What REALLY happened with Applejacks parents?

[JamesBobbyDReed 104]

I know this has been posted several times before.

 

But who confirmed it, what confirmed it? Im lost.

 

 

 

First I heard that Lauren Faust said that her parents are dead.

Then im told that the episode "Apple family reunion" IMPLIED it.

Then im told that applejacks parents died due to timberwolves.

Now im told that theyre note dead and thats what thye want me to think.

 

 

 

What I want to know is, who said it first?

[chirox the pony 1,336]

I think it was one of the story board artists who said that the stars at the end of apple family reunion were supposed to represent Applejack's parents. And Lauren Faust just said that she didn't really think about Applejack's parents. 

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

I'm pretty sure they are dead.

[Soundwave 28,558]

They're dead, it's been re-iterated by Faust herself several times that they're dead and the writers are evidently going along with it. Plus the two shooting stars in AFR was confirmed by the storyboard artists themselves(including Sisby) to be her parents

[----------------------- 171]

They're dead. Not only did Lauren Faust say it, but in one of the episodes, the two shooting stars in the sky implied that they represented AJ's parents. They just haven't addressed it in the show because it could be too sensitive kids to handle.

[Daring_Do 553]

Just so we're not going off of hearsay here, I went and got the actual Faust quotes, courtesy of the MLP Wikia's citation links.

 

"Q:  Where are Applejack's parents?

To put it bluntly, we just never figured it out.  I just liked the feeling of them living with their Granny, but keeping the family dynamic tight and small.  To be honest, I would like to simply say that they passed away somehow, but it's just it would have likely been deemed too sad for a kids' show and I don't think it would have ever been approved.  There was brief discussion of them being traveling salesponies or explorers, but since we never needed the information in an episode, nothing was ever made official.  So it will have to remain a mystery until someone decides to define it."

 

"Q: Ok, I have a question for Faust on behalf of /mlp/

Did you ever made any sketch or character concept of A.J, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's parents, or they were just meant to stay offscreen?
We often ponder what could have been in contrast of what actually happened.

A: I did want AJ's parents to have passed away, but I never defined it (when I was running it) because I didn't think they would allow it. I was holding out to see if those restrictions would change. I had hoped to make RD's mom G1 Firefly. I never did sketch any of the parents, and only had vague ideas of who they were or what they did. For details like that I would usually wait until a story warranted a definition, then define it according to the needs of the story. Rarity's parents, for example, where never planned until we needed then for the episode. Neither were Pinkie Pie's"

 

 

And here's the Sibsy quote, for good measure:

 

 

1. Master Clockwork ‏@MasterClockwork  22 Dec 2012

   @TheRealSibsy Someone said that you said the shooting stars in Apple Family Reunion are a tip of the hat to AJ's parents. Is this true?

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Sabrina Alberghetti‏@TheRealSibsy

@MasterClockwork eeeeyuup. #subtle

[Lunar Echo 10,335]

I didn't even know her parents were dead :/

[Daring_Do 553]

I didn't even know her parents were dead :/

Depends; Check out the Faust quotes I just quoted (the first one especially).

[MLPFanatic34 3,241]

I believe it was stated that her parents are deceased, in fact this episode shows Applejack staring at two shooting stars in the night sky, which I believe are a representation of her parents.

 

Edited September 8, 2015 by MLPFanatic34

[PacificGreen 1,165]

Technically the Sibsy quote only says that the stars represent her parents, but not that they're dead, if we're going by Exact Words.

 

However, it seems very strongly implied (plus Faust herself said that they were deceased, according to Daring_Do's post, they just didn't put that in the show directly) so I just go along with that they are in fact dead.

[Sidral Mundet 1,667]

They're actually secret agents under deep cover in order to keep Equestria safe from threats and are on a long term undercover operation at the moment. 

[Wind Chaser 4,769]

The show staff heavily implies AJ's parents are dead, although it's never been explicitly stated in canon. They constantly state the fact that they are not allowed to address death in the show due to the guidelines imposed on them by Hasbro. "Tanks for the Memories" displays all the stages of grief, but there it is apparent that the writers have the capacity to write about loss but are not explicitly allowed to take it on.

 

Right now, I believe that it will never be directly addressed in the show for those reasons, but it is the writers' will that Applejack's parents be assumed dead, so we'll just have to accept it that way. Still doesn't excuse their repeated dodging of Scootaloo's family situation, though.

[Streiben Bones 228]

Applejacks parents were in the space, and then they died in the Applehorse Reunion. That caused the shooting stars.

 

They got shooten down by aliens.

 

So: Aliens confirmed.

Appleded parents confirmed.

Ponies in space confirmed.

I talk way to much garbage confirmed.

[PacificGreen 1,165]

They constantly state the fact that they are not allowed to address death in the show due to the guidelines imposed on them by Hasbro. "Tanks for the Memories" displays all the stages of grief, but there it is apparent that the writers have the capacity to write about loss but are not explicitly allowed to take it on.

 

Right now, I believe that it will never be directly addressed in the show for those reasons, but it is the writers' will that Applejack's parents be assumed dead, so we'll just have to accept it that way. 

 

Right, I feel like outright stating that AJ's parents are dead would be too dramatic a mood change for the show. They seem to be writing episodes where this will never have to be addressed, so they can sort of say to themselves "OK, guys, remember, AJ's parents are dead" without actually making it canon.

Edited September 8, 2015 by PGNatsu

[Quinch 1,184]

I thought we all knew where Applejack's parents are...

