Spike

Spike, also known as Spike the Dragon, is a male baby dragon and one of the seven main characters of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. He is Twilight Sparkle's best friend and number one assistant. He has the ability to magically deliver scrolls to and from Princess Celestia with his green fire breath, which features in many episodes, as does his crush on Rarity.

Development
Spike's appearance is based on his Generation 1 incarnation more than his Generation 3 version, with a few modifications done by Lauren Faust. In G1, he was portrayed as a baby dragon with green spikes, and his body was pink. In his G3 incarnation, he was a 1,000-year old dragon with orange spikes, purple hair, and a blue body. He is the only main character who was taken from G1 other than Applejack.

The 2014 documentary A Brony Tale mentions that Ashleigh Ball, the voice of both Rainbow Dash and Applejack, originally auditioned for Spike.

Dog Spike, as he is in the human world, is not human because, as stated by Meghan McCarthy, "1) It would be weird for Twilight to hide a small boy in her backpack. 2) Dragon through portal doesn’t = same as pony."

Lauren Faust said in an interview that she had to fight for Cathy Weseluck to be the voice of Spike, because Hasbro originally wanted him to sound rather gruff and scratchy, similar to Charlie Adler's interpretation of the character in the G1 movies and TV series.

Spike's crush on Rarity was not planned out from the beginning. When Lauren Faust was writing Rarity's introduction scene in the pilot, she wanted the audience to understand that she's very beautiful even though she is visually very similar to the other ponies, except the style of her mane and her eyes and eyelashes. To let the audience understand that she is beautiful, Faust made Spike become smitten with her, which developed into his crush on Rarity.

Playfulness
Spike is occasionally sarcastic and sometimes laughs at others' misfortunes, even though he usually means well. In Bridle Gossip, he comes up with nicknames for the ponies after their appearances change from an exposure to poison joke: Hairity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty Pie, Apple Teeny, Flutterguy, and Twilight Flopple. In Winter Wrap Up, he makes fun of Twilight's terrible nest-making and skating skills. However, he is very helpful and supportive towards Twilight in Lesson Zero. For instance, Spike is the only member of the main cast to take Twilight's concerns about missing a report to Princess Celestia seriously, unlike the others.

Spike is a fun-loving dragon: he enjoys the welcome party that Pinkie Pie throws for Twilight in Friendship is Magic, part 1, and scarfs down candy in Luna Eclipsed.

Sensitivity
In Owl's Well That Ends Well, he feels insecure and jealous when Twilight finds another assistant, Owlowiscious. When Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash tell Twilight about Spike's insecurity, she says, "Spike knows he can't be replaced." In Lesson Zero, Spike gets worried as Twilight becomes increasingly nervous about the due date for her friendship report. In the The Crystal Empire - Part 2, Spike and Twilight find a door enchanted by King Sombra that shows their greatest fears. Spike has a vision in which Twilight sends him away forever, scaring him.

Self-image
Spike is often defensive about his masculinity and dismissive of things he considers "girly," although his outward disdain is often a front. In The Ticket Master, for instance, Spike scoffs at the idea of attending the "girly gala gunk" throughout the episode, but he becomes overjoyed when Princess Celestia sends him a ticket at the end. He quickly reverts to not liking it when he sees Applejack looking at him, but both laugh about it afterwards.

In Party of One, when Pinkie tells him to confess, he admits to admiring his own reflection in a mirror when nobody else is around. He does this again in The Crystalling - Part 1. In Read It and Weep, Twilight says to Rainbow Dash, "Just because you're athletic doesn't mean you aren't smart!" Spike adds, "Yeah, just look at me," curls his arm, and kisses his bicep, only to get weird looks from the mares.

Generosity and greed
Spike magically matures through his greediness in Secret of My Excess. On his birthday, Spike goes around Ponyville and requests gifts from passersby. He lets his greed get the better of him, causing him to grow into a gangly "teenager" by the next day. Zecora explains that his greed makes him grow into a monster. As he continues to grow, he develops more lizard-like qualities, such as slit pupils and a long thin-forked tongue, and his voice deepens, eventually degenerating into simple roars.

As a massive dragon, Spike kidnaps Rarity and wreaks havoc on Ponyville. He only returns to normal when he sees Rarity wearing the fire ruby he gave her earlier in the episode, and remembers when he gave it to her. At the end of the episode, Spike concludes that he'd rather be generous, because hoarding doesn't compare to giving.

