Ocellus

Ocellus is a female changeling and one of the "Young Six" who appears in season eight of the show as a student at Twilight Sparkle's School of Friendship.

Development
Ocellus was first previewed in a 2018 "MY LITTLE PONY SERIES" image within Hasbro 2017 Investor Day webcast presentations from August 3, 2017.

In zoology, "ocellus" is a term for a simple eye or eyespot, such as on invertebrates, or an eye-like marking such as on a peacock's feathers.

Depiction in the series
In the season eight premiere School Daze - Part 1 and Part 2, Ocellus enrolls in Twilight Sparkle's School of Friendship as a student, having been brought to Ponyville by Thorax to represent the changelings. In her debut, she behaves shyly, avoids talking to others, and frequently keeps her real form hidden, only dropping her disguises at Thorax's insistence.

When Twilight's strict adherence to the Equestria Education Assocation's guidelines causes the school courses to be dull and boring, Ocellus cuts class with Sandbar, Gallus, Smolder, Yona, and Silverstream, becoming good friends with them in the process. When they return to school for Friends and Family Day, they accidentally ruin the event and cause damage to the school. Chancellor Neighsay of the EEA perceives their fun and games as an attack orchestrated by other non-pony creatures, and the offended tribe leaders pull their students out of school, including Ocellus.

Not wanting to say goodbye to each other after the school is closed, Ocellus and her friends go into hiding at the Castle of the Two Sisters. The six have fun together at first, but they eventually come under attack by ferocious puckwudgies, and the Mane Six come to their rescue. When Ocellus and her friends are asked to come back to school, they are reluctant to continue their boring lessons, but Twilight and the others assure them things will be better and more fun than before. After Twilight defies the authority of Chancellor Neighsay and reopens the School of Friendship, Thorax allows Ocellus to re-enroll and expresses faith that she will make the changelings proud.

Storybooks
Ocellus appears on the cover of the adaptation Meet the New Class.

Commercials
Ocellus appears in the promotional music video Saved by My Friends.

Appearances
Starting with The Maud Couple, Ocellus also appears in the theme song.

Personality
Among the Young Six, Ocellus is portrayed as very shy, similarly to Fluttershy. As a way to avoid socializing with others and blend into the background, she commonly transforms into creatures around her. Ocellus is also the most academically inclined among her friends, being the only one to remember Twilight and Fluttershy's lessons.

Quotes
"Our teachers are a little different than I expected."

- School Daze - Part 1

"Pillows! How nice! The castle is gonna be so much more comfy."

- School Daze - Part 2

"I wish the other changelings could meet you all. You're not really as strange as the stories say."

- School Daze - Part 2

"Am I the only one who didn't sleep through Professor Fluttershy's "Critters of Comfort and Conflict" class?"

- School Daze - Part 2

"Does that mean you're going to send us back to our homes?"

- School Daze - Part 2