Rank the Mane 6 performance in season 3

[SharkJump 14]

1. Rarity

2. Applejack

3. Fluttershy

4. Rainbow Dash

5. Twilight Sparkle

6. Pinkie Pie

 

Pinkie Pie was hit the hardest by this season, as she got her weakest episode to date ("Too many Pinkie Pies") and a number of very, very annoying appearances (like in "Wonderbolts Academy").

Her performance in the season finale was top notch, though. Pinkie is really at her best when her depressed side comes into play, showing that she's not as mono-dimensional as she seems.

 

Twilight Sparkle was flanderized in this season, even before the finale.
She didn't make a particularly good first impression as an alicorn either. Been said that, I believe she was at her best in the season premiere where she was still a flawed, yet heroic pony. After that things went downhill but I think she can still be salvaged in season 4. Only time will tell.

 

Rainbow Dash is still Rainbow Dash. This season didn't change her into better or worse. I think the writers tried a bit too hard into making her look "cool" in both of her episodes, though I give them credit for the scene where she rejects the Wonderbolts after 2 entire seasons of RD idolizing them.

 

Fluttershy got the best episode of the season and she's arguably the only one of the mane 6 without OOC moments in this one. Her other appearances were standard fare, with her "scary" side occasionally showing up.

 

Applejack got a very strong episode as well as a much needed amount of screentime. This season estabilished that she doesn't need to snap like her friends to be a good character. It also showed that having much of her character revolve around her family doesn't mean that she has no personality.

 

Despite not getting an episode, Rarity managed to be at her best in this season. She's easily the best supporting cast member of the season, with most of her appearances being hilarious and entertaining (like the scene with Spike's pie in "Spike at your service" and her camping antics in "Sleepless in Ponyville"). Bonus points for fer singing parts being once again excellent.

 

 

[Shanks 10,811]

Rarity: She hardly got any notice or screen time at all during this season, she may not be my favorite of the mane 6 but even I recognize that she potential as a character I hope we see more of her in season 4.

 

Applejack: Its about time that she started getting a bit more attention, I may be biased because she has been my favorite from the beginning and still is even though she is now tied with Twilight but I love that she got two episode even though the other one was a much a Spike episode as an Applejack episode. They showed that even though Applejack may not be as quirky as the other mane 6 characters she is still a very interesting and compelling character with a great story to tell.

 

Fluttershy: I honesty feel that Fluttershy has been the most stagnant of the mane 6, she has gotten plenty of screen time throughout the series but has changed the least. Granted I am not expecting a complete 180 here but still.

 

Rainbow Dash: Rainbow Dash has really shined more than anypony else this season, we got to see the compassionate caring side of her in Sleepless in Ponyville and saw her willing to sacrifice her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt to do the right thing.

 

Twilight Sparkle: Twilight has had a pretty good start in the Crystal Empire two parter and though the other episodes didn't focus on her much didn't do too badly in those either. But the season finale brought her so dangerously close to Mary Sue territory that unless the season 4 premier really brings its A game may ruin a great character.

 

Pinkie Pie: She did okay, not the best not the worst I liked Too Many Pinkie Pies because it was entertaining, random and had a good lesson but other than that there wasn't too much that was notable this season in regard to Pinkie Pie.

[Leafeon 2,701]

Pinkie: She became a bit more ditzy this season. I don't think I really like that.

 

Fluttershy: Meh. She didn't really do much, with the exception of reforming Discord, though that will probably never return again, and didn't improve on anything either. She's pretty much the same as she was in season 1.

 

AJ: They wanted to get her some more screen time. Desperately. It kinda backfired, honestly. But I think she was great this season.

 

Rarity: She needs more screen time. Like really. She was ignored almost the whole season, even though I would argue her comedic moments were better then Pinkie's.

 

Rainbow: Exact opposite of Rarity. Too much screen time. She had most of the speaking lines in a few of the episodes not centered on her, two back to back episodes and of course she's now training to be a wonderbolt (kinda). Too much screen time, and she didn't really improve.

