History BaseBreakingCharacter / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic

* Scootaloo's parents both fall into this, despite only showing up in one episode, due to their blatant case of *ParentalNeglect; seeing how they aren't really around for her, unlike her aunts and friends. Those who like them think that they are genuinely loving and realize that they're too busy to be physically there for her, as they do show they at least care about their daughter enough to want to protect her and do take into account her opinion on where she wants to live after being talked to at the end of their episode tehy appear in. Those who take issue with them say that their excuse of being busy with their jobs and being concerned after Sombra's latest attack falls flat since there have been numerous times they could've gone to check up on her, and it's only in season 9, the last season, that they take issue with her safety. Its worth noting that, as busy as their careers seem to keep them, they never have visited their daughter prior to the episode they show up in, despite various threats of nearly killing her and destroying the town she lives in prior to their visit, and that they never left her with any sort of caretaker or guardian in the first place. (Scootaloo's aunts are shown to visit by train but live apart from her.) Additionally, though they recant this later, they initially show up after a long period of absence in their daughter's life only to attempt to make her move away from her friends with without even asking her opinion, which soured many people's perceptions of them. Many cases of both *RonTheDeathEater and * UnintentionallyUnsympathetic followed, not helped by the fact their neglect of their daughter is mostly glossed over by the show itself, instead trying to portray them as heroes.

* The Storm King. Compared to how much screen time Discord, Chrysalis and Tirek got in their two-parter episode debuts, many bronies found the Storm King underwhelming due to how little screen time he had in a ''feature-length movie'' and how dumb he was when compared to Tempest. But he has his fair share of fans who find his straight-up villainy and comedic personality a breath of fresh air after [[ItsTheSameSoItSucks watching multiple redemptions in the show]]. These fans have pointed out that he still managed to conquer many lands outside Equestria (a feat in which the show's villains, while potentially world threatening, had not been known to accomplish) while his detractors refute that [[InformedAbility it undercut by]] his {{Villain Ball}}s and how easily he and his army were defeated.
* Chancellor Neighsay got this status almost ''immediately'' up in his introduction. He's shown to be a xenophobic, speceist, essentially corrupt politician. People think his good intentions help give a good excuse for his behavior, or those who think he's essentially a full on villain whose no better than those he opposes. His reformation in the season 8 finale is also divisive.

* Flash Sentry. When he was introduced, the fandom erupted due to Twilight developing a crush on him. Some jumped on what was possibly the first canon pairing of the Mane 6 while others argued that MLP had done just fine without romance and didn't need it now. It didn't help that Flash barely did anything in his debut. This caused haters to accuse Flash of being a FlatCharacter or a MartyStu, while fans accuse the haters of being upset that Flash stole their 'waifu'. Fighting further continued with fans wanting Flash to come back and be more developed, while haters wanted Flash gone altogether. The writers apparently noticed the controversy Flash has caused, and steadily moved him further into the background as the series went on.[[invoked]]

* Tempest Shadow. She has plenty of fans who adore her for her [[EvilIsCool no-nonsense personality]], her backstory, her [[VillainSong musical number]] and her voice work courtesy of Emily Blunt. But many others find her decision to turn evil and help the Storm King subjugate her own kind because she lost two friends as a child to be a FreudianExcuse just as bad as, if not ''worse'' than, Starlight Glimmer. These same people deride Tempest for not even ''trying'' to make new friends or see a doctor about her broken horn, especially with [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E2TheCrystallingPart2 previous episodes]] showing that Equestrians have spells to keep unstable magic under control. Coupled with the fact that she was [[ItsTheSameSoItSucks yet another villain to be redeemed]] and [[EasilyForgiven forgiven for her crimes against Equestria]].
* The Storm King. Compared to how much screen time Discord, Chrysalis and Tirek got in their two-parter episode debuts, many bronies found the Storm King underwhelming due to how little screen time he had in a ''feature-length movie'' and how dumb he was when compared to Tempest. But he has his fair share of fans who find his straight-up villainy and comedic personality a breath of fresh air after [[ItsTheSameSoItSucks watching multiple redemptions in the show]]. These fans have pointed out that he still managed to conquer many lands outside Equestria (a feat in which the show's villains, while potentially world threatening, had not been known to accomplish) while his detractors refute that he still goofed around with the Princesses' magic like a toy and was defeated very easily.

