Pinkie Pie

Pinkie Pie (Pinkamena Diane Pie) is a pink Earth pony from Ponyville and one of the main characters of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. She is often seen hanging out at Sugarcube Corner, whether assisting Mr. and Mrs. Cake at work or babysitting their babies, or holding parties for the various ponies of Ponyville. She is exuberant, silly, talkative, jolly, and giggly. She writes and performs many songs, and she also has a toothless pet baby alligator named Gummy. She frequently serves as the show's main comic relief. She represents the element of laughter.

Development
Pinkie Pie is based on the G3 pony of the same name. The G3 pony's coat is pink, with her mane and tail a lighter shade, and her cutie mark is three balloons with curved strings. The current Pinkie Pie's cutie mark matches that of a Pegasus pony from G1, Surprise. Lauren Faust had published concept art of Surprise which bears a strong resemblance to Pinkie Pie, only with a white and yellow color scheme and Pegasus wings, and Hasbro published a recolor of the image in their "Style Guide for Pinkie Pie", complete with Pegasus wings. Pinkie Pie ultimately remained grounded and her wings were given to Fluttershy, who was back then called Posey.

Exuberance
Pinkie Pie is an outgoing, energetic pony who loves sweets and often speaks and acts in non sequiturs. She has a fondness of parties and a tendency to throw them on a whim. Pinkie Pie plays many instruments and frequently breaks out into song. She also tends to hop rather than walk, usually accompanied by a springing noise. She is often not taken seriously even by her closest friends, who call her out on her seemingly illogical behavior in Swarm of the Century, among other instances. She is almost always excited, and manages to keep her excitement after winning thirty-five consecutive games of tic-tac-toe against Rarity in Dragonshy while they wait for Fluttershy to catch up. Rarity adds with enthusiasm, "best of seventy-one?"

Pinkie teaches the other ponies to laugh at their fears in Friendship is Magic, part 2 through an impromptu musical number, and helps Twilight accept things even if she doesn't understand them in Feeling Pinkie Keen. She plays a series of pranks on the residents of Ponyville with Rainbow Dash in Griffon the Brush Off, saying "[she] loves to have fun". She is very conscientious about this, though; when she pranks someone it's in such a way that no harm is done and the victim gets a laugh from it too. She'll never prank someone if she knows it might hurt them, such as Fluttershy because of her extreme sensitivity. When Gilda lashes out at Fluttershy and makes her cry, she decides to take measures against her "Pinkie Pie style" by throwing the griffon a party. Rainbow Dash set a number of different pranks for the guests at the party. Unfortunately, Gilda manages to become a victim of all the pranks. She assumed that Pinkie Pie had set all the pranks for her in particular, and was shocked to find that Rainbow Dash did it. When Rainbow Dash refused to leave with her, she left by herself in a rage.

Insecurity
Pinkie shows her insecure and somewhat deranged side in Party of One. After her friends give her flimsy excuses for missing Gummy's "after-birthday" party, she breaks into a fit of paranoia which "deflates" her hair and ends up with her abandoning her friends for inanimate objects, pretending they are real. She even has an argument with them, complete with weird spasms. Rainbow Dash forcefully pulls her out of her unhinged party and drags her back to her friends. When she finds out her friends did not abandon her, she promptly returns to her usual cheerful self and her hair bursts into its normal shape.

Pinkie tries to prove that she's responsible in Baby Cakes. After Mr. and Mrs. Cake ask the rest of the main ponies to babysit for their children, which they all decline, the Cakes ask Pinkie Pie dejectedly if she could do it. Pinkie Pie is overjoyed; however, the Cakes warn Pinkie that babysitting requires "responsibility" that she may be overwhelmed by. In response, Pinkie insists "I can be responsible! Why, responsibility is my middle name! Pinkie Responsibility Pie!" Inevitably, the responsibility of taking care of Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake indeed does turn out to be more than she expected. Twilight Sparkle, having expected as much, shows up at the door and asks if Pinkie would like any help since "some ponies just aren't cut out to handle the responsibility". Pinkie takes this as an insult, and promptly shuts the door, determined to prove Twilight wrong, yet insecure if she will manage to do so, similar to the situation Applejack was in in Applebuck Season. Pinkie eventually manages to properly care for the babies and take control of the situation.

Pinkie Pie goes out of her way to befriend Cranky Doodle Donkey, denying most of his rejections, in the episode A Friend in Deed. She relentlessly tries to befriend him and does not let up even though Cranky is very unenthusiastic towards her various antics. After she accidentally burns one of his scrapbooks, Twilight tells her she will have to make an exception and not be his friend, but Pinkie Pie continues to hound the donkey until she can make him smile. Eventually, Cranky smiles, and calls Pinkie Pie his friend, which leads Pinkie into literally exploding with joy.

