Background Ponies with massive fanbases how does it happen?

[poniesforfun 716]

Even though I would avoid talking about them at all I just have to know. Those ponies that only come out for 10 seconds and have one dialogue or none at all. Why do people like them so much? Is it their selection of colors? Because that's the majority of what they are shown. There might be a few accessories like a musical instrument or a pair of sunglasses but there are also ones that have nothing at all.

 

It baffles me how these ponies have drawn so many fans to obsess over.

Edited March 21, 2013 by poniesforfun

[Limey 524]

I don't know either.

I'm guessing its because they look good or 'cool', also these characters usually get expanded on by the fan base itself, which leads to people liking its 'fan' personality e.g. Lyra obsessing over hands.

[Retro*Derpy 3,185]

Well it could be for the color scheme, but most people like background ponies for what the fanbase makes out of them, hint Derpy. Never once in the show did it show her delivering mail, but she still comes around as being the "Mail-Mare". People also like to make up lives of these background ponies and end up getting attached to them.

 

"How does it happen?" Well from what I seen people make fanfics of the background ponies and usually the best one gets tossed around the fanbase and people can get attached that way. Than suddenly you have art-work showing up, more fanfics about the pony, etc.

Edited March 21, 2013 by Retro✮Derpy

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

I don't really know. I know that I do like the background ponies and I do enjoy the fan interpretations of a lot of them.

 

I do hope that the show never tries to expand on any of the background characters though and that they simply stay enjoyable, fun background ponies. I can't imagine what would happen if it turns out that Lyra wasn't obsessed with hands or that Vinyl and Octavia are actually mortal enemies.

[Dark Qiviut 22,423]

1. There's a mystery behind them. One of the biggest strengths of background ponies is how you can really consider what their personalities, strengths, and flaws are by their looks, color patterns, background behavior, and cutie marks. When there isn't anything surrounding these characters, you tend to look at these characters and come up with some theories.

   a. Lyra lackadaisically sitting on the park bench beside Bon Bon, and the theory that she may have some passion for anthropology.

    

   b. Vinyl Scratch for electronic music (something we see a lot in this era compared to the acoustics in the past).

    

   c. Octavia's concentration on her classical music maybe translating into a reserved, passionate Earth pony with high expectations.

    

   d. Colgate's doctor's/dentist's costume translating to her being a dentist and researching cavities.

    

   e. Dinky (a filly filler) being Derpy's daughter (surrogate or birth), as they each share almost identical color schemes.

    

   f. Doctor Whooves focusing on time and time-traveling, with a British accent similar to The Doctor to boot.

2. Color schemes and character design also matter. Some of the best and most interestingly designed characters are background ponies. Vinyl's design, for one, is extremely expressive with her spiky hair, big grin, big glasses, and analogous scheme in her mane. Lyra's design is one of the most unique with the minty green in her hair, mane, and tail. And Doctor Whooves with a Mohawk similar to the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant).
3. How the fandom has expanded their fanon and made them funny, sad, et cetera convincingly. Many of the fanon we have now happened back when the brony fandom was much more miniscule. As a result, the fanon was able to stick around there and eventually expand. Newcomers notice, review them, and buy into these theories. That's why they sustain.
4. Each design reflects a personality, some more expressive than others. Lyra is very well-liked partially for this.
5. For some background ponies, the characters have enough personality in them to relate to the fandom. Derpy's the most obvious example here.
6. For Derpy in particular, she's the bronies' character. Back when the fandom was small, the bronies caught the animation error and developed crazy theories about why she has wall-eyes. Her popularity spread so quickly that she became the unofficial mascot of the fandom. Faust caught wind of it and inserted Derpy in the cartoon in time. Her klutziness, aloofness, persistence to perform at her best despite her poor depth perception, and fitting in with the rest of the cast made her extremely relatable as a character and resulted in her growth in popularity. (And her love for muffins is official, as based by her first-party, exclusively sold box at Comic Con in San Diego.) The fandom built the character from the ground up, and got her into the cartoon. She's the fandom's pride and joy and the key to connect the bronies with the creative staff.

