For this character's human counterpart, see Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Drops (EG).

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, occasionally called simply eitheror, is a female unicorn pony who frequently appears as a background character and occasionally in more prominent roles. She has a magic mint coat, brilliant cyan mane and tail with a white streak, sunglow eyes, and a cutie mark of a lyre. The word "heartstrings" refers to deep feelings of love or compassion and is commonly used in the phrase "tug at the heartstrings" which means to cause strong feelings of affection or sympathy.





Design, development, and production

Lyra Heartstrings shares her design with Amethyst Star, Diamond Mint, and Lemony Gem. Her mane style is the same as Rose's and Silverspeed's, and she shares her tail style with Royal Ribbon. Her color scheme is the same as that of "Skyra". She has the same cutie mark as other ponies from the current generation and previous My Little Pony generations. Respective examples are the Earth pony Lyrica Lilac and the G3 Earth pony Bee Bop.

Part of Lyra Heartstrings' name, Lyra, was given by fans before it was adopted officially by Hasbro. Her name first appeared in merchandising as Heartstrings in the accompanying pamphlet of a mystery pack toy released in Europe in January 2012, and was later expanded to Lyra Heartstrings in a Playful Ponies toy, a trading card, the mystery pack toy's U.S. release, another mystery pack toy, a mobile game, a board game, a dog tag checklist,[6] and a collectible card game.

According to a layout artist on the show, background ponies are nameless, but Lyra Heartstrings was labeled "Incidental Unicorn #2" at the studio prior to being named in merchandise and other media[7] and has still been labeled "Incidental Unicorn #2" at the studio as of May 22, 2013.[8] The same layout artist has used Lyra for background gags,[9] such as jumping excitedly, drinking from a cup, or sitting like a human on a bench. Sweetie Drops and Lyra Heartstrings frequently appear together, a pairing explained by the artist to be mostly coincidental and based on aesthetic considerations, as far as season one is concerned.[9] The artist has referred to Lyra and the Earth pony variant of Lyra with moderate cerise eyes as the same pony.[10][11]

Regarding the Alicorn variant of Lyra Heartstrings in the IDW comics' My Little Pony: Friends Forever Issue #7, colorist Heather Breckel stated on July 9, 2014 "Tony drew it, I just thought it looked like her"[12] and "I have no idea if it was intentional or not, and was in the zone when I colored it so I didn't think anything of it. I just like putting Lyras everywhere :yay:",[13] and editor Bobby Curnow stated on July 10, 2014 "That would be a mistake!"[14]

Concurrently with G4, a G1 version of Lyra Heartstrings has been introduced in IDW Publishing's Transformers vs. G.I. Joe Issue #13.

Depiction in the series

Season one

Lyra Heartstrings' first appearance is in Friendship is Magic, part 1 in Canterlot , where she walks with Amethyst Star and waves to Twilight Sparkle . She later attends Pinkie Pie ’s surprise party for Twilight in Ponyville

Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Drops watch the Iron Pony competition in Fall Weather Friends. In Swarm of the Century, the two marvel at a parasprite that hovers over their table before gobbling up their food, making Lyra cry.

Season two

Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Drops tussle for Smarty Pants in Lesson Zero . In Luna Eclipsed , a unicorn with her coat and eye color dresses as a mummy for Nightmare Night . In Secret of My Excess , Lyra and Sweetie Drops are surprised when Derpy pops out of a nearby well.

In The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, Lyra Heartstrings is among the crowd of ponies, beside Rainbow Dash, gazing upon Flim and Flam's Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. She also sings along during The Flim Flam Brothers.

In Hearts and Hooves Day, Lyra Heartstrings appears next to Sweetie Drops in the village shot and later in Apple Bloom's fantasy scene. In A Friend in Deed, she, Sweetie Drops, and other ponies hop on roofs during Smile Song. In the market scene of Putting Your Hoof Down, she slumps on a table. Later, she sits up, holding a drink, and talking to Sweetie Drops.

