American toy company Hasbro launched the fourth incarnation of its My Little Pony toyline and media franchise in 2010. This incarnation is unofficially known among collectors as the Generation 4 (G4). Additionally, some later toy releases bear the subtitle "Friendship Is Magic" from the flagship television series.

Media in this incarnation includes the television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (2010–2019), the feature film My Little Pony: The Movie (2017), and the television specials Best Gift Ever (2018) and Rainbow Roadtrip (2019). Hasbro introduced caricatured redesigns of the toys in November 2019, and supported the revamp with the animated series Pony Life (2020–2021) and a stop-motion animated web series in January 2020.

The toys and media of the fourth incarnation are set in the fictional kingdom of Equestria, home to three kinds of ponies (earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi) and other species, with winged unicorns – named "alicorns" in later releases despite the word's origin – having royal status.

With the success of the Friendship is Magic television series, it also generated a dedicated fandom. The line grossed over US$650 million in retail sales in 2013, and $1 billion annually in retail sales in 2014, and 2015. This era also has an anthropomorphic fashion doll spin-off, subtitled Equestria Girls.

Toys

The toyline often features nine characters – Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Spike, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna – who are also the major protagonists in the Friendship Is Magic television series and other related media.

Beginning in 2013, the toys of Twilight Sparkle (originally a unicorn) were modified to have a pair of wings as well, a move that sparked criticism. Other official media followed the suit to reflect that, with Friendship Is Magic television series having a dedicated episode as a finale of season 3, and IDW's Friendship Is Magic comics reflecting the change since Issue #13 (November 2013).

With Hasbro's November 2019 announcement of My Little Pony: Pony Life television series, which features ponies in a revamped, caricatured appearance, relevant toys were released in the same month.

Playful Ponies The first line of the toys were the Playful Ponies. These feature a pony with brushable hair, a saddle or wagon, an animal companion and a comb. The first six ponies released were Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity. There are also promotional packs: two-packs, released in Europe. Event Singles were also released in a particular month, including a Valentine's Day Pinkie Pie, released in February 2011, and an Easter Fluttershy, released in April 2011.Hasbro later announced that the second wave of toys would be released in March 2011. Due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, however, the release was postponed and the toys were released the following month. The second wave omits Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy and includes two new ponies: Cheerilee and Lily Blossom. The third wave was released in May 2011, introducing four new ponies: Cupcake, Lulu Luck, Dewdrop Dazzle and Blossomforth. Wave four was released in July 2011, introducing six new ponies: Feathermay, Flitterheart, Snowcatcher, Twinkleshine, Honeybuzz and Plumsweet.The fifth wave was released in early 2012, with two new debuting characters: Cherry Pie and Diamond Rose. Later on in May 2012, Lyra Heartstrings, Trixie Lulamoon, Cherry Berry and Sunny Rays, characters who first appeared in the Friendship Is Magic television series, also debuted as playful ponies.

Collector series In the 2012 New York Toy Fair, Hasbro announced plans to release several exclusive toys for collectors. The characters represented were actually requested by fans of the animated series and were released in September 2012. The characters in this line include an animation accurate Princess Celestia, Nightmare Moon, DJ Pon-3, Lemony Gem, Flower Wishes/Daisy and Zecora.

Story packs Story packs (the playsets in the toyline) include at least one pony, one large playset piece and numerous accessories, and were released like the Playful Ponies, as in previous incarnations. Story-pack exclusives include Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Swirl, Star Swirl (Europe only), Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.

Ride-Along Ponies The Ride-Along Ponies are special versions of the Playful Ponies, each with a scooter and an animal companion. Three sets were released in July 2011 with Wave Four of the Playful Ponies.

So-Soft Newborn These versions are identical in design to their "G3" counterparts, except they are plush-bodied and are designed to be resemble infants. There are seven characters are in this line: Sunny Daze, Sweetie Belle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Apple Sprout, Princess Skyla and Spike. Each of them includes a pacifier or a bottle.

Shine Bright Ponies The Shine Bright Ponies have a light-up section when their saddle is pressed. They are slightly bigger than the Playful Ponies, and their legs are posable. The ponies Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash were released at first. In the United States, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle (along with Starbeam Twinkle) and Princess Luna (along with Pinkie Pie) were later released as Target exclusives.

Fashion Style Ponies Fashion Style Ponies are larger versions of the Playful Ponies, each with a unique dress and accessories; two were released each wave.

Glimmer Wing Ponies The Glimmer Wing Ponies have butterfly-like wings on their backs which can be moved. The ponies are: Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Ploomette. In 2012, Daisy Dreams and Fluttershy were released. Later sets included Glimmer Wings Sweet Song and Fluttershy and Glimmer Wings Diamond Rose and Pinkie Pie. "Sonic Rainboom", the sixteenth episode of Friendship Is Magic season 1, acts as a tie-in.

Jumbo plush In the United States, several jumbo-plush pony characters were released as Toys "R" Us exclusives, while a Special Storyteller Twilight Sparkle Plush was released as a Target exclusive.

