From bullying to loss, "My Little Pony" isn't afraid to tackle tough topics. Join us as we explore the moments when this beloved series went beyond friendship lessons to address real-world issues. Discover how Equestria and its inhabitants dealt with anxiety, trauma, prejudice, and more in these thoughtful episodes.
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00:00I'll keep the weather warm for you, and the winter will never start.
00:06Welcome to MsMojo, and today we're looking at the times when this My Little Pony series
00:11and its spin-off handled some heavier topics beyond weekly friendship lessons.
00:16I was humiliated.
00:17I felt like I wasn't important.
00:22Number 10.
00:23Bullying
00:24The Cutie Mark Crusaders struggle with being picked on by their classmates Diamond Tiara
00:28and Silver Spoon, but things get more personal when Apple Bloom's cousin Babs Seed comes
00:34to town and starts ridiculing them as well.
00:37That's no fire, Babs!
00:39We never did anything to you!
00:42And let's keep it that way!
00:44Now scram, crybabies!
00:45However, the issue isn't black and white.
00:48It turns out that Babs had bullies of her own back home, so she lashed out to avoid
00:53getting hurt.
00:54I didn't say nothing because I didn't want her to feel singled out, but there's been
00:57some bullies back in Manehattan just been teasing her to pieces for her blank-blank.
01:01Fortunately, the four fillies make amends in the end.
01:05This episode really highlights the nuances of bullying from several angles.
01:10It's not as simple as being a bad apple.
01:12Great!
01:13Now we're stuck here with these lame blank-blanks.
01:17Hey!
01:18That's not how you talk to my friends!
01:22Number 9.
01:23Anxious Thoughts
01:24Twilight Sparkle is horrified when she realizes she hasn't sent a letter to her mentor, Princess
01:30Celestia, in over a week.
01:31I'm supposed to send Princess Celestia a letter every week telling her about a lesson I've
01:32learned about friendship!
01:33Not every other week!
01:34Not every ten days!
01:35Every.
01:36Single.
01:37Week!
01:38Her panicking causes her to believe she'll be sent back to Magic Kindergarten if she
01:46doesn't finish her assignment.
01:48Her friends shrug off her concerns, and she eventually ends up causing chaos trying to
01:52find a friendship problem to solve.
01:54No offense, sugar cube, but it looks like somepony's getting themselves all worked up
01:58over nothing.
01:59This is not nothing!
02:00This is everything!
02:03We might want to chuckle at Twilight's exaggerated reactions, but her anxiety is no laughing
02:09matter, even if the issue seems trivial.
02:11It's an important message to send about listening to your friends and not letting small problems
02:16turn into large ones.
02:18As Twilight's good friends, we should have taken her feelings seriously and been there
02:22for her!
02:23Please don't take her away from us just because we were too insensitive to help her.
02:28Number 8.
02:29Recovering from Trauma
02:30Midnight's Farmville's a part of you.
02:31I'll always be there, waiting in the darkest shadows of your mind.
02:39Following a rough patch during the Friendship Games, Legend of Everfree sees Sci-Twi having
02:45made friends with Sunset Shimmer and the gang.
02:48She's in a much better place than she used to be, or so it seems.
02:51The memory of Midnight Sparkle and her past misdeeds haunts her.
03:05Even with all her new friends, Twilight feels more isolated than ever, and is petrified
03:10of using any magic at the risk of letting Midnight out again.
03:14Anyone who's endured a traumatic experience can sympathize with Twilight's predicament,
03:19made worse by her own feelings of guilt.
03:21Thankfully, her best friends show their support and help her move past her trauma to save
03:26the day.
03:27I am Twilight Sparkle, and the magic I carry inside me is the magic of friendship!
03:36Number 7.
03:37Self-Care
03:38I just want every pony to be happy.
03:41Well, sometimes ponies want more from a princess than you can give, and it can be hard to know
03:46where to draw the line.
03:48Taking care of others is important, but several pony adventures remind us that it's also critical
03:53to take care of yourself.
03:55In Once Upon a Zeppelin, Twilight learns the importance of knowing your limits and setting
04:00boundaries when she misses most of her family's vacation trying to make every pony happy except
04:05for herself.
04:06The health of information reminds Fluttershy to keep an eye on her own health while trying
04:11to cure Zecora of a rare sickness.
04:24The Last Laugh shows the horrors of burnout when the normally bubbly cheese sandwich loses
04:29his laugh.
04:30Hearing Weird Al sound so deflated is just unnerving.
04:34Those classic bits put Rainbow Dash's funny bone in a cast for a week!
04:39Don't blame yourself, Pinkie.
04:40Whatever I got, I got it bad.
04:43Number 6.
04:44Substance Use and Enabling
04:46Rarity has fallen into a creative funk and needs help finding her mojo.
04:51Wanting to help, Spike finds an enchanted book that gives her the creative juices she
04:56needs.
04:57At least, that's how it seems at first.
04:59Hold close this book and through its spell you'll start a chain reaction.
05:04Slowly, Rarity becomes more dependent on the book, using it to try and beautify Ponyville.
05:11She neglects eating and sleeping, obsessed with her newfound inspiration.
05:15I'm not gonna stop now.
05:17Why, I won't stop until every inch of Ponyville is benefited from my creative vision!
05:23Spike knows what she's doing is wrong, but he's too afraid to tell her to stop.
05:27The story parallels how people might struggle with substance use disorders, a serious topic
05:32for the show to tackle.