Season three

In A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1 , Lyra Heartstrings, Minuette , and Twinkleshine are the unwitting bridesmaids of Queen Chrysalis , who is disguised as Princess Cadance . Lyra Heartstrings says she loves the bridesmaids' dresses that Rarity has made. They are bewitched to do Queen Chrysalis' bidding in A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2 , and try to stop Twilight and the real Cadance from escaping. However, Cadance distracts them with a bouquet of flowers, throwing it into the caves while the bridesmaids jump into the caves after it. They are freed from Chrysalis' control by the end of the episode.

In Magic Duel, she drinks from a cup and stands next to Sweetie Drops. The two dive for cover when Twilight zaps Pinkie. In Magical Mystery Cure, she attends Twilight's coronation. During Life in Equestria, she jumps excitedly in the crowd as Twilight and her friends pass by.

Season four

Season five

Lyra Heartstrings appears in Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1 Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2 , and Rainbow Falls . In Pinkie Pride , she appears in the present day and a filly version of her appears in a flashback. She also appears in Simple Ways It Ain't Easy Being Breezies , and For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils . In Leap of Faith , she appears as a judge of the synchronized swimming contest. While the other judges give Granny Smith and Apple Bloom a 10, she seemingly gives them a "01", although it turns out she was holding the score mark upside down. She appears briefly in Trade Ya! In Equestria Games , goes through a magic inhibitor that disables all unicorn magic in the Equestria Games stadium. She also appears in Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1 and Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2

In Bloom & Gloom, Lyra appears in Apple Bloom's dream running from a swarm of twittermites. In Tanks for the Memories, Lyra participates in the Running of the Leaves. In Make New Friends but Keep Discord, Lyra attends at the Grand Galloping Gala.

Lyra has her first major speaking appearance in Slice of Life , where she and Sweetie Drops help decorate the town hall for Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda 's wedding. Lyra becomes deeply upset by the revelation that Sweetie Drops, whom she had known as "Bon Bon", has a secret identity as a special agent from Canterlot. They later reconcile in time for the wedding when Lyra divulges one of her own "deepest, darkest secrets", revealing she once ate imported oats that Sweetie Drops had been saving for a special occasion.

In Princess Spike, Lyra is a delegate at the Grand Equestria Pony Summit. She also appears in Party Pooped where she and Sweetie Drops are playing ball and she receives a flower from her best friend. In Amending Fences, Spike refers to Lyra by her full name. She appears as a filly in a flashback and in a photograph with Twilight Sparkle, Lemon Hearts, Minuette, Twinkleshine, and Moon Dancer. She also appears in Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? in Ponyville's shared dream physically attached to Sweetie Drops. In Canterlot Boutique, Lyra buys a Princess Dress from Canterlot Carousel. Lyra and Sweetie Drops are seen together at the Sisterhooves Social in Brotherhooves Social, and the two are additionally seen together in Crusaders of the Lost Mark, The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows, and What About Discord? She and Sweetie Drops also appear in the final group shot during Friends Are Always There For You in The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2.

Season six

In On Your Marks, Lyra watches the performance. She sits between Sweetie Drops and Octavia Melody.

Season seven

Season eight

In Rock Solid Friendship , Pinkie tries to pass Lyra off as a rock shaped like her to have Maud Pie move to Ponyville. She has a speaking role in Triple Threat when Spike helps her resolve an argument with Sweetie Drops.

In The Maud Couple, Lyra appears in the audience at the comedy club with Pinkie Pie and Sweetie Drops and at Maud's birthday party. In The Break Up Break Down, Lyra and Sweetie Drops appear giving each other presents on Hearts and Hooves Day. In The End in Friend, Lyra appears at the cafe with Sweetie Drops, and they witness Rainbow Dash and Rarity's argument.

Best Gift Ever

In the My Little Pony Best Gift Ever special, Lyra and Sweetie Drops can be seen among the citizens of Ponyville during the song One More Day.

