Full name: Nova Spiral
Nicknames: Nova, Spiral, Spi, Starswirl, Shakespur
Gender: Male (he/him)
Species: Unicorn
Special talent: Writing plays/musicals
Occupation: Playwright
Parents: Dusk Shine (dad), Toe Tapper (father)
Siblings: Wonderstruck, Starla Dawn
Other family: Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Shining Armor, Cadence, Fluttering Heart, Pumpkin Cake, Pound Cake, Charity, Dreamcatcher, Felicity, Harmony, Ortus, Stargazer, Stella, Spero, Felix, Stardust, Amare, Spice Cake, Cheese Cake, Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake

Nova is a typical theatre kid who loves hanging out with his friends in coffee shops, thinking up hundreds of ideas that he'll never get to actually writing, and being way too emotional. As a child, Nova loved attention more than anything else, and would always want to spend time with his dads, even when they were busy. He thrives on praise and compliments, and has no trouble giving these to others, either. Like his father Toe Tapper, Nova loves music, and has been extremely passionate about theatre since he saw his first musical. He's not an especially incredible singer, but he's good enough to confidently sing along to one of the eighteen musicals he's memorized. Aside from theatre, he also enjoys crafts like mosaics, pottery, and sculpture.

Though Nova loves his sister Wonderstruck, he was a bit jealous when she was born, as older siblings can sometimes be. He was the one who was supposed to get all the attention, not some whiny baby. As soon as Wonder was old enough to walk and talk, though, it was clear that she wanted none of the coddling the Nova had gotten— she was a free spirit. This confused the heck out of young Nova, but he didn't complain. He's slightly annoyed by the pegasus, even though he understands that she pesters him because she wants to spend more time with him. He gets along much better with Starla, his teeny tiny baby sis. He was unbelievably proud when she got her writing cutie mark, and she always goes to him for proofreading and writing tips.

Nova is overall a good guy, but can sometimes be a bit hyper-critical of others. This probably comes from him being a stage manager and needing to constantly critique what his actors, singers, choreographers, set designers, and other crew members are doing. He tries to keep this aspect of himself contained in his work, but he can still come across as a bit judgmental.

He has a lot of ponies that he considers friends, but he's closest to Adrestia, Jewelia, Flora Flair, and Magpie.
He and Jewelia grew up together, and are close as brother and sister. They like to go to shows together and ruthlessly judge them, pointing out every little thing that's wrong, even if they really enjoy the show. Nova initially thought Jewelia was terrifying and hid behind his dad when Dusk introduced him to the filly, but he eventually got used to her spindly sea monster body. He later becomes Jewelia's go-to pony when she's feeling negative about herself; he has an endless well of compliments and reassurances to shower her with, which never fail to make her smile. She's glad he really appreciates her for who she is, instead of just "looking past" her appearance.

Nova and Flora Flair met in the Junior Ponyville Theatre Company, which some of Ponyville's best actors and stage managers had created to encourage the spread of theatre and its culture in the small town. They quickly became friends. Over time, Flora developed some stronger feelings for her friend, but it didn't go any further than a silly schoolfilly crush until the two of them were older. By the time Flora was in her late teens, she was falling hopelessly in love with Nova. She knew he would never feel the same way about her, and she supported his relationships with other stallions, but she couldn't help feeling a little heartbroken every time she saw him. Flora tried not to let this drive a wedge between the two of them, but they began to drift apart over time.

Nova and Adrestia first met when Nova was dragged along on a trip to Canterlot with his dad to visit Moondancer. The colt was left to hang out with her and Troubleshoes while Dusk and Moondancer caught up. It was awkward at first, as Adrestia is shy and easily frightened despite her size, but Nova was eventually able to get her to open up. They had more in common than either of them expected, and though Adrestia wasn't into plays or musicals at the time, Nova got her hooked with a few songs from the Great Equestrian Comet. They write to each other whenever they can, and Nova visits his friend whenever he's in Canterlot. They're supportive of each other, even though they have a mutual love of self-deprecating humor, and neither will let the other get away with feeling bad about themselves.

Nova's past relationships include Prince Eos, Harvest Moon, and Crash Course— he may have a thing for powerful and intimidating stallions— but he eventually ends up with Magpie.