Discord/Synopsis

The Return of Harmony Part 1 and 2
Discord first appears as the main anti-hero of The Return of Harmony Part 1 and 2.

During the opening scene, he is encased as a statue in the Canterlot sculpture garden. The statue is posed in a cheerful manner in contrast to the frightened pose that Discord assumes when being turned into stone at the end of the next episode, which concludes the story arc. Cheerilee, who is taking her Ponyville class on a field trip, stops the class to point out the draconequus statue. The Cutie Mark Crusaders argue over what it is supposed to represent, only for Cheerilee to break them up. She tells them to come along and that she does not want any more fighting. As they quietly argue while leaving, Discord's statue begins to crack and his laughter is heard.

Before he is directly introduced, the Mane Six witness the effects of his power in Ponyville. Inexplicably, things begin acting irregularly, such as clouds made out of cotton candy that move of their own accord, chocolate milk pouring down from the sky like rain, and animals that behave uncharacteristically and spontaneously change shape. Celestia explains to the Mane Six that Discord is the spirit of disharmony in a way similar to Cheerilee's teaching. According to Celestia, he caused unrest and unhappiness throughout all of Equestria for Earth ponies, unicorns, and Pegasi alike. Celestia and her sister Luna stood up to Discord and used the Elements of Harmony to turn him to stone. Celestia says she thought Discord would be contained forever. However, since she and Luna are no longer connected to the Elements of Harmony, the spell imprisoning Discord has broken and he has escaped from his stone imprisonment. When the Elements of Harmony go missing, Celestia accuses Discord of stealing them because they were held in a chamber protected by a spell she thought only she could break. Discord appears in the stained-glass windows of the palace and explains that he simply borrowed the Elements. When demanded to tell them where the Elements are, he gives in, but says he will only tell them his way – he replies with a riddle, making Twilight think he hid the Elements in the Canterlot castle labyrinth.

When the Mane Six venture into the palace labyrinth, Discord prevents them from "cheating" in his "game" by magically removing their wings and horns. This enforces the first rule of his game: No flying and no magic. The second rule is they must all play the game or else the game is over and he wins. He physically separates them in the maze and the game begins. Discord confronts the Mane Six with trials that make them question themselves, making them contradict the elements they represent. The one exception is Fluttershy, who is not embittered by Discord's claim that her best friends think she is helpless. He gets frustrated at the difficulty of upsetting Fluttershy and manually brainwashes her by force. He tells her she has been kind far too long and it is now time to be cruel, then bids her goodbye with an extremely agitated "arrivederci."

After making Applejack dishonest, Pinkie Pie grumpy, Rarity greedy, and Fluttershy cruel, Discord plays with Rainbow Dash's loyalty to her best friends by showing her a vision that her hometown of Cloudsdale would be destroyed without her. He offers her a choice: She can either have her wings back and go to the aid of Cloudsdale or continue to seek the Elements. Falling for the bait, she flies out of the labyrinth and breaks Discord's "no flying and no magic" rule. Having "won", he destroys the entire labyrinth and proclaims they "might be due for a big old storm of chaos" as he opens his umbrella and laughs evilly.

Twilight is upset when Discord takes away the maze before they can find the Elements of Harmony until Discord reveals they were not in the labyrinth. He magically shows her the riddle again and she realizes that the Elements are "back where she began". Afterwards, Discord turns Ponyville into what he claims will be the "chaos capital of the world". Twilight finds the Elements and forcibly places them on the corrupted ponies and Spike, who was hastily substituting for Rainbow Dash. However, the Elements fail miserably just as Discord expected. Twilight loses faith in their mission and almost becomes entirely corrupted herself – until she re-reads the letters she wrote to Celestia about the magic of friendship. With renewed motivation, she cures all her corrupted best friends by making them remember the wonderful times they had together.

When they go to confront him, Discord continues to be unconcerned and thus is easily defeated by the reawakened powers of the Elements. After being struck with a rainbow similar to that previously used on Nightmare Moon, Discord is turned back into stone, but this time with an expression of fear frozen onto his face.

Keep Calm and Flutter On
Discord returns as the main anti-hero of Keep Calm and Flutter On.

After being brought before the Mane Six by Celestia, Twilight is upset with her for bringing him. Celestia explains that even though she knows of Discord's past misdeeds, she is willing to give him a chance to change his ways. After being released from his stone imprisonment by the Mane Six, Discord immediately begins to cause mischief again, frustrating everypony once again. When Fluttershy tries to use the Stare on him, it fails as Discord appears to be affected, only to burst out laughing. Twilight gives him a warning to behave or they will turn him back to stone. Discord is invited to stay at Fluttershy's house. Later, Discord admits he has never had a friend before, explaining the reason he became antagonistic. He is touched when Fluttershy declares herself to be his best friend and it is this glimpse of genuine friendship that makes him undo the mischief he had originally caused. He states at the end of the episode that he will use his magic for good from now on: "Most of the time." Since then, he has kept his mischievous tendency to a low, though is still more than willing to cause mischief and pull pranks.