However, Spike still loves collecting and eating gems. In Just For Sidekicks, Spike agrees to take care of the ponies' pets in exchange for gems so he can bake a jewel cake. However, Spike gradually loses his gem supply throughout the day as he struggles to keep the pets in control, learning a valuable lesson in responsibility.

Hatching
As a filly in a flashback from The Cutie Mark Chronicles, Twilight is faced with an entrance exam for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. The test is to hatch a dragon egg with magic. She struggles to produce traces of magic from her horn; however, the shock wave from Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom triggers an uncontrolled release of Twilight's latent power, not only hatching Spike but also enlarging him into the size of an adult dragon, and causing mayhem in the exam room. Princess Celestia herself intervenes and brings Twilight's magic under control. Followed up on in the IDW comics' Issue #40, Spike becomes Twilight's friend and assistant.

Spike's egg is colored shades of purple in The Cutie Mark Chronicles, The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1, and Dragon Quest, but in Friendship is Magic, part 1, he tells Fluttershy that he hatched from a "cute little purple and green egg", and in The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1, one of Twilight's slides depicts a white and green version.

Lauren Faust elaborated on her take on these events, which a section below covers.

Assistant to Twilight Sparkle
Spike, serving as Twilight's assistant, moves with her to Ponyville in Friendship is Magic, part 1 when Celestia orders Twilight to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. Throughout the series he sends correspondence between Twilight and the Princess using his magical fire breath, helps organize and fetch books, reads and writes letters, keeps Twilight's checklists, and helps her practice magic. He usually writes right-handed, although in Lesson Zero he writes with his left hand.

Spike finds Twilight her old copy of Predictions and Prophecies, re-shelves Twilight's pile of books, and checks off items in her Summer Sun Celebration checklist in Friendship is Magic, part 1. In Griffon the Brush Off, Spike gets scrolls from the Ponyville town hall. He helps Twilight practice magic in the beginning of Boast Busters and also in Feeling Pinkie Keen. Also, in the aforementioned episodes, Spike takes notes for Twilight and carries the books from the library. In Bridle Gossip, Spike offers the book Super Naturals and stays at the library to look for a cure to the ponies' affliction while they go to Zecora's house in the woods. In Owl's Well That Ends Well, he prepares a picnic entirely by himself, and later accidentally burns a book he was supposed to put back in place. The next morning, he oversleeps and tries to make up to Twilight for the "morning chores" he did not do. He tidies up the library in The Return of Harmony Part 2. He fills so many checklists in Lesson Zero that he gets a claw-cramp, and carries a broom at the library in Read It and Weep.

Sleepiness
In Friendship is Magic, part 1, Twilight says that Spike is a baby and needs to get his sleep (despite Spike stating the contrary) as an excuse to send Fluttershy away. In Friendship is Magic, part 2, she tucks him in his bed when she and her new friends set out to find the Elements of Harmony. He is sleepy at the beginning of Winter Wrap Up too, owing to the very early hour at which Twilight wakes up. His sleepiness concerns Twilight in Owl's Well That Ends Well, and she finds a second assistant, Owlowiscious, to relieve him of some of the workload at night.

In Magical Mystery Cure, Twilight wakes Spike up during Morning in Ponyville. Spike instantly flops back down into his basket. He later complains about not being allowed to sleep in, as he enjoys sleeping while it's raining out.

Identity as a dragon
Spike doesn't "act like other dragons" and acts more like a pony. In Dragon Quest, Spike questions his identity and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Due to his lack of knowledge of his origins, as well as the ponies' lack of knowledge in dragons in general, Spike decides to follow the dragon migration. He meets a group of teenagers who initially mock him for his small size and the fact that he socializes with ponies. However, after belly-flopping hard into the lava pool, Spike is accepted to the group. Spike believes that being rough, strong, physical, and dominating is what it means to be a dragon. When he follows the other dragons on a raid for phoenix eggs, the other dragons encourage him to break one of the eggs they find. Spike is unwilling to break it and defies the group. As a result, the other dragons turn against him. Rarity, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, who have been following him the whole time, come out of hiding and stick up for him. At that point, Spike finally realizes what's important is not what he is but who he is, and that is being Spike, a baby dragon who is family with a group of ponies. The IDW comics' Issue #14 follows up later.

In Spike at Your Service, Spike follows a "dragon code" that sees him honoring a life debt to and serving Applejack when she saves him from a group of ravenous timberwolves. Spike is so dedicated to this code that he is willing to stop being Twilight's assistant in order to adhere to it, until Applejack returns the favor to make them even. In Gauntlet of Fire, Spike briefly serves as Dragon Lord, giving a command to Garble before passing the title on to Ember.