* Grogar. A majority of the fanbase were ecstatic about Friendship Is Magic bringing back another classic G1 villain. And many others love him for [[EvilIsCool how powerful he is even without his bell]], his preference for planning ahead and the fact that unlike the other villains, he knows not to underestimate the Mane Six and has some idea of [[WeWorkWellTogether what makes them formidable]]. But he has his share of detractors who find him to be a boring villain with a bland personality who spends more time planning than actually ''doing'' anything. Some have even admitted to preferring [[MemeticLoser the Storm King]] over him, claiming ''he'' at least had an enjoyable personality. Even more so since it turns out [[spoiler:the ''real'' Grogar never actually showed up, and the one we saw was just Discord in disguise]].

* [[AlphaBitch Diamond Tiara]]. At one point, she was one of the show's least liked characters with a minority fan base. While she was disliked for constantly picking on the Cutie Mark Crusaders [[ForTheEvulz for no apparent reason]], her defenders claimed that she wasn't as bad as any of the show's major villains. Then came "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" where it was finally explored why she bullied the Crusaders and even became their friends by the episode's end. In response to her reformation, fans either [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap finally respected the character]] or thought it was FreudianExcuse that was an even worse AssPull than Babs Seed's (mentioned below).

* Tempest Shadow. She has plenty of fans who adore her for her [[EvilIsCool no-nonsense personality]], her backstory, her [[VillainSong musical number]] and her voice work [[EvilIsSexy courtesy of Emily Blunt]]. But many others find her decision to turn evil and help the Storm King subjugate her own kind because she lost two friends as a child to be a FreudianExcuse just as bad as, if not ''worse'' than, Starlight Glimmer. These same people deride Tempest for not even ''trying'' to make new friends or see a doctor about her broken horn, especially with [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E2TheCrystallingPart2 previous episodes]] showing that Equestrians have spells to keep unstable magic under control. Coupled with the fact that she was [[ItsTheSameSoItSucks yet another villain to be redeemed]] and [[EasilyForgiven forgiven for her crimes against Equestria]].

* Fans are divided on the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Are they a fair deviation from the Mane Cast or are they [[SpotlightStealingSquad given too much exposure]]? Also, their approach to getting their cutie marks has been divided ever since their talents are hinted at in "The Show Stoppers". Their divisiveness has increased with each season with fans getting tired of them [[YankTheDogsChain getting denied their cutie marks]] and [[NotAllowedToGrowUp not being allowed to grow up]]. However, with them finally getting their cutie marks in Season 5's "Crusaders of the Lost Mark", fans are almost unanimous in believing that it was a good thing. The rift became over whether they should have gotten their cutie marks ''sooner'', and with fans split over whether their talent of helping others find their destiny was a good and creative idea or a cop-out that tossed out established abilities that had been built up since season 1 as potential special talents.

* While originally an EnsembleDarkHorse, Sugar Belle became this after becoming Big Mac's girlfriend after Season 7's "Hard to Say Anything". Some fans like her for her sweet personality and think she's a great LoveInterest for Big Mac while other fans hate her for being [[DemotedToSatelliteLoveInterest demoted to a bland]] SatelliteLoveInterest with little-to-no characterization outside of being Big Mac's girlfriend. Then there's her relationship with Big Mac. Fans are a little divided on whether their relationship is cute or if they've been StrangledByTheRedString.

With tons of characters and a vocal fanbase, These characters have as many fans as detractors. See [[BrokenBase/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic here for other fan divides]].

* Because the teasers for "Celestial Advice" suggested that the show would [[ShooOutTheNewGuy finally say goodbye to Starlight]], the fact that [[BaitAndSwitch it ultimately didn't so that]] has re-ignited the whole discussion across the community. Fans on both sides of the aisle professed some excitement over the idea of Starlight leaving to go on her own adventures as it would've both expanded the universe and removed her from the awkward spot she had in the cast as a seventh member of the Mane 6th, so [[StatusQuoIsGod Status Quo]] winning out didn't go over too well. Ever since it's premiere, one of the biggest debates surrounding the episode is why the writers would bring up the possibility at all if they never intended to go through with it.

