# Elements of Harmony

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Magical artifacts representing virtues in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

The physical manifestation of the Elements of Harmony as magical jewelry

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Equestria Toyline Cutie mark Elements of Harmony Pony Spin-offs My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (2013–2020)(List of animations) My Little Pony: Pony Life (2020–2021)(List of episodes) Characters Mane Six Twilight Sparkle Rainbow Dash Pinkie Pie Applejack Fluttershy Rarity Supporting Spike Princess Celestia Princess Luna Princess Cadance Shining Armor Discord Starlight Glimmer Trixie Zecora Antagonists Queen Chrysalis Lord Tirek Cozy Glow Minor Derpy Hooves Background Six Cheese Sandwich Quibble Pants The Wonderbolts Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty Equestria Girls Sunset Shimmer Seasons & episodes Season 1 (2010–2011) "Friendship Is Magic" "The Ticket Master" "Applebuck Season" "Griffon the Brush Off" "Boast Busters" "Dragonshy" "Look Before You Sleep" "Bridle Gossip" "Swarm of the Century" "Winter Wrap Up" "Call of the Cutie" "Fall Weather Friends" "Suited for Success" "Feeling Pinkie Keen" "Sonic Rainboom" "Stare Master" "The Show Stoppers" "A Dog and Pony Show" "Green Isn't Your Color" "Over a Barrel" "A Bird in the Hoof" "The Cutie Mark Chronicles" "Owl's Well That Ends Well" "Party of One" "The Best Night Ever" Season 2 (2011–2012) "The Return of Harmony" "Lesson Zero" "Luna Eclipsed" "Sisterhooves Social" "The Cutie Pox" "May the Best Pet Win!" "The Mysterious Mare Do Well" "Sweet and Elite" "Secret of My Excess" "Hearth's Warming Eve" "Family Appreciation Day" "Baby Cakes" "The Last Roundup" "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000" "Read It and Weep" "Hearts and Hooves Day" "A Friend in Deed" "Putting Your Hoof Down" "It's About Time" "Dragon Quest" "Hurricane Fluttershy" "Ponyville Confidential" "MMMystery on the Friendship Express" "A Canterlot Wedding" Season 3 (2012–2013) "The Crystal Empire" "Too Many Pinkie Pies" "One Bad Apple" "Magic Duel" "Sleepless in Ponyville" "Wonderbolts Academy" "Apple Family Reunion" "Spike at Your Service" "Keep Calm and Flutter On" "Just for Sidekicks" "Games Ponies Play" "Magical Mystery Cure" Season 4 (2013–2014) "Princess Twilight Sparkle" "Castle Mane-ia" "Daring Don't" "Flight to the Finish" "Power Ponies" "Bats!" "Rarity Takes Manehattan" "Pinkie Apple Pie" "Rainbow Falls" "Three's a Crowd" "Pinkie Pride" "Simple Ways" "Filli Vanilli" "Twilight Time" "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" "Somepony to Watch Over Me" "Maud Pie" "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils" "Leap of Faith" "Testing Testing 1, 2, 3" "Trade Ya!" "Inspiration Manifestation" "Equestria Games" "Twilight's Kingdom" Season 5 (2015) "The Cutie Map" "Castle Sweet Castle" "Tanks for the Memories" "Slice of Life" "Amending Fences" "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?" "Made in Manehattan" "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" "The Hooffields and McColts" "The Cutie Re-Mark" Season 6 (2016) "A Hearth's Warming Tail" "The Times They Are a Changeling" Season 7 (2017) "The Perfect Pear" Season 8 (2018) "Grannies Gone Wild" Season 9 (2019) "The Last Crusade" Series finale Media Films & specials My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) My Little Pony: Best Gift Ever (2018) My Little Pony: Rainbow Roadtrip (2019) Music Theme song "This Day Aria" Movie Soundtrack "Rainbow" "Off to See the World" Games My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day Gameloft video game Collectible card game Other media Home video releases IDW comics Issues My Little Pony/Transformers Brony fandom Fan works (list) 15.ai Voiceverse NFT plagiarism scandal A Brony Tale Bronies (documentary) Derpibooru Equestria Daily Fimfiction Fallout: Equestria Friendship Is Witchcraft Legends of Equestria Love & Ponystep Ponysona PONY.MOV Them's Fightin' Herds Fandom people 15 hotdiggedydemon Jenny Nicholson Odyssey Eurobeat Sethisto The Living Tombstone Vylet Pony Fan culture Analysis Brony music Bronyspeak Charity Criticism Fan art Clop Ponysona Fan fiction Military bronies /mlp/ Online communities My Little Pony conventions BABSCon BronyCAN BronyCon Czequestria Everfree Northwest GalaCon Ponyville Ciderfest RuBronyCon TrotCon UK PonyCon Vanhoover Pony Expo v t e

The **Elements of Harmony** are six [magical artifacts](/source/Magical_artifact) representing fundamental [virtues](/source/Virtue) of [friendship](/source/Friendship) in the television series *[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic](/source/My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic)*. Each element embodies a specific virtue: [honesty](/source/Honesty), [kindness](/source/Kindness), [laughter](/source/Laughter), [generosity](/source/Generosity), and [loyalty](/source/Loyalty). The sixth element, [magic](/source/Magic_(supernatural)), is the catalyst that activates the others when the bearers demonstrate true friendship. The Elements serve as both physical magical artifacts and abstract concepts central to the show's lore and moral framework.

