I'd assume Trixie's talent is magic as well.

If Trixie returns, they should reveal who that rival was. Who wants to make the first wild guess?

Is this even used like that in the show, or is it just a fan in-joke about how the animators will raise someone's wings just because it looks better in a certain shot regardless of whether that character needs to use them?

My other thought about the pegasi is that perhaps magic also = cartoon physics, and so they can turn rainbows into aerial paint and clouds into hunks of stiff cotton because it's easy enough to see them that way. I think this explains Princess Celestia's power: The sun may be like a real star normally, but she can easily imagine the sun being a little white disc in the lower atmosphere, so that's how heavy it is for her to lift it. I only hope next season features pegasi doing more absurd things like ripping the silver linings off clouds to turn into coins and jewelry and such.

Right, and there was that time she re-attached the tree branch, so I believe Rarity's main magic specialty is attaching things. I wonder when that will come in handy again...

I just like how Twilight stands out with her pretty shade of purple, plus she's the best at showing off how the sophisticated computer animation distorts the cutie marks to make them look as if they're really attached to the ponies' hides: Watch her big star stretch back and forth as she trots. I also appreciate that Twilight's the smart, mellow one without being boring or resorting to Spock Speak to prove it.

Now the way I see it, Fluttershy can be fun, but she needs a more energetic pony like Pinkie Pie to draw her out of her shell first. (Although "Griffon the Brush-Off" gave me the impression that Pinkie Pie condescends to Fluttershy a little too much.) Alternatively, one can make her so mad that she stops being herself, but I don't like that.

Yeah, maybe she does go overboard with the whole "cowgirl" archetype, but on the bright side, I'm starting to think that Applejack has the cutest straight-on face of the bunch! She does have some fierce competition there from Rainbow Dash as usual though...

Nah, I was fooled into thinking it was a moon and star too, but then I read someone point out that it's actually a star-tipped wand with a curving sparkle trail. It's just hard to see the stick part. The funny thing about Trixie's cutie mark to me was that it did turn out to be something nice and magic-related when the episode kept it from being revealed for so long, even after she took off the cloak, so I had been expecting it to be something embarrassing. Then again, I read of other viewers who expected Trixie's hat to hide the secret that she wasn't a unicorn at all!

There's also the time she transformed a full third (or half? Fourth?) of a tree into mini-topiaries.

I think her magic specialty is, in a word, crafting.

I'm not really sure on which one I find the prettiest...Rainbow Dash looks nice in a sort of tomboyish way, Applejack's Gala dress showed off how She Cleans Up Nicely, Fluttershy is probably the Hollywood Homely of the group. Rarity does look nice and Twilight seems to hold up that Hot Librarian trope with the way she looks combined with her bookish tendencies.

I have no idea how to say which one is the prettiest without making it sound horribly creepy.

Probably either Fluttershy or Twilight. Rarity is obviously supposed to be beautiful, but it seems to me like she puts a lot of effort into her appearance*

^{my personal fanon theory is that her mane is naturally really frizzy and she spends like an hour each morning fixing it up. It makes no sense, but I find it funny}

, while Twilight and Fluttershy are just naturally adorable.

...for instance, she can use tools. She's threaded needs and used scissors with it.

In terms of who I'd like to look like (were I a pony ) definitely Rarity or Fluttershy. Obvious choices of course, but I have a fascination for that kind of glamour and envy for that kind of demure beauty, respectively. Applejack is also adorable in her own way.

I'm too much like Pinkie for my own good, right down to hair that refuses to stay straight (notwithstanding the Party of One freakout)

And I've discovered much to my chagrin that I have mild attraction to Braeburn.

I thought we were ranking based on how the other ponies in the show seem to react to them? If doing personal takes on their looks... Twilight leads everyone else a bit for me (I really like her hairstyle for some reason I'm not 100% sure of), but otherwise I can't really decide, especially since they're all drawn to look adorable.

On a side note, I've been rewatching the season and has anyone else noticed that there's actually quite a few scenes where Fluttershy looks like she's getting pretty mad, but doesn't say a single word?

Huh, I'll have to look out for that if I ever decide to watch an episode again. I think this is one of those shows where the voice acting can distract you from all the neat little touches in the animation like side character expressions.

Yeah, I could never alone notice Derpy eyes or even Lyra stuff .

Yeah I kept noticing all the stuff on the trope page about Lyra, and I'm thinking "... Who?"

My theory about magical ability is that it is mainly determined by practice and effort.

