan's Ordeal: Both of her parents were killed by Black Star when she was a young mare.
• Palette Swap: Justified, since she was Rainbow Dash's original design for the show.
• The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Toward Black Star.
• The Nicknamer: Gives her teammates callsigns based on their cutie marks or character traits.
• Tsundere: Made especially obvious in chapters 3 and 4 of The Equestrian War.

Fluttershy

A timid and shy pegasus pony, representing the Element of Kindness. She joins the Mirage squadron reluctantly, by Rainbow Dash's suggestion. Initially detests the war in every meaning, but upon seeing her animal friends being wounded by the griffin ruffians, Fluttershy begins to realize that fighting is sometimes the only option. She forms a deep bond of friendship with Rainbow Dash, as they have been friends since childhood.

In Wings of Unity, she once again finds herself facing the horrors of war. This time, however, Flutterhy is not hesitant to fight back.

Callsign: Butterfly (aka Mirage 5)

• Badass Pacifist: She normally tries to avoid fighting, but when it becomes absolutely necessary, she will fight.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Normally she detests violence and is one of the nicest ponies, but she can be dangerous when angered.
• A Day in the Limelight: Chapters 3 and 10 of The Equestrian War focus greatly on her. So does the second part of chapter 17.
• Good Is Not Soft: In Wings of Unity. Best exemplified by her knocking an enemy pegasus from the sky with one punch, which apparently kills him instantly.
• The Heart: Easily the kindest pegasus among the Mirage fliers and certainly not the weakest.
• Heroic Resolve: Her desire to protect her friends.
• Heroic Second Wind: When Night Raven reveals to her how much of a Blood Knight he is, she regains the strength to fight and defeat him.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: At the beginning of Wings of Unity, she confesses to Rainbow that she had feelings for Shamrock, but when she met his girlfriend on a trip in Emareia and heard he wants to start his life anew, she accepted it, holding no biterness toward Shamrock's fiancee. Fluttershy additionally says she still views Shamrock as a dear friend, but nothing more.
• Post-Victory Collapse: Though very exhausted and feeling immense pain after fighting Night Raven, Fluttershy doesn't collapse but remains semi-conscious. She passes out after Firefly congratulates her.
• Pre-Mortem One-Liner- Says one to a bulking Exile peagaus, who cruely punched Medley, staring him down just before she allows Rainbow to finish him off.
  Fluttershy: Hurting my friend was your last mistake. Rainbow!
• Team Mom: She acts like one in Wings of Unity when the team goes through hard times. Especially after Rainbow's dissappearance.
• 10-Minute Retirement: In chapter 3 of The Equestrian War. Firefly convinces her that she never actually left the team, though.
• This Is Unforgivable!: She believes that the war is a great mistake, and griffins made such mistake by starting it.
  • She treats the invasion of the Exiles the same way upon witnessing their atrocities.
• Tranquil Fury: Against Razor in chapter 10 of The Equestrian War, after he tried to kill Cloud Kicker.
  • She does this again in chapter 11b of "Wings of Unity", when a bulky pegasus punches Medley just after he stops chocking her to escape. It is this action is what causes Fluttershy to not allow him to escape.
• Unstoppable Rage: Against Night Raven in chapter 17 of The Equestrian War, after he reveals how much of a Blood Knight he is. She also has a brief episode of this when she sees the devastation the Exiles have brought on Fillydelphia in Wings of Unity. See Good Is Not Soft above for details.

Lightning Bolt

One of many workers in Cloudsdale Weather Factory, she volunteers to join Firefly's team upon hearing of the griffin invasion. Lightning Bolt is quite intelligent and has a knack for all things mechanical. She's usually collected and reasonable, but there are times she slightly loosens her attitude. Lightning and Cloud Kicker are the best of friends and are rarely seen apart.

Since the epilogue of The Equestrian War, she and Cloud Kicker live together and they are quick to rejoin the squadron when another conflict erupts.

Callsign: Thunder (aka Mirage 3)

• Adaptational Badass: From a simple background pony to a technology gearhead.
• Communications Officer: She's usually the first to anwser any calls from the HQ regarding another mission.
• Curtains Match the Window: Her mane and eyes are both cyan blue.
• The Engineer: Partially helped in creating the communicators used by the Equestrian Allied Forces.
• First-Name Basis: When not referred to by her callsign, she is often called "Lightning" by others.
• Genius Ditz: Occasionally slips into this to lighten up the mood.
• Glass Cannon: She can cripple or outright kill her opponents with Shining Spark and is generally a good fighter, but her durability is limited.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Cloud Kicker.
• The Lancer: Firefly considers her to be this in The Equestrian War.
• Ramming Always Works: Or at least when said ram is her Signature Move.
• The Smart Guy: She designed the Mirage squadron's communicators and wants to add "night vision mode" to the radar.
• Signature Move: Shining Spark, a high-speed areal tackle boosted by Pegasus magic. She uses it to send both griffons and Exile fliers tumbling toward the ground, sometimes taking out groups of enemies all at once. It's also implied to hit hard enough to break an enemy's spine if she aims for their back.

