Spike

Spike, or Spike the Dragon, is a purple and green baby dragon and one of the main characters of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. He is Twilight Sparkle's best friend and number one assistant. He has the ability to magically deliver scrolls to and from Princess Celestia with his green fire-breath, which is featured in many episodes, as is his crush on Rarity.

Development
Spike's appearance is based on his Generation 1 incarnation more than his Generation 3 version, with a few modifications done by Lauren Faust. In G1, he was portrayed as a baby dragon with green spikes, and his body was pink. In his G3 incarnation, he was a 1,000-year old dragon with orange spikes, purple hair, and a blue body. He is the only main character who was taken from G1 other than Applejack.

Dog Spike, as he is in the human world, is not human because, as stated by Meghan McCarthy, "1) It would be weird for Twilight to hide a small boy in her backpack. 2) Dragon through portal doesn’t = same as pony."

Playfulness
Spike is occasionally sarcastic and sometimes laughs at others' misfortunes, even though he usually means well. In Bridle Gossip, he comes up with nicknames for the ponies after their appearances change from an exposure to poison joke: Hairity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty Pie, Apple Teeny, Flutterguy, and Twilight Flopple. In Winter Wrap Up, he makes fun of Twilight's terrible nest-making and skating skills. However, he is very helpful and supportive towards Twilight in Lesson Zero. For instance, Spike is the only member of the main cast to take Twilight's concerns about missing a report to Princess Celestia seriously, unlike the other ponies.

Spike is a fun-loving dragon: he enjoys the welcome party that Pinkie Pie throws for Twilight in Friendship is Magic, part 1, and scarfs down candy in Nightmare Night.

Sensitivity
In Feeling Pinkie Keen, Spike is relieved to find Fluttershy unharmed, and he hugs her. In Owl's Well That Ends Well, he feels insecure and jealous when Twilight finds another assistant, Owlowiscious. When Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash tell Twilight about Spike's insecurity, she says, "Spike knows he can't be replaced." In Lesson Zero, Spike gets worried as Twilight becomes increasingly nervous about the due date for her friendship report. In the The Crystal Empire - Part 2, Spike and Twilight find a door enchanted by King Sombra that shows their greatest fears. Spike has a vision that Twilight is sending him away forever.

Self-image
Spike is often defensive about his masculinity and dismissive of things he considers "girly," although his outward disdain is often a front. In The Ticket Master, for instance, Spike scoffs at the idea of attending the "girly Gala gunk" throughout the episode, but he's overjoyed when Princess Celestia sends him a ticket at the end. In Read It and Weep, Twilight says to Rainbow Dash, "Just because you're athletic doesn't mean you aren't smart." Spike adds "Yeah, just look at me," curls his arm, and kisses his bicep.

In A Dog and Pony Show, he imagines himself to be a suave knight who easily defeats the Diamond Dogs to save his "Lady Rarity." In Party of One, when Pinkie tells him to confess, he admits to admiring his own reflection in a mirror when nobody else is around.

Generosity and greed
Spike magically matures through his greediness in Secret of My Excess. At the beginning of the episode, he generously gives his fire ruby to Rarity, even though he was saving it for his birthday. On his birthday, Spike goes around Ponyville and requests gifts from passerbys. He lets his greed get the better of him, causing him to grow into a gangly "teenager" by the next day. Twilight takes him to a doctor and a vet, but both fail to diagnose him because they have no experience with dragons. She then takes him to Zecora, who explains that his greed is making him grow into a monster. His growth is unchecked and he develops more lizard-like qualities, such as slit pupils and a long thin-forked tongue. Unlike most other dragons in the show, he does not possess wings, and his voice deepens while growing up; as a teenager he only stammers "Spike want!", and still later he can only roar.

