My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
Logo introduced in 2017
Created by	Hasbro
Original work	Toys
Years	2013–2020
Print publications
Book(s)	(see Books sub-section)
Comics	(see Comics sub-section)
Films and television
Film(s)	Equestria Girls (2013) Rainbow Rocks (2014) Friendship Games (2015) Legend of Everfree (2016)
Short film(s)	Canterlot shorts (2017) Music videos (2017) Better Together (2017–2020)
Television special(s)	Magical Movie Night/Tales of Canterlot High (2017) Forgotten Friendship (2018) Rollercoaster of Friendship (2018) Spring Breakdown (2019) Sunset's Backstage Pass (2019) Holidays Unwrapped (2019)
Games
Video game(s)	Equestria Girls mobile app Equestria Girls mini-game in Gameloft'sMLP mobile app
Audio
Soundtrack(s)	(see Soundtracks section)
Miscellaneous
Toy(s)	My Little Pony: Equestria Girls

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (or simplyEquestria Girls) is afashion doll andmedia franchise launched in 2013 by American toy companyHasbro, as aspin-off of the2010 relaunch of theMy Little Pony toy line.

The franchise featuresanthropomorphized versions of characters from theFriendship Is Magic television series; as withMy Little Pony, the dolls have colorful bodies and hair, while incorporating their pony counterparts' "cutie marks" in their clothing. Along with licensed merchandise, Hasbro (through its subsidiaryAllspark Animation) has comissionedseveral animated works to accompany the doll line, including four films, eight television specials, and multiple short-form series.

The setting ofEquestria Girls is established as aparallel universe to the main world ofEquestria in the 2010 incarnation ofMy Little Pony, populated by humanoid versions of the "Mane Six" and other characters; Hasbro's marketing materials describe them as "full-time students and part-timemagical pony girls".^[1]

Equestria Girls takes place in an alternate version ofEquestria resembling modern-dayEarth, which is populated by humanoid counterparts to the pony characters ofFriendship Is Magic. This world is accessible through a magical mirror that was once kept in the Crystal Empire, before being relocated toTwilight Sparkle's castle sometime later. InEquestria Girls media, pony characters fromFriendship Is Magic who travel through the mirror assume humanoid forms in the alternate setting and vice-versa.

MostEquestria Girls characters are similar to theirFriendship Is Magic counterparts in terms of appearance and personality. Several locales in the parallel world serve as counterparts to the main cities and establishments in Equestria: Canterlot High School (CHS), for example, corresponds to Canterlot in Equestria, and is run by Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, who are counterparts of Equestria's rulersPrincess Celestia andPrincess Luna.

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This sectionneeds expansion with: detailed description of how each character is depicted in the officialEquestria Girls media; and how the characters (especially Equestria Girls exclusive characters) were developed. You can help byadding missing information. Relevant discussion may be found onTalk:My Little Pony: Equestria Girls.(August 2023)

It has been suggested that this section besplit out into another article titledList of My Little Pony: Equestria Girls characters. (Discuss)(August 2023)

The main characters are collectively referred to in merchandise as the "Equestria Girls". Beginning withRainbow Rocks, they are also the members of a rock band called the "Rainbooms". InLegend of Everfree, they are granted magical abilities from geodes they discover at the titular camp.

