Since its inception in 1981, the toy line and media franchise that is My Little Pony has remained relevant in pop culture through the power of dual figurine and animated show releases. It’s no wonder the brand has lasting power, however, as they are produced by Hasbro, the toy company that also brought us other iconic 80s toy lines such as G.I. Joe, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Transformers.
My Little Pony’s immense popularity boils down to two things: a simple and effortlessly cute design coupled with a consistent message of peace, love, and the power of friendship. Each pony has design has a colorful body mix or matched with colorful hair and a unique symbol, known as a cutie mark, on one or both sides of their flanks. This made it easy to not only design and produce massive amounts of ponies, but to also let the audience, us, create our own pony friends. And of course, we created pony friends—no matter what generation of My Little Pony you grew up in, the Lisa Frank-esque pony worlds of vibrant nature and delight were always centered around the idea of friendship in the face of adversary.
My Little Pony’s most recent revamp ended in 2019, closing the third consistent decade of My Little Pony characters along with the end of the 2010s. In order to remember where the ponies came from, and perhaps see where the next revamp might take us, here’s a list of original My Little Pony characters all the way from the 1980s.
My Pretty Pony, The Predecessor
Released in 1981, My Pretty Pony is not formally a My Little Pony, but certainly the mother of the pony craze. A single pony figurine that stood ten inches tall and made of hard plastic, Pretty Pony was a sweetly sloped, realistic-looking pony. It could wiggle its ears, swish its tail, and wink a single eye. There was also a version that came with Beautiful Baby which, you guessed it, came with a smaller baby pony. While it wasn’t a huge commercial success, My Pretty Pony is still nostalgic for many who grew up in the early 80s.
My Little Pony, Generation 1 – Names and Characters
The first generation of My Little Pony toys came out in 1982 and was developed by Bonnie Zacherle, Charles Muenchinger, and Steve D’Aguanno. Bonnie Zacherle specifically was in charge of what is now the perfect pony formula of beautiful hair, cutie marks, and large, sparkling eyes.
The release of the first ponies coincided with the 1986 animated series My Little Pony ‘n Friends, which took place in Dream Valley: a magical land populated by witches, goblins, and, of course, the ponies. The series features a whole host of ponies living in Paradise Estate who, with the help of their human friend Megan and their dragon friend Spike, have to fight to remain free from danger.
As it was the first series, G1 My Little Pony established the various kinds of Ponies available in the My Little Pony universe, from regular Earth ponies to mystical Flutter ponies.
Megan, the Human
Megan is the main character of the My Little Pony TV series, despite being a human. Her wise and mature beyond her 13 years of temperament makes her the leader of the little ponies, and they frequently fly her and her siblings over the rainbow into Dream Valley whenever they are facing a problem or enemy too difficult to vanquish. Other than being resourceful and level headed, her other weapon is the Rainbow of Light, which is a locket containing a powerful rainbow that can defeat evil.
Spike, the Dragon
The cute animal sidekick of the show full of super-powered ponies, Spike is a dragon who used to work under Tirek, the main antagonist of the series. However, once Megan and the Ponies defeated him, they decided to adopt Spike, whose sarcastic yet loyal personality supports and uplifts the series.
Earth Ponies
The simplest of the various kinds of ponies, Earth ponies look the most similar to real-life horses—although they still have colorful hair and the necessary cutie mark. Devoid of wings, horns, and magical features, they instead focus on and hone their individual and special talents of cooking, farming, or partying. Due to being physically grounded, they also have a special connection to nature, animals, and plants. They tend to have food-based names.
Some notable earth ponies are Sundance, Cherries Jubilee, and Lickety-Split.
Unicorn Ponies
Unicorn ponies have a single long, spiraled horn on their head that grants them magical abilities, such as the basic ability to wink, or teleport. Only Unicorn ponies can actively cast magic and thus are considered very powerful ponies. Additionally, their toy figures had an extra streak of color in their mane and a glittery cutie mark. Their names tend to be celestially themed.
Some notable Unicorn ponies are Buttons, Moondancer, and Sunbeam.
Pegasus Ponies
Pegasus ponies are winged, which allows them the ability to fly. They are also strong, as they can also carry on their back riders or items into the skies. While not all of the Pegasus ponies are focused on being the fastest and racing around the skies, many enjoy doing so naturally as they go about their business. In later generations, Pegasus ponies are also granted the passive ability to take care of and maintain the weather by flying through and manipulating the clouds. Their names tend to be related to the sky and directions.
