Let's talk symbols

[kingluke]

Hello everyone,

Symbols. There are so many different ones across so many generations.

Some of my favourites are food related but I also like interesting item ones like g1 Starglow.  The g4 cmc ones  are awesome too. Mostly because it was such a journey to see them grow and earn their marks.

I'm personally not too fond of the g1 princess symbols. They look pretty but just not my style.

So, what do you think of symbols? Any favourites? Least favourites? Maybe your ponysona has a cool story about how they got ther symbol/mark?

Feel free to share your thoughts.

[BlackCurtains]

I like TAF symbols and the ones sported by the Rockin' Beat ponies. I also love the Rainbow Curl symbols.

Here's a relevant page from the G1 wiki - symbols

I couldn't find a similar page for any of the other gens. I don't know enough G2, but I like Silver Swirls, um, swirls

G3 has so many nice ones. Pepperberry comes to mind, because it's so unique and weird. I've always liked Toola Roola's. The Art Ponies' symbols are incredibly cool. I don't know. I like most G3 symbols. They're so nice. Here's another relevant link - G3 symbols

G4 are simple in comparison. Can't say I dislike any of them.

My ponysona's symbol is #92 uranium from the Periodic Table 

[Taffeta]

As a child I remember being mesmerised with Strawberry Fair and Dancing Butterflies' symbols. I absolutely adored the TAFs ('Party Ponies' here) when they came out, I thought they were so beautiful.

I do like the simple original pony symbols though, they're classic and very pretty. And the glittery ones from early unicorns, pegasus and rainbow ponies.

As a kid I never realised Tropical Breeze's was a flamingo. DV taught me that. I spent my childhood thinking it was a confused jellyfish. :/

Rainbow Magic's little lines of stars under her wings are also cute.

OH! And the Glittering SHS. Their symbols are ridiculously mismatched but genuinely beautiful.

I genuinely love that Bouquet's symbol is a hat. This made absolute sense to me as a child given in the comics (and I assume, her backcard) she flies around on a giant hat. But I came to love it more in recent years as proof that a symbol is not a cutie mark and does not define a pony's whole identity.

[Artemesia's Garden]

I think my favourite pony symbol feeling is with nice, fresh-looking G1 glitter, especially the ones which have silver combined with a colour like Majesty and Moondancer. Snowflake and Starshine are gorgeous too. I second @Taffeta on the glittery SHS! I am desperately looking for more combs if anyone can help!! Did we ever work out which way around the names should have been? I thought there was a discussion on the Arena at one time...

I tend to love celestial, flower, bird and insect themes and also abstract ones like Windy and Cascade. I'm all about the artwork and not a huge fan of cartoon faces or 'stick people' on symbols, not naming any names.

I love how the early CP ponies' names didn't exactly match thier symbols. Like Cotton Candy has an Apaloosa- style marking and Lemon Drop doesn't really mean anything. Unless it's a reference to her stamina as a sportswoman, like a lemon battery?! I don't think lemon batteries have much power though. SO maybe not... Peachy and Snuzzle seem just about affection with those heart-shaped symbols. Minty's lucky Shamrocks and Blue Belle's stars are also a bit of a mismatch... however Minty could be an oblique reference to good luck going hand in hand with good oral hygeine. Bob Dylan refers to this American narrative in the line "don't wanna be a bum, you'd better chew gum'". The B17 bomber Liberty Belle had a white star inside a blue circle but I hope that was never considered?! Rather an adult reference which I suppose might amuse parents but would be of no consideration to children. I enjoy that there was a little mystery at this point in the toyline, in especially when you compare to later characters like Raspberry Jam who is the colour of raspberries and has a literal jar of jam on her butt. Sorry to single her out.

[stjarne]

G3 has so many nice ones. Pepperberry comes to mind, because it's so unique and weird. I've always liked Toola Roola's. The Art Ponies' symbols are incredibly cool. I don't know. I like most G3 symbols. They're so nice. Here's another relevant link - G3 symbols

this! g3 has a few symbol gimmicks that are reminiscent of g1- like the "cutie cascade" line thats very much like TAFs, and then the 3D symbols which are the best. i also like the ones that have glitter. i have pepperberry & i agree she's not quite like other ponies  the ones with white outlines always look great.

