Happy 5th anniversary to the Equestria Girls franchise 5 years ago today, on June 16th, 2013, the first Equestria Girls movie was shown across theaters to audiences world wide. This was the first movie from the Friendship is Magic generation of My Little Pony, and was met with mixed reception from fans of the time. Human ponies? How strange! However, the movie proved to be not like anyone expected, with catchy songs still hummed to this day, 5 years later, memorable characters introduced (Happy birthday Sunset!) and much more. This was only the beginning.

The following year, Rainbow Rocks premiered on the scene, bringing with it even more songs, even more characters, and tons more fun for fans to see. We saw the debut of the Dazzlings, Sunset Shimmer’s redemption, and so much more. This movie was met with astounding praise from fans of Friendship Is Magic, and a third movie was on its way, for sure.

A third movie there was, for Friendship Games aired in late 2015, and saw Sunset Shimmer meeting Twilight Sparkle’s human counterpart, dubbed “Sci-Twi”, by fans. A new age had begun in the franchise, the Sci-Twi era. Legend of Everfree shows up the following year, in September of 2016, and following the direct consequences and thoughts after the events of the movie prior. Sci-Twi grew as a character, and found her place among the "mane 7” we all know and love to this day.

It has been a wild 5 years, but our community and vast, talented, and incredible. I’ve met some of my closest friends out of this fandom, who I never would of met without the franchise. The movies, shorts, specials, and more have brought people together in so many ways, across so many platforms. With its messages of redemption, forgiveness, friendship, and family, we have grown to love Sunset Shimmer from her days as a villain to a valiant hero. From what she has taught us, our strives to be better people and to care for those around us. From the rest of the mane 6, to Sci-Twi, to the Dazzlings, these characters have been with us for the past 5 years, and have comforted us, helped us, and made us smile when we were down. With Forgotten Friendship just airing in February of this year, and more shorts and another 44 minute special on the way, Equestria Girls will live on, for our community will never stop being an amazing one, apprenticing these characters, the themes, the stories, analyzing topics and creating PMV’s and fanart, stories and more. It’s been an amazing 5 years, and for the years to come, Equestria Girls will continue to make us smile, laugh, cry, and join together in friendship.

A thank you, to the Equestria Girls team and to the characters who we love.

Happy birthday Sunset Shimmer, and Happy 5th anniversary, Equestria Girls ♡