My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic/Characters/The Cutie Mark Crusaders



"Sweetie Belle: Wait a minute; what does a troper cutie mark even look like? Apple Bloom: A lampshade?

Scootaloo: What kind of lame cutie mark is a lampshade??"

In the world of My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, the most important moment in a young pony's life is when they earn their cutie mark: a magical marking that appears on a pony's flank that represents what makes them special. These three fillies have yet to earn theirs and they're on a mission to find out who they are! And they're going to be adorable while they're at it!

Return to the character index here.

Tropes shared by all three Crusaders
"Sweetie Belle: Well...maybe we were trying too hard. Twilight: Yes? And? Scootaloo: And instead of forcing ourselves to do something that's not meant for us... Twilight: Yes, yes? Apple Bloom: We each should be embracing our true talent! Twilight: And that is? Crusaders: Comedy!"
 * Aesop Amnesia: While "Call of the Cutie" appears to be about learning to let nature take its course instead of trying to rush into a cutie mark, they still form the Cutie Mark Crusaders at the end in order to keep searching for their special talents. Justified Trope by the fact they're only children and the school bullies are highly unlikely to back off after being.
 * Deliberately invoked in "Show Stoppers" after the Cutie Mark Crusaders' embarrassing rock ballad performance at the talent show wins an award...for comedy.

"Scootaloo: Ugh! These namby-pamby stories aren't getting us any closer to finding our cutie marks! They're all about 'finding who you really are' and boring stuff like that!"
 * In "The Cutie Mark Chronicles", Scootaloo has this gem of a line:


