The Crystal Empire

Lore & Background

The episode begins with Princess Celestia learning of the reappearance of the Crystal Empire, which had been taken over by the tyrant unicorn King Sombra over a thousand years before. Celestia and her sister Luna imprisoned Sombra in the ice of the arctic north, but he cursed the empire to vanish. Now that it has reappeared, Celestia assigns Twilight Sparkle a test of her ability to help her brother Shining Armor and his wife Princess Cadance protect the empire. Twilight travels with her friends and Spike to the arctic, where Sombra appears but is held back by a magic shield. Cadance has been sustaining the shield without sleep, and the Crystal Ponies have lost specific memories of the empire's past and Sombra, though they retain general memories and function normally. Twilight learns of a Crystal Fair and a Crystal Heart that can protect the empire, but the page about the Heart's powers has been torn from a book. Cadance collapses, and Sombra surrounds the empire.

In Part 2, Cadance re-engages the shield, but Sombra's horn taints the land. Twilight searches for the real Crystal Heart in the castle, passing traps set by Sombra. She finds the Heart but becomes trapped; Spike delivers it to Cadance, who restores her magic and places the Heart in its proper place. The Crystal Ponies power the Heart with positive feelings, causing Sombra to shatter. The Crystal Ponies regain their crystalline appearance, and the effect extends to Cadance, Shining Armor, Twilight, and her friends. Twilight returns to Canterlot, where Celestia declares she passed the test for demonstrating self-sacrifice.

Reader's Guide

"The Crystal Empire" marked the first time series developer Lauren Faust had no input, as she had previously served as executive producer during season one and consulting producer during season two. The episode achieved the highest viewership for a Friendship Is Magic premiere and continued a growth in viewership from the previous year, with an estimated 578,000 to 686,000 viewers across over 300,000 households. Reception was mixed to positive: critics enjoyed the story but cited an emotional disconnect and the one-dimensional nature of King Sombra as detractors. King Sombra's design was meant to illustrate him as both a solid creature and a flowing mass of smoky darkness, lacking color to describe his evil demeanor. The episode was released on the "Adventures in the Crystal Empire" Region 1 DVD by Shout Factory on December 4, 2012, and later as part of the complete Season 3 DVD set.

Did You Know?

• The episode marks the first time series developer Lauren Faust had no input.
• King Sombra's design was meant to illustrate him as both a solid creature and a flowing mass of smoky darkness.
• The premiere was viewed by an estimated 578,000 to 686,000 people across over 300,000 households.
• A preview of 'The Failure Song' was shown at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, described as 'the much-anticipated singing debut for Spike the Dragon'.