Some notable Pegasus ponies are Heart Throb, North Star, and Wind Whistler.
Flutter Ponies
Flutter ponies are unique as they are based on fairies. Thus, their figurines are petit, with curly hair, proportionately longer legs, and fairy wings. Despite their delicate appearance, they have the power of Utter Flutter, which allows them to blow away obstacles with their wings. They live in a secluded part of Dream Valley called Flutter Valley. Their names tend to be floral themed.
Some notable Flutter ponies are Rosedust, Peach Blossom, and Forget-Me-Not.
Sea Ponies
Sea ponies are vibrantly colored seahorse-like ponies who, despite their name, live in the rivers and ponds of Dream Valley. They love everything underwater and are apt to perform elaborate song and dance performances. Their figurines were able to float upright in the water and had the regular horse head molded onto a cute seahorse body. Their names tend to be nautically themed.
Some notable Sea ponies are Ripple, Water Lily, and Seawinkle.
Princess Ponies
Princess ponies are the princess of Ponyland. The Princess ponies use their wands to keep the balance of the lands, wear tall hats, and all have a medallion cutie mark Their figurines also had tinsel in their hair. Any pony could be a Princess pony, such as the unicorn Princess Sparkle. Their names are all prefaced with the title Princess.
Some notable Princess ponies are Princess Serena, Princess Primrose, and Princess Royal Blue.
Big Brother Ponies
A subsection of Earth ponies, Big Brother ponies are the only boy ponies in Dream Valley. They have hairy hooves and bandanas. Their names tend to be sporty.
Some notable Big Brother ponies are Quarterback, Slugger, and Tex.
Baby Ponies
Baby ponies, reminiscent of My Pretty Pony’s original baby pony, are smaller and chubbier than regular ponies. They are born from the reflections of their mothers and tend to either have the same personality as their mother or an opposite demeanor. Their names are all prefaced with the title Baby.
Some notable Baby ponies are Baby Bouncy, Baby Cuddles, and Baby Fifi.
Friendship Garden, Generation 2 – Names and Characters
Friendship Garden is known to collectors as Generation 2 of the My Little Pony series, and they were released in 1997. This line of ponies had redesigned poses with jewel eyes and turning heads. They also had a similar build to Flutter ponies from G1, with smaller bodies and slimmer legs. Unfortunately, they were not as commercially successful as the G1 lines of figurines, possibly because there was no accompanying animated series, but are thus highly valuable to collectors.
Some notable ponies from the Friendship Garden series include Morning Glory, Sundance, and Light Heart. These three ponies also came in key chain form.
My Little Pony, Generation 3 – Names and Characters
Released in 2003, the G3 release of My Little Pony featured a cast of mostly Earth ponies made out of fully molded plastic, although Pegasus and Unicorn ponies were added in later. The series of films produced alongside the G3 release was set in Ponyville, specifically in Celebration Castle where many of the ponies lived.
Similar to other products at the time, the G3 My Little Pony series also introduced the program of Pony Points, which were gained by ordering ponies through mail orders. These points could be traded for Pony Point exclusive figures such as Dazzle Surprise, Sunshimmer, and Love Wishes.
However, by 2008 the total number of characters was reduced down to a core 7 ponies: Pinkie Pie, Scootaloo, Toola-Roola, Rainbow Dash, Sweetie Belle, Cheerilee, and Starsong. This culling of the cast of ponies heralded the biggest change to come in the next and final revamp of the series, entitled My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Generation 4.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Generation 4 – Names and Characters
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic was initially released in 2010 along with an animated series with the same name. The show now took place in the land of Equestria, ruled over by Princess Celestia and constantly tormented by the dragon antagonist Discord. The series focused on a core six characters who worked together to solve problems and kick Discord’s butt.
Similar to how the structure of the show changed to be focused on specific characters, the toy releases also changed to be coordinated around themes and accessories rather than on bombarding toy stores with hundreds of different characters. Each new release would start with the main six ponies and then over time slowly introduce new characters according to their themes.
