Theory Is it possible that Twilight sparkle and the cast are actually much older?

[Vulcan 3,256]

This is just something I've notice while re-watching some old MLP episodes,

Granny smith has been in Ponyville since it's founding.

Ponyville has thrived for hundreds of years.

 

I already know that Celestia and Luna have lived for thousands of years but do normal ponies live for hundreds?  If Granny smith was a young mare in Ponyville's founding wouldn't that mean that she would currently be hundreds of years old?  If that were true then Ponies might be much older than we thought, perhaps taking a hundred years to mature from a filly to a mare.  twilight sparkle and the gang may be in their 200s for all we know.

 

has this theory been stated and/or debunked in the past? I've tried googling for similar theories but most place their age at around 20s.

[Mez 245]

There's no telling how old they really are, since nobody who wrote it has ever said it.

[Vulcan 3,256]

There's no telling how old they really are, since nobody who wrote it has ever said it.

 Ah , so it's a possibility then. It does still leave room for minor speculation. Afterall this theory sort of hinges on the facts that twilight says ponyville has been there for hundreds of years and granny smith's tale that she was alive in a time when there was no ponyville. 

I don't think twilight would lie about something that would have been general knowledge to ponyville folk. I'm a little skeptical on granny smith's story since she might just be giving an interesting story just to entertain the children.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Vulcan

[Lucky Star 972]

This is just something I've notice while re-watching some old MLP episodes,

Granny smith has been in Ponyville since it's founding.

Ponyville has thrived for hundreds of years.

 

I already know that Celestia and Luna have lived for thousands of years but do normal ponies live for hundreds?  If Granny smith was a young mare in Ponyville's founding wouldn't that mean that she would currently be hundreds of years old?  If that were true then Ponies might be much older than we thought, perhaps taking a hundred years to mature from a filly to a mare.  twilight sparkle and the gang may be in their 200s for all we know.

 

has this theory been stated and/or debunked in the past? I've tried googling for similar theories but most place their age at around 20s.

I've always taken Granny Smith's age to mean just that.

My head canon is they live hundreds of years. Most bronies like to use human age as a reference because it's easier.

But human age hardly applies with granny put into consideration.

[chirox the pony 1,336]

I think it's likely that ponyville was founded within the last century. So no I think Granny Smith is in her 90s or something. 

[Mez 245]

 Ah , so it's a possibility then. It does still leave room for minor speculation. Afterall this theory sort of hinges on the facts that twilight says ponyville has been there for hundreds of years and granny smith's tale that she was alive in a time when there was no ponyville. 

I don't think twilight would lie about something that would have been general knowledge to ponyville folk. I'm a little skeptical on granny smith's story since she might just be giving an interesting story just to entertain the children.

I never said she lied, just when Fluttershy says, "I'm one year older than you..." that didn't say very much. But we know next to nothing about the mane six's age ranges. But if we go by pony's age in reality, then you could.

But to add to that, we know not when they were born, so it's really difficult to nail it down to a certain range. Celestia and Luna are easy targets, cause they have lived for more than 1,000 years. Plus theirs no real life span knowledge at all.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Mezcass

[Silver Stream. 708]

Hopefully the writers will confirm their normal lifespan and ages. It's confusing to me. With granny Smith in the equation, I agree that it's possible they could be 40/100/wtf for all we know. Though I do want a source indicating how old Ponyville is....can't recall hearing how old it was. It could be less than that

 

Also, I know the brony community speculate that the mane six are 20-21 yes old but in the Equestria movies, when Twilight crosses over, she's the age of a senior in high school?

Edited October 16, 2015 by Princess Sunset

[Mez 245]

Hopefully the writers will confirm their normal lifespan and ages. It's confusing to me. With granny Smith in the equation, I agree that it's possible they could be 200-250 for all we know. Though I do want a source indicating how old Ponyville is....can't recall hearing how old it was.

 

Also, I know the brony community speculate that the mane six are 20-21 yes old but in the Equestria movies, when Twilight crosses over, she's the age of a senior in high school?

Yeah, but that was when she was human, not a pony. You can't base that assumption based on a human form, their age goes by what a pony's life span is. So look at it this way, You can tell how old a real life pony is, but in that universe, it's just said as: Foal, Filly/Colt, Young Mare/Stallion, Stallion/Mare. Not sure what you call what Granny smith is.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Mezcass

[Silver Stream. 708]

I'm aware, but don't most suggest they are 21 in human years? The alternate human universe would be dead on to how old the ponies are in human years right? Maybe I'm overthinking it, but we shouldn't count that out..right?