Originally discovered as [ancient relics](/source/Relic) in the [Everfree Forest](/source/Everfree_Forest), the Elements initially manifest as ornate [jewelry](/source/Jewelry) pieces that can be wielded by worthy bearers. However, as the series progresses, it is revealed that the true power of the Elements lies not in their physical forms but in the embodiment of their respective virtues by the main characters (collectively known as the [Mane Six](/source/Mane_Six)): [Twilight Sparkle](/source/Twilight_Sparkle), [Applejack](/source/Applejack_(My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic)), [Rarity](/source/Rarity_(My_Little_Pony)), [Fluttershy](/source/Fluttershy), [Rainbow Dash](/source/Rainbow_Dash), and [Pinkie Pie](/source/Pinkie_Pie) act as the living representations of magic, honesty, generosity, kindness, loyalty, and laughter, respectively.

## Appearances

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (May 2025)

### *My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic* (2010–2019)

See also: [My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic](/source/My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic)

The Elements of Harmony are introduced in the series premiere "[Friendship Is Magic](/source/Friendship_Is_Magic_(My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic))" as ancient artifacts of legend. Initially depicted in a [tapestry](/source/Tapestry) and [stained glass](/source/Stained_glass) window, they are described as the "most powerful magic known to ponydom."[1] The Elements are first discovered as physical stone orbs housed in the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters in the Everfree Forest,[2] where they transform into ornate [necklaces](/source/Necklaces) and a [tiara](/source/Tiara) when activated by the protagonists' demonstration of their respective virtues.

Throughout the first two seasons, the Elements appear in their physical jewelry forms during major conflicts, including the defeat of [Nightmare Moon](/source/Nightmare_Moon) and the initial confrontation with Discord. However, the artifacts' power is contingent upon the genuine friendship and emotional connection between their bearers; when Discord manipulates the ponies' personalities and severs their friendships in "[The Return of Harmony](/source/The_Return_of_Harmony)", the physical Elements become powerless.

In the second season finale "[A Canterlot Wedding](/source/A_Canterlot_Wedding)," the Mane Six were going to use them to defeat [Queen Chrysalis](/source/Queen_Chrysalis). Unfortunately, they were captured by the Changelings, forcing Princess Cadence and Shining Armor to defeat them instead.

In the fourth season premiere "[Princess Twilight Sparkle](/source/Princess_Twilight_Sparkle_(My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic_episodes))", the Elements' magic is transferred to the [Tree of Harmony](/source/Tree_of_Harmony). However, in the season finale "[Twilight's Kingdom](/source/Twilight's_Kingdom)", the Mane Six were given a new power known as Rainbow Power.

### *My Little Pony: Equestria Girls* (2013–2020)

See also: [My Little Pony: Equestria Girls](/source/My_Little_Pony%3A_Equestria_Girls)

[Sunset Shimmer](/source/Sunset_Shimmer), a former anthropomorphic unicorn from [Equestria](/source/Equestria) who becomes human after traveling through a magic mirror to the human world, is first introduced in *[Equestria Girls](/source/Equestria_Girls)*. Originally a student of [Princess Celestia](/source/Princess_Celestia) before [Twilight Sparkle](/source/Twilight_Sparkle), she drops out of school in search of power and crosses over to the human world, where she becomes a student at Canterlot High School. With a desire for revenge, upon discovering [Twilight's coronation in the third season](/source/Magical_Mystery_Cure), Sunset returns to the world of Equestria to steal Twilight's Element of Harmony (her [crown](/source/Crown)), with the intention of taking it to the human world to mirror chaos and rule Equestria. However, Sunset's plan is thwarted by Twilight and her five friends from the pony universe.

In *[Legend of Everfree](/source/My_Little_Pony%3A_Equestria_Girls_%E2%80%93_Legend_of_Everfree)*, the Mane Six (from the human world) and Sunset Shimmer (having already had her redemption) end up discovering that when Princess Twilight's element was brought to the human world, a large amount of magic was released. However, after much confusion and problems, Twilight and Sunset discover a cave with seven magical crystals that allow each of their friends to gain a different special ability, such as [super strength](/source/Superhuman_strength), [super speed](/source/Speedster_(fiction)), and [telekinesis](/source/Telekinesis). When they connect with these crystals, they end up becoming necklaces, just like the Elements of Harmony (from Equestria). However, *Equestria Girls* director [Ishi Rudell](/source/Ishi_Rudell) revealed on his [Twitter](/source/Twitter) that "In [the human] world, Sunset Shimmer is the 7th element! ☀️"[3] later specifying said element to be "[empathy](/source/Empathy)".[4]

