Changelings

Changelings are a race of creatures in Equestria that first appear in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2 as the secondary antagonists and the minions of Queen Chrysalis. They also appear in several IDW comics.

Development and design
Changelings are largely equine in appearance but possess insect-like characteristics. They have black carapace-like coats, webbed manes and tails, reflection-less eyes (unlike their queen's), fangs, bent horns, jagged ears, insect-like wings, and holes in their legs. Unlike ponies, changelings do not have cutie marks.

Like Queen Chrysalis, the changelings were designed by Rebecca Dart.

The changelings' nature and desire to feed on love are similar to changelings in folklore, who would take advantage of the love given to them by their unwitting caretakers.

Depiction in the series
Changelings first appear in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2, the second part of the season two finale. They are able to change their appearance to match that of ponies; in particular, Queen Chrysalis shape-shifts into Princess Cadance, and several changelings take the form of Twilight Sparkle and her friends.

In the episode, Chrysalis reveals her intentions to take over Equestria, saying, "Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered. My fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of!" An army of changelings soon break the magical protective sphere around Canterlot and terrorize the city and its inhabitants. When Princess Celestia orders the Mane Six to recover the Elements of Harmony from a nearby tower, the changelings take the form of the six ponies and fight them, preventing them from reaching the Elements. They subsequently take the ponies and Princess Celestia captive. However, the changelings and their queen are defeated when Shining Armor and Princess Cadance's combined magic throws them out of Canterlot at the end of the episode.

Depiction in the comics
In the IDW comics' Friendship is Magic comic series, the changelings and their queen appear as the antagonists of the story arc The Return of Queen Chrysalis, which takes place after the second season of the show.

In the story, the changelings invade Ponyville and assimilate into the populace. Their invasion is later revealed to be part of a much larger plan for Queen Chrysalis to consume Twilight's magic. A changeling with a helmet appears briefly in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2; they are featured more prominently in the comic series, where they serve as guards and advisors for Queen Chrysalis. In the show, the changelings' dialogue while in their true forms is limited to laughter and various sounds; issues and  feature changelings with spoken dialogue for the first time.

In, Spike mentions changelings on page 8. Several changelings appear with Dr. Hooves on the Hot Topic exclusive cover of, cover RE and page 3 of , cover RI of and the Core Games cover of.

Other depictions
In Gameloft's mobile game, a changeling assuming Fleur Dis Lee's identity but pretending to be an Alicorn was added to the Android version of the game on March 28, 2013 and to the iOS version of the game on April 15, 2013, before being replaced by the real Fleur Dis Lee in both versions of the game on June 13, 2013.

Fleur Dis Lee's in-game description reads, "While this unicorn supermodel was away for a photo shoot, a Changeling assumed her identity but pretended to be an Alicorn! Knowing Fleur Dis Lee's true nature, her friends exposed the Changeling's deception just in time for her return to Canterlot."

The Elements of Harmony guidebook
''CHANGELINGS are grotesque shape-shifting ponies who can morph their bodies into anything. These frightening creatures have fangs as well as insect features and translucent wings designed to scare even the bravest pony into submission.''

Gallery

 * Changeling image gallery