* Fluttershy. Some fans thought that she was a precious ShrinkingViolet who was the go-to character for the show's wholesome moments. Others went through HypeBacklash when it comes to her cuteness, and found her passiveness and cowardice irritating rather than endearing. Fluttershy's willingness to stand up for herself and/or her friends also varies, [[DependingOnTheWriter depending on the episode]]. Whenever she does something wrong (like hurting her friends’ feelings), she’s quickly forgiven, yet when any of Fluttershy's friends hurt ''her'', [[DoubleStandard they quickly become targets of unrelenting hate]]. This was seen with Fluttershy's pet Angel in "Putting Your Hoof Down" and Pinkie Pie in "Filli Vanilli", who both got reamed by bronies as evil monsters. Her cemented CharacterDevelopment in regard to assertiveness in the later seasons also caused some backlash, splitting the base between those who thought Fluttershy's development made her a more dynamic character and those who felt it made her one-note.

* Because the teasers for "Celestial Advice" suggested that the show would [[ShooOutTheNewGuy finally say goodbye to Starlight]], the fact that [[BaitAndSwitch it ultimately didn't so that]] has re-ignited the whole discussion across the community.

* [[EnfantTerrible Cozy Glow]] is a divisive villain. You either find her a genuinely compelling villain who's incredibly smart and manipulative, or you think she's an annoying character with a firm grasp on DidntThinkThisThrough. Some find her [[DraggedOffToHell being sent to Tartarus]] at the end of Season 8 a welcome break from villains being EasilyForgiven and she showed no remorse for her crimes, while others thought a child being punished so harshly after others much older than her were granted leniency gave away some troubling implications about the Equestrian justice system (in the sense that they were willing to give adults second chances but not children and that they apparently didn't have any other prison besides Tartarus). In the case of her inclusion in Grogar's LegionOfDoom, some felt that she didn't deserve to be included given she's just a child and/or isn't threatening enough, whereas others claim her crimes make her more than worthy of being included and/or enjoy her dynamic with Tirek and Chrysalis. [[spoiler:Her [[TakenForGranite final punishment]] has resulted in another hotly debated topic, for the exact same reasons as her imprisonment in Tartarus, with the added implication that it'll be permanent]].

* The writers' decision to make Starlight ''only'' appear in episodes she's the focus of. Some feel it's fine and helps not force her into places she doesn't belong, others find it jarring and denies her more chances to show her character and feel like part of the show, and of course her sizeable hatedom is thankful for it because they ''already'' feel she's been given far too much exposure and prominence this season and feel it's a breath of fresh air and a return to normalcy. Of course, that hasn't stopped Starlight from making a {{Cameo}} in "Spice Up Your Life" and "Top Bolt", so there's that as well.

* Of all the royal princesses, Princess Celestia is probably the most divisive character of the show. Many fans found her boring, uninteresting, and [[TheWorfEffect weak]] which invoked the three common meme trends ({{Troll}}estia, [[MemeticMolester Molestia]], and [[RonTheDeathEater Tyrantlestia]]) in fanart, fanfiction, threads, etc., while others found her to be the most deep character of the series. While there hasn't been much backstory given to her in the show itself, the IDW comics do expand on her character quite a bit, making her TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask. Her actions in the Reflection Arc of the comic series also show that she was almost blindly impulsive and selfish in her younger days. This has lead to a split that made some fans question how much Celestia deserves to be the ruler of Equestria, while others say that her status as TheAtoner makes her far more interesting.

