Earth Pony strength is a myth

[A Talking Dragon 257]

Period.

 

I'm tired of so many in the fandom passing this fan speculation as fact.

 

Earth Pony super strength is a fanon myth. There's nothing to suggest otherwise; on the other hand, there's plenty that goes against the popular claim . . .

 

 

ep. 2 - Applejack was unable to pull up Twilight off the cliff.

 

ep. 3 - Twilight is carrying more than A.J at the beginning of the episode. R.D matched the cowpony in a strength contest.

 

ep. 7 - Pinkie, A.J, plus three others are unsuccessful in moving a rooted Fluttershy from one spot.

 

ep. 11 - All the earth ponies pulling the plows are males, A.J isn't pulling.

 

ep. 13 - A.J lost in an arm wrestling match to R.D. A.J and R.D match in a pushup competition. What events AJ wins were based on her farming tasks.

 

ep. 18 - Scootaloo is shown to be the most athletic of the CMCs.

 

ep. 19 - Everyone (minus Rarity and Spike) threw off the diamond dogs forcefully.

 

ep. 25 - Rainbow dragged a resistant Pinkie Pie, against her will, across town.

 

S.2 ep. 1 - Rarity carried a large bolder on her back. Twilight also carried a large bolder on her back.

 

S.2 ep. 2 - Rarity carries a large bolder plus Applejack. Twilight fights two earth ponies (Applejack and Pinkie), at once, to a standstill (not bad for a mage type character). Rarity kicks A.J down and makes her back off. Twilight pins Applejack by herself; Twilight and A.J both hold down Fluttershy with rope. Rainbow carries off both Pinkie and Rarity while flying. It takes 4 of the others to hold down Rainbow with ropes. R.D knocks A.J to the ground easily afterwards.

 

S.2 ep. 4 - Twilight overpowers Pinkie, holding her to the ground.

 

S.2 ep. 5 - Sweetie Belle and Rarity both place second in an all around physical competition.

 

S.2 ep. 6 - Applebloom has the weakest bowling roll of the CMCs

 

S.2 ep. 9 - The unicorn bellhop carries everything without magic.

 

S.2 ep. 11 - Pegasi were the warrior types. It said by Princess Platinum that they are the "rough an tumbled" stereotype. 

 

S.2 ep. 12 - Sweetie Belle makes a tree bend. 

 

S.2 ep. 13 - Poundcake, nuff say.

 

S.2 ep. 14 - Fluttershy, and not Pinkie Pie, pulls the cart to chase A.J.

 

S.2 ep. 16 - The Indiana Jones type character is pegasi.

 

S.2 ep. 19 - Fluttershy beats up one and tosses two earth ponies quite a distance away.

 

S.2 ep. 20 - Twilight moves more fluent as spy than Pinkie Pie.

 

S.2 ep. 21 - Two unicorns and a pegasi tackles a dragon.

 

S.2 ep. 22 - A female pegasi is shown lifting a thousand pounds with just her wings

 

S.2 ep. 26 - A.J is the one overpowered during the fight

 

S.3 ep. 6 - Sweetie Belle hauls more than Scootaloo?

 

S.3 ep. 7 - The overly buff character is a pegasi.

 

S.3 ep. 13 - Pinkie can't buck trees, has a weak kick?

 

 

Like I said, earth pony physical power is a myth. The fact that fans feel they have to "give" earth ponies something is actually quite an insult. Why is it so bad if they have a skill over an extra power?

 

However, this doesn't mean they aren't amazing in their own way. Keep in mind that they can't flying away from danger, or hid behind magic and in the mountains, but their culture has allowed them to push through despite it all. In turn, they have grown and produce some of the best food Equestria has ever known.

 

And if mlp fans really want to push further and look for something, A.J's grandmother and her family friends seems to have been around for quite a long time and there are more known earth pony towns and cities in the show's universe than the other two races. Also, seeing that unicorns no longer raise the sun, and how there are pockets of Equestria where the weather works on it's own (Everfree forest (ep.9, S2 ep. 12)) seems like the earth pony skills and traits haven't been substituted yet.