 

Twilight: 

 

 

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

1: Dashie=Applejack

2: Twilight Sparkle

3: Fluttershy

4: Pinkie Pie=Rarity

 

Even though this season was apparently about "Twilight's journey" (shudders) I still thought it belonged to Rainbow and Applejack. They were developed in varied and interesting ways, such as familial relationships, backstories and the season generally did a great job showing all of the different sides to their characters.

 

Twilight of course also showed how far she's come as well, and in her multiple spotlight episodes I thought that she did an amazing job.

 

Fluttershy was fantastic in Keep Calm and Flutter On, but her limited screentime out of it keeps her from being any higher.

 

And Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Rarity is down here entirely due to limited screentime. I enjoyed her a lot this season, but unfortunately there wasn't a whole lot for her. Pinkie, if I only counted Too Many Pinkie Pies and Wonderbolt Academy, would be way higher. Unfortunately I thought she could be kind of hit and miss outside those episodes.

[Whofch 128]

If we are going on performances and not how they have improved as a character or whatnot:

 

1) Rarity: She's had very little involvement compared to the others, yet every time she was on screen, she stole the show. I have absolutely no complaints about her.

 

2) AJ: I just really like her character. She's had a heap of screen time this season and there has been nothing about her that has made me unhappy. Some of the episodes she has starred in may not have been the best but non of that was due to her character.

 

3/4) Fluttershy: Bit of an odd 1 here. In The Crystal Empire and Magic duel, I couldn't help but feel that her scenes seemed forced. I was very happy in Keep Calm when they didn't make her spaz out and actually used her kindness to run the episode instead.

 

3/4) RD: Although she started with her recent toolbagness to an extent, she quickly grew on me throughout Sleepless and Wonderbolt episodes with her showing her sweet/loyal sides depending on the ep. She's not my 2nd worst of the mane6 anoymore ^^

 

5/6) Twilight: Apart from the opener and closer of the season, there is nothing that really sticks in my mind with what she's done. She annoyed me a little in the opener with overly caring about her 'test' and the season finale is a risky path. As many have pointed out before, time will tell how that plays out.

 

5/6) Pinkie: For the most part she has just been a forced joke to the point where she is often just annoying. She's had a few quality moments but they have been few and far between. I'd like her to calm down and show a more sensitive side a bit more and stop the overly crazy.

[Stellafera 3,835]

1. Applejack

2. Rainbow Dash

3. Pinkie Pie

4. Fluttershy

5. Twilight Sparkle

6. Rarity

 

Applejack had an amazing season that was everything I ever wanted for her character. She was absolutely charming, funny, and heartwarming all at once, and had by far her best episode ever, Apple Family Reunion, which wins first place for episode I fangirled over the most amount of times when it premiered. They subtly added to her character in every episode (even in Games Ponies Play, she has greater strength than we thought). At the start of the season, I was divided between Applejack and Rarity for best pony. Not anymore.

 

Rainbow Dash also had a brilliant run. I really loved her in The Crystal Empire, where she was a competent but overly aggressive second in command to Twilight Sparkle and tried to be gentle with Fluttershy. In Sleepless In Ponyville, she officially became my second favorite pony. She was oblivious to Scootaloo most of the time, but when she saw how scared Scootaloo was near the end, she immediately stepped up to become her big sister. And then after that, she performed one of the most kind and thoughtful acts of anypony in the show, which was to help the very likely flightless Scoots to "fly" and fulfill her dreams of soaring alongside RD. In Wonderbolt Academy, she proved once and for all that the claims of her not being suited for the element of loyalty were completely FALSE, and had an excellent foil in Lightning Dust to prove it. While I was not too fond of her in Keep Calm And Flutter On and Games Ponies Play, when she was good, she was good. 

 

Pinkie Pie had her best episode (Too Many Pinkie Pies), which showed off that Pinkie is much more than the random, fun comic relief. In one of the very small number of good supporting roles that she has had in the show, she was great in Wonderbolt Academy.  Pinkie Pie is actually almost as much of a worrywart as Twilight is, and especially when it comes to her friends. She was funny (!) and completely in character, which was nice. 

 

Fluttershy was good in Keep Calm And Flutter On, but she was just sort of happily okay this season. I liked her in Spike At Your Service for some reason.