Cloud Kicker

An optimistic and cheerful young adult mare, she also worked in Cloudsdale Weather Factory prior to the griffin invasion. There, she met Lightning Bolt and befriended her. Since then, the two are rarely seen apart. Though she doesn't excel in any attribute, she's a good support and has great senses of sight and hearing.

Since the epilogue of The Equestrian War, she and Lightning Bolt live together and they are quick to rejoin the squadron when another conflict erupts.

Callsign: Sunny (aka Mirage 4)

• Badass Adorable: While this applies to the whole squadron, it's best exemplified by Cloud Kicker. She's normally sweet and playful, though she can fight her opponents with cool moves.
• Battle Cry: "May the sun and moon shine upon us!" It gets adapted by the rest of the team later.
• Break the Cutie: In chapter 15 of The Equestrian War, hearing about the deaths of several ponies and witnessing Carrot Top's death made her burst into tears, much to her friends' shock.
• Combat Pragmatist: In chapter 3 of The Equestrian War, she's rather confused by Fluttershy not finishing a falling griffon off and letting his comrades rescue him. This happens to be the very first time she goes into combat, and before Mirage's members have even been inducted into the military.
• Does Not Understand Sarcasm: And it leads to several funny pieces of dialogue.
• First-Name Basis: Like Lightning, but less often.
• Go Through Me: Decides to fight Razor alone and keep him away from the rest of the squadron when they head into The Burning Talon. She is defeated and Fluttershy helps her later.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Lightning Bolt.
• I Owe You My Life: To Fluttershy, in chapter 10 of The Equestrian War. She makes it even in chapter 17.
• Jack of All Stats: Compared to other Mirage fliers, she doesn't excel in any attribute.
• Manchild: Lightning occassionaly tends to call her out on this, such as in chapter 10a of Wings of Unity.
• Motor Mouth: Sometimes speaks too fast for other ponies to follow coherently, especially Fluttershy.
• Plucky Girl: She takes on even the most dangerous of opponents with a grin.

Derpy

An average mare living in Ponyville with her little daughter, Dinky. Her whole life is turned upside down when the griffins attack Equestria. Thanks to Mirage squadron's assistance, she manages to rescue Dinky from her kidnappers and later, joins the squadron to help drive the invasion away. Though her outside appearance may suggest that Derpy is a silly pony, she possesses a great heart and is very empathic toward others.

In Wings of Unity, she lives together with Dinky and Pipsqueak, but rejoins the squadron when the Exiles invade Equestria. She cares deeply for her kids and would never want to see them hurt.

Callsign: Ditzy (aka Mirage 6)

• Absurdly Youthful Mother: In human years, she's in her early twenties at best.
• Action Mom: Will do everything to protect Dinky, even if it means going up against impossible odds.
• Break the Cutie: She's fully broken for the majority of chapter 15, when her two best friends die.
• Composite Character: Her callsign is "Ditzy". She doesn't mind being called by either name, though.
• Glacier Waif: The slowest flier in the team, but can take a lot of damage.
• Heroic Resolve: She wishes to save her daughter. When she does, she joins the team as a literal Sixth Ranger to help them drive the invasion off.
• I Gave My Word: Promised Carrot Top that she won't die in the war.
• The Klutz: Is seen as one by other ponies at the beginning.
• Mama Bear: In The Equestrian War, she takes on four griffons, who were all trained soldiers, by herself, when they kidnap Dinky.
• Pre-Mortem One-Liner: Quips "Here's a special delivery!" when she bombs an Exile battleship in Wings of Unity. Bonus points for scoring a One-Hit Kill on said battleship, blowing it to flaming wreckage. More bonus points for a Total Party Kill on the crew of said ship. It blows up within seconds of the bomb-drop, and there is NO mention of even a single lifeboat floating around.

Medley

Still a young pegasus, Medley joins the Mirage squadron while helping them defend Trottingham in early phase of the war. She's a fast flyer and has a truly eagle-eyed sight, becoming a valuable scout. Medley idolizes Rainbow Dash. Despite the initial low self-esteem, she hopes to overcome her problems and aid her friends in defending Equestria.

She became Fluttershy's animal assistant in the epilogue of The Equestrian War. In Wings of Unity, she bravely stands up against the Exile invasion alongside her friends, determined to do whatever she can to help.

Callsign: Kid (aka Mirage 7)

• Break the Cutie: What Gilda literally did to her in chapter 11 of The Equestrian War.
• Foe-Tossing Charge: When trying to save Rainbow Dash's life in chapter 11 of The Equestrian War, she charges head-on toward the griffins who hold Rainbow captive and defeats two of them.
• Fragile Speedster: Her speed can sometimes match Firefly and Rainbow Dash, but she can't take much punishment.
• Innocent Blue Eyes
• I Told You So: Medley knew that not every griffon was a bastard. Turns out she was right.
• Little Miss Badass: She's the youngest among the Mirage fliers.
• The Load: Sees herself as such at times. This is dropped after chapter 12 of The Equestrian War, specifically after a conversation with Rainbow Dash.
• The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Medley considers Rainbow Dash a superior flier and the best pegasus in Equestria.
• Palette Swap: Has the same design as Lightning Bolt, albeit a little shorter.

