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Your guide to the characters in Diaries of a Madman. Beware that some spoilers are unmarked.


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     Navarone & His Allies 

Tropes applying to Navarone and his immediate allies.

Navarone

"I’m not a hero. Just someone who was in the right place at the wrong time."

The Anti-Hero human protagonist of our story, Navarone finds himself summoned to Equestria by Discord shortly after the latter's most recent escape, under the guise of it being a spell of Twilight's gone wrong. Struggling to fit in with pony society, Nav's various talents shortly find him pressed into helping Celestia with her schemes, all while he attempts to find his place in the world.

  • Alien Blood: His blood takes on an amber tint and becomes far more viscous than regular blood after his Emergency Transformation.
  • Anti-Hero: He'll often help others if they really need it, but can be strikingly underhanded and unethical at times, and generally does not have the personality you'd expect of a hero.
  • Animorphism: Gets turned into a pegasus several times by the shapeshifting spell. He hates every minute of it.
  • Arch-Enemy: Is one for Discord, due to his past self thwarting Discord's attempts to kill himself.
  • Arranged Marriage: Gets forced into one with Gilda, but finds a way out.
  • The Beastmaster: A variant. After taking on tree characteristics, most of the wildlife ignores him, and he's able to build up a rapport with the timberwolves due to this.
  • Berserk Button: Hates being viewed as weak, and while he doesn't have any standards, you should not assume he has none whatsoever.
    • A more primal one is being tied down in any context after his time with Kat.
  • Bizarre Human Biology: Due to various magical events, he's no longer completely human, even if he mostly resembles one externally.
  • Bodyguarding a Badass: Has occasionally been tasked with guarding Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. Sometimes as a punishment, rather than out of necessity.
  • Boldly Coming: Racks up encounters with a surprisingly long list of species during the course of his adventures.
  • Brilliant, but Lazy: The man could get the princesses overthrown and take a position of power, but he lacks the motivation to do so.
    • debatable; it is likely he would attempt to overthrow them or even kill them himself if he thought it would do more good than harm.
  • Brutal Honesty: Probably his defining character trait; his bluntness with the truth ends up upsetting a lot of people.
  • The Casanova: Most of the interest shown in him is due to other factors, but he can be extremely charming at times.
  • Character Development: Not always of the positive type either. Starts out as fairly idealistic, but becomes more of a Jerkass and cynical as time goes on.
  • Chick Magnet: Gets a lot of interest from the fairer sex, but much of it isn't exactly for healthy reasons.
    • It's later revealed that the species that dominate the world are half-animal half-fae, fae being inherently attracted to both novel things, and humans. As Nav is both novel and human, this results in others experiencing a pull towards him.
  • Combat Pragmatist: Actively shows contempt for honourable fighting, since he prefers to remain among the living instead.
  • Commitment Issues: Very unwilling to commit himself emotionally due to his experiences, as noted several times by others. He is improving a little, though...
    Pyrite: You. What does he hate? What does he fear?
    Pinkie Pie: Commitment! And he’s terrified of being in any kind of relationship that isn’t purely physical. He’s totally afraid of trusting anypony.
  • Conditioned to Accept Horror: This becomes an issue for him, particularly after his time in Egypt.
  • Consummate Liar: Very skilled at lying, but not as much as he thinks he is.
  • Cosmic Plaything: Given that he's been brought to Equestria by Discord, he's not entirely wrong...
    Navarone: I’m life’s bitch.
  • Covered in Scars: Ends up receiving plenty of them during his first time in Egypt, though they get removed magically.
  • Crazy-Prepared: Makes fake journal entries just on the off chance anyone reading them will mention something and give themselves away. Also made plans for fleeing Equestria long before he realized the princesses did not have his best interests at heart.
  • Cultured Warrior: Rarity might berate him over his etiquette, but he's extremely well-read and familiar enough with many classical works to be able to transcribe their outline from memory. He also shows a poetic streak when being Luna's consort at one of the Galas.
  • Culture Justifies Anything: A strange variant. Nav doesn't tend to invoke this to get away with doing anything particularly bad, but sometimes uses it as a convenient excuse for "I don't want to do this", such as why he's not bowing to the princesses, or doesn't want to share his feelings.
  • Deadpan Snarker: After his Brutal Honesty, probably his second most defining characteristic, and a regular indulgence of his.
  • Death Glare: Likes doing this to those that annoy him. And he's regularly annoyed.
  • Don't Call Me "Sir": Hates titles and constantly asks others not to call him sir while he's a knight, though he doesn't mind it so much when he's in the middle of a military operation.
  • Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Hates being pitied. He even leaves Equestria early just to avoid this.
  • Dreaming of Things to Come: Dreams of Discord shortly after arriving in Equestria, presumably under Discord's influence.
  • Dream Walker: Picks up this under Luna's tuition and becomes quite talented at it.
  • Drowning My Sorrows: Does it every year as a way of 'celebrating' his birthday.
  • Emergency Transformation: Ends up being infused with Life Energy from a tree by the princesses after almost being killed by his daughter's Power Incontinence.
  • Enemies with Death: Discord's Arch-Enemy.
  • Ethical Slut: Doesn't have many rules, but he won't get involved with married couples, and won't touch a mare in heat without her having previously expressed any interest in him.
  • Exact Words: Loves this trope and is extremely skilled with it.
  • Even the Guys Want Him: While Nav believes his human form to be average, his pegasus form is considered exceptionally handsome by ponies, and gets a lot of positive attention from both genders.
  • Evil Stole My Faith: Was a Christian but loses his faith after all the bad stuff he experiences during the course of the story.
  • A Father to His Men: Treats those under his command well and tries his best to avoid them coming to harm, which ends up gaining him a huge amount of respect from the Night Guard.
  • First-Name Basis: Tends to be very informal with most of the royalty and other authority figures he encounters.
  • First-Person Smartass: Regularly snarks or makes smart comments to himself in his internal monologue.
  • Flight: His wings do actually work, but his flying is far weaker than that of the average pegasus due to his lack of magic.
  • Friend to All Children: He doesn't exactly get on with children as such, but he does tolerate them and will usually go out of his way to help them.
  • The Gadfly: Often says and does things for the sole purpose of getting a rise out of others.
  • Gender Bender: Has a set of magically artifacts that can do this. Naturally, he has to suffer through it at various points. Then they become inert and break when he's still female, giving hi- her another thing to be pissed about.
  • Good Is Not Nice: Usually does the right thing when it really matters, but don't expect him to be nice about it.
  • Good Thing You Can Heal: Takes far more damage after obtaining his Healing Factor. Magical healing is also very convenient for him.
  • Hates Being Touched: Very much dislikes it when others touch or hug him, though he gets better about it.
  • Healing Factor: Gains a minor version of this after his Emergency Transformation, allowing him to heal faster and regenerate from damage that would kill a regular human. This gets further improved upon when he meets Flo.
  • The Hedonist: Turns into one as a coping mechanism, and it isn't regarded as a good thing for his psyche.
  • Heroic Self-Deprecation: Can occasionally lapse into this, but generally has a pretty good handle on himself.
  • Hellish Pupils: Gains them after receiving the enchantment that all of the Night Guard get, allowing them superb night vision.
  • How Do I Shot Web?: He starts off with no idea how to use his wings, and he's still unable to fold them properly until Fluttershy finally takes pity on him years later and teaches him how.
  • Hypocritical Humor: On several occasions, he'll tell you not to do something, only to immediately then go and ignore that advice himself.
  • I Gave My Word: When he gives his word, he will almost always stick by it. It's getting him to do that in the first place that's the trick.
  • Ignored Epiphany: Well aware of when he acts like a jerk later on or he's doing something stupid, but usually disregards it. Also tends to ignore the excellent advice of Flo as well.
  • In-Series Nickname: Gets called Navi constantly by Eva (and occasionally by Pinkie), which he hates. Known amongst the cats as "sphinx".
  • Insistent Terminology: He's not a pony and will constantly remind you of that if you use the term "anypony" to include him.
  • Interspecies Romance: Briefly has a pseudo-romantic relationship with Luna which fails spectacularly. Later gets involved with Kumani, a dragoness, though they eventually break it off.
  • It Gets Easier: Very reluctant to kill at first, but becomes far less hesitant later on. He still prefers peaceful solutions, however.
  • It's Personal: Discord has become this for him, upon finding out who was responsible for the destruction of humanity.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He does care for others, even if he tends to bury it deep down as time goes on as a protective mechanism.
  • Last of His Kind: After he finds himself in Equestria, he becomes the last human alive.
  • Long-Lived: Expected to live at least 1000 years after his Emergency Transformation, and has a standing offer to repeat the process to increase that figure if he wants.
  • Loophole Abuse: If there's a loophole in the rules, expect him to exploit it. If there isn't one while they're being drafted, he'll weave it in.
  • Loved by All: Zig-zagged. Despite all the terrible things he's done and practically being a Hate Sink, he's very popular... Outside of Equestria. In Equestria, it can go either way. Also, for some reason the only guys who seem to outright hate him are antagonists.
  • Magnetic Hero: Those who he treats well show extreme loyalty to him. The biggest example is probably the Night Guard, who at times show more loyalty to him than they do to Luna.
  • Mama Bear: After being gender flipped, Nav threatens to flay Celestia alive after she tries taking Taya as a student without Nav's knowledge or permission.
  • Male Gaze: Regularly does it later on, despite whatever claims he makes about finding ponies unattractive.
  • Metaphorically True: Likes this trope, and is skilled in its use. Very handy, given the existence of lie detection spells.
  • A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read: Due to all the awful things he witnesses over the course of the story, he can readily invoke this on anyone who tries to read his mind.
  • Oblivious to Love: Initially, as he has very little experience with it.
  • Odd Friendship: Most of the friendships he forms could be considered this. His relationship with Celestia in particular is extremely complicated, and almost defies definition at times.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: Refuses to use his real name and instead goes by Navarone, or "Nav" to his friends.
  • Only Sane Man: Views himself as this. Given how crazy the world he finds himself in can be at times, there isn't exactly much in the way of competition.
  • Pals with Jesus: The princesses aren't divine in this story, but mostly fit the trope. In any case, he was good friends with Luna before their relationship broke down. He still maintains a very unusual friendship with Celestia, even if she'd like to be more.
  • Papa Wolf: Doesn't say it much, but it's clear that anyone who hurts Taya will highly regret it.
  • Parental Neglect: Was neglected by his parents as a child, which resulted in a few of his psychological problems.
  • Plant Person: Turns into one post Emergency Transformation, gaining several plant characteristics. While still mostly human, his biochemistry and internal organs are far more affected, allowing him to use sunlight instead of food, as well as slowing down his ageing and granting him a form of Healing Factor.
  • The Power of the Sun: After his Emergency Transformation, he gains energy from sunlight and is weakened by prolonged darkness, unless compensated for with food and/or magic.
  • Properly Paranoid: Often accused of being overly paranoid, but he's often shown to have a point.
  • Rags to Riches: Gains a lot of wealth and political power over the course of the story, but he doesn't really have any particular need for either.
  • Really Gets Around: Does it as a coping mechanism for psychological trauma. He even acknowledges this himself, and is aware of his addiction.
  • Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: His connections to the princesses and particularly Celestia allow him to avoid several of the consequences of his actions, partly because he's too useful to imprison, and thus requiring other means of punishing him.
  • Sharing a Body: Shares his with Flo after meeting her.
  • Sir Swears-a-Lot: Curses an awful lot, but ponies don't always know what he means by it.
  • Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Nav was never the nicest person in the world to start with, but over the course of the story, he becomes increasingly cruel as a means of driving others away, and is afraid of any relationship that isn't purely physical. On the other hand, he does improve on this in a few areas.
  • The Tease: Occasionally does this to mess with Fluttershy.
  • The Smart Guy: Has a brilliant mind (even if he doesn't use it to its fullest), and is very well read and knowledgeable for his age.
  • They're Called "Personal Issues" for a Reason: Very reluctant to confide in others due to his desire not to be perceived as weak. His friends do try to convince him to open up, with very limited success.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: Becomes more abrasive and unpleasant as the story goes on, due to all the bad stuff he ends up being a victim of.
  • Try to Fit That on a Business Card: Gains several titles and honours over the course of his adventures. He doesn't want to use any of them.
  • Unreliable Narrator: An in-universe example, as he lies or omits stuff in his journals.
  • Unwitting Pawn: Is initially used by Celestia as hers though he does willingly help her at times, and Celestia does grow to find him more than just an expendable tool.
  • Weirdness Magnet: This even gets noted by fellow weirdness magnet Pinkie Pie.
  • What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: Owing to his neglect as a child, he has a very limited understanding of love though he is capable of affection and does seem to be improving.
  • Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?: He's very resentful over his parents' choice of name, which is one reason for him using nicknames instead.
  • Who Wants to Live Forever?: Nav does not react well to Celestia making it so that he'll live a 1,000 years at least, having to force himself to accept that he's going to outlive everyone.
  • Winged Humanoid: Gains a set of functional wings after being zapped with a spell that went wrong.

