Something I don't understand about the Royal Guards

[The Crystal Maiden 221]

Obviously, all the royal guards at Canterlot (or the ones in other places) have the same talent, which is being a royal guard (well done sherlock haha). Shining Armour, for example, has a shield cutie mark representing his talent for being the captain of the royal guards.

The thing that puzzles me is that if every royal guard has the same talent, will they all have the same cutie marks? Because we don't get see their cutie marks underneath their armour and I'm wondering what on earth they'd have there. It always made sense to me that all ponies have different cutie marks but royal guards can't have cutie marks that don't represent royal duties... can they??...

[NavelColt 22,883]

This is something I too have thought about before. I musingly imagined that they all have chronological cutie marks for numbers. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc xD

[Away 2,077]

According to the show, a pony gets his or her cutie when he or she discovers what makes him or her special. So I'm guessing most of the guards have cutie marks that aren't related to the fact that they are royal guards.

[~StatesTheOblivious~ 1,795]

I think if you just go for the Cutie Mark, some things in the show would be pretty weird if you look at them.

Rarity's talent has to do with finding gems. So, wouldn't she better run Equestria's biggest and most succesful gem-mine?

Pinkie Pie's talent has to do with partying and cheering ponies up. So why is she working at a bakery? Would't she better be a full-time entertainer, or run a party-supply shop?

I think, the special talent does't neccesarily express what the pony does, but it can come in handy. I mean, the Wonderbolts would have the same Cutie Marks too, if we follow that logic, right?

I guess, many guards have Cutie Marks that have to do with fighting/protecting or useful talents for being a guard, but they are still very different from each other.

[Sweet Dreams 1,893]

I think if you just go for the Cutie Mark, some things in the show would be pretty weird if you look at them.

Rarity's talent has to do with finding gems. So, wouldn't she better run Equestria's biggest and most succesful gem-mine?

Pinkie Pie's talent has to do with partying and cheering ponies up. So why is she working at a bakery? Would't she better be a full-time entertainer, or run a party-supply shop?

I think, the special talent does't neccesarily express what the pony does, but it can come in handy. I mean, the Wonderbolts would have the same Cutie Marks too, if we follow that logic, right?

I guess, many guards have Cutie Marks that have to do with fighting/protecting or useful talents for being a guard, but they are still very different from each other.

True that. When I watched Magical Mystery Cure, I just kept wondering why Applejack wasn't trying to mine for gems. It's 'what her cutie mark should be telling her'.

 

OT: This guy pretty much covered all I had to say, so.... What he said.

[Sky Warden 2,243]

I think if you just go for the Cutie Mark, some things in the show would be pretty weird if you look at them.

Rarity's talent has to do with finding gems. So, wouldn't she better run Equestria's biggest and most succesful gem-mine?

Pinkie Pie's talent has to do with partying and cheering ponies up. So why is she working at a bakery? Would't she better be a full-time entertainer, or run a party-supply shop?

I think, the special talent does't neccesarily express what the pony does, but it can come in handy. I mean, the Wonderbolts would have the same Cutie Marks too, if we follow that logic, right?

I guess, many guards have Cutie Marks that have to do with fighting/protecting or useful talents for being a guard, but they are still very different from each other.

This is enough to answer the question. It's this simple. Cutie Mark doesn't determine the profession. It can be that one guard is excellent at using spears, while the other one is excellent at protective or offensive magic.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Sky Warden

[Skye Starlight 223]

Lots of BG ponies have the same cutie mark... So maybe some talents are more unique than others?

 

Oh, and Shining Armour has a cutie mark not relating to being a royal guard. His represents the ability to create a magical sheild. Oh, and funnily enough, Photo Finish actually has Twilight's Cutie Mark... It's odd, but probably has something to do with the flash of the cameras she uses.

[pinkiefan1287 610]

That's a pretty good question. Heres what I think. Most likely guards have different cutie marks, but some do get the same cutie mark. The reason the wear armor over their cutie mark is to trick their enemy. So if a battle happened the enemy won't know what guard they are fighting and what they are good.

 

 

 

Rarity's talent has to do with finding gems. So, wouldn't she better run Equestria's biggest and most succesful gem-mine? Pinkie Pie's talent has to do with partying and cheering ponies up. So why is she working at a bakery? Would't she better be a full-time entertainer, or run a party-supply shop?

 

Rarity's talent is not finding gems. Her talent is making outfits beautiful like a gem.

 

As for Pinkie Pie, People and Ponies days can be cheered up by baked goods. Also she have a better chance at throwing parties at a bakery then a party-supply shop.  

[~StatesTheOblivious~ 1,795]

Rarity's talent is not finding gems. Her talent is making outfits beautiful like a gem.

 

As for Pinkie Pie, People and Ponies days can be cheered up by baked goods. Also she have a better chance at throwing parties at a bakery then a party-supply shop.  

