The following is a list of allusions to other My Little Pony generations, works of fiction, people, places, events, and other cultural touchstones in the ninth season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. Entries on this page must follow the similarity guidelines.
Grogar's history as an ancient tyrant and creator of monsters resembles that of Morgoth, villain of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion. His title of "Father of Monsters" is also similar to that of the Greek Titan Typhon, husband to the Mother of All Monsters Echidna.[dubious – discuss]
Grogar's lair resembles the Hall of Doom from various DC animated media.
After King Sombra captures Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, and Flurry Heart, he says "Kneel before Sombra", which is a direct reference to General Zod and his signature line, "Kneel before Zod", from DC Comics.
After Rarity mentions "cakewalk", Pinkie Pie does her version of a "cakewalk", which is a variation of the moonwalk with cake made famous by Michael Jackson.
When she is about to dig, Rarity yells, "Show me the muddy!", a parody of Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s catchphrase "Show me the money!" from the 1996 film Jerry Maguire.
Twilight Sparkle declares "You may knock us down, but we're gonna get back up again!" as she confronts King Sombra, alluding to the chorus of "Tubthumbing" by the alternative rock band Chumbawamba.[dubious – discuss]
Rainbow Dash's outfit and manestyle she wears to distract Zephyr bear a resemblance to Megara's outfit and hairstyle from Hercules.[dubious – discuss]
Princess Luna stroking a goose is a parody of the cliche of a Bond villain stroking his cat, most famously, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
Among Twilight's childhood belongings is a "G1 Star Swirl figure", referencing G1 My Little Pony – and, indirectly, Star Swirl's G1 counterpart.
One of the images inside Mooncurve's Seven Theories on Bending Time is a melting clock similar to the painting "The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dalí.
Twilight speculates that the note on First Folio's door says "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here", which is the message that appears above the entrance to Hades in Dante's Inferno.
When the Meathead Pony tries to remember the name of the place Dusty Pages moved to, he says "Silver" and "Surfer", referencing the Silver Surfer of Marvel Comics.
A little filly and a wolf that briefly appear outside the buckball stadium are a reference to the 1985 Disney film The Journey of Natty Gann, in which Meredith Salenger (the voice of Clear Sky) made her film debut.
The title is a play on the expression "she's all that" and a reference to the 1999 film She's All That, which, itself, was a "modern retelling" of the Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion.
Discovery Family's promotion for the episode on Facebook is a parody of the theatrical poster for She's All That.[2]
Yona's transformation into a proper lady reflects that of the character Eliza Doolittle in the 1964 musical film My Fair Lady, also based on Pygmalion.
Rarity's line "By Celestia, I think she's got it!" is a reference to the similar line "By jove, I think she's got it!" from My Fair Lady.
Spike's headwear at the dance is similar to the one worn by DJ Deadmau5.
The title is a wordplay on the phrase "student council".
Maud says to Mudbriar, "You complete me" and "You had me at 'petrified'", mirroring both Tom Cruise and Renée Zellweger's lines at the end of Jerry Maguire.
Snap Shutter says, "Rabid bugbears couldn't keep us away," a reference to the chorus of the Rolling Stones song "Wild Horses", "Wild horses... couldn't drag me away..."
The security ponies refuse Pinkie Pie entry to Cheese Sandwich's factory with the line "nopony ever comes out, and nopony ever goes in", almost identical to a line in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
The episode's title is a play on the computing expression "drag and drop".
Rarity apologizing to Spike while holding a gramophone over her head is a reference to John Cusack's character doing the same with a boombox in the 1989 film Say Anything...
In Dr. Hooves' laboratory, an octopus with a face is seen sleeping inside a tube, referencing the Face of Boe from Doctor Who. The octopus also bears a resemblance to the G1 character Squirk.
Caballeron's alias "Groom Q. Q. Martingale", as well as his disguise, are a reference to author George R. R. Martin.
Dr. Caballeron's line "Take a look, it's in my book" is a reference to the near-identical lyric "Take a look, it's in a book" from the Reading Rainbow theme song.
At the beginning of the episode, Discord, Spike, and Big McIntosh appear in costumes similar to those of the title characters in the 1986 film Three Amigos.
Granny Smith's outer space dream with Grand Pear, Mudbriar, and Discord is a reference to Star Trek, including paraphrasing the franchise's tagline "Where no man has gone before". Coincidentally, William Shatner, who played James T. Kirk in Star Trek, voiced Grand Pear in The Perfect Pear, and John de Lancie, who played Q in Star Trek: The Next Generation, voices Discord.
Apple Bloom noticing the apple monster's approach by seeing ripples in a bucket of water is a reference to the 1993 film Jurassic Park.
The artifact that Grogar brings to his lair resembles the Flashstone from the My Little Pony 'n Friends four-part episode "The Ghost of Paradise Estate".
Pinkie Pie's line "Do not go in that kitchen!" after lots of cupcakes spill all over is a reference to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Cozy Glow's line "Alicorns really do have more fun" is a play on the expression "blondes have more fun".
Chrysalis' line "Starlight, star bright. Where's the pony I want to fight?!" is a reference to the English nursery rhyme Star Light, Star Bright.
Fluttershy says to the geese, "Fly, my pretties!", a reference to an often misquoted line from The Wizard of Oz. (The witch actually simply says, "Fly! Fly! Fly!")
Twilight's line "The same thing we do every time, Pinkie - try to save the world!" is nearly identical to the line "The same thing we do every night, Pinky - try to take over the world!" spoken by the Brain in the opening sequence and every episode of Pinky and the Brain.