Taya

Navarone: See, Taya: This is how normal ponies deal with things.
Taya: So that's why you kill people instead?

Navarone's adopted unicorn daughter, Taya is discovered during his time in Egypt as an orphan on the streets of Catro. Bringing her back with him to Equestria with the intent of placing her in one of Celestia's orphanages, she refused to leave his side. The rest is history. Possessing an exceptional talent for combat magic, unfortunately the upbringing she's suffered has resulted in her being very ill-informed over various social conventions.

  • Action Girl: Turns into one after learning combat magic, though her father does try and shield her from the need to be one.
  • Badass Bookworm: Spends a lot of time studying magic, and she develops into a very powerful unicorn mage.
  • Berserk Button: Attempting to hurt her father will not end well for you, as Blueblood discovers.
  • Black Mage: Her special talent is combat magic.
  • Comes Great Responsibility: Initially wanted to stop her pursuit of magic after almost killing her father by Power Incontinence until convinced she just needs to learn the appropriate control.
  • Creepy Child: Due to her lack of social skills, some of the stuff she comes out with can be very creepy.
  • Free-Range Children: Allowed to go about with minimal oversight, mostly on the grounds that Nav believes she's far too intelligent to need hand-holding.
  • The Gift: An incredibly powerful mage, even if she can't compete with Twilight's breadth of abilities.
  • Happily Adopted: It's hard to say if she's happy, but she clearly loves her adopted father.
  • Interspecies Adoption: She's a unicorn. Her father is a human.
  • Little Miss Snarker: Usually in response to something Nav does, as can be seen in the above quote.
  • Morality Chain: Despite being a Creepy Child at times, she puts a damper on some of the things Nav does, and Nav tries to better himself for her sake.
  • Murder Is the Best Solution: After learning combat magic, she can be a little too quick to resort to force, though Nav attempts to teach her to use less violent measures first.
  • No Social Skills: Bad at socialising with other ponies, and has a habit of saying creepy things that no child should be talking about.
  • Orphan's Ordeal: Her back story is not pleasant, let's just say that.
  • Power Incontinence: Almost kills Nav with a case of it when she was extremely stressed, but has worked on her control to make sure it never happens again.
  • Reality Warper: Starts learning "true magic" after Discord (pretending to be Navarone) teaches her some of the basics.
  • Sacrificed Basic Skill for Awesome Training: Her social skills were already bad enough. Her focusing on her magic instead of a social life ensures this doesn't improve in the slightest.
  • So Proud of You: Her father doesn't often say it, but he's clearly proud of his daughter.

