Applejack the leader

[Nature's Spell 526]

It's been generally acknowledged in the fandom that Applejack is "second in command" and we saw that even more so in PTS. However, we also saw the others (Rainbow mostly) turn on her when things didn't turn out the way they expected. Without Twilight to back her up I have to wonder how effective a leader she can really be. I got the impression that the Mane 6 won't go on adventures without Twilight, so Applejack may not get many chances to show leadership. But what do you think? How will Applejack's role change now?

Edited November 27, 2013 by Nature's Spell

[Doc. Volt 2,561]

what? applejack leader?

 

 

yes definitely... she is the strongest and the most hard working also the more open speaking... she remembers me of a civil war soldier...

 

Edited November 26, 2013 by Doc. Volt

[Nature's Spell 526]

Well I'm glad you graced my thread with such interesting art work. 20% cooler and I really like her? Bomb? But tell me what you really think?

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2013 by Nature's Spell

[Doc. Volt 2,561]

i think that Applejack is well suited for a leader.. i don't know really why but i feel this way... maybe because of her strongness or becuase she don't care of danger or getting dirt... also she has a very strong temper... RD would work too but she is too "selfish" and self confident... i really like the idea of applejack as a leader (btw the bomb come from the last scene of the old black and white movie "doctor Strangelove")

btw i don't think she will ever be the real leader.. only twilight... but i am sure that if twilight get captured or disapper or something, applejack will lead the resque group...

Edited November 26, 2013 by Doc. Volt

[hawkflame 3,315]

It makes sense, really. She's very responsible and mature, possibly the most mature of the six, and she already has experience making big decisions and maintaining authority as she runs Sweet Apple Acres. Yeah, Big Mac is there, but he's really not the take charge type.

[RWB2 17]

I'm certainly not against her being more take charge in her own episodes. She works better like that. She may be stubborn and self-righteous, but those traits are not necessarily bad for a leader to have, as long as she can moderate them.

 

Also, these traits are more acceptable in a leader anyway, since being sure of yourself(even to the point of being selfrighteous) and not giving up are good traits there... but not so much when in friendly interaction.

[. eris . 1,661]

The reason why I think Applejack is suited for leadership is her maturity. In many ways I see her as the oldest of the Mane Six, but I know that can't be right; regardless, she's had to deal with more. She has to take care of a younger sister and teach her lessons, along with working tirelessly on a farm with Big Macintosh. Her parents, according to the writers, have actually died and we can only imagine how young she was when they did so. So she's had a lot of responsibility thrust on her, and she's performed just beautifully.

 

It was especially nice seeing her take charge so many times in Princess Twilight Sparkle. 

 

It's also really a shame that she's not the "favorite" of more people. In my humble opinion, I think she's the most well-rounded character, with the perfect amount of flaws to make her imperfect, but balancing them out with an exemplary attitude, boundless energy, and a great amount of dignity and maturity.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Miss Earl Grey

[Doc. Volt 2,561]

tubborn and self-righteous, since when those are bad trait for a leader? i want a leader like that if i have to do something important!

[Nature's Spell 526]

tubborn and self-righteous, since when those are bad trait for a leader? i want a leader like that if i have to do something important!

Very stubborn. :-) Which is why she has conflicts with Rainbow Dash. I think she's a good leader too and it will be interesting to see if Twilight puts her in charge of something.

[Doc. Volt 2,561]

Very stubborn. :-) Which is why she has conflicts with Rainbow Dash. I think she's a good leader too and it will be interesting to see if Twilight puts her in charge of something.

she doesn't need Twilight consense! And who said she is stubborn?

XD i actualy never loved AJ but you are making me changing my mind XD

[Nature's Spell 526]

she doesn't need Twilight consense! And who said she is stubborn?

XD i actualy never loved AJ but you are making me changing my mind XD

Clearly you've never seen Applebuck season. Lol

[Doc. Volt 2,561]

Clearly you've never seen Applebuck season. Lol

yes but i'm actually like her myself that's why

[RWB2 17]

The reason why I think Applejack is suited for leadership is her maturity. In many ways I see her as the oldest of the Mane Six, but I know that can't be right; regardless, she's had to deal with more. She has to take care of a younger sister and teach her lessons, along with working tirelessly on a farm with Big Macintosh. Her parents, according to the writers, have actually died and we can only imagine how young she was when they did so. So she's had a lot of responsibility thrust on her, and she's performed just beautifully.

