@NSÞ Minuette/Colgate has it too and several other less well-known background ponies, there's an old theory out there that all hourglass cutie marks are different regenerations of Dr. Whooves intersecting each other's timelines and most of them trying to keep their abilities low.
Ponies might have cutie marks that look similar, but what those marks actually mean and represent about who that pony is and how they see their place in the word is by definition always unique.
For once someone has made a video on cutie marks that I whole heartedly agree with. I can't even quibble over any of the finer details. If I were to add anything it all it would only be that a cutie mark isn't so much what makes a pony unique, but rather what makes them FEEL unique. This actually helps explain why cutie marks can often bare some relation to a pony's name. Our names often help form a core aspect of our own self-identity, and so it follows that an outward manifestation of that identity would also be related. This would for example be why Apple Bloom's cutie mark still includes an apple as part of it even though her talent has nothing to do with farming. Not only is the apple representative of her name and therefore an extension of her personal identity, but the apple is also representative of her close familial bonds, which while not defining her entirely is still something important to her. Heck, even her older sister's cutie mark probably doesn't represent any particular talent for farming, as it didn't manifest from perfuming any specific task on the farm. Rather the life defining event which made Applejack's mark appear was realizing her place was on the farm, and by extension with her family. She's a good farmer because she put in the hard work to learn how to be one, but the reason she puts in all that work and which defines the true core of personality is the pride she takes in her family.
I went into this thinking it was just going to be a purely humorous video, but I think it ended up being the most complete definition of what a cutie mark actually is that we've ever had. Good job! 😄
this is the best definition of a cutie mark i've seen. i personally hold the belief that a cutie mark should be able to change as a pony changes as a person can experience multiple life changing events that changes their sense of self so then that outward depiction of their identity should change as well.
I thought this was just going to be a silly joke video, (which it was still really funny), but this ended up being the most comprehensive and succinct explanation of cutie marks I think I've seen in the fandom! Great work! -Red Sapphire
I think G5 only has a mark on 1 side because they have been disconnected from magic for so long that over a thousand years of breeding they adapted a weaker connection to cutie mark magic leading to only one mark being present. Plus you know, Hasbro probably got tired of getting roasted for making inaccurate marks on all their toys.
Thankfully there is no lore reason for G5 ponies' one sided cutie marks, it's explicitly just a design choice for the 3d animation. What doesn't have an official explanation and can only be assumed as laziness is why hundreds of background ponies do, in fact, share a cutie mark in G4.
I think that G5 ponies have a cutie mark on only one side for the same reason Sunny's wings and horn are not quite physical. Equestria's lost half it's magic when the tribes separated and that magic is now in the 3 artifacts. Just speculation tho
The g3/g3.5 cutie mark lore is interesting if you've see. Their so soft newborns and Newborn cuties you've seen the cutie mark on diaper thing and then when the ponies are older they have it on their flank but yes cutie mark is your talent. No matter g3 to g4
"it's not tied to their destiny". That's what their name for. Just ask Filthy Rich and Trouble Shoes and Flim and Flam. I'm honestly surprised no pony parents name their foal "God Emperor of Ponykind" but I imagine Celestia has control of the birth register and outlawed such names long ago.
Obviously they’ve only got one in g5 because their cutie marks are twice as strong. Have you seen they crazy stuff they with just “cutie mark magic” in that Gen?
The image of Destiny 2 when you said “Destiny” made me crack up, as I am actually watching this while waiting for Destiny 2 to finish updating right now. Lol
I used to think that maybe Opaline stole half of all the magic in Equestria, and that's why G5 pony only have cutie-mark on one side. It would have been a great traumatic reason for Twilight to "protect" the remaning magic the way she did.
I always love cutie marks and ponies relationships with them :3 for years I drew my oc with no cutie mark, and told people that they covered their cutie mark with make up because they didn’t like the idea of being trapped in one life style.
Ok, now I have 1 more question, what happen when 2 cutiemark are the same?, as alloe and lotus or are too similar like cutie mark crusaders, If they are exchange how much of their traits and personalities will change? May I get a PhD if I investigate this topic?
I'll have to clear it with your academic advisor, but yes, I believe this would make a suitable thesis. You should be able to present your findings at the annual conference this spring.
Woah early!! Anyways, Somethings been on my mind ever since the thought of cutie marks popped into my head , Why are some ponies named after their cutie marks? Like do the parents go into the future to see what cutie mark their fillies will have? This has confused me for a while. Nice video!!!!
This takes me way back to the question I had about cutie marks years ago. If a cutie mark signifies something... Less socially acceptable, lets say a pony's skull for example, or an explosion and I do not mean the fireworks kind, or even a gravestone. Would that young pony be basically ostracized from the community until they have no room in polite society and henceforth have to turn to more desperate measures to survive and they turn out to be very talented in it. Or would it be that every single day that pony and everyone around them live constantly on the edge trying ignoring the figurative elephant on the room, and try to think of maybe an alternative meaning. Or lets make an EXTREME case, lets say someone gets a cutie mark that has another pony's decapitated head, would a cutie mark that specific be acceptable reason to imprison/banish even kill a pony ? And let's not even get started with explicitly adult cutie marks.
Seeing as a cutie mark reflects a pony's personality, only a pony that was mentally disturbed would be able to manifest an equally disturbing cutie mark, at least and have it mean anything serious. We do see examples of such concern though. There was a filly who had a skull for cutie mark and her parents were so worried about what it meant, but it quickly turned out to just represent her interest in paleontology. Similarly, a pony could have an explosion for a cutie mark and still be perfectly able to peruse a legitimate career in demolitions or pyrotechnics, or they could just pursue it as a hobby and like blowing stuff up in their own backyard for the fun of seeing what happens. It might not even mean anything literally, but rather represent a pony with a bombastic personality, a penchant for emotional explosions. Likewise, a pony with something like a dead body for a cutie mark, might just have a morbid sense of humor, or even if it really is a particular fascination with dead bodies, they could just grow up to be a mortician.