Ponyville singles The Ponyville singles are small, molded plastic toys. The main method of distribution is in individual, opaque bags so that the toy inside cannot be seen. In the United States, these toys have also been released in collector sets.

Canterlot Released in 2011, it is a line centering on Canterlot, the capital city of Equestria, where Princesses Celestia and Luna live. In the United States, it was released exclusively on Target stores, as Hasbro had an agreement in July 2011.

Pony Royal Wedding and the Crystal Empire In 2012, Hasbro revealed several new toys in the 2012 New York Toy Fair, themed around a royal wedding between characters Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. Alongside the release of them, several new characters were confirmed to be released as Playful Ponies as well as characters that were requested by the fans to be released in toy form. The promotion included the same themed area in stores with dedicated stands and signage, and a two-part finale of season 2 of Friendship is Magic, titled "A Canterlot Wedding".

Potion Ponies Released in November 2019 in the United States, the toys in this line share the caricatured appearance with the ponies in the Pony Life animated series. A person styles the pony’s mane and tail by pouring a "potion" (or spraying it, depending on the product) over the pony.

Media Animated productions

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated television series produced by DHX Media's 2D animation studio (formerly known as Studio B Productions) in Vancouver, Canada, for Hasbro Studios (now Allspark) in the United States. The series premiered on Sunday, October 10, 2010 on The Hub (now Discovery Family), an American television channel partly owned by Hasbro. Friendship Is Magic was developed by Lauren Faust, who was a fan of the original property in her youth, and invented her own adventure stories for the toys in place of the stereotypical "girly" stories from the 1980s' features. The series became the most successful show on The Hub, popularized the brand, and gained a notable fan following.

An animated feature film based on the Friendship Is Magic characters was first announced on October 20, 2014, in an interview with Hasbro Studios CEO Stephen Davis by Variety. Released on October 6, 2017, in the United States, the new My Little Pony: The Movie is Hasbro's first animated feature film from its Allspark Pictures film division. It was distributed worldwide by Lionsgate, with the exception of China. Thiessen directed the film with McCarthy writing the film and act as the film's co-executive producer alongside Mike Vogel. Originally, Joe Ballarini was the scriptwriter for the film.

The film concerns the "Mane Six" ponies – Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity – journeying beyond Equestria to stop a threat looming over their hometown of Ponyville.

The main cast from Friendship Is Magic reprised their roles alongside original characters voiced by Kristin Chenoweth, Emily Blunt, Michael Peña, Uzo Aduba, Liev Schreiber, Taye Diggs, Sia, and Zoe Saldaña.

Two television specials were produced during the period. My Little Pony: Best Gift Ever, a holiday season special animated at DHX Media's Vancouver 2D animation studio, was first broadcast in the United States on October 27, 2018 on Discovery Family. Another special, My Little Pony: Rainbow Roadtrip, was animated at Boulder Media (an Irish studio which Hasbro acquired in 2016) and broadcast on June 29, 2019 on Discovery Family.

My Little Pony: Pony Life, another animated television series commissioned by Allspark Animation, premiered in the United States on November 7, 2020 on Discovery Family. The series, which succeeds Friendship Is Magic, features ponies in a caricatured appearance. The cast of six main characters in Friendship Is Magic have reprised their roles in the new series. Hasbro also plans to release additional animated shorts on My Little Pony's official YouTube channel.

My Little Pony animated productions Title Directors Writers Producers Executive producers Composer Studio Released My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Various Stephen Davis, Kirsten Newlands, Sarah Wall and others Daniel Ingram (songs);William Anderson (score) DHX MediaAllspark Animation – My Little Pony: The Movie Jayson Thiessen Screenplay: Meghan McCarthy, Rita Hsiao and Michael VogelStory: Meghan McCarthy and Joe Ballarini Stephen Davis, Haven Alexander, Brian Goldner and Marcia Gwendolyn Jones Josh Feldman, Meghan McCarthy, Kirsten Newlands and Sarah Wall Daniel Ingram DHX MediaAllspark PicturesLionsgate My Little Pony: Best Gift Ever Denny Lu and Mike Myhre Michael Vogel Devon Cody Stephen Davis, Kirsten Newlands, Sarah Wall and Nicole Dubuc Daniel Ingram ;William Anderson DHX MediaAllspark Animation My Little Pony: Rainbow Roadtrip Gillian Comerford Kim Beyer-Johnson Peter Lewis and Therese Trujillo Stephen Davis, Nicole Dubuc and Meghan McCarthy Boulder MediaAllspark Animation

Interactive software

In conjunction with Ruckus Media, Hasbro released an iOS application Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day in October 2011. It gives children practice in reading, incorporating mini-games. Several eBooks based on Friendship Is Magic, including story versions of the Ruckus applications, have been released for the Barnes & Noble Nook, in partnership with Hasbro.

Hasbro has licensed Gameloft to create Friendship Is Magic video games for mobile devices, with the first game, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, reaching the market on November 8, 2012. The first game is a village-building game, featuring action-based mini-games for iOS and Android devices. Though the game is aimed at younger players, Gameloft's Barnabé Anglade stated that there are nods to the show's brony fandom, such as the inclusion of fan-favorite characters and popular background ponies.