 

Food for thought, no?

Edited August 6, 2013 by A Talking Dragon

[RrVPfX9cPtw59FpC 1,296]

Very interesting. However, it's possible that Earth ponies have more stamina than the other types, as they are seen doing physical labor more often. Not more difficult, but more often. Interesting thought.

[Limey 524]

I'll admit, I went into this thread pretty skeptical, but then I read your post and I have to say I completely agree with you.

 

This is just a theory, but I think people originally invented Earth Pony strength because they're thinking of ponies in terms of fighting strength. Pegasus are quick and can attack fast. Unicorns have powerful magic. Earth Ponies are super strong. This is a kind of silly way to view them as this is My Little Pony after all, and we shouldn't be judging the ponies on their combat ability. I've always believed that the Earth Ponies are master's of agriculture, construction and are basically the backbone of Equestrian society.

[Ihei 711]

Well, you could say that Earth Pony strength is a myth, but they make up for it in smarts. But I have to agree that they are fairly weak..

 

[Ampharos 1,009]

I think the trait that is strongest among earth ponies is kindness. I mean, AJ is one of the kindest ponies in the show and Pinkie Pie's whole being is basically a pink ball of kindness, she makes people laugh, she helps at the bakery, and she took care of two babies despite them being tough to handle. Plus it says it in the beginning of A Crystal Heart Spell.

[~StatesTheOblivious~ 1,794]

ep. 11 - All the earth ponies pulling the plows are MALES, A.J isn't pulling.

 

I have a bad feeling about this...

 

It was never stated in the show that earth ponies are stronger than the other pony subspecies. But all these examples also don't say that they are necessarily, or in general, physically weaker.

 

It's just a nice headcanon to show some earth pony love.

 

I mean, what advantage do they usually have? How many earth pony OCs are out there? Who is often titled as a background pony?

Edited August 5, 2013 by StatesTheOblivious

[An Old Head 4,815]

Earth Pony strength was always a myth. The distinguishing trait of Earth Ponies (according to the Hearth Warming's Eve production) wasn't being super strong - it was being agriculturally adept. In other words, they're the resourceful race. They have to be - no magical skills or flying ability to make things easier for them (with the exception of ol' Pinks). Their supposed strength probably came around as a different completion to the triangle by the fandom, based on what the Apple family could do.

 

Additionally, most of the examples you've listed are mere inconsistencies, rather than actual representations of an Earth Pony's traits. They change things around so that the story flows smooth. If Applejack could simply pull Twilight off of that cliff, the plot for that episode wouldn't work. If Applejack beat Rainbow Dash in the arm wrestle in the following episode, the tension for the ticket would be disrupted. So on and so forth.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Flipturn Armando

[Shift 4,271]

My Headcanon:

Earth Ponies: Strong and very Resilient, can run faster then all other races, however they cannot fly and do magic. In general, they can carry more then others and don't like to give up. They have a stronger spirit and stubbornness then other races, and can alter the earth to grow food, something the pegasi and unicorns cannot. Without earth ponies, all of the other races would starve.

Pegasi: Pegasi are in generally much faster then other races, but are very poor in defense, medium in strength. They do not have a sharp mind, however then can alter weather and lightning and can move much, much faster. They have a strong spirit and a bit of stubbornness. Without the pegasi, we would not have water.

Unicorns: Poor defense and strength, however they are highly intelligent and can do magic to increase their skills to the levels of other ponies. They are much more intelligent then other ponies, but have a weak spirit. Without the unicorns, the sun and the moon would not rise.

[Scootalove 10,684]

I got to admit, Earth Ponies aren't really strong at all. Only at times, Earth Ponies are strong when they need to be. That's just my opinion.

[Winona the Dog 1,981]

In terms of bucking strength I think Earth Ponies are the strongest. Applejack was able to destroy the bell thing when she bucked it during the iron pony contest against Rainbow Dash.

