Awww. Hitch’s expression is reminding me of a grumpy cat whose not amused by what is going on. But dang it. This makes him adorable!

@Just Wayne
Eh, I’m personally not much of a polyshipper. I’m more of a multishipper, shipping a couple of pairings seperately.

Yeeees, their dynamic is already precious in the special. Hitch adores his little dragon babu :’‘3 I love how he wasn’t forced into the cliche where a guy refuses to get attached to the kid they gotta take care of. Hitch embracing that he’s a dad immediately is more true to his character, and showcases how nurturing he is 💛

@NicoThePinkUnicorn
Why not just ship them all? Hitch seems fitting for a harem.

Seriously though, I can’t wait to see how he will interact with Sparky in the upcoming new Make Your Mark chapter. He seems like such a good dad already. And I don’t think botching such a perfect stallion would be possible. :3

@Just Wayne
Yeah, now that everypony is united and their different ideals don’t have them on conflicting sides, they seem to be much closer friends. Whether it’s just for a closer friendship or if it’s for a blooming romance it’s still sweet to see. From the ships that seem likely to be canon, though, I’m more on the side of Stormblazer, I think they have more chemistry and don’t feel as predictable. Though, if we go entirely on the Hitch ship /I/ most want I am OBSESSED with Pipp x Hitch omfg I wish they got more shipping fuel–

Oh, I think he’s my favorite male of the franchise, too. Like, my favorite males from G4 were Gallus and Capper,and I love them but they were never able to get much development. Hitch already got the best character arc in the movie, and his new role as a DRAGON PAPA is so adorable and exciting; seeing how he further develops is a big reason why I’m so invested in G5. If they botch him somehow I’ll be SO MAD–

@NicoThePinkUnicorn
That would have been adorable. Honestly I think now that Hitch has opened up a lot, he would be more willing to jump to Sunny’s side and protect her. He has shown to do that in Tell Your Tale already. And it’s also a very good shipping fuel.

Hitch is a great character to talk about. There are so many sides to him but none of them makes him unlikable. It’s great to see that he is actually a competent and charming character who still has a lot of flaws. He is probably my favorite major male character in the franchise. (Sorry Spike.)

@Just Wayne
I never thought of it that way, but I think it goes to show how complex Hitch is, that we can have different readings on his character and beliefs 😊 He’s a character that gives room for interpretation.

I can definitely see him worrying that Sunny might have gotten obsessed with her activism…because to be honest she lowkey seemed like it 💀 Especially if Hitch got worried that this obsession might eventually put her in harm’s way.
I honestly wish we could’ve seen more of Hitch being protective of Sunny in the movie, as I don’t think we see it much. It would’ve been sweet if, even while he’s trying to arrest her, we see him worry and/or mention wanting to save her from who he thinks is a super scary maniacal unicorn.

@NicoThePinkUnicorn
That’s why I said he has been influenced the deepest. He didn’t trust Izzy throughout the first half of the movie after all, but in truth he is open-minded to change what his own prejudiced ideas. I guess that is still his character, but I think deep down inside he wanted all 3 races to reunite. That’s why he would be so open-minded. It must have been seeded somewhere in his mind.

I also think Hitch saw Sunny’s beliefs as some sort of obsession, since he did not believe they were possible. He did imply he would leave her too if she kept it on as if she was an addicted chain smoker or something. That was probably Hitch’s way of caring for Sunny, trying to stop an obsession that he thought was unhealthy at the time.

@Just Wayne
The way Sunny believed in the propaganda was different though–unlike Hitch, she barely considered Izzy a threat despite thinking she could fry brains and read minds. Hitch explicitly considers the pegasi and unicorns as enemies. I think his role in the movie is meant to be that of someone who has been taught prejudiced ideals, yet is still a good person that is open-minded enough to change for better, if treated with patience. With the added bonus that he’s a member of law enforcement–the movie seems to imply that such a role has lead to being taught more racism, while also showing that someone who is in law enforcement is not doomed to always be a racist bigot.

I never got the impression that he secretly believed unicorns and pegasi could be good. I figured he played along with Sunny’s ideas because he was satisfied with just spending time with her, and was empathetic enough to be open-minded to her beliefs. He certainly cares about her, but he’s not gonna compromise himself and the safety of others with beliefs that he thinks Sunny can’t validate.