The Return of Harmony
Pinkie Pie's personality is magically altered by Discord in The Return of Harmony, part 1. Pinkie finds herself in a balloon garden filled with laughing balloons. At first, Pinkie enjoys it, calling it "the greatest balloon garden [she's] ever seen". However, one of the balloons latches on to her leg and lands her in a mud puddle, so the atmosphere changes into a menacing one. A bunch of other balloons surround her and laugh, and afterwards Discord appears and tells her that her friends were never laughing with her, they're laughing at her. The balloons, formerly sporting benign, smiley faces, distort themselves into the familiar faces of the main cast, even developing their voices and colors, and close in on Pinkie Pie, still laughing. Pinkie's eyes swirl in a "hypnosis" effect and her coat and mane become much grayer. She becomes cynical, and gets angered when anyone laughs or shows signs of pleasure, suspecting it's at her expense. Near the end of the next episode, Twilight restores her previous color and demeanor through a "memory spell". Afterwards, she is seen being carried away in a wheelbarrow, giggling and remarking "I turned gray! Can you believe it?"

Partying
Pinkie Pie is first introduced as a talented party-thrower. She runs off to plan a party for Twilight Sparkle immediately after seeing her for the first time, and throws many more parties throughout the series: Her first party was thrown for her family, which is how she got her cutie mark according to her own telling in The Cutie Mark Chronicles. She throws Gilda a welcome party in Griffon the Brush Off and Gummy a birthday party in Party of One. In Sweet and Elite, she organizes a birthday party for Twilight on very short notice, putting up decorations in very little time with the help of a "party cannon".

Singing, dancing, playing music
Pinkie frequently sings songs of her own writing, but the other ponies' reactions are not always favorable. Her friends react skeptically when she begins singing for the first time in the show, and her audience reacts very negatively to her song-and-dance routine in Over a Barrel. Similarly, Twilight is not impressed with Pinkie's little ditty in Bridle Gossip, and the party ponies in The Best Night Ever don't take to her song. For a list of Pinkie's songs, see the section below.

Pinkie spends much of the episode Swarm of the Century collecting numerous musical instruments, and uses them all at the same time at the end of the episode to lead the parasprites out of town.

Baking
Pinkie Pie works at Sugarcube Corner, a confectionery in Ponyville. The shop is run by Mr. and Mrs. Cake, who also let the residence above the shop to Pinkie. They "love her as a daughter", according to the show's creator.

On occasion, Pinkie bakes highly unappetizing batches of cupcakes and muffins, though both were the fault of her temporary assistants: Apple Bloom, who has no experience with baking; and Applejack, who is otherwise an excellent baker, is at the time half deaf and heavily disoriented from overworking and sleep deprivation. When working on her own in Green Isn't Your Color, Pinkie Pie decorates cupcakes that appear perfectly fine. At Twilight Sparkle's welcoming party she enjoys cupcakes with hot sauce, though the spiciness of the rainbow in Sonic Rainboom overwhelms her.

Ice-skating
Pinkie Pie is also an exceptional ice skater, stating that she's been skating since she was "an itty-bitty liddle-widdle twinkie-Pinkie". She shows off to Twilight with spins, jumps, and skating in a variety of poses during Winter Wrap Up, where her skill earns her the task of scoring the ice on frozen lakes to make it easier for the rest of the weather team to break said ice; though coordinating the other ice skaters seems to be difficult for her, as shown later in the episode where the ice chunks have been scored too large.

Pursuit
While more a cartoon gag than an actual skill, Pinkie Pie is very apt at appearing right next to her target. Pinkie Pie can evenly match Rainbow Dash's flying speed in both Griffon the Brush Off and Party of One, where she pursues her and comically appears right next to her at her destination, sometimes being present even before Rainbow Dash reaches the destination. When Pinkie keeps Twilight to her word in Green Isn't Your Color, she pops out of a basket of sponges, a basket of apples, and even from the reflection-side of a mirror every time Twilight is about to slip up on her promise. A scene similar to the one from Griffon the Brush off was shown during A Friend in Deed except with Cranky Doodle Donkey instead of Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie Sense
Pinkie Pie has a strange ability to predict the future through various twitches and involuntary motions made by her body in Feeling Pinkie Keen. Applejack explains that the ponies in Ponyville pay heed to Pinkie Pie's "Pinkie Sense", even going so far as to catalog them, especially given that her twitches may just as easily end up affecting them. The ability goes largely unquestioned by Pinkie Pie and the others. This annoys Twilight Sparkle to no end, and she insists on finding an explanation for this ability. First she hooks her up to some sort of measuring apparatus that produces no results, then she follows her and makes notes of her various twitches and the ensuing events. When Spike comes across Twilight, she tells him what she's doing and says Pinkie's scientific name is Pinkius Piecus. Later in the episode, Twilight literally bursts into flames with anger after spending the day following Pinkie around and learning that the "doozie" she predicted wasn't the hydra attack that they underwent, however, she ends up accepting the Pinkie sense anyhow by the end of the episode. In The Mysterious Mare Do Well Pinkie Pie's sense returns again when she uses it to save a team of construction workers from a collapsing building. After Pinkie mentions her Pinkie Sense in the episode, her tail twitches, and she pushes Rainbow Dash out of the way of a falling pot.