FiM Cast

Twilight Sparkle

A purple unicorn, representing the Element of Magic. She is Princess Celestia's trusted student and is responsible for majority of the unicorn units. Having a great sense of organization and a nearly limitless magical potential, Twilight Sparkle serves as a great support to the main heroines.

• Badass Bookworm
• Commanding Coolness: She's viewed as the leading commander of the Equestrian Allied Forces and the unicorns.
• Determinator
• First-Name Basis: Her friends usually reffer to her as "Twilight"
• Magic Knight: She can fight with a large variety of energy beam spells.
• Rousing Speech: Gives an epic one in chapter 17 of The Equestrian War.
• Supporting Leader: She leads the unicorns in most major battles.
• Supporting Protagonist: She's usually the first pony outside of the main heroes that Rainbow goes to talk with. Also, her "Arcana" battalion usually fights in important battles along with the Mirage squadron.

Applejack

An orange earth pony, representing the Element of Honesty. She's strong and somewhat stubborn. Taken prisoner by the griffins during the events of The Equestrian War, she is subjected to a painful experience, but is rescued by Rainbow Dash and the Mirage squadron. Applejack and Rainbow consider each other as best friends.

• Made of Iron: She did survive a lengthy and brutal interrogation.
• Supporting Protagonist: She leads her own "Apple" battalion and sometimes fights alongside Raibow's team.

Rarity

A white unicorn, representing the Element of Generosity. She doesn't like the war one bit, but decides to aid her friends nonetheless. Rarity has a tendency to making special uniforms and vests, which help the ponies in identifying their teams.

• Custom Uniform: Plus, she makes seven of these for Rainbow Dash and her friends.
• Supporting Protagonist: She designed the uniforms for the army and aids the Mirage squadron with her unit in some battles.

Pinkie Pie

A hyperactive pink earth pony, representing the Element of Laughter. Though lighthearted, she does see the war in Equestria as a big problem and, before the Mirage squadron is sent on a crucial mission, she decides to throw a big party in their honor. Her cheerful demeanor is one of those things that doesn't change throughout the conflicts.

• Genki Girl: Hyperactive as ever, always trying to keep her friends in high spirit.
• Plucky Comic Relief: When she usually appears, she either says or does something funny to relief others of stress.
• Screw the War, We're Partying: At least in chapter 9 of The Equestrian War, where she throws a big one before Mirage heads out to battle a few days later.
• Supporting Protagonist: Her unit sometimes participates in important battles (such as the mission to recover Manehattan's Air Force base).

Spike

A young purple dragon and Twilight's assistant. He acts as a chronicler, noting all important facts about The Equestrian War.

• Minor Major Character: While he's a major character in the show, in the stories, he is mostly on the sidelines.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna

Twin winged unicorn sisters, rulers of Equestria. Celestia represents daytime, while Luna is responsible for the night. They are wise and confident in the abilities of their subjects, believing that despite differences on the outside, they are all equal inside.

• Barrier Warriors: They put one around Canterlot Castle during major battles.
• Big Goods: They are the leaders of Equestria Allied Forces. They are not afraid to use their great magic powers if it means protecting their subordinates.
• In-Universe Nickname: Luna has a habit of referring to Celestia as "Tia" at times.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: They are responsible for the Equestrian Allied Forces and put up a defensive barrier around Canterlot Castle, continuously powering it up with their magic.
  • In Wings of Unity, they use their powers to make quick work of the Exiles in chapter 8.

Cheerilee

A teacher in the Ponyville School, she takes care of the fillies after the war erupts. Cheerilee has a kind and gentle personality.

• The Nicknamer: Along with the fillies, she calls the Mirage squadron "Angels of Equestria".

The Cutie Mark Crusaders

A group of three fillies; Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. In Wings of Unity, the group is extended to seven members, with Dinky, Pipsqueak, Rumble and Button Mash joining them.

• Ascended Extra: Button Mash.
• Child Soldiers: They make good use of a catapult against the griffons, using food items as ammunition. In Wings of Unity, they attempt to operate as "Cutie Mark Crusaders Scouting Team", and even go into combat along side Firecracker Burst to sabotage an Exile tank batallion.
• Conditioned to Accept Horror: Worryingly hinted at in chapter 10b of Wings of Unity, when the Crusaders and Firecracker Burst sneak behind enemy lines to destroy some Exile tanks. Dinky's reaction to seeing a horribly-burned Exile soldier moan in agony before dying, very close to her?
  Dinky: "Oh, gross..."
  • And then there's the fact that they wanted to go on a dangerous mission like that in the first place, knowing they'd end up taking lives. YMMV, but that may be in a different league than their catapult stunt in The Equestrian War...
• I Know Mortal Kombat: Button Mash's video game skills come in handy when dealing with some Exile tanks.

Lightning Dust

A reckless, yet talented pegasus fighter that wants to prove herself as the best in the world. She tends to be very aggressive and disrespectful, even toward her allies. She leads the Viper squadron and appears in Ace Combat: Wings of Unity.

