Royal Riff

Royal Riff is a male Earth pony with a light purple coat, white mane and tail, orange eyes, and a cutie mark of two white G-clefs. He is unnamed in the show, but he is named in merchandise.

Development and design
Royal Riff shares his mane and tail style and colors, eye color, and cutie mark with "High Note", shares his design and mane and tail color and sometimes eye color with S04E22 Unnamed Earth Stallion #9, shares his design with Caramel, Cherry Fizzy, Golden Delicious, "Black Stone", S04E06 Unnamed Earth Stallion #5, "Wensley", "Burnt Oak", S04E06 Unnamed Earth Stallion #2, "Cormano", "Gingerbread", S04E22 Unnamed Earth Stallion #2, S04E22 Unnamed Earth Stallion #1, "Strawberry Cream", S04E08 Unnamed Earth Stallion #12, and sometimes S04E22 Unnamed Earth Stallion #7 and S04E20 Unnamed Earth Stallion #1, shares his mane and tail style and sometimes design with "Sunburst", shares his mane and tail style with "Doctor Stable", "Starburst", "Dewdrop", S04E12 Unnamed Unicorn Stallion #1, S04E22 Unnamed Unicorn Stallion #2, "Sunlight", "Cloud Break", "Silverwing", "Toffee", and sometimes unicorn "Sir Pony Moore", shares his tail style with S04E10 Unnamed Unicorn Stallion #1, S04E08 Unnamed Earth Stallion #6, S04E08 Unnamed Earth Stallion #10, and stallion "Snappy Scoop", shares his mane style with "Black Marble", Ace, and sometimes "Star Bright" and "Arpeggio", and has a similar color scheme to "Karat".

The Crystal-Glitter mini-figure first toy of Royal Riff was, as with most of the fourth wave of mystery pack toys, leaked in mid-November 2011, and a promotional photo of both it and the European version of its corresponding collector card was, along with promotional photos of the packaging and other twenty-three toy-and-card pairs for the fourth wave of mystery packs, leaked in late November 2011; both of these leaks preceded the release of Royal Riff's debut episode The Mysterious Mare Do Well.

Depiction in the series
Royal Riff appears at the dam in The Mysterious Mare Do Well, several times in the audience in The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, during the song The Perfect Stallion in Hearts and Hooves Day, with a speaking role in Putting Your Hoof Down, outside Golden Oak Library in Too Many Pinkie Pies, watching the Summer Harvest Parade as well as wearing a carrot costume as part of the same parade in One Bad Apple, in Magic Duel, at the Crystal Empire train station in both Just for Sidekicks and Games Ponies Play, in Flight to the Finish, in Rarity Takes Manehattan, in Pinkie Pride, in Simple Ways, in Filli Vanilli, in It Ain't Easy Being Breezies, in For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils, in Leap of Faith, sometimes with a green eye color in Trade Ya!, and in Inspiration Manifestation.

Appearances
Times are approximate.

Merchandise
Royal Riff is depicted with the same design as Big McIntosh and named in the fourth, sixth, eighth, and tenth waves of mystery pack toys and collector cards, the European versions of which state that he "makes up songs!" and the U.S. versions of which list his name with a trademark symbol and state that he "makes up songs to sing together with friends!" The eighth wave's packaging, Crystal Princess Celebration insert advertising, Little Brown's Mini Pony Collector's Guide pages 161 and 164, and Tesco's website show a pink-maned not-officially-released version of Royal Riff's Neon-Bright mini-figure; this version was leaked in late November 2012, preceding the released version.

Royal Riff also appears with his name listed with a trademark symbol in Enterplay's collectible card game, which is the first time that he is simultaneously referred to by name and depicted with the same design as in the show. His card α #78 C lists the quote "I know just the tune for the occasion!"

Quotes
"Hey! Ahh... Oof!"

- Putting Your Hoof Down

"I know just the tune for the occasion!"

- Enterplay collectible card game α #78 C card of Royal Riff