Shining Armor

Shining Armor is a male unicorn pony and Twilight Sparkle's older brother. He is the captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, serving under Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and bears the title of prince as a result of his marriage to Princess Cadance. He first appears in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1, the first part of the two-part finale of the second season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, alongside Princess Cadance. A blurb on one of the toy sets featuring Shining Armor says that he and Princess Cadance "lead the Crystal Empire together!"

Season two
Shining Armor first appears in a flashback, as Twilight describes her relationship with her brother to her friends. She calls him her "B.B.B.F.F." (Big Brother Best Friend Forever), and describes him as very caring toward her, him being the only one she would be friends with at the time. They were close throughout her childhood and he was present to see her off on the day she left Canterlot for Ponyville, but they started losing touch with each other after that. Twilight fears that now he is marrying "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza", unaware that this pony is Cadance, and starting a family, they'll never see each other again.

Shining Armor later tells Twilight he was unable to tell her of his engagement in person due to a threat on the safety of Canterlot; he adds that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is Twilight's former foalsitter, Cadance. At the request of Princess Celestia, Shining Armor used his magic to create a protective barrier around Canterlot and keep it there constantly. However, unknown to everyone, Queen Chrysalis was already in Canterlot and had taken the place of Princess Cadance.

Before the wedding, Twilight tries to tell Shining Armor, but the false Cadance interrupts before they have a chance to talk and takes him into another room. Twilight, peeking through the door, sees Chrysalis, disguised as Cadance casting her spell on Shining Armor, concludes that she's "downright evil," and then runs off. Twilight at last confronts Cadance during the wedding rehearsal, causing "Cadance" to run off in tears. Shining Armor is so upset with Twilight for her actions, after justifying Cadance's behavior, he tells Twilight she is no longer his Best Mare and suggests that she should not bother coming to the wedding at all.

By the time the wedding begins, Shining Armor is completely under the power of Queen Chrysalis. He remains in a trance-like state until Twilight finally reunites him with the real Cadance. Her magic breaks the spell, but by now an army of changelings has broken through his shield and is invading Canterlot. Shining Armor tries to perform a spell to repel the changelings, but he doesn't have the power. Cadance tells Shining Armor that her love will give him strength, and the two's magic spreads outward and repels all the changelings and their queen out of Canterlot and off into the horizon.

The wedding is redone with the real Cadance involved in the planning, and Shining Armor, having reconciled with Twilight off screen, makes her his Best Mare again. He jokes with her that Cadance only agreed to marry him after he told her she'd be gaining Twilight as her sister. At the wedding, Celestia declares that the power of Cadance and Shining Armor's love is undeniable, and pronounces them "mare and colt". The couple looks onto the castle courtyard and wave to the cheering crowds, then kiss.

After a wedding reception montage, Cadance and Shining Armor prepare to leave in their chariot. Before they do, Shining Armor thanks Twilight for all her help. The happy couple then rides off into the night.

On a side note, due to Shining Armor marrying Princess Cadance, he is considered royalty similar to Prince Blueblood.

Season three
Shining Armor's first appears next in The Crystal Empire - Part 1. When Princess Celestia receives word of the Crystal Empire's return, she instructs a guard to inform him as well as his wife, Princess Cadance. Upon their arriving in the Arctic North of Equestria, he greets the Mane Six at the train station before together they run desperately to the Crystal Empire in an attempt to escape from the shadowed form of King Sombra. As the others enter through the forcefield protecting the empire, Shining Armor stays back to buy more time only for his horn to be encrusted with black crystals, cutting off his magic. Upon arriving at the castle he reunites with Cadance and stays by her side throughout the remainder of the episode, comforting her in her weakened state.

He is shown once again when the main six return from the library to tell him their plan about the Crystal Fair. After Twilight discovers that the crystal heart was a legitimate relic, she informs him and Cadance about the problem. Cadance's weak and sleep-deprived condition causes her to falter and "pass out", temporarily lowering the forcefield, only to be slightly recovered as Shining Armor persuades her to keep going.

After Twilight finds the real crystal heart and its trapped by King Sombra, she instructs Spike to bring it to Cadance. Spike quickly falls from the tower, however, and Shining Armor throws his wife in the air, right toward the heart, since she did not have the strength to launch herself on her own. His horn was restored when Sombra and all his dark crystals were destroyed by the power of the Crystal Heart. After having saved the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor jokes to Twilight that she has to stop saving him, as it has become rather embarrassing.

Shining Armor's next appearance is in Games Ponies Play, where he's seen training a group of Crystal Ponies for the Equestria Games. He briefly meets Ms. Peachbottom, whom everyone had mistaken for the Equestria Games inspector, and is shocked when she admits she is just a tourist, not to mention embarrassed when she shamelessly flirts with him. He is later present when the real inspector, Ms. Harshwhinny, announces that the Crystal Empire will be hosting the next Equestria Games.

Shining Armor also makes an appearance is in Magical Mystery Cure. He is shown crying due to Twilight's new found princesshood. However, he insists that they aren't tears, but "liquid pride."