 

It was especially nice seeing her take charge so many times in Princess Twilight Sparkle. 

 

It's also really a shame that she's not the "favorite" of more people. In my humble opinion, I think she's the most well-rounded character, with the perfect amount of flaws to make her imperfect, but balancing them out with an exemplary attitude, boundless energy, and a great amount of dignity and maturity.

 

Actually, the mane reason I don't like her is that almost everytime she shows those flaws, the episode is written to favor her rather than to work past the flaws. AJ is the very epitome of a character that I could really like, but who in execution is so badly done(IMO) that I actually tend to see her as a negative thing about the series. 

 

I really don't want that to be the case.

[A Talking Dragon 257]

I don't like the term "second in command", Twilight has deferred to AJ as much as AJ has to her. The two seem to bounce off each other in running the group. Twilight comes up with the next step or plan, and AJ reinforces the operation and team morale. 

 

Despite fans thinking of Twilight as the leader, AJ has overruled Twilight several times for a different course of action. For examples, Applejack took the map and broke away from the group to lead Fluttershy up the mountain without asking Twilight's permission. AJ also lead the other mane 6 away from Twilight when she was acting up in A Canterlot Wedding. Then there's the events in the Everfree forest when Applejack's word lead to Twilight being sent away, despite Twilight now officially holding a higher office.

 

In many ways, Applejack could be a better leader than Twilight:

 

Like Twilight, Applejack can assess a situation and make decisions base on changing circumstances. She doesn't jump the gun and has a maturity above most in Equestria. AJ can also utilize other pony's strengths and weakness while keeping in mind their safety. 

 

Twilight has the advantage of being able to formulate complex strategics over AJ, and she has more knowledge on magical base events. However, she has more weakness than AJ in terms of leading. Twilight has never had to deal with ponies her whole life, preferring isolation. AJ has drawn others to her since day one and has a patience to deal with flaws in others that surpass that of even Twilight. Twilight is more likely to fly off the handle if things don't go according to schedule and can get carried away with anxiety or research. Even when faced with losing her home during cider season, AJ hasn't had a true freak out moment yet.

 

There's also that Applejack is able to naturally lead a group with two ponies that have challenged her in the past: Rainbow Dash and Rarity; both of who AJ have fought with quite a bit. There is no Trixie or Sunset character for Twilight in the mane 6, and she has royal connections with Celestia, so AJ leading the mane 6 is actually more impressive.

 

That's my take on it anyway.

Edited November 27, 2013 by A Talking Dragon

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

I don't see Applejack's role changing too much. She's always been the "second in command" as far as being the unofficial leader. Typically it is Twilight who organizes the plans and barks out the orders, but Applejack plays an important role in reinforcing the plans and keeping everyone together while instilling a positive outlook. At the end of the day, Twilight will always be the definitive leader, but she needs Applejack just as much as Applejack needs her. Their leadership abilities are best when working together.

 

Applejack is very much a can-do pony who likes to take charge and get things accomplished as quick and efficiently as possible. Applejack has experience in being the authority figure of her farm and family, so it's only natural that she'd be compelled to lead her best friends as well. She has a worldly wisdom and maturity that the others are lacking, not to mention she possesses the most stable mentality and is very emotionally secure. She has superior social skills than Twilight, and she typically has a lot more backbone. She's also more empathetic than Twilight, and she understands the needs of others and is almost always the first to notice when a friend is down. These are all marks of a great leader. On the other hand, Twilight is very logical. Whenever math, science, or anything magic related comes into play, Twilight knows just what to do thanks to her superior book smarts. Applejack is a very good problem solver for everyday tasks and hurdles, but when things happen that are out of the ordinary, (such as anything magic related) she's as clueless as the the other four.

