List of allusions

An outfit that Rarity wears here are alluded to The Beatles wore on the cover of their 1967 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album."

This page shows a list of allusions to the franchise of the Equestria Girls series and generations, works of fiction, people, places, events, and other cultural touchstones in the series My Little Pony Equestria Girls.

Development

Re-use of sound assets

• The famous Wilhelm scream is used in My Little Pony Equestria Girls when Sunset Shimmer starts flying toward the crowd behind the gap she broke in the front of Canterlot High School, and in Player Piano when one of the students is pushed by the grand piano.

• Fluttershy's nervous squeal is used in My Little Pony Equestria Girls when she gives out fliers to help the animal shelter.

• The main cast's laugh is used in My Little Pony Equestria Girls, shortly after the conclusion of the reprise of This is Our Big Night.

• Rainbow Dash's exclamation of "So awesome!" is used in My Little Pony Equestria Girls when Twilight Sparkle refuses to hand the element of magic over to Sunset Shimmer.

• The sound used for Fluttershy's grin is used in Rainbow Rocks.

• Segments of the Cutie Mark Crusaders theme song are from Friendship is Magic.

• Rarity's gasp is used in Rainbow Rocks when she gasps at her spilt nail polish.

• Twilight's line "Never mind. It's not important." is used in Rainbow Rocks.

• Pinkie Pie's line when referring to Trixie's exit, "She's gone! Oh, wait, there she is," is used twice in Rainbow Rocks.

• Rarity's scoffing sound from Equestria Girls is reused once in Friendship Games.

Other

• When Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy introduce themselves, they pay homage to when Twilight Sparkle first meets Fluttershy's pony counterpart.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls

• The transforming sound effect from The Transformers is used when Pinkie Pie uncurls from being a ball at the start of the film.
• When Twilight Sparkle and Spike see the person walking his dog after Twilight first arrives in the other world, the dog is drawn in the same style as the 2010 version of Pound Puppies.
• The beginning of This Strange World is similar to "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen.
• Fluttershy describes all the different student cliques to Twilight while they're in the cafeteria, referencing a scene from Mean Girls.
• The skull that Watermelody is holding is a reference to the character Yorick from William Shakespeare's Hamlet.
• Sunset Shimmer comments to Twilight Sparkle about Spike, "and your little dog, too," referencing The Wizard of Oz.
• In the part where the Cutie Mark Crusaders are looking at their music video, there is a brown cat wearing a bow in the related videos that bears a striking resemblance to Fluffy from Pound Puppies. Also, the website that the Crusaders are surfing resembles the video-sharing website YouTube.
• During Twilight and Rainbow Dash's one-on-one soccer match, the music is similar to "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley.
• The beginning of Equestria Girls (Cafeteria Song) is similar to "We Will Rock You" by Queen.
• During Time to Come Together, when Twilight tosses brooms to the rest of the main cast, Fluttershy flinches and lets the broom hit her instead. This is a reference to a scene from Arrested Development.
• In the first Fall Formal dance scene, Sweetie Belle dances similarly to Tsukasa Hiiragi in the opening sequence of Lucky Star.
• When the spell is lifted from the Canterlot High School students, removing them from Sunset Shimmer's mind control, the beam travels through them all like the power of the Ark of the Covenant did to the German soldiers in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
• In the final dance of the film, near Trixie, Micro Chips is doing Psy's signature "invisible horse dance" from Gangnam Style.
• Scootaloo does the Chicken Dance. This is a reference to the episode "Stare Master]]", where she is called a chicken by Apple Bloom.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks

• The Dazzlings were inspired by the sirens from Greek mythology.
• The video game controllers that Applejack and Rainbow Dash play with resemble those of the Nintendo GameCube system.
• One of the outfits Rarity models during the rehearsal is similar to the suits the Beatles wore on the cover of their 1967 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, an idea further suggested by Rarity calling it "old-fashioned."
  • Another one is a robotic suit similar to that worn by Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo, one half of the French house music duo, Daft Punk.
• During the Battle of the Bands, Snips and Snails goes by the stage name "DJ Snazzy Snails," similar to DJ Jazzy Jeff.
• After Pinkie Pie catches Trixie hiding the first time, Trixie escapes leaving some hairpins behind much like Witch Hazel from Looney Tunes.
• The arena where the final battle takes place looks similar to the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, with a saddle replacing the dome.
• The fight between the Dazzlings and the Rainbooms near the finale is similar to the scene in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in which Pilgrim's band faces off against the Katayanagi twins.

Rainbow Rocks animated shorts

Music to My Ears

• The scene of DJ Pon-3 walking and dancing down the street is a reference to the "Stayin' Alive" scene in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever.
• One scene in the short depicts a dog alluding to Paris Hilton's pet that she carries around.