Memory
In the episode A Friend in Deed, it had been stated that Pinkie Pie has a very strong memory, enough to "remember everything about everypony" as according to Matilda. This was evident when Pinkie Pie mentioned Cheerilee's, Zecora's, and even Matilda's birthdays. Additionally, she was able to remember the contents in both scrapbooks belonging to Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda, which conveniently assisted Pinkie Pie in bringing both her donkey friends together.

However, it always had been hinted before that Pinkie Pie was able to remember every single citizen in Ponyville. In the very first episode, Friendship is Magic, part 1, Pinkie Pie had claimed to Twilight Sparkle that she "never saw [her] before" (when Twilight Sparkle was a newcomer to town at the time) and that she "[knows] every pony, and [she really meant] every pony in Ponyville." Pinkie Pie reiterated her statement about knowing every citizen of Ponyville in the episode Party of One, after Rainbow Dash bluffed about a local resident called "Harry", and that Pinkie Pie does not "know him."

Cutie mark
Pinkie Pie tells the Cutie Mark Crusaders in The Cutie Mark Chronicles that she was raised on a rock farm with her two sisters and her parents. Her family's coats and manes are Earth-colored, muted browns and grays.

When Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom clears the clouds and paints a rainbow across the sky, the shock wave frizzles Pinkie Pie's hair, giving it its distinctive curl. Subsequently, Pinkie Pie experiences magnificent joy and smiles. She then decides to dedicate her life to making people happy and throwing parties. When she invites her family to their first party ever, her mother calls her Pinkamena Diane Pie. An animator on the show, John Irving L. Prudenciano, revealed that Pinkie Pie's full name is Pinkamena Diane Pie a few months prior to the airing of The Cutie Mark Chronicles. The Cutie Mark Crusaders end up unsure whether Pinkie Pie's story is true or not, especially since she concludes by stating, "...and that's how Equestria was made. Maybe someday I'll tell you how I got my cutie mark!"

A filly sharing young Pinkie Pie's character design is present during Rarity's play in The Cutie Mark Chronicles, standing third from stage left, dressed as a chocolate cake with a purple and blue color scheme. Another re-used asset is the music that plays in Pinkie Pie's first party, which is the same music that Pinkie Pie plays for the parasprites in Swarm of the Century.

Pinkie Promise
Pinkie Pie has her own special kind of oath, a variation of "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." Her version is "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Twilight recites this promise in Green Isn't Your Color, and Applejack in The Last Roundup. Pinkie takes these promises very seriously, stalking Twilight in the former to make sure she doesn't slip up, and angrily pursuing Applejack in the latter when she believes Applejack has broken the Pinkie Promise. When she screams at Applejack because of it, her voice gains a near-demonic echo.

Gummy
Gummy is Pinkie Pie's toothless one year old pet alligator who is introduced in Feeling Pinkie Keen. Pinkie Pie confides in Gummy many times about her feelings and what's going on in Party of One. She celebrates her birthday one day after Gummy's birthday in the same episode.

Reflexivity and cartoonish gags
There are several instances when Pinkie Pie shows awareness to the cinematic and cartoon elements of the show, so-called "breaking the fourth wall" between the stage and the audience. She reacts to fade-outs and iris-wipes, and often looks directly "at the audience." Many scenes in the series are set to directly face the audience, among them the Winter Wrap Up song where most background ponies look at the viewers, and Hush Now Lullaby where Sweetie Belle actually stretches her neck to the screen, but Pinkie Pie seems to perform these actions with more frequency.

She is highly cartoonish, frequently performing cartoon-staple feats such as eye-bulging, wild takes, and unusually angled cuts into the frame. Lauren Faust, the series' developer and show-runner for the first season, encouraged the crew to keep the "wacky gags" exclusive to Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie's merry skips resemble Pepé Le Pew's, particularly in Griffon the Brush Off where she pursues Rainbow Dash and comically appears right next to her wherever she goes. Her costume and waddle in Dragonshy are reminiscent of Daffy Duck's four-legged body in Duck Amuck. She runs in the air in Feeling Pinkie Keen, and runs at full speed backwards in Swarm of the Century and Hearth's Warming Eve. She appears in the same frame multiple times in the song Cupcakes from Call of the Cutie. She twists her neck around two full turns in Read It and Weep, then her body spins while her head remains in place to undo the twisting.