Season nine

In The Beginning of the End - Part 2, Lyra appears among the crowd of King Sombra's mind-controlled ponies that attack the Main Six before getting caught in a net. At the beginning of Common Ground, she appears with Sweetie Drops in the buckball stadium. In Between Dark and Dawn, she appears in the audience at the play Celestia and Luna attend during Lotta Little Things.

In 2, 4, 6, Greaaat, Lyra again appears with Sweetie Drops in the buckball stadium crowd. In A Trivial Pursuit, they watch the Trivia Trot contest together. In The Summer Sun Setback, Lyra appears with Sweetie Drops in the courtyard during the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration and later in the ceremony audience. In Dragon Dropped, Lyra appears sharing a milkshake with Sweetie Drops at the Ponyville Cafe.

In A Horse Shoe-In, Lyra attends Octavia and DJ Pon-3's concert with Sweetie Drops. In Growing Up is Hard to Do, the two ride a Ferris wheel together at the Appleloosa County Fair. In The Big Mac Question, Lyra and Sweetie Drops propose to each other with engagement rings.

In The Last Problem, Lyra is shown in newspaper as having gotten married to Sweetie Drops. They later attend Twilight Sparkle's coronation ceremony and appear in future Ponyville during The Magic of Friendship Grows.

Variants

Appearances

A number of background ponies have Lyra Heartstrings' design with variations on her color scheme. They are included in the appearances table below. The most common of these is an Earth pony that looks like Lyra Heartstrings without a horn. A Lyra Heartstrings with moderate cerise eyes occasionally appears in scenes where Lyra Heartstrings runs around town, either on her own - as in Applebuck Season - or as part of a throng of other ponies, as in Boast Busters and The Ticket Master . However, “running Lyra” does not have cerise eyes in Hearts and Hooves Day, and while she has cerise eyes for most of the race in Fall Weather Friends, they are yellow at the beginning of the race. An Earth pony variant with moderate cerise eyes and a bonnet appears in Over a Barrel and Luna Eclipsed.

Times stated below are approximate and taken from various videos.

Season three 1 None 2 None 3 13:23 - in the crowd complaining about the Pinkie clones 4 12:50 - in the crowd during the Harvest Day Parade, listening to Sweetie Drops 5 18:08 - drinking a soda next to Sweetie Drops before Twilight performs a fake spell on Pinkie Pie 6 None 7 None 8 None 9 1:49 - seen in the market next to the apple stall 10 None 11 None 12 None 13 18:24, 20:22 - at Twilight's princess coronation; 20:53 ~ 21:07 - in the crowd during Life in Equestria Duplicates: 19:03, 19:06 - one in the crowd; 20:53 - two in the crowd

Season six 1 None 2 None 3 18:30 - waiting for Golden Harvest 4 4:14 - standing behind Amethyst Star; 18:31 ~ 20:45 - watching the dance recital, seated between Octavia Melody and Sweetie Drops 5 None 6 6:11 - flying a kite with Sweetie Drops; 18:21 - in the crowd for Trixie's show 7 None 8 3:38 - walking with Twinkleshine in town square; 6:11 - talking to Twinkleshine; 13:19 - talking to Sweetie Drops; 14:33, 14:59 - talking to another pony at the party; 19:07, 19:36, 19:41, 19:47 - talking to Sweetie Drops at the party; 20:23 - hanging out at the Hearth's Warming celebration with Sweetie Drops; 21:02 - taking part in the finale; 21:23 - singing the final lines 9 None 10 5:56 - walking in the spa lobby 11 13:17 - walking in Ponyville 12 11:31 - standing in a crowd of ponies 13 None 14 16:19 - watching the Applewood Derby with Sweetie Drops 15 3:46 - walking outside Carousel Boutique; 15:31 - stalking Rainbow Dash with Twinkleshine; 18:31 - trying to get into the barn 16 None 17 None 18 13:01 - part of the crowd of fanponies at the train station (face painted and wearing a team uniform); 19:40 - in the stands for the buckball game 19 12:45 - in the stands of the baseball game 20 None 21 None 22 None 23 None 24 None 25 None 26 None

Season nine 1 None 2 Yes 3 None 4 None 5 None 6 Yes 7 Yes 8 None 9 None 10 None 11 None 12 None 13 Yes 14 None 15 Yes 16 Yes 17 Yes 18 Yes 19 Yes 20 Yes 21 None 22 Yes 23 Yes 24 None 25 Yes 26 Yes

Depiction in Equestria Girls

In Rainbow Rocks, Lyra makes a brief cameo with Sweetie Drops during an establishing shot of Ponyville. In an alternate world, her human counterpart appears as a high school student.