 

And another example is Big Macintosh plowing through a whole group of ponies in Lesson Zero. Though this kind of strength may be limited to those who go through physical labor. Other  Earth Ponies are just more adept in agriculture  which is why the other two races were reliant on them to grow food for them.

[Zygen 6,065]

Well I think considering they use their hooves the most it would only make sense that their hooves would probaly be pretty strong, generally speaking. 

 

However it is just headcannon that Earth ponies have superior strength, and a headcannon thats got alot of contradictions to it. So its hard to say its true honestly. 

 

I think the headcannon is there mostly to give people some form of a reason to be an earth pony, i mean technically their only cannon strength is their connectivity to the earth and the ability to grow crops, other then that they haven't had any cannon advantages to the other races, and being able to grow crops isn't the most exciting to most people really.

 

Realistically speaking they should be strongest, because like I said they use their hooves more then the other races do generally, but its still headcannon.

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

While there's no concrete evidence that suggests that Earth ponies are physically stronger than Pegasi or Unicorns, a lot of fans like to say this because it otherwise leaves Earth ponies as having absolutely no advantages to the other two pony types. Plus, it makes sense. Earth ponies cannot fly or perform magic, thus they rely solely on their own bodies to perform tasks.

 

A Unicorn pony is likely to not even be very physically strong because they don't need to put their hooves to the test when they can just use magic. For instance, an Earth pony like Applejack has to buck apple trees to get the apples off, but Twilight or Rarity could simply use their magic to take them off of the trees. This means that over time, Applejack has developed a kind of physical strength that Twilight and Rarity simply do not have. Twilight doesn't pick up anything without magic. It's no wonder she'd probably be really wimpy physically, because she doesn't need physical strength for everyday tasks when her magic skills are so powerful.

 

Pegasus ponies are also less likely to develop as much strength in their hooves as an Earth pony, and I think the lifestyle has a lot to do with it. Hearth's Warming Eve portrayed Earth ponies as being the common farm ponies who had to do a lot of hard labor. Pegasi control weather, and they use their wings for a lot of their strength. Both types of ponies are strong, but in different aspects, since they rely on different parts of their bodies. Pegasi fly most of the time, so they develop more wing strength than hoof strength.

 

I just want to point out that, even if the Earth ponies are typically the most physically powerful of the pony types, it's not something that is set in stone and always true for every pony. Rainbow Dash is a very strong Pegasus pony because she's a skilled athlete and Wonderbolt in training. Pinkie Pie is an example of an Earth pony who is not particularly strong. She's a party animals who loathes doing any hard or boring chores, so she hasn't had to develop as much strength as the Apple Family, for instance. It really boils down to the individual pony and their lifestyle more so than the type of the pony.

 

Also, you never fail to make interesting observations, but you're overthinking things. A lot of things that happen in the show are done in a way that is convenient for the plot, and there's bound to be numerous inconsistencies, such as the two hoof wrassles between AJ and Dash. Both had different outcomes that were plot convenient. Don't take every little detail to heart. Anyway, this is another fun thread. You must find me to be a pain by now.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Sugar Cube

[Limey 524]

 

 

I just want to point out that, even if the Earth ponies are typically the most physically powerful of the pony types, it's not something that is set in stone and always true for every pony.

 

This.

 

MLP isn't a video game where each type of pony has set characteristics they can't deviate from. They're all individuals. Of course there are going to be some wimpy Earth ponies, the same way there are going to be some Pegasi who aren't amazing flyers. Fluttershy isn't the best flyer in all of Equestria, yet no-one questions the abilities of the entire Pegasi race because of it.

[Smarts 1,620]

People say that in order to give Earth Ponies some meaning. I mean, Pegasi fly and most likely have speed and Unicorns use magic and most likely have intelligence on their side. What do Earth Ponies have? Nothing. Well, with the exception of being masters of agriculture. Strength makes sense for them since they use their hooves for everything. So, they would technically be stronger than both Unicorns and Pegasi in the strength department, but hey, that's just headcanon for ya. I'm not saying it's fact, but it just makes sense to me is all.

