Apple Bloom

Apple Bloom is the younger sister of Big Macintosh and Applejack, and a member of the Apple family in Ponyville.

She is one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders trio along with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. She was the only named school-age pony until the episode Call of the Cutie. She doesn't have a cutie mark yet.

Development
Apple Bloom was designed by Lauren Faust for her "pitch bible" for the show in 2008. She was named Appleseed, but the name ran into copyright issues, leading to the current name. She shares her color scheme with several previous-generation ponies: Sun Shimmer, a G3 Earth pony; Sunburst, a G1 Mountain Boy Pony; and Fiesta Flair, a G3 Earth pony was only featured in the direct-to-video productions. Apple Bloom shares her talent at carpentry, art and design with Toola-Roola, a G3 Earth pony which later became one of the Core 7 ponies.

Depiction in the series
Apple Bloom's first appearance is in Friendship is Magic, part 1, where she makes a brief appearance at the Apple family reunion. She first balances a large cake on her saddle while being introduced by Applejack. After Twilight announces she can't stay for brunch, Apple Bloom pleads her to stay with puppy-eyes. Near the end of the episode when Nightmare Moon appears, she huddles together with the ponies who would later be her friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, though this was an oversight on the part of the scene's layout artist.

She makes her first prominent appearance in Bridle Gossip. At first she huddles in Sugarcube Corner with the other ponies who is hiding from Zecora, an alleged "evil enchantress". When Twilight Sparkle tries to reason everypony into talking to Zecora instead of hiding from her, she is the only pony who listens. She is believed to be trying to see Zecora before her older sister stops her, after denying that she's scared. When she discovers that Applejack and her friends are "cursed", she goes off into the forest to find Zecora. Off-screen, she befriends the mysterious character, seeing that she isn't as scary as the older ponies believe. She helps Zecora make a remedy for poison joke, the plant that was the real cause of the "curse".

Like many younger siblings, Apple Bloom resents being treated as the baby of the family. She claims she can take care of herself, though that never stops her older sister from keeping a close eye on her whenever it is necessary. She has a strong independent streak and greatly wishes to win the respect of others, especially Applejack. She bravely ventures into the Everfree Forest in Bridle Gossip, trying to befriend Zecora, who is feared by the other ponies.

Like her sister, she has a very stubborn, aggressive streak to her. Despite her sweet appearance, many adults find her hard to deal with, especially when she's with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders. Her mastery of selling apples mostly involves intimidating ponies into buying products they don't want, and she's very quick to feel aggrieved when she feels she has been wronged. However, she also possesses some of her sister's virtues, being brave (venturing into the Everfree Forest alone in Bridle Gossip), honest (as she works with Zecora and is quick to tell the truth about her to the main six in Bridle Gossip), hard-working (trying valiantly to obtain her cutie mark in Call of the Cutie and Stare Master), and affectionate towards her friends (group hugging Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo at the end of The Cutie Mark Chronicles).

Skills
Apple Bloom is skilled in practical design, craftwork and carpentry, which is implied to be her special talent in The Show Stoppers. In the same episode, she rather ineptly bases her dance routine on martial arts moves, yet in Call of the Cutie martial arts is one of the skills she unsuccessfully pursues.

Apple Bloom is the central character of Call of the Cutie. In that episode, it is revealed that she has yet to find her hidden talent, and is considered one of the "blank flanks", young ponies that have not earned a cutie mark. Despite her best efforts, she cannot succeed in finding what she's good at. She later makes friends with two fellow markless ponies, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, and formed the Cutie Mark Crusaders, a club with the sole purpose of finding their hidden talents and therefore, earn their mark.

Appearances

 * See also: Character appearances

Apple Bloom is featured in Call of the Cutie, Stare Master, Bridle Gossip, The Cutie Mark Chronicles, The Show Stoppers, The Return of Harmony Part 1, Lesson Zero, Luna Eclipsed, Sisterhooves Social, The Cutie Pox and makes brief appearances in several other episodes.