Now a massive dragon, Spike kidnaps Rarity and wreaks havoc on Ponyville. The Wonderbolts confront him but fail to stop him. Rarity, not recognizing that her captor is Spike, admonishes him for his behavior. Spike sees Rarity's necklace with the ruby he gave her earlier, and remembers how he gave it to Rarity as an act of affection. He shrinks to his former size, which makes him lose his hold on the mountainside they were on. The two plummet to the ground, and Spike tries to confess to Rarity that he has a crush on her, but she stops him mid-sentence with a gentle hoof to his mouth and an affectionate smile. They are rescued by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, and at the end of the episode Spike concludes that he'd rather be generous, because hoarding doesn't compare to giving.

However, Spike still loves collecting and eating gems. In Just For Sidekicks, Spike agrees to take care of the ponies' pets in exchange for gems so he can bake a jewel cake. However, Spike gradually loses his gem supply throughout the day as he struggles to keep the pets in control.

Hatching
As a filly in a flashback from "The Cutie Mark Chronicles," Twilight is faced with an entrance exam for Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns. The test is to hatch a dragon egg with magic. She struggles to produce traces of magic from her horn; however, the shock wave from Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom triggers an uncontrolled unleash of Twilight's latent power, not only hatching Spike, but also enlarging him into the size of an adult dragon, and causing mayhem in the exam room. Princess Celestia herself intervenes and brings Twilight's magic under control. From then on, Spike becomes Twilight's friend and assistant.

Spike's egg is colored shades of purple in the episode, but in Friendship is Magic, part 1, he tells Fluttershy that he hatched from a "cute little purple-and-green egg".

Lauren Faust elaborated on her take on these events, which is covered in a section below.

Assistant to Twilight Sparkle
Spike, serving as Twilight's assistant, moves with her to Ponyville in Friendship is Magic, part 1 when Celestia orders Twilight to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. Throughout the series he sends correspondence between Twilight and the Princess using his magical fire breath, helps organize and fetch books, reads and writes letters, keeps Twilight's checklists, and helps her practice magic. He is usually shown writing right-handed, although in Lesson Zero he is shown writing with his left hand. In one instance, he is "away on royal business", in Look Before You Sleep.

Spike finds Twilight her old copy of Predictions and Prophecies, re-shelves Twilight's pile of books, and checks off items in her Summer Sun Celebration checklist in Friendship is Magic, part 1. In Griffon the Brush Off, Spike gets scrolls from the Ponyville town hall. He helps Twilight practice magic in the beginning of Boast Busters and also in Feeling Pinkie Keen. Also, in the aforementioned episodes, Spike takes notes for Twilight and carries the books from the library. In Bridle Gossip, Spike offers the book Super Naturals and stays at the library to look for a cure to the ponies' affliction while they go to Zecora's house in the woods. In Owl's Well That Ends Well, he prepares a picnic entirely by himself, and later accidentally burns a book he was supposed to put back in place. The next morning, he oversleeps and tries to make up to Twilight for the "morning chores" he didn't do. He tidies up the library in The Return of Harmony Part 2. He fills so many checklists in Lesson Zero that he gets a claw-cramp, and carries a broom at the library in Read It and Weep.

Sleepiness
In Friendship is Magic, part 1, Twilight says that Spike is a baby and needs to get his sleep (despite Spike stating the contrary) as an excuse to send Fluttershy away. In Friendship is Magic, part 2, she tucks him in his bed when she and her new friends set out to find the Elements of Harmony. He's sleepy at the beginning of Winter Wrap Up too, owing to the very early hour at which Twilight wakes up. His sleepiness concerns Twilight in Owl's Well That Ends Well, and she finds a second assistant, Owlowiscious, to relieve him of some of the workload at night.

In Magical Mystery Cure, Spike is woken up by Twilight during her Morning in Ponyville song, and instantly flops back down into his basket. He later complains about not being allowed to sleep in.

