Queen Chrysalis

Queen Chrysalis is a female changeling and the main antagonist of the season two finale, the season six finale, the IDW comics' first story arc, and Budge Studios' mobile game Harmony Quest. She is the queen of the changelings and a shapeshifter who appears as Princess Cadance in order to hypnotize her fiancé Shining Armor, invade Canterlot, and eventually take over Equestria. In the season six finale, Chrysalis is dethroned from her position as changeling queen.

Development and design
Meghan McCarthy, Rob Renzetti, and Lauren Faust came up with Chrysalis together. While on-screen the character is only introduced as "queen of the changelings", she is named Chrysalis in the episode's script and iTunes and Netflix summaries, as well as in merchandise, including toys, trading cards, and various books. She is also referred to by name in The Cutie Re-Mark, The Times They Are A Changeling, and To Where and Back Again and in the Japanese version of A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2. The season two finale's script describes her as "QUEEN CHRYSALIS, a GANGLY BLACK PEGACORN with a gnarled black horn." She and the other changelings were designed by Rebecca Dart, the main character designer for season two. Rebecca was inspired by the work of manga artists Junko Mizuno and Hideshi Hino after reading the name "Chrysalis", and "figured she should be insect-like."

On April 22, 2015, artist Andy Price stated regarding, "When Hasbro came forward saying they wanted the villains origins and backstories, I immediately said nobody else was doing Queen Chrysalis but myself and Katie Cook. After launching the entire comic franchise with her, she is near and dear to our hearts. I absolutely loved doing this book... I think fans will enjoy it... I also think they're going to have questions. We deliberately do not answer everything there is to know about her and her hive. There are far-down-the-road plans for her, and no sense in pouring everything out at once. We will see into her past tales, and discover little things, big things... and see her tell Twilight to her muzzle why she came to be the way she is. I'll say right now, as we've been asked constantly- it has nothing to do with any fan-theories out there. This was a very different approach."

In early October 2016, Jim Miller was asked "I am curious to know if there's a reason Chrysalis doesn't have that Canterlot Wedding effect in her voice anymore?" and answered "Clarity. There was concern folks wouldn't understand what she was saying."

Season two
Queen Chrysalis first appears impersonating Princess Cadance in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1, looking and sounding like her but acting different enough to raise Twilight Sparkle's suspicions, though Twilight's friends, Shining Armor, and Princess Celestia are oblivious. When Chrysalis appears before Twilight for the first time, she doesn't recognize Twilight, unsettling her and raising her suspicions.

Throughout the wedding preparations, Chrysalis directly or indirectly insults each of Twilight's friends: she throws away the food Applejack offers her after giving insincere praise, she piles demands on Rarity about her and her bridesmaids' dresses, and she compares Pinkie Pie's party to that of a six-year-old's birthday. Her friends passing off this behavior as wedding stress, Twilight tries to discuss the matter with Shining Armor, only for Chrysalis to interrupt. She drags Shining Armor into another room, where Twilight witnesses her cast a spell on him that makes his eyes roll.

At the wedding rehearsal, Twilight accuses Chrysalis of being evil and levies accusations on her, causing Chrysalis to tear up and run away. Shining Armor confronts Twilight and contradicts her accusations, saying "Cadance" is using her magic to heal the migraines he suffers from due to his protection spell. When Twilight's friends abandon her because of her paranoia, Chrysalis returns. She looks down at Twilight compassionately at first, but her eyes glow green as she casts a spell that drags Twilight down into the ground.

In A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2, Chrysalis, still under the guise of Cadance, taunts Twilight through reflections in an underground cavern's crystal walls and tells her that she's using Shining Armor for her own benefit. Twilight shatters the crystals and uncovers a path to the real Cadance, also imprisoned by the changeling queen. A song sequence follows featuring Chrysalis and Cadance singing about the wedding. After outwitting Chrysalis's three bridesmaids who were guarding the caves due to a hypnotic spell, Cadance and Twilight manage to confront Chrysalis right before Princess Celestia weds her to Shining Armor.

Princess Cadance proclaims that the imposter is a changeling, a creature that takes the form of those that are loved and gains power by feeding off the love for them. Enraged, the imposter suddenly transforms and introduces herself as queen of the changelings (named Chrysalis in the episode's script but not on-screen).

Chrysalis keeps Cadance at bay by threatening to send her back to the caves and explains that she's been feeding on Shining Armor's love for Cadance, weakening his protection spell that keeps the changelings out of Canterlot. Princess Celestia confronts her and attacks her with a magic blast from her horn, but Chrysalis fires back and, thanks to the power of Shining Armor's love, overpowers Celestia and knocks her to the ground, much to the surprise of everyone, including Chrysalis herself. Celestia weakly urges Twilight and her friends to get the Elements of Harmony and use them to defeat the queen.