05:34However, it sends a valuable message about health and friendship.
05:37Dearest Spike, you should never be afraid to tell me the truth.
05:42We're friends, remember?
05:44Number 5.
05:45Remorse
05:46You have all suffered so much because of me.
05:49You need only slumber while I hunt the Tantivus in your dreams.
05:52In the show's first storyline, the main six manage to defeat the insidious Nightmare Moon
05:58and turn her back into the benevolent Princess Luna.
06:01Eventually, she's welcomed back with open hooves, but in Do Princesses Dream of Magic
06:06Sheep, we learn that not every pony has left the past in the past.
06:11After what I did as Nightmare Moon, the fact that I am once again responsible for harming
06:15others is more than I can bear.
06:18Luna is still punishing herself for Nightmare Moon's misdeeds.
06:21The episode shows that guilt is a powerful emotion, which can deeply affect people, sometimes
06:27even pushing them to endanger themselves.
06:30I created the Tantivus to give myself the same nightmare every night, to punish myself
06:37for the evil I caused as Nightmare Moon.
06:40Fortunately, Luna has friends to help guide her on the first step to forgiving herself.
06:45Number 4.
06:46Divorce
06:48Cutie Mark Crusaders are summoned to the home of the Hippogryphs to help young Terramar
06:53with a problem.
06:54You have two great places to live!
06:55How do you make up your mind which one to stay in?
07:00I can't.
07:01That's the problem.
07:03His father and mother live in separate places, Mount Eris and Sequestria.
07:07He can't decide which he'd rather live with.
07:10And I have to choose soon.
07:12Every other griff my age already knows where they belong.
07:15I'm still not sure.
07:17While the word is never mentioned, this sticky situation resembles a child with separated
07:22parents.
07:23Thankfully, Terramar's parents assure him that he doesn't have to choose between them.
07:28He can continue living in both areas for as long as he wishes.
07:32You don't have to decide.
07:34You can keep doing what you've been doing, going back and forth.
07:39And enjoying both places.
07:42It's a magical twist on a tricky subject that many children have to confront.
07:48Prejudice
07:49Equestria may just be one of the most magical, harmonious places any pony could live.
07:54However, that doesn't mean it hasn't had its fair share of prejudice.
07:59During this frightful age, each of the three tribes, the Pegasi, the Unicorns, and the
08:04Earth Ponies cared not for what befell the other tribes, but only for their own welfare.
08:10Friendship is Magic shows viewers the earliest days of the bitter feuds between Unicorns,
08:15Earth Ponies, and Pegasi, as well as the issues with the elitist, rich ponies of today.
08:20One of the first examples shown in the series was Bridal Gossip, where the citizens of Ponyville
08:26assume the worst out of newcomer Zecora because she's a zebra.
08:30She's mysterious, sinister, and spooky!
08:36Thankfully, the main six learn why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
08:41Unfortunately, bigotry doesn't magically go away so easily, as the nasty Chancellor Neysay
08:46demonstrates in Season 8.
09:00Disabilities
09:01Scootaloo and the Cutie Mark Crusaders are elated to be auditioning for the job of flag
09:05carriers at the Equestria Games.
09:07As usual, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon try to bring their spirits down.
09:12They mock Scootaloo for her small wings and inability to fly.
09:24The young Pegasus' confidence is shattered.
09:26She becomes convinced that she'll hold the Crusaders back because of her physical disability.
09:38Thankfully, the Crusaders and her hero Rainbow Dash remind her that the true strength of
09:43their performance is their friendship.
09:45Scootaloo may not be able to fly, but she triumphs in the end.
10:00Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:08She blackmails her student just to win a competition.
10:21Performance anxiety
10:22Anyone with severe stage fright can sympathize with Fluttershy's fears.
10:36Perfectionism
10:37Perfect of no return
10:38Twilight learns the hard way the folly of trying to be perfect.
10:55Property uprooting
10:56Camp Everfree is at risk of being torn down by a rich businessman.
11:07A spa resort?
11:08That will line my pockets with more money than this camp ever could?
11:13I don't think so.
11:15Adjusting to new families
11:17Patton Oswalt guest stars in an episode inspired by his family.
11:21Oh, sweetheart, I know Quibble's trying too hard.
11:24But he doesn't want you to stop loving your dad.
11:26He just wants you to like him.
11:28And I think maybe there's enough room in your heart to do both.
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11:49Loss and grief
11:50Winter is coming and Rainbow Dash is excited to spend it with her pet tortoise, Tank.
11:55However, Tank needs to go into hibernation and Dash is distraught over this news.
12:06I'm finally getting ready to hibernate.
12:09Don't say that word!
12:11Grief-stricken and desperate, she attempts to prevent winter
12:14so she doesn't have to say goodbye to her beloved pet.
12:17Unfortunately, all her efforts are in vain
12:20and she tearfully has to accept that she will be spending the icy season alone.
12:25No!
12:34Death and grieving are both heavy, difficult subjects to tackle gracefully in a kid's cartoon.
12:40And yet, Friendship is Magic approached the theme in a creative manner
12:44without having any character die.
12:46Oh, Tank. I'm sure gonna miss you.
12:50What do you think was the ponies' heaviest topic to cover?
12:53Let us know in the comments.
12:55Maybe yaks don't eat ponies' gold!
12:58Well, then perhaps you should return to your kind.
13:03Your kind?
13:05Do you agree with our picks?
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