Changeling



Changelings first appear in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2 and are the minions of their leader Queen Chrysalis. They have a pony-like appearance along with insect features. They change their appearance to match that of ponies; in particular, Queen Chrysalis shapeshifts into Princess Cadance, and several changelings take the form of Twilight and her friends. They have sheer insect-like wings, fangs, horns used for magic, and holes in their legs. Like Chrysalis, they were designed by Rebecca Dart.[4] Before the design was finalized, the script described their Queen as "a GANGLY BLACK PEGACORN with a gnarled black horn."[5] [6] Changeling grunts, laughs, and other sounds were provided by veteran voice actor, Frank Welker.​[​citation needed​]​

The changeling queen explains that the changelings feed on love; Changelings in folklore would take advantage of the love given to them by their unwitting caretakers. They act in a similar fashion in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2: Queen Chrysalis explains her desire to take over Equestria, saying, "Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered. My fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of!" The changelings break the magical protective sphere around Canterlot, and terrorize the city. When Princess Celestia orders the six main ponies to recover the Elements of Harmony from a nearby tower, the changelings take the form of the main six ponies and fight them, preventing them from reaching the Elements. The changelings and their queen are defeated when Shining Armor and Princess Cadance's combined magic throw them out of Canterlot at the end of the episode.

Changelings appear in the comic book series, which takes place after the second season of the show.[7] They appear in pages that were displayed at the New York My Little Pony Project 2012,[8] [9] including the first issue's third page.[10] Queen Chrysalis is the main antagonist through the first four-issue story arc,[11] returning in the first issue.[12] They make their return by invading Ponyville and assimilating into the populace. Twilight's research notes detail changeling infection. The term for the green pods that they use to incapacitate others is a chrysalis. A changeling with a helmet appears briefly in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2 but they are featured more prominently in the comic series, where they serve as guards and advisors for Queen Chrysalis. They throughout Issue #3, and two helmetless changelings speak at the end of Issue #4.