Big McIntosh

Big McIntosh or Big Macintosh is Applejack's and Apple Bloom's older brother and part of the Apple family. He makes his debut in the first episode, during which he idly walks in Ponyville the moment Twilight Sparkle first arrives. Later, Applejack introduces him during the Apple family reunion, although he has no speaking roles until the fourth episode, Applebuck Season. He is soft-spoken and often replies with a simple "eeyup" or "nnnope". He is first called by the nickname Big Mac in The Cutie Pox.

Development, design, name
Big McIntosh's original name was Big Apple, but it was changed at the request of Hasbro's legal department. The new name alludes to the McIntosh variety of apple, which is mostly red with green streaks on its skin. The name was spelled "Big Macintosh" on early merchandise packaging, but since mid-2012 the spelling has changed to "Big McIntosh", the same spelling used on deviantART by the show's developer, Lauren Faust, and on Twitter by one of the show's writers, M.A. Larson.

Big McIntosh's design ("size and furry fetlocks") is inspired by G1 Big Brother Ponies. His appearance is that of a draft horse: his tail is cropped, a common practice with work horses to prevent it becoming tangled in the harness or cart shafts, and he wears a yoke in all his appearances in the show, including the younger version of him in The Cutie Mark Chronicles. He is generally seen with a sprig of wheat hanging out of the side of his mouth. He and Applejack have similar large, light freckles on their cheeks. During some shots in Friendship is Magic, part 1, Winter Wrap Up, Sisterhooves Social, and MMMystery on the Friendship Express, his cutie mark is depicted with twinkles around the apple which are not present in most of the show's shots.

Faust noted in a comment on her deviantArt page that an idea for a Big McIntosh-centered episode was pitched to Hasbro but was turned down. The episode revolved around Big McIntosh gently keeping the peace in the Apple homestead, with a running gag that his sisters and Granny Smith are very verbose while he only responds with facial expressions.

Personality
Big McIntosh has a rather calm and easy-going demeanor in contrast with that of his sister. He is a pony of few words and, like the rest of his family, he speaks with an Missouri Ozarks accent. He tends to answer questions or reaffirm things with a taciturn "eeeyup" or "nnope". He is hard to agitate, although he scolds the Cutie Mark Crusaders for publishing harmful gossip about Applejack in Ponyville Confidential and is quick to discipline the scheming Crusaders in Hearts And Hooves Day. He seems to have a practical sort of wisdom; for example, he advises Applejack against single-handedly harvesting all the apples in Applebuck Season.

His close bond with his sister is evident in The Last Roundup; he cries when he learns of Applejack's note saying that she won't be returning to Ponyville.



He is humorously involved in the "want it, need it" spell fiasco in Lesson Zero, becoming infatuated with and refusing to relinquish Twilight's enchanted raggedy Smarty Pants doll. Many Ponyville citizens also fall prey to the spell and dog-pile Big Mac, but he throws them off in a cartoonish explosion. Once the spell is lifted from the doll, he still contentedly runs off with it. The episode Ponyville Confidential references his affection for the doll; one edition of the newspaper titled "Big McIntosh: What's he hiding?" features a photo of him playing with the doll by himself.

Farming
He is as an exceptional farm worker due to his strength and physical stamina. He and Applejack perform all the heavy-duty work on the farm because Granny Smith and Apple Bloom are too old and young, respectively. Farm work entails bucking apple trees, moving hay bales, plowing through soil, pulling loaded wagons, and making their famous apple cider.

Maintenance
He is also said to be good at repairing things; in Hearts and Hooves Day, Apple Bloom asks him to come and "fix" the gazebo in an attempt to lure him to the romantic picnic.

Athleticism
Big McIntosh possesses incredible physical strength. In Hearts and Hooves Day, he drags two oxen and a cart of anvils and then a house with relative ease, intent on seeing his sweetheart, Cheerilee.

History and appearances
"Eeyup."

- Big McIntosh's characteristic phrase, from Applebuck Season

Big McIntosh first appears walking through town as Twilight lands in Ponyville in episode one. Later, he briefly appears at the Apple family reunion. Although he is mentioned by name and referred to in following episodes, he does not speak until Applebuck Season. His only significant speaking roles are in Applebuck Season, Hearts and Hooves Day, and Ponyville Confidential.

Prior to the events of Applebuck Season, he was injured and so unable to harvest apples with Applejack. In Winter Wrap Up, Big McIntosh and other earth ponies clear the snow in the fields around Ponyville. He tells Applejack that Caramel had lost his seeds. In Fall Weather Friends, Big McIntosh, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom cheer on Applejack during the Iron Pony competition. Applejack's flashback in The Cutie Mark Chronicles depicts Big McIntosh as a shorter and scrawnier younger pony, anxiously watching her leave the farm to find her destiny.