 * Rather cleverly subverted in "The Cutie Pox". They run off to earn their Cutie Marks five seconds after learning a lesson about good things coming to those who wait, but the lesson was about not trying to take a dishonest shortcut to force something you're not patient enough to wait for. So what would normally count as this trope actually reinforces the aesop of earning their Cutie Marks the honest way.
 * Badass Adorable: At times. All other times they have to settle with just being adorable.
 * Badass Damsels: Every so often.
 * Butt Monkey: All of them to an extent. If there's a way to fail, they'll find it. Not that it ever stops them.
 * Chekhov's Gunmare: Apple Bloom had a very brief speaking part in the pilot and is shown huddling with the other future crusaders when Nightmare Moon appears. She didn't play a major role in the series until her reappearance in "Bridle Gossip;" the other two had to wait until "Call of the Cutie" to make their debut.
 * Cheerful Children: Under most circumstances, they're all very happy children.
 * Chew Toys: Their quest for their cutie marks has put them through Wile E Coyote levels of abuse. Even an unrelated task (Scoot and Belle helping Apple Bloom in "Family Appreciation Day") leads to all three of them getting pelted across the farm via Tree Buchet.
 * Children Are Innocent
 * Collective Identity: Gabby Gums
 * Comically Missing the Point: They don't understand that a Cutie Mark is all about self-discovery, so instead of practicing things they're already good at, they constantly try new things in hopes of getting a cutie mark in those areas.
 * Cute but Cacophonic + In the Name of the Moon + Motor Mouth = CUTIEMARKCRUSADERSSCREAMINGOUTTHEIRPLANS!! YAY!!
 * Desperately Looking for a Purpose In Life: Finding one's purpose and special ability is how you obtain your cutie mark. Apple Bloom spends "Call of the Cutie" trying to find hers, and ultimately teams up with the other fillies at the end.
 * Determinator: They are going to find their cutie marks and nothing's going to stop them.
 * Deuteragonists: Considering how much focus is put on them, they collectively form the deuteragonist cast of the show with the Mane Cast as the protagonist cast.
 * Early-Bird Cameo: The three were first seen together in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot in "Friendship Is Magic, Part 1" ("Mare in the Moon").
 * Expy: Of The Power Puff Girls. Apple Bloom, the leader and Smart Girl, is Blossom; Scootaloo, the tomboyish Action Girl, is Buttercup; Sweetie Belle, the adorable ditzy one, is Bubbles.
 * Failure Is the Only Option: Everything the Crusaders try to do to get a cutie mark fails. It would certainly be extremely surprising to see them succeeding in the course of the series...especially since Hasbro wants the episodes to be viewable in any order.
 * Though from an in-universe prospective, they absolutely will get their marks someday.
 * Genki Girl: Individually they're rather energetic. Together they egg each other on and build off each other to astonishing lengths.
 * Kid Appeal Characters: As it says on the trope page, while FiM is a kids' show, the CMC are much closer to the age of the target demographic than the Mane Cast.
 * Lower Deck Episode: Episodes focusing on them tend to be that way.
 * Mad Libs Catchphrase: CUTIEMARKCRUSADER YAY!!!
 * Master of None: See Failure Is the Only Option.
 * The series has shown that each of them does have at least one clear and impressive natural talent that they enjoy doing...but they're too young and excitable to recognize them and really earn their marks.
 * Meaningful Names
 * Apple Bloom is the one who wants her Cutie Mark to blossom the most (i.e. blossom out of youth).
 * Scootaloo rides a scooter to get around most parts and is very adept at it.
 * Sweetie Belle is a sweetheart and sings like a bell.
 * Noodle Incident: The three end up covered in tree sap after their most recent failure to gain a cutie mark in "The Cutie Mark Chronicles". Scootaloo then notes that being covered in sap seems to be a common result of their past attempts.
 * The Only Way They Will Learn: Given that earning a cutie mark takes a personal epiphany about one's talents and purpose, most of the adults in their lives are resigned to just let the Crusaders continue their futile attempts to force their marks to appear in hopes that they'll eventually come to understand that lesson themselves. So long as they have fun with each other while they do it.
 * Twist had such an epiphany and admitted she was clueless about her talent beforehand, so there's hope for the Crusaders. Plus, there is the fact that cutie marks are an absolute certainty in-universe.
 * Power Trio: in many ways.
 * Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo respectively.
 * Comic Trio: Scootaloo suggests something dangerous or silly, Apple Bloom goes along with it and Sweetie Belle won't complain loud enough to avoid getting dragged along. Downplayed, as Apple Bloom isn't stupid; she's just game for anything.
 * Freudian Trio: Scootaloo is the id, Apple Bloom is the ego, and Sweetie Belle is the superego.
 * Token Trio: Since they represent the three different races of ponies - Sweetie Belle is a unicorn, Apple Bloom is an earth pony and Scootaloo is a pegasus.
 * Town Girls: Sweetie Belle is the femme, Apple Bloom is the neutral one, and Scootaloo is the butch.
 * Promotion to Opening Titles: As of the second opening (introduced in "Lesson Zero").


 * Ridiculously Cute Critters: Their cuteness is even remarked upon by the, already cute, adult ponies.
 * Rule of Three: This is followed in multiple ways. Aside from being a trio of three different types of ponies (an Earth Pony, a Pegasus and a unicorn), they also all have three syllables in their names (A-pple Bloom, Scoo-ta-loo and Swee-tie Belle).
 * Shipper on Deck: In "Hearts and Hooves Day", they ship Big Mac/Cheerilee.
 * True Companions: Like the Mane Cast, they've got a very close and strong bond of friendship between them.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle is really only a part of this when the entire group fights with each other.
 * What The Tartarus, Fillies: Hearts and Hooves Day, Ponyville Confidential

Apple Bloom
""Aren'tcha gonna stay for brunch?""

"Debut: "Friendship Is Magic, Part 1" ("Mare in the Moon")"

"Voiced by Michelle Creber"

Apple Bloom is Applejack and Big Macintosh's baby sister, an adorable pony with a yellow coat and fluffy pinkish-red mane. In "Call of the Cutie", she became very insecure about not having her cutie mark yet and began desperately searching for her special talent. After learning two of her classmates had the same problem, she formed a Power Trio with them in order to work together towards the same goal.