 

Twilight... I liked Magical Mystery Cure, but nothing about Twilight Sparkle stood out in that to me (other than "Is there a book about being an Alicorn?"). I did not very much like Magic Duel, and did anyone else notice that her voice sounded a little off for most of the the season? But she was funny and well characterized in The Crystal Empire, so I will give that to her.

 

Rarity was barely there, and she didn't get to do much other than comic relief when she was. Let's see, her highlight episode this season was... Spike At Your Service. Um, she was pretty good there. Yeah. Also the bits that we saw in Magical Mystery Cure. Those were nice too. 

[Megas 27,064]

Rainbow Dash: Between taking Scoots under her wing, quitting the Wonderbolts(even for a brief period), and taking the full blame for the disastrous Equestian Games inspection, imo, she really shined the most out of the mane 6. But to be fair most of it was arguably damage control after the more or less scathing reception her characteization received during most of season 2

 

Applejack: She was up there with Rainbow Dash as one of the best character growths in season 3, mainly in part that she had some important roles such as in SAYS and Sleepless as well as plenty of screentime that was needed. Plus she got that long awaited song everyone's been wanting.

 

Pinkie Pie: Despite an excellent starting moment with Too Many Pinkie Pies, for most of the season she reverts back to her more season 2 randomness, but unlike season 2, I enjoyed her here more, likely because her randomness involved her friends(unlike most people I found her characterization in Wonderbolt Academy and her worry for Rainbow Dash to be adorable)

 

Fluttershy: Mostly because she finally had an episode that doesn't involve her overcoming her shyness, despite a few questionable moments like in Magic Duel

 

Twilight: I don't think she grew as many other mane 6 characters did, mostly because I don't know if she needed more, I dunno it's hard to describe. Though she did grow in Crystal Empire, but I'm still questioning the change of the season finale until season 4 to make a full judgement.

 

Rarity: Mostly because she didn't really get the spotlight much. She had some good moments like in Sleepless and Games Ponies Play, but in all she really got the shaft this season, which sucks because she's my second favorite character

Edited February 17, 2013 by Megas75

[NavelColt 22,876]

Dash: Both of Dash's episodes this season did wonders for her character development, and I can honestly say the OP's statement that she hasn't changed at all, baffles me. In Sleepless in Ponyville's climax, she demonstrated her soft, caring side, something that has been seen all too minimally throughout the first two seasons. She took on a guardian role for the one child that remains without a big sister to look after them from the CMC, and in that sense, she's matured past the 'rowdy, irresponsible teenager' frame. I hope we get to see her acting sisterly with Scoots in S4, so we can see her own take on being a sister, compared to Applejack and Rarity.

 

Then, in Wonderbolt Academy, Dash shows that the safety of those she loves, and that the morally right thing to do triumph over her desires. In other words, her Element of Loyalty is stronger than her dream to be in the Wonderbolts, and by extension, receive fame as one of the best fliers in the world. She willingly threw her dream away to her idol Spitfire's face, all for the sake of her friends and her moral sense of good.

 

Twilight: She saved an empire with her friends, and learned what it means to self-sacrifice your own future in order to save another by giving Spike the role in toasting Sombra. She turned frogs and birds into oranges, and inflated Pinkies. She outsmarted Trixie (which isn't worth a Nobel Prize to begin with, but still, it was a clever trick her and Zecora came up with~). Lastly, she became a princess. It'd call that a pretty solid performance xD

 

Rarity: Yeah. This was the season where I finally came to the realization that I preferred Rarity over Flutters. She didn't need an episode this season, because almost all the screen time she did get was very nicely done and not wasted. It doesn't need much more explanation.

 

Applejack: She finally learned a lesson or two, and had some good moments with Spike in Spike at Your Service. Not too much change, but definitely worthwhile episodes for what they were trying to accomplish.

 

Pinkie: Again, OP, I think you've had one too many bowls of cocoa puffs; there wasn't anything wrong with Too Many Pinkie Pies. While I agree that her performance in Wonderbolt Academy seemed a bit extreme at times, Too Many Pinkie Pies was built around that sense of having too much randomness and obnoxiousness for anyone to handle, which is why it's a great episode for her. Other than that episode, I think Pinkie is the one who's more or less stayed the same. She's still the same nutball we all know and love from the first seasons, and she maintains her jokes and gags throughout the season.