 

 

 

[Jangocoolguy 433]

Let's just go ahead and say they're dead until we're officially told otherwise.

 

It's largely believed they're dead, but with the way Hasbro keeps messing with ponies' family trees one can never really tell (Right, Maude?)

 

 

Me, I think they drowned in a vat of applesauce, and Pa Apple's last words were "Tell our kids...we died...HEROICAALLLYYYYYY!!"

 

[Daring_Do 553]

I thought we all knew where Applejack's parents are...

 

 

 

This is amazing. Did you make this? If not, where did you get it?

[Quinch 1,184]

Oh, heck no, I can't even art this much. I got it from Ponychan, I think, way, way back.

[Daring_Do 553]

Oh, heck no, I can't even art this much. I got it from Ponychan, I think, way, way back.

Well, thanks for sharing - I loved it.

[Not_active 732]

They're dead, right? I think even a writer confirmed this.

 

Sad I know

Edited September 8, 2015 by Ferg

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

In case anyone STILL needs convincing that Applejack's parents are confirmed deceased, have this summary from the just recent LA Con from word of god herself, Lauren Faust:

 

"Who has a more tragic backstory: Applejack or Scootaloo?"

Applejack's parents were always supposed to be deceased. Lauren skirted around the conveyance of it with the Apple Family, which she said was merely a family with a grandmother, older brother, older sister, and younger filly sister. She wanted their relationship to be close, and it showed within their characterization.

 

Source

 

While no one else on the show has come out and explicitly stated that AJ's parents kicked the bucket, storyboard artist Sisby alluded to it on Twitter when she was asked specifically about whether or not the shooting stars in Apple Family Reunion were meant to represent the apple parents. I think that's all the info we need on the subject. We see just how protective Applejack is of her remaining family members and how motherly she is to Apple Bloom. I think that behavior alone speaks for itself.

[[NULL] 907]

It was another dark, cloudy night in Manehattan. The Apple family was walking home after another showing of "The Mark of Zero" again. It was Applejack's favourite play at the time. Her parents grown to stop questioning why she kept seeing it over and over agian. She was still a child after all.

As usual, their walk home would be met with Applejack's imitation of the play's hero, to her parents' endearment. On that particular night however, it started to rain.

 

"This way!" Her father called out. "We can cut through here!"

As they ran through the alley trying to keep themselves dry, a dark figure sprung in front of them, blocking their path.

"Hold it there!" The figure shouted, followed by the clicking of a six-shooter. (Shut up.)

"Oh god!" Applejack's mother cried out in horror.

"Please! Don't shoot!" Her father said, attempting to reason with the mugger. "I'll give you whatever you want."

However, the futility of his words were realized too late. After the sound of a loud gunshot, Applejack's father collapsed on the concrete.

"Daddy!"

Applejack's mother frantically ran towards her husband. "Cainito! Oh god, oh god. Cainito!"

"Be quiet lady! Just shut up and give me the pearls!"

"Stay away from me!" She said, desperately shielding her husband. "Run Applejack!" Before she could run however, another gunshot was heard, followed by Applejack's mother falling onto her husband's body. 

"Mommy!"

The mugger then took off. All Applejack could do was stand there, overwhelmed by the loss of her parents before her.

 

Applejack and her siblings were placed under the care of their Granny Smith, and lived at her farm for the rest of their days.

 

 

But hey, it's just a theory.

Edited September 10, 2015 by SpaceOnion

[cuteycindyhoney 13,345]

It was another dark, cloudy night in Manehattan. The Apple family was walking home after another showing of "The Mark of Zero" again. It was Applejack's favourite play at the time. Her parents grown to stop questioning why she kept seeing it over and over agian. She was still a child after all.

As usual, their walk home would be met with Applejack's imitation of the play's hero, to her parents' endearment. On that particular night however, it started to rain.

 

"This way!" Her father called out. "We can cut through here!"

As they ran through the alley trying to keep themselves dry, a dark figure sprung in front of them, blocking their path.

"Hold it there!" The figure shouted, followed by the clicking of a six-shooter. (Shut up.)

"Oh god!" Applejack's mother cried out in horror.

"Please! Don't shoot!" Her father said, attempting to reason with the mugger. "I'll give you whatever you want."

However, the futility of his words were realized too late. After the sound of a loud gunshot, Applejack's father collapsed on the concrete.

"Daddy!"

Applejack's mother frantically ran towards her husband. "Cainito! Oh god, oh god. Cainito!"

"Be quiet lady! Just shut up and give me the pearls!"

"Stay away from me!" She said, desperately shielding her husband. "Run Applejack!" Before she could run however, another gunshot was heard, followed by Applejack's mother falling onto her husband's body. 

"Mommy!"

The mugger then took off. All Applejack could do was stand there, overwhelmed by the loss of her parents before her.

 

Applejack and her siblings were placed under the care of their Granny Smith, and lived at her farm for the rest of their days.

 

 

But hey, it's just a theory.

Shouldn't this have made Applejack become "The Bat Pony"?

 

Personally, I think that Ma and Pa Apple committed such a treasonous act, that Celestia avoided the moon entirely. She placed them in an elliptical solar orbit that sees them Intersect Equestria's every one hundred moons. That's why the Apple Family has their reunion every hundred moons. Sooner or later Ma and Pa will make planetfall, and the party will get rockin'! 

[MLPFanatic34 3,241]

I wonder what happened to Scootaloo's family?

[ChB 18,574]

I know that Lauren Faust confirmed that they're dead, but how does two shooting stars representing them prove that? Has this symbolism been used in other media?