The royal guards wear crested helmets which are reminiscent of Roman galea.Big McIntosh's design is inspired by the G1 Big Brother Ponies.Other members' names are of culinary dishes made with apples.
Big McIntosh, Granny Smith, Braeburn, and several of the Apple family members' names are of apple cultivars.Applejack's name is the name of an alcoholic beverage, and the derisive nickname "Apple Teeny" that Spike gives her in Bridle Gossip is pronounced the same as "appletini," the name of another alcoholic beverage.All the designs of the leading characters, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike are inspired by characters from G1 named: Twilight, Applejack, Firefly, Sparkler, Posey, Surprise, and Spike, respectively.Multiple works Character names and designs
Faust saw the inclusion of European and Greek mythologies as obvious, since the characters, unicorns and Pegasi, themselves draw from mythology. Among the works mentioned by Lauren Faust as inspiration for the show are Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Wizard of Oz, The Lord of the Rings, Transformers, and The Chronicles of Narnia. My Little Pony Friendship is Magic incorporates elements of classic fantasy, fairy tales, and mythology.