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Lord Tirek

Tirek ID S4E26

Tirek's fourth and strongest form, after absorbing the magic of Discord and Twilight's friends

Tirek 2 ID S4E26

Tirek's third form after absorbing Pegasus and Earth pony magic

Tirek 3 ID S4E25

Tirek's second form after absorbing unicorn magic

Tirek 4 ID S4E25

Tirek's first form

Kind Centaur[1]
Sex Male
Residence Tartarus
"A distant land" (formerly)
Other links
More info
Eyes ¤ Black with light brilliant yellow pupils
Mane Light phthalo bluish gray (fourth and third form)
Light indigoish gray (second form)
Indigoish gray (first form)
Coat Black upper body and azureish black lower body (fourth and third form)
Black upper body and dark phthalo bluish gray lower body (second form)
Dark sapphire bluish gray upper body and dark cobalt bluish gray lower body (first form)
Skin Moderate raspberry (fourth and third form)
Moderate amaranth (second form)
Dark grayish scarlet (first form)
Horns Dark sapphire bluish gray (fourth and third form)
Dark phthalo bluish gray (second form)
Dark azureish gray (first form)
Hooves ¤ Light lime greenish gray with amberish gray clefts
Magic aura ¤ Vivid vermilion with black sparks
Nicknames Ti (The Periodic Table of My Little Pony)
Relatives Scorpan (younger brother)
King Vorak (father)
Queen Haydon (mother)
Voice Mark Acheson (English)
Michel Hinderyckx (French)
Tilo Schmitz (German)
Raffaele Farina (Italian)
Tomasz Borkowski (Polish)[2]
Guilherme Lopes (Brazilian Portuguese)
Nikita Prozorovsky (Russian)
Miguel Angerl Jenner (European Spanish)
Víctor Hugo Aguilar (Latin American Spanish)

Lord Tirek is a male centaur, the older brother of Scorpan, and the main antagonist of the season four finale. He is a villain who escapes from Tartarus, steals magic, and seeks to rule over Equestria. He is defeated and banished back to Tartarus by the Mane Six through Rainbow Power magic acquired from the Chest of Harmony.

Development and design

Tirek shares his name and certain aspects of his design with a Generation 1 villain from the animated television special Rescue at Midnight Castle; he was redesigned by Jeremy Tin[3] for the current Generation 4. He is a centaur[1] with red skin, white hair, dark fur, black horns, and cloven hooves. His head has bull-like facial features with a goat-like beard. DHX Media designer Phil Caesar strove to make Tirek "as scary as [he] can", receiving input from his 10-year-old daughter on whether each design was "too scary" or "not scary enough".[4] According to Hasbro developer Brian Lenard, Tirek was originally designed with an "almost entirely red" body, but was recolored with a black torso to "tone down the intensity" and give more focus to the expressions of Tirek's face and arms.[5]

Over the course of Tirek's appearances in the finale, his appearance gradually changes as he absorbs more magic. He initially appears very frail, with muted colors and a hunched posture that leaves him roughly at the height of a normal pony. After absorbing the magic of many unicorns, he gains a more muscular physique, brighter colors, and a pair of curved horns. His later transformations increase his size and makes him brawnier, and with increasingly long and elaborate horns.

During her May 2014 takeover of the Hub Network's Twitter feed, Meghan McCarthy identified Tirek as her "new favorite character,"[6] and described Tirek as having "some serious issues and some serious magic."[7] On May 10, 2014, Jayson Thiessen tweeted "hehe"[8] in reply to a fan's tweet "Was just rewatching episodes with a friend. Was that Tirek at the end of Castle Mane-ia? My mind may have just blown." In a series of tweets during January 2015, Joshua Jackson replied to Jim Miller "Was that Tirek's shadow at the end of Castle Mane-ia?" "I don't really think it is, but I'd like to hear from someone on the team." "Or, I think it's up to me to decide huh? :)," Miller replied "You got it!"[9] Jackson further replied "I got what?" "I got what exactly?" "Here's a compaison[sic] of The Pony of Shadows and Tirek pic.twitter.com/UxTgEUfnkg," and Miller further replied "you got that it's up to you to decide."[10] On March 15, 2015, Miller was asked, "I would like your thoughts on this: are Sombra and Tirek the redeemable types? This is not about Season 5 at all[,]" and replied, "I don't want to speculate in case we ever decide to use them again."[11]

Depiction in the series

Lord Tirek introduces himself S4E25

"I am Lord... Tirek."