 

Another flaw in Applejack's leadership is that she tends to butt heads with Rainbow Dash and to a lesser extent, Rarity, more often than Twilight faces conflict with others. Twilight is much better at getting everypony to cooperate, and she knows all of the strengths and weaknesses of her friends so she is better at organizing a plan and getting every one of her friends to work in unison. Rarity put it best when she told Twilight that they were all "simply lost" without her. That doesn't mean we should take anything away from Applejack as a leader though, because there are times where Applejack's plans have intervened with Twilight's leadership for the better, as in Dragonshy when Applejack's idea to take Fluttershy around the mountain another way proved beneficial. Twilight puts a lot of thought into her plans, but when they don't go as she'd like them to, she tends to panic and lose her better judgment completely. This is when Applejack's calmer demeanor and more practical mindset proves to be more constructive than Twilight's plans, however well-thought out they might have been. Applejack is both more flexible and steadier.

 

I see both ponies as great leaders whose different qualities and ideologies might render them better suited for different circumstances, but one thing is for certain, the two of them need each other to lead to their full potential. It's no wonder why these two confide in each other so often.

[Scootalove 10,692]

Though she has her negative traits like her stubbornness, she is still pretty mature when it comes to working hard and teaching her little sister lessons to help her grow more as time goes by. In Princess Twilight Sparkle, she showed that she can keep Twilight in good spirits even when she doubts herself. Maturity is something that is earned, not gained.

[joecal97 340]

Wow, did I stumble across the 'vote applejack' section of the forums?

I must be lost

[Confetti Nova 58]

AJ has always been the most stable mane 6 character IMO. She's willing to work hard and brace for impact of life, but also has a heart of warm cider towards her friends. She's there to make sure Rainbow doesn't try anything crazy. I do find her a great leader.

[FNGRpony 658]

I'm prepared to see aj be leader.

 

and possibly fail.  She was in charge of the earth ponies (?yeah?) in winter wrap up.  Of course with Aj in a leader ship role is twilight being called away?

I was thinking we could do a similar concept

like with games ponies play and just for side kicks

 

just with less suck (LOL).

[Nature's Spell 526]

@Talking-dragon I get what you're getting at and I would agree, to a certain extent, with you pre season 4. I'm not quite sure if the dynamic will remain post season 4.

[Stellafera 3,836]

I really like the idea of Applejack learning to handle a more direct leadership role like that. Applejack is a headstrong and charismatic pony, but also one that tends to be harsh on herself and her responsibilities. 

 

 

You can see the worried expression on her face and the fact that she's the focus of this shot, emphasizing her role as leader. In the season to come, I am excited at the prospect of her trying to rise up to the image of Twilight as the leader of her friends while the alicorn works on leading Equestria. 

 

Yay for character development opportunities!

[Nature's Spell 526]

I really like the idea of Applejack learning to handle a more direct leadership role like that. Applejack is a headstrong and charismatic pony, but also one that tends to be harsh on herself and her responsibilities.

 

 

You can see the worried expression on her face and the fact that she's the focus of this shot, emphasizing her role as leader. In the season to come, I am excited at the prospect of her trying to rise up to the image of Twilight as the leader of her friends while the alicorn works on leading Equestria.

 

Yay for character development opportunities!

Yes, Twilight's position may allow AJ to shine a bit more as a leader and it will be interesting to see if the writers keep going with the leadership theme. Next to Spike Applejack is Twilight's best friend, and I think she does count on her a lot. Edited November 27, 2013 by Nature's Spell

[Yellow Diamond 7,578]

AJ is probably closer to The Kirk of the Mane Six, though she typically addresses problems rather conventionally as opposed to relying on the third option. Her intuition and ability to play a hunch, however, is probably the strongest amongst the group. By contrast Rainbow fills more of the role of The McCoy, emphasizing action in spite of logic. Twilight is sort of The Spock, due to her generally reasoned approach -- but she shares elements with The Kirk role insofar as her thinking is more dynamic. So I guess if anypony is "second in command" to Twilight, AJ slides in rather nicely. Applejack is also the one who frequently acts as counsel -- Rarity occasionally fills this role too -- by shedding light onto dilemmas which otherwise stunt progress. She employs empathy to help weather most any crisis.