Artist’s description from Deviantart:

A watercolor sketch I did because I promised that, upon meeting my first milestone goal at Patreon, I’d do it. So…. I did! My patreons voted unanimously for Zecora, and I definitely can’t blame them; I was actually planning on doing one for her myself, so it’s a win/win sitch for everyone involved! :3

So, here she is! One of the best background characters in the show, the ever so wise Zecora.

I don’t know what it is about this character, but she is just immensely likable. I’d go so far to say that she’s one of my favorite BG characters, even though I don’t draw her nearly as much as I should. :C But she’s great. I especially like her mane; so much fun to draw. ;_; But yeah, headcanons.

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I’ve always seen Zecora as a mare in like… her mid thirties. I’d say early fourties, but that might be kinda pushing it for her. Regardless, I see her as being quite a bit older than the Mane 6, and while still being young, she has seen more than what the average equine would and is far wiser well beyond her years. She’s very patient, sometimes of which many would say it was limitless, friendly, and makes for a great teacher and guide (as we’ve seen quite a few times in the canon show).

I like to think of Zecora as a highly esteemed shamaness of her country and has acted as an ambassador for Zebrica in more than one occassion (and as such, has indeed met with the princesses on a few occassions). It’s not only her wit that makes her formidable, but also her magical prowess. Her aura is absolutely teeming with the sharp tang of alchemy-esque magic, and her presence can often have an effect that’s actually almost similar to being in the presence of one of the princesses. What by mean by that is, you can tell, feel, she is powerful. And is someone you really don’t want to make angry. This is one of the reasons the citizens of Ponyville reacted the way they did when first seeing her.

Despite all of this, she is easily likable, her rhymes are charming, and her disposition often leads others to seek her out for guidance or help, much like one would toward a mother or a wise mentor. She’s also widely popular with those who prefer more naturalistic remedies.

I’ve the headcanon that she’s actually pretty close to the Mane 6. I can go on and on about how they interact with one another on an individual level and so on, but that’d make this post super long so I won’t. Unless you guys want me to. >.>