Princess Twilight Sparkle Part 1 and 2
Discord is a supporting protagonist in the Season 4 two-part premiere Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1 and Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2.

In the episodes, he indirectly aids the Mane Six in defeating the plunderseeds, which he had planted many years ago in a bid to defeat the royal sisters. Even after the force that is most capable of defeating him is gone, he keeps his word to Celestia and does not go on a rampage and is rather easily swayed by Fluttershy.

Three's A Crowd
Discord is a supporting protagonist in Three's a Crowd.

He appears to have come down with an illness called the "blu flu", in which he has turned into the color blue. Twilight and Cadence let him stay in the Golden Oak Library to recover. He politely asks for a glass of water and breaks into song, singing "Glass of Water." During the song, Discord makes various popular culture references.

Afterwards, it is revealed that Discord having the "blu flu" was fake the whole time, angering Twilight and Cadence. Discord explains he was only faking it for a good reason, which is because he wanted Twilight and Cadence to look after him and be his best friends. However, even after he congratulates Twilight for passing his "friendship test", she is still angry at him. When Cadence says Discord did not ruin Twilight's visit with her, both Twilight and Discord are shocked. Just then, a tatzlwurm suddenly emerges from underground, frightening Discord and infecting him with a real illness.

He is temporarily quarantined in a plastic bubble. When he asks for one more thing, an exasperated Twilight immediately refuses, but Discord states he was simply going to ask for a glass of water and smirks, hinting at this to be another trick of his.

Twilight's Kingdom Part 1 and 2
Discord is the (former) secondary antagonist of the Season 4 finale Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1 and Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2.

After he betrays the ponies of Equestria, Tirek (whom had originally persuaded Discord to join him and become his chief henchman) subsequently betrays him by stealing his magic and telling him he is no longer useful to him. He shows deep remorse for his actions and apologizes to the Mane 6, upon realizing the importance of friendship. When the ponies forgive and accept him in the end, Discord is truly happy and satisfied, which he expresses by giving Celestia and the other princesses bouquets of flowers in apology for his past misdeeds.

Make New Friends, But Keep Discord
Discord is the main protagonist of the Season 5 episode Make New Friends, But Keep Discord.

He is visiting Fluttershy and as they enjoy their Tuesday teas. He tells her a funny story, in which he finishes by laughing and saying, "But that's not all! When I went to look for them again, they were on the ceiling!". Amused, Fluttershy laughs and tells him that she has never known anypony as funny as him. She says she loves his story about the time he tried to "train his right paw to fetch his left leg" and she giggles some more. When Fluttershy tells Discord she cannot wait to introduce him to her new friend Tree Hugger (whom she believes is also going to love Discord), Discord's happiness has ended. He asks Fluttershy if she could take him to the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala, but she softly declines as she already promised Tree Hugger. Feeling betrayed, Discord leaves Fluttershy's house, bids her farewell, and begins to ask everypony else if they could come to the gala with him, but they all refuse. He then goes to Sugarcube Corner and Pinkie Pie greets him and asks if he wants cake. He is about to ask her who she is taking to the gala, but becomes tongue-tied and instead says he is famished and will take all the cakes; this excites Pinkie and she prepares to ship all of the cakes to him. Just then, Discord sees Fluttershy hanging out with Tree Hugger through the window and, becoming upset, tells Pinkie to instead cancel his order and teleports away. Outside, he goes to meet them and Tree Hugger is amazed and pleased to meet Discord. He then leaves, bidding them sarcastic good luck, and returns to his home in Chaosville, in which he vents his anger and jealously.

Discord becomes jealous to the point where he brings his own friend named the Smooze and goes to extreme lengths in an attempt to prove he is not jealous. However, the Smooze gets out of hand and ruins the gala. Fed up with Tree Hugger, Discord threatens to banish her to another dimension since he feels he cannot let her interfere in his relationship with Fluttershy. Angered, Fluttershy tells him to stop, to which he says he will after he gets rid of Tree Hugger. Fluttershy then has an argument with him. He is upset with Fluttershy over her "betrayal" until she tells him that just because she brought a new friend does not mean she and Discord are no longer friends.

In the end, Discord realizes his mistake and apologizes to Tree Hugger, making amends with her. As well, the Smooze joins in the party, which begins to run smoothly. Celestia reveals that she invited Discord to spice up the party.

What About Discord?
Discord is a supporting protagonist in What About Discord?.

He inexplicably bonds with Twilight's best friends over a 3-day weekend, much to Twilight's suspicion and envy. When Twilight is excluded from their inside jokes and tries to recreate the circumstances surrounding them, Discord tells her that moments of friendship cannot be manufactured.

Eventually, Twilight admits her jealousy and Discord reveals he planned for her to learn this lesson all along.

