Shining Armour

Overview:

Shining Armor is a male unicorn pony, Twilight Velvet and Night Light's son, Twilight Sparkle's older brother, Princess Cadance's husband, and Flurry Heart's father. He is the former captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, serving under Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and bears the title of prince as a result of his marriage to Cadance. He first appears in the two-part season two finale alongside Cadance. In the season three premiere, he and Cadance are appointed as the rulers of the Crystal Empire.

Development and design:

Lauren Faust was involved with the inception of the story where Shining Armor first appears. Faust came up with several aspects of Shining Armor's character, such as his name, powers, and being Twilight Sparkle's brother.[2] Shining Armor shares his pony and human designs respectively with Steel Masquerade and with "Coach Rommel".

Depiction in the series 1:

Season Two Shining Armor first appears in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1. Princess Celestia invites Twilight Sparkle, his younger sister, to the wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Twilight is upset that Shining Armor did not write to her directly, and doesn't recognize who his bride is. In the song B.B.B.F.F. ("Big Brother Best Friend Forever"), Twilight remembers how she was very close to Shining Armor until she moved to Ponyville and lost touch with him. Twilight fears that they will become even more distant after he marries someone and starts a new family. Shining Armor later tells Twilight he was unable to tell her of his engagement in person due to a threat on the safety of Canterlot; he adds that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is Cadance, Twilight's former foal-sitter. At the request of Princess Celestia, Shining Armor used his magic to create a protective barrier around Canterlot and keep it there constantly. Twilight states that only Shining Armor can conjure up the shield. Cadance's 'Healing Spell' S02E25 Chrysalis healing his migraines to increase his love for her. Twilight tries to tell Shining Armor that something is wrong, but Queen Chrysalis, having taken the place of and impersonating Cadance, interrupts and takes Shining Armor into another room. Twilight, peeking through the door, sees the fake Cadance casting a spell on Shining Armor that makes his eyes glow green. The next day, Twilight confronts the impostor Cadance at the wedding rehearsal and accuses her of evildoing in front of Shining Armor and her friends. After Cadance runs off in tears, Shining Armor contradicts Twilight's accusations, saying that the spell Cadance cast on him was to ease his chronic headaches from maintaining the magical shield around Canterlot. Shining Armor is so upset with Twilight that he takes away her position of Best Mare and suggests that she should not come to the wedding at all.

Depiction in the Series 1.5:

Season Two Chrysalis traps Twilight in the catacombs under Canterlot and states that she has plans for Shining Armor. Shining Armor, fully under Queen Chrysalis's magic, is in a trance-like state at the wedding. Twilight and the real Cadance burst into the hall, and Shining Armor is reunited with his true bride. Cadance's magic breaks the spell on Shining Armor, but by now the changeling army has broken through Canterlot's defensive shield and is invading the city. Shining Armor tries to perform a spell to repel the changelings, but he doesn't have the power. Cadance tells Shining Armor that her love will give him strength, and their combined magic spreads outward and blasts all the changelings and their queen out of Canterlot. Twilight talking to Shining Armor 2 S2E26 Shining Armor with Twilight at the wedding. With peace restored to Canterlot, another wedding is planned with the real Cadance. Shining Armor makes Twilight his Best Mare again. He jokes that Cadance only agreed to marry him after he told her she'd be gaining Twilight as her sister. At the wedding, Princess Celestia declares that the power of Cadance and Shining Armor's love is undeniable, and pronounces them "mare and colt." The couple waves to the cheering crowds from a castle balcony and kiss. After a wedding reception montage, Shining Armor thanks Twilight for her help, and leaves the reception with Cadance in a carriage.

Depiction in the Series 2:

Season three Sombra's Curse S3E01 Sombra's curse on Shining Armor. Shining Armor next appears in The Crystal Empire - Part 1. When Princess Celestia receives word of the Crystal Empire's return, she instructs a guard to inform Shining Armor as well as his wife, Princess Cadance. Upon their arriving in the Arctic North of Equestria, he greets the Mane Six at the train station before they run to the Crystal Empire in an attempt to escape the shadow form of King Sombra. As the others enter the forcefield protecting the empire, Shining Armor stays back to buy more time, but his horn becomes encrusted with Sombra's black crystals, impairing his unicorn magic. He reunites with Cadance in the castle and stays by her side throughout the remainder of the episode, comforting her in her weakened state as she struggles to maintain the protective forcefield around the Crystal Empire. He is shown once again when the Mane Six return from the library to tell him their plan about the Crystal Faire. After Twilight discovers that the Crystal Heart is a genuine relic, she tells Shining Armor and Cadance that the real Crystal Heart is missing. Cadance being supported by Shining S3E2 Shining Armor supporting Cadance. When Spike and the Crystal Heart fall from the top of the tower, Shining Armor throws his wife in the air, right toward them. When Cadance catches the heart and the Crystal Ponies use it to defeat King Sombra, Shining Armor's horn is restored. After the Crystal Empire is restored, Shining Armor jokes to Twilight that she has to stop saving him, as it has become rather embarrassing. Cadance and Shining Armor become the new rulers of the Crystal Empire.