Flo

"There are few souls that are as gentle and understanding as a water elemental."

A water elemental imprisoned by Discord, Nav quite literally drops in on her while in the changeling hive in Appaloosa. Joining with him to help free herself and the rest of her brethren, her sense of snark is almost as strong as her host's.

  • Arch-Enemy: Just one of many who include Discord on that list.
  • Author Avatar: Often used as a stand-in for the author's opinions on characters and events.
  • Colour-Coded Emotions: When in her true form, her colour shifts with her mood.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Becomes increasingly snarky over time, possibly due to Nav's influence.
  • Doing In the Wizard: Her abilities are revealed to be due to her status as a collection of nanomachines, rather than magic as was first thought. She herself was completely unaware of this.
  • The Empath: Very good at picking up on the feelings of others. Unfortunately, her host tends to disregard her excellent advice on dealing with others.
  • Foil: Kind and personable, in contrast to Nav's dark and abrasive attitude.
  • Healing Factor: Grants Nav an improved version of this while residing in his body.
  • Making a Splash: She is a water elemental, after all...
  • Morality Chain: Tries to rein in some of Nav's more unethical behaviour, with limited success.
  • Mr. Exposition: Constantly reminds Nav of events, and is used by the author to remind readers of important information.
  • Photographic Memory: Can remember things perfectly, and essentially grants Nav this ability while she's in his head.
  • Punny Name: As with most elementals.
  • Sense Freak: While in control of Nav's body, she enjoys many of the senses and sensations she can't experience in her natural form.
  • Sharing a Body: Part of her resides in Nav to provide him with help and advice, though she has her own form, as with other elementals.

Ames / "The Naga"

"Let them come. Their blood is amusing to spill and easy to clean."

An expert naga warrior, Ames agrees to train Nav in the art of battle and has taken it upon himself to guard Nav on his many adventures. Generally a person of few words, when he does speak, it's usually to point out the stupidity of others.

  • The Big Guy: Much larger than most other characters, and cuts an extremely imposing figure.
  • Blood Knight: Delights in combat and spilling blood, as can be seen in the above quote.
  • Combat Pragmatist: Dislikes Nav's 'dishonourable' tactics, but acknowledges their effectiveness.
  • The Comically Serious: Doesn't have much in the way of a sense of humour, but he is good at pointing out the stupidity and insanity around him.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Will respond to almost everything in a deadpan tone.
  • Fish out of Water: More or less literally, he finds the world of ponies to be a baffling place. Nav would readily agree with him on that.
  • I Owe You My Life: Agrees to leave his clan home to train Nav, due to Nav saving his life during a raid early on in the story.
  • Literal-Minded: Human metaphors and figurative language tend to be rather lost on him.
  • No Name Given: Naga only use their names while amongst their clan, so while in public, he is only known as "The Naga".
  • Stay in the Kitchen: Like most naga, he holds this view and regularly espouses it to Cadance when she nags Navarone over his behaviour.

Doppel

"You made the mistake of being nice. I’m yours, now."

Originally the right hand changeling of Chrysalis, Doppel was reassigned to act as Nav's servant after losing her queen's favour. While she was initially resentful, her new master's treatment inspired her loyalty, and she now serves him with great devotion.

  • Because You Were Nice to Me: Ends up holding a deep loyalty to Navarone after he treats her well.
  • French Maid: Forced to dress up as one when acting as Nav's servant by Chrysalis, though she grows to like wearing it.
  • Punny Name: A play on doppelganger, fitting for a changeling who takes on the appearance of others.
  • Really Gets Around: As a changeling who prefers feeding off lust, this comes naturally to her.

     Navarone's Crew 

Tropes applying to the various crewmembers of Nav's airship.

Watcher

"...we specialize in… unorthodox missions. Things the princesses do not want anypony to know about. You may call me the Watcher."

A grizzled veteran of the Night Guard, Watcher was often assigned to special operations. Reading the signs of Discord's return, he and his men join with Nav to free the elementals from their prisons.

Sunshine Smiles

Navarone: Shut up, Smiles.

A perpetually cheerful member of the Night Guard, very little is capable of getting Smiles down. Has a habit of shamelessly hitting on Nav, despite repeated threats of violence, though Nav seems to have finally convinced him to try and quit.

  • Bodyguard Crush: When assigned as Nav's bodyguard. The rest of the time it's just a crush, much to Nav's frustration.
  • Ironic Name: Claims to have joined the Night Guard to deliberately invoke this, though his actual reason is due to his lack of respect for Shining Armor.
  • Last-Name Basis: Usually referred to as just "Smiles".
  • Put on a Bus: Nav tries to invoke this by ditching Smiles in Stalliongrad. It works for about a day before Smiles returns as the apprentice of the newly-hired Jak.

Sunny Delight

A unicorn ex-slave, Sunny's first impression on Nav isn't particularly positive when she tries to kill him after he frees her. Like most of the crew, she's still haunted by her ordeal, but is implied to be dealing with it better than the others.

  • Ironic Name: What she was originally like isn't made clear, but after being freed, she fits the bill, being neither cheerful nor particularly pleasant to be around. Especially around Nav.
  • Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Very unpleasant to Nav at first, though inwardly traumatized and depressed from her time as a slave.
  • Ungrateful Bitch: Almost killed Nav after being freed, after Nav's wings reminded her of the fate her late pegasus husband suffered, and threw her into a rage.

Flash Gourd

The captain of Nav's airship. Like most of his crew, Flash suffered badly from his time as a slave, though he improves after Nav hires him and his ship for an important quest...

  • The Alcoholic: Becomes addicted to salt as a means of keeping his demons at bay after being freed by Nav, though he cleans his act up after being hired for Nav's quest.
  • The Captain: Captain of Nav's airship.
  • Cool Airship: The ship he owns with the other freed slaves, which was converted from a regular ship into an airship.
  • Shout-Out: To Flash Gordon.

Gilda

Once an old friend of Rainbow Dash, Gilda's first visit to Ponyville did not go well, to put it mildly. Returning with the view to making amends for her previous actions, she bumps into Nav and enlists his help, signalling the beginning of their (somewhat caustic) friendship.

Jak

A minotaur blacksmith, Jak joins the crew during a stop-off in Stalliongrad. To Nav's dismay, this inadvertently thwarts his attempt to ditch Smiles, who quickly returns as Jak's apprentice.

Zecora

A zebra shaman, Zecora's medicinal skills have proved useful to Nav on several occasions. Cursed to speak in rhyme, she joins Nav on his quest with the plan of finally breaking it.

  • The Exile: Had to leave her home in Africa, though the precise reasons are still unclear.
  • The Medic: She might not have conventional magic, but her healing skills are still second to none.
  • Rhymes on a Dime: The result of a curse, which eventually gets broken around the time of Chapter 105.

     The Princesses & Affiliated Characters 

Tropes applying to the princesses, their captains, and their knights. Also see the show's character sheet.

Princess Celestia

"Just because I built this nation does not mean I have to be a paragon of its values."