Pinkie Pie performed the greatest number of cartoon gags in the episode A Friend in Deed, which are a mix of new and repeated gags.


 * Gallery of Pinkie Pie being cartoony

Hasbro.com description
''To say that Pinkie Pie marches to the beat of her own drum is certainly an understatement! Giggly, playful and brimming over with energy, it's not unusual to find this pink pony prancing and skipping joyfully through the streets looking for fun, doing cartwheels, singing a song in a silly voice and making up her own ridiculous lyrics. By far the silliest pony around, nothing makes her happier than evoking a giggle and a smile from her friends. She is the freest of free spirits, always acting on her whims, following her heart, talking your ear off and getting a laugh or two along the way.''

Hubworld description
''Pinkie Pie is a free spirit who prances to the beat of her own drum. Actually, she prances to the sound of her own singing. She's playful and full of energy. She can talk till the ponies come home. She loves to invent silly songs, giggle, skip, and make her friends laugh.''

Teacher for a Day description
''Pinkie Pie keeps her pony friends laughing and smiling all day. She believes everyday is worth celebrating and loves to throw parties with her pony friends.''

''The only thing Pinkie Pie loves as much as her friends and parties are SWEETS! She loves to visit the Sugarcube Sweet Shop.''

''She is always positive and helps the ponies see the bright side. You can count on Pinkie Pie for Lots and Lots of fun!''

My Little Pony magazine description

 * Giggly
 * Fun
 * Chatterbox

''What a ball of energy! Pinkie Pie is super girly and loves to make everybody happy, throw parties, eat sweets and talk and talk and talk!''

Songs

 * See also all songs in the series

Songs by Pinkie Pie:


 * Laughter Song
 * Pinkie's Gala Fantasy Song
 * The Ticket Song
 * Hop Skip and Jump song
 * Evil Enchantress song
 * Cupcake Song
 * You Got to Share, You Got to Care
 * Pinkie Pie's Singing Telegram
 * I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala
 * Pony Pokey
 * Happy Monthiversary
 * Piggy Dance
 * Smile Song
 * You're a Cranky Doodle Donkey
 * Welcome Song
 * Cranky Doodle Joy

Appearances

 * See also character appearances

Pinkie Pie appears in all episodes, excepting Look Before You Sleep, Stare Master, and The Show Stoppers of season one, and Sisterhooves Social, Family Appreciation Day, and Hearts and Hooves Day of season two. Also, she only has a cameo appearance in Boast Busters.

Merchandise

 * See also toys, merchandise

Pinkie Pie's likeness is used for several toys and appears on several T-shirts.

Quotes
"What kind of welcome party would this be if it were quiet? I mean, duh, bo-ring. You see, I saw you when you first got here, remember? You were all, hello, and I was all, [gasp], remember? You see I never saw you before, and if I never saw you before that means you're new, 'cause I know every pony, and I mean every pony in Ponyville, and if you're new, then it meant you haven't met anyone yet, and if you haven't met anyone yet, you must not have any friends, and if you don't have any friends then you must be lonely, and that made me so sad, and I had an idea, and that's why I went [gasp], 'I'll just throw a great big ginormous super-duper spectacular welcome party and invite everyone in Ponyville'. See? And now you have lots and lots of friends!"

- Friendship is Magic, Part 1

"She's ahead of the litter all right. The pick of the litter. The cat's pajamas. Oh wait. Why would Applejack take some poor kitty's pj's? That's not very sporting of her."

- Fall Weather Friends

"More balloons! No, that's too many balloons. More candy! No, less candy. Ooh! I know! Streamers!"

- Suited for Success

"Oh, no... My friends don't like my parties and don't want to be my friends anymore..."

- Party of One

"Sometimes it's just really fun to be scared."

- Luna Eclipsed

"No I'm not! I'm a chicken! [cluck]"

- Luna Eclipsed

"Oh, I never leave home without my party cannon."

- Sweet and Elite

"Oh my gosh. Hold on to your hooves – I am just about to be brilliant!"

- Hearth's Warming Eve

"This is a crib. It is only to be used for napping, sleeping, and on occasion with permission, as a pretend old-timey Western fort. It is not a trampoline, so stop your jumping right now, mister!"

- Baby Cakes

"Nopony breaks a Pinkie promise!"

- The Last Roundup

Gallery

 * Pinkie Pie image gallery