@@EmeralBookwise (Sorry in advance for long response) I get where you are coming from, but I personally think there are 3 ways for a pony to get their cutie mark, and the more thought you put into it it gets weirder. 1 A pony does a predetermined action in accordance to their personality/nature which you explained well, and basically this would included the mane 6 too. This is a simples and most explained way by the show, but this is not applicable to all ponies where situations 2-3 come in and things get weird. 2 A pony's cutie mark is intrinsically tied to their name, and their name forces behavioral changes to said pony against their will. Ponies like Snips, Snails and Silver Spoon are examples of this. Lets start with Snips, his Cutie Mark is a pair of Scissors, yet he never really talk about Scissors like they would be his object of fascination, neither does Snips act like he wants to separate people, or things apart in any way or form, in fact he seems to be a really strong friend to Snails, so his cutie mark should be a bottle of glue perhaps, and if one tries to take more open view of his cutie mark, he doesn't really do any kind of work that really needs Scissors often, so all in all, I am 99% confident that His cutie mark simply manifests because of his name. Next Up Snails Just like Snips, his behavior is basically near identical to Snips with their interests lining up 99,9% and just like we don't see Snips with Scissors nearly ever if at all, we don't see Snails around snails either, but with Snails things get more interesting, He has a unique way of speaking in much slower and lower tone than the rest of the ponies implying either some sort of physical difference causing it, or perhaps mental. Be it either one I doubt that the moment Snails was born, he was put in a pony MRI machine and the parents were informed that he will have trouble speaking to the same level as pretty much every other pony in Equestria, so once again I am 99,9% sure that giving him the name Snails, forcibly forced these changes to him which is very cruel if you think about it. And last up Silver Spoon Just like with the other 2, She isn't seen to really do anything with Spoons, or have a spoon collection, or really like spoons, her name is just another way to say ''privilege'' and she 100% acts out according to her name, yet unless I recall incorrectly, unlike with Diamond Tiara whos parents are shown to be very affluent, Silver Spoons parents aren't shown at all, so one can only guess that her parents are also rich, but unlike with Diamond Tiara, they decided to name her effectively ''privilege'' which is horrible name to give to a child. So saying all that I think this is a clear open and shut case of another pony who got her cutie mark based on her name, and said name and mark affecting the pony's behavior in this case to detriment of others in the early seasons. So would all this mean that is a pony would be kidnapped straight after being born, and given a malicious name, like if chrysalis infiltrates a hospital and names a child Annihilation of Equestria or something, and would this cosmic force alter the child to be morally evil, and make sure that the child will act out according to its name ? Don't know but it's interesting to think. And after long ass examples for number 2, we get to the last way a pony gets their cutiemark. 3 A pony has immutable characteristics that they have no control over and their mark reflects these characteristics, or they are a combination of category 1-2, or simply wont fit either one This has little overlap with number 2 that as a newborn child does not control the name they are given, but ponies in this category do not in turn have names that are just their cutie marks. 3 examples here Would be Sunburst, Bulk Biceps and Featherweight Starting with Sunburst, he got his cutie mark saving starlight with magic, but his cutie mark has nothing to do with saving people, and like I said we dip little in category 2 and 1 as he got his mark doing a chosen action, and his mark represents his name to a degree, besides that his cutie mark tells people nothing, it is just sun with rays of light coming out of it and some blue sparkles, all of this could be considered some sort of magical or mystical meaning or a symbol of power, and what a surprise Sunburst is a fairly talented unicorn, clearly above average, meaning that he was basically selected at birth by the universe itself to have greater magical talent, and his cutie mark is doing its best to somehow fit this. Next up is good old Bulk Biceps, this one is fairly easy to explain as its very unlikely that when he was born he was some freak muscle baby, so it would be really odd for his parents to name him Bulk Biceps, but so he was named nonetheless, meanwhile his cutie mark is a dumbbell, so its most likely he got it because he is good at lifting weights, and being good at it, he does it often resulting in his massive stature, but again either his parents pushed him towards weightlifting, or because of his name he was just drawn to it for no apparent reason against his will, its not like he needs to be that absurdly large + it's clearly a detriment to him as a Pegasus because his stature his ability to fly is so weak that even someone like Fluttershy who effectively lives her entire adult life as an earthpony beats him in flying skill, so all that muscle which theoretically was forced to him by the universe has basically made him an earthpony, robbing him of his racial heritage. And Lastly featherweight He almost fits perfectly to Category 2, but unlike regular category 2 ponies, His name again has forced his body into unnatural shapes, so again if he was born just like every other child, and we assume there is no famine in Equestria so he didn't live malnourished life, he seems happy and healthy all things considered + there has been nothing shown that he needs medical intervention or magical version of it, this means the Featherweight could have been a completely normal pony, but naming him basically small, caused this cosmic force to alter him to fit his name, because he hasn't even been trough puberty and yet he is named featherweight ? And stating the obvious, he clearly has no interests in feathers, he doesn't have some sort of feather related job, and only feather related thing he has is his own wings and cutie mark which again is just plain old feather. SO IN CONCLUSION If a pony is named maliciously, there is a very likely chance that you can alter their personality to great degree. If a pony is named after physical features, they will adopt those features seemingly either against their will, or naturally, and that there is a chance that should enough ponies give you a nickname and more people know you by said nickname over your birth name, this could realistically affect you as well. And that a pony's cutie mark will in all likelihood then manifest based on these factors. Thank you for coming to my unhinged theory talk about PNG images on Ponies flanks.