 * American Accents: A southern drawl, just like the rest of her family.
 * Ascended Extra: Slowly getting there. She has more episodes than Applejack, who is technically one of the main characters.
 * Breakout Character: She's pretty much hit this point in the show, and takes it Up to Eleven if you include the fan projects she's in.
 * Big Sister Worship: She greatly admires Applejack and eagerly declares her the coolest pony in Ponyville when asked.
 * Closeup on Head: BUT I WANT IT NOW!, just 100% more adorable.
 * Color Coded for Your Convenience: Her mane is red and her body is yellow just like an apple which is red outside and yellow inside.
 * Dawson Casting: Averted! As it turns out, Michelle is actually in the target demographic of the show.
 * Dish Dash: Apple Bloom became capable of both versions of the trope during her bout of Cutie Pox, the spinning on a stick and the catching/juggling of multiple dishes. Turns out to be part of the effects of Cutie Pox.
 * Expy: Semi-averted. Lauren designed Apple Bloom for the show's "pitch bible" in 2008. But her colors were shared by one G1 Pony and two G3 Ponies.
 * Also implied that her talent is Art, Carpentry and Design. Much like the G3/3.5 Toola-Roola.
 * Her red hair, pink bow, and status as leader of a group of three girls makes her very similar to Blossom from The Powerpuff Girls. It helps that Lauren Faust actually worked on both of these shows.
 * Apple BLOOM -> BLOOM = Blossom
 * Expressive Accessory: The bow in her mane droops when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon make fun of her in "Call of the Cutie".
 * Eyes of Gold: Though they take on a pinkish/reddish hue depending on the shot. She seems to have inherited them from Granny Smith.
 * Fiery Redhead: Especially when she's in Plucky Girl mode.
 * Hair Decorations: Wears a big pink bow, Blossom-style.
 * The Heroine
 * Ill Girl: In "Cutie Pox".
 * Just a Kid: She sometimes gets this treatment from Applejack.
 * The Leader: Usually leads the Crusaders as a Type IV.
 * Lethal Chef: Her attempts at making cupcakes wind up...less than sweet.
 * Averted in "Family Appreciation Day" when she helps Granny Smith make some of the best Zap Apple jam in recent history.
 * Massive Numbered Cousins
 * Motor Mouth
 * Only Sane Pony: Takes over this role in "Bridle Gossip" when in the end even Twilight starts believing Zecora is evil.
 * Plucky Girl
 * Prehensile Tail: She uses it to spin her loop-de-hoop and lift a thousand-pound barbell in "The Cutie Pox".
 * Puppy Dog Eyes/Quivering Eyes: A proven master at this.
 * Redheaded Heroine
 * Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right: She deliberately disobeys Applejack's command to befriend Zecora in "Bridle Gossip". It's a good thing she did, for Zecora's sake.
 * The Smart Girl
 * Spell My Name with an "S": Once in a great while, her name will be spelled as "Applebloom."
 * Wise Beyond Their Years: She's pretty smart for such a young filly.
 * Working Class People Are Morons: Averted...at least in that she's shown to be the smartest of the group. Despite her age, she can occasionally force Applejack to resort to the "because I said so" argument and runs rings around Scootaloo on several occasions. She even manages to see past the superstition surrounding Zecora when nobody, not even the Mane Six, can.
 * Wrench Wench: "The Show Stoppers" implies that her talent lies in construction and design. At the very least, she was able to make Applejack's ugly old tree-house habitable.

Scootaloo


""These namby-pamby stories aren't getting us any closer to our cutie marks!""

"First Appearance (Cameo): "Friendship Is Magic, Part 1" ("Mare in the Moon")

Full Debut: "Call of the Cutie""

"Voiced by Madeleine Peters"

An orange pegasus with short hot pink hair and purple eyes, Scootaloo is one of Apple Bloom's classmates. Though she originally hid the fact she hadn't earned her cutie mark yet, she and Sweetie Belle stood up for Apple Bloom during "Call of the Cutie" and became fast friends, forging the Cutie Mark Crusaders so that they could search for their talents together. A brash Tomboy, she effectively serves as the Power Trio's equivalent to Rainbow Dash. She has a scooter that she's very good at riding really fast.

