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Fluttershy is a fictional character who appears in the fourth incarnation of Hasbro's My Little Pony toyline and media franchise, beginning with (2010–2019). She is a close friend of Twilight Sparkle, serving as a core member of the group of main characters collectively known as the Mane Six. She is voiced by Andrea Libman, who also voices Pinkie Pie in the series.
Fluttershy is depicted as a shy, gentle, and soft-spoken anthropomorphic pegasus with a special connection to animals and wildlife. Despite her timidity, she can become assertive when her friends or animals are threatened. She lives in a cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville and the Everfree Forest where she cares for animals. Fluttershy represents the Element of Kindness in the Elements of Harmony. She is characterized by her long pink mane that partially covers her face, her quiet voice, and her fear of heights despite being a pegasus.
In "Dragonshy", Fluttershy confronts her fears to help save Equestria from a sleeping dragon's smoke. "Stare Master" introduces her special ability called "The Stare," which she uses to discipline animals. Episodes like "Hurricane Fluttershy" and "Filli Vanilli" focus on her struggles with stage fright and self-confidence. The episodes "Putting Your Hoof Down" and "Flutter Brutter" explore her difficulty with being assertive, both with strangers and her pushy younger brother Zephyr Breeze.
Fluttershy forms an unlikely friendship with the chaotic spirit after being tasked with reforming him in the episode "Keep Calm and Flutter On". Their relationship develops throughout the series, with Discord showing particular interest in her approval and friendship.
Faust enjoyed writing for Fluttershy the most out of the show's characters due to her "relatable" struggles with fear, which Faust says brings potential "not just for great storytelling but also great filmmaking".
Studies examining fan identification with My Little Pony characters (specifically the Mane Six) have found correlations between Fluttershy and certain personality traits. Research has shown that identification with Fluttershy accounted for a majority of the variance in the model for kindness, completely dominating identification with other characters. The researchers found a statistically significant positive correlation between identification with Fluttershy and kindness scores, which was the strongest character-trait relationship in their study. Fluttershy showed negative correlations with measures of need for humor and friendship traits, while maintaining positive associations with generosity and loyalty.
In 2021, researchers from Universitas Trisakti examining Characterization in found that Fluttershy's visual elements communicate her personality traits. Their analysis claims that her predominantly yellow coloration symbolizes warmth and happiness while simultaneously conveying shyness and introversion, which aligns with her gentle demeanor. Her long, flowing pink mane further emphasizes her feminine qualities and nurturing nature. The researchers observed that these deliberate design choices, combined with her pegasus form and distinctive posture, create a cohesive visual representation of her kind, animal-loving, and environmentally conscious character that allows younger viewers to understand her role as the element of kindness.
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