@@Flustershy: First of all, as mentioned in the video, there is no predestination for cutie marks, and so no one specific action that causes them to appear. Rather they are an out-word expression of internal self-actualization. A cutie mark appears when a pony comes to understand some aspect of themselves that makes them feel unique and special. Taking Rainbow Dash, she got her cutie mark while racing, but it wasn't just the race itself which mattered, it was her determination to win the race. Her cutie mark isn't specifically about athletic performance, but her drive and determination to be the very best in everything she does, and to do so in a flashy way that the whole world sees and applauds her for. On an even deeper level though it's not even just about how much she wanted to win the race, but why she wanted to win the race. In her own words she was defending Fluttershy's honor. Rainbow Dash doesn't just want to be the best out of selfish ego, but as a demonstration that she is strong enough to protect other, and it is that aspect which made her worthy to become the Element of Loyalty. As for names, you've got it backwards, a pony's name doesn't force them down a singular life path any more than our own names do. What a name becomes, however, is an aspect of our self-identify, the way we set our selves apart from others. A pony's name doesn't force their cutie mark to assume a certain shape, but rather for ponies that have a strong affinity for their own name their cutie mark reflects that fact. You mentioned Snips never demonstrating any particular talent with or fascination for scissors, although I might also contend that there aren't really any episodes specifically focusing on him, and so we barely know anything about his hobbies or interests. What we do know is that much like his best friend, Snails, he also has a very particular way of talking, He can be blunt and crude, sometimes quick to jump to conclusions. You could almost say that he always, "cuts to the point." As for Snails, his name and manner of speech and possible lack of intelligence might seem like negative qualities, but also consider the moral of the Tortoise and the Hair, "slow and steady wins the race." It might take Snails longer to figure things out, but when he does, he usually has a better grip on what's going on than his more quick-witted friend. Likewise, a pony such as Bulk Biceps wasn't forced to become a body builder because of his name. Again, we know almost nothing about his background, about who he is beyond a one-note sight gag. It's entirely reasonably to believe his parents valued strength, maybe they were even also body builders, and so gave him a name based on what they wanted him to grow up to be. It would still have been his choice, however, to actually peruse those qualities for himself. Even if maybe his parents pressured him to perform, it would only be his own personal enjoyment of those activates which would make it manifest as a cutie mark. So, yes, in a roundabout way a malicious person could kidnap a pony and try forcing them to be something evil. It wouldn't a wicked name alone that shapes the pony's behavior, however, but rather the emotionally toxic and abusive environment in which they were raised, same as it would be for a human child raised under such harsh conditions. To a lesser extent, that's why Silver Spoons name might indeed just refer to her being rich and privileged, as her parents might just be snooty self-entitled snobs. Ponies aren't all good people after all. Just look at Diamond Tiara's mother as well, and then consider what kind of parents would name their kid Spoiled Milk. Although in her case her original name form before marrying into the Rich family doesn't seem to be what defines her. Rather her cutie mark seems to be an engagement ring, the implication being that she is the archetypal gold-digger. Instead of trying to better herself through her own hard work, she put her effort into finding a man who could provide for her. Granted, a lot of this is speculation, taking what we know about main characters like Rainbow Dash and how her personality is reflected in her cutie mark and apply the same basic concepts and ideas to guess at what factors might have led these background and side characters to discover their own cutie marks.
@@EmeralBookwise I see your point of view and would like to apologize, since I clearly didn't make it clear that we are talking about 2 different Equestria's Because whenever I engage in a hypothetical conversation about MLP:FIM I talk about the uncensored world of MLP:FIM. While you clearly talk about the censored world we see only in the show, which is fine as that's the ''truth'' that we know. But in reality all of the show we saw was a censored and told as a story, hence the whole book opening in the intro, and closing on the final episode, meaning that there is even a very good chance that some of the episodes we saw had unreliable narrator, especially episodes with Discord would personally come to mind. So yeah, you are absolutely correct with your statements, and they make sense when looking trough the narration and censorship of the story. And I wont go further, but I like how you basically made Bulk Biceps and ponies like the Apple family grooming victims if you think about it, but that would be another thousand word conversation which I honestly do not feel like having in TH-cam comment sections of all places. I do appreciate the time you spent with your thorough responses, been a while since I've had a more meaty conversation about MLP:FIM that isn't ''who's your favorite Pony'' or ''What's the best season in your opinion'' etc So thanks for that.
I had a lot MLP G4 toys when I was little who only had their cutie mark on one side. We also don’t see both sides a whole lot, so the animators might just not have known
Them not being on both sides of toys is likely just Hasbro cutting costs so they only need to and apply half as many stickers and not have to worry about reversing Cutie Marks where needed. My evidence is there's third party licenced merch (i.e. A Hasbro executive signed off on it) where they put the marks correctly on both sides, for example Symbiote Studios licensed plushies have cutie marks on both sides but official Hasbro plushies do not.
Possible reason for cutie marks only appearing on one flank for a ponies in g5 could be the lowered inherent magic of the three races due to the crystals. Cutie marks dissapear when all of their magic is sapped, what if it was only half?
So Fluttershy's butterflies are meant to represent her gentle spirit Things just got mixed with destiny and passion and now everything is kind of literal
depends on what generation you are watching for gens 1~3ish a cutie mark was merely a representation of the general personality and proclivities of a pony, applejack really liked apples, that was all there was to it It was only in gen 4 that they took on more...neuanced meaning, adding that they did not appear till some condition was met, making them represent a pony's 'special tallent' that one thing the pony was really good at (some would say destiny but its less weighty then that, the tallent can be tied into their destiny sure but it isn't directly governing of it or rarity would be a miner, not a tailor) its the same in generation 5 though from what i gather the lack of magic has greatly diminished the effect which is why they only appear on one flank in g 5 and don't seem to depict a pony's tallents as clearly as they once did.
Applejack is closely connected to her family and the farm, reconnecting with that was what led to her getting it after all Pinkie pie also loves her family, but isn't as close. She lives separately from them most of the time, and the sibling she's closest to is her older sister, not her twin. She got her cutie mark by witnessing something that filled her with joy and wanting to share that feeling with others. Her family were just kinda there
Still doesnt cover why no other specieses have cutie marks or anything equivalent of that. Are the individuals of any other species not a uniqe person with uniqe talents? Maybe with the yacks i can accept the explanation that they have no intrinsic magic or that they do have some mark underneath all of their wool, but there are definitly other magical specieses in the mlp universe. maybe they all have the same kind of magic (hance they have the same abilities as each other like shape-shifting or fire breaving), but some dragons are shown to be stornger than other dragons and this is what their social hierarchy is built on, so do their body contain a uniqe magic to them that detrmines their strength or do they have a diffirent quantity of magic and thats how they differ in power levels? Are the societies of other specieses not complex enough in order for each indevidual to have their own uniqe talent? (After all, your uniqe talent cant be skiing if your civilisation hasn't invent skiing yet). But this has some very problemtic subtext that in the mlp universe other specieses are canonicly more primitve than the ponnies Or maybe other indeviduals of other specieses can be talented in a multitude of things while the ponies are each literally a "one trick pony"? There is always the option that they do have an equivalent to the cuties, and its just doesnt embody any physical representaion on their body, in which case, we are back at the qustion of why? Sidenote the cuties marks definitly cant be used as an id bc not all of Equestria's residents are ponies, you'd be gatekeeping citizenship from all non-ponies individuals
Maybe they all have different kinds of magic? Like, ponies specifically have "pony magic", dragons have dragon magic, griffins have griffin magic, etc Edit: and cutie marks are specifically a part of pony magic. It doesn't mean other species can't have special talents, just that their talents don't show up as logos on their flank
I think there could potentially be some cognitive or perception based stuff going on with the designs and what they represents. I doubt top hats have existed as long as these horses have and instead of some strange force arbitarily granting them its the horses realization that gives the mark its shape.
