Does Zecora Have a Cutie Mark?

[OptimisticNeighsayer 478]

The wiki says it's NOT a cutie mark

 

What wiki are we talking about?  The MLP wiki says it is.

 

I've actually thought it was neither a cutie mark nor a tattoo and that it was just part of Zecora's stripe pattern, in such a way that it "identifies" the zebra but doesn't come about like ponies do, in other words, they are born with it much the same as we are born with a fingerprint.  (IRL zebra's stripes themselves act as a fingerprint.)

 

But not knowing enough about Zebra culture to draw any conclusions one way or another, I really don't know.

Edited June 26, 2014 by OptimisticNeighsayer

[Frosty Nerd 833]

Cutie marks are exclusive to ponies. Other equines don't have them. The marking on Zecora's flank could be a tatoo that is part of a coming-of-age ritual. I could be a mark that all Zebras are born with, which would fit with real world logic because Zebras IRL have stripe patterns that are as unique as fingerprints.

[Malinter 3,064]

I believe it is sort of a cutie mark, but i think that rather than being unique to them as with ponies that they are copies of those who came before them such as her parents or perhaps her teacher 

[Soaring Symphony 372]

On 5/28/2014 at 4:11 PM, Admiral Regulus said:

I've researched this before, so I can shed a bit of light on this subject.

 

Yes, Zecora has a cutie mark. It's the spiral sun thing you see on her flank.

 

I first noticed the spiral sun symbol in many promotional materials related to The Lion King, such as books, comics, clip art, and the 1994 video game. (Oddly enough, however, it doesn't appear directly in any of the movies).

 

 

Yeah, like this.

 

So, today, it's an African thing, possibly of African origin, even though the symbol was used in other cultures, as well. It's obviously an African symbol as we know it, and it fits well with Zecora's character.

 

What it means is simple. Think back to The Lion King's introduction, The Circle of Life. This symbol is essentially the symbol of the circle of life, itself. The use of the spiral dates all the way back to ancient times, and it represents life, death, and rebirth. It's a universal symbol of energy and light—like the sun itself, representing the continuous cycles and interchange of day and night, life and death.  It represents harmony and balance between the two. It represents a sense of stability and tranquility in the continuous change, progress, and succession of time itself.

 

See? It fits. Zecora is basically a shaman of some sort, so that's obviously her cutie mark. It's a representation of who she is and what she does. The ancient, mystical/mysterious nature of it blends well with her role in the show.

exactly!!!!!!!  The Spiral Sun also represents elnlightenment and wisdom, both of which are words you could easily use to describe Zecora.  Also, if you look at the mark a certain way, it resembles a swirling potion in a culdron over a blazing fire as seen from a top down perspective.  Considering that the closest thing Zecora has to a special talent is alchemy, this would have to be one hell of a coincidence to be nothing more then a tribal tattoo.  In fact, not only do I believe she has a cutie mark, I can proove she has a cutie mark.  In "the journal of the two sisters" (which is cannon btw) sun butt and moon butt stumbled across a tribe of zebras on the edge of the Everfree Forest.  As a direct quote from Luna's entry "Terribly exhausted from walking and not seeing anypony, I took to the air to find out where I was.  Suddenly, I saw a village of huts and a group of ponies down on the ground.  But as I grew closer, I saw that while THEY HAD CUTIE MARKS, they weren't exactly ponies. They were unusually covered with stripes."  So, yeah, Zebra cutie marks have been confirmed as cannon.

On 6/25/2014 at 11:59 PM, Frosty Nerd said:

Cutie marks are exclusive to ponies. Other equines don't have them. The marking on Zecora's flank could be a tatoo that is part of a coming-of-age ritual. I could be a mark that all Zebras are born with, which would fit with real world logic because Zebras IRL have stripe patterns that are as unique as fingerprints.

It's an interesting theory, but I don't agree.  I've always thought of the zebra's in a similar way to how I think of the chrystal ponies.  If you'll recall, the Chrystal Ponies all have cutie marks dispite not being Earth Ponies, Unicorns or Pegasi in a traditional sense, because thier technically just a different kind of Earth Pony.  I bilieve it's a similar situation with the zebra's.  Thier bassically a different looking kind of Earth Pony.  I think Chrystal Ponies, Earth ponies and, of course, zebras are all the same race (dispite looking very different) in the same way Chiwawas, German Shepperds, and Golden Retrievers are all dogs (dispite looking very different).

Edited August 26, 2019 by Soaring Symphony

[Dulset Tarn 441]

She's not a pony, so it's unlikely she has a cutie mark.

 

But let's assume Zebras have something similar to cutie marks. Forget about what this one means, I'd rather know what zebra marks are. For instance, what if instead of showing a pony's destiny after they realize it, it shows a zebra's future from when they're born?

[Soaring Symphony 372]

I always thought it was a cutie mark, but if it is a tattoo, then here's my reasoning as to why she got it and why she got it in the same place as where a cutie mark would be.

If Zecora moved to Equestria from "a far away land" (as Twilight informs us in the episode where Zecora is introduced), then perhaps she wanted to try to embrace the local pony culture. She's obviously very knowledgable on cutie marks so she would have known what they are and what they represent. Perhaps she chose a design that she felt best represents her talents and had it tattooed on her flank to show any ponies she might meet that she is friendly and interested in their history and way of life.

Interesting theory, but Amy Keating Rogers already prooved that theory wrong in 'the journal of the two sisters" (as seen in another post of mine.)

Edited January 23, 2015 by The thoughtful brony

[Allen 1,387]

Her cutie mark represents a gray stylized spiral sun, so I'm thinking that's a cutie mark instead of a tattoo.  Zecora, she's a zebra in the Everfree Forest.

[~Sassy Dashie~ 712]

Hmmm...I'm honestly not sure...

 

But I don't think it is one personally.

[sweetolebob18 728]

According to Wikipedia (that invaluable compendium of meaningless trivia & drivel), there are 7 living types of equine.  Ass, Horse,Kiang, Onager, & 3 types of Zebra. (Zecora looks most like a Plains Zebra)  Since donkeys & mules don't seem to have cutie marks, it might be Zebras don't either.

 

On the other hand, Zecora has at least some magic, so IMO it is a cutie mark.  Several others have pointed out that it is an African symbol standing for the circle of life.  This would make sense for a shaman or healer, which Z seems to be.

[Pineapple Bloom 511]

I think  no; after all, donkeys and goats don't have cutie marks. I think it's just a decorative aspect of her design.

[TheJLeeTeam 914]

I think it is a cutie mark. It looks like a sun from an african painting.

[RainbowTashie 378]

There is nothing to say Zebra's can't have cutie marks as well but it is odd that cuties are unique to ponies rather than any other magical creature we have seen in the series so far.

[Antidaeophobia 299]

I always thought in my mind, that cutie marks appear representative of that ponies culture and beliefs of a talent. So a cutie mark might mean the same thing among the different pony species, and cultures, but appear differently based on personal meaning in that cultural group. Perhaps if Zecora had been raised in ponyville from an early age, instead of her homeland, despite being a zebra; her cutie mark could have turned out differently based upon different cultural influences, although in the end, her talent would still be the same.