[MJNSEIFER]

I love the idea of symbols and cutie marks - I have a particular love towards G4 cutie marks due to their storyline and my love towards it.

I like the night-time themed ones, such as G1 Twilight (the unicorn one) and G1 Moondancer - there's also something kind of nostalgic about the latter, as it looks like a design a children's toy would have in my opinion. G1 Night Glider's symbol is also cool and beautiful, with planets added into the mix.

I like Pillow Talk's symbol in G1, as it has a soothing bedtime theme to it, which is likely the point - I also find Pillow Talk to be nostalgic in general, and her symbol is no exception.

I like Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark in G4, and it not only looks beautiful, but kind of looks like it could represent the Elements of Harmony, as well as her own talent - not sure if it was meant to, but it can be imagined to do so.

I have several ponies for my project, with varying degrees on how developed their "cutie mark stories" are, but for the one who is at least kind of my ponysona... well, that's a spoiler, because his cutie mark storyline (at first) is that he doesn't have a cutie mark yet - he's an adult pony who still doesn't have one.

He will get one though... (and yes, I know what it is, but like I say... spoilers.)

I'll give other (canon) symbols and cutie marks I like later.

[Gator]

When I was a kid, my brain couldn’t handle 3D symbols.  I couldn’t wrap my mind around how a creature could exist and run around with this big thing hanging on both sides of their butt.  But my child brain was fine with bears, ponies, etc. being born with flat, 2D symbols and images on the butt or tummies.  I’m weird I guess.
As for my pony persona, in college I was drawing and cranking out all these big brother ponies in different sets and as unicorns and pegasi, because you know, we need more, right?  I made this male happy tails pegasus with alligator symbols.  The way I drew his mane and forelock, and his colors, really stuck with me.  After joining the arena, he was the perfect fit for my pony persona.

[Taffeta]

I do remember ten year old me walking into a store, looking at the pocket ponies and going...erm. What?!

...still bought one though.

[brightberry]

My favorite symbols are ones that are about natural things like stars, flowers, weather, fruit and so on. Not so much into man made symbols but there are some exceptions like teacups and kites.

I would have liked the big brothers so much more if they didn’t have things like trucks and footballs.

[Beth3346]

when i was a kid i really liked the princess pony symbols with the plastic jewel. my favorites are the animals though.

[Marshie]

I will always love the glitter symbols, they're always so pretty!

I also enjoy the TaF symbols and I also like the thing G3 did with symbols that covered the entire leg, like a full sleeve tattoo!

[Artemesia's Garden]

My favorite symbols are ones that are about natural things like stars, flowers, weather, fruit and so on. Not so much into man made symbols but there are some exceptions like teacups and kites.

I would have liked the big brothers so much more if they didn’t have things like trucks and footballs.

Mountain Boys 

[SunPony]

I've been thinking about it, and I think my favorites are just the regular flat, painted symbols with just one or a few colors.  I do like that there are a wide variety of symbols, though: I like the princess symbols, and TAF symbols, and even the pocket ones.  But to pic a fave it would have to be the good old flat painted "hip prints."

[Wardah]

I still prefer "design" or "mark" by itself to "symbol". Besides the fact that the word just looks weird, I've always felt a symbol is a simple marking that means something.

[FernMariposa919]

I like ponies with celestial symbols. Bonus points if it includes planets (like Moonstone or Night Glider). We get plenty of moon and stars, but planets aren't as common.

Weather-themed ponies are also fun: sun, snow, wind, lightning/thunder.

Desserts and other food-related items are a good idea for symbols because there's so many to choose from. I love the ice cream sodas on Fizzy and Scoops and the strawberries with vines on Sugarberry make her my favorite TAF pony. I love pineapples so I love Tootie Tails' symbol (even though I'm not fond of her name!)

I also like recreational items, I guess you could call them. Like the kite on Skyflier or the beach ball on Bouncy or the roller skates on Speedy. You know, things like that.

Any kind of symbol that is unique to a pony, like the masks on Masquerade or the tea set on Crupet, I also like.

I also do not care for the symbols on the Princess ponies. I understand why they went with them, they are sort of like crests. I don't like them because I can never differentiate all the princess ponies. The only ones I really know are Pristina (because she's a childhood pony) and Tiffany (because I remember she's all white). The others? I can never remember which is which.