Crush on Rarity
Spike develops a crush on Rarity the moment he sees her in Friendship is Magic, part 1, a scene that was written by Lauren Faust to illustrate Rarity's beauty to the audience. He goes to great lengths for her affection. In Boast Busters, he tries to impress her with a mustache conjured through Twilight's magic. Spike is protective toward Rarity in A Dog and Pony Show. Though he is all but defeated by the Diamond Dogs, he still tries to find ways to rescue Rarity, like using the gem she gave him earlier as bait. In Owl's Well That Ends Well, Rarity calls Spike "simply amazing" and gives him a bow tie laden with jewels.

Spike treats his crush on Rarity as a secret in Green Isn't Your Color, though his feelings are so obvious to other ponies that he wears a shirt with Rarity surrounded by a heart as a visual gag. Pinkie Pie, who is privy to the "secret" as much as the other ponies, still acts very surprised when Spike reveals his secret to her.

Despite all of this, Spike and Rarity's relationship develops to become stronger in later episodes. In Secret of My Excess, Spike generously gives Rarity a fire ruby that she covets. In gratitude, she kisses him on the cheek and calls him "Spikey-wikey." During Spike's birthday party, they affectionately rub their cheeks together. Later in the episode, when Spike returns to normal after growing into a monstrous dragon and he and Rarity plummet to the ground, Spike very nearly confesses his feelings for her, but Rarity stops him mid-sentence and gives a teary smile at him, and Spike smiles back. After they are rescued by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, Rarity calls Spike her hero and kisses him on the cheek again.

Rarity shows a more caring and sensitive feeling for Spike in Dragon Quest and still calls him "Spikey-wikey." She stands up for him when Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash pick on him and when Spike decides to join the dragon migration, Rarity tries to change his mind, telling him that she doesn't want him to get hurt by the other dragons. Later, she even threatens to hurt the older dragons if they harm Spike.

In Simple Ways, Spike helps Rarity in her attempts to win the heart of Trenderhoof, despite his own feelings for her.

In Inspiration Manifestation, Spike assists Rarity as she designs a puppet theater for the Foal and Filly Fair. She thanks Spike for his help, defining him one of her dearest and most supportive friends calling him her "favorite dragon". When harsh reception meets Rarity's theater and she falls into a depression, Spike helps by finding a spell from a hidden spell book to bring Rarity's ideas to life. However, the spell corrupts Rarity, and Spike worries that telling her to stop will cost him her friendship. Spike soon tells Rarity the truth about her actions, breaking the spell, and Rarity tells Spike he should never be afraid of telling her the truth, and the two share a friendly hug.

In some situations, Spike is even submissive in his devotion to Rarity. In Green Isn't Your Color, he gladly offers his body as a pincushion for Rarity to use while she designs a dress. In Party of One, he takes out Rarity's garbage and addresses her as "most beautiful one". He looks at her lovingly even after she says he smells "like a rotten apple core that's been wrapped in moldy hay and dipped in dragon perspiration." In Rarity Takes Manehattan, Spike carries Rarity's bags to the train station and through the streets of Manehattan.

In Castle Sweet Castle and The Times They Are A Changeling, Spike has a stuffed doll shaped like Rarity.

Heroism
Though Spike is young and often stated to only be a baby dragon, he occasionally has moments of great heroism and bravery. In A Dog and Pony Show, he persists in his attempt to rescue Rarity from the Diamond Dogs. He imagines himself as a suave knight who easily defeats the dogs to save his "Lady Rarity."

In The Crystal Empire - Part 2, when Twilight is unable to deliver the Crystal Heart to defeat King Sombra, Spike braves Sombra's black crystal spires to deliver the artifact himself, a feat which he is recognized for with a title and statue in Equestria Games.

In Spike at Your Service, Spike saves Applejack's life from a giant timberwolf. In Power Ponies, he overcomes the powerless role of Hum Drum and saves his friends from the evil Mane-iac. In Equestria Games, he saves thousands of Crystal Ponies' lives from a giant mass of ice by melting it with his fire breath.

In Ponyville's collective dream in Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?, Spike transforms into his suave knight persona from A Dog and Pony Show and rides on Derpy's back to help defeat the Tantabus.

In The Crystalling - Part 1, Spike says that he loves reliving his heroic moments. Starlight Glimmer takes advantage of this to stall her meeting with Sunburst. In Gauntlet of Fire, he takes part in the Gauntlet to prevent other dragons with malicious intentions from becoming Dragon Lord.