• Twilight Sparkle (voiced byTara Strong, singing voice byRebecca Shoichet) – Two different versions of Twilight Sparkle appear in theEquestria Girls franchise:
  • Princess Twilight Sparkle, theunicorn with wings who appeared inFriendship Is Magic, transformed into a humanoid teenager after traveling from Equestria. InRainbow Rocks, she temporarily assumes the role of vocalist in the Rainbooms.
  • Twilight Sparkle (a.k.a.Sci-Twi), the alternate universe counterpart, formally debuts inFriendship Games as a student at Crystal Prep Academy, who eventually transfers to Canterlot High School after being saved bySunset Shimmer from being transformed into her villainous alter ego Midnight Sparkle. She joins the Rainbooms as a backup vocalist and has telekinetic powers.
• Spike (voiced byCathy Weseluck) – As with Twilight Sparkle, two versions of Spike have appeared in the franchise:
  • HisFriendship Is Magic incarnation, adragon, is transformed into adog upon traveling through the portal from Equestria with Princess Twilight Sparkle. He retains the ability to speak in this form.
  • His alternate universe counterpart is an ordinary dog and Sci-Twi's pet, formally introduced inFriendship Games. He gains the ability to talk after exposure to Equestrian magic.
• Sunset Shimmer (voiced byRebecca Shoichet) – A unicorn from Equestria who resides in the parallel world as a CHS student. Originally the main antagonist of the firstEquestria Girls film, she reforms and becomes the leader of the parallel world's counterparts of the main characters. She joins the Rainbooms as a rhythm guitarist and can read people's minds by physically touching them.
• Applejack (voiced byAshleigh Ball) – A CHS student who works on her family's farm. She is the Rainbooms' bass guitarist and has super strength.
• Rainbow Dash (voiced byAshleigh Ball) – A CHS student and star athlete, stated to be the captain of every sports team the school has. She is the Rainbooms' electric guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter, and has super speed.
• Pinkie Pie (voiced byAndrea Libman, singing voice byShannon Chan-Kent and occasionally Libman) – An eccentric and friendly CHS student. She is the Rainbooms' drummer and can make candies and sugary foods explosive.
• Rarity (voiced byTabitha St. Germain, singing voice byKazumi Evans) – A CHS student and talented seamstress. She is the Rainbooms' keytarist and can create diamond-like force fields.
• Fluttershy (voiced byAndrea Libman) – A CHS student who volunteers at the local animal shelter. She is the Rainbooms' tambourinist and can communicate with animals.

• The Dazzlings – The main antagonists ofRainbow Rocks. The Dazzlings are a villainous trio ofsirens consisting of leaderAdagio Dazzle (voiced byKazumi Evans), abrasiveAria Blaze (voiced byDiana Kaarina, singing voice by Shylo Sharity), and airheadedSonata Dusk (voiced byMaryke Hendrikse, singing voice byMadeline Merlo inRainbow Rocks and byShannon Chan-Kent inSunset's Backstage Pass). The Dazzlings were banished to the parallel world by Star Swirl the Bearded, and seek control of the population through their enchanted singing. They also appear inSunset's Backstage Pass as minor characters.
• Abacus Cinch (voiced by Iris Quinn) – The main antagonist ofFriendship Games. Cinch is the strictprincipal of Crystal Prep Academy, a prestigious rival to Canterlot High School, and is obsessed with maintaining her school's reputation by manipulating her prized pupil, the alternate universe counterpart of Twilight Sparkle. In "Dance Magic", it is mentioned that she was replaced as Crystal Prep's principal by Dean Cadance, the counterpart ofPrincess Cadance.
• Gloriosa Daisy (voiced by Enid-Raye Adams, singing voice by Kelly Metzger) – The main antagonist ofLegend of Everfree. Gloriosa is a misguided counselor at Camp Everfree who, in an attempt to save the camp from closing, seizes geodes imbued with Equestrian magic that turn her into a creature named Gaea Everfree.
• Juniper Montage (voiced byAli Liebert) – The main antagonist of the2017 specials "Movie Magic" and "Mirror Magic". The niece of film director Canter Zoom, Juniper sabotages her uncle's production in "Movie Magic" in hopes of being cast as the lead actress. In "Mirror Magic", she finds an enchanted mirror that traps the main characters and corrupts her into a fame-obsessedgiantess.
• Wallflower Blush (voiced byShannon Chan-Kent) – An antisocial student and the main antagonist ofForgotten Friendship. Ignored by the school population and resentful of Sunset's evolution from hated bully to beloved friend, Wallflower uses a mystical, memory-erasing stone to turn Sunset's best friends' against her.
• Vignette Valencia (voiced byTegan Moss) – The main antagonist ofRollercoaster of Friendship. Vignette is the public relations director for the new Equestria Land amusement park and relies on social media to promote it. A wisp of Equestrian magic later enchants her smartphone, allowing her to create holograms.
• PostCrush – The main antagonists ofSunset's Backstage Pass. PostCrush is a pop music duo consisting of lead vocalist and guitaristKiwi Lollipop (K-Lo; voiced byLili Beaudoin, singing voice by Marie Hui) and drummerSupernova Zap (Su-Z; voiced by Mariee Devereux, singing voice by Arielle Tuliao). Disastisfied with their performances, they use an Equestrian artifact called the Time Twirler to create atime loop, inadvertently causing Sunset Shimmer to relive the first day of the Starswirled Music Festival.