Guitar Centered

• The title is a reference to musical instrument store chain Guitar Center.
• The Shred Off is an allusion to a scene from the 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World when Scott faces off against Todd Ingram in a Bass Off.
  • It also alludes to the guitar battles against Tom Morello, Slash, Lou, Zakk Wylde, and Ted Nugent in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Guitar Hero World Tour.
• During the Shred Off, several of the licks Rainbow Dash plays are similar to actual rock songs.
  • The opening lick Rainbow Dash plays at the beginning of the Shred Off is similar to the opening chords in the song "Runnin' Down a Dream" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
  • The second opening lick she plays is similar to the opening chords in the song "Barracuda" by Heart.
• There is a poster in the guitar store that features the logo of British rock band, The Who.

Hamstocalypse Now

• The title is a play on the title of the 1979 movie Apocalypse Now.
• Fluttershy leading the hamsters into the habitat is an allusion to the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
• Rarity names one of the hamsters Emilia Furhart, a reference to famous aviatrix Amelia Earhart.

Pinkie on the One

• Pinkie's drumming style is reminiscent of that of Animal from the Muppets.

Player Piano

• Pinke saying "Po-tay-to, to-mah-to" is a reference to the George Gershwin song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off."

A Case for the Bass

• The record albums on display are Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, The Velvet Underground's self-titled album, and Wilco's "A.M.".
• Also on display is the poster for Steven Spielberg's 1975 film Jaws.

Shake your Tail!

• The Mane 6's facial makeup displaying their cutie marks resembles the band KISS' facial makeup.
  • The makeup is also reminiscent of the Hasbro TV series and property Jem and the Holograms.
• Granny Smith, "Blueberry Cake," and "Rose Heart" do Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" dance.

Perfect Day for Fun

• In a photo showing Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Rarity having fun on the carousel, Pinkie Pie is shown riding a carousel horse version of herself.

My Past is Not Today

• The shot of Sunset letting her leather jacket blow away in the wind is similar to the shot of Elsa letting her cape blow away in the wind in the 2013 film Frozen.

Friendship Through the Ages

• Each of the Main Six's attire as well as their respective backdrop represents a different music period: Twilight Sparkle in the 1950s, Fluttershy in the 1960s, Rarity in the 1970s, Rainbow Dash in the 1980s, Applejack in the 1990s, and Pinkie Pie in the 2000s.
• The background scenery shown during Rarity's verse is reminiscent of the 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine.
• Rainbow Dash smashes her guitar at the end of her verse, which was a trademark of Pete Townshend of The Who.
• The scene of the Rainbooms singing together on a darkened background is a reference to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" music video.
• The scene where Sunset Shimmer is singing while on a spinning record is a reference to the opening sequence of Happy Days.

Life is a Runway

• The title of the animated short alludes to Tom Cochrane's "Life Is a Highway."
• When Rarity gives Cheerilee a new look, she has pigtails tied with green flowers, like her G3.5 look.
• Once again, Rarity does Gene Kelly's lamppost dance from Singin' in the Rain.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Friendship Games

• Sci-Twi going through Crystal Prep's doors before the opening credits is a parody of the main title sequence from the 1995 TV series Get Smart.
• Principal Abacus Cinch's name is similar to Atticus Finch from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.
• The filling of the winning cake during "ACADECA" is shaped like the famous Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
• Applejack loosing her second arrow in slow motion is similar to when Merida looses her final arrow from the 2012 Disney Pixar animated film Brave.
• The song "Unleash the Magic" has a very similar sound and rhyme scheme to "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from the 1989 Disney animated film The Little Mermaid.
  • Similarly, the chorus resembles that of the song "Cell Block Tango" from the 1975 musical Chicago.
• After Twilight sees Sci-Twi, the entire orchestra becomes silent for two xylophone hits for an eyeblink. This was a trademark of Warner Bros. cartoon composer Carl Stalling.

Friendship Games animated shorts

All's Fair in Love & Friendship Games

• The title is a parody of the proverb "All is fair in love and war," which is often attributed to John Lyly's Euphues.
• One brief scene of Lyra and Sweetie Drops facing each other before the contest mirrors the character placement and on-screen display of early arcade fighting games such as Street Fighter II.
• When Lyra and Sweetie Drops face off, one shot is posed and staged almost identically to a shot in the 2013 anime television series Kill la Kill, during the fight sequence between Satsuki Kiryuin and Ryuko Matoi in episode 3 where the two characters are viewed in silhouette against a pure white background, with Lyra taking the place of Satsuki (the combatant leaning back) and Sweetie Drops standing in for Ryuko.
  • Additionally, two subsequent close up shots of Sweetie Drops' and Lyra's feet (respectively) when they launch at each other mirror two shots of Ryuko and Satsuki (respectively) launching themselves at one another.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree

• Twilight's ringtone is Bach's Toccata and fugue in D minor, BWV 565.
• According to the film's DVD audio commentary, Gloriosa and Timber's great-grandparents are named Old Spice and Dove; the former of which is a brand of deodorant with the latter being a brand of soap.