In The Times They Are A Changeling, Spike risks his celebrity status in the Crystal Empire for the sake of his new changeling friend Thorax.

Magic fire breath
Spike, exemplary of the "magic burping dragons" mentioned by Sunset Shimmer in the IDW comics' My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Holiday Special, has the ability to transport scrolls back and forth between Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia, by means of magical fire breath. He sends notes by breathing magic green fire onto them, then blowing their ashes into the air. The ashes re-materialize themselves into notes after they arrive at Celestia's location. Spike can likewise belch out a jet of green flame which then materializes into a letter. This ability is able to teleport multiple papers, as showcased on some occasions. Spike sends multiple notes all at once in Griffon the Brush Off, and transports six tickets to the Gala in The Ticket Master. He does have his limits, though: Twilight finds him curled up on the floor, groaning and clutching his stomach, after Princess Celestia sends him too many scrolls in The Return of Harmony Part 2. In Feeling Pinkie Keen, Celestia comes to collect one of the scrolls herself, right as Spike is about to send it from the library's terrace.

Spike's fire has different effects on objects in different situations. In Griffon the Brush Off, his fiery hiccups cause Princess Celestia to be showered with a large number of scrolls, which he can also do voluntarily. In Owl's Well That Ends Well, he accidentally incinerates a book with a sneeze. He likewise incinerated a news paper during Ponyville Confidential, after being startled. He has also used his fire to cook food in Over a Barrel, A Bird in the Hoof, and Apple Family Reunion. In the episode Griffon the Brush Off, Spike mentions he was fireproof, but in Owl's Well That Ends Well, his spines are slightly burned by the wild dragon. In Inspiration Manifestation, Spike's fire breath melts a metal padlock.

In Equestria Games, Spike is in charge of lighting the torch for the opening ceremony of the Equestria Games. But when he see the thousands of ponies from the crowd watching him, his nerves gets the best of him and his fire breath seems to not work anymore. Later in the episode, an ice archer accidentally hits a cloud in the sky, making it turn into a large mass of ice that falls toward the stadium. When the Pegasi are unable to divert it away from the crowd, and the security guards have no time to undo their magic-disabling spell on the unicorns, Spike springs into action, jumping up on the backs of Shining Armor and several Pegasi, and shoots the ice from below with a tremendous blast of fire, melting it into water and steam. His fire breath during this action is orange-yellow instead of its typical green.

In The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2, Spike uses his fire breath to prove to the changeling resistance that he is not a changeling. In My Little Pony The Movie, it is used to inflate a hot-air balloon and as a weapon against the Storm King's forces.

Lauren Faust elaborated on her take of Spike's magic fire breath, which a section covers below.

Digging for gems
During the episode A Dog and Pony Show, Spike digs up gems for Rarity. He uses several different techniques, including scrabbling at the ground with his claws, using the splay of his tail as a shovel, and bouncing on his tail like a jackhammer. The effort doesn't seem to tire him in the least.

Commentating and announcing
Over the course of the series, Spike has shown talent and enthusiasm for announcing at events. His first taste is in Fall Weather Friends where he commentates on the Iron Pony Competition, and he is quite disheartened when Pinkie Pie is set as the announcer for the Running of the Leaves. Fortunately she asks him to be her co-announcer, much to his delight. He continues this role in Suited For Success, where he emcees Rarity's fashion show. In Hearth's Warming Eve, he narrates the Canterlot Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.

Musical talents
Spike can be heard humming the opening theme song in Griffon the Brush Off. In Over a Barrel, Spike proficiently plays the piano for Pinkie Pie's musical number. In Party Pooped, Spike appears again to proficiently play the piano, but this is revealed to be a player piano. Spike's "predecessor" in the 1986 My Little Pony movie plays the piano for one of the ponies' musical number as well. Spike also plays a double-flute in Hurricane Fluttershy.

Spike is among the singers of The Heart Carol and The Flim Flam Brothers, but his singing voice is not heard clearly until The Failure Song, in which he sings backup for Twilight. He also sings in The Ballad of the Crystal Empire, and he also sings in the background (though voice not heard) during A True, True Friend, Life in Equestria, Pinkie the Party Planner, Hearth's Warming Eve Is Here Once Again (Reprise), and Time to Be Awesome.

In Testing Testing 1, 2, 3 and The Cutie Re-Mark, Spike plays a drum.