• Hot-Blooded: Oh, yes. In battle, she is very energetic and tends to shout most of the time.
• It's All About Me: She wants to prove that she is the best and will do anything to reach the top.
• Jerkass: Even more so than in her debut in the show, showing little respect for anypony around her.
• Lack of Empathy: She still doesn't care if anypony will get injured or even killed because of her actions. Her teammates from Viper squadron seem to be the only exception.
• Leeroy Jenkins: Most of the time, she tends to rush ahead and doesn't think much about strategy.
• Never My Fault: Zig-zagged; while she doesn't consider her actions as wrong, she does regret the fact that her bravado led to half of her squadron being wiped out by Orgoi.
• The Rival: To Rainbow Dash. She considers her to be her biggest obstacle in becoming the best, so when they end up being alone in Chapter 13, she challenges Rainbow to a fight.
• Super-Speed: According to Spitfire, only Rainbow Dash can keep up with her when she gets serious.

The Wonderbolts

Equestria's elite flying team, primarily known for performing various radical stunts on their air shows. However, they are also skilled fighters. Though incapacitated by the two griffin aces at the beginning of the war, they eventually recover. They aid the Mirage squadron and other ponies in several battles.

Spitfire

Captain of the Wonderbolts. Despite her outside look, she is always relaxed and level-headed. Spitfire sees Rainbow Dash as a pegasus with a potential to become a Wonderbolt in the future.

• The Captain: Usually called that way by most pegasi.
• Determinator: She'll got to great lengths to protect her friends and defeat the enemy.
• Flaming Hair: Her mane does appear to be fire.
• Heroic BSoD: Suffers a major one in chapter 7 of Wings of Unity after Firebolt's death.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Among the pegasi and, in EAF, she is seen as an air force commander overall.
  

Soarin'

Spitifre's companion and good friend. He has a versatile style and can perform a wide variety of tasks.

• Captain Obvious: At times her tends to spell out things that everypony else already know about.
• Sweet Tooth: His favorite snack is an apple pie, after all.
• Wingman: To Spitfire. They share unyielding trust toward each other.
  

Firebolt

A young and energetic mare. She holds deep respect for Spitifre and usually speaks in a formal tone. Firebolt believes that war could have been avoided and happens only because of misguided ideals.

She is killed by Aigaion during the siege of Canterlot in Wings of Unity.

• Fiery Redhead: Impulsive and always ready for a confrontation.
• Heroic Sacrifice: She is hit by Aigaion's Agony Flame in Spitfire's place, after she shoves her away.
• Last Words: "Mo...ther..."
• Little Miss Snarker: Doesn't hesitate to point out Soarin's obvious statements.
• Taking the Bullet: More like taking a dragon's fire in the face!
  

Gale

The Wonderbolts' operator. He provides the main source of information to the Mirage squadron in many key operations. By some ponies, he is viewed as the actual pegasus commander.

• Mission Control: For the Equestrian Allied Forces.
• The Strategist: Explains most missions to Mirage and assigns roles before the battles.
• Voice with an Internet Connection: For Mirage Squadron and the fliers in general. He still appears in person, though.

Heavy Cloud

A veteran, retired Wonderbolt, who returns to offer his services as an operator. He appears in Ace Combat: Wings of Unity.

• Been There, Shaped History: After the Ulysses Disaster, he and the Wonderbolts travelled all over the world, helping to those in need of protection. He also trained many great pegasi fighters, including Spitfire and Soarin'.
• Dirty Old Man: His first thought after seeing Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker could hint on that. He thought he could "go out with them".
• Expy: While he is supposed to be similar to an AWACS from Ace Combat: Infinity, his personality is closer to Captain Bartlett.
• Mission Control: He cover the battle operations during the battle for Cloudsdale in Chapter 10a of Wings of Unity.

Pegasi Leaders

All of these are Original Characters.

Tornado Swirl

A green pegasus with decent combat experience. He leads the Burner squadron.

• Battle Couple: With Overdrive.
• First-Name Basis: Overdrive usually reffers to him as "Tornado".
• Jack of All Stats: He's got a balanced fighting style without any glaring flaws and can adjust to any situation on the battlefield.

Overdrive

A lavender pegasus with an orange mane. She specializes in interception. She leads the Racer squadron.

• Battle Couple: With Tornado Swirl.
• Fragile Speedster: Since interception is her forte, she is naturally very agile.
• Humble Hero: She never lets her sucessess get in her head and distract her.

Sunburst

A brave orange pegasus who is a skilled aerial fighter. He leads the Phoenix squadron.

• A Father to His Men: He cares for his wingmates and is visibly distraught over their deaths at the end of The Equestrian War.
• Curtains Match the Window: Almost the same color as Lightning Bolt.
• Lightning Bruiser: He is both fast and strong, capable of fighting several opponents at once.

Quick Chaser

An adventurous cyan pegasus, specializing in dogfights. He leads the Sweeper squadron.

• Fragile Speedster: Quick and nimble, he can easily outmaneuver slower opponents, but may get crippled if his wings are as much as scratched by a bullet.
• Meaningful Name: He is fast and usually chases after escaping enemies.

Thunder Flicker

An adult amber pegasus who loves a good challenge. He leads the Lancer squadron.

• Achilles' Heel: Though he's a good fighter, he never participates in bombing operations because his aim is terrible.
• Challenge Seeker: He always tries to prove himself that he is the best,
• Lightning Bruiser: He is strong and fast, capable of fighting regular Mooks with ease.
  