Most unicorns are interested in a particular hobby or profession, so they learn things that relate to their interests. Twilight and Trixie are interested in magical in general, so their abilities are much more varied.

It's a fan in-joke, but it's no real stretch to see how a pegasus' wings unfolding means she's excited - in one of several ways.

I'm not sure that's true. I don't know about the rainbows (man, screw physics), but the way it seems to me is that the pegasi have some sort of tactile telekinesis (they can pull carts and gigantic moving vans no problem, after all, with no other pegasus holding the back end) that also makes clouds solid for them. It's explicitly a pegsus ability and can be copied via magic, so I don't think it's just imagination.

edited 13th Jul '11 12:31:03 PM by RedSavant

Lol so many topic at the sane time@ Kuroi yeah it looks like she us supressing her anger a lot.

For Trixie a redemption episode would be nice

For prettiest ponyv( real life opinion) They all look so cute!

For beauty in- universe ( twilight Seens to be special average, same with Dash)

For unicorn's magic based on Cestia's school. It seems that " gifted unicorns" are able to be skilled in many areas. Eve before their cutie mark ( they alllowed Twiligh to try the test without it)But Rarity doesn't seem mind being less powerful as Long as she looks gorgeous lol.

edited 13th Jul '11 10:30:16 AM by FallenLegend

Gonna have to disagree with you there. Unicorns are waaaay overpowered. If (God forbid) there was a war in Equestria, unicorns would curbstomp the other two races until Celestia intervened.

Earth ponies are the best at growing things; that translates into the best industrial capacity of the pony breeds. But without any defensive capability beyond kicking people really hard, their only way to survive would be to ally with one of the other sides and rely on them to keep the farms from burning down.

Pegasi would probably make a name for themselves; air power is a huge advantage in combat. But with telekinesis, unicorns could block/deflect any dropped projectiles, and we simply have no idea as to the limit of their offensive capabilities. As a sample, though, Twilight was able to mass-brainwash a town full of parasprites to change their intended diet, and that took just a few seconds. Granted, Twilight is an unusually powerful unicorn, but I doubt she's totally unique in her talent for magic. Unicorns can sense the location of things they can't see. Unicorns can fire energy beams out of their horns. Unicorns can use tools. In almost any conflict, brief or sustained, I'd bet heavily on unicorn power.

Although...I'm curious as to the degree of control pegasi have over the weather. If they can accurately target lightning bolts, that degree of raw power might give the unicorns a run for their money. Once the unicorns construct lightning rods, however, that ability is largely negated.

To be sure, all of the races will be best off cooperating; the other races will eventually starve without the food the Earth Ponies provide, and using pegasus transportation to deliver a unicorn to the right spot could turn the tide of a battle. Somebody needs to get to work on a strategy game so we can simulate battles between pony nations!

edited 13th Jul '11 10:37:01 AM by ComputerSherpa

What about a Gilda redemption episode? I'd like to see one for Trixie too, I personally reckon she suffered some kind of horrific trauma in her childhood. It would justify that ego of hers. Gilda already has a bond with a mane cast member which can be used to redeem her.

edited 13th Jul '11 10:41:38 AM by gingerninja666

Rarity's making of topiary is pretty clearly related to her skill at cutting, which is very much part of sewing, and is arguably just simple telekinesis.

^^^ But the Earth ponies have the power of Pinkie Pie on their side. Game Over.

Oh and lightning rods are already cannon. Twilight has one.

edited 13th Jul '11 11:09:41 AM by storyyeller

Lightning rods as cannon? Only if you play Skaven!

Which could exist in the world.

Prettiest pony: I don't know, but Rainbow Dash is easily the cutest.

I was thinking, I'm kinda glad for the Executive Meddling turning it from a Magical Girl show to a Slice of Life thing. It wouldn't have been nearly so interesting with the former, but then again I'm biased towards character and not plot driven shows.

Earth ponies are the strongest, pegasi are the fastest (and can fly) and unicorns have magic.

edited 13th Jul '11 11:39:38 AM by RichReeders

I love the look on Celestia's face at the end of Swarm of the Century.

You can practicaly hear her thinking "What the f...Okay, you know what? I'm just going to accept this."

Speaking of Swarm of the Century, I love how Filly-delphia's reaction to a swarm of unknown beasts is to ask their Princess to come over and fix the problem XD

Wish that worked in Real Life

edited 13th Jul '11 11:57:21 AM by gingerninja666

Because it's such serious situation that Princess is their last hope.