The changelings break through the magical barrier around Canterlot and capture Twilight and her friends, bringing them back to the wedding hall, where Celestia is encased in a chrysalis hanging from the ceiling. The queen sends her subjects to feed and sings a reprise of This Day Aria, distracting her long enough for Twilight to free Cadance. Cadance's magic breaks the spell over Shining Armor and gives him strength. Chrysalis mocks the sentiment, but the power of Shining Armor and Cadance's joint spell repels her and all of the changelings out of Canterlot, flying into the distance over the Badlands on their way to what later becomes the Changeling Kingdom.

Season five
At the end of The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1, due to both Starlight Glimmer and Twilight altering the timeline, Chrysalis rules over Equestria and everypony becomes paranoid of changelings. She appears in The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2 under the guise of Applejack, leading an ambush against Zecora's underground resistance.

Season six
In The Times They Are A Changeling, Chrysalis appears in Thorax's flashback, and she is mentioned by Cadance and Shining Armor. In To Where and Back Again - Part 1, she organizes the systematic capture of every powerful pony in Equestria, including the Mane Six, Spike, the princesses, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart.

In To Where and Back Again - Part 2, the dark properties of Chrysalis' throne prevent Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, and Discord from using magic within the perimeter of the Changeling Kingdom. When Starlight Glimmer and Thorax eventually make their way to her throne room, Chrysalis lies in wait for them, expressing that Starlight was not even worth the effort to capture. When asked what her ultimate goal is, Chrysalis explains that she wants to feed herself and her hive and rule Equestria in accordance to her own wicked design.

When Starlight tries to tell her of a better way to lead the changelings and acquire love, citing Thorax as an example, Chrysalis refuses to listen and tries to absorb the love given to Thorax by the Crystal Ponies. Thorax shares his love with Chrysalis willingly, resulting in a burst of magic that transforms him into a colorful creature filled with love. As the other changelings follow suit, Chrysalis' throne is destroyed, and she is defeated. Starlight tries to help the fallen changeling queen be a better leader to her hive and extends her hoof in friendship, but Chrysalis refuses and swears revenge on Starlight Glimmer before escaping.

Physical appearance
Queen Chrysalis spends the entirety of A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1 and the beginning of Part 2 disguised as Princess Cadance, with her eyes occasionally flashing green and her magic glowing green instead of Cadance's blue.

Once the real Cadance confronts her, Chrysalis transforms into a pony-like creature with a twisted unicorn horn, a pair of tattered insectoid wings, and stands as tall as Princess Celestia. In addition, she has a sharp pair of fangs and dark green eyes with elongated oval pupils. She has a teal mane and tail, blue-green chitinous plating over her midsection, and she wears a small, black crown tipped with blue orbs. Her voice has a distorted echoed quality, as if two voices are speaking slightly out of sync. This trait is not carried over in her subsequent appearances. Her legs, mane, and tail are full of holes, and her limbs and torso are very slender. Like other non-pony characters, she has no cutie mark. Her wings, full of holes like her other body parts, end in sharp points instead of curves (like those of actual insects); when they flap, they generate a buzzing sound. Following her defeat in To Where and Back Again - Part 2, Queen Chrysalis no longer wears a crown.

In a flashback in, Chrysalis appears with a fully solid body and no crown. She steals the crown of King Orion and reshapes it into her own, and her body is blasted full of holes during a battle with Princess Celestia.

Depiction in comics
In the IDW comics, Queen Chrysalis is the main antagonist throughout the Friendship is Magic series' first four-issue story arc, which takes place after the second season of the show. Her name is established to be Queen Chrysalis in the story arc's subtitle The Return of Queen Chrysalis and when Fluttershy mentions it in Issue #1.

In, the changelings take over Ponyville by imprisoning all its inhabitants except the Mane Six in cocoons. The Mane Six defeat them and rescue all the ponies except the Cutie Mark Crusaders, whom Chrysalis has imprisoned in her kingdom using disguised animals. Chrysalis gives the Mane Six three days to go to the Changeling Kingdom. Chrysalis begins to tire of the rambunctious Cutie Mark Crusaders, and wishes for the Mane Six to retrieve them quickly before she loses her mind.

In, the Mane Six set off to rescue the Cutie Mark Crusaders from the Changeling Kingdom. Chrysalis sends changelings to cause a cave-in that separates the ponies into pairs, and changelings imitate the ponies to make the friends argue among themselves. This amuses Chrysalis, although the Cutie Mark Crusaders still annoy her.

In, a flashback reveals that Chrysalis and the changelings survive the fall after they are blasted away from Canterlot in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2. She is weakened from either the fall or Shining Armor and Princess Cadance's spell, but she and her minions recover their strength by feeding off the love of the catlike residents of the town they landed in, transforming the town into a temporary base. Still not powerful enough to invade Equestria again, she decides to absorb Twilight's magic when the Secretariat Comet flies by.