The princess of the sun and the most politically powerful ruler on the planet, Celestia is devoted to safeguarding the well-being of her ponies, and can be utterly ruthless in dealing with those that impede her in her goals. Possessing an extremely cunning intellect, she's highly adept at manipulating events in her favour and has a number of long-running plans to ensure she gets what she wants. Yet hidden beneath the mask of the perfect princess lurks a very playful streak, as well as a great deal of pain and a sense of isolation.

  • Ambadassador: Prefers dealing with events through politics and diplomacy, but will not hesitate to resort to force if needed.
  • Anti-Hero: Generally plays the role of the hero, but can show a very anti-heroic streak when dealing with problems if she deems it necessary, though she hides this well.
  • Anti-Villain: The real face of Celestia, well hidden under a front. While revealed to have committed many awful crimes over the course of history, she ultimately desires and wants to keep her power out of a benevolent wish to keep her ponies safe and restore the alicorn race, rather than an intrinsic desire for power and wealth. Celestia's main weakness is that she sees no other way to achieve her goals other than her own methods. While not delighting in evil things she's done, she defends her actions as necessary, stemming from the genuine belief that they are the only way to succeed.
  • Brains and Bondage: Just one of her bedroom quirks.
  • Brainwashing for the Greater Good: Brainwashed by Flo into a characterisation that removes her negative attributes and comes close to her canon personality, after refusing Nav's attempts at redemption. Partly because Nav really does not want to have her killed despite all she's done, but also because it means a lot less work to keep Equestria under control.
  • Broken Pedestal: Not as broken as her sister's, but her reputation takes a hit over the course of the story. Twilight's opinion of her reaches a very low point as of Chapter 100, however, when she finds out some of the things Celestia has done. The rest of the element-bearers aren't exactly happy, either.
  • The Chains of Commanding: Very stressed and isolated by her position, and beneath her mask, she's desperate for a personal connection with others.
  • The Chessmaster: Very skilled at getting things to work out for her. So skilled that Nav is actually one of the few to notice she even does it.
  • Cuddle Bug: Very much into it when in private, which Nav finds confusing.
  • Desperately Craves Affection: Very much desires friendship and wants to be loved as a person, but she for the most part hides her wishes behind her mask. This can be seen on several occasions when she drops her guard, as well as in her repeated attempts for a Relationship Upgrade with Nav.
  • Good Is Not Soft: Generally caring and benevolent, her main concern is safeguarding her little ponies and will do whatever she deems necessary to protect them.
  • I Just Want to Be Normal: Would have preferred a normal life as a healer.
  • I Hate Past Me: After having her personality changed to remove her negative aspects, bringing her close to her canon characterisation, she shows a lot of distain for the mare she used to be.
  • It Amused Me: Her long life is implied to have been quite a burden at times, and she can do some pretty unethical things when trying to relieve her boredom.
  • Last of Her Kind: One of the last remaining alicorns in existence, and wishes to see her race restored to their peak.
  • Lysistrata Gambit: While she does come to care for Nav despite their many disagreements and the times he ruins her plans, and would genuinely like to be in a relationship with him, one of her goals in offering marriage is to be able to use it to control him.
  • Lonely at the Top: Claims to have had less friends than Nav can count on one hand, and is secretly desperate for affection and companionship.
  • Long-Lived: Her and Luna's use of the Elements of Harmony dramatically slowed their ageing down. After thousands of years, she's still physically in her late twenties.
  • The Medic: A child prodigy of healing magic, she never had a chance to pursue her calling due to Discord's actions but is still incredibly gifted in the field.
  • Naughty by Night: Very playful in private, and has some very unusual bedroom quirks that she's very willing to express when she doesn't have to play the role of the princess.
  • Odd Friendship: Her relationship with Nav is probably the most complicated in the story. At first she uses him as a pawn to do some dirty work, but then comes to genuinely care for him. However Nav manages to ruin many of her plans as well as undermining her power base, making him far too much of a threat to be able to continue. Celestia would genuinely like a relationship but also to be able to use this to control him. When all of Celestia's attempts at control fail and Nav becomes too dangerous to her plans, she then makes plans to dispose of him once he finds the Elements of Harmony. After both Nav and herself are put under Aqua's unwilling control Nav himself expresses the view that they're both glad it stopped them from coming to blows, even if they hate how this was achieved.
  • The Power of the Sun: Controls the sun (or so she claims), and is at her most magically powerful during the peak of day.
  • Promotion to Parent: Raised Luna as her sister. Word of God is that she didn't do the best job, partly resulting in several of Luna's problems.
  • Reality Warper: One of the last users of "real magic", she stamped out the practice and replaced it with unicorn spells.
  • Really 700 Years Old: 6246 years old as of Chapter 99, to be more accurate.
  • Redemption Rejection: Navarone tries to push her towards the path of peace and cooperation with the other races, rather than playing them off against each other to keep ponies at the top. Despite making the right noises and agreeing to tell the truth about how she doesn't raise the sun, she's incapable of admitting her methods were wrong and throwing away her grip on her power, and plots to eliminate Nav when he becomes too dangerous.
  • Relationship Upgrade: Repeatedly pushes for one with Navarone, but so far he's put the offer on hold.
  • Tears of Remorse: When she learns how dark Nav has become as a result of the tasks she's forced him to perform, she breaks down in tears and laments how much she hates her crown.
  • The Tease: Sometimes teases Nav in this way, though usually with a mind to getting those urges fulfilled later.
  • Unwitting Pawn: Placed into power by Discord, but refuses to accept that her methods of keeping her ponies safe and at the top has only furthered Discord's plans.
  • Vetinari Job Security: Few would be capable of eliminating her or wanting to do so, and she's set things up to ensure that any attempt to replace her would not work out well.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: She'll do whatever it takes to protect Equestria, and was fully prepared to purge her friends and allies at one point if they refused to help her cover up the art of "true magic".
  • What Beautiful Eyes!: Nav hardly has anything positive to say about any pony's appearance, but even he privately finds her beautiful and comments on her eyes several times.
  • Who Wants to Live Forever?: Her long life has made her very lonely. When Nav's life expectancy shoots up, she's very happy simply because it means she has someone else to share it with.

Princess Luna

The adopted sister of Celestia (though she doesn't know that) and princess of the night, Luna was the last alicorn to be born before Discord destroyed their civilization. With a penchant for violence, she longs for the days of old where she was free to fight Equestria's enemies without worrying about politics. Not entirely over her envy of her sister, she also possesses some psychological issues that eventually come back to haunt her.