@NicoThePinkUnicorn
Well to be fair, even Sunny herself believed in the idea of unicorns frying brains. I think the propaganda has been imprinted so deep into their brains that we shouldn’t really blame any of the Mane Five for prejudiced comments. On the outside they seem so scared and mostly think of other races with stereotypes but on the inside they still want this segregation to end so they can make new friends, get magic back, and fly for real. I guess Hitch just has been influenced the deepest but I like the fact that he is willing to give it a chance for Sunny, like how he was willing to play the way Sunny wanted to play for Sunny. I like the idea of him caring about Sunny so much. :3

@Just Wayne
The paid-off mortgage makes all the mares swoon!

Hmmm, it’d be interesting if that were the case, though I don’t really think it is given some of his prejudiced comments. (“I know unicorns like shiny things.” “I wish I could say it was nice meeting all of you, but it wasn’t!”, and his whole verse in Fit Right In.) Though, maybe he did secretly hope that Argyle and Sunny were onto something. After all, Hitch values peace and safety–maybe he did wish all of Maretime Bay’s propaganda was wrong, and that earth ponies could be friends with pegasi and unicorns. He just wouldn’t express so because it was unorthodox to what Maretime Bay believed, and back then he didn’t want to step out of the status quo.

@NicoThePinkUnicorn
Oh yeah, and you know… shredded abs… and paid off mortgage.

And oh yeah, I think he did say something along the lines of “You really think everypony would just magically welcome unicorns and pegasi?”. It’s not like he didn’t believe in Sunny. He was just trying to be realistic. I think secretly he also holds the same ideas as Sunny but has been in such a prejudiced Equestria he didn’t think it was possible to change. He did enjoy playing in Sunny’s way in that scene where they play together as foals. Maybe he has been influenced by Sunny in some way but he didn’t have someone like Sunny’s dad to be influenced enough. He definitely believed in Sunny from the start but didn’t have as much faith as her.

@Just Wayne
And it is absolutely canon I MEAN THEY SHOW HIM HAVE A PIN-UP CALENDAR FOR A REASON–

Yeah, and there’s also the fact that he is naturally open-minded, being the only one who respects Sunny’s ideas despite disagreeing with them in town. He may be a cocky show-off sometimes, but he’s also a very good, caring, empathetic boy 💛

And I think so too! Between being able to back up his over-confidence and the voice performances, his showing off comes across as fun and charismatic, not at all annoying.

@NicoThePinkUnicorn
Indeed, he really is absolutely attractive~

Seriously though, I agree with all that you said, especially the part where Hitch wants to do the right thing. That’s why he would follow Sunny on her journey. That’s why he is willing to give Sunny’s plan a chance. Not only does he care about Maretime Bay, he cares about Equestria as well. That is something Hitch also has, faith. There are really so many sides of him that make him so lovable. :3

I’m also really glad Hitch didn’t turn out what we saw in the trailer, and that he really acts like that sometimes to be funny. I’d say his little acts of showing off actually make him much more likable because they just make him funnier and cuter. He is just such a lovely stallion~

@Just Wayne
Now, that is true, and I think that’s what made his ego be less annoying and more charming to a lot of people. I remember when everyone was worried that Hitch was simply going to be an arrogant doofus because of how he was presented in the promos. But the movie makes it clear that he can back up his over-confidence with competency and skill. Between that and how he’s somepony you can rely on to protect you, like how a proper cop should be, and it’s perfectly understandable why he’s so admired. It also helps that he’s attractive, too– It was a welcomed surprise, and a reason why I absolutely loved his character in the movie.

Like, when I say that he cares about his reputation, I don’t mean it in a despective manner. I’ll always encourage characters having character flaws, especially if they can be justified, and given how well-liked Hitch is and his job, it’s understandable why he’d look after his reputation. Plus, it’s part of his character arc to recognize that, despite going against the law and status quo and his role, encouraging pony unity and desmantling Equestria’s segregation is the right thing to do. Which is ultimately what Hitch wants to do, the right thing.