Depiction in the series 2.5:

Shining Armor next appears in Games Ponies Play, training a group of Crystal Ponies for the Equestria Games. He briefly meets Ms. Peachbottom, whom everyone had mistaken for the Equestria Games inspector, and is shocked when she admits she is just a tourist, not to mention embarrassed when she shamelessly flirts with him. He is later present when the real inspector, Ms. Harshwhinny, announces that the Crystal Empire will be hosting the next Equestria Games. Shining Armor appears in Magical Mystery Cure. He talks to Twilight during her princess coronation and has watering eyes, which he insists aren't tears but "liquid pride."

Depiction in the series 3:

Season four In Pinkie Pride, Shining Armor makes a portrait cameo on Pinkie Pie's wall during his wedding reception with Cadance. Shining also appears in Equestria Games. He announces the opening of the games, and acts as commentator for the events. During the games, as Spike volunteers to sing the Cloudsdale anthem, Shining reminds Spike that they only play the anthem for the winners. After one of the ice archers accidentally shoots an arrow into a cloud causing it to become solid and sink down towards the stadium, Shining orders security to cut the unicorn disabling spell that unicorns had to use before entering the stadium. In Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2, Shining notices the sun moving around funny as Twilight attempts to raise it. Discord suddenly teleports next to Shining, who calls him a traitor for allying himself with Lord Tirek. He tries to attack Tirek but has his magic stolen instead. At the end of the episode, his magic is returned to him after Twilight and her friends use the Rainbow Power against Tirek.

Depiction in the series 4:

Season five In Slice of Life, Shining Armor appears at Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda's wedding, getting overemotional at their impending nuptials. In The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows, Shining Armor and Cadance announce that they are having a baby, and they reveal this to Twilight through a scavenger hunt.

Depiction in the series 5:

Season six Shining Armor and Princess Cadance look at their baby S6E2 Shining Armor, Cadance, and Flurry Heart in The Crystalling - Part 2. In The Crystalling - Part 1 and Part 2, after Cadance gives birth to a foal, Shining Armor becomes ill-rested and stressed from his sudden role as a father. However, Twilight and her friends help him through his dilemma. He and Cadance later give the baby the name Flurry Heart. In The Times They Are A Changeling, Shining Armor leads the royal guards on a search for a changeling in the Empire, harboring deep resentment toward changelings after the events of the royal wedding. When Spike approaches him and the others on the changeling Thorax's behalf, Shining Armor moves past his resentment and welcomes him to the Empire. In To Where and Back Again - Part 1, Shining Armor is stated to have been captured by the changelings along with Cadance and Flurry Heart. At the end of Part 2, he is rescued along with the other captives, and he joins in celebrating the Sunset Festival in Our Town.

Depiction in the series 6:

Season seven Twilight Velvet helps Shining Armor back to the room S7E22 Shining Armor airsick in Once Upon a Zeppelin. In Celestial Advice, Shining Armor appears at Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Thorax, and Discord's medal-awarding ceremony. In A Flurry of Emotions, he and Cadance ask Twilight to babysit Flurry Heart while they attend an art show hosted by Shining Armor's old royal guard friend Spearhead. In Once Upon a Zeppelin, he is invited on a zeppelin cruise with his family. He enjoys it for the most part, although he occasionally suffers from airsickness (something he repeatedly denies).

Depiction in the series 7:

Best Gift Ever In the hour-long special My Little Pony Best Gift Ever, Shining Armor visits Twilight for Hearth's Warming alongside Cadance and Flurry Heart, and he quickly realizes that Twilight is over-stressed by holiday plans. When Flurry Heart adds some extra ingredients to a magic pudding recipe, Shining Armor and Cadance help fight against it. After the pudding is dealt with, Shining Armor, Cadance and Flurry Heart join Twilight and her friends in celebrating Hearth's Warming.

Depiction in the series 8:

Season nine Shining Armor "somepony to test it" S9E4 Shining Armor challenging Twilight for the title of "Sibling Supreme". In The Beginning of the End - Part 1, Shining Armor is captured along with Cadance and Flurry Heart when King Sombra attacks the Crystal Empire, eventually being freed when the Mane Six defeat Sombra with the Elements of Harmony. In Sparkle's Seven, Shining Armor challenges Twilight to a final round of their childhood "supreme sibling" contest, by having her test the defenses for Canterlot castle that he came up with, and try to recover the "supreme sibling" crown from the throne room. Despite her best efforts, Twilight fails to outthink Shining Armor, but to the surprise of both, Spike (with some help from Princess Luna) claims the crown for himself. Impressed, both Shining Armor and Twilight agree that Spike is the true "supreme sibling". In The Point of No Return, he appears as a colt in Twilight's macaroni family portrait. In The Ending of the End - Part 1, Shining Armor, along with Cadance, is informed by Twilight that Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow are on the loose and instructed to serve as Equestria's final line of defense if the Mane Six fail to stop them. In Part 2, he and Cadance offer to assist the Mane Six in the final battle, but Twilight tells them to protect Flurry Heart as "Equestria's last hope". In The Last Problem, Shining Armor attends Twilight's coronation ceremony. He also briefly appears in Twilight's group shot during The Magic of Friendship Grows.

Depiction in the series 9:

Clip shows The scene when Shining and Cadance arrive at Twilight's castle in The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows reappears in Cakes for the Memories. In Harvesting Memories, Shining appears in flashbacks of A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2 and Sparkle's Seven.