My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Season 3
2012 • 13 Episodes
The third season of animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, developed by Lauren Faust, originally aired on The Hub in the United States. The series is considered to be the fourth generation of the My Little Pony franchise, following earlier lines and television show tie-ins in the 1980s and 1990s. Season 3 of the series premiered on November 10, 2012, on The Hub, an American pay television channel partly owned by Hasbro. The show follows a studious unicorn pony named Twilight Sparkle as her mentor Princess Celestia guides her to learn about friendship in the town of Ponyville. Twilight becomes close friends with five other ponies: Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Each represents a different face of friendship, and Twilight discovers herself to be a key part of the magical artifacts, the "Elements of Harmony". The ponies share adventures and help out other residents of Ponyville, while working out the troublesome moments in their own friendships. Hasbro selected animator Lauren Faust as the creative director and executive producer for the show. Faust sought to challenge the established "girly" nature of the existing My Little Pony line, creating more in-depth characters and adventurous settings, incorporating Hasbro's suggestions for marketing of the toy line.
Episodes
1. The Crystal Empire (1)
November 10, 2012
Northern Equestria's Crystal Empire has reappeared after being afflicted with a curse that made it vanish for 1,000 years. Princess Celestia asks Twilight Sparkle and her friends to protect the empire from disappearing again.
2. The Crystal Empire (2)
November 10, 2012
After Princess Celestia commissions her to keep Crystal Empire from vanishing again, Twilight realizes that she must find the missing Crystal Heart in order to restore the empire's reputation and strength before it disappears again.
3. Too Many Pinkie Pies
November 17, 2012
Overwhelmed with having to choose just one friend to spend time with, Pinkie Pie uses a magic mirror to clone herself.
4. One Bad Apple
November 24, 2012
The Cutie Mark Crusaders are crushed when Babs Seed rejects their invitation to become a fellow Crusader and instead become a bully.
5. Magic Duel
December 1, 2012
Wearing a mysterious amulet, Trixie returns to Ponyville for her "unfinished business" with Twilight Sparkle.
6. Sleepless in Ponyville
December 8, 2012
Over a campfire, Rainbow Dash decides to share some imaginative and spooky tales, causing Scootaloo to have frightening, vivid nightmares; Scootaloo wants to get rid of her nightmares but doesn't want the others to think she is spineless.
7. Wonderbolts Academy
December 15, 2012
Rainbow Dash receives an invitation to attend the Wonderbolt Academy but questions whether she is Wonderbolt material.
8. Apple Family Reunion
December 22, 2012
Granny Smith agrees to let Applejack lead the Apple Family reunion but Applejack loses sight of what is truly important.
9. Spike at Your Service
December 29, 2012
After Applejack saved Spike, he insists on fulfilling the Nobel Dragon Code by repaying her with excessive help around the farm.
10. Keep Calm and Flutter On
January 19, 2013
Princess Celestia has decided that the rambunctious Discord needs to be tamed and commissions the ponies for the job; Fluttershy believes that Discord deserves a second chance but she faces opposition as the only one who thinks so.
11. Just for Sidekicks
January 26, 2013
Spike finds himself in over his head after convincing Twilight and her friends to let him pet-sit all of their critters in exchange for a few gems.
12. Games Ponies Play
February 9, 2013
In the hopes of proving that the Crystal Empire is more than worthy of being selected as the next venue for the upcoming Equestria Games, Princess Cadance commissions Twilight to work her magic with the deciding Games Inspector.
13. Magical Mystery Cure
February 16, 2013
Twilight Sparkle wakes up one day to find that all her friends' cutie marks have been switched! Can she fix something as bad as an altered destiny?