Depiction in My Little Pony The Movie

In My Little Pony The Movie, Lyra and Sweetie Drops appear in the establishing panning shot of Canterlot. Lyra is later seen as one of the ponies captured when the Storm King invades Canterlot, and again when the city is magically restored by Twilight.

Other depictions

In Triple Pony Dare Ya, Lyra appears waiting in line for Granny Smith's Hearth's Warming fruitcake at the Ponyville marketplace. In Rarity's Biggest Fan, she appears sitting and talking to Sweetie Drops on the Friendship Express before they both get off the train. In Sundae, Sundae, Sundae, Lyra attends the grand opening of the Sugarcube Corner Ice Cream Museum.

Lyra Heartstrings appears on Issue #1 's pages 5 and 17 and the Ghost Variant wrap cover RE back Issue #4 's Hot Topic cover and T-shirt Issue #5 's page 3 and Midtown Comics Issue #8 's page 14, Issue #9 's pages 4 and 13-14 and a con cover and Issue #10 's cover A , pages 13 and 15, and the Hot Topic cover Issue #11 's cover A in a yearbook picture and Comics World cover RE , in Issue #12 , on Issue #20 's Phoenix Comics & Games (and Everfree Northwest ) exclusive cover RE reading a publication titled 'Ponies',on Issue #23 pages 8, 16, and 21, on Issue #28 page 1 , on Issue #30 pages 8, 14, 18, and 19, on Issue #32 page 9, on Issue #40 page 12, on Issue #41 pages 7 and 18, on Issue #43 page 7, on the Issue #46 subscription cover , and on Issue #44 pages 7, 9, and 19. In Issue #46 , Lyra runs for mayor of Ponyville, but she loses to Filthy Rich . In Issue #47 , she appears on pages 7, 14, and 16. In Issue #50 , she appears on page 14. In Issue #71 , she appears on page 3 dressed as' Princess Leia for Nightmare Night.

In the "Season 10" comics, Lyra travels to Captain Celaeno's homeland of Parrot Peaks with Rainbow Dash, Celaeno, Spitfire, and Sweetie Drops.

Lyra Heartstrings appears on Issue #2 page 19 and Issue #3 page 2.

Lyra Heartstrings appears on an Issue #1 Larry's Comics and Jetpack Comics cover RE, on Issue #7 pages 3—as an Alicorn—and 22 and two Jetpack Comics covers RE, on Issue #9 pages 3-5, 7, and 21, on Issue #10 page 1, on Issue #12 pages 13 and 20, on Issue #15 page 19, on Issue #33 page 15, and on Issue #37 page 19.

In My Little Pony/Transformers Issue #2, Lyra appears on page 11 in the audience of Pinkie Pie's baking show.

Lyra appears on Issue #4 pages 10-11.

In chapter 13 of Pinkie Pie and the Rockin' Ponypalooza Party!, "Pinkie Takes Action!", Pinkie Pie says Lyra Heartstrings is a musician. In Rainbow Dash and the Daring Do Double Dare, Lyra Heartstrings appears in chapters 3-4. In Rarity and the Curious Case of Charity, Lyra Heartstrings appears in chapter 11. In Applejack and the Honest-to-Goodness Switcheroo, Lyra appears in chapters 1 and 14. In Fluttershy and the Fine Furry Friends Fair, Lyra appears in chapter 2. In Princess Luna and the Festival of the Winter Moon, Lyra gets chased by a Tarax Hippo in her dreams.