In the present, Chrysalis reveals her plans to destroy Twilight after draining her magic and have her changelings feast on the others when their emotions are running high. The ponies get back together after escaping vicious predators, but Chrysalis claims that seeing them turn against each other for a while was merely an entertaining bonus.

In, the Mane Six reach Chrysalis' castle, and while Twilight fights Chrysalis, her changelings imprison the other five. After Twilight displays her power by blasting a hole in the castle wall and asserts that her kind of power may be gained only through rigorous study, Chrysalis decides to make Twilight her pupil instead of draining her magic. When Chrysalis threatens to drain her friends' love, Twilight accepts the offer, only for Chrysalis to reveal her intent to drain her love and coerce her to do likewise to her friends. However, when the comet flies by, Twilight is powered up. She rejects Chrysalis's offer and, after a long fight, defeats her. Pinkie Pie imprisons Chrysalis and her changeling servants in the castle. Pinkie sets up a replica of herself, which endlessly asks the changelings riddles and sings a never-ending song, just to annoy them. The changeling servants at least make an effort to answer her riddles, while Chrysalis just grumbles. Her wings appear damaged and her horn seems to be broken in two with a bandage holding it together. Twilight says Chrysalis won't be able to break out "for a while".

On page 10 of, one of Spike's custom pony figures is of Chrysalis. On page 20 of the same issue, one of the attractions at the Summer Wrap-Up Festival and Hoedown is a head-in-the-hole board of Chrysalis and Discord. Twilight is shown with her head in the hole for Chrysalis.

1 million cover A shows Chrysalis on a comic book.

cover RI involves an Issue #4 page 1 Chrysalis logo.

In page 18, three royal guards are shown with a picture of Chrysalis labeled "PUBLIC ENEMY." Additionally, her signature crown appears on the cover of a magazine or catalog in the Elite Equine Spa.

Of, Chrysalis appears on cover A, and an alternate, cheerful version of her appears in a stained glass window labeled "Love" on page 12. The alternate version doesn't have holes in her horn and legs, has a pair of butterfly wings and a pony-like mane and tail, and wears glasses. Of, this alternate Chrysalis appears on cover A, and the alternate King Sombra mentions her in the issue itself as one of the alternate Equestria's defenders. Chrysalis appears with Pinkie Pie's Pinkie costume from Issue #3 on page 11 of, using it as a punching bag of sorts.

On page 11 of, a sign under the Mount Monument observation deck reads "Sign the petition to add Queen Chrysalis to the monument" and bears Chrysalis' signature.

Page 5 of shows Chrysalis on a Queen card.

In, Chrysalis is mentioned.

Of, Chrysalis appears on Fan Expo retailer exclusive cover RE.

reveals the origins of Chrysalis and her changelings; she was born from a carnivorous plant in a magical pond that fed on insects and bones. Some time later, she conquered the cities of Timbucktu and Trot, but she was defeated by Princess Celestia and imprisoned in a volcano. She and the changelings escaped by tricking a dragon into releasing them. At the end of the issue, Chrysalis escapes from her castle prison by tricking Twilight Sparkle in a similar manner.

Chrysalis also appears on the cover and the  subscription cover.

In, Chrysalis reappears at the Crystal Empire with a horde of changelings and challenges Twilight to another battle of magic, which she loses due to Iron Will's interference and is captured along with the other conspirators. However, she gleefully tells Shining Armor that her attack was merely a diversion meant to keep the ponies away from the castle. In, when Chrysalis learns of Sombra's plans to release the umbrum, she flees the Crystal Empire with her changeling swarm, not caring what happens to her co-conspirators.

In the My Little Pony Annual 2017, Chrysalis is mentioned on pages 2 and 8, stated by Applejack to be attacking the Crystal Empire.

Merchandise
Toy releases of the character were displayed at the 2013 New York Toy Fair. It included a Toys "R" Us exclusive brushable release in Summer 2013. and a mini-figure. The upcoming Guardians of Harmony toyline also includes a Queen Chrysalis figure, dressed partly as on FIENDship is Magic Issue 5 page 10, with spinning projectile.

Queen Chrysalis also appears in the WeLoveFine art print "Chrysalis the Dark Queen".

Other depictions
An Equestria Girls version of Queen Chrysalis is in Hasbro's Equestria Girls app and has been shown in artwork.

Queen Chrysalis is in Budge Studios' mobile game Harmony Quest.