The main characters in the show are:
Twilight Sparkle
The purple bodied, blunt banged central main character of the series, Twilight Sparkle is a unicorn with great potential and an even greater love for science. The show begins with traveling to Ponyville to study the science of friendship, having been tasked with the job by Princess Celestia. There she meets a host of friends who help her with her research. As the series progresses it’s revealed that she is the Princess of Magic, and she eventually becomes the new ruler of Equestria.
Rainbow Dash
A blue Pegasus pony with wild rainbow hair, Rainbow Dash maintains the clear skies of Ponyville. She has a passion for racing and going fast but can be hot-headed and brash. However, her strong confidence and ability to swallow her pride and apologize to her friends proves that she is a great friend. It’s no wonder that she represents the element of loyalty!
Pinkie Pie
Pinky Pie is a vibrantly pink, curly-haired Earth pony who loves to bake and party. The quirky comedic relief of the show, Pinky Pie sings, dances, and contorts her body for maximum laughs from her friends and the audience. Although her silly nature causes those around her to brush her off as not too serious, Pinkie Pie’s ability to make others laugh is one of the most powerful in the show. She represents, obviously, the element of laughter.
Applejack
Applejack is an Earth horse with blond hair and a farmer’s hat. She lives and works with her Granny Smith at Sweet Apple Acres and is the reliable big sister of the group. Her capable nature is sometimes compromised by her stubbornness, causing her to butt heads when she would normally get along with some pony. However, she is always true and honest, which is why she represents the element of honesty.
Rarity
A notably beautiful unicorn with purple hair and accentuated eyelashes, Rarity is a fashion designer and seamstress preoccupied with all things beautiful and shiny. However, contrary to her love for neatness and elegance, she represents the element of generosity. This is because Rarity not only enjoys all things beautiful but wants to share those things with others to enrich their lives as well.
Fluttershy
A shy Pegasus pony with soft pink hair, Fluttershy is a bit of an oddball Pegasus. She is afraid of heights and lives in a small cottage by herself. However, her shy nature helps her talk to and care for all the hurt and wounded animals she lives by, as well as her pony friends. Because of this, she represents the element of kindness. However, she isn’t a saint—if you refuse her kindness or shut her down, Fluttershy’s angry side will knock you out!
Additional My Little Pony Characters
Breezies
The Breezies are a group of fairy horses found in the universe of My Little Pony. They live in the pleasant realm of Breezy Blossom. They are differentiated from the normal ponies by their insectoid features, namely a set of antennae and a pair of wings reminiscent of butterflies. The Breezies have their own special language and are featured in the “It Ain’t Easy Being Breezies” episode of My Little Pony.
Seaponies and Baby Seaponies
The Seaponies are a group of aquatic ponies who live in the sleepy land of Dream Valley. They usually can be found in the Dream Valley’s lakes, rivers, and other aquatic features. The Seaponies are big fans of underwater polo, rather than the usual water polo, and spend a lot of time choreographing intricate song and dance sequences. The Seaponies are a long-standing My Little Pony group, as they were first introduced in 1983 in the first My Little Pony special. Most Seaponies are designed based on the ancient Greek myth of the hippocamp, a creature with the upper body of a horse and the lower body of a fish. The Baby Seaponies were introduced a few years later, in 1985, and some resemble mermaids rather than hippocampi.
Hippogriffs and Hippocamps
Another form of aquatic pony, Hippogriffs and Hippocamps is a “hybrid subspecies” of ponies from the My Little Pony universe. Their hybrid character is reflected in their ability to switch between their Hippogriff form, featuring strong legs and wings and better suited to alpine environments, and their Hippocamp form, with a fishtail better suited to aquatic environments.
Crystal Ponies
First appearing in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, the Crystal Ponies are unique relatives of the usual Earth Ponies that the My Little Pony world follows. The appearance of Crystal Ponies is affected by their mood; when they are feeling down, their manes and tails lay low and have no distinguishing colors or accents. When the Crystal Ponies are feeling happier, they perk their ears up, their hair gains color, and their manes and tails gain a bit more flair. Finally, when the Crystal Ponies are feeling happy and they are in possession of the fully powered Crystal Heart, their bodies magically become see-through and gain crystallized facets of reflective light. The Crystal Ponies are the residents and guardians of the realm of the Crystal Empire and are some of the most magical of the characters in the My Little Pony universe.