Spike sings the Cloudsdale Anthem at the Equestria Games wrong because he thought he was going to sing the Ponyville Anthem which he knows the words to. He attempts to sing the anthem after he fails to light the opening ceremony torch to the games when he learns it was lit with the help of Twilight.

Spike gets his first solo on the album It's a Pony Kind of Christmas singing a big band version of Jolly Ol' St. Nick, and his first solo in the series, A Changeling Can Change, in The Times They Are A Changeling.

In My Little Pony The Movie, Spike has a singing role in We Got This Together.

Dietary habits
Spike's love of eating gems is shown in several episodes. In A Dog and Pony Show, Spike is tempted to eat the gems that Rarity asks him to dig up. In Over a Barrel, Little Strongheart offers Spike a bowl of turquoises at dinnertime. In Party of One, Pinkie bribes him with a plate of gems. In Secret of My Excess, Spike prefers a sapphire cupcake over his birthday cake. In Just for Sidekicks, he wants to bake his gems into a cake, but every time he tries, he ends up eating them. In Equestria Games, Spike tells the Crystal Pony feeding him that he likes the green gems.

In The Ticket Master, he tries to order rubies at a café but settles for extra crispy "hay fries." He suggests trying another restaurant, asking "would it hurt anybody to offer some gemstones?" In The Best Night Ever, he binges on doughnuts while waiting for his friends. In Applebuck Season, he snacks on putrid worm-filled muffins without getting sick, even though ponies get food poisoning from them. However, in It's About Time, Spike gets a stomach ache when he eats too much ice cream.

Cooking
Spike has been shown and mentioned to be a good cook. In Owl's Well That Ends Well, Twilight mentions Spike baked the cookies all the ponies liked. Spike bakes the food for Princess Celestia's party in A Bird in the Hoof, mentions in Over a Barrel that he fire-roasted the ponies' snacks earlier that day, and in Dragon Quest makes and serves the tea and baked goods everypony eats while watching the dragon migration. However, in Spike at Your Service, he burns an apple pie while baking. In Just for Sidekicks, Spike attempts to collect gems for a cake he is making, but he ends up eating all the jewels before they can go in the batter.

In Twilight Sparkle's Hot Minute, Twilight mentions that Spike makes great nachos. In Twilight Time, Spike comes out with a plate of nachos, but Twilight suggests making more for all of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' classmates. By the time all of the classmates are gone, Spike comes back with a huge pile of nachos. He then expresses frustration over the fact that his work was for nothing. At the end of the episode, all the nachos are shown in the garbage can outside the library.

Peewee
Peewee is Spike's pet phoenix in Dragon Quest. Spike and a group of teenage dragons, led by Garble, come upon a phoenix nest that the dragons destroy. They chase away two adult phoenixes and five of their hatchlings, but one egg remains. Spike finds the egg and refuses to smash it despite the other dragons' demands. At that point Spike's pony friends reach the scene and Twilight teleports them back to Ponyville. Spike keeps the unhatched egg, and at the end of the episode it hatches, and Spike welcomes "Peewee" to the family. At the beginning of Just for Sidekicks, there is a small picture gallery of Spike looking after him. One picture depicts Spike sharing some ice cream with Peewee, and another depicts the carton ending up on top of Twilight's head, covering her in ice cream. The final picture shows Spike returning Peewee to his parents.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls
In My Little Pony Equestria Girls, Spike follows Twilight through the portal to the alternate world, in which he turns into a dog. He gives Twilight advice as they navigate Canterlot High School, and finds a place for them to sleep in the library. As a dog, he enjoys belly rubs and being scratched behind the ears. Spike also crushes on the human Rarity the same way as her pony counterpart. When Twilight Sparkle is about to inform her alternate world friends about her real identity, Pinkie Pie interrupts her stating a very accurate hunch, but when Rainbow Dash highly doubts that it is likely the case, Spike speaks out loud affirming Pinkie Pie's assumptions, shocking the girls.