  • The Atoner: Eventually realises what she's done to Navarone and comes to regret her actions.
  • Ax-Crazy: Tries to get Rainbow Dash murdered in a rage at one point.
  • Because You Were Nice to Me: Takes an interest in Nav after he's one of the first to be friendly with her following her return from the moon.
  • Blood Knight: Fond of violence and blood, and prefers the way things were done in the past.
  • Brains and Bondage: Like her sister, she's also into this. What she lacks is her sister's restraint...
  • Broken Pedestal: Was working on rebuilding it after returning from the moon, only to break it again.
  • Clingy Jealous Girl: Very much so.
  • The Exile: Spent 1000 years on the moon.
  • Hemo Erotic: Taking blood lust to the ultimate extreme. When combined with her Mind Rape of Nav, he finally ends their pseudo-relationship.
  • Her Own Worst Enemy: Doesn't seem to have learnt much from her past experience on the moon and rarely seems to consider that she may be at fault.
  • Inferiority Superiority Complex: Behind her brash exterior she's implied to feel rather insecure of her sister, and she secretly hates what she's become.
  • Interspecies Romance: Wants to have one with Nav and briefly ends up in a pseudo-romantic relationship with him, but her various issues ensure it ends extremely badly.
  • It's All About Me: Refuses to take no for an answer, and her lack of respect for the personal boundaries of others is what ultimately destroys her relationship with Navarone.
  • Karma Houdini Warranty: It takes about 5 years, but the law eventually catches up with what she did.
  • Last of Her Kind: The last alicorn to be born before their civilization was destroyed, like Celestia she's one of the few remaining ones in existence.
  • Lonely at the Top: To a lesser extent than her sister, she also starts socialising by taking part in Canterlot's growing night life and manages to reinvent her image to an extent.
  • Long-Lived: Like Celestia, had her ageing slowed down by their use of the Elements of Harmony.
  • Love Makes You Crazy: Or rather "jealous obsession".
  • Loving a Shadow: Nav comes to realise that Luna doesn't love him as a person, but because of what she thinks of him as: a fellow Blood Knight and warrior like herself.
  • Naughty by Night: Like her sister, she can be rather crazy in the bedroom. Not a good combination, considering her lack of boundaries.
  • No Social Skills: She doesn't even recognise the purpose of gifts at first, mistaking it for pity and taking it as an insult.
  • Not Blood Siblings: Was adopted by Celestia as her sister, but currently believes herself to be of her sister's blood.
  • Rescue Romance: Tries for this with Nav early on, but it doesn't work due to Rainbow Dash accidentally knocking her out while trying to help.
  • Reality Warper: As with her sister, one of the few remaining users of "true magic", and helped Celestia censor it from history.
  • Spoiled Brat: Was spoiled as a child by Celestia, which was partly responsible for some of her issues.
  • War Is Glorious: Fondly reminisces of the past when she could fight enemies unhindered, and is very keen to hear Nav's account of his time in Egypt.

Princess Cadance

"...[love] is a force to be reckoned with when enough of it is taken or given. Everypony should feel that."

A fluke alicorn born to non-alicorn parents, Cadance was taken in by Celestia at a young age with the hope of finding some way of restoring the alicorn race to its former glory. Raised as a princess, she is constantly mindful of her duty but like her adoptive aunt, she has a playful streak. As the princess of love, she also tries to foster it whenever possible, something which puts her at odds with Navarone, who does not appreciate her attempted interference.

  • Authority in Name Only: Dismissed as this at first by Nav, she eventually proves to be very competent, as well as displaying a large amount of political power and awareness.
  • Guy on Guy Is Hot: Strongly believes so, and as a teenager, she even ended up writing Slash Fics of her eventual husband-to-be.
  • Happily Married: Barring a few hiccups with their love life after the birth of their daughter, her marriage to Shining Armor is still going strong.
  • Identical Granddaughter: A descendant of Sombra, and apparently is the splitting image of his daughter.
  • Naughty by Night: Partly the result of her and Shining Armor getting advice from Nav, and partly out of necessity owing to Shining's lack of staying power.
  • Odd Friendship: Her relationship with Nav is quite hostile at first, but it eventually develops into this.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Demonstrates effective leadership of the Crystal Empire and ends up being a useful ally of Nav.
  • Shipper on Deck: Has a tendency to interfere in the love lives of others, and tries to ship Navarone with Luna and later with Fluttershy.

Captain / Prince Shining Armor

Shining Armor: I apologize. It was not my place to try to force my way into your mind. I most definitely learned my lesson, even if most of the memories don’t remain.
Navarone: Celestia said you kept a set. Which one?
Shining Armor: The one that reminds me why I am a royal guard.

The captain of Celestia's Day Guard, head of the Royal Guard, and husband of Princess Cadance. Initially disliking Navarone and often finding themselves at odds, the two warm up to the other significantly over the course of the story, particularly after Nav saves the lives of his family.

  • A Father to His Men: Treats his men well and cares for their well-being.
  • Foil: For Nav, perhaps more so than any other character.
  • General Failure: His forces are easily beaten by Nav's in a war games exercise, mostly because everything he was taught doesn't stand a chance against modern warfare techniques, rather than personal failings on his part. He's very willing to rectify this... once he gets over his frustration at being defeated so badly.
  • Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Probably the most unambiguously good character in the entire story, and refuses to let rank or privilege stand in the way of justice.
  • In-Series Nickname: Nav has a habit of calling him "Shiny", despite his constant attempts to get Nav to stop.
  • My Sister Is Off-Limits: Nav suspects that Shining Armor's initial coldness towards him is due to this.
  • Odd Friendship: Develops one with Nav.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Initially somewhat naive but develops into one.
  • Speed Sex: Shining's lack of staying power leads to trouble in paradise, particularly after the birth of their daughter, until he and Cadance end up seeking Nav's advice for tips to revitalize their marriage.

Princess Skyla

Navarone: A more evil and vindictive baby you will never find.

The daughter of Shining Armor and Cadance, Navarone gets appointed as her godfather after he saves her and Cadance's lives, despite the two having a mutually antagonistic relationship.

  • Enfant Terrible: Nav certainly believes so. For some reason, her parents don't share that view...

Captain Midnight Blossom

"...you don’t beat crime by wiping it out. You beat crime by controlling it."

Captain of Luna's Night Guard and secretly a vampony, something that deeply shames her. A very effective and intelligent leader, politics prevents her from becoming head of the guard over Shining Armor.

  • Dark Secret: Her vampirism is a closely guarded secret, with only a few in the know.
  • Daywalking Vampire: As a young vampire, she's capable of this, though the headaches make her even more irritable than her usual self.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Often responds to the stupidity around her in the form of very dry snark.
  • First-Name Basis: Tends to prefer it if others omit the last portion of her name. So naturally, Nav tries to call her Blossom as much as he can get away with.
  • Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: Not exactly "friendly", as she's usually aloof and keeps others at a distance to protect both them and her secret, but she does use her abilities to help others.
  • Hypercompetent Sidekick: Serves as one to Luna, and later to Nav.
  • Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Secretly depressed over her condition, and puts on a haughty and cold front to prevent others from getting close enough to find out the truth.
  • Weakened by the Light: As a vampony, she gets severe headaches when in daylight, which makes her very irritable.

Sir Fancy Pants

Part of the Canterlot elite and one of Celestia's knights, Fancy Pants distinguishes himself by being one of the few pleasant ponies among a mostly corrupt nobility. Married to Fleur, and is well aware of her infidelity, which he tolerates for his own reasons.

  • Cool Old Guy: Very easy going and willing to help Nav, despite his social standing in Canterlot.
  • A Father to His Men: Surrenders during a war games exercise on the grounds that if it were real, it would spare his men's lives.
  • Incorruptible Pure Pureness: One of the few good guys amongst the Canterlot elite, which is generally rife with corruption and racism.
  • Officer and a Gentleman: Polite, good leadership skills, and A Father to His Men.
  • Old Soldier: Despite his age, he's a celestial knight and shows signs of being an effective commander in the field.
  • What You Are in the Dark: When he ends up going back in time with Nav, he refuses to compromise his morals, since even if no-one else knew, he would.

The Night Guard

Luna's branch of the Royal Guards. Members of the Night Guard are easy enough to identify at a glance, due to the enchantment placed upon them. Because of their intimidating appearance, they've developed a habit of using a more relaxed approach to put others at ease, in contrast to the Day Guard's stern exterior.

     Mane Six & Spike 

Tropes which apply to our favourite characters. Also see the show's character sheet.

Tropes applying to all

  • Demoted to Extra: Save for Spike, the rest appear less and less as the story goes on, though they come back into play around Chapter 100 when Celestia discovers Discord is back.

