Unicorns Can Fly(?)

[digitea 28]

Not sure if anyone has already brought this up, but I think unicorns could fly if they wanted to...? We've seen it multiple times in the show, after all.

 

But it's kind of weird that unicorns are able to do this, since pegasi are known for being the "flying ponies." Are they trying to make unicorns op?

Also, why don't unicorns fly more often? Do they just choose to walk around as a show of good faith to the pegasi?

 

Edited August 21, 2019 by digitea

[CypherHoof 26,479]

I think it's a division of labour sorta thing. The unicorns do magic, because only they can; the pegasi use wingpower to fly, manage the weather and so forth, while the earth ponies do the ground based tasks like farming and baking. It's obviously not a rigid caste system (as Fluttershy is doing a task you would think an Earth pony would be assigned) but presumably it is frowned upon - look at Mrs Cake's reaction to Starlight whipping up a cake, for example.

At the end of the day, everypony has a role that they can do comfortably, feel valued for their service, and make a few bits in the process. That seems a worthy goal for Pony society as a whole.

Also worth thinking that, as Twi says, very very few unicorns can actually do more than a few spells aligned with their cutie mark; maybe there just aren't that many unicorns that CAN fly with magic, that they would displace pegasus ponies from that role.

[Cwanky 17,445]

I'd say this is more levitation than true flying and given how much magic it would take to sustain that, it's hardly more efficient than the pegasi method of flying.

I mean technically, unicorns COULD in theory manipulate weather AND grow crops too, but it'd be far less efficient than having earth ponies and pegasi with the adapted skills do it.

[Lucky Bolt 34,914]

57 minutes ago, Cwanky said:

I'd say this is more levitation than true flying and given how much magic it would take to sustain that, it's hardly more efficient than the pegasi method of flying.

I mean technically, unicorns COULD in theory manipulate weather AND grow crops too, but it'd be far less efficient than having earth ponies and pegasi with the adapted skills do it.

^

Couldn’t have explained it better myself. 

[Landi 597]

To be completely honest I'm not a big fan of Unicorns being able to fly being widespread. I always thought that only very few Unicorns could do this, but lately the show has stopped caring about the rule. Despite what has been shown, I try to just think of it as only some, very talented unicorns can levitate themselves. I mean, it would take tons of energy and concentration to be able to self levitate.

Now if Self levitation is a skill that many Unicorns have then I still don't think they have Pegasus rendered out. Unicorns would never be able to fly near as fast as your average Pegasus because levitation flight is much slower and harder than wing flight. Plus, Pegasi are still the ones who can control the weather. And yes, a Unicorn could use a spell to sort of control it, but like I said: It would be way less efficient then Pegasi doing it.

That's just what I think.

[Lulaypp 2,554]

I think it is kind of it is something Unicorns are not meant for/suppose to do depite their abilities. Like many mentioned above, Unicorns technically can do everything (for example how in Canterlot, the winter is magically 'wrapped up') they just don't do it either because it is less efficent, something that isn't in the 'norm', so to speak, or it is through some form of agreement between the races that they don't do so as to not offend or downgrade another race.

On 8/22/2019 at 2:21 AM, digitea said:

Are they trying to make unicorns op?

I honestly have always thought that Unicorns in FiM can be OP. Especially as the series goes on. Starlight for instance seems to be able to go toe to toe against Twilight who is an Alicorn. Of course this may just be that the Unicorns we see happen to be magically powerful.

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

It’s like how Pegasi have wing hands now, it’s just a weird quirk. 

[Acons 43]

In the second picture, Trixie's not flying, she's just reducing the effect of the gravity by using self-levitation (and I think she does that because Starlight taught her). Twilight Velvet also uses self-levitation in "Once Upon a Zeppelin". 

I don't think every unicorn is able to self-levitate (I'd say most of them are limited to telekinesis, light emission and a couple more of spells, mostly related to their special talents), but it would be interesting to explore how unicorn magic works, how this vary and what's the potential in each individual, like what kind of spells can each unicorn perform or something. Does somepony here have any ideas about this?

Edited September 20, 2019 by Acons

[Splashee 28,537]

On 9/19/2019 at 3:55 AM, ExplosionMare said:

It’s like how Pegasi have wing hands now, it’s just a weird quirk. 

Yes. But also a quick way to fix a story plot.

I think, Unicorns can always fly, but not in any particular direction. They can stay afloat until they get exhausted. If they can fly perfectly, then why did Twilight Sparkle need flying lessons after she got wings?

[EpicEnergy 22,066]

Yep, it's something cool about unicorns how they are able to cast a spell that makes them fly!