# The Times They Are a Changeling

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Times_They_Are_a_Changeling
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Times_They_Are_a_Changeling.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Times_They_Are_a_Changeling
> Source revision: 1352567003
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

16th episode of the 6th season of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

"The Times They Are a Changeling" My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episode Spike (right) introduces Thorax (left) as his friend. Episode no. Season 6 Episode 16 Story by Kevin Burke, Michael Vogel & Chris "Doc" Wyatt Teleplay by Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt Original air date August 20, 2016 (2016-08-20) Running time 22 minutes Episode chronology ← Previous "28 Pranks Later" Next → "Dungeons & Discords" My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic season 6 List of episodes

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 Times They Are a Changeling**" is the sixteenth episode of the [sixth season](/source/My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic_season_6) of the [animated television series](/source/Animated_series) *[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic](/source/My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic)*. The episode was written by Kevin Burke, [Michael Vogel](/source/Michael_Vogel), and [Chris "Doc" Wyatt](/source/Chris_%22Doc%22_Wyatt) (story) and Kevin Burke and Wyatt (teleplay). It originally aired on [Discovery Family](/source/Discovery_Family) on August 20, 2016. In this episode, [Spike](/source/Spike_(My_Little_Pony)) befriends a changeling named [Thorax](/source/List_of_My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic_characters#Changeling_characters) who wants to make friends despite facing prejudice from ponies, and must defend him when his true identity is revealed to the Crystal Empire.[1]

The title of the episode is a reference to the [Bob Dylan](/source/Bob_Dylan) song "[The Times They Are a-Changin'](/source/The_Times_They_Are_a-Changin'_(song))".

## Plot

[Twilight Sparkle](/source/Twilight_Sparkle) and [Starlight Glimmer](/source/Starlight_Glimmer) travel to the Crystal Empire to visit [Princess Cadance](/source/Princess_Cadance) and baby [Flurry Heart](/source/Flurry_Heart), accompanied by [Spike](/source/Spike_(My_Little_Pony)) who disguises himself to avoid overwhelming attention as "[Spike the Brave and Glorious](/source/Equestria_Games)." They discover the Empire in panic over reports of a changeling infiltrator, with security heightened due to fears that changelings might target Flurry Heart's abundant love energy. During the search mission in the Arctic Wastes, Spike becomes separated from the royal guards and encounters [Thorax](/source/List_of_My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic_characters#Changeling_characters), the changeling responsible for the terror, but he defies expectations by saving Spike from a dangerous fall rather than attacking him. Thorax explains that he has always been different from other changelings, as he prefers to share love rather than steal it, and has lived alone since the Canterlot invasion while searching for friendship.

Spike attempts to convince [Shining Armor](/source/Shining_Armor) and the guards that Thorax poses no threat, but they dismiss his claims as impossible since "there's no such thing as a nice changeling." He then disguises Thorax as a Crystal Pony named "Crystal Hoof" and successfully introduces him to Twilight and other ponies, but when Thorax meets baby Flurry Heart, the overwhelming love causes him to lose control of his disguise, which reveals his true form. Thorax flees, and Spike seeks out his friend to apologize and brings him before the assembled Crystal Ponies, performing a heartfelt song about how any creature can change and deserves friendship. Twilight ashamedly supports Spike's brave stance and officially welcomes Thorax, followed by Princess Cadance and Shining Armor extending citizenship and friendship.

## Reception

Johnnie Jungleguts of *[Yahoo! Entertainment](/source/Yahoo!_Entertainment)* ranked the episode eighth among the best *My Little Pony* episodes and wrote that since changelings "were depicted as monolithically villainous in earlier appearances," it was "almost necessary for a storyline where not all changelings are dangerous." Jungleguts praised the episode for showing "ponies look a little harder at their prejudice," though he called Spike's "A Changeling Can Change" song "a little corny."[2]

Gerry O. of *KIDS FIRST!* praised "The Times They Are a Changeling" as his favorite episode from the *Exploring the Crystal Empire* DVD collection, describing how "one of the characters discovers a creature known as a changeling that can take the form of any other character" who "is not driven by hate and anger" but instead "struggles to prove to others that he is not a monster but just someone who wants a friend." He called it "a fantastic moral" and "a marvelous message" about how individuals should not be judged for the actions of their entire race or nation, noting its importance "for both kids and adults to listen to in today's world."[3]

## See also

- [List of *My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic* episodes](/source/List_of_My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic_episodes)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Snider (2017)](#CITEREFSnider2017), p. 210-211

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Jungleguts, Johnnie (2017-10-07). ["Top 10 'My Little Pony' Episodes, Ranked (Photos)"](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/top-ten-little-pony-episodes-ranked-photos-212741277.html). *[Yahoo! Entertainment](/source/Yahoo!_Entertainment)*. Retrieved 2025-07-07.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** O., Gerry (2017-02-15). ["My Little Pony – Still Great For Kids With Bright Colors, Simple but Hilarious Jokes and Educational Morals"](https://www.kidsfirst.org/kidsfirstnews/2017/02/). *KIDS FIRST!*. Retrieved 2025-07-07.

### Bibliography

- Snider, Brandon T. (2017). *The Elements of Harmony Volume II: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: The Official Guidebook Volume II*. New York: Little, Brown and Company. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-316-43197-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-316-43197-2).

## External links

- ["The Times They Are a Changeling"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5524276/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

v t e My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Season 6 "The Crystalling" "The Gift of the Maud Pie" "On Your Marks" "Gauntlet of Fire" "No Second Prances" "Newbie Dash" "A Hearth's Warming Tail" "The Saddle Row Review" "Applejack's Day Off" "Flutter Brutter" "Spice Up Your Life" "Stranger Than Fan Fiction" "The Cart Before the Ponies" "28 Pranks Later" "The Times They Are a Changeling" "Dungeons & Discords" "Buckball Season" "The Fault in Our Cutie Marks" "Viva Las Pegasus" "Every Little Thing She Does" "P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View)" "Where the Apple Lies" "Top Bolt" "To Where and Back Again"

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Times They Are a Changeling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Times_They_Are_a_Changeling) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Times_They_Are_a_Changeling?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.