"Applejack: It just needs some TLC. Scootaloo: TLC as in "Tender Loving Care" or "Totally Lost Cause?""
 * Anime Mane: It looks like a single giant feather.
 * Ascended Fangirl: She's not only a member of the Rainbow Dash fan club; she's the president.
 * Big Damn Heroes: She and Sweetie Belle do this to defend Apple Bloom from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's taunting in "Call Of The Cutie".
 * The Big Girl
 * Big No: The ending of "The Cutie Mark Chronicles".
 * Cool Helmet: She wears one while riding her scooter.
 * Cute but Cacophonic: Her singing is...decidedly not as good as Sweetie Belle's.
 * To her credit, it improves a little bit from her initial attempt to the time of the talent show.
 * Deadpan Snarker: More than the others.


 * Dreadful Musician
 * Era Specific Personality: Her G3 and G3.5 incarnations were tomboyish but still somewhat more feminine than the Scootaloo we know in FiM.
 * Establishing Character Moment: Calling out the bullies in "Call of the Cutie".
 * Expy: of G3 Scootaloo and G3.5 Scootaloo...right down to to her talents.
 * Fantasy Helmet Enforcement: Wears a helmet while riding her scooter. But when you see just how FAST she goes...
 * Free Range Filly: Out of the three, she's the only one whose parents/guardians haven't been seen yet.
 * Hero Worshipper: Towards Rainbow Dash.
 * Shown to be the president of Ponyville's Rainbow Dash Fan Club among the other fillies.
 * Hollywood Tone Deaf: averted in The Show Stoppers - her singing in the talent show isn't that bad, she's just off key, as any untrained or untalented singer would be.
 * The Lancer: Usually, but she is headstrong enough to be The Leader at times.
 * Little Miss Badass: Whether it's doing extreme stunts at high speed on her scooter or zip-lining through the treetops, Scootaloo will be first in line whenever the Crusaders do anything athletic, physical, or endangering to life and limb.
 * She is also apparently strong enough to kick a bowling ball hard enough to fly through the air at dangerous speeds, ricochet off several surfaces and land in the gutter of a lane on the other end of the alley.
 * Mundane Utility: She hasn't figured out how to fly yet so instead she uses her wing power to make her scooter go faster. "Ponyville Confidential" shows that even when she tries, they can't hold up her entire weight.
 * She does have enough strength in her wings to give herself extra lift (the Bullet Time sequence in "The Show Stoppers"), glide across the ground (imitating Rainbow Dash in "The Cutie Mark Chronicles") or hover a short distance off the ground briefly (on two occasions in "The Cutie Pox").
 * Nopony Calls Me Chicken: Played With, in not so much that Scootaloo lacks courage to stand up for herself, but that twice she has been referred to as a flightless bird (a chicken in "The Stare Master", and a dodo in "Return to Harmony Part 1"). She does not take lightly to those allegations.
 * Odd Name Out: She is the only crusader with a one word name as opposed to the others who have two word names.
 * Purple Eyes
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Sweetie's blue.
 * Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to Sweetie Belle's Girly Girl.

Sweetie Belle
""Why does everyone always think I'm gonna sing?""

"First Appearance (Cameo): "Friendship Is Magic, Part 1" ("Mare in the Moon")

Full Debut: "Call of the Cutie""

"Voiced by Claire Corlett Singing by Michelle Creber"

Another of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's classmates, and the Girly Girl to Scoot's Tomboy. Like them, she has yet to discover her cutie mark and helps found the Cutie Mark Crusaders in hopes of discovering it. Idolizes her older sister, Rarity and would like to follow her down the same career path, but isn't quite as good at it yet. Has a knack for singing and making up melodies but balks at the thought of singing for an audience.


