What gen has the best pony designs?

[ChubbyBunny 22]

General quality of the show aside, what generation do you think has the best looking ponies? I'm partial to gen 3 and other past gens, which is why I still put hearts on my ocs hooves. 

[chaosprincess 1,067]

Generation 1 started all the poses that we all know today each one was different and they also had foreign counterparts the designs were unique to each pony none were the same sure they may have shared the same poses, but each figure you could easily tell who it was and scream its name out and they had different styles babies, sister ponies, sparkle bodies etc.

 

Generation 2 I love how they look like Arabian horses which is my favorite breed of horse they were bigger in Europe then in the US, but I liked the designs don't care much for the magic motion ones though.

 

Generation 3 I really like they have a beautiful design to each one and of course a different pose.

 

Generation 4 is a complete bore to me they all have the same pose maybe one has a lifted foot and that's like it and some of them look really similar now I am not bashing generation 4 I watch it myself, but I don't care much for the figures, but I do like the water cuties their an interesting design usually ponies grow mold if wet, but these ones have water inside their body so interesting design to me.

Edited February 25, 2017 by chaosprincess

[Fhaolan 4,483]

Honestly, I would have to say Gen 2. Out of all the generations of MLP that one looked the most like actual ponies. They didn't quite hit the mark of course, as they were still somewhat marshmallow-y, but it's the closest the various incarnations have ever been. It's a pity they never did a cartoon series or the like for it, as I would have been very curious to see how that particular art-style would translate to animation. It might not have, of course.

 

What's interesting to me is that there wasn't really any evolution of style from generation to generation. Each one seemed to be a complete rework from the base concept (Bonnie's original 'My Pretty Pony' doll) rather than the new building off of the previous as Hasbro normally does with it's franchise properties.

[Babyyoshi309 1,829]

Umm... I do not understand how you could say anything but Gen 4. All the other generations' ponies are just nightmare fuel. 

[NotoriousSMALL 1,984]

FiM. I wouldn't be here if I didn't feel like FiM had the best because I did NOT like the old designs. Now they're just eh. Except for gen 1, I think gen 1 designs still suck.

[ManaMinori 4,145]

Honestly, I would have to say Gen 2. Out of all the generations of MLP that one looked the most like actual ponies. They didn't quite hit the mark of course, as they were still somewhat marshmallow-y, but it's the closest the various incarnations have ever been. It's a pity they never did a cartoon series or the like for it, as I would have been very curious to see how that particular art-style would translate to animation. It might not have, of course.

 

What's interesting to me is that there wasn't really any evolution of style from generation to generation. Each one seemed to be a complete rework from the base concept (Bonnie's original 'My Pretty Pony' doll) rather than the new building off of the previous as Hasbro normally does with it's franchise properties.

I've always been sore about Friendship Gardens never getting enough steam to have its own tv show. Those ponies looked pretty cute, and even to this day, I still want Hasbro to throw a bone to the "lost" generation of g2, and do s short or something in an Anniversary reel for the MLP franchise. 

[Castle Bleck 19,307]

G4.

The others are various flavors of Uncanny Valley.

Edited January 25, 2019 by A.V.

[Zachary 5,521]

Generation 4 has the Best Pony Designs ever!

 

The Other Generations Pony Designs were either meh or boring (even though I didn't watch Gen 1, 2, 3 or 3.5).

[Rhapsody 112]

I'm not sure. Although I love G3 to pieces, G4's designs are undeniably adorable and fun. Hmm... I may have to sleep on it.

[Leave a Whisper 703]

The original. Cute, classic, varied in color, species, gender, quality and durability. Absolutely gorgeous.

[Silver_Bolt42 33]

I would have to pick Gen 4 just because it's the most unique. I feel like the designs in previous Gens were pretty generic, and they all looked the same besides color difference.

Edited February 26, 2017 by Silver_Bolt42

[Applejacket 185]

The first one. 20% cooler than the rest

[Moony the Cat 3,702]

I like the Generation 2 Design the most. ( from the pc game Friendship Gardens)

 

Followed by Generation 1.5 ( My Little Pony Tales ).

 

If you are talking about the actual Pony Toys, i would also say generation 2.

[Merion 783]

G2 all the way! I love both the toys and the various illustrations that came with the toys. I mean, look up some G2 packaging art - these ponies are absolutely adorable! <3 It's a shame G2 never got a TV show...

[ManaMinori 4,145]

Umm... I do not understand how you could say anything but Gen 4. All the other generations' ponies are just nightmare fuel. 

g2 designs are adorable. They look the most like ponies, and their eyes aren't as wide. 

G3 also had cute designs. Very round. Round is cute. 

[Babyyoshi309 1,829]

g2 designs are adorable. They look the most like ponies, and their eyes aren't as wide. 

G3 also had cute designs. Very round. Round is cute. 

 

G2 were okay, at least they were not nightmare fuel.

 

G3 IS DEFINITELY NIGHTMARE FUEL!!!!!! It was the worst of all of them!!! 

[ManaMinori 4,145]

G2 were okay, at least they were not nightmare fuel.

 

G3 IS DEFINITELY NIGHTMARE FUEL!!!!!! It was the worst of all of them!!! 

are you trying to tell me this (which is g3)

and this )(which is still g3)

is as bad as this- 

(the horrors of Newborn Cooties, g 3.5B)

 

if anything, it's the latter that is nightmare fuel. 

[Babyyoshi309 1,829]

are you trying to tell me this (which is g3)

and this )(which is still g3)

is as bad as this- 

(the horrors of Newborn Cooties, g 3.5B)

 

if anything, it's the latter that is nightmare fuel. 

 

G 3.5 is still G3. And yes, the second picture is not that bad. The first one is pretty bad though.

 

And I am not going to acknowledge G 3.5's existence from now on.

[TwilightPomegranate 324]

It's a tie between G3 and G4. I'm leaning over to G3 for reasons.

[ChocolateCrane 156]

Gen 3 has the worst designs despite that generation being my second favorite after Gen 4. Gen 2 has some pretty bad designs as well. I would have to go with Gen 1 & 4 for first place

[Buttonmash1973 1,026]

I also think it's a shame G2 did not get a show.

[Prospekt 11,017]

Gen 1 is the best of the pre-G4 designs. G2 is fine I guess, not quite so visually appealing though. G3 is about the same, while G3.5 is awful. G4 is by far my favorite.

[Duskey 19]

G4 is my favorite, but then theres G3 (no not 3.5 I watched those and I just cant even..) G3 looks like a nice design to me, ive played part of the gameboy version of the lost rainbow and the characters actually look pretty good in that, plus the movies too.

[simba86 1,541]

G1 and my little pony tales I like a lot, g4 is the most expressive though

[Tiny Hoofs 200]

I really liked G1. I specifically like how realistically proportioned the ponies are in comparison to the latter generations. But I really like what G4 accomplishes in flash so I'd say they're both on par. G3.5 is the weakest in regards to character designs. It's just so creepy how oversized their heads are; it's like straight out of the uncanny valley.

 

On 27/02/2017 at 9:11 PM, Nightmare Muffin said:

(the horrors of Newborn Cooties, g 3.5B)

 

if anything, it's the latter that is nightmare fuel. 

Oh gosh, horse legs don't bend like that. They're not plantigrade like people. Seeing horses crawl around like that just looks so unnatural to me.

At least FiM tries to get them to look like and move like actual horses for the most part.