Primary: Pinkie Pie Secondary: Fluttershy Tertiary: Apple Bloom
Judging by jtvh's idea of categories, Fluttershy classes as Primary, and Apple Bloom probably classes as Primary as well, or at the very least Secondary.
Doctor Whooves
Doctor Whooves would win a different category, that being non-canon. He isn't really that spectacular from his appearances in the show, so he is only conceptually awesome.
Ooh, good one. However, Fluttershy is easily countered, despite her stare power. For one thing, she wouldn't fight any of her friends, so she would be easily beaten by any one of the other 5 main ponies. Furthermore, even if she is trying to stare you, you just have to avoid looking her in the eye.
Judging by jtvh's idea of categories, Fluttershy classes as Primary, and Apple Bloom probably classes as Primary as well, or at the very least Secondary.
Ah, you're right.
Primary: Pinkie Pie/Fluttershy Secondary: Apple Bloom/Sweetie Bell Tertiary: Derpy Hooves
Either way, the point is that Rainbow Dash is excluded. I'm happy to see rising respect for Rarity, though. There's no way she deserves to be below Twilight or Applejack. She's up there with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, if you ask me.
Pinkie Pie is a highly concentrated pony, though; her screen time needs to be carefully managed to prevent overexposure and/or destruction of the world.
I'm happy to see rising respect for Rarity, though. There's no way she deserves to be below Twilight or Applejack. She's up there with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, if you ask me.
Originally I was like, ugh, just get Rarity off the show. But now that they have flesher her out, perhaps too much, I am warming. Yet, despite that warming, she is still my least favorite main pony.
I'm really a fan of the idea of Twilight: a bookish pony, who is both intelligent and properly skeptical. The problem is the implementation: she is supposed to be skeptical, but she can suddenly flip to being overly credulous (such as the way she takes Pinkie Pie's advice in episode 20 and doesn't try to work around it), and she can also just be stupid (episode 15). If her writing wasn't so poor, she would probably be in the running for my favorite pony.
I'm happy to see rising respect for Rarity, though. There's no way she deserves to be below Twilight or Applejack.
WAT.
Oh, it is ON.
The only good things about Rarity are her colors and the prospect of positive character growth. The Dog episode just served to underscore that her best skills besides fashion are manipulation and whining.
I'm happy to see rising respect for Rarity, though. There's no way she deserves to be below Twilight or Applejack.
Um, yes there is. She's a much less well-developed character, and much less sympathetic overall.
However, she's getting more fleshed-out and well-rounded. She may eclipse Applejack at some point. She may even eclipse Twilight, but that would hinge more on Twilight becoming a worse character, not Rarity becoming better.
Pinkie Pie is a highly concentrated pony, though; her screen time needs to be carefully managed to prevent overexposure and/or destruction of the world.
I agree completely. She needs to be used judiciously.
However, if you back her down a bit, you could manage a Pinkie Pie episode, and develop her character a bit. I'd like that.
I'm really a fan of the idea of Twilight: a bookish pony, who is both intelligent and properly skeptical. The problem is the implementation: she is supposed to be skeptical, but she can suddenly flip to being overly credulous (such as the way she takes Pinkie Pie's advice in episode 20 and doesn't try to work around it), and she can also just be stupid (episode 15). If her writing wasn't so poor, she would probably be in the running for my favorite pony.
Yeah, this is basically my problem with Twilight. The fact that she is presented as an intelligent character, and one with crazy strong magics, naturally results in rather high expectations of her, expectations she routinely fails to meet - with great power comes great responsibility. Consider, by comparison, Harry Potter from Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality (someone can replace this with a more well-known character that actually manages to be both intelligent and powerful; I can't think of one at the moment).
I'm happy to see rising respect for Rarity, though. There's no way she deserves to be below Twilight or Applejack.
WAT.
Oh, it is ON.
Which of those would you put above her?
The only good things about Rarity are her colors and the prospect of positive character growth. The Dog episode just served to underscore that her best skills besides fashion are manipulation and whining.
Effectiveness is king. I don't care at all about the methods she used to do it, the fact is that she completely owned that episode.
While it's nice that they are developing Rarity's character, I still personally don't like her character all that much. Hell, I even like Applejack a hell of a lot more than her. Things may change in the future, but I'm on the doubtful side of that.
Effectiveness is king. I don't care at all about the methods she used to do it, the fact is that she completely owned that episode.
See, this still calls for some kind of stipulation. It's like saying that you supported the South in the Civil War, because it was a state's rights issue. OK, fine, but you still need to add a caveat addressing the issue of slave ownership.
So, Rarity is low on my list because she is an unlikable character. My list is a combination of likability and effectiveness. Two variables.