Lord Tirek appears in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1 in a frail and weakened state, indicated by pale colors and a raspy voice. In a Canterlot alleyway,[12][13][14] he approaches the unsuspecting unicorn Rare Find and drains his magic, growing larger and more powerful. Princess Celestia senses this attack in a vision in her dream, causing Princess Luna to see it and become aware as well.

Celestia and Luna explain to Twilight Sparkle that Tirek and his brother Scorpan came to Equestria from "a distant land" to steal Equestrian magic. However, Scorpan grew to appreciate the ways of Equestria and even befriended a young unicorn wizard. Scorpan pleaded with his brother to abandon their plans, but Tirek refused to relent. To save Equestria, Scorpan informed the princesses of Tirek's intentions. Scorpan returned to his homeland while Tirek was imprisoned in Tartarus for his crimes.

Scorpan tries to convince Tirek S4E25

Lord Tirek and Scorpan in a storybook.

Celestia states that Tirek likely escaped during the events of It's About Time, when Cerberus left his post at Tartarus' gates, and has only recently regained enough strength to use his dark powers after languishing in Tartarus for centuries.

While continuing to devour unicorn magic, Tirek is captured by Discord, who is there on behalf of his friendship to the ponies. Likening Discord's actions to those of his "weak-minded" brother, Tirek appeals to Discord's former nature as a master of chaos, convincing him that friendship is "a new form of imprisonment" and that betraying the ponies will grant him freedom to do as he pleases. With Discord's aid, Tirek continues absorbing unicorn magic, becoming larger and stronger, and increasing in power. He soon becomes strong enough to begin absorbing magic from Pegasi and Earth ponies as well.

Tirek "Who said anything about us?" S4E26

Tirek after absorbing the magic of Twilight Sparkle's friends.

In Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2, Tirek continues to grow in strength and size. He becomes powerful enough to steal Alicorn magic and makes his way to Canterlot Castle. Anticipating his arrival, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance transfer all of their magic into Twilight and send her into hiding, believing Tirek is unaware of her royal status. When Tirek arrives and finds the princesses devoid of their magic, he banishes them to Tartarus as revenge for his own imprisonment.

When Discord has doubts about their alliance, Tirek gives him the medallion he wears around his neck as a token of his gratitude and loyalty, claiming that it originally belonged to "someone very close to" him. He soon discovers Twilight via her depiction in a stained glass window and questions the existence of a fourth princess; Discord confirms this and directs Tirek to Twilight's home in Ponyville.

When the two arrive, they capture Twilight's friends and Tirek absorbs their magic, growing even more powerful. The prospect of ruling Equestria alongside Tirek thrills Discord, but Tirek suddenly turns on him and says he is no longer of any use, proceeding to absorb his magic as well. When Discord reminds Tirek of the medallion, Tirek reveals it was given to him by his treacherous brother Scorpan and considers it "as worthless as he is."

Tirek soon finds Twilight and pursues her relentlessly, destroying the Golden Oak Library in the process. Enraged, Twilight fights Tirek in an intense battle of magic. Tirek fights back, but their evenly matched might leads them to a stalemate. Thus Tirek offers Twilight a trade: the release of her friends in exchange for the Alicorn magic. Despite her friends' protests, Twilight agrees to trade the magic for her friends, including Discord despite his betrayal. Upon releasing them, Tirek promptly absorbs all of Twilight's magic, making him all-powerful.

Tirek imprisoned S4E26

Tirek imprisoned once again.

However, when Discord bestows Scorpan's medallion upon Twilight as a sign of true friendship and gratitude, it proves to be the final key needed to open the Tree of Harmony chest. As Tirek rampages through the Everfree Forest, the Mane Six open the chest, gaining a new, powerful magic that Tirek is unable to overpower. With this magic, the ponies strip Tirek of all his stolen magic and reduce him to his weakened state again. He last appears locked in a cage within Tartarus, guarded by Cerberus.

Rainbow Dash briefly mentions Lord Tirek at the beginning of The Cutie Map - Part 1.

Pipsqueak mentions Lord Tirek in Crusaders of the Lost Mark, stating that Tirek's battle with Twilight is the cause of the poor condition of the schoolyard.

In The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2, Tirek appears laying waste to Equestria in one of the alternate timelines created by Starlight Glimmer.

Lord Tirek is also mentioned in Shadow Play - Part 2.