Kirins
Based on a creature from Japanese mythology, the Kirins are a species of ponies with both unicorn horns and lion’s manes. These are some of the most fantastical creatures to be found in the world of My Little Pony. They have a wonderful culture, with great emphasis placed on the theatrical arts, musical exploration, kindness, and honesty. When members of the Kirin become angry, they transform into a bestial “Nirik” form instead. After allowing their anger and bitterness to tear their friendship apart, the Kirin was forced by an elder to suppress their abilities of self-expression by bathing in an enchanted stream.
Pony Friends
The Pony Friends were first brought out in 1986 as supplements to the original My Little Pony line. Each of the Pony Friends is an animal other than a pony, but each one has the same silky hair and special marks as the regular My Little Ponies. Members of the Pony Friends include the zebra Zig Zag; the giraffe Creamsicle; the elephant Edgar; the moose Oakly; the llama Cha Cha; the panda Nectar; the young cow Leafy; the dinosaur Cutesaurus; and the panda Nectar. Zig-Zag the zebra was the first of the Pony Friends to see air time on the official My Little Pony show.
Fairy Tails
From 1986 to 1987, the Fairy Tails line graced shelves alongside the fifth year of the original My Little Pony toy line. Like the Pony Friends, the Fairy Tails was a series of animals, other than ponies, with My Little Pony markings. The difference? All of the Fairy Tails characters were birds! Neither the Fairy Tails line nor the Pony Friends line really seemed to catch on, and most My Little Pony characters ever since have stuck to ponies and their variants.
Dream Beauties
The Dream Beauties were a 1989 line of My Little Ponies designed to be more realistic to real-life horse proportions. Their catchphrase was “They’re all grown up My Little Ponies!” Rather than the signature chubby proportions of the traditional My Little Ponies that we all know and love, the Dream Beauties featured longer legs, necks, and faces while maintaining the iconic hair and beauty marks from the original My Little Pony line.
The Dazzlings
The Dazzlings are a humanoid set of characters from the Rainbow Rocks special, who were later revealed to be mythological sirens. Hailing from Equestria, the Dazzlings used their magic and their music to sow discontent and break harmony wherever they went. They were exiled to the world of the humans by the great bearded mage Star Swirl. They used a powerful set of ruby gem pendants to brainwash their human students, and these pendants were destroyed in their final battle against the Rainbooms.
Tirac
First introduced in 1984, Tirac is a villain from the universe of My Little Pony. He combines a dark grey body with demonic elements and the horsier looks of a centaur. Living in the vile Midnight Castle with his sidekick Scorpan and a host of loyal henchmen, he seeks to capture the Ponies in the interest of evil. Tirac is in possession of the evil Rainbow of Darkness, which gives him the power to turn captured ponies into evil dragonic creatures at his command. His ultimate goal is to achieve the “Night that Never Ends,” which will turn Dream Valley on its head and bring evilness everywhere. Tirac is well known for his signature vehicle, the Chariot of Darkness.
Scorpan
First introduced alongside Tirac in 1984, Scorpan is a human who was corrupted by Tirac and turned into a demonic brown gargoyle. He cares deeply for the dragon Spike, and goes along with Tirac’s evil plans in order to look out for Spike’s safety. He was corrupted from his human form through Tirac’s Rainbow of Darkness but manages to return to his pure form once Tirac has been defeated.
Katrina
Half-human, half cat, and full Witch, Katrina was first introduced in 1985. The source of her evil power is the Witchweed potion, and she enslaves an entire race of Bushwoolies so that they will continue to make the potion for her. When the Bushwoolies escape, she turns to the Ponies as the next group of slave labor for her evil enterprise, but they fight back and eventually defeat her. The Ponies destroy Katrina’s Witchweed potion machine, robbing her of all of her power and eliminating her as a threat.
Rep
The sidekick to the anthropomorphic feline witch Katrina, Rep is a reptile with the power of shapeshifting. He secretly works to help the people that Katrina has worked to subdue, including the Bushwoolies and the ponies in time.
