The Wonderbolts
 The Wonderbolts as they appear in "Sonic Rainboom" | |
| Type | Elite aerial aerobatics team |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Cloudsdale |
| Membership | Pegasi |
Captain |
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| Affiliations | Equestrian Royal Guard |
| My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic |
|---|
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The Wonderbolts are a fictional elite aerial aerobatics team that appears in the fourth incarnation of Hasbro's My Little Pony toyline and media franchise, beginning with My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (2010–2019). They serve as both a performance team and a military unit within Equestria, known for their precision flying and aerial stunts.
The Wonderbolts are depicted as the most prestigious flying team in Equestria, composed entirely of pegasi who demonstrate exceptional aerial skills and athleticism. Based in the cloud city of Cloudsdale, they perform at major events throughout Equestria while also serving military and rescue functions when needed. The team is led by Captain Spitfire. Joining the Wonderbolts represents the ultimate dream for aspiring pegasus athletes, most notably Rainbow Dash, who eventually achieves her goal of becoming a member and ultimately rises to become the team's captain.
Appearances
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg?lang=en){kind=small} |
Fourth My Little Pony incarnation (2010–2021)
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
The Wonderbolts first appear in the series premiere during the Summer Sun Celebration, performing aerial stunts for the crowd in Cloudsdale. Throughout the first season, they are established as Rainbow Dash's idols and her ultimate career aspiration. They make notable appearances at events such as the Best Young Flyer competition, where Rainbow Dash first gains their attention by performing a Sonic Rainboom.
The team's role expands throughout the series as Rainbow Dash pursues her dream of joining them. She is eventually accepted into the Wonderbolts Academy in season three, becomes a member of the Wonderbolts Reserves in season four, and achieves full membership in season six. The show explores the team's training methods, hierarchy, and both their performance and military responsibilities. By the series finale, Rainbow Dash has become the captain of the Wonderbolts, fulfilling her lifelong ambition.
My Little Pony: The Movie
The Wonderbolts appear briefly in the film during the Storm King's invasion of Canterlot, where they attempt to defend the city alongside other Equestrian forces before being overwhelmed by the enemy's superior numbers and magic.
Members
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They are captained by Spitfire (voiced by Nicole Oliver in the episode "Sonic Rainboom" and Kelly Metzger in all other appearances), a "spirited competitor" and "no-nonsense instructor" at the Wonderbolts' training academy[1][2] and her second-in-command Soarin (voiced by Matt Hill).
Development
According to show creator Lauren Faust, the Wonderbolts were designed by her husband Craig McCracken, the creator of The Powerpuff Girls.[3] The Wonderbolts were inspired by the Blue Angels; they both share the same blue and gold color scheme and past Wonderbolts uniforms resemble historic Air Force uniforms.[4] According to writer Amy Keating Rogers, the name of the Wonderbolts' founder, General Firefly, is a tribute to Faust's online username "fyre-flye", in turn named after the "G1" toy Firefly.[5]
Reception and analysis
In her 2016 study on the brony fandom and the military, Maria Patrice Amon described the Wonderbolts as an equine version of real-world military flight demonstration units like the Blue Angels. The Wonderbolts uses military uniform motifs in their character design. The research noted that the Wonderbolts' performance uniforms serve a unique function within Equestria's highly individualized society by masking each member's distinctive body colors and cutie marks, which creates visual cohesion among the diverse group of pegasi. Amon wrote that this uniformity represents "the ability of the enormous and extensive politico-economic structures to shape bodily practices, and by implication, subjectivity and behavior," making the Wonderbolts' uniforms a rare tool of unification in a world where each pony is highly individualized. Amon noted that some military brony cosplayers incorporate elements of official military uniforms into their Wonderbolts-inspired costumes, which Amon suggested creates a form of "masculine innocence" by combining traditional military hegemonic masculinity with the series' hyper-feminine aesthetic.[6]
According to a 2025 article by military correspondent David Axe and journalist Matthew Gault discussing bronies in the military, a United States Air Force pilot training unit reportedly adopted a patch inspired by the Wonderbolts in 2013. Joint Undergraduate Specialized Pilot Class 14-05 at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma wore a pink and purple patch referencing the Wonderbolts, which was initially submitted as a joke during the patch approval process but ultimately received official approval from both the Air Force and Hasbro. According to 1st Lt. Tom Barger, a public affairs officer at the base, the patch was seen as fostering "camaraderie, morale and unity" among the flight students, enhancing their ability to work as a team. While some pilots reportedly refused to wear the patch, others embraced what military officials described as its "irony and humor."[7]
See also
- Rainbow Dash
- My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom
- List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic characters
References
- ^ Snider (2013), p. 34
- ^ Snider (2013), p. 200
- ^ Mastrangelo, Miama (2021-11-07). "the Truth About My Little Pony's Mane 6". TheList.com. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
- ^ Begin (2015), p. 90
- ^ Rogers, Amy Keating [@KeatingRogers] (April 15, 2014). "[Amy Keating Rogers on General Firefly's name]" (Tweet). Retrieved November 12, 2015 – via Twitter.
- ^ Amon, Maria Patrice (2016). "Candy coloured ponies and pastel uniforms: Military Bronies and masculine innocence". Journal of Fandom Studies. 4 (1). Intellect Ltd: 89–104. doi:10.1386/jfs.4.1.89_1.
- ^ Gault, Matthew (2025-05-04). Axe, David (ed.). "The Air Force Had a Brony Squadron". Trench Art. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
Bibliography
- Begin, Mary Jane (2015). My Little Pony: The Art of Equestria. New York: Abrams. ISBN 978-1-4197-1577-8.
- Snider, Brandon T. (2013). The Elements of Harmony: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: The Official Guidebook. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-24754-2.
- Blue, Jen A. (2013-08-31). My Little Po-Mo: Unauthorized Critical Essays on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Season One. pp. 39–44.