Both. I like them both better than Rarity. While I find Applejack's accent annoying, I appreciate her outdoorsy interests. None of the other ponies are really as connected to the earth. Fluttershy is probably the closest, but she's all about the animals. Twilight is very much a narrator character, but she has her own cool moments. She uses her wits way more than Rarity ever does. I was a little confused about the lesson learned from the Dog episode, especially since Twilight basically got rid of the Ursa minor by coming up with a witty way to pacify it. She already knew that wits were perfectly good for getting out of trouble. Plus, she is way less of a bitch.
I was a little confused about the lesson learned from the Dog episode, especially since Twilight basically got rid of the Ursa minor by coming up with a witty way to pacify it.
They definitely dropped the ball with the very tacked-on moral at the end. Seriously, Rarity did not "outwit" those dogs. She out-stubborned them.
I was a little confused about the lesson learned from the Dog episode, especially since Twilight basically got rid of the Ursa minor by coming up with a witty way to pacify it.
They definitely dropped the ball with the very tacked-on moral at the end. Seriously, Rarity did not "outwit" those dogs. She out-stubborned them.
Also, the dogs were totally pussies. They could have broken that stubborn, whiny bitch pony with a judicious application of force and pain. Of course, because it is a kids' show, you're never going to see that on MLP.
Twilight is very much a narrator character, but she has her own cool moments. She uses her wits way more than Rarity ever does.
The problem with Twilight is the times when she fails to use her wits stand out like a sore thumb. Granted, it's "Feeling Pinkie Keen" in particular that brings Twilight down for me, and it's somewhat unfair to judge her harshly for that episode alone. Still, Twilight was pretty useless in the latest episode as well.
As for Applejack, she just doesn't stand out for me. She's likeable, but until she actually achieves something she's staying at the bottom of my list.
The problem with Twilight is the times when she fails to use her wits stand out like a sore thumb.
This does bother me about her a lot. She seems to be the least self-consistent character in the show. Maybe it's part of her growing up and learning, but shit, she needs to get consistent at some point.
Primary: Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. Rarity is a very close 3rd-4th, but Rainbow Dash is consistently great. I think out of all the characters, Applejack is the most solid. The way she's portrayed and how she interacts with everyone feels the most balanced. I whole-hearted agree with everyone in terms of Twilight Sparkle, because she gets really uneven depending on who writes her. It always feels like she's lacking confidence, and I get that while she's the main character and has to learn all these things, she definitely has enough personality to be more than that.
Secondary: Spike. (No one else has listed him?)
Tertiary: Derpy. It's just from the power of fandom. If Derpy just appears, I can laugh.
The problem with Twilight is the times when she fails to use her wits stand out like a sore thumb.
A valid point, but given my own personal track record lately I'm not really sure this is entirely unrealistic. Not everybody can be 100% all of the time. I'm pretty smart, but this semester I am full of fail. Maybe Twilight just has occasional moments where her brain says, "fuck it" and goes for vacation just like mine.
Applejack is so badass that her achievement was to ask for help during one of the rare times when she couldn't keep up with everything!
Comments
However, Fluttershy is easily countered, despite her stare power.
For one thing, she wouldn't fight any of her friends, so she would be easily beaten by any one of the other 5 main ponies.
Furthermore, even if she is trying to stare you, you just have to avoid looking her in the eye.
How does one counter Celestia?
Secondary: Sweetie Bell, Photo Finish
Tertiary: Derpy
Primary: Pinkie Pie/Fluttershy
Secondary: Apple Bloom/Sweetie Bell
Tertiary: Derpy Hooves
Secondary: Apple Bloom, probably.
Tertiary: DJ P0n-3
I'm happy to see rising respect for Rarity, though. There's no way she deserves to be below Twilight or Applejack.
She's up there with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, if you ask me.
Pinkie Pie is a highly concentrated pony, though; her screen time needs to be carefully managed to prevent overexposure and/or destruction of the world.
And with that, cute fanart.
Oh, it is ON.
The only good things about Rarity are her colors and the prospect of positive character growth. The Dog episode just served to underscore that her best skills besides fashion are manipulation and whining.
Primary: Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack
Secondary: Apple Bloom, Big Mac
Tertiary: Derpy
However, she's getting more fleshed-out and well-rounded. She may eclipse Applejack at some point. She may even eclipse Twilight, but that would hinge more on Twilight becoming a worse character, not Rarity becoming better. I agree completely. She needs to be used judiciously.
However, if you back her down a bit, you could manage a Pinkie Pie episode, and develop her character a bit. I'd like that.
So, Rarity is low on my list because she is an unlikable character. My list is a combination of likability and effectiveness. Two variables.
Secondary: Bic Macintosh
Tertiary: Derpy Hooves
THIS CARTOON IS NOT REALISTIC!
As for Applejack, she just doesn't stand out for me. She's likeable, but until she actually achieves something she's staying at the bottom of my list.
Secondary: Spike. (No one else has listed him?)
Tertiary: Derpy. It's just from the power of fandom. If Derpy just appears, I can laugh.
So, what has Applejack done that was notable?
Applejack is so badass that her achievement was to ask for help during one of the rare times when she couldn't keep up with everything!