Blueberry

A purple female pegasus with a gentle personality. She appears in Ace Combat: The Equestrian War and leads the Clover squadron.

• Dying Moment of Awesome: She takes on four griffin soldiers during the siege on Canterlot and manages to defeat one of them before Night Raven kills her.
• Glacier Waif: Not as fast as other leaders, but has surprisingly high stamina.
• Sole Survivor: Her squadron was decimated during the Battle for Stalliongrad.
• Survivor Guilt: She feels responsible for her wingmates' deaths and questions her usefulness.
• Shrinking Violet: Very shy and insecure until she meets Fluttershy, who helps her open up.

Flare Star

A slightly tomboyish green female pegasus. She leads the Dragon squadron.

• Blood Knight: Implied. She's not sadistic or prone to brutality, but she's (so far) noticeably more aggressive than her teammates and seems to get caught in the adrenaline of battle, smashing at least one enemy pegasus' spine in Chapter 6 and making quite a show out of bombing the Exile artillery. She even bares her teeth when she throws a "top that" to Tornado Swirl afterwards.
  • Shows more signs of this in Chapter 10a, when fighting Pearl Eyes. Flare rather brutally beats Pearl down, and tries to finish her off by Slowly crushing her ribcage, ignoring Pearl's pleas for mercy.
• Icy Blue Eyes: They distinguish her from other pegasi leaders. Also, she can be downright ruthless in battle.
• Pre-Mortem One-Liner: Taunts the Exile artillery with "Here, catch!" as she bombs them in Wings of Unity.
• Tomboy: Definitely acts like one, being loud and seeking attention.

Blackberry

Blueberry's older sister. She seeks to avenge her death by any means necessary. She appears in Ace Combat: Wings of Unity and leads the Cygnus squadron.

• Revenge Before Reason: Her prime enemies are griffins, regardless of their intentions.

Foreign Aces

Mobius

A mysterious pegasus from outside of Equestria. Regarded as a living legend and the best flier among the pegasi. Though he is silent all the time, his actions speak louder than words. Appears in Ace Combat: The Equestrian War.

• The Ace: Regarded as the greatest pegasus fighter in modern history.
• Bruiser with a Soft Center: He's deeply saddened by the death of Carrot Top in chapter 15.
• Curtains Match the Window: A silver mane and eyes.
• Death Glare: Stares down Razor in chapter 7.
• Establishing Character Moment: When he first appears, Mobius shows his badass cred by taking out three griffins all by himself, each with a single hit.
• Expy: Of Mobius 1 from Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
• He Who Must Not Be Heard: Never says a single word, instead relying on Sky Eye to read his facial expressions and gestures.
• One-Man Army: He can fight entire squadrons and still emerge victorious.
• Red Baron: He's referred to as "The Ribbon Fighter" by Gale and "The Heavenly Ribbon" by Echo.
• Returning War Vet: Fought in the Usean Continental War and turned the tide of said war almost singlehandedly.
• The Rival: To Echo. They go way back to Usean Continential War

Talisman

A gray, red-maned adult pegasus, hailing from Emareia. He decides to join the conflict in order to help protect the land assaulted by the enemy. His attitude is slightly reserved. Appears in Ace Combat: The Equestrian War.

• Canon Foreigner: Straight from Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.
• Not So Stoic: He is quite saddened by the deaths of several ponies in chapter 15 despite knowing next to nothing about them.
• Pre Ass Kicking One Liner: "We bring the fires of liberation."
• Returning War Vet: Fought in the Anean Continental War alongside Shamrock.
• The Quiet One: He does speak, but not as much as his wingman.

Shamrock

A green, black-maned adult pegasus, hailing from Emareia. He decides to join the conflict in order to help protect the land assaulted by the enemy. Compared to his friend, he is more willing to speak and outgoing. Appears in Ace Combat: The Equestrian War.

• Expy: Of Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation's Wingman.
• My Greatest Failure: He could have saved Carrot Top, but he had to choose between her and helping the other pegasi.
• Nice Guy: Not to say Mobius and Talisman aren't nice, but Shamrock is definitely more outgoing than they are.
• Returning War Vet: Fought in the Anean Continental War alongside Talisman.
• Wingman: To Talisman. They are rarely seen apart.

Sky Eye

Mobius' assistant, providing him with early warnings of potential enemy threats. Appears in Ace Combat: The Equestrian War.

• Expy: Of AWACS from Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
• Voice with an Internet Connection: For Mobius.
• Voice for the Voiceless: He speaks on Mobius' behalf.

Griffins

Main antagonists of Ace Combat: The Equestrian War. All of these are Original Characters with one exception. They are also known only by their codenames.

Black Star / Blake

Image by Slowasaurus.

One of the griffins responsible for coup d'etat in The Griffin Kingdom and starting The Equestrian War. He is a cold-hearted soldier with an ambition. Black Star prefers to use cold logic rather than pointless violence and is quite cunning.