 

Hmm...you're right. I guess, we can see it in very different ways and bring up the old "what-IS-a-Cutie-Mark-actually-debate".

 

 

That's a pretty good question. Heres what I think. Most likely guards have different cutie marks, but some do get the same cutie mark. The reason the wear armor over their cutie mark is to trick their enemy. So if a battle happened the enemy won't know what guard they are fighting and what they are good.

 

Tactical thinking behind hiding your Cutie Mark, now that's a fitting idea!

But I still think, same Cutie Marks would actually run against the whole point, that it represents something nopony can do better than the bearer of that one Cutie Mark and makes him or her 'special'.

[Hay Lin 38]

 It couldn't be just for that. For example, one Guard could have a cutie mark for battling, another for stragety, another for builing, another for speed, another for defense, etc.

[Umbral Noir 1,556]

That's an interesting question. I suppose that special talent doesn't necessarily have to refer to their jobs, and the guards could really have any sort of cutie mark, just not one related to them being a guard. Shining Armour is probably an exception, because he is the captain of the guards, but ordinary soldiers probably don't have cutie marks like that.

[Princess Periwinkle 3,775]

I would assume the guard's special talents would be things like fighting, defense, speed, etc. Your skill doesn't necessarily define your profession, I mean just look at Rarity... Their skills probably aid them as guards, but they most likely don't just have a "guard" cutie mark.
 

Lots of BG ponies have the same cutie mark... So maybe some talents are more unique than others?

 
That's just due to lazy animators.

[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 777]

What if....Celestia chose three perfect variants of Pegasi, Unicorn and Earth pony and simply cloned them to be the perfect guard. But, just like the clones of Boba Fett in Star Wars, they all had their own unique personalities but the same refined base set of skills. As time goes on, she would find newer, better versions of her original variants and integrate them as commanders and merge the preferred traits of the better versions to her new generation of guards (aka Shining Armor). Thus, we never see their cutie marks because it's a jumbled mess of hundreds of traits compiled into a single entity.

 

Naaah, they're most likely hive minded mirror images which is why we never see any of their cutie marks. They just alter their voices slightly so that they don't scare the citizens. 

Edited May 22, 2013 by Accellerant

[I used to be a stranger 7,994]

A common headcanon from fan-fiction authors is the idea that each guard does indeed have a unique cutie mark as well as a unique coat and eye color, but each uses (or has used upon them) a spell to ensure conformity in methods of magic as well as appearance while on duty, like a uniform.

 

It makes sense in real life: observe.

These are the United States Marine Corps. Silent Drill Platoon. For the sake of performance as well as their operation, they are all functionally, and for all practical purposes, physically, identical. However, each one of them is still a unique human being. For all we know, one of these guys is a brony.

 

The one on the left likes to knit.

[Guest]

Obviously, all the royal guards at Canterlot (or the ones in other places) have the same talent, which is being a royal guard (well done sherlock haha). Shining Armour, for example, has a shield cutie mark representing his talent for being the captain of the royal guards.

The thing that puzzles me is that if every royal guard has the same talent, will they all have the same cutie marks? Because we don't get see their cutie marks underneath their armour and I'm wondering what on earth they'd have there. It always made sense to me that all ponies have different cutie marks but royal guards can't have cutie marks that don't represent royal duties... can they??...

Each individual guard presumably has a special talent in the guard's sub duties. One may specialize in offense, another may specialize in defense, teamwork, infantry, etc.

[pinkiefan1287 610]

 

 

Tactical thinking behind hiding your Cutie Mark, now that's a fitting idea! But I still think, same Cutie Marks would actually run against the whole point, that it represents something nopony can do better than the bearer of that one Cutie Mark and makes him or her 'special'.

 

But there are going to be others who have the same talent as someone else. Like Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Mr. Cake has a carrot cake for a cutie mark and Mrs. Cake has a cup cake for a cutie mark. Their both good at baking and not just carrot cakes and cup cakes. They each can bake many different foods.

 

So 5 guard could be good at sword fighting and another 5 can be good with arrows or something. 

 

Besides it be a pretty boring world if there was no one who could match you or help you get better at a skill that you share. 

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

Here's something we must consider: What if all the Royal Guards...

 

Are Blank Flanks!

 

...

 

I mean, it's a possibility, right? What if only Blank Flanks make good Royal Guards because they don't have any particular special talent and that makes it so that they don't have a yearning to do anything other than guard duty? I mean, guard duty can't be all that fun, so that could be one possible explanation.

[Away 2,077]

Here's something we must consider: What if all the Royal Guards...

 

Are Blank Flanks!

 

...

 

I mean, it's a possibility, right? What if only Blank Flanks make good Royal Guards because they don't have any particular special talent and that makes it so that they don't have a yearning to do anything other than guard duty? I mean, guard duty can't be all that fun, so that could be one possible explanation.