Equestria Girls specials

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Movie Magic

• Pinkie Pie's favorite movie, Stormy with a Side of Pudding, is a parody of the children's book and animated film adaptation Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
• The special makes several references to the Indiana Jones film series:
  • The Daring Do nightclub outfit resembles the outfit worn by Willie Scott at the beginning of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
  • During the Daring Do film sequence at the end of the special, "Crystal Lullaby" holds a small golden relic similar to the one at the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
  • Also during the Daring Do film sequence, two extras appear carrying a prop that resembles the Ark of the Covenant in the above film.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Mirror Magic

• Pinkie Pie goes after the chocolate-covered almonds in the style of the title character from the Pac-Man arcade game.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Better Together

School of Rock

• The title is a reference to the 2003 film of the same name.

Queen of Clubs

• In one of the yearbook photos, Applejack and several female students imitate the signature poses of the main cast of Sailor Moon, with Applejack wearing a cape and holding a rose like Tuxedo Mask.

Overpowered

• When Sunset reads Twilight's mind, Twilight recreates the iconic flying bicycle scene from the 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, complete with a sound-alike of John Williams' "Flying" theme.

The Finals Countdown

• The title is a reference to the 1986 Europe song "The Final Countdown".

My Little Shop of Horrors

• The title and overall plot is a reference to the musical Little Shop of Horrors, which is based on the similarly named Roger Corman B-movie.

Display of Affection

• Flanksy is a reference to real-life mysterious graffito Banksy.

A Little Birdie Told Me

• Fluttershy says, "Go on. Make my day," which is a paraphrase of one of the catchphrases of Dirty Harry as portrayed by Clint Eastwood.

Super Squad Goals

• The opening line, "Meanwhile in Canterlot City..." is a reference to Ted Knight's catchphrase "Meanwhile at the Hall of Justice..." from the 1970s animated series Super Friends.
• The music heard throughout is modeled after Neal Hefti's score for the 1960s Batman TV series.
• The ending is somewhat of a reference to the Chuck Jones-directed Daffy Duck cartoon Duck Amuck.

Unsolved Selfie Mysteries

• The concept of the short is a parody of the infamous so-called "Surgeon's photograph" of the Loch Ness Monster, later revealed to be a hoax.

Blue Crushed

• The subtitle "Baewatch" is a reference to the syndicated TV series Baywatch.

Outtakes

• The beginning of the finalized commercial is a parody of the Sarah McLachlan-fronted ASPCA ads.

Best in Show: The Victory Lap

• Micro Chips' robot is named JVJ-24601. 24601 was the prison number of the character of Jean Valjean in the Victor Hugo novel Les Misérables.

Five Stars

• The business-reviewing mobile app Screech is a parody of the real-life mobile app Yelp.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Choose Your Own Ending

Best Trends Forever

• In the "Choose Rainbow Dash!" ending, Rarity briefly does an imitation of Rod Serling's typical introductions to episodes of The Twilight Zone.

Fluttershy's Butterflies

• When Fluttershy pictures the audience as Applejack, it is a reference to the 1998 film The Waterboy.^[specify]

Driving Miss Shimmer

• The title is a parody of the play Driving Miss Daisy.

Happily Ever After Party

• In the "Choose Rarity" ending, Rarity and Cranky Doodle's "you're out of order!" exchange is a reference to Al Pacino's famous courtroom breakdown scene in the 1979 film ...And Justice for All.
• The music in the "Choose Rarity" ending is a parody of the theme music from the Dick Wolf-created NBC franchise Law & Order.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Forgotten Friendship

• According to Nick Confalone, the special's story was inspired by the Silence from Doctor Who.
• The Selfie Sensing drone makes noises similar to R2-D2 from Star Wars.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rollercoaster of Friendship

• The image-sharing social media platform "Snapgab" is a reference to Snapchat.
• One of the background characters at Equestria Land resembles the G1 character Megan Williams as she appears in My Little Pony 'n Friends.
• Rainbow Dash dabs when Rarity introduces her to Vignette Valencia.
• SkyTrain.^[specify]
• Applejack's reaction to Twilight's technical talk ("Magic, got it!") is very similar to Fry's reaction to Professor Farnsworth's scientific talk in the Futurama episode "When Aliens Attack".

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Spring Breakdown

• Pinkie and Bulk Biceps recreate the "I'm flying" sequence from Titanic.
• The painting Twilight and Spike try to put up in the castle throne room bears a resemblance to Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory.
• Rainbow Dash's exclamation of "It's hero time!" and tapping her magic geode on her wrist allude to Ben 10.