[cider float 2,539]

The writers just don't care. Just see it as just born (Pound Cake), child (CMC), teen (Spike), young adult (Mane Six), older adult (Big Mac), middle age (Harshwhinny), old (Granny Smith), beyond (Celestia)

[Vulcan 3,256]

 

 

I've always taken Granny Smith's age to mean just that. My head canon is they live hundreds of years. Most bronies like to use human age as a reference because it's easier. But human age hardly applies with granny put into consideration.

 The implications if this would actually be true , would be interesting. How important is a year to  creatures that live for centuries. 

[Mez 245]

 The implications if this would actually be true , would be interesting. How important is a year to  creatures that live for centuries. 

I'm guessing not much considering it.

We also have bronies speculating that Alicorns are immortal, live forever. But this just makes no sense at all, considering Celestia almost died once during that past vision Twilight had while using a potion. 

Edited October 16, 2015 by Mezcass

[Stardust* 3,302]

We witnessed the age spell in the episode where Trixie came back. So that could easily explain the princesses existence for over thousands of years. We also know that only highest unicorns can preform that spell. So any high level unicorn could technically live for many more years than the others. 

 

The main six aren't that old, look at Cadence, she is a few years older than Twilight that is why she has a more mature look to her. But she isn't as mature as Luna or Celestia. 

[Vulcan 3,256]

I'm aware, but don't most suggest they are 21 in human years? The alternate human universe would be dead on to how old the ponies are in human years right? Maybe I'm overthinking it, but we shouldn't count that out..right?

I believe that what we perceive to be a "human" world in the EG storyline isn't as human as we think. perhaps their alternate skin colors are more than just an easy way to tell which pony is it's human counterpart but it's also a hint that these "humans" are not all that human. If their lifespans did match their pony counterparts it would explain why the canterlot high students are so depressed about a competition that only happens every four years. perphaps their highchools last for much longer.

We witnessed the age spell in the episode where Trixie came back. So that could easily explain the princesses existence for over thousands of years. We also know that only highest unicorns can preform that spell. So any high level unicorn could technically live for many more years than the others. 

 

The main six aren't that old, look at Cadence, she is a few years older than Twilight that is why she has a more mature look to her. But she isn't as mature as Luna or Celestia. 

 

Cadence may not only be a few years older than twilight, It may be possible for her to be hundreds if not thousands of years older depending on the time in which she became an alicorn.

[-Octavia- 1,176]

I'm guessing not much considering it.

We also have bronies speculating that Alicorns are immortal, live forever. But this just makes no sense at all, considering Celestia almost died once during that past vision Twilight had while using a potion. 

Her near death would not have been from natural causes. Immortal doesn't always mean "immortal" per say, as there are different interpretations of the word.  They could age eternally, but odds are that if you cut off their head, they aren't walking away from that.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Wubtavia

[Sunny Fox 5,961]

Well, in Winter Wrap Up, Twilight claimed this: 

 

Twilight Sparkle: No Spike, Ponyville was started by Earth ponies, so for hundreds of years they've never used magic to clean up winter. It's traditional. [sigh]

 

While this could be read as "Ponyville has existed for hundreds of years" and never used magic to wrap up winter, it could as easily mean a tradition of Earth ponies that existed even before the literal founding of Ponyville, not to use magic in winter wrap up. Either that or Twilight was simply mistaken. I don't think most ponies have lifespans much longer than you would expect. It's not like this show has an unambiguous chronology.

[Mez 245]

Her near death would not have been from natural causes. Immortal doesn't always mean "immortal".  They could age eternally, but odds are that if you cut off their head, they aren't walking away from that.

Touché, you got me there. Considering how many years passed in one season, they all looked the same. The only thing that changed about Twilight after becoming an alicorn was her size, seemed a bit smaller.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Mezcass

[Malinter 3,064]

The royal sisters are what we call "biologically immortal" as in they cannot die of old age but can die if injured severely enough. The sisters powers are also restored each time they raise the sun/moon which is possibly why they have lived so long, even for alicorns, this would also make sense as the writers have said that Cadence and Twilight are not immortal like the sisters even though they are alicorns as well.

 

Granny Smith is about 60-100 years old as she has seen at least 2 generations of her family born within that time. Twilight's comment of Ponyville being centuries old (dispite the first buildings looking western XD) is probably the writers trying to give the winter wrap-up festival more gravitas, the tradition itself however might well indeed be centuries old.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Malinter

[Vulcan 3,256]

I never said she lied, just when Fluttershy says, "I'm one year older than you..." that didn't say very much. But we know next to nothing about the mane six's age ranges. But if we go by pony's age in reality, then you could.

But to add to that, we know not when they were born, so it's really difficult to nail it down to a certain range. Celestia and Luna are easy targets, cause they have lived for more than 1,000 years. Plus theirs no real life span knowledge at all.