This isnt really related to cutie marks but i always wondered when cozy glow used the artifacts to steal (i dont know the right word) the magic unicorns couldnt use their horns anymore but pegasi could still fly. That makes no sense and also their cutie marks remained. Can someone explain or am i just stupid.
This may be a strange question, but if a pony has a cutie mark that represents a man-made object (or may i say: pony-made object), does the creator of said object have rights upon the image of his creation if he patented the object in the first place?
"One specific character doesn't mention destiny and so there is no destiny" is not good reasoning. "Because this character didn't mention destiny, I can ignore other characters who did mention destiny" is worse. "If a cutie mark is a VISUAL DEPICTION of one's inner magic, then supplanting one on another pony would be like mixing personality traits" makes no sense at all, or is at least poorly explained. If it's a mere depiction, then swapping it out wouldn't actually change the attached personality. It would just make the mark wrong for that personality. "One half seems to know where the pony belongs and what skill a pony is good at while the other half seems to recognize that something is amiss with this combination." If this were correct, then you would have a group of 5 ponies who were all good at their new jobs and new lives but simply had an internal feeling of constant sense of dysphoria. That's not what happened, meaning this point is underexplained or not thought through. As this is the point which most strongly disagrees with you, failing to address it like this basically ruins your whole point.
I mostly had the same thoughts about cutie mark being an expression of the pony's soul which it's meaning and powers are as unique as the pony who sports it, and doesn't really have anything to do with jobs aptitude or social class they belong to. For the G5 think, I think it has to do with Twilight's magic with the stones that holds all three major tribe of ponies within it, which which removed haft their magic so only one side of their butts gets a cutie mark. Sense we saw that Earth pony magic only started to manifest itself some time after the crystals were reunited, it might mean that it will only come back later on, as late as the next generation maybe.
Cutie Marks are horrible. Can you imagine having your talent - and your future career - written in stone by age 10? Forget about hopes and dreams - want to play football? No coach or trainer will give you a chance if it's not your Cutie Mark! Forget about dating - girls will judge you in 2 seconds from your Cutie Mark. You are stuck in the socio-economic class defined by your Cutie Mark for life. And we see the negative effects - unicorns are capable of powerful magic, but the vast majority seen in the background of the show can do nothing more than levitate small objects - if your Cutie Mark is a broom, and your career is pre-determined to be a janitor, why study or practice magic beyond lifting a broom?
I suppose the fact it represents a truth is what keeps it being horrible. The actual nightmare is not knowing what it represents like what happened to Trouble Shoes.
![ILLSLICK X YOUNGOHM - We're The same [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yUJNkobYR0E/mqdefault.jpg)
"No two cutie marks are the same"
Unless you're a background pony, then it changes on a whim and is duplicated multiple times.
Really? I've never seen more than one pony with ⏳️
@@ShizuruNakatsuBoth Dr Whooves and Dr Whooves (Winged) have it if they count as different ponies.
@NSÞ Minuette/Colgate has it too and several other less well-known background ponies, there's an old theory out there that all hourglass cutie marks are different regenerations of Dr. Whooves intersecting each other's timelines and most of them trying to keep their abilities low.
Is it normal not to have a cutie mark at 2X years old? Asking for a friend. They don't wanna be a blank flank (derogatory).
uh nope. i recommend going to a doctor or something.
"No pony has the same cutiemark" my flank! Literally just take a look at any background shots 😭
Those were clearly changelings! Don't believe Celestia's lies!
Ponies might have cutie marks that look similar, but what those marks actually mean and represent about who that pony is and how they see their place in the word is by definition always unique.
its just reuse of already existing stuff
Im surprised we never see a adult blank flank
We do, actually! Sapphire Shores explicitly shows that she has no cutie mark, and is perfectly alright with that
@@donaldduckith6792until the toys came out & seemed to try & retcon that
@@donaldduckith6792uhm no ? Her cutie mark is a sapphired seashel
Tempest from the MLP Movie doesn’t have a cutie mark
@TurtleNinjaFan I thought she did. Like form the comics?
For once someone has made a video on cutie marks that I whole heartedly agree with. I can't even quibble over any of the finer details.
If I were to add anything it all it would only be that a cutie mark isn't so much what makes a pony unique, but rather what makes them FEEL unique. This actually helps explain why cutie marks can often bare some relation to a pony's name. Our names often help form a core aspect of our own self-identity, and so it follows that an outward manifestation of that identity would also be related.
This would for example be why Apple Bloom's cutie mark still includes an apple as part of it even though her talent has nothing to do with farming. Not only is the apple representative of her name and therefore an extension of her personal identity, but the apple is also representative of her close familial bonds, which while not defining her entirely is still something important to her.
Heck, even her older sister's cutie mark probably doesn't represent any particular talent for farming, as it didn't manifest from perfuming any specific task on the farm. Rather the life defining event which made Applejack's mark appear was realizing her place was on the farm, and by extension with her family. She's a good farmer because she put in the hard work to learn how to be one, but the reason she puts in all that work and which defines the true core of personality is the pride she takes in her family.
