Stygian

Stygian, also known as the Pony of Shadows, is a male unicorn and the antagonist of the season seven finale Shadow Play. He is a battle strategist and friend of the Pillars of Old Equestria who turned into an evil pony of darkness. His alter ego is first mentioned in Castle Mane-ia and depicted in .
==Development and design==
Stygian has a similar body type to Snails, Bags Valet, Gizmo, "Frazzle Rock", "Burdock Hooffield", "Street Rat", "Spiral Notepad", "Feather Twirl", "Ginger Locks", S07E19 Unnamed Earth Mare #2, and S08E01 Unnamed Earth Mare #0 and somewhat resembles S06E23 Unnamed Unicorn Stallion #2.
The word "stygian" means "dark and gloomy" and also relates to the river and deity Styx of Greek mythology.
==Depiction in the series==
===Season four===
 The Pony of Shadows is first mentioned in a ghost story told by Applejack in the season four episode Castle Mane-ia. According to Applejack, when Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon, traces of her dark magic stayed behind. When night falls on the Castle of the Two Sisters, that dark magic takes the form of the Pony of Shadows.
===Season seven===
In the season seven finale Shadow Play - Part 1, the Pony of Shadows is revealed to be a real figure from Equestrian history. As recorded in the lost journal of Star Swirl the Bearded, the Pony of Shadows was originally a normal pony who brought the Pillars of Old Equestria together to save the land from a great evil. However, the pony soon became jealous of the Pillars' power and glory, and he stole artifacts from them in a quest for power, resulting in his exile. The resentful pony thus turned to darkness for revenge and transformed into the Pony of Shadows. In order to stop him, the Pillars sealed him in limbo along with themselves. A thousand years later, Twilight Sparkle and her friends inadvertently release the Pony of Shadows from limbo when they free the Pillars.
In Part 2, the Pony of Shadows—weak from his time in captivity—escapes to regain his strength from the darkest corners of Equestria. The Pillars eventually reveal the beast's true identity as their former friend Stygian, a young scholar who gathered them all together to defend the realm and worked alongside them as a battle strategist until he stole their artifacts and transformed into a wicked creature of darkness.
 The Mane Six and Pillars eventually track down the Pony of Shadows to the Hollow Shades. Before the ponies can banish him to limbo again, Twilight and Starlight Glimmer reach out to the real Stygian inside the beast's body. Stygian reveals that he never wanted to steal from the Pillars; he wanted to make copies of their artifacts so he could fight alongside them in battle. The Pillars realize their grave mistake, and together with the Mane Six, they free Stygian from the darkness and banish the darkness to limbo with the Elements of Harmony. Star Swirl apologizes to Stygian for letting pride cloud his judgment, and Stygian remains in the present era with the Pillars.
===Season eight===
In season eight, Star Swirl alludes to Stygian in Friendship University, citing the misunderstanding between them as reason for Twilight to give Flim and Flam the benefit of the doubt. In A Rockhoof and a Hard Place, Stygian is mentioned as having become a best-selling author, writing at least three stories about his past experiences. 
===Season nine===
In season nine, the Pony of Shadows is mentioned in The Beginning of the End - Part 1 as one of the challenges Twilight and her friends have overcome.
In The Last Problem, Stygian attends Twilight Sparkle's coronation ceremony. He also briefly appears in Twilight's group shot during The Magic of Friendship Grows.
==Other depictions==
===IDW comics===
 Stygian is first alluded to in the Issues #51-53 story arc From the Shadows by his descendant Shadow Lock, who seeks to erase all evidence of his ancestor's existence in order to prevent his return. Stygian is also depicted as the Pony of Shadows in Star Swirl's journal on page 20. He also appears on the A cover of .
Stygian also appears on cover B with the Pillars of Old Equestria. In the story's flashback, his village comes under the Dazzlings' hypnotic control, and he leaves to gather together a group of legendary heroes strong enough to fight them. In , Stygian successfully recruits Rockhoof after helping him protect his village from ferocious lumber bears. In , they recruit Mage Meadowbrook after helping her cure rabid swamp animals. In , the group is joined by Flash Magnus and Somnambula, and in by Mistmane and Star Swirl the Bearded. In , the group defeats and banishes the Sirens, and Stygian also appears in the present day talking with Sunburst.
 In the Legends of Magic Annual 2018 comic, Stygian and the Pillars of Equestria travel to another world to rescue Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. In this other world, they battle against an alternate Pony of Shadows, who is eventually revealed (to the reader) to be that world's version of Stygian.
Stygian appears as a central character in the series, helping a depowered Princess Luna to assemble a team of former villains. His alternate self also makes a return appearance in a nightmare, with Princess Eris using its form as a disguise. It is later revealed that the alternate Stygian enslaved Eris, but was later defeated by her and an alternate Daybreaker.
In , Stygian appears on page 3.
Stygian is seen at the end of , researching the temples containing the other Trees of Harmony alongside Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst and Star Swirl. On page 3, he and Sunburst try to find information on the Knights of Harmony with the aid of Somnambula. In , Stygian fights against the Knights alongside Princess Cadance and Maud Pie.
===Chapter books===
In chapter 11 of Discord and the Ponyville Players Dramarama, Torch Song of the Pony Tones mentions the Pony of Shadows.
===Fundamentals of Magic===
Stygian appears in episode 5 of Fundamentals of Magic, "When Magic Goes Wrong".
===My Little Pony (mobile game)===
Stygian, the Pony of Shadows, and The Dark Horse are characters in Gameloft's mobile game. The Pony of Shadows is the boss of the "Shadow Play" event and a boss during the "Nightmare Night at the Museum" event, while The Dark Horse is a boss battle helper in the "Nightmare Knights" event. Stygian's bio states, "No one expected that Stygian--the bookish young stallion who founded the Pillars of Equestria--could be a vessel for the Power of Shadows...but expectations are often misleading." The Pony of Shadows' bio states, "Once believed to be merely a story to frighten young foals, the Pony of Shadows is all too real...and a major threat to Equestria." The Dark Horse's bio states, "He is the hoofbeat from under the floorboards! He is the shadow in the empty stable! He is...DEFINITELY not just Stygian in disguise!"
==Merchandise==
In the expansion sets of Enterplay's collectible card game, Canterlot Nights card #161 U is of the Pony of Shadows, which gives the description "A figment of the imagination, or an ancient evil bent on revenge? Either way, scary!", Friends Forever card #46 SR is of Stygian, and Friends Forever card #141 UR is of the Pony of Shadows.
==Appearances==
==Quotes==
==Gallery==
==See also==
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*Stygian on the speculation forums
*Pony of Shadows on the speculation forums
==References==
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