Discord the Draconequus

**Discord the Draconequus** is a character in *My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic* franchise.

This dopey-looking but deceptively manipulative and sinister draconequus, a spirit of disharmony, once ruled Equestria in a reign of terror and chaos until Celestia and Luna discovered the Elements of Harmony and turned him into a statue for what they thought was forever. After 1000 years, he breaks free and sets out to tear the bonds of friendship between the Elements' new bearers to secure his eternal freedom. However, he underestimates the strength of their friendship and is promptly returned to his stony prison. He is later freed and reformed by the Mane Cast (namely Fluttershy) after Princess Celestia finds a more constructive use for his powers, but still manages to find ways to cause trouble.

In the AWA fics, Discord is set to appear in a future AWA storyline.

## **Appearance**

His head is horse-like, much different from other ponies' head styles, though Cheerilee describes it as a "head of a pony". He has a deer antler on the right, a blue goat horn on the left, one long fang, different-sized pupils, a snake tongue, a goat beard, and white bushy eyebrows. He has the right arm of a lion, the left claw of an eagle, the right leg of a lizard, and the left leg of a goat. In addition, he has a bat's right wing, a Pegasus' left wing, a horse's mane, and a dragon-like snake's tail with a white tail tuft. The shape of his body resembles that of a snake. Discord bears a resemblance to a Chinese dragon, a creature often depicted with a serpentine body, facial hair, feline claws, and antlers.

## **Personality**

In The Return of Harmony Part 1 and Part 2, Discord is shown to be a mischievous and manipulative trickster who effortlessly pulls pranks on others through the use of his powerful magic, illusions, and hypnotism with little to no consideration towards his victims. He has a sense of showmanship and drama, preferring to be playful towards his victims before getting down to business, as seen when he mocks and banters with Celestia and the Mane Six in Canterlot Tower. He laughs and amuses himself with his magical chaos, mostly at the cost of others. Among other things Discord turns the ponies against each other, making Twilight Sparkle miserable and depressed, and generally causes ridiculous things to happen.

Discord is arrogant and overconfident, as he underestimated the ponies' ability to restore their friendship and wield the Elements of Harmony. Despite having a fondness for chaos, he can become easily annoyed if things don't go according to *his* plan; he becomes impatient when he cannot corrupt Fluttershy as easily as the other ponies. In Keep Calm and Flutter On, Discord states that he's never had a friend. He appears touched when Fluttershy declares herself to be his friend, and it is that glimpse of genuine friendship that causes him to undo the chaos he had caused. He states at the end of the episode that he will use his magic only for good from now on: "most of the time". Since then, he has kept his chaotic tendency to a low, though is still more than willing to cause mischief.

In Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1 and Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2, he was shown to indirectly aid the Mane Six in defeating the plunderseeds, which he himself planted long ago in a bid to defeat the royal sisters. Even after the force that is most capable of defeating him is gone, he keeps his word to Celestia and does not go on a rampage, and he is rather easily swayed by Fluttershy. In Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1 and Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2, after he betrays the ponies of Equestria and Lord Tirek subsequently betrays him, he shows deep remorse for his actions and apologizes to Fluttershy and her friends upon realizing the true importance of friendship. When Twilight and the others forgive him and the ponies accept him in the end, Discord appears truly happy, which he expresses by giving Princess Celestia a bouquet of flowers.

Discord has a habit of telling bad or unfunny jokes, as demonstrated in his comedy act in Make New Friends but Keep Discord and when he attempts to distract a group of changeling guards in To Where and Back Again - Part 2.

Discord can be very prideful, unwilling to admit to feeling hurt or left out. Rather than simply talk things out, he instead resorts to various schemes or antics in response to a problem, such as in A Matter of Principals.

While Discord's intentions can be good, his methods are often unorthodox, misguided, and even dangerous. This is most evident by his actions in season nine while masquerading as Grogar, as he ends up putting all of Equestria at risk by restoring Sombra and bringing Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow together into an alliance, all with the ultimate intent of helping Twilight and her friends.

## **Abilities**

As an embodiment of chaos and mischief, Discord is borderline omnipotent. He has manifested several abilities and skills throughout the series – abilities he has shown so far include:

* **Hybrid Physiology**: As a draconequus, Discord has a body made of different parts of animals and creatures.
* **Nigh Omnipotence**: The source of his reality warping abilities and among other powers, is the power to be near the pinnacle of omnipotence, which makes him the most powerful character to be seen in the series. He would also flawlessly restore anything to its original state, possess a complete (or almost complete) and utter collection of powers, heal or fix anything without fail, or even control space-time, or cosmic elements at will if given the proposition.
* **Chaos Magic**: Discord can alter reality in many ways and control the laws of nature and the physics of the world with his magic. It can also erase the magic of others, such as Starlight Glimmer.
* **Reality Restoration**: As shown in some episodes (namely "Keep Calm and Flutter On" and "To Where and Back Again Part 1"), Discord can restore reality back to its original state. Whichever is more efficient, this can count as a power to balance his reality affecting magic or a counteractive ability to use against other reality warpers.
* **Size-Shifting**: Discord can vary in size from very large to being small enough to fit in a pony's ear.
* **Shape-Shifting**: Discord can take many odd forms, some of which defy physics or parody characters.
* **Gesturify**: Sometimes, Discord has to require the use of snapping his fingers whenever it comes to most of the reality distorting powers he owns by far. Otherwise, they would not function correctly as he expects them to. This is a sub-power that comes with his magic in general.
* **Probability Alteration / Logic Control**: Discord can make extremely unlikely events occur within his vicinity and alter the laws of logic to his whim.
* **Telekinesis**: Discord has enough telekinetic skill to lift the entire Mane Six up magically.
* **Hypnotic Magic**: Discord can corrupt others and is skilled at hypnotic magic. He can even outright take control of somepony's mind, though he prefers not to.
* **Telepathy / Nigh Omniscience**: In "The Return of Harmony," Discord somehow knew the Mane Six's names, strengths, and weaknesses without ever having met them before. In "Keep Calm and Flutter On," he reveals he heard everything about Celestia's plan to reform him while imprisoned in stone. He also knew about Twilight's princess coronation and the "Winter Wrap Up Song," despite not being there. He also knew how Twilight felt about her role as princess. However, he did not predict that Tirek would betray him, so he is not omniscient nor even semi omniscient. As well, he tends to forget things as he still is not perfect, despite his powers. He has even seen the Cutie Mark Crusaders, though he has never really met or interacted with them and therefore does not know who they are.
* **Fourth Wall Awareness**: Discord is aware he is in a cartoon, even though he does not explain he does. He has even referred to others as "secondary characters."
* **Teleportation**: One of his most used abilities, Discord can teleport from one place to another, as well as teleport people or objects and make objects disappear out of thin air. He can also teleport across alternate dimensions, such as the real world of *Ogres and Oubliettes* and his own personal dimension, summon individuals from anywhere to his own location, or transport himself to somepony else's location without knowing exactly where they are. This appears to be his main method of transportation as he is shown frequently to detest walking and most other forms of travel.
* **Creation**: Discord is skilled with creation magic. He can create creatures, objects, and plants at will, including powerful magical creations like the Plunderseeds.
* **Levitation**: Discord can float in the air.
* **Flight**: Discord can fly using his wings. He can also achieve a supersonic flight similar to Rainbow Dash's.
* **Replication**: Discord can create copies of himself, other people, or objects.
* **Animation**: Discord can bring any inanimate object to life.
* **Appendage Generation**: Discord can grow extra body parts.
* **Anatomical Liberation**: Discord can make parts of his body come apart and is able to move them while detached so. He once used this to remove Celestia's tail without her noticing, though he did re-insert her tail afterwards.
* **Object Possession**: Discord can possess inanimate objects. He can also appear magically in various objects.
* **Transmogrification**: Discord can alter the appearance of creatures and objects, such as giving rabbits deer legs, making a squirrel and a rabbit large and hulking, and turning apples into oranges and oranges into apples.
* **Matter Ingestion**: Discord can consume matter, such as glass, a painting, a tea cup, and a telephone without any negative side effects.
* **Portal Creation**: Discord can open portals to different dimensions by using his eagle claw to cut through the fabric of reality or open a portal to grab things in another point in location.
* **Disease Generation**: Discord can infect others with any kind of diseases and illnesses.
* **Pyrokinesis**: Discord can generate blue or green flames. He can also create images using blue flames.
* **Smoke Generation**: Discord can display creating amount of smoke to cover a background.
* **Color Alteration**: Discord can fade others' colors, including his own. He also changed his color to blue to make it look like he had the "blu flu" or change himself into green and turned a tablecloth from white to red by touching it.
* **Thought Manifestation**: Discord can show his thoughts by using clouds of smoke.
* **Enhanced Strength**: Discord is deceptively strong, enough so to take a tree out of the ground and taking a big rock out of the ground with just one arm.
* **Enhanced Durability**: Discord can take blasts from dark magic without injury.
* **Enhanced Hearing**: Discord can hear from a distance away.
* **Weather Magic**: Discord can control the weather by making rain clouds go crazy, causing thunderstorms, or creating cotton candy chocolate rain clouds.
* **Animal Control**: Discord can control the animals' behavior by making them go wild unnaturally.
* **Daytime Control**: Discord can control celestial objects at will to bring about daytime or nighttime.
* **Gravity Control**: Discord can make things float into the air and make objects lighter or heavier. He can undo the the gravity of an area to make things float above air.
* **Time Travel**: Discord can project himself and others into events that have happened in the past.
* **Bubble Imprisonment**: Discord can imprison others in magic bubbles, which is a similar trait to Tirek once he had drained Discord of his magic.
* **Prehensile Tail**: Discord can use his tail to hold things and can make his tail tuft into a hand.
* **Cartoon Physics**: Like Pinkie Pie, Discord can use cartoon physics by stretching his limbs, deflating like a balloon, moving very fast, turning his mouth upside down, and appearing out of unexpected places.
* **Magic Imbalance Detection**: Discord has the natural ability to sense major disturbances in magic, such as magic being stolen or transferred into others.
* **Immortality**: Discord is somewhat immortal as he has stayed in his stone prison for thousands of years without dying, even though he will die eventually. He claims himself to be centuries old and is also much older than Celestia and Luna.
* **Clairvoyance**: Discord can use his crystal ball to see and watch over anypony or anything in Equestria.
* **Necromancy**: Discord can bring the deceased back from the grave as he did with Sombra, but it seemed he had to draw symbols into the ground to do so.
* **Energy Blasts**: Discord can shoot large beams of dark energy that can blow a hole in the wall or shoot white energy beams from his finger tips to zap away objects.
* **Petrification**: Discord can turn others to stone as demonstrated with Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow.
* **Master Trickster**: Discord likes to deceive others and have them do his bidding without even realizing it. However, there have been times where he gets caught tricking them.
* **Old Prime**: Despite his age, Discord is skilled at many things, such as water and ice skating.