I like that the Apple family cutie marks use the apple as a symbol of family, rather than farmwork
I went into this thinking it was just going to be a purely humorous video, but I think it ended up being the most complete definition of what a cutie mark actually is that we've ever had. Good job! 😄
this is the best definition of a cutie mark i've seen. i personally hold the belief that a cutie mark should be able to change as a pony changes as a person can experience multiple life changing events that changes their sense of self so then that outward depiction of their identity should change as well.
0:39 I appreciate the flirts, but the joke's on you. I'm a boy~
@@SmokeTheHorsehog I'm a mare aka a girl
@Queendayandnight I ain't down, but I'm bi
Femboy
@@Nick-yl4qp Indeed I am, and I have no shame in it.
U still a cutie tho 😂
a cute mark is the friends we made along the way
I thought this was just going to be a silly joke video, (which it was still really funny), but this ended up being the most comprehensive and succinct explanation of cutie marks I think I've seen in the fandom! Great work!
-Red Sapphire
They're totally not tramp stamps, that's for sure. (Talking to you, MatPat)
Before it used to be a trait or skill but now ITS All OVER THE PLACE AND A DO EVERYTHING BUTTON
Or a way for Hasbro to sell their toys
What I mean is in the shows not the toys
For some reason this video was actually informative, like an actual theory instead of a bunch of blue horse rambling
In summary: Buck off, Starlight.
I think G5 only has a mark on 1 side because they have been disconnected from magic for so long that over a thousand years of breeding they adapted a weaker connection to cutie mark magic leading to only one mark being present.
Plus you know, Hasbro probably got tired of getting roasted for making inaccurate marks on all their toys.
This is so in-depth! Taking everything we know about Cutie Marks from the show and compiling it together is really smart!
Thankfully there is no lore reason for G5 ponies' one sided cutie marks, it's explicitly just a design choice for the 3d animation. What doesn't have an official explanation and can only be assumed as laziness is why hundreds of background ponies do, in fact, share a cutie mark in G4.
It has an explanation. Making assets is expensive and time consuming.
@@eddie-roo I meant an in universe one. Which I realize was worded confusingly. My bad.
I think that G5 ponies have a cutie mark on only one side for the same reason Sunny's wings and horn are not quite physical. Equestria's lost half it's magic when the tribes separated and that magic is now in the 3 artifacts. Just speculation tho
The g3/g3.5 cutie mark lore is interesting if you've see. Their so soft newborns and Newborn cuties you've seen the cutie mark on diaper thing and then when the ponies are older they have it on their flank but yes cutie mark is your talent. No matter g3 to g4
"it's not tied to their destiny".
That's what their name for.
Just ask Filthy Rich and Trouble Shoes and Flim and Flam.
I'm honestly surprised no pony parents name their foal "God Emperor of Ponykind" but I imagine Celestia has control of the birth register and outlawed such names long ago.
Only video of this guy’s that I’ve seen where he actually retains his sanity
Obviously they’ve only got one in g5 because their cutie marks are twice as strong. Have you seen they crazy stuff they with just “cutie mark magic” in that Gen?
Great Theory and amazing description comment
The image of Destiny 2 when you said “Destiny” made me crack up, as I am actually watching this while waiting for Destiny 2 to finish updating right now. Lol
A toy gimmick that sets my little pony from other horse-themed franchises
I used to think that maybe Opaline stole half of all the magic in Equestria, and that's why G5 pony only have cutie-mark on one side.
It would have been a great traumatic reason for Twilight to "protect" the remaning magic the way she did.
I always love cutie marks and ponies relationships with them :3 for years I drew my oc with no cutie mark, and told people that they covered their cutie mark with make up because they didn’t like the idea of being trapped in one life style.
Did you know that the first pony to say Cutie Mark was Toola-roola? from G3 meet the ponies.
I always assumed it was just the name, you know? You're given a name, and your cutie mark has something close to it
Ok, now I have 1 more question, what happen when 2 cutiemark are the same?, as alloe and lotus or are too similar like cutie mark crusaders, If they are exchange how much of their traits and personalities will change?
May I get a PhD if I investigate this topic?
I'll have to clear it with your academic advisor, but yes, I believe this would make a suitable thesis. You should be able to present your findings at the annual conference this spring.
Woah early!! Anyways, Somethings been on my mind ever since the thought of cutie marks popped into my head , Why are some ponies named after their cutie marks? Like do the parents go into the future to see what cutie mark their fillies will have? This has confused me for a while. Nice video!!!!
I think its moreso like how people had last names like smith or wood or carpenter either family inherent or in hopes that their child will fill a role
@Vince-rh8es Ehh, that still doesn't explain the first names
@@BrwnBunniX33same thing as last names, it implies family occupation history
This takes me way back to the question I had about cutie marks years ago.
If a cutie mark signifies something... Less socially acceptable, lets say a pony's skull for example, or an explosion and I do not mean the fireworks kind, or even a gravestone.
Would that young pony be basically ostracized from the community until they have no room in polite society and henceforth have to turn to more desperate measures to survive and they turn out to be very talented in it.
Or would it be that every single day that pony and everyone around them live constantly on the edge trying ignoring the figurative elephant on the room, and try to think of maybe an alternative meaning.
Or lets make an EXTREME case, lets say someone gets a cutie mark that has another pony's decapitated head, would a cutie mark that specific be acceptable reason to imprison/banish even kill a pony ?
And let's not even get started with explicitly adult cutie marks.
Seeing as a cutie mark reflects a pony's personality, only a pony that was mentally disturbed would be able to manifest an equally disturbing cutie mark, at least and have it mean anything serious.
We do see examples of such concern though. There was a filly who had a skull for cutie mark and her parents were so worried about what it meant, but it quickly turned out to just represent her interest in paleontology.
Similarly, a pony could have an explosion for a cutie mark and still be perfectly able to peruse a legitimate career in demolitions or pyrotechnics, or they could just pursue it as a hobby and like blowing stuff up in their own backyard for the fun of seeing what happens. It might not even mean anything literally, but rather represent a pony with a bombastic personality, a penchant for emotional explosions.
Likewise, a pony with something like a dead body for a cutie mark, might just have a morbid sense of humor, or even if it really is a particular fascination with dead bodies, they could just grow up to be a mortician.