Identity as a dragon
Spike "doesn't act like other dragons", and acts more like a pony. In Dragon Quest, Spike questions his identity and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Due to his lack of knowledge of his origins, as well as the ponies' lack of knowledge in dragons in general, Spike decides to follow the dragon migration. He meets a group of teenagers in the dragons' roost. They initially mock Spike for his small size and the fact that he socializes with ponies. However, after belly-flopping hard into the lava pool, Spike is accepted to the group. Spike believes that being rough, strong, physical, and dominating is what it means to be a dragon. When he follows the other dragons on a raid for phoenix eggs, the other dragons encourage him to break one of the phoenix eggs. Spike is unwilling to break it and defies the group. As a result, the other dragons turn against him. Rarity, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, who have been following him the whole time, come out of hiding and stick up for him. The other dragons accuse Spike of being a pony instead of a dragon. At that point, he finally realized what was important was not what he is, but who he is, and that is being Spike, a baby dragon who is family with a group of ponies.

Crush on Rarity
Spike develops a crush on Rarity the moment he sees her in Friendship is Magic, part 1. He goes to great lengths for her affection. In Boast Busters, he tries to impress her with a mustache conjured through Twilight's magic, however this attempt was met with little success. Spike postures that maybe the mustache was not enough, and he considers adding a beard, too. In Green Isn't Your Color, he gladly offers his body as a pincushion for Rarity to use, while she designs a dress. In Party of One, takes out the garbage for Rarity, and addresses her as "most beautiful one".

Spike is protective about Rarity in A Dog and Pony Show. Albeit he is all but defeated by the Diamond Dogs, he still tries to find ways to rescue Rarity, like using the gem she gave him earlier that he holds very dear as bait for the Diamond Dogs. There is a fantasy sequence of him rescuing Rarity from the dungeon as a debonair and masculine knight, and almost receiving a kiss from his damsel-in-distress, which ends when his fantasy clashes with reality and he nearly kisses Applejack instead, who was standing next to him. In Owl's Well That Ends Well, Rarity calls Spike "simply amazing" and gives him a bow tie laden with jewels.

Spike treats his crush on Rarity as a secret in Green Isn't Your Color, though his feelings are so obvious to other ponies that he is shown wearing a shirt with Rarity surrounded by a heart as a visual gag. Pinkie Pie, who is privy to the "secret" as much as the other ponies, still acts very surprised when Spike reveals his secret to her.

Despite all of this, Spike and Rarity's relationship has developed to become stronger in later episodes. In Secret of My Excess, Spike generously gives Rarity a Fire Ruby that she covets. In gratitude, she kisses him on the cheek, and calls him "Spikey-wikey". During Spike's birthday party, they affectionately rub their cheeks at each other. Later in the episode Spike grows into a monstrous dragon and he abducts Rarity. However, Rarity does not realize her captor is Spike until she tells the story behind the jewel and praises Spike's generosity, causing Spike to remember the moment when he gave her the ruby and she kissed him, after which he returns to his normal size, suspended in mid-air next to Rarity. As the two start falling, Spike is on the verge of confessing his feelings for her, but Rarity simply covers his mouth with her hoof, and gives a teary smile at him, and Spike smiles back. After they are rescued by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, Rarity calls Spike her hero for stopping himself from destroying the town and kisses him on the cheek again. A picture frame that Spike had put around the kiss mark on his cheek is shown at the end of the episode.

Rarity shows a more caring and more sensitive feeling for Spike in Dragon Quest, and still calls him "Spikey-wikey". She stands up for him when Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash pick on him and when Spike decides to join the dragon migration, Rarity tries to change his mind, stroking his head and telling him that she doesn't want him to get hurt by the other dragons. Spike asserts that he is firmly convinced, and Rarity desperately implores Rainbow Dash to stop him before it's too late. She joins Twilight and Rainbow Dash in following Spike to the dragon lands, watching over him and keeping him from getting into trouble. She even threatens to seriously hurt the older dragons if they harm Spike. When they're all safe from the dragons, Spike tells the Ponies that they are his Family, and they all share a group hug, and Rarity squeaks.

