Here is a list of characters from the Pillars of Equestria.
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Pillars of Equestria
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General
Starswirl the Bearded, Pillar of Sorcery
- Heroic Lineage: A member of the Starswirl Line of mages, wizards and sorcerors.
- Mentor Archetype: One of the few for Trixie Lulamoon in magic, allowing Trixie to (among other things) become the new Splendid Sorceress of the Fourth Age.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Not perfect by any means, but the Pillar of Sorcery is reasonable where it counts, such as letting
the resistance cell he and Daring Do are leading during the 'Storm King Crisis' have a pinata party to blow off steam when there are no missions to do for the day. - Rebel Leader: During the 'Storm King Crisis', Starswirl would co-lead a resistance cell with Daring Do, the Wondrous Adventurer against the Storm Empire during their invasion and occupation of Equestria.
Mistmane, Pillar of Beauty
- Green Thumb: Not only can she make flowers grow wherever she walks, she's capable of growing plants with her magic. While the primary usage of it is to restore beauty, she's capable of using it offensively by summoning powerful vines to trap opponents.
Rockhoof, Pillar of Strength
- Cutting the Knot: During the Continental Wars, Rockhoof and the Royal Equestrian Army unit he was with are faced with an Autorist Humongous Mecha bearing down on them, and they have nothing to fight it other than their last remaining already half-damaged Battletrack, the gun of which the captain note would do negligible damage against it. Rockhoof's solution? Hammer-throw the Battletrack itself at the Humongous Mecha. Sure enough, the thing toppled over from the blow.
- Mentor Archetype: Became one to the Might Mare (Real name Lily Longsocks) in the Spectacular Seven superhero group of the Fourth Age.
- Super-Strength: As in canon. It's noted that he's a match for Taurakles, the demigod of strength himself and the two are acquaintances.
Stygian, the Pillar of Understanding/the Scholar of Shadows
- Awesomeness by Analysis: Stygian had always been the one to pinpoint the problems with their situation or their foes with unerring accuracy, allowing him to shine as a highly-capable researcher, analyst and strategist when combined with his extensive academic knowledge.
- Badass Bookworm: Stygian's greatest strength and contribution to the Pillars of Equestria - something frequently overlooked even by himself and contributed to his original downfall - is his analytical intellect and in-depth knowledge. In many crises and fights his insights and planning had assisted greatly in creating strategies that allowed the Pillars to best deploy their talents, making him quite instrumental in saving the day and winning battles.
- Berserk Button: As it turned out, evil Oceanaiads/Sirens is one for him due to what the Dazzlings did to his village ages ago (and which set off the entire sequence of events leading to the formation of the Pillars and later his fall to darkness as the Pony of Shadows). When the hostile Oceanaiads/Sirens responsible for the Abyssal Attack at Angel's Coast in Codex Quest(s) showed up at the pier, he quickly flew into a state of venomous rage which saw him viciously attacking them with his shadow powers with no reservation or restrain, intending to make them outright suffer for what they did.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: Calm, reserved and genial in character though he may be, when genuinely enraged he could be outright TERRIFYING and dangerous, especially thanks to his now potent shadow magic. And GOD(S) HELP YOU if you are an evil Oceanaiad/Siren.
- Casting a Shadow: Recent stories showed Stygian starting to use proficient shadow-manipulating magic against opponents beyond using his intelligent mind to analyse and device strategies against them. He flatly refuses to talk about it when asked, although he is starting to open up to friends such as the Researcher Trio and becoming more comfortable in using them in the open after opening up about them. Many of his powers include creating shadow constructs, shadow shields, shadow beams and blasts, being able to absorb and store things in shadow, teleport around in shadow portals, among others. However it's implied that there's something darker, ancient and eldritch behind his abilities which even he is scared of invoking - but would do so if sufficiently enraged.
- Classic Antihero: He is a small, shy and studious Unicorn with a Dark and Troubled Past and possesses dark powers which even he is scared of, possesses considerable guilt and remorse over his past villainous actions, constantly doubts his own self-worth and good nature, but nevertheless tries to fit in with his friends and pull his weight with either his analytical intellect or his new shadowy powers.
- A Day in the Limelight: He appears prominently in Codex Quest(s) as one of the Pillar companions of the Researcher Trio besides Meadowbrook and Mistmane.