A pony with Big McIntosh's design and Caramel's coat and mane colors is seen pulling a cart in the original opening sequence and in Green Isn't Your Color. In the remastered opening, which first appeared in Lesson Zero, Big McIntosh replaces him, though the character is still used as a background pony in Lesson Zero and Putting Your Hoof Down.



His first Season two appearance is in The Return of Harmony, part 2. After Discord takes over Ponyville, Big McIntosh behaves like a dog.

Big McIntosh is featured in Lesson Zero when Twilight Sparkle slams into him after attempting to break up a fight she started between the Cutie Mark Crusaders. He retrieves Smarty Pants from the fillies, but falls in love with it himself and runs away with it. The spell attracts dozens of ponies and they fight over the doll until Princess Celestia intervenes and removes the spell. Once the commotion has died down, Big McIntosh checks if the coast is clear and runs off with it again, neighing with joy.

At the beginning of Luna Eclipsed, he is pulling several ponies in a cart. He is dressed up in his Nightmare Night costume; namely, a black top hat and cape with a white skull-shaped apple on it.

In Sisterhooves Social, he assists Granny Smith as the race announcer by whispering the correct words in her ear when she makes a mistake. In The Cutie Pox, he is inside Sweet Apple Acres during the discussion of Apple Bloom's cutie marks. He cures Granny Smith's sudden Charley horse with a gentle knock to her hip. However, he does not comment on his sister's new cutie marks, simply smiling and echoing Applejack's joyful exclamations with a "eeyup" or "nnnope".

In Family Appreciation Day, he prepares for the zap apple harvest with Applejack, and speaks a partial sentence at the beginning of the episode when he, Applejack, and Apple Bloom cheer in unison that the zap apples are coming.

He works alongside his family with the cider production in The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. During the cider sales, he carries the heavy barrels to the stand and hooks them up to the tap so Apple Bloom can dispense the cider. He does not care for Flim and Flam's unfair business proposition, stamping his hoof on the ground and saying "No deal!" At the cider-making competition, he runs on a treadmill to press the apples into cider, later with help from Rainbow Dash.

Macintosh plays an important role in Hearts and Hooves Day. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo try to concoct a love potion to get Big McIntosh fall in love with their teacher, Cheerilee. However, they accidentally make love poison, which has overly powerful effects. The poison eventually wears off and Big McIntosh and Cheerilee play out an attraction towards one another to fool the Cutie Mark Crusaders. In this episode, he has a very extensive speaking role, though most of what he says are nonsensical terms of affection.

He briefly appears during the Smile Song in A Friend in Deed, giving Pinkie Pie and two fillies a ride in his hay cart.

In It's About Time, Big McIntosh helps Pinkie "disaster-proof" a bridge, suspending her by a rope held in his mouth. When Twilight walks by to inspect their work, he says "eeyup", accidentally letting go of the rope.

He briefly appears in one of the Foal Free Press prints in Ponyville Confidential, concealing the Smarty Pants doll that he collected in Lesson Zero, before appearing with Applejack later in the episode. The two engage in some character reversal in the latter: Applejack speaks with Big McIntosh's general "eeyup"s and "nope"s, while Big Mac scolds Apple Bloom and her friends for the trouble they caused.

He appears in MMMystery on the Friendship Express, carrying the Cakes' contest cake to the train station. However, the cake is so heavy that even he needs the help of the Main Six.

Appearances

 * See also character appearances

Merchandise
A Big McIntosh mini-figure toy has been released individually in mystery packs and bundled with Granny Smith and Applejack mini-figures in the Miniature Collection's Apple Family Set. The general European and Italian-specific mystery packs spell his name as "BIG MACINTOSH", and the general European mystery packs, released in January 2012, state that he "is very gentle", while the American mystery packs, released in July 2012, spell his name as "BIG MCINTOSH" with a trademark symbol and state that he "is very gentle and wise". The Miniature Collection sets released in July 2012 spell his name as "Big McIntosh" with a trademark symbol.

Quotes
"Eeyup."

- Multiple episodes

"Eenope."

- Multiple episodes

"One pony plus hundreds o' apple trees just doesn't add up to..."

- Applebuck Season

"You should be ashamed of yourself, humiliatin' your sister 'n' me like that. We don't wanna talk to any y'all right now so take your little gossip column and your embarrassing photographs and just go away!"

- Ponyville Confidential

"Shmoopy doo!!!"

- Hearts and Hooves Day

"Eeyup, pumpkin pie."

- Hearts and Hooves Day

Gallery

 * Big McIntosh image gallery