10 Dark Facts About My Little Pony That Will Ruin Your Childhood

Sad to say, but friendship isn’t always magic. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down 10 dark facts about “My Little Pony” that will ruin your childhood.

For this list, we’re looking at the most disturbing realities behind this franchise about magical talking horses. Warning, not only will some of these facts get pretty grim, but they may contain spoilers

#10: Questionable Pony Names

We all know how much “My Little Pony” likes to get whimsical and downright cutesie with their character names – Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, you name it. However, in the early days, ponies had some … less innocent-sounding names. Among them are Ruby Lips, Chocolate Delight, and Morning Glory. Then there’s Dangler, Whizzer, Tootsie Tails, and Pillow Talk. Throw in Sticky, Foamy, and Swinger, and is it really OUR fault that we’re second-guessing our entire childhoods? Hey, maybe we’re just reading into things . . .

#9: King Sombra

Long ago, King Sombra ruled over the Crystal Empire with an iron hoof before being banished to the frozen north. Heavily inspired by Sauron from “Lord of the Rings”, Sombra is a dark presence that casts a long shadow. His former subjects fear the mere memory of him, and brief glimpses into his tyrannical reign over the land suggest they have every reason. The comics reveal that his malevolence stems from a tragic and lonely upbringing, during which the orphaned colt was ostracized and made fun of. While he’s criminally underplayed in the show, Sombra is a legitimately dark and twisted villain.

#8: Bridles

The “My Little Pony” franchise has thrived on creating a magical land populated by sentient, talking equines …which makes THIS little fact particularly off-putting. In the early days of the franchise, some toys included a detachable bridge that could be hooked onto your pastel companion’s muzzle. Now in real life, a bridle is pretty handy for riders, but the idea of fitting one onto animals capable of speech and intelligence is sort of unnerving. Just ask them if they’ll take you where you want to go! Or do they not have a choice here? What are they, my little slave ponies?!

#7: Demonic Villains

While Equestria is definitely a colorful and friendly place . . . it’s also full of dangerous creatures that can tear you limb from limb. The only thing more menacing is the dark and despicable villains lurking in the shadows - from the magic-sucking centaur Tirek, to the corrupted royal Nightmare Moon, and the manipulative shapeshifter Queen Chrysalis. This isn’t a new concept either, as the original Pony series was also chock full of demonic baddies – including the original Tirek, who turned innocent ponies into corrupt, mindless dragons to pull his evil chariot.

#6: Death

Not even happy, colorful ponies are safe from death. Sometimes, it’s heavily implied without being seen . . . but at others, it’s presented upfront in a grisly display - such as when Timberwolf suffocates and literally falls apart. Arguably the most brutal instances of on-screen death involve King Sombra and the Storm King – one magically disintegrated and the other shattered into pieces. The only worse way to go out in Equestria is by catching Swamp Fever - a deadly illness that turns its victims into a disease-spreading tree, forever ending their once happy, carefree existences.

#5: Keeping Non-Pony Animals in Line

For all the talk about living in harmony, there’s a clear hierarchy between animal species. The ponies themselves dominate the land, while lower animals are often kept as pets or herded and fenced in as farm stock –which becomes even more troubling if the farm animals are sentient. While the ponies are vegetarians, they do eat animal products such as milk and eggs, and animal whisperer Fluttershy has no misgivings about feeding fish to her other pets. If you’re not a pony in Equestria, guess you’re just a second-class citizen!

#4: Authoritarian Regime?

Equestria may seem like the perfect pony paradise . . . but isn’t all a bit too good to be true? The ponies have absolute control over their world, a power that extends even to the weather, seasons, and the cycle of the sun and moon. Their society is a well-oiled machine, and so it’s perhaps unsurprising that they regard Everfree Forest, a woodland that isn’t under their control, as frightening, and even “unnatural”. When a people fear a place called EVERFREE, well, it’s not exactly a good sign.

#3: All Hail Celestia

Princess Celestia is usually seen as a kind, motherly, often cheeky, and benevolent ruler. And yet there’s often an uneasy vibe around her. A lot of it comes from how her subjects treat her. While some simply bow, others scramble to keep her happy - almost as if they were terrified of what she might do. We can’t really blame them, since Celestia DID banish her own (admitedly wicked) sister to the moon . . . and imprison mischief-maker Discord in stone. Maybe they’re afraid she’ll one day snap and go full tyrant; it happened to Luna, so why not?

#2: Segregation

Our pony heroines embrace each other’s individual differences with open hooves, and yet segregation is still a part of their society. Equestria’s capital, Canterlot, is primarily home to elite ponies and unicorns, while working-class Earth Ponies are found in more urban towns such as Ponyville. What’s more, other sentient creatures such as dragons inhabit their own separate nation that the ponies feared out of simple and intentional ignorance. To paraphrase “Animal Farm” – all animals are equal, but some seem a lot more equal than others.

#1: Tartarus

Believe it or not, Hell actually does exist in the pony world in the form of Tartarus – a foreboding, cavernous dungeon guarded by the three-headed dog Cerberus. The abyss acts as a prison for ancient, dangerous creatures and unlucky, irredeemable villains. They’re all kept in cages, which may seem overkill since the pit is practically inescapable. It seems almost hard to believe that a colorful kids show would incorporate the Greek mythological prison for the wicked, but it sends a clear, grim message to all ne'er-do-wells – if you cross the ponies, THIS could be your final destination.