Sunset Shimmer sends Snips and Snails to take Spike hostage. When Sunset Shimmer is defeated, Spike cheers out loud, and "Brawly Beats" says, "Did that dog just talk? Whoa. Weird," to which Spike comments, "Seriously? The talking dog is a weird thing about all this?" Rarity says she thinks Spike is adorable.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks
When Twilight receives a letter from Sunset Shimmer about the lack of harmony at CHS being caused by the Dazzlings, Spike once again follows Twilight through a modified Crystal Mirror to return to the human universe, once again becoming a puppy. He tells Twilight's CHS friends that Twilight now has a castle and has been crowned "Princess of Friendship". At one point during a slumber party, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Sunset take a selfie, which Spike photobombs, much to Rarity's irritation. During the Bad Counter Spell, Spike attempts to make Twilight and her friends feel better about their poor performance, saying it's better than the last five times they played, until Big McIntosh walks by and disagrees with him. After Trixie and the Illusions set a trap for the Rainbooms by persuasion from The Dazzlings, Spike is the only one to not fall into the trap, and he runs off to find help. During the Mane Event's final round, Spike returns to rescue the Rainbooms with the help of DJ Pon-3, since she was immune to the sirens' song since she never takes off her headphones. During the end credits, Spike is seen as a dragon eating dog biscuits in a Katrina Hadley drawing.

Perfect Day for Fun
A puppy version of Spike appears in the animated short Perfect Day For Fun!, where he proves his strength against Rainbow Dash and Applejack on the high-striker. He is also seen in the group picture at the end of the song along with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Flash Sentry, Big McIntosh, Granny Smith, Cheerilee, Trixie, DJ Pon-3, and Vice Principal Luna.

Hot Minute
In a promotional short released on YouTube before the start of season four, Rarity states that she is not a fan of wings. Spike, unexpectedly present, asks her what she thinks of his wings, which she assures him are lovely. Curiously, the short uses the standard Spike model, which does not have wings.

My Little Pony: Dragonfire
On April 1, 2014 (April Fools' Day), the Hub Network released a promo on their official YouTube channel for a fictional My Little Pony spin-off called "My Little Pony: Dragonfire". In the promo, Spike is depicted as human with small dragon-like fangs and being a "Quarter Tech, Mark: 'Dragonfire', Division M-6" soldier.

Other depictions
Spike is voiced by Kira Buckland in PlayDate Digital's app Power Ponies.

A promotional image posted by the official European Spanish My Little Pony Facebook page on April 2, 2015 uses fanart of Spike.

Lauren Faust
Lauren Faust, the show's developer, had suggested that after the entrance exam, it was Princess Celestia who raised and trained Spike before he ended up as Twilight Sparkle's assistant later in life, where Princess Celestia believed they did belong together since it was Twilight Sparkle who hatched him. Faust further suggests that the egg-hatching test was arranged for Twilight Sparkle by Princess Celestia because she sensed her connection to the Elements of Harmony, but adds that the show's current crew may treat the story differently; Jim Miller stated that Celestia did not raise Spike. In Dragon Quest, a line by Twilight Sparkle refers to the entrance exam; the IDW comics' Issue #40 establishes that after the entrance exam, Princess Celestia took care of him until Twilight Sparkle's first day at the School for Gifted Unicorns, at which point he was given to Twilight Sparkle.

IDW comics
In the IDW comics story arc Reflections, an alternate universe's Spike appears on cover A and page 3 and  pages 11 and 25. This Spike has fangs on his bottom jaw instead of the top.

In My Little Pony Annual 2017, Spike temporarily assumes his adult form after being exposed to magic left behind by Princess Amore, and he teams up with Shining Armor to quell a changeling invasion.

In Wings Over Yakyakistan, Spike gets involved in a conflict between Ember and the yaks when the dragons attack Yakyakistan, and he serves as a peacekeeper between the two sides.

Chapter books
In the chapter book Rarity and the Curious Case of Charity, Spike develops a crush on Rarity's apprentice Charity Sweetmint and eagerly does various things for her throughout the book. When Spike displays infatuation toward Charity Sweetmint and Charity likewise dotes on him, Rarity shows signs of jealousy, especially when Charity addresses him as "Spikey-Wikey".

Magazine
Spike is featured in the Dutch magazine story Trixie Trucjes. Trixie changes Spike's color to pink when he infuriates Trixie by saying that Twilight Sparkle is more powerful. Twilight immediately changes Spike back to normal.

Teacher for a Day description
''Spike is a baby dragon with a big job - he is Twilight Sparkle's Number One Assistant! The two have been friends forever since Twilight Sparkle's first day at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot.''

''When Princess Celestia sent Twilight to Ponyville to learn about the magic of friendship, Spike was right by her side. And when the Princess has a message for Twilight, she sends a letter to Spike.''

''When Spike belches, he isn't being impolite - he is receiving Princess Celestia's letter! When the ponies want to tell the Princess about their adventures, Spike writes letters and sends them off to Canterlot in a puff of dragon fire.''

