Shining Armor - Recurring Supporting Role

Shining Armor is Twilight Sparkle’s older brother and one of the most important members of her family throughout Are You Watching?.

He is seven years older than Twilight and begins the story as a thirteen-year-old big brother who spends much of his time teasing her, carrying her around when she is too small to see over crowds, and giving spectacularly unhelpful answers to her endless questions.

As the story progresses, Shining grows into a disciplined Royal Guard and eventually a knight, but the relationship between him and Twilight remains recognizably sibling-like. He can tease her mercilessly one moment and recognize exactly what she is feeling the next.

Shining is confident, warm, protective, good-humored, and emotionally perceptive without being overly sentimental. He knows Twilight extremely well and is sometimes able to see through her defenses before she is ready to admit what is underneath them.

This role spans Shining from his early teens into adulthood. I would prefer one performer capable of subtly aging the voice over time rather than separate actors.

Shining should have a warm, youthful masculine voice that gradually matures into a confident adult baritone or mid-range voice.

Younger Shining should sound like a believable teenage older brother: playful, slightly smug, affectionate, and occasionally exhausted by Twilight’s questions.

Adult Shining should gain more steadiness and authority as his military career progresses, but he should never lose the relaxed warmth he has around his family.

He is not a stereotypical macho soldier. His strength should come across as dependable rather than aggressive.

Around Twilight, there should almost always be a hint of older-brother familiarity, even when the conversation becomes serious.

A canon-inspired performance is welcome, but an exact impression is not required. Natural charisma, warmth, comedic timing, and believable sibling chemistry are more important than imitation.

Recording quality is important. Please audition using the microphone and recording setup you would realistically use during production.