Hydia
A witch hailing from the Volcano of Gloom, Hydia was first introduced in the 1986 release, My Little Pony: The Movie. She lives with her daughters, Reeka and Draggle, and wants to change everything to be sad and gloomy just like herself. Her secret weapon is the Smooze, an all-consuming indigo ooze that is set to devour everything that it comes into contact with. In addition, the Smooze will make anyone that it touches become sad and grumpy. Luckily, the Flutter Ponies band together to defeat Hydia and her evil posse, returning them back to the Volcano of Gloom that they came from.
Reeka and Draggle
Reeka and Draggle are the two daughters of the vile witch Hydia. Hailing from the Volcano of Gloom, they are thwarted by the Flutter Ponies in their attempt to seize control of Ponyland. Reeka is distinguished by her black attire, short stature, and interest in food rather than magic. In contrast, Draggle dresses in orange is slimmer and taller than her sister, and usually fails to do magic properly, much to her mother’s chagrin.
Ahgg
Ahgg is the spider pet of the witch Hydia, and her daughters Reeka and Draggle. Unlike regular spiders, Ahgg only has one eye. He manages to trap the Ponies in a ravine on their way to stop Hydia and her crew but is defeated through excessive tickling.
Queen Bumble
Queen Bumble is the queen of all bees, ruling over the kingdom of Bumbleland. Bumbleland lies within the border of Flutter Valley, the home of the Flutter Ponies and the place that all bees were exiled to. Upset that the Flutter Ponies exiled her and her people, Queen Bumble teams up with the witch Hydia to steal the Sunstone and use it to transfer sunlight from Flutter Valley to Bumbleland instead.
Squirk
Squirk is a red octopus villain, first introduced in the 1986 episode The Ghost of Paradise Estate. Long ago, Squirk used the Flash Stone relic to cover all of Ponyland in water, allowing him to rule over it. Once the Ponies are able to destroy the Flash Stone, they exile Squirk and his evil ways from their land.
Gock and Gluda
Gock and Gluda are a brown monkey couple known collectively as the Gizmonks. Together, the Gizmonks are the inventors of all gizmos. They plan to kidnap Danny and Surprise, hoping to get a ransom in exchange for the duo. But Surprise and Danny end up wreaking so much havoc that the Gizmoks gladly release the destructive duo.
Princess Porcina
1986 saw the introduction of the pink pig Princess Porcina. Cursed with the fatal flaw of vanity, Princess Porcina uses her magic cloak to turn everything around her into glass, so that she can admire her own reflection more effectively. After turning much of Ponyland and its inhabitants to glass, Princess Porcina sees the error of her ways, reversing everything that she has done and ultimately settling down as the groomer for the friendly Bushwoolies.
Erebus
First introduced in the 1986 episode Bright Lights, Erebus is an evil Cloud Demon. His main goal is to consume the shadows of everyone around him in order to bolster his own power. By teaming up with Knight Shade, Erebus was able to steal all of the shadows of everyone who showed up at Knight Shade’s popular concerts. In the end, Erebus is defeated by the combined Utter Flutter attack of the Flutter Ponies, releasing all of the shadows that he had stolen and landed himself in prison.
Grogar
From the 1986 episode The Return of Tambelon, Grogar is a grey Demon Ram Necromancer. The historical leader of Tambelon, Grogar ruled over Ponyland half a millennia ago but has since been exiled to the Shadow World. Upon his return, Grogar managed to capture all of the Unicorn Ponies, intending to banish them and all of their friends to the Shadow World in retribution for his own imprisonment. Grogar’s infernal powers are sourced from the bells that hang on his necklace, but he is ultimately defeated by Megan ringing the magical ancient bell, which forces him back to the Shadow World along with all of his forces.
Somnambula
First introduced in the 1987 episode with her own name, Somnambula is an evil human witch with an interesting power. The strength of her magical abilities is tied to her age, and they are at their strongest when she is young. She uses her powers, along with her hypnotic canary prisoner Kyrie, to entrance all of the Ponies and trap them within a magical carousel ride. Once this has been achieved, Somnambula stores the youthful energy of the ponies within a magical crystal. However, Kyrie ultimately turns against her, siding with Spike and the baby Ponies to destroy the magical crystal and rescue the Ponies.
Conclusion
A series that has captured our hearts of three decades, this concludes our list of My Little Pony names. What do you think the next generation of ponies will feature? Regardless, the iconic design of the ponies and their quintessential moral of the power of friendship will ensure that My Little Pony will survive for many more children and adults to come.