• The Ace: Considered to be the best the Griffin Army has to offer.
• Affably Evil: Speaks softly of his opponents if he considers them worthy adversaries. This is especially true for Firefly.
• Anti-Villain: He is perceived as a villain by the heroines, but he himself believes he fights for his country's glory.
• Creepy Monotone: Frequently implied to be having this kind of voice.
• Dark Is Evil: His black feathers easily identify him as a bad guy. That is, until chapter 17 of The Equestrian War, where we learn that Dark Is Not Evil...
• The Dragon: To General Silverbeak.
• Hero of Another Story: He is the main character in spin-off Ace Combat: Gryphon Wings.
• Heel–Face Turn: In chapter 19, after he is defeated by Firefly.
• I Did What I Had to Do: His excuse for killing Firefly's parents, as they were suspected to stage a mutiny against The Griffin Kingdom. Turned out to be false.
• My Country, Right or Wrong: Whatever he is doing, he believes it's going to help the Griffin Kingdom return to splendor. Even if it means killing innocent ponies.
• Necessarily Evil: Explains his motivation and reasons for starting the war in chapter 17 of The Equstrian War.
• Redemption Equals Death: Averted. Firefly tries to kill him off at first, but ultimately lets him live.
• Worthy Opponent: He thinks so about Firefly and the Mirage squadron.

Red Cyclone / Rad

One of the griffins responsible for coup d'etat in The Griffin Kingdom and starting The Equestrian War. Red Cyclone is a brutal warrior and sees the ponies as weaklings, unworthy of living. He devises a plan that would culminate in the devastation of ponykind.

• Ax-Crazy: He wouldn't hesitate to kill his own men if they were questioning his orders!
• Big Bad: Of The Equestrian War. He orchestrated the assasination of King Lightbeak and manipulated Blake to help him start a war with Equestria.
• Evil Gloating: Does it to Rainbow Dash in Chapter 19.
• Karmic Death: Dies inside his own Fortress Intimidation.
• Large Ham: Is he ever!
• Laughing Mad
• Manipulative Bastard: Managed to manipulate the whole griffin army into thinking the ponies killed General Silverbeak. Also, he manipulated Blake into killing Firefly's parents.
• The Neidermeyer: He's got a bad habit of shouting at his soldiers at every chance he gets.
• Omnicidal Maniac: He wants to kill as many ponies as possible. They don't fit his image of the world.

• Schemer
• Smug Snake: Oh, so much.
• The Social Darwinist: He seeks to create a world where only the strong survive and the weak are mercilessly slaughtered.
• The Starscream: Betrays General Silverbeak and shows his true colors in chapter 14 of The Equestrian War.

General Silverbeak

Leader of the Griffin Army. He is bound to Black Star and Red Cyclone.

• Authority in Name Only: The Griffin Army is actually overseen by Red Cyclone. He's just a figurehead.
• Even Evil Has Standards: When Red Cyclone tells him about his plan, he refuses to take part in it.
• Expy: Of General Ivan Stagleishov.
• Glorious Leader: Red Cyclone thinks of him as such. Until chapter 14.

Echo / Erik

An experienced griffon soldier who wears a yellow vest with the number 13 on it.

• Anti-Villain: He outright despises trickery, preferring to fight his foes fairly.
• Expy: Of Yellow 13.
• Go Out with a Smile: Is killed by Mobius in Chapter 19, glad that he will be reunited with Yellow 4.
• Returning War Vet: Fought in the Usean Continental War against Mobius.
• The Rival: To Mobius. They go way back to Usean Continential War.

Scythe / Steve

Leader of the Talon squadron, the elite fighter team of the Griffin Army.

• Death Seeker: After chapter 10, where he loses most of his squadron.
• Villainous Breakdown: In chapter 13 of The Equestrian War. Complete with a Suicide Attack.

Vulture / Dominic

An arrogant griffon soldier.

• Leeroy Jenkins: He has a tendency to charge into battle recklessly.
• Smug Snake: Overconfident and reckless fighter.
• Too Dumb to Live: Usually rushes head-on into a battle, disregarding his own safety. This is what gets him killed in the end.

Razor / Rob

A griffon soldier who holds little respect for those around him.

• The Brute: His behavior is...less than professional.
• Smug Snake: He always disses those he finds weaker than him.
• Too Dumb to Live: He could have easily survived the fight in Chapter 10 if he'd surrendered. Instead, he took on two pegasi at once...one of which was Fluttershy, who was in the midst Tranquil Fury.

Axe / Alex

A griffon soldier who always follows orders.

• Being Evil Sucks: Pity he realized it a bit too late.
• Just Following Orders: He does this because he knows that ignoring them is a death sentence.
• Redemption Equals Death: When Derpy takes him down, he apologizes for everything he did.

Zeakros / Valdar

A smart and far-sighted griffon soldier, he leads the Northwind squadron. In the spin-off Gryphon Wings, he is chosen to be the new griffon king.

• Even Evil Has Standards: He is against kidnapping fillies.
• Heel–Face Turn: At the end of The Equestrian War.
• My Country, Right or Wrong: He only fights ponies because he believes it will bring glory to the griffins.
• Offered the Crown: In the epilogue, he reveals that the griffins chose him as their new king.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: In Gryphon Wings, he doesn't hesitate to fight alongside other griffins if given the chance.

Night Raven / Nick

A battle-obsessed griffon soldier who wishes to fight against the strongest opponents around.