Rarity hoof-makes traditional crafts for the Crystal Ponies while Spike watches in The Crystal Empire - Part 2. To conceal her frantic exchange with Rainbow Dash, Rarity tells the Crystal Ponies that she just found out about "face painting for the little ones". She pats Spike's head and picks him up while saying this. She whispers in his ear and he exclaims, "Twilight is doing what?" and runs off. When the Crystal Ponies look confusedly at Rarity, she says, "He... really loves getting his face painted." Later in the episode when Spike falls while climbing down a treacherous crystal path with the real Crystal Heart, Rarity, who is watching from a balcony, cries "Spikey-wikey!" and covers her eyes.

Rarity pretends to eat Spike's disastrously burned pie to make him happy in Spike at Your Service. While she's chewing it, Spike tells her that she looks good even when she's chewing, and she smiles at him. Later in the episode, the main characters try to trick Spike into saving Applejack's life by pretending that Applejack is being attacked by a timberwolf. Pretending that there is a real crisis, Rarity desperately hugs Spike, sobbing and telling him that the Timberwolves are coming.

In Power Ponies, when Spike feels disappointed for not having superpowers like his friends, Rarity tries to cheer him up by saying he must also have superpowers since his character wears a cape, and calls him "Spikey-boo".

In Rarity Takes Manehattan, Spike brings Rarity's bags to the station. When she turns his attention to a second pile of bags, she asks him to "be a dear" and carry those bags as well, smiling and fluttering her eyes at him. When the Mane 6 and Spike arrive in Manehattan, Spike carries Rarity's bags to the hotel, and during the song Generosity, she buys him a carrot dog as a sign of gratitude.

In Simple Ways, Spike assists Rarity with her work on the Ponyville Days festival. He also helps her in her attempts to win the heart of Trenderhoof, despite his own feelings for her.

In Filli Vanilli, when the Ponytones are practicing a short version of Find the Music in You, Spike congratulates with Rarity, forgetting that it was an esemble. When he walks away after having listlessly congratulates the rest of the Ponytones, making them angry, she keeps looking at him smiling.

In Inspiration Manifestation, Spike assists Rarity as she designs a puppet theatre for the Foal and Filly Fair. She thanks Spike for his help defining him one of her dearest and most supportive friends, and then she wraps him in a fur boa, telling him that he's her favourite dragon, making Spike blush. When the theatre is rejected by Claude, due to Rarity favoring form over function, she falls into a depression. Desperate to help, Spike finds a spell from a hidden spellbook to bring Rarity's ideas to life. At first, things are well, with Rarity creating a better puppet theatre, and improving things around Ponyville. However, Rarity is soon corrupted by the spell, and Spike is worried that he will lose her friendship by telling her to stop. After attempting to break the spell by taking the book, Spike tells Rarity the truth about her actions, which breaks the spell. Rarity tells Spike he should never be afraid of telling her the truth, and the two share a friendly hug.

In Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1, when Rainbow Dash points out to Spike that he is mentioning too often about the time he saved the Crystal Empire, Rarity stands up for him reminding Rainbow Dash she always does the same about her own exploits. When Twilight wonders about her own key to open the chest, Rarity asks her when she has completed a difficult magic task and encouraged another pony to do the same, and while doing so, she gently put a hoof on Spike's forehead, making him smile.

In Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2, when Discord reveals his betrayal to the protagonists and then imprisons them in a cage, Spike leans on Rarity; he does it again after Lord Tirek betrays Discord. Later in the episode, after Tirek's defeat, when the main characters discover the hall of the thrones at the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom castle, Spike and Rarity sit on their own thrones, and they smile at each other.