Lyra and Bon Bon are the focus of the chapter book Lyra and Bon Bon and the Mares from S.M.I.L.E., in which Lyra joins the spy agency of which Bon Bon is already a long-time agent. In Beyond Equestria: Pinkie Pie Steps Up, the two enlist Pinkie Pie in their efforts to retrieve the stolen Pondora Box.

In the Signature My Little Pony magazine issue 69 comic Daring friends and the missing story!, Lyra Heartstrings appears at the Canterlot Magic Fair.[16]

Lyra Heartstrings is one of the available playable characters in Gameloft's mobile game. Her in-game description states, "This loving and compassionate unicorn has a lyre for a cutie mark and will certainly tug at anypony's heartstrings!" A promotional image posted by the official Facebook page of the game on May 7, 2014[17] uses fanart of her,[18] which also appears to match the game's icon of her. Lyra also has a story role in a number of game events, usually involving her and Sweetie Drops attempting to avert time paradoxes. Later updates includes a version of Lyra Heartstrings called "Agent Lyra Heartstrings", who serves as an enemy minion during the She's All Yak event, and another version called "Future Lyra Heartstrings". Agent Lyra Heartstrings' description states, "Agent Sweetie Drops couldn't ask for a better monster-hunting partner...though it WOULD be nice if this rookie agent came up with a better alias." Future Lyra Heartstrings' description states, "It isn't ours to speculate on Lyra's future, but we bet it's awfully sweet and that it absolutely does notentail any sort of secret-agenty monster-hunting...Publicly."

Lyra Heartstrings appears in a photograph in The Royal Wedding, in All About Alicorns, and in Cutie Mark Magic.

Merchandise

A mini-figure toy first released in January 2012 appears in the third wave of mystery packs and in a Hasbro-licensed board game , being of the same pony kind and bearing the same cutie mark, coat color, mane color, and eye color as the unnamed character on the show, though her mane is missing the white streak. Her pose and mane style are the same as the Twilight Sparkle mystery pack toy mold. The toy comes in two variations, light teal as the toy pictured to the right, and Irish green as the drawing on the card. The European mystery pack release names her Heartstrings and includes a collector card stating that she "sings all day!" The U.S. mystery pack release names her Lyra Heartstrings and includes a collector card stating that she "sings and plays all day!"The European board game release's Swedish, Danish and Finnish descriptions all name her Lyra Heartstrings as well, while its Norwegian description names her Lyra Heartstring.A "Pony Wedding" brushable toy named Lyra Heartstrings was displayed in prototype form at the 2012 New York Toy Fair, and was released later in the same year, sometimes with a MiniDVD of Lesson Zero . This brushable toy's packaging still uses the eye design of Twilight Sparkle but uses the mane style usually seen on Minuette and Sea Swirl . According to the package, Lyra Heartstrings "loves to play! She finds a way to have fun no matter where she goes".

The fifth wave of mystery pack toys features a second mini-figure named Lyra Heartstrings, differing from the first mini-figure in that her coat is much lighter and her mane now has a white streak. The European release includes a collector card stating that she "loves to play!" The U.S. release includes a collector card that uses the same description as the previous U.S. collector card.

Upcoming toy releases displayed at the 2013 New York Toy Fair include a Toys "R" Us exclusive brushable release arriving in-store Summer 2013[20] and a third mini-figure with the same pose and mane style as the Rarity mini-figure toy mold.[21]

Pop includes Lyra Heartstrings.

A sixth mini-figure toy of Lyra Heartstrings has been leaked.

The designer of the Comic Con 2011 promotional poster commented in an online forum that he intentionally placed Lyra and Sweetie Drops together for the poster, even though they were only coincidentally placed together in the series.