Applejack

An apple farmer from Ponyville, and even more of a contender for the title of background pony than her canon counterpart. Despite not appearing for much of the story, she starts to get a bit more screentime later on.

  • Demoted to Extra: While all the Mane Six are this as mentioned above, it particularly applies to AJ.
  • Hillbilly Moonshiner: Briefly homebrews after Nav teaches her how. Until it results in Stuff Blowing Up.
  • The Load: Actively takes steps to avoid this, while forced to accompany Nav alongside the rest of the Mane Six in Chapter 101.
    Applejack: Figure I might as well be useful as another soldier, if you ever need one. Better than gettin’ in the way.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Starts learning the basics of becoming a guard while part of Nav's crew later on in the story.

Fluttershy

Navarone: You are the most genuinely nice person I have ever met and I consider it a privilege to call you friend.

The shy pegasus who is afraid of her own shadow, Fluttershy's demeanor makes Nav uneasy, due to him feeling the need to walk around on eggshells to avoid upsetting her. Nevertheless, Fluttershy is very capable of rising to the occasion when her friends need her, and should not be underestimated.

  • Florence Nightingale Effect: Her interest in Nav shows shades of this, seemingly being born mostly out a desire to help heal him.
  • Just Friends: Nav would firmly prefer this, and even takes steps to kill off her crush on him.

Pinkie Pie

Navarone: (Sometimes I think Pinkie could get away with a coup just because no one would question her until Celestia and Luna both disappeared and she said she ruled now.)

A party pony who mostly seems to have her mind set to 'totally insane'. If there's any weirdness going on around you, it's a good bet that Pinkie is involved in some way, to the point where "Pinkie Pie" is considered a sufficient explanation for anything strange within Ponyville. She also has a talent for "true magic", which is the source of her reality-defying abilities, though she's currently unaware of this.

  • Action Girl: While she's already one in canon, she's even more so here, and demonstrates a high degree of proficiency in melee combat.
  • Improbable Weapon User: Uses her Frying Pan of Doom to great effect.
  • Reality Warper: While her bizarre abilities confuse almost everyone in-universe, they're actually a result of an affinity for "true magic".
  • Really Gets Around: It's mostly implied, but Word of God confirms it's one of her ways of cheering others up.
  • Sharing a Body: Becomes a host to Aerie later on. One of the few positive things noted is that at least she can't be driven insane, since she's already there.

Rainbow Dash

A common partner-in-crime of Nav's when it comes to pranking, Rainbow is probably the closest to him out of the Mane Six, and sometimes proves to be a somewhat unlikely confidant. While only interested in mares, she's also quite shy about revealing her orientation, even if it's not quite as secret as she'd like to believe.

Rarity

Navarone: ...she’s overly dramatic and can be somewhat annoying, but a more generous soul you’d be hard-pressed to find.

Ponyville's resident fashionista, Rarity's generosity is matched only by her flair for the dramatic. While she and Nav don't see eye to eye on many things, they'll usually come through when the other needs help.

  • Alien Arts Are Appreciated: Develops a fascination with anime.
  • Hidden Depths: Despite not knowing too much magic and mostly using it for mundane reasons, she's capable in quite a few areas, to the point of being able to help reverse Twilight's screwups with the right guidance.
  • Shock and Awe: One of the few pieces of combat magic she knows.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: While calling them "best friends" would be a stretch, she generally has an amicable relationship with Nav, even if they toss more than a few barbs between them and often irritate the other.

Spike

Initially Twilight's dragon assistant, Spike is something of a Fish out of Water among ponies, which isn't helped by a lack of knowledge of his dragon heritage. He also has something of a fascination with adventure, and readily jumps at the chance to join Nav on his quests, even if adventuring isn't quite as glamorous as he originally thought.

  • Flight: It takes a long time, but he eventually gets his wings when he needs them in order to save Nav's life.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Nav.
  • Innocently Insensitive: Not always aware of what he's saying and how it can be taken by others.
  • It's All My Fault: Very upset when he finds out what the cats did to Nav while holding him as a hostage.
  • Jumped at the Call: Happy to get involved in various adventures, in contrast to Nav.
  • Older Than They Look: Due to dragons maturing differently from ponies, in some areas he's far older than he seems. Conversely, he's still quite innocent in certain subjects as well.

Twilight Sparkle

The protégé of Celestia, and for half the story, Nav's landlady, Twilight is one of the most talented unicorns out there. Ostensibly responsible for bringing Nav to Equestria in the first place, her magical experiments have an unfortunate tendency to lead to trouble for those around her.

  • Do I Really Sound Like That?: When listening to herself by magically observing through Nav, she certainly insists otherwise.
    Twilight: I do not sound like that!
  • Humanity Ensues: Gets temporarily turned into a human by a backfiring spell from Trixie. Quite impressed by hands.
  • Magic Misfire: Such a common occurrence that no one will bat an eyelid if you use it as an excuse.
  • The Scapegoat: Often gets used as one — even Discord does it in the prologue — when a convenient excuse is needed. It works very well due to the sheer number of times Twilight has genuinely caused problems with her magic.

     Minor Characters 

Bon-Bon

A changeling who was sent to live among the ponies at a young age, Bon-Bon came to enjoy her new life in Ponyville far more than the one she left behind. Having spent so long away from the hive, she's come to think of herself as a pony, and eventually officially becomes an Equestrian citizen after marrying Lyra.

  • Becoming the Mask: She's been amongst ponies for so long that she thinks of herself as one foremost.
  • Dark Secret: Her status as a changeling, though she eventually comes out to Lyra and the rest of Ponyville.
  • Happily Married: While they haven't been married too long as of yet, her marriage to Lyra seems well on the way to becoming this.
  • Interspecies Adoption: Adopts several ponies alongside her (pony) wife.
  • Interspecies Romance: With Lyra.

Lyra

A unicorn from Canterlot. Unlike most Fanon interpretations, she's not obsessed with humanity, even if she does marvel at some of the possible uses of hands...

Eva

"Hi Navi!"

A crazy changeling with multiple personalities, though the number significantly reduces after Nav and Flo's intervention.

Miguel

First encountered during Nav's stint in Egypt, Miguel is little more than a psychopath and barely pretends otherwise. While skilled at evading the consequences of his actions, eventually his luck runs out...

  • Deal with the Devil: Makes one with Discord in return for being saved from certain death.
  • Karma Houdini Warranty: For the most part, he's managed to dodge the repercussions of his lifetime of violence and murder, but he ultimately pays the price... even if it's far later than he deserved.
  • Psycho for Hire: Cares for little other than killing and violence.

Rock

Yet another ex-slave Nav encounters in Egypt, Rock is more or less a walking tank in cat form. Fond of fighting, but isn't quite so concerned about collateral damage...

Prince Blueblood

Celestia's nephew, Blueblood cares for little other than his own standing and vanity. The latter of which eventually proves to be his undoing, even if Blueblood is not entirely responsible for his actions...

  • Asshole Victim: Not a particularly pleasant pony, but he probably didn't deserve to be robbed of his looks and killed, especially since others — and particularly the changelings — play a significant role in his downfall.
  • The Casanova: Quite good at charming the mares owing to his status and attractiveness.
  • Chick Magnet: Before he loses his good looks due to his poisoning, he gets a lot of positive attention from the fairer sex.
  • Deal with the Devil: Makes one with Discord. It doesn't work out well for either.
  • Dirty Coward: Stabs Nav in the back after having a duel offer turned down.
  • Duel to the Death: Challenges Nav to several, though technically the first one wasn't strictly to the death. Nav being a Combat Pragmatist, Blueblood loses the first one badly.
  • Killed Off for Real: Taya kills him after he stabs Navarone In the Back.
  • Prince Charmless: Even more so than what we see in his canon counterpart.
  • Revenge Before Reason: Opts for vengeance, though this is partly due to Discord pretty much literally whispering in his ear.
  • Sanity Slippage: Becomes notably less sane after his appearance is ravaged following an assassination attempt, though Discord had a hand in this, as mentioned in the prologue.
  • Unwitting Pawn: Used as one by Discord.