• Principal Celestia (voiced byNicole Oliver) – The principal of Canterlot High.
• Vice Principal Luna (voiced byTabitha St. Germain) – Thevice principal of Canterlot High and Celestia's younger sister.
• Cheerilee (voiced by Nicole Oliver) – A teacher and librarian at Canterlot High.
• Mr. Cranky Doodle (voiced byRichard Newman) – A grumpy teacher at Canterlot High who is also a driving test instructor.
• Granny Smith (voiced by Tabitha St. Germain) – Applejack's grandmother and a cafeteria worker at Canterlot High.
• Flash Sentry (voiced byVincent Tong) – A CHS student and Sunset Shimmer's ex-boyfriend, who takes a romantic interest in Twilight but is seen renewing his relationship with Sunset after her reform. His Equestrian counterpart, a royal pegasus guard at the Crystal Empire, appears in the first film andForgotten Friendship, and has brief appearances inFriendship Is Magic.
• Cutie Mark Crusaders (voiced byMichelle Creber,Claire Corlett, and Madeleine Peters) – A club consisting of three younger students, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are the sisters of Applejack and Rarity, respectively.
• Snips and Snails (voiced byLee Tockar andRichard Ian Cox) – Two troublemaking younger students who act as Sunset Shimmer's assistants in the first film.
• DJ Pon-3 – A mutedisc jockey and CHS student who helps the Rainbooms defeat the Dazzlings in the second film.
• Big McIntosh (voiced by Peter New) – A CHS student who is Applejack's laconic brother.
• Octavia Melody (voiced byKazumi Evans) – A cellist and CHS student.
• Photo Finish (voiced byTabitha St. Germain) – A CHS student who is a pretentious photographer often accompanied by two silent assistants, Violet Blurr and Pixel Pizzaz.
• Trixie Lulamoon (voiced byKathleen Barr) – A braggart magician and CHS student who is a minor antagonist inRainbow Rocks, where she and her bandmates trap the Rainbooms under an amphitheater stage. InForgotten Friendship, she helps Sunset Shimmer find the Memory Stone.
• The Shadowbolts – The Shadowbolts are Crystal Prep's sports team that opposes Canterlot High's Wondercolts team. Apart from the counterpart of Twilight Sparkle, the team includes: the bluntSugarcoat (voiced by Sienna Bohn), two-facedSour Sweet (voiced by Sharon Alexander), hyper-competitiveIndigo Zap (voiced byKelly Sheridan), disdainfulSunny Flare, (voiced byBritt Irvin) and rocker girlLemon Zest (voiced byShannon Chan-Kent).
• Timber Spruce (voiced by Brian Doe) – Timber Spruce is the younger brother of Gloriosa Daisy and another counselor at Camp Everfree. He is introduced inLegend of Everfree and becomes a love interest for Sci-Twi.
• Zephyr Breeze (voiced by Ryan Beil) – Fluttershy's brother and a CHS student.