@@EmeralBookwise (Sorry in advance for long response)
I get where you are coming from, but I personally think there are 3 ways for a pony to get their cutie mark, and the more thought you put into it it gets weirder.
1 A pony does a predetermined action in accordance to their personality/nature which you explained well, and basically this would included the mane 6 too.
This is a simples and most explained way by the show, but this is not applicable to all ponies where situations 2-3 come in and things get weird.
2 A pony's cutie mark is intrinsically tied to their name, and their name forces behavioral changes to said pony against their will.
Ponies like Snips, Snails and Silver Spoon are examples of this.
Lets start with Snips, his Cutie Mark is a pair of Scissors, yet he never really talk about Scissors like they would be his object of fascination, neither does Snips act like he wants to separate people, or things apart in any way or form, in fact he seems to be a really strong friend to Snails, so his cutie mark should be a bottle of glue perhaps, and if one tries to take more open view of his cutie mark, he doesn't really do any kind of work that really needs Scissors often, so all in all, I am 99% confident that His cutie mark simply manifests because of his name.
Next Up Snails
Just like Snips, his behavior is basically near identical to Snips with their interests lining up 99,9% and just like we don't see Snips with Scissors nearly ever if at all, we don't see Snails around snails either, but with Snails things get more interesting, He has a unique way of speaking in much slower and lower tone than the rest of the ponies implying either some sort of physical difference causing it, or perhaps mental.
Be it either one I doubt that the moment Snails was born, he was put in a pony MRI machine and the parents were informed that he will have trouble speaking to the same level as pretty much every other pony in Equestria, so once again I am 99,9% sure that giving him the name Snails, forcibly forced these changes to him which is very cruel if you think about it.
And last up Silver Spoon
Just like with the other 2, She isn't seen to really do anything with Spoons, or have a spoon collection, or really like spoons, her name is just another way to say ''privilege'' and she 100% acts out according to her name, yet unless I recall incorrectly, unlike with Diamond Tiara whos parents are shown to be very affluent, Silver Spoons parents aren't shown at all, so one can only guess that her parents are also rich, but unlike with Diamond Tiara, they decided to name her effectively ''privilege'' which is horrible name to give to a child. So saying all that I think this is a clear open and shut case of another pony who got her cutie mark based on her name, and said name and mark affecting the pony's behavior in this case to detriment of others in the early seasons.
So would all this mean that is a pony would be kidnapped straight after being born, and given a malicious name, like if chrysalis infiltrates a hospital and names a child Annihilation of Equestria or something, and would this cosmic force alter the child to be morally evil, and make sure that the child will act out according to its name ?
Don't know but it's interesting to think.
And after long ass examples for number 2, we get to the last way a pony gets their cutiemark.
3 A pony has immutable characteristics that they have no control over and their mark reflects these characteristics, or they are a combination of category 1-2, or simply wont fit either one
This has little overlap with number 2 that as a newborn child does not control the name they are given, but ponies in this category do not in turn have names that are just their cutie marks.
3 examples here Would be Sunburst, Bulk Biceps and Featherweight
Starting with Sunburst, he got his cutie mark saving starlight with magic, but his cutie mark has nothing to do with saving people, and like I said we dip little in category 2 and 1 as he got his mark doing a chosen action, and his mark represents his name to a degree, besides that his cutie mark tells people nothing, it is just sun with rays of light coming out of it and some blue sparkles, all of this could be considered some sort of magical or mystical meaning or a symbol of power, and what a surprise Sunburst is a fairly talented unicorn, clearly above average, meaning that he was basically selected at birth by the universe itself to have greater magical talent, and his cutie mark is doing its best to somehow fit this.
Next up is good old Bulk Biceps, this one is fairly easy to explain as its very unlikely that when he was born he was some freak muscle baby, so it would be really odd for his parents to name him Bulk Biceps, but so he was named nonetheless, meanwhile his cutie mark is a dumbbell, so its most likely he got it because he is good at lifting weights, and being good at it, he does it often resulting in his massive stature, but again either his parents pushed him towards weightlifting, or because of his name he was just drawn to it for no apparent reason against his will, its not like he needs to be that absurdly large + it's clearly a detriment to him as a Pegasus because his stature his ability to fly is so weak that even someone like Fluttershy who effectively lives her entire adult life as an earthpony beats him in flying skill, so all that muscle which theoretically was forced to him by the universe has basically made him an earthpony, robbing him of his racial heritage.
And Lastly featherweight He almost fits perfectly to Category 2, but unlike regular category 2 ponies, His name again has forced his body into unnatural shapes, so again if he was born just like every other child, and we assume there is no famine in Equestria so he didn't live malnourished life, he seems happy and healthy all things considered + there has been nothing shown that he needs medical intervention or magical version of it, this means the Featherweight could have been a completely normal pony, but naming him basically small, caused this cosmic force to alter him to fit his name, because he hasn't even been trough puberty and yet he is named featherweight ?
And stating the obvious, he clearly has no interests in feathers, he doesn't have some sort of feather related job, and only feather related thing he has is his own wings and cutie mark which again is just plain old feather.
SO IN CONCLUSION
If a pony is named maliciously, there is a very likely chance that you can alter their personality to great degree.
If a pony is named after physical features, they will adopt those features seemingly either against their will, or naturally, and that there is a chance that should enough ponies give you a nickname and more people know you by said nickname over your birth name, this could realistically affect you as well.
And that a pony's cutie mark will in all likelihood then manifest based on these factors.
Thank you for coming to my unhinged theory talk about PNG images on Ponies flanks.
@@Flustershy: First of all, as mentioned in the video, there is no predestination for cutie marks, and so no one specific action that causes them to appear. Rather they are an out-word expression of internal self-actualization. A cutie mark appears when a pony comes to understand some aspect of themselves that makes them feel unique and special.
Taking Rainbow Dash, she got her cutie mark while racing, but it wasn't just the race itself which mattered, it was her determination to win the race. Her cutie mark isn't specifically about athletic performance, but her drive and determination to be the very best in everything she does, and to do so in a flashy way that the whole world sees and applauds her for. On an even deeper level though it's not even just about how much she wanted to win the race, but why she wanted to win the race. In her own words she was defending Fluttershy's honor. Rainbow Dash doesn't just want to be the best out of selfish ego, but as a demonstration that she is strong enough to protect other, and it is that aspect which made her worthy to become the Element of Loyalty.