Emerald Script

Originally a unicorn from Canterlot, Emerald found herself reassigned to Egypt after managing to annoy Celestia. Despite being somewhat naive to begin with, she proves surprisingly competent in her new position.

Trixie

Following her last appearance in Ponyville, Trixie attempts to show up Twilight by defeating her in a magical duel. After this ends disastrously, Trixie joins forces with the God of Chaos to gain her revenge...

  • Deal with the Devil: Helps Discord in return for having her horn restored.
  • The Dragon: Serves as one for Discord... at least for the time being...
  • Power Incontinence: Loses her horn after her attempt to cast a homemade spell quite literally blows up in her face.

Jocasta

A female cat and ex-slave, Jocasta ended up getting involved in the uprising in Egypt and served as the leader of the escaped slaves that Nav joined up with. After surviving the revolution, she takes up a high ranking position in the new government.

  • Bad Boss: For Navarone, she cares for nothing other than what he can do for her.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: Secretly envious of Nav's interactions with Kat.

Athena

The Ancient Greek goddess of wisdom, though she's the first to admit that she's not a god. Extremely powerful and rather insane, she may provide help at a price, but it might not prove to be as useful as one would hope...

Arachne

Goddess of the spiders, Arachne is a bitter shell of a person, being little more than hatred incarnate. Once a human until cursed by Athena, she does not care for much other than inflicting as much pain and misery on the world as possible... and seeing the God of Chaos meet his end...

Aqua

A water elemental frozen beneath the Crystal Empire, Aqua originally had a host in Sombra before his Face–Heel Turn. Despite initially being put off by Twilight's relentless thirst for knowledge, she eventually decides to take Twilight as her host, and becomes rather protective of her.

Brook

Another water elemental, Brook is discovered in South America as the god of the monkey tribe. While water elementals are noted for their kind and gentle nature, Brook apparently didn't get the memo, which puts her at odds with her sisters.

  • A God Am I: Passes herself off as one to the monkeys, and seems to have come to actually believe her own hype.
  • Making a Splash: She's a water elemental.
  • Token Evil Teammate: For a water elemental, she's quite evil and unpleasant.

     Others 

Tropes applying to various other characters which don't fit in with the above.

Discord

"You think you know boredom, I can see it in your mind. You think you know loneliness. You. Don’t. Know. A. Thing."

The Anthropomorphic Personification of chaos, Discord came into being around the time of Cain. After having existed for millions of years, he'll do anything to try to alleviate the monotony of his existence, and would like nothing more than for it to finally end...

  • Anthropomorphic Personification: Of chaos/discord.
  • Arch-Enemy: Navarone is his.
  • As Long as There Is Evil: As the lifeblood of his existence, his goal is finding a way to eliminate this, one way or another...
  • Bad Boss: He doesn't exactly go out his way to get them killed, but clearly has no regard for his minions.
  • Body Backup Drive: Can act as one, but only Nav and Cain are mentioned to have been backed up so far.
  • The Chess Master: The grand master, he even has fellow Chessmaster Celestia as his Unwitting Pawn.
  • The Corrupter: Delights in doing so, both to individuals and to entire races.
  • Death Seeker: Desperately wants to end his existence, his main goal involves finally managing to pull this off.
  • Determinator: No one can overpower him using "true magic", since his willpower is much stronger than anyone else's.
  • Exact Words: Very skilled with this trope and employs this constantly when making deals with others.
  • For the Evulz: Whether it's in the games he plays or the suffering he inflicts, it's mostly a way of desperately trying to entertain himself until he can finally achieve his ultimate goal.
  • A God Am I: Openly calls himself a god, and gets angry whenever anyone views Celestia and Luna as goddesses.
  • Hidden Villain: For most of the story, he operates out of sight or behind the scenes.
  • And I Must Scream: The suffering as a result of living for so long. On the few occasions he gives anyone a glimpse of it, this is exactly how they react.
  • Kick the Dog: His favourite way of passing the time.
  • Loves the Sound of Screaming: Even describes the screams of his enemies as "like music".
  • Obfuscating Insanity / Obfuscating Stupidity: Uses both as a means of keeping others off their guard. And because it amuses him.
  • Reality Warper: His abilities are unsurpassed by anyone else.
  • Time Abyss: He's been around for millions of years.
  • Unreliable Narrator: Flat out lies to the reader on several occasions.
  • Villainous Breakdown: Does so upon realizing that by bringing Nav to Equestria he unwittingly doomed his own plan to kill himself.
  • Who Wants to Live Forever?: Has been around for millions of years. He does not want to stick around for more.
  • You Have Failed Me: Uses his underlings until they fail him, at which point they're no longer useful to him.

Queen Chrysalis / Moonbeam

"I was a midwife. I delivered bouncing, happy foals... and now I'm queen of monstrosities."

One of the few who initially survived the destruction of the alicorn race, Moonbeam was a kind-hearted midwife who was tricked by Discord and corrupted into her current form of Queen Chrysalis. Well aware of her Tragic Monster status, she is now almost completely driven by one goal: feed the hive.

  • Arch-Enemy: Yet another who includes Discord on that list.
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: Always wanted children as an alicorn but was unable to have any. Discord granted her wish, but not in the way she would have liked...
  • Blood Knight: Delights in the slaughter of her enemies.
  • Enemy Mine: Confronted Discord shortly before his most recent petrification alongside Luna and Celestia.
  • Exotic Equipment: In contrast to most other species.
  • Friend to All Children: Adored children, her last act as Moonbeam was to ensure the safety of Celestia and Luna.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Stayed behind while Celestia and Luna escaped. Not that it would have stopped Discord if he wanted, but the thought counts.
  • The Medic: She was a midwife before her transformation, and Celestia's original teacher.
  • Painful Transformation: Had to go through one for no other reason than because Discord found it funny.
  • Tragic Monster: She's well aware of what she's become.

King Bloodbeak

"A leader should rule through respect, not fear."

The old king of the griffons, Bloodbeak has a disliking for Celestia that certainly isn't helped when he finds out she's been using him as a pawn for many years. He very much cares for his people and even gives up most of his authority in favour of a more democratic system, viewing himself as too fallible to command as much power as he does. Rumoured to be far too fond of children, but those rumours have yet to be substantiated.

Kumani

"...dragons don’t care as much about love as we do strength"

A dragoness and daughter of a prominent figure in dragon society, she's still rather young by their standards, and not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. Sometimes functioning as a hired gun — for the right pay of course — she eventually strikes up a relationship with Nav after he leaves Equestria.

  • Action Girl: Not shy about getting in combat, her nature as a dragon gives her an advantage over most other races in this area.
  • Battle Couple: With Nav, while on their adventures.
  • Brainless Beauty: Downplayed. While considered attractive, she's not the most intelligent person out there, and is initially unable to read.
  • Brains and Brawn: The brawn to Nav's brain.
  • Clingy Jealous Girl: As is typical for dragons, she's very possessive of Nav while in a relationship with him.
  • Interspecies Romance: With Nav, though their relationship wasn't ever particularly strong, and she eventually leaves when Nav is assumed to be dead.
  • Only in It for the Money: As with most dragons, she only cares about wealth rather than morality.
  • Put on a Bus: Leaves after Nav is thought to be dead, mainly because of her reception by readers.
  • Satellite Love Interest: Has little in common with Nav other than being compatible in the bedroom.