- Heroic BSoD: Experienced one following the Cherub Cove Tech Terror incident after Mirthful was nearly killed being shot in the chest by an NRF terrorist when his shadow shield faltered for a moment, believing he had failed again when others needed him the most and caused his self-doubt at his own worth to resurface and build up over the following day until he experienced a breakdown. Fortunately the Researcher Trio talked him out of it.
- Horrifying the Horror: He managed to horrify an Oceanaiad/Siren attacking the pier amusement park at Angel's Coast during the Abyssal Attack crisis, first by beating her to a pulp with his shadow powers, then trying to subsume her into his shadows, seeing terrible things within it which left her a traumatised wreck when she was released from it. Keep in mind the Oceanaiads/Sirens once worshipped a pantheon of cosmic horrors in the form of the Abyssal Ones and are themselves quite monstrous-looking sea creatures.
- It's All My Fault: Stygian blames himself for nearly getting Mirthful killed in the Cherub Cove Tech-Terror incident when his shadow shield briefly faltered for a second, leading to Mirthful being shot in the chest by a draconic terrorist (fortunately he was wearing VERY good armour). This led to a slow-burning Heroic BSoD that culminated in a breakdown the day after the event, although fortunately the Researcher Trio were very understanding and talked him out of it.
- Lovecraftian Superpower: It is HEAVILY implied that the shadow powers he acquired from the Well of Shade is this, drawing from something ancient, powerful and eldritch which horrified many of those who saw a glimpse of it, and that Stygian himself is no longer entirely Equine partly because of it.
- Nothing Is Scarier: An insurrectionist attack of an event in Manehattan had Stygian being caught up in it along with a young mare whom he had become acquainted with. At one point, both were cornered by some of the insurrectionists, with the young mare being mortally-wounded by a weapon. This led to Stygian flying into an 'uncharacteristic rage'. What happened next is unclear as the Leymit security footage became distorted by an unusually potent magical discharge, blurring out all visuals, while garbled audio reveals what seemed to be frantic weapons-discharges, 'horrified/agonized screaming' and last but not least a 'monstrous, hateful laughter' before the Leymit device shorted out. No sign of the insurrectionists were ever found, while Stygian and his female companion were found a dozen meters away in a secluded side-room where they seemingly found shelter in, with no clue or memory as to how they got there, and his companion perfectly healthy and not mortally-wounded. The memory crystal containing the Leymit recording is confiscated by the Night Guards and classified, leaving many in-universe without any idea what happened or what Stygian do. For the readers, however, some might already suspect it may have to do with a certain entity Stygian was part of not being entirely gone...
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Stygian, who had been a polite, reserved and genial personality throughout their trip thus far, flies into an utterly venomous rage when he encountered malevolent Oceanaiads during the Abyssal Attack in Codex Quest(s) due to what the Dazzlings did to his home village centuries back, and does not hold back his shadow powers in PAINFULLY thrashing them.
- Tomato in the Mirror: It is heavily hinted, based on a conversation between him and Andhera Maharanee, the Flowing Darkness that rather than some sort of separate entity which had drawn him in and possessed him while making him think he is in control, the entity in the Well of Shades is really just a mindless if malignant force of darkness who was drawn to his despair, and became one with him in his vindictive desires. In other words, he is not just the heart of the Pony of Shadows - he may truly BE the Pony of Shadows. And since he was one with the Shade on an inseparable level, it is entirely possible the Pony of Shadows is Not Quite Dead...
- Took a Level in Badass: As revealed in Codex Quest(s), he acquired potent shadow powers following his Pony of Shadows phase which made him much more capable and formidable beyond his strategic, analytical intellect and knowledge.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Downplayed in the former part, as he was the guy who put the Pillars of Equestria together and contributed to many of their victories with his strategies. A lot of their heroism and times saving Equestria wouldn't had been possible without him, despite the fact many and even Stygian himself overlooked his contributions.
- The Strategist: Stygian's analytical brilliance makes him the go-to person among the Pillars of Equestria in formulating strategies to defeating opponents and saving the day.
- Weak, but Skilled: He does not possess the powers and abilities of his fellow Pillars, but he is their most valuable analyst/strategist whose observations and planning was instrumental in many of the Pillars' victories.
Meadowbrook, Pillar of Healing
- The Medic: She was a skilled healer, and was famous for traveling all over Equestria to cure dangerous diseases and epidemics.
Somnambula, Pillar of Hope
Flash Magnus, Pillar of Bravery