Hasbro.com description
''Assistant number one is Spike the dragon! He's fierce, and ferocious, and hungry for gems! Brave and true, you can count on him to stand up to anything, no matter how big. In his dreams he's a gallant dragon in shining armor, but in his heart, he's a devoted friend and confident. As a loyal companion to Twilight, Spike knows that helping others is what true heroes do. Though Rarity is the gem of his eye, you can always depend on Spike to lend a helping hand.''

HubNetwork.com description
''Twilight Sparkle adopted Spike the dragon when he was just an orphaned egg. He's been her faithful sidekick ever since. When he's not helping with her studies, Spike might be found eating gems. He doesn't know much about dragon culture, but he has an unexplainable ability to send and receive messages between his friends and Princess Celestia ... when he burps!''

The Elements of Harmony guidebook
''Under orders from Princess Celestia, SPIKE THE DRAGON joined Twilight Sparkle in relocating from Canterlot to Ponyville. Twilight endearingly calls Spike her "number one assistant" for his extreme loyalty and ability to recognize when Twilight needs help. He has an incurable crush on Rarity, an insatiable appetite for sparkly gems, and the uniquely comical ability to messenger letters via his fiery dragon breath. Spike was found orphaned as an egg, and his origins remain a mystery.''

Volume II guidebook
''Need a helping hand, a quick delivery, or friendly smile? There's a passionate little Dragon named SPIKE who can do all three (and then some). He's a handy pal to have around when trouble rears its ugly head. But Spike wasn't always so confident and self-assured. A sensitive and playful spirit, he's grown in leaps and bounds since arriving in Equestria. His journey began as a mysterious egg that young Twilight Sparkle hatched during her time at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. After a bit of enchanted chaos, Celestia witnessed something very special: A bond had formed between her favorite student and the baby Dragon. The two became fast friends and grew even closer over time. Spike eventually became Twilight's faithful assistant and traveled with her to Ponyville. Together with their new friends, Spike and Twilight discovered the Magic of Friendship.''

Spike loved hanging out with the Mane Six but took a liking'' to Rarity. He had a total crush on her! Rarity considered Spike a supportive friend and her favorite Dragon. He even helped her out of a down period after her design for a puppet theater was met with a not-so-great response. However, Spike didn't inform Rarity that a spell meant to help had accidentally corrupted her. He was too afraid of losing her friendship. After breaking the spell, the two friends made up, and Rarity reminded Spike that he should never be afraid of telling the truth. It was a lesson he kept with him from that point onward.''

''As the only Dragon in a group of ponies, Spike often felt out of place. His friends poked fun at him for acting more like a pony than a Dragon. It made him question his identity and where he came from. He decided to investigate his origin and took off in a great Dragon migration, looking for answers. Spike soon found himself in the Dragonlands, competing in the Gauntlet of Fire to become the new Dragon Lord. It all happened so fast! After some hard-won teamwork, Spike realized that it's not what he is that's important. It's who he is that really matters, and that's a baby Dragon with a pony family.''

The Art of My Little Pony: The Movie description
''Under orders from Princess Celestia, SPIKE the Dragon joined Twilight Sparkle when she relocated from Canterlot to Ponyville. He has an incurable crush on Rarity and an insatiable appetite for sparkly gems. While Spike is the fire-breathing type of dragon, he does not resemble his fearsome reptilian brethren found throughout Equestria, and his origins remain a mystery. Found orphaned as an egg and accepted by Ponykind, Spike is uncertain of his destiny but resolute in his devotion to Twilight Sparkle.''

Merchandise
A Spike figure is included in Twilight Sparkle's Twinkling Balloon set, the Canterlot Palace Friends set, the Royal Ball at Canterlot set, and the molded 5-Pack Gift Set. The Royal Ball set also gives him a bow tie.

A Spike the Puppy toy is included with a pajama party-themed My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks doll of Twilight Sparkle.

The Guardians of Harmony line includes a toy of giant Spike in mounting armor.

Quotes
"Maybe the ponies in Ponyville have interesting things to talk about! C'mon, Twilight, just try!"

- Friendship is Magic, part 1

"Hello, Rarity. What's that? Aw, it's nothin', just my awesome mustache. [laughter]"

- Boast Busters

"Z-Z-Zombie ponies?!"

- Bridle Gossip

"Say it, don't spray it!"

- Bridle Gossip

"This is hilarious! Look at all of you! We got: Hairity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty Pie, Apple Teeny, Flutterguy, and... uh... I got nothin'.... Twilight Sparkle. I mean seriously, I can't even work with that...!"