@NicoThePinkUnicorn
I guess he has been a bit of a show off, but he does still get things done and remain responsible. It’s not like he just brags about things and never spends actual efforts to make Maretime Bay better. He puts money where his mouth is and actually helps ponies. He doesn’t just show, he acts. That’s why he is such a respected sheriff. Honestly I think that love for admiration is partially why. You can’t make ponies recognize you without being a bit of a show off.

That’s also why I just love Hitch so much. He is not the usual egotistical jerk who only talks the talk. He actually has two sides of himself where he is both responsible and a show off. He finds balance in it all to be both humble and confident. That’s what makes Hitch so lovable. :3

Yeah, I think that’s the case too. Though, I could see it be a little deeper than that; the movie makes it very clear that Hitch LOVES being loved, admired, looked at like a hero. He revels and even encourages the praise. I think Hitch values being beloved and admired just as much as he values being credible. Continuously going easy on the town’s troublemaking outcast could’ve come in between that too.

Also sfksdbkgjsdbggdbkj RIGHT?! CUTEST HITCH FACE EVER, IT SHOULD BE CANON!

@NicoThePinkUnicorn
I think that’s just because he would lose his authority and it would be harder for him to take care of Maretime Bay. I mean if the one sheriff of the town associates himself with a known troublemaker and let her off the hook all the time more than anypony else, it would encourage other ponies to cause trouble as well and it would be less easy for Hitch to stop them. Maybe it’s less like reputation and more like credibility, less about image and more about how he can do his job. How else would he be able to stop littering happening in Maretime Bay if nopony listens to him?

Besides, angry Hitch making :< face is absolutely adorable and I’ll fight anyone for that face.

@Just Wayne
I didn’t say he cared about his reputation more than the law–I certainly don’t think he ever did–but I think he cared for it a little more than for Sunny in the movie, if only a little.
Right after he chastises her for “how many laws she broke in there”, he says: “I can’t keep associating with somepony who breaks every rule and causes chaos wherever she goes.”
Like, from the words and how he says this, it came across to me like he was also getting concerned of what ponies would think about him for associating with a relentless troublemaker. Which is understandable, I mean, any cop would be concerned about that. But given that his biggest flaw is his big ego–and how it’s connected to his job and how ponies love him for it–I think he was worried about how constantly pardoning and bailing Sunny out was making him look.

But of course, I do agree that he didn’t want her to waste time on what he thought was an impossible cause, and that he overall doesn’t like and can’t stand by rule-breaking. He had plenty of motivations as to why he decided he couldn’t keep sticking by Sunny in the movie, a lot of which were understandable. It’s why I utterly adored him in the movie; he’s very complex and complicated, yet undeniably likable.

@NicoThePinkUnicorn
I wouldn’t say he cared about reputation more about the law. Hitch never really does anything to impress Phyllis or anyone. He’s just following the rules that has been set probably for years which he has to conform to. He just particularly pay attention to Sunny because he cares about her. They’re childhood friends after all, but he can’t be muddled by that as he still needs to enact justice. He probably also didn’t want Sunny to put her efforts in vain because he at the time thought getting magic back was impossible.

@Background Pony #26AF
Yeah, it wouldn’t be out of character, but it would’ve been more protectiveness over Sunny than he showed in the movie. Hitch has shown that he’s protective of her, but mostly after the movie, particularly Tell Your Tale.

In the movie, he does say he’s pardoned and bailed her out, but I think that’s a more hidden kind of protectiveness. He cared a lot about his reputation in the movie, and I think then he was trying not to make his favoritism for Sunny obvious.

@NicoThePinkUnicorn
He mentioned he covered her previous shenanigans, but after the fiasco at Canterlogic, he was done.

It’s just hypothetical scenario, but it’s not something out of his character. As long there’s agood reason, ofcourse.

@Background Pony #26AF
We never really saw that much protectiveness towards Sunny from him in the movie though–or at least, not to the point where he’s gotten mad at her behalf.

Wow, is it me or do the colors look more intense and vibrant? Looks gorgeous.

@NicoThePinkUnicorn
Not necessarily. He can still be neutral between as a sheriff, but also be protective of his friend. Hard to unite, true, especially when your friend is a sort of rebel.

@Background Pony #26AF
Hmm, maybe. Maybe Hitch showed more of a bias for Sunny in this concept of the movie, instead of trying to stay as neutral as possible between Sunny and Phyllis’ beliefs and roles.