The 2010 incarnation of theMy Little Pony toy line and its associated television seriesMy Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, despite targeting younger children, attracted an unexpectedcult following of older male fans in their 20s and 30s, known as "bronies". Artwork produced by these fans included re-imaginings of theFriendship Is Magic cast as humans. Hasbro saw this art and came up with the idea of developing the spin-off with a similar aesthetic.^[2]

The earliest known official use of the "Equestria Girls" name occurred in 2011 when the American television channel The Hub (a joint venture betweenDiscovery Communications andHasbro; now known asDiscovery Family) released a promotional trailer forHasbro Studio'sFriendship Is Magic television series, featuring a modified version ofKaty Perry's "California Gurls".^[3] However, the trailer had no connection to the later-launched franchise.

In December 2012, Hasbro registered a trademark for the name "Equestria Girls" at theUnited States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).^[4][5] The franchise was briefly mentioned in the media earlier in February and March 2013.^[6][7] In an interview in the February/March 2013 issue of theKidscreen magazine, Hasbro's senior vice president of international distribution and development, Finn Arnesen, calledMy Little Pony a "top-priority" brand for the company; the film was described as "a new companion series" that would "[send] the pony heroes on a mission to a new world where they take on human form".^[6]Equestria Girls was announced in May 2013 with a film and other media strategies,^[8] and it was included in Hasbro's licensing program forMy Little Pony announced in June 2013,^[9] which began at the 2013 Licensing International Expo along with the company's other properties.^[10] The spin-off coincided with the 30th anniversary of theMy Little Pony brand.^[11]

Along with the toys, Hasbro planned to produce related merchandise and media including film, apparel, and accessories. Hasbro's chief marketing officer, John A. Frascotti, called the franchise a "major strategic initiative" for the company.^[8] The human-based toys were developed to appeal to girls in their teens as a means to extend theMy Little Pony brand.^[12] In addition, Hasbro would continue its licensing deals with book publisherLittle, Brown and Company and comic book publisherIDW Publishing to publish related works.^[9]

Equestria Girls is regarded as Hasbro's take onMonster High,^[13] a line of goth-themedfashion dolls launched byMattel (one of Hasbro's major rivals in the toy industry) in 2010.Monster High featured non-human skin and hair colors, wassupported by multimedia tie-ins, andhad its popularity and sales peaked in 2012 and 2013.^[14] In the same year Hasbro launchedEquestria Girls, Mattel introduced a fairytale-themed spin-off ofMonster High known asEver After High.^[15][16]

In audio commentary included on theRainbow Rocks home media release, Meghan McCarthy commented thatEquestria Girls was initially not intended to become an ongoing franchise and that the thought of a sequel did not cross her mind.^[17]

This sectionneeds expansion with: Themes of each (sub-)line-up Details on toys. You can help byadding missing information.(June 2021)