- Bridle Gossip

"You are a natural! A natural disaster!!"

- Winter Wrap Up

"Can you do that? Can you explode twice?"

- Feeling Pinkie Keen

"Aaah! Rarity... woods... jewels... dogs... hole... taken... SAVE HER!"

- A Dog and Pony Show

"Now, where is Lady Rarity?"

- A Dog and Pony Show

"I'm coming for you, my lady. Hi-ho, Twilight! Away!"

- A Dog and Pony Show

"I'm gonna tell you two a secret. But you have to promise not to tell anyone. [...] I have a crush on Rarity!"

- Green Isn't Your Color

"[mocking] 'He's just wonderful.' Uh, yes. Wonderful. He's quite... the charmer."

- Owl's Well That Ends Well

"Another donut! Extra sprinkles!"

- The Best Night Ever

"Oh, please! You're the most studious student ever! I'm sure the princess will forgive you if you miss one little deadline."

- Lesson Zero

"P.S.: Obviously, Spike did not have to learn a lesson, because he is the most awesome friend a pony could ask for. Unlike everypony else, he took things seriously and— Uh, yeah. I'll just, um..."

- Lesson Zero

"Ugh, the rainbow wig just kills it for me."

- Luna Eclipsed

"Bet'cha can't say that ten times fast."

- The Cutie Pox

"I will never wash this cheek again."

- About being kissed on the cheek by Rarity in Secret of My Excess

"Spike want!!!!"

- Secret of My Excess

"Rarity? I need to tell you something! Just in case we don't make it! I've always sort of had a crush–"

- Secret of My Excess

"Then maybe you won't mind if I...eat an entire tub of ice cream!"

- It's About Time

"Run away!"

- Dragon Quest

"Oh, yeah? Just wait until you see what I have planned for the bachelor party!"

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

"The dragon is the finest creature ever! There's more to it than just guarding treasure!"

- Spike at Your Service

"Nah, pshaw. I'll be fine. But, uh, just between you and me, I gotta give priority to the... paying customers."

- Just for Sidekicks

"Are you kidding? Twilight can find a rulebook for everything!"

- Pinkie Pride

"It's magic!"

- Inspiration Manifestation

"The spell took over you, and you wanted to change everything in Equestria. I was afraid to tell you how I really felt about it, but then I...I told you the truth."

- Inspiration Manifestation

"Today I learned how important it is to be honest with your friends when they're doing something that you don't think is right. A true friend knows that you're speaking up because you care about them."

- Inspiration Manifestation

"Whenever I'm afraid I'll forget something and I start to panic. I have a simple trick. I count to ten, and by the time I'm done, I've calmed myself enought to get the job right every time. Easy peasy, cider squeezy."

- Equestria Games

"You know, it's kinda weird. No matter how many times others tell you you're great. All the praise in the world means nothing if you don't feel it inside. Sometimes, to feel good about yourself, you gotta let go of the past. That way, when the time comes to let your greatness fly, you'll be able to light up the whole sky."

- Equestria Games

"Awesome! Me and Big Mac have a huge weekend ahead of us talkin' hoofball, and... And trading hoofball cards, and arguing about hoofball stats..."

- The Cutie Map - Part 1

"Just what I always wanted! A book."

- Hearthbreakers

"Whoa! That strange yellow orb in the sky! What is that?"

- What About Discord?

"Sorry, buddy. Guess you had to be there."

- What About Discord?

"Well, Twilight obviously thinks you're worth being friends with! And I do too!"

- To Starlight Glimmer, The Crystalling - Part 2

"He's not a 'thing'! His name is Thorax, and he's my friend!"

- The Times They Are A Changeling

"And I thought Twilight was the master of the freak-out."

- Every Little Thing She Does

"Dragon Lord Ember, as the Official Equestrian Friendship Ambassador for the Dragon Lands and for Ponyville, I, Spike of Ponyville, welcome you to... Ponyville. [quietly, to himself] I gotta work on my official speech."

- Triple Threat

"Even baby dragons need hugs!"

- "My Little Pony: So Soft Spike" commercial

"For generations we've wandered the stars, searching for a place where we can all live in harmony. None of us knows when that day will come. But we do know this: as long as there is discord in the universe, we will fight. I serve onboard the Celestia, and tonight we ride. Quarter Tech, Mark: 'Dragonfire', Division M-6. You can call me Spike."

- "My Little Pony: Dragonfire" promo