Magic fire breath
Spike has the ability to transport scrolls back and forth between Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia, by means of magical fire breath. He sends notes by breathing magic green fire onto them, then blowing their ashes into the air. The ashes rematerialize themselves into notes after they arrive at Celestia's location. Spike can likewise belch out a jet of green flame which then materializes into a letter. This ability is able to teleport multiple papers, as showcased on some occasions. Spike sends multiple notes all at once in Griffon the Brush Off, and transports six tickets to the Gala in The Ticket Master. He does have his limits, though: Twilight finds him curled up on the floor, groaning and clutching his stomach, after Princess Celestia sends him too many scrolls in The Return of Harmony Part 2. In Feeling Pinkie Keen, Celestia comes to collect one of the scrolls herself, right as Spike is about to send it from the library's terrace.

Spike's fire has different effects on objects in different situations. In Griffon the Brush Off, his fiery hiccups cause Princess Celestia to be showered with a large number of scrolls, which he can also do voluntarily. In Owl's Well That Ends Well, he accidentally incinerates a book with a sneeze. He likewise incinerated a news paper during Ponyville Confidential, after being startled. He has also used his fire to cook food in Over a Barrel, A Bird in the Hoof, and Apple Family Reunion. In the episode Griffon the Brush-Off, Spike mentioned he was fireproof, but in Owl's Well That Ends Well, his spines were slightly burned by the wild dragon. In Inspiration Manifestation, it is shown that Spike's fire breath is hot enough to melt a metal padlock.

In Equestria Games, Spike is in charge of lighting the torch for the opening ceremony of the Equestria Games. But when he see the thousands ponies from the crowd watching him, his nerves gets the best of him and his fire breath seems to not work anymore. Later in the episode, an ice archer accidentally hits a cloud in the sky, making it turn into a large mass of ice that falls toward the stadium. When the Pegasi are unable to divert it away from the crowd, and the security guards have no time to undo their magic-disabiling spell, Spike springs into action, jumping up on the backs of several Pegasi, and shoots the ice from below with a tremendous blast of fire, melting it into water and steam.

Lauren Faust elaborated on her take of Spike's magic fire breath, which is covered in a section below.

Digging for gems
During the episode A Dog and Pony Show, Spike digs up gems for Rarity. He uses several different techniques, including scrabbling at the ground with his claws, using the splay of his tail as a shovel, and bouncing on his tail like a jackhammer. The effort doesn't seem to tire him in the least.

Commentating and announcing
Over the course of the series, Spike has shown talent and enthusiasm for announcing at events. His first taste is in Fall Weather Friends where he commentates on the Iron Pony Competition, and he is quite disheartened when Pinkie Pie is set as the announcer for the Running of the Leaves. Fortunately she asks him to be her co-announcer, much to his delight. He continues this role in Suited For Success, where he emcees Rarity's fashion show. In Hearth's Warming Eve, he narrates the Canterlot Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.

Musical talents
Spike can be heard humming the opening theme song in Griffon the Brush Off. In Over a Barrel, Spike proficiently plays the piano for Pinkie Pie's musical number. Spike's "predecessor" in the 1986 My Little Pony movie plays the piano for one of the ponies' musical number as well. Spike is also seen playing a double-flute in Hurricane Fluttershy.

Spike is among the singers of The Heart Carol and The Flim Flam Brothers, but his singing voice is not heard clearly until The Failure Song, in which he sings backup for Twilight. He also sings in The Ballad of the Crystal Empire, and he also sings in the background (though voice not heard) during A True, True Friend, Life in Equestria, and Pinkie the Party Planner.

In Testing Testing 1, 2, 3, Spike plays a drum.

Spike sings Cloudsdale Anthem at the Equestria Games wrong because he thought he was going to sing the Equestria Anthem which he knows the words to. He attempts to sing the anthem after he fails to light the torch to the games with the help of Twilight.