 * All There in the Manual: Her room hasn't appeared in the show, but it has appeared in the German magazine comic Einfach rufus.
 * Annoying Younger Sibling: She's a sweet filly but her behavior around the dress shop is cause for some headache for Rarity (plus she sometimes uses Rarity's material without permission). Her sister even makes it clear that Sweetie Belle's not to even move when she's working.
 * Unsurprisingly a big part of what drives her conflict with Rarity in "Sisterhooves Social".
 * Big Damn Heroes: She and Scootaloo do this to defend Apple Bloom from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's taunting in "Call Of The Cutie".
 * Big Sister Worship: She adores Rarity and often tries to emulate her, especially in fashion design. Unfortunately, fashion is not one of her talents.
 * The Chick
 * Cute but Cacophonic: Fluttershy learns the hard way that Sweetie Belle has quite a set of pipes and she's supposed to be singing a lullaby.
 * Well...it's a terrible lullaby but a pretty awesome gospel performance...
 * Cute Clumsy Girl: She means well but actually ends up accidentally getting in Rarity's way a lot of the time.
 * Dawson Casting: Also averted. Claire, like Michelle, is in the show's target demographic.
 * Deadpan Snarker: In "The Show Stoppers", concerning the supplies they get for their act.
 * And again in "Stare Master", when she balks at the idea of cleaning up the cottage.
 * Depending on the Writer: She seems to jump between Cloudcuckoolander and Genius Ditz quite often.
 * The Ditz: Occasionally teeters on the edge of Cloudcuckoolander but hasn't reached that plateau yet. Ironically she tends to have the most common sense of the three Crusaders.
 * Et Tu, Dulcilla Pulchra: In Ponyville Confidential. Rarity actually addresses her with "Et tu".
 * Expy: Of G3 Sweetie Belle and G3.5 Sweetie Belle. Her talent is more related to Starsong.
 * Green Eyes: Very light green eyes.
 * The Heart: After all, it was her idea to find a special somepony for her teacher Cheerilee.
 * I Have No Sister: She pretty much disowns Rarity after their unfortunate day in "Sisterhooves Social". Harsh.
 * Lethal Chef: She has to serve her toast in a bowl and even managed to burn juice.
 * Though she apparently gets better by the end of Sisterhooves Social...at least for cooking. Cleanliness...not so much.
 * Multicolored Hair: Curly pastel pink and purple.
 * Naughty Is Good: Season 2 has been turning Sweetie Belle into a well-intentioned, yet mischievous filly.
 * Nice Girl: Most of the time.
 * Non-Standard Character Design: Most unicorn fillies have ovoid eyes (like adult ponies do) but Sweetie Belle has circular eyes (like Pegasus and Earth Pony fillies do). Most stock art (such as this Easter piece) gives her ovoid eyes though.
 * Only Sane Pony: She sometimes takes this role.
 * Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Inverted. Her singing voice is done by Apple Bloom's voice actress and it's very obvious due to the Southern twang her voice inexplicably gets when she sings.
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Scootaloo's red.
 * In "Sisterhooves Social", she becomes the red to Rarity's blue.
 * Rose Haired Pony: Only partially though.
 * Shipper on Deck: Becomes one during the Hearts and Hooves day episode. Indeed, out of all three crusaders, she seems particularly enthusiastic about finding Cheerilee a special somepony, to the point where she gives a Big Yes when she seems to succeed.
 * Ship Tease: It's a blink-and-you'll-miss, but at the end of "A Canterlot Wedding part 2", the wedding snapshots show her dancing with Spike.
 * Shrinking Violet: She's very sweet but also very shy when it comes to singing. It's really a shame considering she has such a beautiful singing voice.
 * Spell My Name with an "S": Sometimes her name has been spelled "Sweety Bell".
 * Strong Family Resemblance: To her big sister Rarity.
 * Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly Girl to Scootaloo's Tomboy.
 * Again, during Sisterhooves Social", she's the Tomboy to Rarity's Girly Girl.
 * Vocal Evolution: If you listen real hard, Sweetie's usual voice cracks are less noticeable since "Hearts And Hooves Day". But then again, this is what happens when you put a real child actress on the mic...
 * "Well Done, Little Sister" Girl: When she's not butting heads with her older sister, she's trying to win her approval. Too bad this usually involves Just Trying to Help.