Howdy folks! TheSlorg here, and it's finally time to dive back into something that many of you have been asking about for a while now. A few months ago I re-watched every episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic season one and counted all the tears. I wanted to see just how often the characters get emotional in the show—considering its target demographic—and you all seem to have enjoyed it.
Well, I've re-watched all of season two and have counted the tears once again. So... how often do ponies cry? Were there more tears in season one, or in season two? And which character cries the most often? If you've wanted to know the answers to these questions, or are just a bit bored, head on below the break as we explore the facts.
Before We Begin
As before, you may be wondering why we'd bother researching a topic like pony tears. I'll paste my explanation directly from the original post:
As we are all aware, the characters we know and love are a complicated lot, with a much larger emotional spectrum than what you might typically find in a show targeting the demographic that it does. Tearful moments are but one small part of that spectrum, but they do tell us a lot about one's personality!
Additionally, watching an entire season of a series in search of something as specific as tears can be a daunting task. You have to ask yourself what, exactly, counts as crying, for instance. For the purposes of this article, I have skipped over a lot of close calls, or instances where a character came close to crying, but didn't quite make it. I didn't skip them all, however, and will make a note of them as they appear. The rest of the moments I have listed will either have visible tears, or will have the character's eyes visibly shimmering.
Finally, as much time as I put into trying to keep the list as accurate as possible, there is always the chance that I missed a moment or two. There will also likely be some who would contend what, exactly, counts as crying. If you find anything I missed, or wish to challenge a moment that is listed here, feel free to comment below. And now for what we've all been waiting for, let the tears begin!
Additionally, watching an entire season of a series in search of something as specific as tears can be a daunting task. You have to ask yourself what, exactly, counts as crying, for instance. For the purposes of this article, I have skipped over a lot of close calls, or instances where a character came close to crying, but didn't quite make it. I didn't skip them all, however, and will make a note of them as they appear. The rest of the moments I have listed will either have visible tears, or will have the character's eyes visibly shimmering.
Finally, as much time as I put into trying to keep the list as accurate as possible, there is always the chance that I missed a moment or two. There will also likely be some who would contend what, exactly, counts as crying. If you find anything I missed, or wish to challenge a moment that is listed here, feel free to comment below. And now for what we've all been waiting for, let the tears begin!
Season Two
Return of Harmony: part one - No tears! Perhaps this season will have fewer tears than the first?
Return of Harmony: part two - Discord cries tears of laughter at the ponies as they fail his game. Twilight cries when her friends abandon her. Fluttershy cries as she chases down Rainbow Dash.
Lesson Zero - Rarity cries when she loses her purple ribbon. Harry the Bear cries during Fluttershy's 'death massage.' Twilight Sparkle cries as time begins to run out to solve a friendship problem, and again as Princess Celestia shows up.
Luna Eclipsed - Pipsqueak and Piña Colada—a filly without an official name yet—both cry briefly during Zecora's description of Nightmare Moon. Piña Colada and Noi—another unnamed filly wearing a princess costume—both cry when Nightmare Night is cancelled.
Sisterhooves Social - Rarity cries when she realizes how poorly she has treated Sweetie Belle. Granny Smith tears up when she pokes her eyeball. Sweetie Belle cries tears of happiness when Rarity reveals that she ran the race with her.
The Cutie Pox - No tears to be found!
May the Best Pet Win - Rainbow Dash cries when she realizes she is trapped in Ghastly Gorge, then cries again when she thinks Tank can't possibly help her.
The Mysterious Mare Do Well - Cream Puff, a foal, cries as her stroller careens down a hill toward a cliff.
Sweet and Elite - No tears, though there are several close calls!
The Secret of My Excess - Rarity tears up when Spike tries to confess his feelings for her before their 'deaths.' Spike tears up when Rarity calls him her hero and kisses his cheek.
Hearth's Warming Eve - Sea Swirl cries due to cold and hunger during the Hearth's Warming play.
Family Appreciation Day - No tears here!
Baby Cakes - Pound and Pumpkin Cake cry off and on throughout the episode. We'll count it as one instance each, here. Pinkie Pie cries from frustration due to her inability to keep the babies happy.
The Last Roundup - Big Mac tears up when he learns that Applejack has left town. Rainbow Dash cries, but then reprimands herself for being sappy, when she discovers why Applejack left. Big Mac tears up again when Applejack returns home.
The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 - Lemon Hearts visibly cries when Applejack concedes to Flim and Flam, while Lyra Heartstrings and Shoeshine both get misty-eyed. Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack all cry as Applejack prepares to leave town. Rainbow Dash cries three times at the thought of missing out on cider.
Read it and Weep - Despite the title, there are no actual tears!
Hearts and Hooves Day - Another tear-free episode.
A Friend in Deed - Pinkie Pie cries when Cranky Doodle Donkey tells her they will never be friends. Cranky tears up at the loss of his photo album.
Putting Your Hoof Down - Pinkie and Rarity both cry when Fluttershy insults them. Fluttershy cries when she realizes how she has treated them. Pinkie and Rarity tear up again when they forgive Fluttershy.
It's About Time - Twilight tears up from laughter when Spike tickles her with a feather.