As for names, you've got it backwards, a pony's name doesn't force them down a singular life path any more than our own names do. What a name becomes, however, is an aspect of our self-identify, the way we set our selves apart from others. A pony's name doesn't force their cutie mark to assume a certain shape, but rather for ponies that have a strong affinity for their own name their cutie mark reflects that fact.
You mentioned Snips never demonstrating any particular talent with or fascination for scissors, although I might also contend that there aren't really any episodes specifically focusing on him, and so we barely know anything about his hobbies or interests. What we do know is that much like his best friend, Snails, he also has a very particular way of talking, He can be blunt and crude, sometimes quick to jump to conclusions. You could almost say that he always, "cuts to the point."
As for Snails, his name and manner of speech and possible lack of intelligence might seem like negative qualities, but also consider the moral of the Tortoise and the Hair, "slow and steady wins the race." It might take Snails longer to figure things out, but when he does, he usually has a better grip on what's going on than his more quick-witted friend.
Likewise, a pony such as Bulk Biceps wasn't forced to become a body builder because of his name. Again, we know almost nothing about his background, about who he is beyond a one-note sight gag. It's entirely reasonably to believe his parents valued strength, maybe they were even also body builders, and so gave him a name based on what they wanted him to grow up to be. It would still have been his choice, however, to actually peruse those qualities for himself. Even if maybe his parents pressured him to perform, it would only be his own personal enjoyment of those activates which would make it manifest as a cutie mark.
So, yes, in a roundabout way a malicious person could kidnap a pony and try forcing them to be something evil. It wouldn't a wicked name alone that shapes the pony's behavior, however, but rather the emotionally toxic and abusive environment in which they were raised, same as it would be for a human child raised under such harsh conditions.
To a lesser extent, that's why Silver Spoons name might indeed just refer to her being rich and privileged, as her parents might just be snooty self-entitled snobs. Ponies aren't all good people after all. Just look at Diamond Tiara's mother as well, and then consider what kind of parents would name their kid Spoiled Milk. Although in her case her original name form before marrying into the Rich family doesn't seem to be what defines her. Rather her cutie mark seems to be an engagement ring, the implication being that she is the archetypal gold-digger. Instead of trying to better herself through her own hard work, she put her effort into finding a man who could provide for her.
Granted, a lot of this is speculation, taking what we know about main characters like Rainbow Dash and how her personality is reflected in her cutie mark and apply the same basic concepts and ideas to guess at what factors might have led these background and side characters to discover their own cutie marks.
@@EmeralBookwise I see your point of view and would like to apologize, since I clearly didn't make it clear that we are talking about 2 different Equestria's
Because whenever I engage in a hypothetical conversation about MLP:FIM I talk about the uncensored world of MLP:FIM.
While you clearly talk about the censored world we see only in the show, which is fine as that's the ''truth'' that we know.
But in reality all of the show we saw was a censored and told as a story, hence the whole book opening in the intro, and closing on the final episode, meaning that there is even a very good chance that some of the episodes we saw had unreliable narrator, especially episodes with Discord would personally come to mind.
So yeah, you are absolutely correct with your statements, and they make sense when looking trough the narration and censorship of the story.
And I wont go further, but I like how you basically made Bulk Biceps and ponies like the Apple family grooming victims if you think about it, but that would be another thousand word conversation which I honestly do not feel like having in TH-cam comment sections of all places.
I do appreciate the time you spent with your thorough responses, been a while since I've had a more meaty conversation about MLP:FIM that isn't
''who's your favorite Pony'' or ''What's the best season in your opinion'' etc
So thanks for that.
I had a lot MLP G4 toys when I was little who only had their cutie mark on one side. We also don’t see both sides a whole lot, so the animators might just not have known
Them not being on both sides of toys is likely just Hasbro cutting costs so they only need to and apply half as many stickers and not have to worry about reversing Cutie Marks where needed.
My evidence is there's third party licenced merch (i.e. A Hasbro executive signed off on it) where they put the marks correctly on both sides, for example Symbiote Studios licensed plushies have cutie marks on both sides but official Hasbro plushies do not.
Possible reason for cutie marks only appearing on one flank for a ponies in g5 could be the lowered inherent magic of the three races due to the crystals. Cutie marks dissapear when all of their magic is sapped, what if it was only half?
So Fluttershy's butterflies are meant to represent her gentle spirit
Things just got mixed with destiny and passion and now everything is kind of literal
This was fun
depends on what generation you are watching for gens 1~3ish a cutie mark was merely a representation of the general personality and proclivities of a pony, applejack really liked apples, that was all there was to it
It was only in gen 4 that they took on more...neuanced meaning, adding that they did not appear till some condition was met, making them represent a pony's 'special tallent' that one thing the pony was really good at (some would say destiny but its less weighty then that, the tallent can be tied into their destiny sure but it isn't directly governing of it or rarity would be a miner, not a tailor)
its the same in generation 5 though from what i gather the lack of magic has greatly diminished the effect which is why they only appear on one flank in g 5 and don't seem to depict a pony's tallents as clearly as they once did.
You added that Clip from The Master Of Disguise
Great video. Very good points.
My question is what force puts them there and how does it do it?
What is different in the apple family they all have marks dealing with apples, yes pinkiesl pies is not rocked baised?
Applejack is closely connected to her family and the farm, reconnecting with that was what led to her getting it after all
Pinkie pie also loves her family, but isn't as close. She lives separately from them most of the time, and the sibling she's closest to is her older sister, not her twin. She got her cutie mark by witnessing something that filled her with joy and wanting to share that feeling with others. Her family were just kinda there
but why does woah nelly have a cutie mark of her own face o~o
She's just that good
proud of herself
Correct me if I'm wrong but I do believe that some BG ponies have had identical cutie marks before.
Lemme guess: Minuette and Doctor Whooves?
@@Green_Kirby That is the first pair that comes to mind, yes.