## **Trivia**

* He is the second major antagonist on the show to have been redeemed (the first being Nightmare Moon) and the first major antagonist to have been redeemed via non-magical means (without the use of the Elements of Harmony).
* He is also the first being in the series so far who has been proven to be completely immune to Fluttershy's stare, the second being Flash Bees. Given that The Stare has in the past reduced a full-grown dragon into submission and overpowered the magical stone gaze of a Cockatrice, Discord shrugging it off like it was nothing is a testament to his incredible power.
* Discord made a cameo appearance in the first ever fan-made *My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic* episode called *Double Rainboom* as a front cover of the book that Blossom was reading in the ending credits.
* Discord can also be seen in the intro of Seasons 4 and above, in Fluttershy's house.
* Discord is the most powerful character in *My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.*
* Although Discord has been reformed, he still performs acts of questionable ethical integrity, for example, not saving ponies in danger by the Plunderseeds (and appearing to take joy in their suffering), attempting to banish Tree Hugger to another dimension, and refusing to help the Mane 6 after they accused him of intentionally creating chaos with Plunderseeds. He also considered the possibility of going back to his old ways in the moment he was notified of the disappearance of the Elements, only to be stopped by Fluttershy. It is perhaps on this that Spike tells Twilight that Discord is "reformed, but not *that* reformed". This is all before the fight with Tirek which presumably sees him fully reformed.
* It is implied Discord was much more evil in the past; one stained glass shows him dangling screaming ponies over fire.
* Discord is the only major antagonist who is confirmed to be behind another major antagonist. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, Sombra and Tirek were acting on their own motives but the Plunderseeds were created by Discord.
* According to the Elements of Harmony book, Discord's redemption was done so new stories could be told with his character and to turn him from the known enemy into the "not-always reliable ally".
* He is the third most recurring antagonist in the show, the other being Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon. Starlight Glimmer and Trixie Lulamoon do make more appearances in the show but they both reformed during their second non-background appearances, so they no longer count as antagonists.
* Discord is the first villain who successfully defeated the Mane 6, even if it was for a brief amount of time, the second being Queen Chrysalis, and the third being Cozy Glow.
* Discord is the first male major antagonist in the show.
	+ He is also the first major antagonist who is not a pony.
* Discord lives in a chaotic dimension as it was revealed in the episode *Make New Friends But Keep Discord*.
* Discord is the only major antagonist to be a threat more than twice in the show. Nightmare Moon, Sombra, and Tirek were imprisoned a thousand years ago, returned, and were reformed, destroyed, and permanently reimprisoned, respectively, by the end of their episodes, while Starlight Glimmer was the main villain of both the Season 5 premiere and finale, reforming in the latter, and Chrysalis has so far appeared twice, in the Season 2 and 5 finales. Discord was a threat four times: Before being turned to stone thousands of years ago, in the Season 2 premiere, in Season 3 before Fluttershy reformed him, and in Season 4 when Tirek convinced him to turn evil again.

## **External Links**

* Discord at My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Wiki
* Discord at Villains Wiki