She was added to the remastered intro at the end of the train along with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

Relationships
Applejack – Applejack is Apple Bloom's older sister. Apple Bloom has been seen going to her sister for advice, and openly values her attention and respect. This doesn't always mean she gets it, however, and Apple Bloom is shown to react negatively to any over-protectiveness or disregarding of her opinions by Applejack, wanting more than anything else to be treated as an equal. In Bridle Gossip, she goes to talk to Zecora despite her sister's warnings, and when Applejack is shrunk by the poison joke, Apple Bloom takes gleeful enjoyment in taking the opportunity to bully and push her sister around for a change.

Zecora – She and Zecora become friends when everyone else in Ponyville is afraid of her during Bridle Gossip. In The Cutie Pox, Zecora mixes up a brew to fix Apple Bloom's chipped tooth, as well as curing her from the plague called cutie pox.

Apple family – Apple Bloom's family, including her sister, grandmother, and brother. In The Cutie Pox, Apple Bloom does a loopty-hoop trick with Granny Smith. Later in the episode, Big Macintosh congratulates her on getting two cutie marks and agrees with Applejack's statement of Apple Bloom maturing.

Scootaloo – Scootaloo and Apple Bloom became friends in Call of the Cutie and, along with Sweetie Belle, form the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo have strong, dominant personalities, but they seem to enjoy the friendly arguments they sometimes cause. They both have praised each other's talents and are often seen working together.

Sweetie Belle – Despite Sweetie Belle's quieter personality, Apple Bloom shows a great amount of respect for her friend, never hesitating to take her advice or go along with her plans on the occasions when she offers them.

Twist – Twist was one of Apple Bloom's earliest friends. Both are viewed as social outcasts by the popular students and, until Call of the Cutie, both lack a cutie mark. Twist is very supportive and generous towards Apple Bloom, causing Apple Bloom to turn to Twist when she feels depressed. Since Twist gained her own cutie mark in Call of the Cutie, the two have not been shown speaking to each other, though the ending of Call of the Cutie and their brief interaction in The Cutie Pox implies that the two have remained friends.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon – During the twelfth episode, the two tease Apple Bloom and Twist for not having a cutie mark, and invite them to their cute-ceañera to rub it in. By the end of the episode, however, they are upstaged when Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle arrive to defend Apple Bloom. In Cutie Pox, Apple Bloom seemed to take a special delight in upstaging Diamond Tiara in front of their classmates.

Fluttershy – During Stare Master, she and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders spend the night at Fluttershy's cottage. Initially the three don't listen to Fluttershy much and continue with experimenting with activities to earn their Cutie Marks, despite Fluttershy's protest. After Fluttershy stares a cockatrice into submission, Apple Bloom and the rest of the Crusaders have a new-found respect for her.

Quotes
"Aren't you gonna stay for brunch?"

- Friendship is Magic, part 1 {C "But I don't want one eventually! I want one right now!"

- Call of the Cutie {C "You're pretty sure, but you're not absolutely positively completely super-duper sure, are you?"

- Call of the Cutie {C "Likely story. Four bits, lady!"

- Call of the Cutie {C "I know! We could be Cutie Mark Crusader carpenters!"

- Stare Master {C "Somepony needs to put this thing out of its misery."

- Stare Master {C "How are we gonna find our special talent in our sleep?"

- Stare Master {C "You're just chicken!"

- Stare Master {C "Oh, wait, now I know how to call a chicken! Scootaloo! Scoot-scootalooooo!"

- Stare Master {C "Maybe that's our special talent. Arguing!"

- Stare Master {C "You know, ponies only have four legs."

- The Show Stoppers {C "Yeah! Uncouth? [belches] Wait. What's uncouth?"

- Sisterhooves Social {C "One. Day. Good luck!"

- Sisterhooves Social {C "Help me!"

- The Cutie Pox "Sacrebleu!! Plus de marque de cutie! Qu'est-ce que c'est?! Je parle français?"

- The Cutie Pox

Gallery

 * Apple Bloom image gallery

Trivia

 * Until Call of the Cutie, Apple Bloom was the only school-age pony who's appeared on the show who is not based on any characters from the previous line. She is later joined by many more such characters.
 * Some toys depicting Apple Bloom have her without her bow.
 * Apple Bloom is voiced by Michelle Creber, who is also the singing voice of Sweetie Belle.