The Cutie Re-Mark
The fifth alternate timeline created by Starlight Glimmer has Discord still antagonistic, chasing Celestia and Luna around. This timeline (along the others) that were created by Starlight were all erased when Twilight convinced her to let Rainbow Dash do her Rainboom and history was restored to its original state.

Dungeons & Discords
Discord is the main protagonist of the Season 6 episode Dungeons & Discords.

He joins Spike and Big McIntosh on their guys' night when the Mane Six leave to Yakyakistan. He looks forward to a night of partying and dancing, but it turns out to be an evening of playing the fantasy role-playing game Ogres & Oubliettes, much to his disappointment. Throughout the evening, Discord tries to steer things toward more enjoyable activities, but Spike and Big McIntosh insist on playing their game.

Eventually, Discord's disinterest in the game and frustration drive him to create a real-life version of Ogres & Oubliettes. However, his efforts are met with Spike and Big Mac's cold reception and he leaves out of embarrassment when he discovers they only invited him on their guys' night because they felt bad for him. Spike and Big McIntosh soon invite him back to give him a second chance and he joins their role-playing game as an Archer-class character.

To Where and Back Again Part 1 and 2
Discord is a supporting protagonist in the Season 6's two-part finale To Where and Back Again.

In To Where and Back Again - Part 1, Discord meets and teams up with Trixie, Starlight Glimmer, and Thorax to save their best friends - particularly Fluttershy - when they are captured by the changelings.

In Part 2, Discord's magic is disabled in the Changeling Kingdom due to the properties of Chrysalis' throne, forcing him to navigate the castle without teleporting.

While in the castle, he has frequent arguments with (and a rivalry with) Trixie because of their clashing personalities. On their way to the throne room, Discord distracts a detail of changeling guards with a stand-up comedy act, but is eventually captured when the changelings all disguise themselves as Fluttershy.

After Chrysalis is defeated, Discord joins the ponies in celebrating the Sunset Festival in Our Town and offers to improve Trixie's magic act with his magic.

Celestial Advice
Discord is a supporting protagonist in the Season 7 premiere Celestial Advice.

Discord, Trixie, Starlight, and Thorax have a ceremony held in their honor after saving Equestria from Chrysalis.

Afterwards, Discord questions Twilight about what she has planned for Starlight as she has now proven herself as far more than a student, taking great glee in taunting her over not having things planned out for Starlight as Celestia did for her. While Twilight is panicking over what to do, Discord spreads her intentions to announce her plans for Starlight to all the guests at the ceremony.

As Twilight (after receiving much needed advice from Celestia) prepares to announce what she has planned for Starlight, Discord takes out filming equipment in order to record her likely humiliating speech, only to be disappointed when Twilight actually does have an idea of what to do for Starlight – that being to graduate her as a student and let her continue at her own pace.

A Royal Problem
Discord makes a cameo appearance in A Royal Problem.

He is seen with the Smooze in one of the dreams Celestia is viewing.

Discordant Harmony
Discord is the main protagonist of the Season 7 episode Discordant Harmony.

He invites Fluttershy to his realm. However, worried she will not appreciate it there due to the chaos, he decides to change everything and himself, but everything does not go as planned.

When the time for their scheduled tea party arrives, Discord transports Fluttershy to his realm and she is excited to finally see where he lives. However, she is surprised by how normal Discord and everything around him looks. Without the usual chaos Fluttershy has come to expect from him, she is considerably disappointed. She asks him about the drastic changes he has made to himself, but Discord assures her he feels perfectly normal.

However, when Discord picks up the tea kettle, it suddenly phases through his hand and falls on the floor. Much to Fluttershy's shock, he is starting to fade out of existence. Each time Discord exhibits "normal" behavior, he fades away even further and Fluttershy realizes that his new, non-chaotic persona is slowly destroying him. Unfortunately, Discord is unfazed by this development and continues to act normal, despite the effect it is having on him.

In an effort to stop Discord from fading, Fluttershy begs him to do something chaotic, but his ghost-like appearance prevents him from doing so. Therefore, Fluttershy starts causing her own chaos around his house by knocking over teacups, talking to her own reflections, disorganizing the furniture, and nailing chairs to the ceiling. This inspires Discord's old self, and he starts to recorporealize. Once he is back to physical form, he joins in the fun and brings back the singing ginseng tea bags and floating furniture.

When Discord mentions that his style of party throwing is the complete opposite of Fluttershy's, Fluttershy says she never expected him to throw a party like her because of how different they are. Discord fears driving Fluttershy away because of their differences — because their friendship does not make sense. But Fluttershy reveals he has introduced her to so many things since they became friends and that she likes him because of their differences.

With Discord back to his old self, he throws a proper Chaosville tea party for himself and Fluttershy, replete with sneezing piñatas, singing tea bags, and upside-down sandwich butterfly-catching games.