Vinyl Scratch

The Background Six are six background characters from the animated television series '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'': Derpy Hooves, Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Vinyl Scratch, and Octavia Melody. Unlike the official Mane Six, this grouping is not officially canon to the series but represents background characters who gained significant popularity within the brony fandom.

The Background Six began as unnamed background ponies in crowd scenes and were given names, personalities, and relationships by the fan community before they received official recognition from the show's creators. Several of the Background Six were originally created as simple background elements by the animation team at DHX Media but evolved into beloved figures with dedicated followings, fan art, and fan fiction. The popularity of the Background Six has influenced the show's later development, with some characters receiving expanded roles, official names, and merchandise.

Creation and development

The show features an extensive cast of over 200 minor characters, also designated as "background ponies", that are used to fill out crowd scenes and serve as visual gags in episodes. Several background ponies have been well received by the show's brony fanbase, who have assigned names and personalities to them. As a response to fan interest, the series' creative team has given six of the most popular characters expanded roles in later episodes and media, including being featured as the "main characters" in the show's one-hundredth episode "Slice of Life", which presents the characters' daily lives as the episode's central focus.

"Slice of Life" was organized entirely around the activities of the Background Six, and the Mane Six were relegated to background ponies. The episode starred Derpy Hooves paired with Dr. Whooves, Octavia Melody paired with Vinyl Scratch (whose fan name DJ Pon-3 was adopted by producers) sharing a house together, and Lyra Heartstrings paired with Bon Bon, with references to the latter's alternative name of Sweetie Drops.

According to show writer M.A. Larson, the show's staff did not think of the background ponies as individual ponies at the time of writing. At a fan convention, Larson told bronies: "They're not characters, they're designs—to you guys, they're characters, but to us, Lyra is just a green pony.... Background Pony #2, that's who she is to me."

The Background Six

Derpy Hooves

Derpy Hooves (officially called Muffins) is a gray pegasus with crossed eyes who works as Ponyville's mail carrier. She originated as an unnamed background character whose distinctive cross-eyed appearance was initially an animation error in the series premiere that fans on 4chan's /co/ board noticed and embraced. The pegasus was collectively named "Derpy Hooves" by the fan community and became a beloved figure who developed her personality and backstory through fan works.
Derpy gained official recognition when she received her first speaking role in " The Last Roundup", where Rainbow Dash addressed her by name. However, this decision proved controversial as critics claimed her portrayal perpetuated ableist stereotypes due to her name, voice, and mannerisms—a controversy colloquially called " DerpyGate" by the brony fandom. In response to the backlash, Hasbro modified the episode by changing her voice, straightening her eyes, and removing her name from the dialogue.

Dr. Whooves

Dr. Whooves is an earth pony who was named by fans for his purported resemblance to David Tennant's portrayal of the Tenth Doctor in the British television series ''Doctor Who''. He appears in later episodes as an eccentric scientist and he exhibits similarities to his namesake in episodes such as "Slice of Life". In ''My Little Pony'' fan fiction and derivative works, Derpy is often portrayed as Dr. Whooves' companion.

Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon

The unicorn Lyra and earth pony Bon Bon appear together as "best friends" in several scenes. In "Slice of Life", it is revealed that the latter's real identity is Sweetie Drops, a disavowed secret agent living in Ponyville under the assumed identity "Bon Bon". Sometime after the bugbear was defeated by Twilight and her friends, Agent Furlong approached Sweetie Drops and informed her that S.M.I.L.E. remained in operation and needed her help once again. He decided to recruit her best friend, Lyra Heartstrings, after learning that she was aware of Sweetie Drops' true identity. The two agents were dispatched to Appleloosa, Applewood, and the Crystal Empire in search of changeling infiltrators, with Lyra and Sweetie discovering a changeling named Delilah in Appleloosa. Despite some infighting between the veteran and her rookie partner, they were able to expose the villains and summon the Mane Six to help defeat them. Afterward, the pair was established as a permanent team, remaining in Ponyville. Lyra and Bon Bon are the main focus of the chapter book ''Lyra and Bon Bon and the Mares from S.M.I.L.E.'', in which Bon Bon rejoins the S.M.I.L.E. spy agency alongside Lyra. In ''Beyond Equestria: Pinkie Pie Steps Up'', the pair are tasked by their agency to retrieve the Pondora Box and are aided by Songbird Serenade and Pinkie Pie. They are voiced by various actresses, with Ball voicing Lyra after Season 2, and Libman voicing Sweetie Drops in "Slice of Life". Having been popularly paired by fans as a lesbian couple, they were officially canonized as such in season nine, proposing to each other in the background of one scene in "The Big Mac Question" and shown to be married in "The Last Problem".

Vinyl Scratch

A unicorn disc jockey rarely seen without headphones and sunglasses, first seen in "Suited for Success". Following the broadcast of the episode, a poll on the fan website Equestria Daily established the character's names as "DJ PON-3" and "Vinyl Scratch", with both names being alternately used in official products, such as the "Equestria Girls" music video parodying Katy Perry's song "California Gurls". Mary Carreon of ''OC Weekly'' wrote that " inyl Scratchlooks suspiciously like Skrillex."

Octavia Melody

An earth pony who plays the cello, originally seen in "The Best Night Ever". She is featured in a scene in "Slice of Life", where she rehearses an "electric cello dubstep" number with fellow musician DJ Pon-3 for Cranky and Matilda's wedding. In the episode, it is revealed that Octavia and Vinyl are coresidents.

See also

* List of ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' characters
* Mane Six
* ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' fandom
* ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' fan fiction
* Participatory culture
* Cheese Sandwich
* Quibble Pants

Notes

References

Bibliography

*
*
*

{{My Little Pony
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic characters
Fictional sextets
Television characters introduced in 2010
Animated characters introduced in 2010