Tirek will make his return in the last two episodes[15]​[​dubious – discuss‍​]​ of season eight.[16]

Personality

Tirek "Why don't you go and have a little fun?" S4E26

Tirek being "friendly" with Discord.

Tirek is evil, domineering, narcissistic, and driven by an obsessive desire for power, believing that all the magic of Equestria should be his. He has a violent temper and fierce nature, which he directs towards Twilight Sparkle and the other princesses. He is also very manipulative and highly persuasive when striking a deal. However, while Tirek may hold up his end of a bargain in some cases, he is generally dishonest and traitorous, not hesitating to turn on and dispose of anyone whose usefulness has expired, such as Discord.

He harbors a deep resentment toward his brother Scorpan after his betrayal, describing him as "weak-minded" and "worthless."

He holds a very low opinion of the concept of friendship, believing it to be both a sign of weakness and a form of imprisonment.

Magic

Tirek with orbs showcasing each of the pony races S4E26

Tirek creating holographic orbs of the pony races.

Tirek is potentially one of the most powerful magic users in the show. However, his magic severely diminishes due to his imprisonment in Tartarus. He frequently shoots beams from an orange orb floating between his horns, and he absorbs magic from others.

Upon escaping from Tartarus, he steals unicorns' magic to restore his strength, later stealing it from Pegasi, Earth ponies, and even Discord himself. Tirek changes both physically and magically, gaining brighter colors, a more muscular physique, longer horns, and a deeper voice. As he progresses, he drains magic from dozens of ponies at once.

Tirek shooting magic beam S4E26

Tirek exerting his magic.

After absorbing the magic of Twilight's friends and Discord, Tirek's size increases to the point at which he towers over most buildings in Ponyville. His growing musculature shatters the bracers on his arms, and he grows a mass of white hair on his head to match his beard and tail. At this level of power, he matches Twilight Sparkle in a magic battle when she is imbued with the power of all four Alicorn princesses in Equestria. When negotiating with Twilight, he snaps his fingers and summons Twilight's drained friends in levitating bubbles.

After absorbing Twilight's Alicorn magic, Tirek grows even larger. The Mane Six finally overpower him when they gain the power of the Tree of Harmony, and he loses all of the magic he had drained from his victims.

Depiction in Equestria Girls

In the Equestria Girls: Better Together episode A Fine Line, Sunset Shimmer waits in line to buy a video game called Tirek's Revenge, which is a follow-up game to Rise of Tirek.

Other depictions

IDW comics

FIENDship is Magic issue 2 page 5

Young Tirek in My Little Pony: FIENDship is Magic Issue #2.

Tirek appears on My Little Pony: FIENDship is Magic Issue #1's Fan Expo retailer exclusive cover RE.

My Little Pony: FIENDship is Magic Issue #2 explores Tirek's "secret origins": at a young age, Tirek, a prince of his homeland, was instructed in the ways of magic by a centaur hermit named Sendak the Elder and became interested in pony magic through him. Tirek's ambitions greatly concerned his parents King Vorak and Queen Haydon.

When Tirek attempts to absorb the magic of a unicorn that Sendak captured, it backfires, resulting in an explosion that catches the whole kingdom's attention. King Vorak sends Sendak to the mines for his crimes, punishes Tirek, and returns the unicorn to Equestria. While confined to his castle quarters, Tirek plots to overthrow his father and rule over Equestria.

Tirek appears on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #30's Hot Topic cover. He is also mentioned on My Little Pony: Friends Forever Issue #20 page 21, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #33 page 1, and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #65 page 10 and alluded to in My Little Pony: Legends of Magic Issue #11. On the My Little Pony: Nightmare Knights Issue #1 cover RI, Tirek appears on a playing card.

Chapter books

Tirek is mentioned several times in Discord and the Ponyville Players Dramarama. Everyone displays uneasiness about Discord being in a show since the last time he did it, he worked for Tirek.

In Lyra and Bon Bon and the Mares from S.M.I.L.E., Agent Foxtrot of S.M.I.L.E. states "Tirek was a cover-up."

Tirek is briefly mentioned in Princess Twilight Sparkle and the Forgotten Books of Autumn.

The Elements of Harmony Vol. II guidebook

LORD TIREK is a cruel Centaur who tried to steal Equestrian magic after escaping from his prison in the dark realm of Tartarus. His boiling anger and frightening appearance are enough to make anypony shiver with fear. Thankfully, Twilight Sparkle and her friends defeated Lord Tirek, sending him back to his underworld prison.