 

Fluttershy: I'll give her props for Keep Calm and Flutter On, in that she finally had a consistent episode that made sense, and didn't put her as constantly overly shy like past episodes this season did, despite her character development in past seasons that more or less helped her overcome that shyness a bit. Still though, to me she didn't do a whole lot that stands out, certainly not over the others. Just as she's my least favorite pony because the others interest me more, this season, the others' involvement interested me more than hers.

[Pinkazoid 3,493]

Rainbow Dash

 

Fluttershy

 

Twilight

 

Applejack

 

Rarity

 

Pinkie Pie

 

 

 

 

Pinkie Pie became a laughstock

 

That's all she is to Season 3.

[Scootalove 10,684]

1.Rainbow Dash and 2.Applejack: They both really did have good performances in Season 3. They had their own episodes, and really did take advantage of it. 

 

3. Pinkie Pie: She is known for her comedy and she really does put a smile on your face. She is pretty much known for laughter and comedy.

 

4. Twilight Sparkle: The main protagonist, well carried Season 3 but, not as much as Rainbow Dash and Applejack. But she did not disappoint.

 

5. Fluttershy: Known as the shy pony, she well only reformed Discord this season. Did not really do much this season. No offence, Flutters.

 

6. Rarity: She does not get a lot of screen time, she really deserves at least lines to go along with it. But since, a lot of ponies need love. Sometimes we can't supply enough love. Deserves screen time.

Edited February 17, 2013 by ~Chaotic Lightning~

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

1. Applejack. This season really gave AJ some much needed screen time as many other users said. Apple Family Reunion was an outstanding episode for her. It gave her great character development, she finally got her own solo song and it was an awesome one at that, some subtlety regarding her lost parents, and of course, BABY APPLEJACK! Moar applefwitter?

 

Spike At Your Service did her some huge favors as well. She added some awesome action moments to her repertoire as well as some genuinely comedic moments, proving she's not the boring pony she gets labeled as. And even when she played a supporting role, she was great, such as Sleepless in Ponyville, One Bad Apple, Magic Duel, and Wonderbolts Academy.

 

2. Rainbow Dash. I will be the first to admit, Rainbow was my intial favorite when watching the show back in season 1, but by season 2 I started to dislike her jerky side. In season 3 they found a great medium. She was sweet and lovable in Sleepless and in Wonderbolts Academy.  She also had a strong showing in Games Ponies Play. She's still confident and all around awesome, but I was very happy to get more out of her lighter side this season.

 

3. Pinkie Pie. I'm just going to say it. Too Many Pinkie Pies is probably my favorite Pinkie centered episode. I felt that Pinkie started to lose some of her charm in season 2 and was slowly becoming more annyoing than hilarious. But in every scene this season she has brightened things up tenfold. I would have liked more of her random little songs, but honestly she hasn't been doing that a whole lot since season 1. The mustache joke in Spike At Your Service and the mailbox scene in Wonderbolts Academy are some highlights from a comedic standpoint.

 

4. Fluttershy. Keep Calm And Flutter On was her only episode of focus, but she was stellar all throughout. My only gripe is her random outburst in Magic Duel, but other than that she has been the same lovable Fluttershy.

 

5. Twilight Sparkle. She's been pretty good all season, she just hasn't stood out as much as others.

 

6. Rarity. And only because of her lack of screen time. I think she's been hilarious and she definitely could of used one episode to herself. She really shines in a supporting role, but I also don't think she's ever had a bad episode. Even though I'm ranking her last, she's still been great.

Edited February 17, 2013 by Sugar Cube

[Silverstream 51]

1.Flutteryshy:  Given Shy is not a fighter, in the CE  she did do the jousting and took on Discord out of all the ponies.  Not running away from a fight shows she grew a bit.

2.AJ.:  Seeing in some ways of her mistakes and errors and growing on them.

3.Dash:  Being a big sister to Scoot and caring for a younger pony

4.Rare:   Just being a good sister and friend,  i think they should have given her a ep....

5.Twilight:  Growing up and not running away from life or duty.

6.Pinkie:  She was just a weak cannon in this season....