My mind: BLOWN. Dude that's some deep stuff right there. That was like life changing. What if MLP is really nothing like we thought it was. What if... now bare with me on this... but just what if we're the ones in a show and THEY are watching US?! I don't think I'll ever look at MLP the same way again.

 

The more you know...

Edited May 22, 2013 by LatinoChurro

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

My mind: BLOWN. Dude that's some deep stuff right there. That was like life changing. What MLP is really nothing like we thought it was. What if... now bare with me on this... but just what if we're the ones in a show and THEY are watching US. I don't think I'll ever look at MLP the same way again.

 

The more you know...

 

Then that means...

 

*Gasp*

 

The Royal Guards aren't guarding the Princess or the Ponies from Changelings or anything...

 

They're guarding them from us! I mean, if we ever discovered that the ponies are watching us for their amusement, we would most likely revolt, and that's why Royal Blank Flank Guards are guarding all the towns and cities: in case of human attack!

 

...

 

So yeah, now that we've unraveled this mystery, it's clear that the Guards are all Blank Flanks. Excellent work, my dear Churro.

[Away 2,077]

Yep they're definitely controlling us and we don't even know it. Nightmare Moon, Discord, the changelings... It was all an act to get us to believe in the elements of harmony. OMG I might just start a new thread about. I have to get the word out.

Edited May 22, 2013 by LatinoChurro

[~StatesTheOblivious~ 1,795]

But there are going to be others who have the same talent as someone else. Like Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Mr. Cake has a carrot cake for a cutie mark and Mrs. Cake has a cup cake for a cutie mark. Their both good at baking and not just carrot cakes and cup cakes. They each can bake many different foods.

 

So 5 guard could be good at sword fighting and another 5 can be good with arrows or something. 

 

Besides it be a pretty boring world if there was no one who could match you or help you get better at a skill that you share. 

Oh, that's right! Why did I forget? Different Cutie Marks, just different for the same or similar/comparable talents. Like Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust, or like you mentioned, the Cakes. Or the Apples.

Are we drifting into overanalysation and Interpretation? Don't get me wrong, I think this whole subject is very interesting, but this could go for hours... if there is a point behind it, we will possibly know more after season 4. I hope so. Hedcanon/Fanon can be so right and yet so wrong...

[ponybuttsgalore 33]

I imagine there's a few that have hidden cutie marks for their talents/hobbies, like painting, bird-watching, and poetry, but due to economical issues, they had to put aside their passion to become guards. As the forlorn guard lays at night in his barrack, staring up into the ceiling longingly, he thinks about all the things he's missing out on, and all the birds he will only ever catch a glimpse of. He takes the framed photograph of him in his youth and begins to silently weep.

[Skye Starlight 223]

That's just due to lazy animators.

 

I know... It just seems peculiar... Maybe they all have different talents, and one cutie mark may actually have multiple talents attached to it... Like farming fruit, drawing fruit, doing anything to do with fruit... Or like the flash of a camera or advanced magic skills! It's just interesting to not that there are ponies out there with similar cutie marks but different talents!

[Sunny Fox 5,952]

True that. When I watched Magical Mystery Cure, I just kept wondering why Applejack wasn't trying to mine for gems. It's 'what her cutie mark should be telling her'.

 

OT: This guy pretty much covered all I had to say, so.... What he said.

Well, Rarity's cutie mark is more about finding what is beautiful and bringing that out to share generously with everyone. Like her magic can pull beautiful gems out of the ground, where they are hidden, one could also say that she when she makes dresses, she brings out the beauty that is hidden in the fabric. So Applejack getting the mark just means that she tries to do the same, but since it isn't her true destiny, the dresses just end up looking awful.

 

As for Shining Armor, I think his cutie mark reflects his ability to create shields, not his position as captain of the royal guard. That's just due to him being awesome.

Edited May 24, 2013 by Full Spectrum

[Sweet Dreams 1,893]

Well, Rarity's cutie mark is more about finding what is beautiful and bringing that out to share generously with everyone. Like her magic can pull beautiful gems out of the ground, where they are hidden, one could also say that she when she makes dresses, she brings out the beauty that is hidden in the fabric. So Applejack getting the mark just means that she tries to do the same, but since it isn't her true destiny, the dresses just end up looking awful.

 

As for Shining Armor, I think his cutie mark reflects his ability to create shields, not his position as captain of the royal guard. That's just due to him being awesome.

Yeah, I know that's what the cutie mark signifies, but I thought that wouldn't be the first thing that Applejack would interpret from it. I'm assuming they didn't remember much after they switched marks, so I though that because of that, they would try to interpret what each of the cutie marks meant. What it truly signifies probably wouldn't be easy to tell just by looking at it.

But, that's based on the assumption that they didn't remember much of what things were like before the marks switched. So, honestly, I don't know.