• Ax-Crazy: All he wants is a pegasus pony to slice its throat or rip its wings off.
• Blood Knight: In his own words:
  Night Raven: There’s no greater joy for me than fighting a strong opponent and utterly crush it after a glorious battle! That’s what this war is also about. It’s glorious!
• The Brute: Physically strongest griffon leader.
• Combat Pragmatist: He called Axe for help just so he could beat Fluttershy up.
• Graceful Loser: He uses his last words to congratulate Fluttershy when she breaks his neck with a well-placed kick.
  Night Raven: "Good...kill. Well fought..."
• Sadist: Takes great pleasure in torturing and savagely beating Blueberry and Fluttershy.
• Slasher Smile: While fighting Fluttershy in chapter 17.

Greyback / Gregor

An impulsive griffon soldier.

• Avenging the Villain: He tried to avenge Vulture's death. Didn't end well for him.

Edge / Edgar

A level-headed griffon soldier who sees the Mirage squadron as dangerous opponents. Later witnesses Red Cyclone killing General Silverbeak, causing him to turn.

• Being Evil Sucks: He feels bad about kidnapping little fillies and using them as a barganing chip.
• Defector from Decadence: When he witnesses Red Cyclone killing General Silverbeak and tells Blake about it, he sends him to Equestria to tell everything to the Royal Sisters. He is glad to oblige to this request.
• Heel–Face Turn: In chapter 16, he tells the Royal Sisters about General Silverbeak's assasination and Rad's plan to destroy Equestria.
• My Country, Right or Wrong: Similar to Black Star, although he knew to stop.

Slip

A rookie griffon soldier, thoughtless and careless.

• Butt-Monkey: He's more or less a flying punching bag for Mirage.
• Dirty Coward: Well, he did try and bail on his comrades...
• The Load: As nasty as Night Raven murdering him was, Slip was pretty much useless.
• Take That!: A fairly blatant one to Slippy Toad: right down to the name and being the youngest flier in his squadron.

Jet / Johann

A rational and self-confident griffon soldier.

• Just Following Orders: He does so mainly because he wants to live, just like Axe.
• Karma Houdini: One of very few griffins that isn't hit with repercussions after the war.

"G" / Gilda

An old friend of Rainbow Dash. She tries to convince Rainbow Dash to join her, but fails. She has her own reasons for being a part of The Equestrian War, but they remain unknown, as are her whereabouts since the battle for Ponyville. Returns for a final duel against Rainbow Dash to see which of them is the true ace. She re-appears in the spin-off Gryphon Wings and will most likely return in Wings of Unity as well.

• Ax-Crazy: Especially in the final battle when she loses all composure.
• Broken Ace: She's a great fighter, but no one pays attention to her and never applauds her skills.
• Dirty Coward: When Rainbow confronts her after the battle for Ponyville, she uses Medley as a shield.
• Evil Laugh: When she's gloating over Rainbow Dash.
• Expy: Of "Solo Wing" Pixy from Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. While not entirely a character reference, she does use many of his quotes.
• Final Boss: Of The Equestrian War.
• It's All About Me: She fights only for herself.
• Jerkass: She hadn't changed much from her original portrayal from the show. In fact, she's even more nasty.
• The Rival: To Rainbow Dash. Eventually ends up as Worthy Opponent.
• The Sociopath: She doesn't care if her actions will cause others to suffer so long as she is satisified.
• Smug Snake: Her overconfidence eventually leads to her downfall.
• Villainous Breakdown: As Rainbow slowly gains advantage over her during the final fight, she gradually goes more ballistic, despite trying to keep a cool head.

The Exiles

Main antagonists of Ace Combat: Wings of Unity. A large group of ponies seeking to take Equestria over and establish their leader as the new ruler.

Aurora Starlight

Leader of the Exiles. Originally a unicorn, she attended Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, but eventually became obsessed with gaining alicorn powers. Her methods were deemed dangerous by Celestia, who eventually banished her from Equestria for life. Fifty years later, she returns with an army under her command.

• Big Bad: Of Wings of Unity.
• The Chessmaster: She almost always has some kind of a backup plan.
• Evil Laugh: Oh, so very much.
• A Father to His Men: She actually cares for her soldiers no less than Celestia cares for her own ponies.
• Immortality Immorality: Due to her experiments, she apparently stopped ageing.
• Lady of War: She looks forward to eventually facing Celestia in battle and defeating her. Also, she leads an entire army in an attempt to conquer Equestria.
• Older Than They Look: Her physical age is 60+ in human years, but, due to her experiments, she doesn't look or sound older than Princess Cadance.
• A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: She used to be a student on whom Princess Celestia kept a watchful eye. Unfortunately...

• Winged Unicorn

Deathwing

A black-coated, reserved and intimidating pegasus pony, he leads the Reaper squadron with desire to fight only against the best of the best.

• Affably Evil: He sees Rainbow Dash as a truly Worthy Opponent. It goes both ways.
• Challenge Seeker: He wants to become the greatest pegasus fighter in the world and seeks to become one by fighting and defeating opponents that are stronger than him. So far, however, he had little competition.
• Dark Is Evil: Black-coated and willing to do whatever Aurora tells him.
• The Dragon: To Aurora.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: They even glow briefly when he activates the Zeal for the first time.