* A lot of bronies were immediately taken with Spike, who was quickly adopted as the AudienceSurrogate of the cast, apparently because he's TheOneGuy. Some of the tension may be due to the fact that he's written as more of a comedic sidekick. While some fans admire him for his ButtMonkey status, others don't appreciate how often he is used for ComicRelief, often claiming TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter. It hasn't helped that he is shown to have some amazing abilities, like swimming in lava and fire breath that can melt locks or [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome stadium-sized pieces of ice]], HiddenDepths, and a rather mysterious backstory. Many episodes with him as the central character [[FanonDiscontinuity are often disregarded]] due to him [[IdiotBall acting like a complete moron]], while episodes where he isn't the focus usually have him as TheReliableOne. Other fans abhor him being TheChewToy, referring to the slapstick he goes through as "[[FanNickname Spikeabuse]]" and feeling that the sheer amount of it he's subjected to is unfunny at best and downright mean-spirited at worst. Even series writer Josh Haber said on Twitter that the gag of using Spike in physical comedy had overstayed its welcome. However, many fans are in agreement that Season 6 finally gave him some good spotlight episodes, and his development in Seasons 7 and 8 got him RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap in the eyes of most.

* When the synopsis for "To Where and Back Again" was revealed, Starlight became even ''more'' of a base breaker when it was revealed she would be taking center stage to rescue the Mane Six from "the return of Equestria's greatest threat". Some were excited at the prospect of the "unlikely team of heroes" she is to assemble, equating it to a pony ''ComicBook/SuicideSquad'' and feel this is a perfect finale to her season-wide character arc and will cement her status as reformed and absolved of what she did as a villain. Others feel that having a ''fourth'' premiere/finale centering around her is simply too much, especially considering "The Cutie Re-Mark" was focused entirely on her and Twilight Sparkle with the rest of the cast getting bit parts at best and how much prominence she has already been given in Season 6 along with her getting to take the main character slot for an entire two-part finale above the official main characters just ''reeks'' of favoritism. [[spoiler:Of course, the rift only got worse when the plot essentially involves the ''entire cast'', that is all the royalty and the Mane Six, being thoroughly [[TheWorfEffect Worfed]] without explanation: some are quick to agree that not showing it and/or it happening was a NecessaryWeasel to devote time to the actual plot, with others feeling it validates complaints that the narative is shilling Starlight Glimmer by weakening or making other characters look worse.]]

* "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E21EveryLittleThingSheDoes Every Little Thing She Does]]" is an episode where Starlight brainwashes her friends sans Twilight to solve friendship problems. This threw even more divisive opinions Starlight's way. Some pounced on this, saying this negates Starlight being RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap and that she'll be a KarmaHoudini due to the season finale relying on her saving Equestria. A shrinking vocal minority doesn't mind it, claiming that Twilight did this in "Lesson Zero" to the point of getting an entire town brawling and had to be bailed out by her friends. Others felt that "two wrongs do not make it right", I.E., someone else doing a bad thing again shouldn't get special treatment for it, and are quick to point out that while Twilight ''did'' do that, she was a national hero who had proven her heroism and good intentions time and time again, not a recently reformed criminal who had spent a lifetime of doing wrong and was ''already'' given far more leeway and forgiveness than she deserved. The other side comes back and contends that Starlight had legitimately good intentions as well, and she just messed up and is [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools good demonstration of character flaws]] she as a real student, still needs to work on. Not only that, but they also point out Starlight took responsibility and actually had to ''work'' to earn forgiveness from the others, negating her KarmaHoudini status.

* After Starlight's HeelFaceTurn, the staff tried to perform some [[AuthorsSavingThrow damage control]] with the stories that involve her, which has improved Starlight's standing to some extent. Depending on who you ask, these attempts were enough to lead Starlight being RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap ''completely'', were in the right direction but not enough, gave rise to new issues, tried to fix them from the wrong angle, or simply didn't work at all.

* Starlight Glimmer's existence has created a simmering inner fan rivalry between her and Sunset Shimmer. It started somewhere around Starlight's introduction when Sunset fans became very vocal about Starlight, mostly claiming her to be a [[ReplacementScrappy lousy replacement]] who "stole" Sunset's role as SixthRanger in the show, while the other side argues that Sunset Shimmer has only appeared in the Equestria Girls movies and never in the show proper, therefore making it impossible for her role to be actually "stolen", even if her character arc and personality makes her look like a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute. Then somewhere along the line the Starlight camp adopted their oppositions habit of bringing up the other character out of the blue and comparing them, which usually leads to the more diehard fans of the two trying to [[DracoInLeatherPants downplay their own champion's past or recent transgressions]], while [[RonTheDeathEater trying to demonize the other]]. The constant back and forth has lead to calls of {{Hypocrisy}}, [[MoralMyopia biased morals]] and [[HolierThanThou insufferable self-righteousness]] being thrown all around the board and the same arguments being repeated over and over again, leaving both sides embittered towards one another, and the people who happen to enjoy both characters (or who don't just give a damn about either) tired of the amount vitrol that mentioning one or the other can bring when discussing the show.

