Derpy Hooves

Derpy Hooves, also often called Ditzy Doo after a named but unidentified pegasus in Winter Wrap Up, is the fan name given to a grey pegasus background character. Derpy's first appearence in a crowd scene in the pilot episode was noted by fans due to her eyes being askance, or "derped." This was most likely just a small joke by the animators, but fans latched on to the odd-looking Pegasus, and she became the first of many background ponies to be given excessive fan attention and characterization. Eventually the producers of the show took notice and began giving Derpy walleyes in all her appearences. As of season two, she has even been given her own brief scenes, scripted especially for her.

Derpy's personality in fan works
Derpy's odd expression has led to a great deal of fan speculation about her character. Fan characterisation of Derpy's personality varies widely, but she is almost always depicted as being the Ponyville mail carrier, and having a fondness for muffins. She is often portrayed by fans as having a daughter, a light purple unicorn known as Dinky Hooves.

Her personality can vary wildly depending on the work. In some cases, she is a completely normal pegasus who simply has strange eyes; in others, she is portrayed as very unintelligent, to the point of being mentally disabled in some stories. Other tales portray her as bright but easily distracted, or excessively childlike. In some she is just highly odd and eccentric.

Another point of divergence is her speech pattern. In many stories she talks normally, while in others she speaks in a simple, childish manner. Some versions of Derpy can only say the word "muffins." Other stories portray her as speaking in completely random "word salad" sentences which make no sense at first glance, but often contain hidden meanings which hint that Derpy is much more intelligent than the average pony.

These are just some examples of the most common portrayals; countless others abound.

Mail and muffins
An early fanfic portrayed Derpy as the mail carrier for ponyville, and this portrayal has stuck to the point that it is an almost universally accepted trait among fans. Derpy is often associated with mail and letters, and is said to be extremely dilligent in her rounds. In most stories, she is very dedicated to her work, though her level of comptence varies.

Derpy's only known line in the show is "Muffins!" spoken in episode four. Due to this, she is usually shown as having a great love of muffins, which can border on obsession in some cases.

The Derpy Scale
Derpy's level of intelligence often varies greatly depending on the work. Quite often, however, works featuring Derpy place her somewhere on the following four-point scale:
 * 1: The diligent mail pony: She is a sweet and hard-working mare who everyone likes and depends on. She delivers the mail for Ponyville and is the very ideal of the reliable postal worker. Neither rain, nor Dragons nor Griffons will stop her from getting your mail to you. Her vision is impaired, but that's all that's unusual about her. Respected by all of Ponyville. This version was named by fans as "Bright Eyes."
 * 2: The day-dreamer: She is quite often out of it, lost in her own little world. Being easily distractable and blessed with a childlike attitude, her mind and attention are constantly shifting from place to place, but this often means she can notice things other ponies easily miss. Despite her aloof state of mind, she delivers the mail with utmost speed and efficiency. Other ponies see her as scatterbrained but dependable.
 * 3: The Space Cadet: Her words and actions are totally nonsensical, and she seems to be completely insane. However, sometimes her statements make sense in retrospect or have an kind of odd logic behind them. This leads some ponies to believe that she is actually extremly intelligent, but she acts so strange that it is difficult to know for sure. Still delivers the mail flawlessly, to the surprise of many, though some ponies say this proves her hidden brilliance.
 * 4: The drooling idiot: Incapable of saying anything but "derp", "Muffins," and the like. Mentally challenged. Practically every concept more complex than “fire bad, tree pretty” is light years beyond her. She is genuinely happy, though, and capable of affection and kindness. Delivers the mail by accident. Walks into walls, often repeatedly, like a wind-up toy. Other ponies just try to make sure she's taken care of.


 * In the early days of the fandom, most portrayals of Derpy tended toward the two extremes of the spectrum. More recently, Derpy is more commonly portayed around 2 or 3, with 4 becoming quite rare. This has become especially true since the introduction of Dinky Hooves.


 * Ultimately, there are as many versions of Derpy as there are fans of her.

Daughter: Dinky Hooves
A unicorn filly who appeared in the background of several episodes bears an uncanny resemblence to Derpy, and was soon adopted by the fandom as her daughter, Dinky Hooves. Dinky is usually written as a fun-loving filly who loves her mother very deeply, though in some works she is embaressed by her.

Derpy's portrayal as a mother is almost universally the same, however: she is portrayed as being extremly devoted, kind, and caring (sometimes to a fault) towards Dinky. She calls Dinky "my muffin" and is very protective. Derpy is often shown to be willing to sacrifice anything if she feels it will help her daughter, up to and including giving her up.

Because Derpy is often portrayed as being childlike and cheerful, the mother and daughter are sometimes shown happily playing together at children's games. Dinky usually accepts her mother's stranger traits without question or judgement, though some portrayals show her being bothered by them.

The identity of Dinky's father is a matter of controversy among fans. Common culprits include Doctor Whoof and Pokey Pierce, though many portrayls intentionally leave the question open.

Best Friend: Carrot Top
Carrot Top is typically associated with Derpy in fan works and commonly portrayed as Derpy's best friend. Depending on the work, they may even be roommates. Carrot almost always plays "straight man" to Derpy's antics. A common running gag is that Derpy keeps emptying Carrot Top's fridge without her permission, despite many attempts by Carrot to secure the fridge or prevent Derpy from raiding it.

Other Ponies
Many works show other Ponyville residents treating Derpy as a valued friend and neighbor, and not judging her due to her eyes. However, other stories may portray Derpy as being a victim of teasing or bullying due to her strange eyes, which may lead to Derpy being portrayed as isolated from other ponies or very lonely.

Gallery

 * See also a gallery of assorted Derpy images