Storybooks
In My Little Pony: Welcome to Equestria!, a postcard to Twilight Sparkle from Shining Armor "(&" Princess Cadance")" mentions "It was wonderful to enjoy Canterlot knowing that it is now safe from that evil Queen Chrysalis!" In Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell, chapter 1's narration mentions the time Twilight Sparkle "defeated the evil Queen Chrysalis in order to save the royal court of Canterlot." In the My Little Pony Equestria Girls screenplay novelization My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Through the Mirror, chapter 3's narration states that without Twilight's Element of Harmony crown, "everypony back home in Ponyville and everypony else in the Kingdom was left completely vulnerable. What if Queen Chrysalis somehow came back again? Or King Sombra? Or somepony even worse? It was a horrible thought."

In Lyra and Bon Bon and the Mares from S.M.I.L.E. while discussing the threat of changelings in Equestria, a drawing of Queen Chrysalis is seen by Lyra.

HubNetwork.com description
''In her quest to rule Canterlot, this shape-shifting queen disguises herself as Princess Cadance so she can marry Shining Armor. She almost gets away with it, until Twilight Sparkle uncovers her true identity. Queen Chrysalis sends in her army of changelings to destroy Canterlot, but the light of the sweethearts' true love defeats her.''

The Elements of Harmony guidebook
''QUEEN CHRYSALIS is the shape-shifting leader of the changelings, a vicious group of creatures who are bent on destruction and mayhem. The queen even tried to take over Canterlot by using her powers to impersonate Princess Cadance and destroy the kingdom.''

Personality
Queen Chrysalis is a scheming, cruel, fierce, and manipulative individual whose primary concerns are gaining power and feeding her changeling subjects. Upon perceiving Twilight Sparkle as a potential threat to her plans, she turns her family and friends against her and enjoys mocking her both during and after Twilight's imprisonment in Canterlot's underground caves. While capable of mimicking Cadance well enough to fool most, she is unable to fool Twilight due to their close bond and her demanding and insincere behavior displayed in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1.

In To Where and Back Again - Part 2, Chrysalis bears resentment toward Thorax for abandoning the hive, considering him a "traitor". She also shows little regard for her subjects, believing that she alone knows what's best for them, and that her leadership is absolute.

Chrysalis is deeply arrogant, thinking lowly of her enemies, and has a habit of becoming complacent when she believes victory is within her grasp. Despite gaining strength from stealing love, she has no understanding of the true power of the emotion, scoffing at the thought that Cadance's love could restore Shining Armor's strength.

In The Return of Queen Chrysalis, Chrysalis takes great pleasure in watching the Mane Six's struggles from afar, having fun watching them turn against one another, laughing at Applejack and Rarity's squabbles, and gloating at their perceived ineptitude. However, she demonstrates a low tolerance for the Cutie Mark Crusaders' antics and jokes. She shows no remorse in manipulating innocent creatures to her own ends or resorting to physical violence to illustrate her evil. In, Chrysalis is portrayed as very devious, able to lure various rulers and creatures, including Twilight Sparkle, into a trap, and in Siege of the Crystal Empire, she views those she allies with only as tools, abandoning them at any given moment.

Comic artist Andy Price stated on February 28, 2014 that "Chrysalis is beyond villain- she's a monster".

Quotes
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1

"Please, call me Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1

"Are you disagreeing with me?"

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1

"The caves beneath Canterlot, once home to greedy unicorns who wanted to claim the gems that could be found inside. And now, your prison."

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

"As queen of the changelings, it is up to me to find food for my subjects. 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!"

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

"Shining Armor's love for you is even stronger than I thought! Consuming it has made me even more powerful than Celestia!"

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

"It's funny, really. Twilight here was suspicious of my behavior all along. Too bad the rest of you were too caught up in your wedding planning to realize those suspicions were correct!"

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

"What a lovely but absolutely ridiculous sentiment."

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

"What a lovely village you chosen to stage your little resistance. It looks absolutely delicious!"

- The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2

"The hunger of changelings can never be satisfied!"

- To Where and Back Again - Part 2

""I decide what's best for my subjects, not some mewling grub!""

- -To Where and Back Again, Part 2

"This is more entertaining than anything I've seen in years. What would be more fun than watching six friends become six enemies?"

- The Return of Queen Chrysalis

"If I hadn't been watching the pink one for hours, I would think you were making all of that up."

- The Return of Queen Chrysalis

"You three have spent almost three days with me and you haven't figured out how powerful I am? I'm hurt. Really."

- The Return of Queen Chrysalis

"Pfft! Love. Love is fickle. Love can change. Love can be consumed and the leftovers of a heart spit out like seed."

- The Return of Queen Chrysalis

"Shut up. All of you. Just shut up."

- The Return of Queen Chrysalis

"Queen Chrysalis has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"There is no story. I was born this way."

"I don't care what happens to any of you!"

"I am Queen Chrysalis, ruler of the changelings!"

- Queen Chrysalis Ponymania talking toy

"Brush my hair, my dear minion."

- Queen Chrysalis Ponymania talking toy