![MordeTwi MordeTwi ship characters depicting Mordecai from Regular Show and Twilight Sparkle from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/mobile/000/037/784/20240318_211257.jpg)
MordeTwi
Part of a series on Shipping. [View Related Entries]
About
MordeTwi is the portmanteau name given to a crossover ship between the characters Mordecai from Regular Show and Twilight Sparkle from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. The couple was first shipped in 2011 from a fanfiction called Earthworm Zim.
"MordeTwi" may also refer to a fan art (see Airplanes) which is what the ship is mostly known for, or to the various remakes, parodies or references to said fan art.
Origin
On June 14th and June 20th, 2011, a two-part chapter of Earthworm Zim was published[1][2] which involved a sub-subplot about Twilight's heartbreak, and how she subsequently befriends Mordecai after he helps her move on. Followers of the story teased the idea of Mordecai and Twilight having a relationship, some liked the idea enough that they were inspired to make fan art of them together – including Cartuneslover16,[3] the author of the story herself, and current founder of the "MordeTwi" fan group on DeviantArt.[4][5] Over time, there were a number of fanfiction and art made about the ship between Twilight Sparkle and Mordecai.
On October 24th, 2011, the "MordeTwi" DeviantArt group was made. The original founder, MeriamFunLand1999, was inspired by Cartuneslover16, and by various fan works of the ship by other users, to establish the group. It had gained over 100 members one month later.[6] By March 2012, merely four months later, the group gained over 1,000 members,[7] and by August 2013, almost two years later, it had over 4,000 members.[8]
On May 7th, 2012, YouTuber espeonghost posted a video[9] showing some of the art for the ship at the time, featuring the Cascada song "Miracle" as the background music; it is one of the earliest tribute videos for the ship (shown below).
Airplanes
![MordeTwi | Can We Pretend That Airplanes In The Night Sky Are Like Shooting Stars Original](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/153/386/07f.png)
On August 5th, 2012, DeviantArt user bluedog444 posted an original drawing (shown above)[10] of Twilight Sparkle and Mordecai crying, both sitting outside at night but not together, singing lyrics from the 2010 B.O.B song "Airplanes" (hence the title of the drawing). It was intended to be a contribution for the MordeTwi group, although it has nothing to do with any of the previously established fan works.[23] The post gained over 55,000 views and 1,000 favorites in nine years.
The drawing seems to have quickly garnered much attention, and a remake was made as early as September 25th, 2013 (shown below).[11]
![One of the earliest remakes of Airplanes Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/777/366/220.png)
On August 22nd, 2016, bluedog444 posted a remake[12] stating in the description: "People have been cringing at Airplanes for a little over 4 years now".
![(2018) "awful google+ meme that came back for no reason" this is So Sad](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/777/375/c61.jpg)
On August 15th, 2018, a post was made on DeviantArt (shown above)[13] with a description describing what was going on; apparently, Airplanes went viral on Google+ first, originally. There seemed to have been a trend that occured on G+, presumably as some sort of sendoff by resident artists of the site before its shutdown.[24][25]
Spread
On July 17th, 2019, TikToker[14] @applecrumbwill posted a video singing a section of "Airplanes" in an exaggerated "emo" singing voice, garnering over 1 million views in two years (shown below).
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6714846838161149189
On May 13th, 2020, YouTuber[15] kazen_ posted a video combining the DeviantArt image with a modified version of the above sound clip, garnering over 296,000 views in just over a year (shown below).
The image went significantly viral over the course of 2020.
MordeTwi Redraws (#redrawmordetwi)
In June 2020, the hashtag "#redrawmordetwi" trended on Twitter, used as a way to collect MordeTwi fan art and redraws. Two popular examples were posted to the hashtag on June 11th, 2020, by Twitter users @falliay and @MoozuaMary,[16][17] garnering over 1,200 likes each in a year (shown below, left and right respectively).