* Upon his introduction, Discord was ''immediately'' adored by the fan base for his whimsical villainy, trickster personality and mish-mosh appearance. Being voiced by Creator/JohnDeLancie helped his cause tremendously. Then in "Keep Calm and Flutter on", his second appearance, he underwent the makings of a HeelFaceTurn. This split his fans between those who welcomed it, expecting him to fight alongside the mane cast and those who thought he was better as a villain, thinking such reformation was rushed at best and forced at worse. Every appearance after that has been equally divisive, with some questioning whether or not his crossing over was genuine (especially considering his actions in "Twilight's Kingdom"). His {{Reformed but Not Tamed}} nature often either makes him considered one of the best reformations in the series or one of the worst. A number of later appearances, especially "What About Discord?" and "A Matter of Principals" added fuel to the fire by having him deliberately antagonize the heroes, only for the writing to portray him as the wronged party or antagonizing for the sake of helping the heroes learn a lesson. Some saw this as a good case of GrayAndGreyMorality, while others saw it as the writing going out of its way to make him more sympathetic than he deserved. He then tops himself in the Season 9 finale, with the reveal that [[spoiler: he was posing as Grogar throughout the season and using the other villains as pawns in a scheme to boost Twilight's confidence]]. This quickly cemented him as one of the most polarizing characters, as the fanbase was split between those who felt that it was in-character for him and that he adequately made up for what he did, and those who felt that it undermined all of his character development throughout the show, and that he was too easily forgiven for putting all of Equestria in danger. He has still proven himself to be popular enough to get a supporting role in ''Pony Life''. His relationship with Fluttershy is generally well-received by many, although is argued by some as pushing the message of the nice guy having to fix the bad boy in a kids cartoon. There are many hoping for his return in G5, but also those who aren't.

* Upon his introduction, Discord was ''immediately'' adored by the fan base for his whimsical villainy, trickster personality and mish-mosh appearance. Being voiced by Creator/JohnDeLancie helped his cause tremendously. Then in "Keep Calm and Flutter on", his second appearance, he underwent the makings of a HeelFaceTurn. This split his fans between those who welcomed it, expecting him to fight alongside the mane cast and those who thought he was better as a villain, thinking such reformation was rushed at best and forced at worse. Every appearance after that has been equally divisive, with some questioning whether or not his crossing over was genuine (especially considering his actions in "Twilight's Kingdom"). His {{Reformed but Not Tamed}} nature often either makes him considered one of the best reformations in the series or one of the worst. A number of later appearances, especially "What About Discord?" and "A Matter of Principals" added fuel to the fire by having him deliberately antagonize the heroes, only for the writing to portray him as the wronged party or antagonizing for the sake of helping the heroes learn a lesson. Some saw this as a good case of GrayAndGreyMorality, while others saw it as the writing going out of its way to make him more sympathetic than he deserved. He then tops himself in the Season 9 finale, with the reveal that [[spoiler: he was posing as Grogar throughout the season and using the other villains as pawns in a scheme to boost Twilight's confidence]]. This quickly cemented him as one of the most polarizing characters, as the fanbase was split between those who felt that it was in-character for him and that he adequately made up for what he did, and those who felt that it undermined all of his character development throughout the show, and that he was too easily forgiven for putting all of Equestria in danger. He has still proven himself to be popular enough to get a supporting role in ''Pony Life''. His relationship with Fluttershy is generally well-received. There are those hoping for his return in G5, but also those who aren't.