## Analysis

In *The Art of Equestria*, the Elements are described as an "unstoppable force of good".[5] [Military bronies](/source/Military_bronies) have compared the Elements of Harmony to the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army)'s core values, known by the acronym [LDRSHIP](/source/LDRSHIP) (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage).[6] According to Laura Shillington, the Elements are "responsible for keeping [nature](/source/Nature) in balance" since "if [nature] is not kept in balance, problems will emerge", which contributes to gendered emotional responses to nature.[7] Kevin Fletcher wrote that while the show promotes [individualism](/source/Individualism) via the [cutie marks](/source/Cutie_mark) and distinct personalities of the ponies, it also emphasizes "communalism and sharing" through the collective responsibility required to wield the Elements.[8] Historian Louis Clerc described the Elements of Harmony in *[The Hague Journal of Diplomacy](/source/The_Hague_Journal_of_Diplomacy)* as the [Equestrian](/source/Equestria) equivalent of a [nuclear arsenal](/source/Nuclear_arsenal).[9] History professor Andrew Crome wrote that some Christian bronies view the Elements as having explicit [biblical parallels](/source/Allegory#biblical_allegory) (particularly as allusions to the [Fruit of the Holy Spirit](/source/Fruit_of_the_Holy_Spirit)) and describe the Elements as "a tool God has given us to diagnose friendship problems" or as "the [Seven Spirits of God](/source/Seven_Spirits_of_God)."[10]

## See also

- [Cutie mark](/source/Cutie_mark)

- [*My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic* fandom](/source/My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic_fandom)

- [List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic characters](/source/List_of_My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic_characters)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Cusack-2016_1-0)** Cusack, Carole M.; Kosnáč, Pavol (2016-11-18). ["Introduction: fiction, invention and hyper-reality in new religions and spiritualities"](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315582283-6/introduction-fiction-invention-hyper-reality-new-religions-spiritualities-carole-cusack-pavol-kosnácˇ). In Cusack, Carole M.; Kosnáč, Pavol (eds.). *Fiction, Invention and Hyper-reality*. New York: Routledge. p. 83. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.4324/9781315582283-6](https://doi.org/10.4324%2F9781315582283-6). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-315-58228-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-315-58228-3). Retrieved 2021-07-09.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Valiente, Christian; Rasmusson, Xeno (2015). "Bucking the Stereotypes: My Little Pony and Challenges to Traditional Gender Roles". *Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture*. **5** (4). Bridgepoint Education, Inc. and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.: 88–97. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/jpoc.21162](https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fjpoc.21162).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Rudell, Ishi [@ishiH3Art] (2016-12-16). ["In our world she is the 7th element! ☀️"](https://twitter.com/ishiH3Art/status/809622290967080962) ([Tweet](/source/Tweet_(social_media))) – via [Twitter](/source/Twitter).{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: url-status ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_url-status))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Rudell, Ishi [@ishiH3Art] (2016-12-17). ["empathy..."](https://twitter.com/ishiH3Art/status/809949114595053568) ([Tweet](/source/Tweet_(social_media))) – via [Twitter](/source/Twitter).{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: url-status ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_url-status))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Begin, Mary Jane (2015). *My Little Pony: The Art of Equestria*. New York: Abrams. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4197-1577-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4197-1577-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Miller, Samuel Clark (May 2016). *Friendship is Manly: The Brony Fandom and the Challenge of Masculinity* (PhD thesis). Grand Forks, North Dakota: [University of North Dakota](/source/University_of_North_Dakota).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Shillington, Laura (2016). "Children's Media Landscapes and the Emotional Geographies of Urban Natures". *Identities and Subjectivities, Geographies of Children and Young People 4*. Springer Science+Business Media Singapore. pp. 1–20. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/978-981-4585-91-0_22-1](https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-981-4585-91-0_22-1). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-981-4585-91-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-981-4585-91-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Fletcher, Kevin (2018). "My Little Pony, Communalism and Feminist Politics". *Orienting Feminism*. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 25–42.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Clerc, Louis (2023). "A Better Hegemon? My Little Pony as a Pop Representation of Diplomacy in the Context of American Hegemony". *[The Hague Journal of Diplomacy](/source/The_Hague_Journal_of_Diplomacy)*. **18** (4): 534–557. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1163/1871191x-bja10146](https://doi.org/10.1163%2F1871191x-bja10146).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Crome, Andrew (2019). ["Cosplay in the pulpit and ponies at prayer: Christian faith and lived religion in wider fan culture"](https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/623009/3/Faith%20and%20Fandom%20submission%20revision%20deposit.pdf) (PDF). *Culture and Religion*. **20** (2): 129–150. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/14755610.2019.1624268](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F14755610.2019.1624268).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Elements of Harmony](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elements_of_Harmony) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elements_of_Harmony?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.