![Please send help Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now Wish right now Wish right now](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/153/413/472.jpg)
![can we pretend... MordeTwi Redraw by Moozua Can we Pretend that airplanes in the night SKy are like Shooting Stars? I Could leally use a wish right now, Wish right now, Wish right now.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/153/414/ece.jpg)
The tag remained popular over a year later, seeing a boost in popularity in mid-2021. On July 18th, 2021, Twitter user @billieslang posted a new redraw[18] of the scene featuring anthropomorphic versions of the characters, garnering over 9,400 likes and 2,000 retweets in three days (shown below).
![This is timeless… by billieslang CAN WE PRETEND THAT AIRPLANES IN THE NIGHTSKY ARE LIKE SHOOTING STARS? | COULD REALLY USE A WISH RIGHT NOW, WISH RIGHT NOW, WISH RIGHT NOW... BILUE 13.1.21](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
2021 Revival
On April 25th, 2021, YouTuber Chikki posted a 3D-animated video depicting the scene, garnering over 45,000 views in three months (shown below).
The MordeTwi ship saw a significant increase in popularity in mid-2021, largely under the hashtag "#MordeTwi" and on TikTok. On July 15th, TikToker @asphodeii posted a video transforming the original piece of art into a realistic version of the art, garnering over 2 million views in six days (shown below).
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6985228868521102598
On July 17th, Twitter[19] user @zigguratz posted a new piece of art depicting the two, garnering over 1,600 likes in four days (shown below).
![Can we pretend that airplanes .. #mordetwi GALAT](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/153/422/035.jpg)
On July 19th, TikToker[20] @ri.roman posted a video recreating bluedog's original piece of art with eery makeup, garnering over 2.4 million views in two days (shown below).
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6986455033009212677
Hayley Williams' Response
On July 31st, 2021, Twitter[21] user @mizphantasm posted a 3D animation of Mordecai and Twilight Sparkle singing to the Airplanes captioned, "actually maybe it’s good that hayley ain’t here to see this," referring to Hayley Williams of the band Paramore, who features on "Airplanes." The tweet gained over 27,800 likes and 4,100 retweets in four days. On August 3rd, Williams quote-retweeted[22] the post, writing, "i dont get it guys," garnering over 105,000 likes and 17,000 retweets in a day (shown below).
i dont get it guys https://t.co/mgStiJtQKq
— hayley from Paramore 🥀 (@yelyahwilliams) August 3, 2021
Various Examples
![west coast friendship SAVAGE! JONATHANELROD 2012](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/235/477/bc1.png)
![Mordecai's Present for Twilight](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/777/691/088.jpg)
![(Pinkby) Airplanes Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/457/676/843.png)
![I'm sorry for drawing this by Moozua](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
![grotesque And no single Twas given that day](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/235/500/18e.png)
![WHAT THE HECK IS THIS ut 、レ](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/474/336/fe7.png)
![Payphone (fan art version) im at a payphone trying to call home allof my Change spent on you](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/777/710/211.jpg)
Search Interest
External References
[1] DeviantArt – Earthworm Zim Chp. 14, part 1
[2] DeviantArt – Earthworm Zim Chp. 14, part 2
[3] DeviantArt – Cartuneslover16's first MordeTwi art
[4] DeviantArt – MordeTwi Group
[6] DeviantArt – 100 Members!
[7] Wayback Machine – MordeTwi group as of March 18, 2012
[8] Wayback Machine – MordeTwi group as of August 22, 2013
[9] YouTube – mordecaiXtwilight-miracle
[10] DeviantArt – Airplanes, by bluedog444
[11] DeviantArt –
(MordeTwi) Airplanes: EthansWorld98 Remake
[12] DeviantArt – MordeTwi: Airplanes Remake
[13] DeviantArt – CrescentMyion
[14] TikTok – applecrumbwill
[15] YouTube – can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars_
[17] Twitter – MoozuaMary
[18] Twitter – billieslang
[21] Twitter – actually maybe it’s good that hayley ain’t here to see this
[22] Twitter – Hayley Williams response
[23] Twitter – context for bluedog444's creation
[24] YouTube – A Deep Dive into MordeTwi
[25] Twitter – corroborating evidence
Top Comments
Smol Nozomi
Aug 03, 2021 at 12:18PM EDT
Red123
Jul 21, 2021 at 05:03PM EDT