* Upon his introduction, Discord was ''immediately'' adored by the fan base for his whimsical villainy, trickster personality and mish-mosh appearance. Being voiced by Creator/JohnDeLancie helped his cause tremendously. Then in "Keep Calm and Flutter on", his second appearance, he underwent the makings of a HeelFaceTurn. This split his fans between those who welcomed it, expecting him to fight alongside the mane cast and those who thought he was better as a villain, thinking such reformation was rushed at best and forced at worse. Every appearance after that has been equally divisive, with some questioning whether or not his crossing over was genuine (especially considering his actions in "Twilight's Kingdom"). His {{Reformed but Not Tamed}} nature often either makes him considered one of the best reformations in the series or one of the worst. A number of later appearances, especially "What About Discord?" and "A Matter of Principals" added fuel to the fire by having him deliberately antagonize the heroes, only for the writing to portray him as the wronged party or trolling for the sake of helping the heroes learn a lesson. Some saw this as a good case of GrayAndGreyMorality, while others saw it as the writing going out of its way to make him more sympathetic than he deserved. He then tops himself in the Season 9 finale, with the reveal that [[spoiler: he was posing as Grogar throughout the season and using the other villains as pawns in a scheme to boost Twilight's confidence]]. This quickly cemented him as one of the most polarizing characters, as the fanbase was split between those who felt that it was in-character for him and that he adequately made up for what he did, and those who felt that it undermined all of his character development throughout the show, and that he was too easily forgiven for putting all of Equestria in danger. He has still proven himself to be popular enough to get a supporting role in ''Pony Life''. His relationship with Fluttershy is generally well-received. There are those hoping for his return in G5, but also those who aren't.

* Upon his introduction, Discord was ''immediately'' adored by the fan base for his whimsical villainy, trickster personality and mish-mosh appearance. Being voiced by Creator/JohnDeLancie helped his cause tremendously. Then in "Keep Calm and Flutter on", his second appearance, he underwent the makings of a HeelFaceTurn. This split his fans between those who welcomed it, expecting him to fight alongside the mane cast and those who thought he was better as a villain, thinking such reformation was rushed at best and forced at worse. Every appearance after that has been equally divisive, with some questioning whether or not his crossing over was genuine (especially considering his actions in "Twilight's Kingdom"). His {{Reformed but Not Tamed}} nature often either makes him considered one of the best reformations in the series or one of the worst. A number of later appearances, such as "What About Discord?" and "A Matter of Principals" added fuel to the fire by having him deliberately antagonize the heroes, only for the writing to portray him as the wronged party. Some saw this as a good case of GrayAndGreyMorality, while others saw it as the writing going out of its way to make him more sympathetic than he deserved. He then tops himself in the Season 9 finale, with the reveal that [[spoiler: he was posing as Grogar throughout the season and using the other villains as pawns in a scheme to boost Twilight's confidence]]. This quickly cemented him as one of the most polarizing characters, as the fanbase was split between those who felt that it was in-character for him and that he adequately made up for what he did, and those who felt that it undermined all of his character development throughout the show, and that he was too easily forgiven for putting all of Equestria in danger. He has still proven himself to be popular enough to get a supporting role in ''Pony Life''. His relationship with Fluttershy is generally well-received. There are those hoping for his return in G5, but also those who aren't.

* Rainbow Dash. The base is split between those who think she's a {{Jerkass}} due to her arrogance and constant boasting, and those who think she [[AwesomeEgo actually has the skills]] to keep up with her boasts. She's on many fans' "best pony" lists, but also on just as many "worst pony" lists. The trend of Scootabuse (artwork of Rainbow abusing Scootaloo), ''Rainbow Factory'', ''Pony.MOV'', ''Friendship Is Witchcraft'', and other fanworks that [[RonTheDeathEater exaggerate Rainbow's attitude into outright villainy]] have not helped, despite being non-canon. Many early Season 2 episodes which were written before she TookALevelInKindness and focused more on her competitive drive, which only increased her hatedom. Rainbow's status as the Element of Loyalty has also been called into question, as episodes such as "The Last Roundup", "Three's a Crowd" and "A Canterlot Wedding – Part 1" involve her showing no remorse or having her [[KarmaHoudini suffer no consequence]] for ignoring her friends. She's hated in "Trade Ya!" for the unspeakably heinous crime of accidentally trading her friend away for a book, with very few fans realizing [[InnocentlyInsensitive she didn't understand]] what had happened until it was (almost) [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone too late]]. That said, Rainbow's also had a few episodes where she's shown genuine loyalty, such as when she was willing to quit the Wonderbolts (giving up her lifelong dream in the process) if it meant that her friends were put in danger.