Kat

"Tell me the questions to ask and where the prisoner is. I’ll make him talk."

An ex-slave trained in the arts of seduction and assassination, Kat fled her old life looking to continue her trade amongst the ponies, only to end up involved in the Egyptian revolution. The hardships of her training have given her an extremely sadistic streak, and she readily jumps at the opportunity to showcase her abilities.

  • Action Girl: Despite her training as an assassin, she's fairly competent at straight up combat as well.
  • The Empath: A dark version of this, she's very skilled at reading the body language of others and even picks up on Celestia's interest in Nav before he himself is aware of it.
  • Freudian Excuse: Her justification for her treatment of Nav in Egypt was that she'd been powerless all her life and lost herself when she finally gained some. Nav calls bullshit on this.
  • Hemo Erotic: Practically gets off on graphic torture.
  • I Have Many Names: Has gone by many aliases. Kat and Cleo are just a few mentioned.
  • Loves the Sound of Screaming: Far too enthusiastic about getting to use her considerable interrogation skills.
  • Punny Name: She's a cat named Kat.
  • Sex Slave: Was once one.
  • Training from Hell: Went through it as part of her back story.

     Race tropes 

Tropes which apply across the various species.

Humans

Discord: They thought they knew so much… They thought they were so wise… They had methods of war, of fighting, of killing, that rivaled anything I have seen since. I’ll admit, they produced a few souls that gave me a run for my money. But they always fell in the end...

Previously the dominant species on Earth, humanity was wiped out after finding itself in the crosshairs of Discord, but not before they attempted to Fling a Light into the Future by creating the other races that now populate the world. While physically surpassed by several races, the technological and scientific mastery displayed at their peak is unmatched.

  • Benevolent Precursors: Created the other races as well as their guardians, the elementals, though this was mostly to spite Discord more than anything.
  • Fling a Light into the Future: Tried to fling one to save itself, and then created the other races to prosper where they could not.
  • Humanity Is Advanced: Due to stagnation, Medieval Stasis, and a reliance on magic, most of the races have fairly limited levels of technology that have remained that way for thousands of years. Nav's relatively small pool of human knowledge ends up paving the way for a massive technological revolution over the next few decades.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Inadvertently created Discord in the first place.
  • Nuke 'em: Discord's first attempt to wipe them out involved this. Apparently he didn't read his science fiction since he forgot that Humans Are Survivors.

Ponies

"I’m a pony. We help others first."

The various races of ponies were created when Discord split the alicorns into three. Mostly a peaceful bunch, under Celestia's protection, they're become the most powerful race on the planet.

  • Bad Liar: Most can't tell a lie to save their lives, and they're generally so naive and trusting that they won't pick up on it when others lie unless it's very egregious.
  • Fantastic Racism: Particularly common among the nobility, but as a whole, they still tend to casually assume their ways are better than everyone else's.
  • The Nose Knows: Possess a far keener sense of smell than humans.

Griffons

"What we have built by strength and cunning, they have built with laziness and their cursed magic."

Based in what was formerly known as Canada, griffon culture resembles that of Nordic societies, with honour playing an important role.

  • Arch-Enemy: Despise changelings and view them as little more than parasites to be eradicated.
    Princess Gilda: The squealing sound they make when boiled is most delectable. And the noise their carapace makes is also funny.
  • Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Takes many influences from various Nordic cultures.
  • Glass Cannon: Relying mainly on their speed in combat, their hollow bones and lighter frame makes them less physically resilient than many of the other races.
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: Honour is a very important, and they greatly frown upon dishonourable actions.

The Cats

Generally violent and aloof, the cats — as the name might imply — are a bunch of bipedal Cat Folk based in Egypt. Recently they've seen great political upheaval, though their society has stabilised after the revolution and Celestia's intervention.

The Dogs

"...we are loyal to those that help us, even if it is only for pay."

Mainly concerned with material wealth, the dogs are a bipedal species based in China. Usually honest in their own way... dishonesty is bad for business, after all.

  • Funny Animal: A race of bipedal dogs.
  • Privately Owned Society: Most of their society works this way, with all the cutthroat practices you might expect.
  • Undying Loyalty: Don't care much for outsiders, but once befriended, you'll have a friend for life.

Changelings

Originally former alicorns corrupted by Discord, most changelings are little more than mindless drones, though those of higher castes are far more intelligent and capable than the rest of their hive mates. Originally under the threat of dying of starvation which resulted in their desperate attack upon Canterlot, following Navarone's intervention, they've brokered an uneasy peace with the ponies. After learning some of the secrets of human technology, they're poised to become a major force in the following decades.

  • Alien Blood: Regardless of their current form, their blood will always be green.
  • Arch-Enemy: Have a mutual hatred with the griffons, as well as the diamond dogs.
  • Emotion Eater: Unlike the show, they can feed off any emotion and while most prefer love, individual changelings have their own preferences.
  • Glowing Eyes: Enough to allow them to be visible in the dark.
  • Hive Caste System: Lower castes are mostly mindless drones, used only for labour. Higher castes are far more intelligent, and function as mages, or take on leadership roles.
  • Punny Name: All the ones seen so far use them.
    Navarone: I’m starting to see a trend here.
  • Voluntary Shapeshifting: They can take on any form, but won't gain any magical abilities such as dragon fire, and they aren't automatically familiar with whatever shape they've taken.

Dragons

Based in Iceland, this formerly noble race has been corrupted by their prolonged exposure to Discord, and do not care for much other than satisfying their greed. While they have little society to speak of, they do have a dragon code that is viciously enforced.

  • Code of Honour: Breaking it carries severe punishments. Non-dragons may get off more lightly, but should still be wary lest they incur the wrath of the enforcers.

The Naga

"We are naga warriors, proud and upright."

A very conservative clan-based society of Snake People, the Naga are secretive and mostly concerned about honour. Preferring to dwell in their caves and rarely found above the surface, they avoid dealing with outsiders where possible.

  • Combat Pragmatist: They recognise the need for dirty tactics, and clans tend to employ a few entirely for this reason, just so the rest can fight honourably.
  • Honor Before Reason: Most would rather die than fight than bring dishonour to themselves.
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: Very much into fighting and honour, though they do acknowledge the need for underhanded tactics, as distasteful as they may be.
  • Stay in the Kitchen: Very conservative, they firmly believe that men should hold all the power and positions of prominence.

The Elementals

An artificial race comprised of nanomachines, the elementals were created by humanity to watch over and guide the new races. After the war with Discord, they've found themselves sealed, and would like nothing more than to gain their revenge on the one who imprisoned them.

The Spiders

A female-dominated society of sapient spiders, based in South America. Hate males, and are very keen to subjugate any outsider they can find.

The Monkeys

A sapient species of monkey based in South America. Led by Brook, a water elemental claiming to be a goddess, who is trying to immortalize the human race by transforming monkey civilization according to the better aspects of humanity.

The Sheep

Predominantly based in Israel, the sheep are a somewhat sheepish species, as you might expect from the name. While not formally part of Equestria, they're something of a Servant Race to ponies.

  • Servant Race: Not exactly a servant race, but they are subservient to Equestria, and consider Celestia their princess.

The Minotaurs

A bipedal half-man, half-bull species, the minotaurs worship humanity as their Benevolent Precursors. Due to their reclusive nature, few can be found outside their home city of Minos. This comes back to bite them somewhat, since it results in them taking years to learn of Nav's existence.


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