I never said you said she lied...Wow, try saying that 3 times fast.

I was talking about probable weak points that the theory may have such as granny smith lying to entertain the children or twilight making a mistake(which I don't really think twilight would be the kinda pony to do that).

[Castle Bleck 19,448]

I'm guessing not much considering it.

We also have bronies speculating that Alicorns are immortal, live forever. But this just makes no sense at all, considering Celestia almost died once during that past vision Twilight had while using a potion. 

 

Her near death would not have been from natural causes. Immortal doesn't always mean "immortal" per say, as there are different interpretations of the word.  They could age eternally, but odds are that if you cut off their head, they aren't walking away from that.

 

Nightmare Moon: "THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!!"

[-Octavia- 1,176]

Touché, you got me there. Considering how many years passed in one season, they all looked the same. The only thing that changed about Twilight after becoming an alicorn was her size, seemed a bit smaller.

Which season? The Summer Sun celebration that kicks off S4 suggests S1-3 all occurred within a year. I also believe that Scare Master (airing soon) is the first Nightmare Night since Luna Eclipsed S2E4, and Tanks For The Memories S5E5 is the first winter Rainbow spends (or doesn't spend) with Tank, whom she got in May the Best Pet Win S2E7. 

 

I'd say by the end of S5, judging by future synopses, roughly 1.5-2 years will have elapsed since S1E1. Of course, them writing in Hearth's Warming Eve before Nightmare Night in S5 kind of screws with the timeline, given that it occurs after Nightmare Night in S2...so it's all loose speculation, I suppose.

[Mez 245]

Which season? The Summer Sun celebration that kicks off S4 suggests S1-3 all occurred within a year. I also believe that Scare Master (airing soon) is the first Nightmare Night since Luna Eclipsed S2E4, and Tanks For The Memories S5E5 is the first winter Rainbow spends (or doesn't spend) with Tank, whom she got in May the Best Pet Win S2E7. 

 

I'd say by the end of S5, judging by future synopses, roughly 1.5-2 years will have elapsed since S1E1. Of course, them writing in Hearth's Warming Eve before Nightmare Night in S5 kind of screws with the timeline, given that it occurs after Nightmare Night in S2...so it's all loose speculation, I suppose.

Any of the seasons, their appearance doesn't seem to change.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Mezcass

[-Octavia- 1,176]

Any of the seasons, their appearance doesn't seem to change.

Right, because roughly only one year has passed between the first season and now. Which means each season took place only in a handful of months. Them not changing in appearance makes sense (aside from Alicorn Twilight).

[Vulcan 3,256]

Well, in Winter Wrap Up, Twilight claimed this: 

 

Twilight Sparkle: No Spike, Ponyville was started by Earth ponies, so for hundreds of years they've never used magic to clean up winter. It's traditional. [sigh]

 

While this could be read as "Ponyville has existed for hundreds of years" and never used magic to wrap up winter, it could as easily mean a tradition of Earth ponies that existed even before the literal founding of Ponyville, not to use magic in winter wrap up. Either that or Twilight was simply mistaken. I don't think most ponies have lifespans much longer than you would expect. It's not like this show has an unambiguous chronology.

You have a good point, It could still go either way but i'm glad to hear there a still a lot of kinks to work out.

I'm trying to see how many references of time there are in the show to solve our little predicament.

I've stumbled upon a rather interesting little fact

the apple family meets every 130 moons

One thing that still perplexes me is what exactly a "Year" is to a pony,

in our World a year is  when the earth makes one revolution around the sun which would take 365 days 

but in the pony world , the sun and moon are magically revolved around the earth. 

since 130 moons would be equivalent to 8.3 years and

the 2 known instances of the reunion occurred during season 1 and 3

it could be that a year in equestria  has a lot fewer days than our calendar, and both our beliefs would be technicaly correct.

[Buck Testa 5,505]

Lets not forget the Doctor mentioned in the Slice of life episode that he was also hundreds of years old. Yes I'm aware he is a reference to doctor who, but in terms of the show and how casually he mentioned it you can surmise that ponies can live for a several hundred years before they even start looking like Granny Smith. You could also hazard the logical leap that only Alicorns and Earth ponies live that long considering the only extremely old ponies we've seen that have stated they were hundreds of years old were Earth ponies. If you have an example to the contrary I'd love to see it.

 

Then there is the simple fact that we don't know how their years progress, and why they choose to use the moon as a measurement of time over the sun more often than not. Since the Sun rotates around the planet in the Ponyverse, You can't necessarily assume that their year is the same as ours, i.e it may not be 365 days like ours.