My Little Pony (mobile game)

Tirek appears as a boss character in Gameloft's mobile game in a loose adaptation of his appearance in the series. During a story event based on the season six finale, one of the Changelings faced by Starlight Glimmer's party takes Tirek's form.

Shorts

Tirek appears an antagonist in the short Save Equestria from Lord Tirek!!, part of the My Little Pony Established 1983 series.

Merchandise

Tirek's Lousy Tee T-shirt WeLoveFine

Lord Tirek is featured on the fan-designed WeLoveFine T-shirts "Tirek's Lousy Tee" and "My Kingdom for a Sandwich," both of which are by the same artist. He also appears on the Season 4 poster.

Quotes

"'Is he friend, or is he foe?' the pony wonders. I can assure you... I am no friend. I am Lord Tirek, and I will take what should have been mine long ago."
— To Rare Find in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1
"Oh, please, I've seen this before. But he was always weak minded. You are Discord, you are legend, you cannot fall into the same trap that claimed my brother! Help me to grow strong, and be rewarded with something far greater than "friendship": freedom."
— To Discord in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1
"Join me, Discord, and reclaim your greatness. Unless, of course, 'pony errand boy' is the role you've always wanted to play in this world."
— Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1
"The only one Discord betrayed was himself. Abandoning his true nature to make friends with weak-minded equines who offer him nothing!"
— To Shining Armor in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2
"How does it feel, knowing that soon every Pegasus, unicorn, and Earth pony will bow to my will, and that there is nothing you can do to stop it?!"
— To Princess Celestia, Luna, and Cadance in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2
"Give my regards to Cerberus."
— Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2
"Here, I want you to have something. This was given to me by someone very close to me. I give it to you as a sign of my gratitude and loyalty."
— To Discord in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2
"Us? Who said anything about us?"
— To Discord in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2
"You've helped me grow strong, you've provided the means by which I can obtain Princess Twilight's magic, and now you are no longer of any use to me."
— To Discord in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2
"My brother who betrayed me. It is as worthless as he is."
— Referring to Scorpan in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2
"How is this possible? You have no magic!"
— To the Mane Six in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2

Gallery

Tirek "Not for much longer" S4E26

Lord Tirek image gallery

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Jim Miller (2014-05-10). TheBiggestJim: Hurry up, Twilight! There's .... Twitter. Retrieved on 2014 May 11.
  2. Dubbingpedia's publication of credits from SDI's e-mail (Polish). Retrieved on 2014 September 4.
  3. Rebecca Dart (2015-10-10). Rebecca Dart on Twitter: "@KTonarella @CheWachtel It was Jeremy Tin who redesigned Tirek. He's not on Twitter though.". Twitter. Retrieved on 2016 April 9.
  4. My Little Pony: The Art of Equestria, p. 106
  5. My Little Pony: The Art of Equestria, p. 107
  6. Twitter / Hub Network: Villain in #MLPseason4 finale ... (2014-05-06). Retrieved on 2014 May 6.
  7. Twitter / Hub Network: My favorite new character appears ... (2014-05-06). Retrieved on 2014 May 10.
  8. goldenrusset: @Arteus1 hehe. Twitter (2014-05-10). Retrieved on 2014 May 11.
  9. Jim Miller (2015-01-20). Big Jim on Twitter: "@MLPRainbow20 You got it!". Twitter. Retrieved on 2015 January 20.
  10. Jim Miller (2015-01-22). Big Jim on Twitter: "@MLPRainbow20 you got that it's up to you to decide.". Twitter. Retrieved on 2015 January 23.
  11. Jim Miller (2015-03-15). Big Jim on Twitter: "@Blue5Girl I don't want to speculate in case we ever decide to use them again.". Twitter. Retrieved on 2015 March 19.
  12. Blog post. phils portfolio. Blogger (2013-04). Retrieved on 2014 May 11.
  13. canterlot alley.jpg. Retrieved on 2014 May 11.
  14. In Topic: S3, Ep 5 Magic Duel. The Allspark Forums (2012-12-01). Retrieved on 2012 December 2. Archived locally.
  15. Mark Acheson. ​[​specify​]​. Facebook. Archived from [​[​citation needed​]​ the original] on 2017-07-18. Retrieved on 2017 October 26.
  16. Mark Acheson (2017-09-16). Newest shot from my latest session..... Facebook. Retrieved on 2017 October 26.
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