[SBaby 660]

Nobody's really saying that Earth Ponies have to be super strong.  We're just saying that Strength is their primary stat (with Endurance/Constitution coming in a close second).  That doesn't mean they're necessarily going to punch (kick) through walls or hold up a house for five minutes.

Edited August 6, 2013 by SBaby

[Galen 1,353]

As others have said, people wanted to give Earth Ponies something special that others don't have. Really, the only strength feats they ever showed as being superior to what anyone else ever displayed was Big Mac dragging a house like it was nothing and Applejack stopping a carriage from falling down a cliff that RD couldn't. However, I don't see those as any indication of natural, in-born strength common to all Earth Ponies, but merely the result of their work which requires a lot of physical effort. Other Earth Ponies indeed haven't showed any particular feats of strength that other races displayed.

 

I think people are thinking too much from a combative pov. If Earth Ponies don't have superior strength as a base, how can they compete against Pegasi and Unicorns with their respective wings and magic? But it's less to do with how they can fight and more to do with their position in society. Earth Ponies are said to be the only race of ponies that can grow food. They have a special connection to nature and therefore makes them more responsive to the earth's behavior and state as well as having a stronger connection to animals (Fluttershy being an exceptional Pegasus but this is mainly because she was originally meant to be an Earth Pony herself). Without them, neither the Pegasi or the Unicorns would get very far.

[Nature's Spell 526]

If you made a list and compared cannon facts with fannon "facts" the fannon list would be a larger, but a lot less correct. A lot of the fannon is based upon wishes and not a detailed analysis of the show for clues. The OP proved that the writers don't buy into the idea of Earth Pony strength, but for many fans it's a popular meme.

[spacestorm 183]

Considering how a representative from each pony race have to work and how to deal with things in life, it can be concluded that the pegasi and earth ponies should have a greater physical strenght than unicorns in general.

Earth ponies should have more strenght in their hooves when pegasi should have a well-trained muscles responsible for movement during the flight.

Of course, there may be various exceptions that were mentioned above.

 

Further considering the lifestyle of earth ponies, more than physical strength, I would assign them a much greater durability and endurance in comparison to other pony races.

[Metemponychosis 1,236]

I always thought that the earth pony's "strength" was their ability to work the land and their creativity: they function without needing magic, for example, Ponyville was founded by earth ponies. I mean, unicorns use magic for everything.

I also have this idea that the earth ponies are hard workers.

[Thrashy 2,799]

Not a myth, just an as-of-yet unproven and non-canon theory.

 

I don't think the issue so much lies in whether all earth ponies are, by default, physically stronger than the other two races, but rather that they have a higher potential for physical strength. This leaves plenty of wiggle room for exceptions, such as Pinkie, who'd rather sit around and stuff her face with cupcakes than plow fields all day long. Kind of makes sense, when you think about it - a race that has thrived on hard, manual labor from the start really has no reason not to have a naturally higher capacity for physical strength.

 

You could argue the pegasi's job of weather control is also physically demanding - which it most likely is - but considering winged flight is more a mode of locomotion than anything else, there's no reason to believe their work is anything other than cardiovascular in nature, as opposed to the routinely muscle-building work of the earth ponies. In an arm wrestling match between an insane cardio trainer and an insane weight trainer, whom would you put money on? I'd put it on the lifty dude, myself, and I'd also bet more bits on an earth pony over a unicorn or pegasus in a contest of pure muscle strength.

 

Sure, there are also exceptions going in the other direction, such as Dashie being an unusually strong pegasus, probably due to her constant athleticism brought about by her endeavor to be a Wonderbolt. But if you look at Fall Weather Friends, not only is AJ able to break the damn bell, she also catches up with Dashie on-hoof during the running of the leaves, despite having fallen quite far behind, indicating she's much more dextrous on her hooves...which makes sense, as Dashie's forte is in the air.