Edited March 21, 2013 by Dark Qiviut

[Wubsie 1,123]

It's because we as the fandom has given "just a background pony" a really nice, unique, and likable personality that would fit with the show.

These ponies are actually just "clean slates" that we can use our creativity on to turn them into little inside fandom jokes or something else.

I'm guessing that people really like these ponies because we made them (well, not their design, but personality), and gave them names.

[Pinkazoid 3,493]

Well it could be for the color scheme, but most people like background ponies for what the fanbase makes out of them, hint Derpy. Never once in the show did it show her delivering mail, but she still comes around as being the "Mail-Mare". People also like to make up lives of these background ponies and end up getting attached to them.

 

"How does it happen?" Well from what I seen people make fanfics of the background ponies and usually the best one gets tossed around the fanbase and people can get attached that way. Than suddenly you have art-work showing up, more fanfics about the pony, etc.

 

 

Well there's Feeling Pinkie Keen, she's in a delivery service thing xD

 

It's just because something gets their attention. DJ PON3 is kinda obvious, and quite popular, Derpy, the animation error, is the only reason she's that popular,  Bon Bon and Lyra are popular because they're seen through out the whole series together.

[silvadel 1,393]

There can also be a major work of fanfiction that catapults a character into the limelight.  I mean take background pony.  That one changed a lot of people's views about Lyra.

[Nature's Spell 526]

The whole "blank slate" or just having enough character to work from is a major reason. I also think it comes from the unconscious desire to out think the writers, or even show them up a bit. Fan art exists partly from the tension between the creators and the fans. The writers won't give us what we want so we'll do it for them or in spite of them. Nothing wrong with that and it adds depth to the show, but you need to be careful that your ideas, your vision, does not affect your enjoyment of the show. My few cents. :-)

[Loona 287]

It's fun to create the lives of ponies that seem to be doing something out of the ordinary, for example the way Lyra sat in that one episode, and how she and Bon Bon are always together. Bon Bon's voice also changes a lot.

Derpy should be obvious.

Octavio, honestly, I'm not sure. I think it's her colour scheme. She's pretty.

DJ-P0N3, well, she's a DJ, 'nuff said.

Berry Punch tends to sometimes have a drunken look on her face when drinking something.

Minuette/Colgate has the colour scheme of toothpaste 

Snowflake... Well, you know...

[Sir.Flutter Hooves 2,953]

I believe that we as a fanbase have to make up the names for the ponies that don't have ones.

 

It's fun to create ones, because we already know the mane 6, the princess, and the secondary character, so why not the ones in the background?

 

 

With out us there would be no Derpy, Doctor Who, Octavia, Bon Bon, Lyra, Carrot Top, Berry Punch! Why I believe they have such a massive fan base around them is because we made them what they are today! And we are proud of that!

 

/)

[Silverstream 51]

Background ponies let the fans make

them their own in a lot of ways  from fanfic

to fan art and pmv's and such.   Also their is

a lot of freedom in the world of FIM  with such

a open history and such can also

get a way for bronies to make up their

own ocs and work them into the show some

how.   My fav background ponies is Luna and Scoot

with the eps on them and also the intervention those

two had in a ep.  Or Derpy and Dr Hooves

but i could never a  fanfic on them....(failed and tired)  but

i like to see what other fans do and enjoy what  i see.

 

Could also be that the Mane six also have so many

fans and such that we look for those cannons who are

more like us in some ways and can relate to them,

[Scootalove 10,689]

I guess it happens because like main character ponies, background ponies have a good design and speaking roles in a way. They get a lot of popularity because, of their personalities and each individual trait of each background pony.

 

I guess, they get a massive fanbase because of their individual appearances in each episode.