A ponysona ( ; a portmanteau of pony and persona) is a personalized pony character created by bronies—fans of the animated television series —as an alter ego. Similar to in the furry fandom, ponysonas typically incorporate elements of the creator's personality, physical characteristics, or interests translated into My Little Pony form. The practice became popular following the and the subsequent growth of the brony fandom. Ponysonas are commonly used as profile pictures, in fan art, fanfiction, and role-playing communities across various social media platforms and forums dedicated to the franchise.
Creation and characteristics
Ponysonas are typically designed following the visual style of the show, often incorporating distinctive coat colors, mane styles,
cutie marks, and occasionally wings or horns to represent
unicorn or
pegasus types. These personalized pony characters frequently reflect aspects of their creator's personality, appearance, or interests, with cutie marks specifically designed to symbolize the creator's talents, passions, or defining traits.
Analysis
According to researchers studying the
brony fandom in 2016, 39% of
bronies have a ponysona.
(In contrast, according to a 2020 survey in
The New Science of Narcissism, 95% of
furries have a
fursona.
) Forty-six percent of bronies reported having an original character, and their ponysona was among the first original characters they created.
Within the community, original character designs that simply recolor existing characters from the show are often criticized for lacking creativity, despite their prevalence.
Unlike fursonas, which often involve elaborate
for physical embodiment at furry conventions, ponysonas tend to be expressed primarily through
digital art,
roleplay, and online interaction, with
cosplay being a less common but still present form of expression. Some bronies describe their ponysonas as idealized versions of themselves, serving as personal avatars within the community that represent how they wish to be perceived.
According to a 2018 study on the brony fandom, 49.3% of bronies reported that they either have, or would like to have, a drawing of themselves as a My Little Pony pony character.
See also