 

Fanon or not, it's sensible fanon, and you can't deny this. Any exceptions you can cite are just that - exceptions. Which, as I have demonstrated, exist on both sides. There are weak earth ponies and there are strong pegasi (and hell, maybe somewhere out there there's a buff unicorn). But in general, I don't think it unfair to assume earth ponies have a predisposition towards physical prowess.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Lowline Thrash

[Fhaolan 4,468]

Applejack and Big Mac have demonstrated that they are extremely strong when compared to other ponies. But that is due to them being Applejack and Big Mac and spending most of their time kicking trees hard enough to knock fruit out of them, not because they are Earth Ponies. If Apple Bloom demonstrates similar traits, then you might be able to argue that the immediate Apple family is predisposed to high physical strength but that's about it.

 

The only thing that Earth Ponies have that is canon, is their connection with the earth. The show strongly implies that at one point, *only* the Earth Ponies were capable of growing food.

[Dusk Dream 137]

I just see Earth Ponies as the "hard workers". They mostly do tough jobs, like working on a farm. I wouldn't say they're stronger than the others (maybe a bit because they do work alot), but they are really the ones that aren't lazy or anything, and will Always have the strenght to accomplish something, be it alone, be it in group. I feel like unicorns have it the easiest way, they can just use their magic to do most of their jobs, Earth Ponies can't flip pages and hold a book infront of them without any sort of effort whilst doing this.

[Wingnut 6,727]

I always thought of the earth ponies are stronger as more of a fanon than canon thing. But I never attempted to compile a list like this. Wow! I'll add my thoughts to some of those points.

 

Ep. 2 AJ was grasping Twilight with her hooves. No matter how strong the rest of her body is, hooves' grasping power is limited (and also the subject of lengthy discussion elsewhere).

 

Ep. 7 They're afraid too much pressure will injure "weak, timid" Fluttershy.

 

Ep. 13 The competition seemed to establish that RD had stronger forelegs, AJ stronger hindlegs, and AJ a slight edge in total body strength (tug of war). But, yeah, being an earth pony was seemingly no help there.

 

S. 2 ep. 2. The discorded ponies had some factor, probably their inner goodness, that prevented them from using their full strength and speed to escape Twilight (and subsequently her restored friends as the episode went on).

 

S. 2 ep. 5. The unicorn sisters are deceptively athletic which is also shown by Rarity's fighting skills and Sweetie's cart pulling.

 

S. 2 ep. 14 That didn't make sense to me either...until it became necessary to fly the cart over the train.

 

S. 2 ep. 19 Never underestimate Flutterrage! 

 

S. 2 ep. 22 Putting numbers on the weights was unnecessary. By now it was already established that the average pony...any kind...can lift tons with ease.

 

S. 3 ep. 6 Now we're comparing non-earth ponies.

 

The only notable moment overlooked in this list was S. 2 Ep. 17 when Big Mac pulls a whole building off its foundation and drags it through Ponyville. Nonetheless, your point is well supported and you offer nice ideas on why earth ponies don't need a physical advantage to offset the powers of flight or horn-based magic. The only question I have now is who started the whole "myth" in the first place?

Edited August 7, 2013 by Wingnut

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

It seems to me that you went into this with a set opinion rather than an open mindset.

Most of our examples can easily been attributed to plot convenience/comedic value (Rarity carrying Tom, Fluttershy tossing a pony some 100 feet), while others are simply circumstance (AJ was attacked by half a dozen changelings at once, while the others weren't).

 

 

 

ep. 13 - A.J lost in an arm wrestling match to R.D. A.J and R.D match in a pushup competition. What events AJ wins were based on her farming tasks.

Actually, Aj dominated the contests that required pure strength; There's is actually some technique to armwrestling

 

 

 

S.2 ep. 5 - Sweetie Belle and Rarity both place second in an all around physical competition.

The SHS was mostly about coordination, the only task directly related to strenght was the haypushing

 

 

 

S.2 ep. 16 - The Indiana Jones type character is pegasi.

So?

 

 

By the same logic, I could point to Big Mac pulling a house as proof of the opposite.

[Buttonmash1973 1,024]

Looking back at how both Twilight and Discorded Rarity had lifted Tom the rock on their bags in the Season two opening. Also Rarity kicking AJ away to defend Tom.