The Heartland Chosen are marked by their princess.
That was quite educational :3
G5 is to sell toys and the toys only have one cutie mark
I'm sorry to tell you that's also what G4 was for, we just got lucky and got a great show along the way.
Still doesnt cover why no other specieses have cutie marks or anything equivalent of that. Are the individuals of any other species not a uniqe person with uniqe talents? Maybe with the yacks i can accept the explanation that they have no intrinsic magic or that they do have some mark underneath all of their wool, but there are definitly other magical specieses in the mlp universe.
maybe they all have the same kind of magic (hance they have the same abilities as each other like shape-shifting or fire breaving), but some dragons are shown to be stornger than other dragons and this is what their social hierarchy is built on, so do their body contain a uniqe magic to them that detrmines their strength or do they have a diffirent quantity of magic and thats how they differ in power levels?
Are the societies of other specieses not complex enough in order for each indevidual to have their own uniqe talent? (After all, your uniqe talent cant be skiing if your civilisation hasn't invent skiing yet). But this has some very problemtic subtext that in the mlp universe other specieses are canonicly more primitve than the ponnies
Or maybe other indeviduals of other specieses can be talented in a multitude of things while the ponies are each literally a "one trick pony"?
There is always the option that they do have an equivalent to the cuties, and its just doesnt embody any physical representaion on their body, in which case, we are back at the qustion of why?
Sidenote the cuties marks definitly cant be used as an id bc not all of Equestria's residents are ponies, you'd be gatekeeping citizenship from all non-ponies individuals
Maybe they all have different kinds of magic? Like, ponies specifically have "pony magic", dragons have dragon magic, griffins have griffin magic, etc
Edit: and cutie marks are specifically a part of pony magic. It doesn't mean other species can't have special talents, just that their talents don't show up as logos on their flank
I always wonder what a cutie mark means now I know what they mean
I think there could potentially be some cognitive or perception based stuff going on with the designs and what they represents. I doubt top hats have existed as long as these horses have and instead of some strange force arbitarily granting them its the horses realization that gives the mark its shape.
Great!
My OC doesn't even have one
Same lmao, I hate drawing them
@BrwnBunniX33 Mine is from Pony town
@damienoplayzyt Ohh!! Ok lol, I drew mine
do zebras have cutiemarks?
Yup! Zecora has a cutie mark, and other zebras encountered in official non-show media (comics, books) are also shown/mentioned to have cutie marks.
@@zoro4661WasTaken: has it ever been confirmed that the marks zebra's have are cutie marks and not just tattoos?
@@EmeralBookwise I believe so, yeah!
Knew what it was when MLP first came out.
Tramp Stamps!
Just kidding.
Actually there called flank tattoos
@Queendayandnight actually they're just tramp stamps
Just kidding
Apple jack is a twin😮?
I just noticed you have 10K subscribers. Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!
@@quinnhouk5369 thank you!!
How many ponies kicked you for trying to study their marks? 😂
Let's just say that he has a punch card where if he goes to hospital again he gets a free soda.
This isnt really related to cutie marks but i always wondered when cozy glow used the artifacts to steal (i dont know the right word) the magic unicorns couldnt use their horns anymore but pegasi could still fly. That makes no sense and also their cutie marks remained. Can someone explain or am i just stupid.
Teacher! Please! one more question! Is it possible to create one's Magic before they get their cutie mark? or to drain and replace one's inner magic!
Technically, it's a printed pattern that's meant to sell toys... But that's boring, I like your video better.
"My Little Pony has MAGIC Tramp Stamps!"
- MatPat
G5 is not canon. kek
Did you actually managed to get cutie mark inlet English dictionary?
creampuffs
This may be a strange question, but if a pony has a cutie mark that represents a man-made object (or may i say: pony-made object), does the creator of said object have rights upon the image of his creation if he patented the object in the first place?
8:02 Explain Minuette and The Doctor then?
Minuette and Doctor Whooves both have hourglass cutie marks, but the difference is that they face in different directions
Easy explaination for Gen 5: Continuity is a lie, and people are lazy
"One specific character doesn't mention destiny and so there is no destiny" is not good reasoning.
"Because this character didn't mention destiny, I can ignore other characters who did mention destiny" is worse.
"If a cutie mark is a VISUAL DEPICTION of one's inner magic, then supplanting one on another pony would be like mixing personality traits" makes no sense at all, or is at least poorly explained. If it's a mere depiction, then swapping it out wouldn't actually change the attached personality. It would just make the mark wrong for that personality.
"One half seems to know where the pony belongs and what skill a pony is good at while the other half seems to recognize that something is amiss with this combination."
If this were correct, then you would have a group of 5 ponies who were all good at their new jobs and new lives but simply had an internal feeling of constant sense of dysphoria. That's not what happened, meaning this point is underexplained or not thought through. As this is the point which most strongly disagrees with you, failing to address it like this basically ruins your whole point.
I mostly had the same thoughts about cutie mark being an expression of the pony's soul which it's meaning and powers are as unique as the pony who sports it, and doesn't really have anything to do with jobs aptitude or social class they belong to. For the G5 think, I think it has to do with Twilight's magic with the stones that holds all three major tribe of ponies within it, which which removed haft their magic so only one side of their butts gets a cutie mark. Sense we saw that Earth pony magic only started to manifest itself some time after the crystals were reunited, it might mean that it will only come back later on, as late as the next generation maybe.
I actually love this definition
Cutie Marks are horrible. Can you imagine having your talent - and your future career - written in stone by age 10? Forget about hopes and dreams - want to play football? No coach or trainer will give you a chance if it's not your Cutie Mark! Forget about dating - girls will judge you in 2 seconds from your Cutie Mark. You are stuck in the socio-economic class defined by your Cutie Mark for life.
And we see the negative effects - unicorns are capable of powerful magic, but the vast majority seen in the background of the show can do nothing more than levitate small objects - if your Cutie Mark is a broom, and your career is pre-determined to be a janitor, why study or practice magic beyond lifting a broom?
I suppose the fact it represents a truth is what keeps it being horrible.
The actual nightmare is not knowing what it represents like what happened to Trouble Shoes.