There is a Lyra Heartstrings Funko figure. A Sweetie Drops Funko figure's online description mentions that "Sweetie Drops is an Earth pony who is identified as a background pony who lives in Lyra Heartstrings."[23]

Lyra adorns a collectible trading card along with Golden Harvest, with the description "There's two in every crowd! Lyra Heartstrings is an excitable pony often seen bouncing and grinning at the back of the herd or lolling in the park sharing bonbons with Golden Harvest, her PFF. Golden Harvest earned the nickname Carrot Top because carrots are always on her mind. These two ponies can be found all over Equestria, enjoying various activities like jumping across rooftops, running from buffalo, and joining in musical numbers!"

In Enterplay's collectible card game, an older version of a card of Zecora, shown at BronyCon 2013, bears the title "Lyra Heartstrings & Bon Bon",[24] and α #201 UR, a card of Lyra Heartstrings, gives her the description "Of all the ponies Twilight Sparkle told about her adventures through the magic mirror, Lyra was by far the most curious." In the game's expansion set The Crystal Games, #39 R and #ƒ18, cards of Lyra, list the quote "Bon Bon! BON BON! Over here!" In the game's expansion set Absolute Discord, #26 C, a card of Lyra, lists the quote "I don't know why I'm the only pony in Ponyville who sits like this. It's comfy!"

WeLoveFine.com carries Hasbro-licensed merchandise of fan designs of Lyra, often posed similarly to her slouch in Dragonshy. The products include T-shirts, art prints, dioramas, and others.

Quotes

"I want it!" — In unison with Minuette and Twinkleshine, A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

Slice of Life Sweetie Drops: I have to admit, when Matilda said we needed this place ready by today, I was a little nervous. Lyra Heartstrings: With you by my side, I knew we'd get it done in time. Sweetie Drops: There is nothing like a best friend, is there? Lyra Heartstrings: Anything's possible when you know somepony as well as we know each other!

Slice of Life Sweetie Drops: So, uh, you didn't happen to mention our earlier conversation about my [through gritted teeth] secret identity [normal] to anypony, did you? Lyra Heartstrings No. I did not. And you're not the only one with a secret, y'know. You know those expensive, imported oats you were saving for a 'special occasion'? I cooked them all and ate them! All of them! Oohoo! It's sort of thrilling to reveal your deepest, darkest secrets! [laughs]

"[grunts] Well, I think vanilla strawberry cream is overused!" — Triple Threat

"Would you like to come have lunch with us?" — The Fall of Sunset Shimmer

"What kind of horrible gifts were those?" — My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #44

"She has a point." — Rainbow Dash and the Daring Do Double Dare

Rarity and the Curious Case of Charity Lyra Heartstrings: Wow, Rarity! You've really outdone yourself this time. Lyra Heartstrings: I want to wear it every day!

"It was a... a... a beast! A ghost-beast!" — Princess Luna and the Festival of the Winter Moon

"Bon Bon! BON BON! Over here!" — Enterplay collectible card game The Crystal Games #39 R and #ƒ18 cards of Lyra

"Have I ever told you how lucky I am to have a friend like you?" — Enterplay trading card series 3 #P13 card of Lyra

"I don't know why I'm the only pony in Ponyville who sits like this. It's comfy!" — Enterplay collectible card game Absolute Discord #26 C card of Lyra

"Why do bowling balls have three holes in them? Pony hooves don't work that way!" — Enterplay collectible card game Equestrian Odysseys #0 UR card of Lyra

"Where does the phrase 'two left hooves' come from, anyway? All ponies have two left hooves..." — Enterplay collectible card game Equestrian Odysseys #38 U card of Braeburn

"Do these cards go up to 11? Because you nailed it!" — Enterplay collectible card game Equestrian Odysseys #43 R and #Pƒ1 cards of Lyra

"The fire of friendship lives in our hearts!" — Singing The Heart Carol, Enterplay collectible card game Defenders of Equestria #7 C card of Lyra

" Ты мне очень нравишься! " — День влюблённых в Понивилле

"Celebrate your special somepony on Hearts and Hooves Day whether it’s the one you love, or simply your best friend!" — With Sweetie Drops, My Little Pony Facebook post[25]

"Wow, this brings whole new meaning to the word "snow bank!" — Enterplay Facebook post[26]

Gallery

See also