Dragon Quest - Spike cries as he has an identity crises, then tears up again at the thought of smashing a phoenix egg. An unnamed brown dragon cries tears of laughter at the thought of Rarity fighting the dragons.
Hurricane Fluttershy - Fluttershy cries at the thought of some childhood bullying, and again at her weak flying. She cries a third time during her training montage, a fourth time when that training turns out to be inadequate, and a fifth time as she struggles to overcome her fear of failure. So many Fluttercries!
Ponyville Confidential - Pound and Pumpkin Cake cry early in the episode. Pinkie Pie cries when she admits she has a partying problem. Fluttershy is shown to be crying over Gabby Gums articles when the Crusaders try to visit her later on.
MMMystery on the Friendship Express - Pinkie Pie tears up in an imagined flashback in which Gustev Le Grand ties her up and places her on some railroad tracks.
A Canterlot Wedding: part one - Twilight Sparkle tears up two separate times during the BBBFF song. She also cries in a flashback in which Princess Cadance is bandaging her injured hoof. Queen Chrysalis forces herself to cry while disguised as Cadance when Twilight confronts her. Twilight cries a fourth time when she is scolded by Shining Armor, and a fifth time during the BBBFF reprise.
A Canterlot Wedding: part two - Princess Cadance cries on two separate occasions during her part in This Day Aria, and again near the end of the episode when she thinks she has lost Shining Armor forever. Twilight Velvet and Rarity both cry during the wedding, with Twilight Sparkle following soon afterwards. Rarity cries a final time during the after party.
So Who Cried the Most?
Once again, only six of the twenty-six episodes failed to register any tears. That means that through season two a full forty out of fifty-two episodes have featured tears. Quite a few! So is the total tear tally for season two similar to season one as well?
Below is a full list of characters who cried in season two in order from least to most:
- Discord - 1
- Harry Bear - 1
- Noi - 1
- Granny Smith - 1
- Sweetie Belle - 1
- Cream Puff - 1
- Sea Swirl - 1
- Lemon Hearts - 1
- Lyra Heartstrings - 1
- Shoeshine - 1
- Applejack - 1
- Cranky Doodle - 1
- Queen Chrysalis - 1
- Twilight Velvet - 1
- Brown Dragon - 1
- Piña Colada - 2
- Pumpkin Cake - 2
- Pound Cake - 2
- Big Macintosh - 2
- Princess Cadance - 3
- Spike - 3
- Rainbow Dash - 6
Top Three (Four)
- Rarity - 7
- Pinkie Pie - 7
- Fluttershy - 8
- Twilight Sparkle - 11
So the victor this season is Twilight Sparkle herself, nearly doubling Rarity's total of six times crying back in season one! In fact, there were more tears all-around in the second season, despite having the same number of episodes featuring tears.
Season one had a total of 31 instances of characters crying. Season two ramped up the feels significantly, more than doubling that with a grand total of 66 scenes showing tears! Be still, my heart!
That also means that out of fifty two episodes between the two seasons, there were a total of 97 instances of characters shedding tears for one reason or another.
Totals
So we know that Twilight Sparkle destroyed Rarity's record of crying six times in a season, but how do they compare to date? Well, I've tallied the total number of tears across both seasons to find out who has cried the most overall.
Here's the list, again from least to most:
- Steven Magnet - 1
- Daisy - 1
- Gilda - 1
- Red Dragon - 1
- Brown Dragon - 1
- Berry Punch - 1
- Vera - 1
- Princess Luna - 1
- Princess Celestia - 1
- Discord - 1
- Harry Bear - 1
- Noi - 1
- Granny Smith - 1
- Sweetie Belle - 1
- Cream Puff - 1
- Sea Swirl - 1
- Lemon Hearts - 1
- Shoeshine - 1
- Cranky Doodle - 1
- Queen Chrysalis - 1
- Twilight Velvet - 1
- Lyra Heartstrings - 2
- Applejack - 2
- Apple Bloom - 2
- Piña Colada - 2
- Pound Cake - 2
- Pumpkin Cake - 2
- Big Macintosh - 2
- Princess Cadance - 3
- Spike - 5
- Rainbow Dash - 8
- Pinkie Pie - 9
- Fluttershy - 11
- Rarity - 13
Which means that the new teariest pony of all, and not just season two, is:
- Twilight Sparkle - 15
With six instances of Twilight crying in the final two episodes of the season, she was able to overcome Rarity when she otherwise would have been sitting back in fourth place with Pinkie Pie. What a comeback?
Interesting things to note here are that it only took two episodes for Princess Cadance to outcry both other (at the time) princesses combined, 3 to 2. It also seems like Applejack is staying true to her ideal of crying on the inside, with only two instances of tears showing up over 52 episodes. Fluttershy remains in third place, despite crying five times in a single episode (Hurricane Fluttershy). Lyra Heartstrings is tied with Piña Colada for teariest background pony (2 each) if you count the Cake babies as supporting characters. Discord and Chrysalis, both new villains introduced in season two, have each cried once, though they are for reasons other than pain or sorrow.
And that about wraps it up! Be on the lookout for A Guide to Pony Tears—Season Three to come along at some point. With half the usual episodes, will there be half the tears? Do any of these tear amounts surprise you? Which character do you think will have shed the most tears when all is said and done? Let us know in the comments below!