• Equestria Girls (2013): The first lineup to be released, it features a humanized version of My Little Pony characters from the 2010 relaunch.
• Rainbow Rocks (2014): The succeeding lineup named Rainbow Rocks, featuring music-themed toys and media, was first displayed at the 2014American International Toy Fair.^[18][19]
• Friendship Games (2015): In January 2015, at that year's edition of The Toy Fair inLondon, some merchandise was unveiled labeledMy Little Pony Equestria Girls: Friendship Games.^[20] Some vectors for the merchandise include Applejack and Fluttershy in archery outfits, an alternative universe counterpart of Twilight Sparkle, and five new characters introduced with the lineup: Indigo Zap, Lemon Zest, Sour Sweet, Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare.^[21] Mentions on the supporting products, alongside the film, were included in Hasbro's investor presentation at the 2015American International Toy Fair.^[22]
  Wondercolts and Shadowbolts dolls were released in late 2015 in two varieties: "School Spirit" classic and "Sporty Style" deluxe. In the Sporty Style assortment, the Wondercolts' Fluttershy and Applejack and the Shadowbolts' Sour Sweet and Twilight Sparkle come with a bow and a quiver of arrows. The Wondercolts' Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer and the Shadowbolts' Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat come with motorcycle helmets and goggles. The Wondercolts' Pinkie Pie and Rarity and the Shadowbolts' Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare come with roller skates. A motocross bike was released in 2015.^[23]
• Equestria Girls Minis (2015): A lineup featuring caricatured Equestria Girls characters.
• Legend of Everfree (2016): First mentioned in a Hasbro 2016 Entertainment Plan presentation in August 2015 along withthe tie-in film of the same title, a tentative image was shown of a new character whose name was not mentioned at the time.^{[24][unreliable source?]} In February 2016, at the 2016American International Toy Fair, some Legend of Everfree merchandise was revealed. Dolls unveiled were available in four styles: "Geometric Assortment", "Crystal Gala Assortment", "Crystal Wings Assortment" and "Boho Assortment". A new character by the name of Gloriosa Daisy was also revealed during the presentation.^{[25][unreliable source?]} The toys were released in July 2016.
• Equestria Girls: Better Together (2017–2020): An updated lineup featuring newly-re-styled caricatured Equestria Girls characters.

Allspark Animation (previously credited under Hasbro Studios), a subsidiary ofHasbro, has commissioned the production of several animated films, specials, and shorts (exceptEquestria Girls Minis shorts). Most of the animated media were produced byDHX Studios Vancouver's2D animation team inCanada, except theCanterlot Shorts from 2017, which were produced byBoulder Media in theRepublic of Ireland (a company acquired by Hasbro in 2016).

The following works were produced under this scope:

A media tie-in to promote the Equestria Girls Minis toy line, the animated shorts ranging from 15 to 30 seconds in length were showcased on various online outlets including the toy line's official website and officialYouTube channel beginning in late 2015.

The animation studio which produced the shorts is yet to be identified.

The followingjuvenile fictionchapter books are originally published byLittle, Brown and Company imprint ofHachette Book Group USA. The Orchard Book's imprint of Hachette UK, as well as The Five Mile Press in Australia, also published the books. The dates listed are the American publish dates.

Other than the chapter books, the following books were also published by the LB Kids imprint.

A special short story, featuring the origins of Sunset Shimmer, was published in the IDWMy Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic 2013San Diego Comic-Con comic variant in July 2013. It also included additional stories in a stand-alone issue, titledMy Little Pony Annual 2013: Equestria Girls, released on October 30, 2013.^[26][27]

An issue of IDW'sFiendship Is Magic features the Sirens, the evil creatures that appeared inRainbow Rocks.

Up until the Friendship Games lineup, Hasbro has been releasing a series of live-action music videos to promote the toy line. The videos feature female dancers, dressed as the protagonists, dancing to the renditions of the song "Equestria Girls", a number heard in the firstEquestria Girls film.

With the first lineup, Hasbro released a live-action music video, titledMagic of Friendship, onthe Entertainment Weekly website on August 30, 2013, depicting seven teenage girls, as the six protagonists and Sunset Shimmer, doing a new dance routine called "The EG Stomp" in a school cafeteria to a shorter Toy Commercial version of the "Equestria Girls" song.^[28]

On February 20, 2014, Hasbro released a new live-action music video on its official website to coincide with the Rainbow Rocks lineup, depicting the protagonists in a rock band. The music video, also titledRainbow Rocks, uses a rock version of the "Equestria Girls" song and portrays the protagonists performing the "EG Stomp".^[29] Through theEquestria Girls YouTube channel, another music video was released on August 4, 2014. It depicts four more teenage girls, each one dressed as the Dazzlings and DJ Pon-3 respectively.^[30] In February 2015, another music video titled "Rainbooms Remix" was released.