Dietary habits
Spike's love of eating gems is shown in several episodes. In Over a Barrel, Little Strongheart offers Spike a bowl of turquoises at dinnertime. In A Dog and Pony Show, Spike is tempted to eat the gems that Rarity asks him to dig up. In Party of One, Pinkie bribes him with a plate of gems. In Secret of My Excess, Spike prefers a sapphire cupcake over his birthday cake. In Just for Sidekicks, he wants to bake his gems into a cake, but every time he tries, he ends up eating them. Spike's preferred gem color is revealed in Equestria Games, when he tells the Crystal pony feeding him that he likes the green ones.

In The Ticket Master, he tries to order gems at a café, but settles for "hay fries." In The Best Night Ever, he binges on doughnuts while waiting for his friends. In Applebuck Season, he snacks on putrid worm-filled muffins without getting sick, even though ponies get food poisoning from them. However, in It's About Time, Spike gets a stomach ache when he eats too much ice cream.

Cooking
Spike has been shown and mentioned to be a good cook. In Owl's Well That Ends Well, Twilight mentions Spike baked the cookies all the ponies liked. Spike bakes the food for Princess Celestia's party in A Bird in the Hoof, mentions in Over a Barrel that he fire-roasted the ponies' snacks earlier that day, and in Dragon Quest makes and serves the tea and baked goods everypony eats while watching the dragon migration. However, in Spike at Your Service, he burns an apple pie while baking. In Just for Sidekicks, Spike attempts to collect gems for a cake he is making, but he ends up eating all the jewels before they can go in the batter.

In Twilight Sparkle's Hot Minute, Twilight mentions that Spike makes great nachos. In Twilight Time, Spike comes out with a plate of nachos, but Twilight suggests making more for all of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' classmates. By the time all of the classmates are gone, Spike comes back with a huge pile of nachos. He then expresses frustration over the fact that his work was for nothing. At the end of the episode, all the nachos are shown in the garbage can outside the library.

Older Spike
Spike is depicted as an adult, or at least larger than he usually is, in three different episodes. The first is in his fantasy in A Dog and Pony Show, detailed in the section crush on Rarity. The second is in The Cutie Mark Chronicles, detailed in the section hatching. The third and most prominent depiction is in the episode Secret of My Excess, detailed in the section generosity and greed. Although, on each different occasion, Spike's grown up designs each seem different from each other.

Peewee
Peewee was Spike's pet in Dragon Quest. He has a light brilliant amber coat with light brilliant amaranth and light brilliant vermilion head feathers, with very light apple green eyes. Spike and a group of teenage dragons, led by Garble, came upon a phoenix nest that the dragons destroy. They chase away two adult phoenixes and five of their hatchlings, but one egg remains. Spike finds the egg and refuses to smash it despite the other dragons' demands. At that point Spike's pony friends reach the scene and Twilight teleports them back to Ponyville. Spike keeps the unhatched egg, and at the end of the episode it hatches, and Spike welcomes "Peewee" to the family. In the beginning of Just for Sidekicks, there is a small picture gallery of Spike looking after him. One picture depicts Spike sharing some ice cream with Peewee, and another depicts the carton ending up on top of Twilight's head, covering her in ice cream. The final picture shows Spike returning Peewee to his parents.

Equestria Girls
In My Little Pony Equestria Girls, Spike follows Twilight through the portal to the alternate world. He turns into a dog. He gives Twilight advice as they navigate Canterlot High School, and finds a place for them to sleep in the library. As a dog, he enjoys belly rubs and being scratched behind the ears. Spike also crushes on the human Rarity the same way as her pony counterpart. When Twilight Sparkle is about to inform her alternate world friends about her real identity, Pinkie Pie interrupts her stating a very accurate hunch, but when Rainbow Dash highly doubts that it is likely the case, Spike speaks out loud affirming Pinkie Pie's assumptions, shocking the girls.

Sunset Shimmer sends Snips and Snails to take Spike hostage. When Sunset Shimmer is defeated, Spike cheers out loud, and a student says, "Did that dog just talk? Whoa. Weird," to which Spike comments, "Seriously? The talking dog is a weird thing about all this?" Rarity says she thinks Spike is adorable.

Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks
A puppy version of Spike appears in the animated short Perfect Day For Fun!, where he proves his strength against Rainbow Dash and Applejack on the high-striker. He is also seen in the group picture at the end of the song along with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Flash Sentry, Big McIntosh, Granny Smith, Cheerilee, Trixie, DJ Pon-3, and Vice-Principal Luna.

Spike is set to return as a puppy in the film.

Hot Minute
In a promotional short released on YouTube before the start of season four, Rarity states that she is not a fan of wings. Spike, unexpectedly present, asks her what she thinks of his wings, which she assures him are lovely. Curiously, the short uses the standard Spike model, which does not have wings.

My Little Pony: Dragonfire
On April 1, 2014 (April Fools' Day), the Hub Network released a promo on their official YouTube channel for a fictional My Little Pony spin-off called "My Little Pony: Dragonfire". In the promo, Spike is depicted as human with small dragon-like fangs and being a "Quarter Tech, Mark: 'Dragonfire', Division M-6" soldier.

Other depictions
Spike is voiced by Kira Buckland in PlayDate Digital's app Power Ponies.

Lauren Faust
Lauren Faust, the show's developer, had suggested that after the entrance exam, it was Princess Celestia who raised and trained Spike before he ended up as Twilight Sparkle's assistant later in life, where Princess Celestia believed they did belong together since it was Twilight Sparkle who hatched him. Faust further suggests that the egg-hatching test was arranged for Twilight Sparkle by Princess Celestia because she sensed her connection to the Elements of Harmony, but adds that the show's current crew may treat the story differently. In Dragon Quest, a line by Twilight Sparkle suggests that she has raised him ever since he was hatched.

Teacher for a Day description
''Spike is a baby dragon with a big job - he is Twilight Sparkle's Number One Assistant! The two have been friends forever since Twilight Sparkle's first day at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot.''

''When Princess Celestia sent Twilight to Ponyville to learn about the magic of friendship, Spike was right by her side. And when the Princess has a message for Twilight, she sends a letter to Spike.''

''When Spike belches, he isn't being impolite - he is receiving Princess Celestia's letter! When the ponies want to tell the Princess about their adventures, Spike writes letters and sends them off to Canterlot in a puff of dragon fire.''

Hasbro.com description
''Assistant number one is Spike the dragon! He's fierce, and ferocious, and hungry for gems! Brave and true, you can count on him to stand up to anything, no matter how big. In his dreams he's a gallant dragon in shining armor, but in his heart, he's a devoted friend and confident. As a loyal companion to Twilight, Spike knows that helping others is what true heroes do. Though Rarity is the gem of his eye, you can always depend on Spike to lend a helping hand.''

The Elements of Harmony guidebook
''Under orders from Princess Celestia, SPIKE THE DRAGON joined Twilight Sparkle in relocating from Canterlot to Ponyville. Twilight endearingly calls Spike her "number one assistant" for his extreme loyalty and ability to recognize when Twilight needs help. He has an incurable crush on Rarity, an insatiable appetite for sparkly gems, and the uniquely comical ability to messenger letters via his fiery dragon breath. Spike was found orphaned as an egg, and his origins remain a mystery.''

Rarity and the Curious Case of Charity
In the chapter book Rarity and the Curious Case of Charity, Spike develops a crush on Rarity's apprentice Charity Sweetmint and eagerly does various things for her throughout the book. When Spike displays infatuation toward Charity Sweetmint and Charity likewise dotes on him, Rarity shows signs of jealousy, especially when Charity addresses him as "Spikey-Wikey".

Merchandise
A Spike figure is included in Twilight Sparkle's Twinkling Balloon set, the Canterlot Palace Friends set, the Royal Ball at Canterlot set, and the molded 5-Pack Gift Set. The Royal Ball set also gives him a bow tie.