Shockwave

A purple pegasus pony, appearing seemingly without feelings and believing only in cold logic.

• Creepy Monotone: Speaks without an ounce of emotion.
• Expy: Of a certain Decepticon.
• Evil Genius: He is working on a certain project that, in his words, could make the Reapers unbeateable.
• For Science!: This is his main reason for helping Aurora and joining the Reapers.
• Purple Is Powerful: His whole body and even mane has this color and he is quite strong in battle.

Havoc

A tall, dark-blue pegasus pony. He is usually laidback and tends to consider himself the only "normal" members of the Reapers.

• The Brute: Physically strongest among the Reapers, but not too bright.
• Curtains Match the Window: His mane and eyes are both brown.
• Only Sane Man: Compared to other Reapers, he is quite tame.

Trickster

A yellow pegasus pony. The smallest and most aggressive of the Reapers.

• Attack! Attack! Attack!: Loves causing mayhem, and rushes into battle head-first.
• Country Matters: He gleefully shouts "Right in da cunt!" after hitting an immobilized Rainbow Dash with a Groin Attack. This is also THE strongest profanity used in the series so far.
• I Shall Taunt You: He loves to do this to his opponents, as evidenced when fighting Medley in chapter 3.
• Laughing Mad: Usually does that when he is not complaining or mouthing off.
• Psychopathic Manchild: He'd love to see nothing more than total mayhem.

Bolt Burst

A brown pegasus stallion. Though not a member of any elite squradon, he's still rather skilled. Has Pearl Eyes as a love interest.

• Big Damn Heroes: In Chapter 10a, he attacks Flare Star just in time to stop her from killing Pearl Eyes.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He genuinely loves and cares for Pearl Eyes, going so far as to take on Flare Star all by himself to protect her.
• Elite Mooks: Aside from being the leader of Shadow squadron, he has no special designation or unit. He's the first time in the series any Mooks have been named and used as a viewpoint character.
• Fiery Redhead: His mane is crimson and he has a combative nature.
• Worthy Opponent: Starts to see Flare Star this was after their battle.

Pearl Eyes

A turquoise pegasus mare, and Bolt Burst's lover. Unilke Bolt Burst, she's actually quite new to combat.

• Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Pleads with Flare Star to stop crushing her rib cage in Chapter 10a.
• Curtains Match the Window: Her mane and eyes are both purple.
• Elite Mooks: Leads her own Rose Squadron.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Carries a locket that belonged to her (deceased) mother. Her last words to her daughter; "Be brave", may have been what inspired her to join Aurora's armies.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: She's deeply in love with Bolt Burst, a feeling that's reciprocated in full.
• Family-Unfriendly Death: Barely avoids one. If Bolt Burst hadn't shown up, Flare Star would have slowly squeezed Pearl to death.
• Malicious Misnaming: Called "missy" by Flare Star in their first encounter, much to her anger.
• No Holds Barred Beat Down: On the receiving end of one in Chapter 10a, courtesy of Flare Star.
• Punch-Clock Villain: She almost seems too nice to be on the Exiles' side.
• Tears of Fear: By the time Flare Star is ready to finish her off, Pearl is crying her eyes out.

Dragons

Aurora's allies in Ace Combat: Wings of Unity. Each of them is based on one of the airborne fortresses from Ace Combat series.

Aigaion

The Dragon King. An enormous black dragon, he rules his kind with authority and willingly helps Aurora in her conquest of Equestria. He is based on the heavy commander cruiser P-1112 Aigaion from Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.

• Hero Killer: He killed Firebolt and came close to offing Spitfire in chapter 6.
• Kill It with Fire: His Agony Flame causes a slow, painful death to anyone unlucky to get hit by it, while his Nimbus Impact can double as Macross Missile Massacre.
• Large and in Charge: He is big even by dragon standards, standing a good head above the other Drake Generals.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: When his eyes briefly flash in red, it indicates he is about to use the Agony Flame.

Gleipnir

A grey dragon, whose most notable feature is a pair of huge wings. He is based on the airborne fortress "Gleipnir" from Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.

• Blow You Away: His wings allow him to create shockwave strong enough to send entire squadrons to the ground, similary to SWBM.
• Breath Weapon: A huge, blue energy beam, which he calls the Shock Cannon.
• The Dragon: To Aigaion, quite literally.

Orgoi

A tall, blue dragon, calm and collected. He is based on the aerial aircraft carrier "Orgoi" from Ace Combat: Joint Assault.

• An Ice Person: His magic revolves around ice.
• Kill It with Ice: In a very effective way, too.
• Soft-Spoken Sadist: Although, he does seem to enjoy killing his foes, as seen in chapter 11a.
• The Stoic: He is clearly not as hot-blooded as most of his kind.

Spiridus

A small, yellow dragon, always looking for a fight. He is based on the airborne fortress "Spiridus" from Ace Combat: Joint Assault.

• Smug Snake: He outright insulsts Gyges during the Drake General meeting in Aigaion chamber.

Gyges

A brown dragon, he is Aigaion's brother. He is based on the aerial warship "Gyges" from Ace Combat: Infinity.

• My Greatest Failure: He blames himself for being partially responsible for the rebellion and subsequent death of prince Hraesvelgr during The Belkan War.