On August 14, 2015, the same year the Friendship Games lineup was launched, Hasbro released a live-action music video on its website, depicting five of the six protagonists as well as Sunset Shimmer in a sporting competition against Crystal Prep's Twilight Sparkle.^[31]

On October 15, 2013,Gameloft'sMy Little Pony mobile game was updated to include theEquestria Girls mini-game.^{[32][better source needed]}

A Rainbow Rocks missile command-type mini-game was added to theHasbro Arcade mobile app on April 8, 2014. On October 29, 2014, the mini-game was updated to include the Dazzlings with two songs from the film and one song from one of the live-action music videos.^{[33][better source needed]}

On June 7, 2014, a Rainbow Rocks game titled "Repeat the Beat" was released on Hasbro's Equestria Girls website;^{[34][better source needed]} almost two months later, two more games have been released on July 31, 2014, one of them being "Equestria Girls: Battle of the Bands"^{[35][better source needed]} and the other being "Equestria Girls: V.I.F. (Very Important Friend)".^{[36][better source needed]}

On August 4, 2015, a Friendship Games game titled "Archery Game" was released on Hasbro's Equestria Girls website.^{[37][better source needed]}

• My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Soundtrack (2013)
• Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks – Soundtrack (2014)
• Equestria Girls: Friendship Games – Soundtrack (2015)
• Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree – Soundtrack (2016)

TheMy Little Pony 2015 Convention Collection released forSan Diego Comic-Con in 2015 contains select songs from the first two films:Equestria Girls andRainbow Rocks.

There has been criticism over theanthropomorphism approach of the toy line, as well as the franchise overall. Before theEquestria Girls film's release, several mothers spoke to theNew York Daily News stating concerns about the humanized characters, describing them as "too sexy", "anorexic", and "going back to the originalBarbie" or "looking likeBratz dolls", and several feared allowing their children to be influenced by the looks.^[38] However, some considered it reasonable with other current media such asThe Little Mermaid, with one parent stating she felt that it isn't "any worse than Ariel in a bikini top for two hours".^[38]Slate's Amanda Marcotte considered that the characters' change to humanoid form was to popularize Equestria Girls with the adult fanbase ofFriendship Is Magic, who she claims "have expressed a strong interest in seeing the Ponies in sexy, humanized forms".^[39] However, many of these adult fans expressed disappointment in the announcement of the franchise and the characters, considering Equestria Girls to be trying to pander to this older audience, and that the approach "goes against everything that Pony was trying to prove".^[40]Craig McCracken, speaking for his wifeLauren Faust,Friendship Is Magic's creative showrunner for the first two seasons before stepping down, stated that McCracken felt she "wasn't the biggest fan" ofEquestria Girls, opining that the approach of turning the pony characters into humanoids would have gone against the way she wanted to take the television series.^[41]

Being part of a toy line and media franchise from Hasbro, the criticism against commercialization was taken into account when reviewing the films and specials from the Equestria Girls series, whose reception has generally been mixed to positive for retaining the quality of theFriendship Is Magic television series. When reviewing theFriendship Games film, Mike Cahill ofThe Guardian gave the film two out of five stars, calling it "craven commercialism", but adding that "it's not unattractively designed, and its peppy collegiate spirit trumps the sappiness ofDisney'sTinkerbell spin-offs".^[42] Conversely, Adam Lemuz ofGeekscape gave the same film a four out of five, praising its animation, music, directing and writing.^[43] Sherilyn Connelly, published byMcFarland & Company, complimented the films for having character-driven plots and argued that some journalists' and adult maleMy Little Pony fans' harsh criticisms ofEquestria Girls arose from amisogynistic backlash against the idea of media that overtly starred characters meant to appeal to, resemble, and resonate with a young female audience.^{[44]: 160–190}

• Toys portal

• Rohrer, Melissa; Austin, Sara (June 2024). "Christ is a Magical Girl: Queer Popular Culture andParadise Lost".Queer Studies in Media & Popular Culture.9 (2):135–150.doi:10.1386/qsmpc_00125_1.ISSN 2055-5695.

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