Quotes
"Maybe the ponies in Ponyville have interesting things to talk about! C'mon, Twilight, just try!"

- Friendship is Magic, part 1

"Hello, Rarity. What's that? Aw, it's nothin', just my awesome mustache. [laughter]"

- Boast Busters

"Z-Z-Zombie ponies?!"

- Bridle Gossip

"Say it, don't spray it!"

- Bridle Gossip

"This is hilarious! Look at all of you! We got: Hairity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty Pie, Apple Teeny, Flutterguy, and... uh... I got nothin'.... Twilight Sparkle. I mean seriously, I can't even work with that...!"

- Bridle Gossip

"You are a natural! A natural disaster!!"

- Winter Wrap Up

"Can you do that? Can you explode twice?"

- Feeling Pinkie Keen

"Aaah! Rarity... woods... jewels... dogs... hole... taken... SAVE HER!"

- A Dog and Pony Show

"Now, where is Lady Rarity?"

- A Dog and Pony Show

"I'm coming for you, my lady. Hi-ho, Twilight! Away!"

- A Dog and Pony Show

"I'm gonna tell you two a secret. But you have to promise not to tell anyone. [...] I have a crush on Rarity!"

- Green Isn't Your Color

"Another donut! Extra sprinkles!"

- The Best Night Ever

"Oh, please! You're the most studious student ever! I'm sure the princess will forgive you if you miss one little deadline."

- Lesson Zero

"P.S.: Obviously, Spike did not have to learn a lesson, because he is the most awesome friend a pony could ask for. Unlike everypony else, he took things seriously and— Uh, yeah. I'll just, um..."

- Lesson Zero

"Ugh, the rainbow wig just kills it for me."

- Luna Eclipsed

"Bet'cha can't say that ten times fast."

- The Cutie Pox

"I will never wash this cheek again."

- About being kissed on the cheek by Rarity in Secret of My Excess

"Spike want!!!!"

- Secret of My Excess

"Rarity? I need to tell you something! Just in case we don't make it! I've always sort of had a crush–"

- Secret of My Excess

"Then maybe you won't mind if I...eat an entire tub of ice cream!"

- It's About Time

"Run away!"

- Dragon Quest

"Oh, yeah? Just wait until you see what I have planned for the bachelor party!"

- A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

"The dragon is the finest creature ever! There's more to it than just guarding treasure!"

- Spike at Your Service

"Nah, pshaw. I'll be fine. But, uh, just between you and me, I gotta give priority to the... paying customers."

- Just for Sidekicks

"Are you kidding? Twilight can find a rulebook for everything!"

- Pinkie Pride

"It's magic!"

- Inspiration Manifestation

"The spell took over you, and you wanted to change everything in Equestria. I was afraid to tell you how I really felt about it, but then I...I told you the truth."

- Inspiration Manifestation

"Today I learned how important it is to be honest with your friends when they're doing something that you don't think is right. A true friend knows that you're speaking up because you care about them."

- Inspiration Manifestation

"Whenever I'm afraid I'll forget something and I start to panic. I have a simple trick. I count to ten, and by the time I'm done, I've calmed myself enought to get the job right every time. Easy peasy, cider squeezy."

- Equestria Games

"You know, it's kinda weird. No matter how many times others tell you you're great. All the praise in the world means nothing if you don't feel it inside. Sometimes, to feel good about yourself, you gotta let go of the past. That way, when the time comes to let your greatness fly, you'll be able to light up the whole sky."

- Equestria Games

"For generations we've wandered the stars, searching for a place where we can all live in harmony. None of us knows when that day will come. But we do know this: as long as there is discord in the universe, we will fight. I serve onboard the Celestia, and tonight we ride. Quarter Tech, Mark: 'Dragonfire', Division M-6. You can call me Spike."

- "My Little Pony: Dragonfire" promo