Season four
In Pinkie Pride, Shining Armor makes a portrait cameo on Pinkie Pie's wall during his wedding reception with Cadance. Shining also appears in Equestria Games. He announces the opening of the games, and acts as commentator for the events. During the games, as Spike volunteers to sing the Cloudsdale National Anthem, Shining reminds Spike that they only play the anthem for the winners. After one of the ice archers accidentally shoots an arrow into a cloud causing it to become solid and sink down towards the stadium, Shining orders security to cut the unicorn disabling spell that Unicorns had to use before entering the stadium.

In Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2, after the princesses transfer their powers to Twilight, she tries to raise the sun. Shining notices the sun moving around funny as it rose. Soon after, Discord teleports himself to Shining, who calls him a traitor for aligning himself with Lord Tirek. He tries to attack Tirek, but has his magic stolen instead. At the end of the episode, his magic is returned to him after Twilight and her friends used the Rainbow Power against Tirek.

Depiction in the comics
In the IDW comics story arc Neigh Anything, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance tell Twilight and her friends the story of how they met and fell in love. An alternate universe version of Shining Armor - who appears sicklier than his main universe counterpart - appears on cover A of and page 11 of  alongside an alternate Cadance.

In The Fall of Sunset Shimmer, a younger Shining Armor appears playing with a younger Twilight and Princess Cadance in the background.

In, Shining Armor and Twilight try to track down a ghost that's haunting the Crystal Empire castle.

Toys
Shining Armor was put in multiple 2012 playsets, always paired with Cadance and often themed around their wedding:
 * A "Pony Princess Wedding Castle" playset, featuring a plastic castle and Playful Pony characters Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.
 * The Miniature Collection contains a Pony Wedding set, with Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, and Twilight Sparkle.
 * A Target exclusive playset with Shining Armor and Princess Cadance Fashion Style ponies, which states the couple "lead the Crystal Empire together".

He is also mentioned on the large talking Princess Cadance toy's packaging, which states "Princess Cadance can't wait to marry her prince, Shining Armor".

Mobile game
Shining Armor is one of the available playable characters in Gameloft's mobile game. The game sometimes lists him as Prince Shining Armor. An early preview of the game listed him as Shining Armour instead of Shining Armor.

My Little Pony mobile game description
''Twilight Sparkle's big brother Shining Armor is Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard. He is also married to Princess Cadance.''

Trading cards
Shining Armor is listed as possessing a seventh Element of Harmony, Love, in the 2012 My Little Pony trading cards; the initial release additionally lists it as his pet. The element is also attributed to Princess Cadance.

In the Enterplay collectible card game's expansion set Canterlot Nights, Cherry Fizzy's card #29 C states that "Cherry Fizzy has been friends with Shining Armor since their first day of basic training", and Twilight Velvet's card #66 C states that Shining Armor "was Captain of the Guard in Canterlot, and is now Prince of the Crystal Empire".

Promotional material
In a video uploaded by The Hub's YouTube channel during the week between the screening and airing of A Canterlot Wedding, Katherine Kallinis mentions "The Hub's My Little Pony Royal Wedding of Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor".

The home page of Treehouse TV's My Little Pony Royal Wedding Contest site states "Princess Cadance, niece of Princess Celestia, and Prince Shining Armor, brother of Twilight Sparkle, are getting married".

The Meet the Ponies page of an Australian My Little Pony Wedding promotional site uses fanart of Shining Armor, lists him as Shining Armour and reuses the large talking Princess Cadance toy's packaging description stating "Princess Cadance can't wait to marry her prince, Shining Armor".

On May 16, 2013, the official European Spanish My Little Pony Facebook page posted fanart of Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle along with the question "¿Sabéis cómo se llama el futuro marido de la princesa Cadance, que también es el hermano mayor de Twilight Sparkle?"

The Elements of Harmony guidebook
''SHINING ARMOR is the Unicorn captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard as well as the coleader of the Crystal Empire alongside his wife, Princess Cadance. He's also Twilight Sparkle's protective older brother, whom she affectionately calls her "BBBFF" (Big Brother Best Friend Forever).''

Quotes
"A threat has been made against Canterlot. We don't know who is responsible for it, but Princess Celestia asked that I help provide additional protection."

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1

"The burden of keeping Canterlot safe and secure rests squarely on my shoulders."

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1

"You're my little sister. Of course you're important to me. But I would understand if you didn't want to be my best mare now."

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1

"No! My power is useless now. I don't have the strength to repel them."

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

"I told her she wouldn't just be gaining a husband; she'd be getting a pretty great sister too."

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

"None of this would've been possible without you, little sis. Love ya, Twily."

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

"You've gotta stop saving my rump like this. It's starting to get embarrassing."

- The Crystal Empire - Part 2

"Come on, gang! Are we gonna gallop, or are we gonna trot!?"

- Games Ponies Play

"Of course not, it's... it's liquid pride. Totally different thing."

- Magical Mystery Cure

"Let the games begin!"

- Equestria Games

"Back off, traitor."

- Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2

"How could you... do this?"

- Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2

"Twilight, you're scaring the staff! Crystal ghosts aren't even real. That's just a legend that goes back to the days of King Sombra, hundreds of moons ago."

- page 5