* Rainbow Dash. The base is split between those who think she's a {{Jerkass}} due to her arrogance and constant boasting, and those who think she [[AwesomeEgo actually has the skills]] to keep up with her boasts. She's on many fans' "best pony" lists, but also on just as many "worst pony" lists. The trend of Scootabuse (artwork of Rainbow abusing Scootaloo), ''Rainbow Factory'', ''Pony.MOV'', ''Friendship Is Witchcraft'', and other fanworks that [[RonTheDeathEater exaggerate Rainbow's attitude into outright villainy]] have not helped, despite being non-canon. Many early Season 2 episodes which were written before she TookALevelInKindness and focused more on her competitive drive, which only increased her hatedom. Rainbow's status as the Element of Loyalty has also been called into question, as episodes such as "The Last Roundup", "Three's a Crowd" and "A Canterlot Wedding – Part 1" involve her showing no remorse or having her [[KarmaHoudini suffer no consequence]] for ignoring her friends. She's hated in "Trade Ya!" for the unspeakably heinous crime of accidentally trading her friend away for a book, with very few fans realizing [[InnocentlyInsensitive she didn't understand]] what had happened until it was (almost) [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone too late]]. That said, Rainbow's also had a few episodes where she's shown genuine loyalty, such as when she was willing to quit the Wonderbolts (giving up her lifelong dream in the process) if it meant that her friends were put in danger. This character development seemed to have worked, as Season 5 onward mellowed her out quite a bit without really impacting her drive and desire to be the best, which turned down the base-breaking. Before she becomes one of if not the most controversial of the mane 6 in later seasons.
* Pinkie Pie. Many love her for being a FunPersonified pony whose driving purpose in life is to make others happy, and find her hyperactivity and fourth-wall breaking antics hilarious. Others hate her for being InnocentlyInsensitive and [[KarmaHoudini getting away with it]], being part of the most controversial aesops of the series (Such as "Swarm of the Century", "Feeling Pinkie Keen", "A Friend In Deed”, and “Yakity-Sax”), and find her irritating. This is not helped by the fact [[DependingOnTheWriter she is one of the most inconsistently characterized main characters in the series]], ranging from very mature but still Pinkie-like portrayals such as in "The Last Laugh", to episodes where she seems to have no tact at all, with few middle points.

With LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters and a vocal fanbase, These characters have as many fans as detractors. See [[BrokenBase/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic here for other fan divides]].

* Upon his introduction, Discord was ''immediately'' adored by the fan base for his whimsical villainy, trickster personality and mish-mosh appearance. Being voiced by Creator/JohnDeLancie helped his cause tremendously. Then in "Keep Calm and Flutter on", his second appearance, he underwent the makings of a HeelFaceTurn. This split his fans between those who welcomed it, expecting him to fight alongside the mane cast and those who thought he was better as a villain, thinking such reformation was rushed at best and forced at worse. Every appearance after that has been equally divisive, with some questioning whether or not his crossing over was genuine (especially considering his actions in "Twilight's Kingdom"). His {{Reformed but Not Tamed}} nature often either makes him considered one of the best reformations in the show or one of the worst. A number of later appearances, such as "What About Discord?" and "A Matter of Principals" added fuel to the fire by having him deliberately antagonize the heroes, only for the writing to portray him as the wronged party. Some saw this as a good case of GrayAndGreyMorality, while others saw it as the writing going out of its way to make him more sympathetic than he deserved. He then tops himself in the Season 9 finale, with the reveal that [[spoiler: he was posing as Grogar throughout the season and using the other villains as pawns in a scheme to boost Twilight's confidence]]. This quickly cemented him as one of the most polarizing characters, as the fanbase was split between those who felt that it was in-character for him and that he adequately made up for what he did, and those who felt that it undermined all of his character development throughout the show, and that he was too easily forgiven for putting all of Equestria in danger. He has still proven himself to be popular enough to get a supporting role in ''Pony Life''. His relationship with Fluttershy is generally well-received. There are those hoping for his return in G5, but also those who aren't.