Marceline - The Maiden of Malice and Memory

Through the many Adventure Time characters I've covered, there's a lot of debate over which one fans consider the best. We've talked about the

the best. We've talked about the characters who lost their sense of purpose, who had to live with the silence after becoming sane again, who couldn't bear what they had done, so they shut the door to redemption. But

you see, while all of these characters are extremely compelling, in [music] my opinion, there's one character that is leagues above them all in terms of depth and complexity, or at least on par with Simon Petraov, a character who was

merely a playful troublemaker at first.

A character who ended up being one half of the show's heart and soul. A

character that was born from the evils of the nights, but nurtured by the warmth of Earth. A character that calls into question how much of who we are comes from the memories we can't escape.

This is a story of Marceline, the maiden of malice and memory. If you're new around here, please subscribe. According

to my analytics, 90% of you who watch my videos are not subscribed. I'm on the road to 200k subscribers, and I'm hoping to make a big character breakdown on Finn when that happens. I make video essays on all kinds of movies, shows,

and games, and I love analyzing characters. If that all sounds

characters. If that all sounds interesting to you, stick around. I have

even more great content planned for the future. With that out of the way, let's

future. With that out of the way, let's get to the video. We start at the very beginning to the first time Marceline Abadier appeared in season 1 in the episode Evicted. One night after Jake

episode Evicted. One night after Jake tells Finn a scary story about vampires, Finn hears weird noises coming from outside his window. And

hello there. To think that this frame is the first time we ever see Marceline on screen. She comes into the treehouse,

screen. She comes into the treehouse, tells them that she's the vampire queen, and unlike traditional vampires, she chooses to suck the red color of things instead of blood. It really seems like she's a friendly person, but then she tells the pair that they should get

going. Why? Well, she reveals that the

going. Why? Well, she reveals that the treehouse they live in was originally hers, as evidenced by the M she carved in the treehouse years ago. So, she

kicks them out and becomes the main antagonist for the episode.

>> I'm going to kill her. Finn and Jake go house hunting fail time and time again and eventually they come across an uninhabited cave. They move in and throw

uninhabited cave. They move in and throw a party. But check this out. You're

a party. But check this out. You're

going to love this.

>> This cave belongs to me.

>> So Finn and Jake fight her. It looks

like she kills Jake, setting Finn off.

And after he lands a clean punch, Marceline says, >> "That actually hurt Finn."

>> She then laughs and kisses Finn on the cheek. Now, apparently this is what

cheek. Now, apparently this is what caused a particular fan base to start shipping the two. I have no clue why when the girl is confirmed to be a thousand years old in this episode and Finn is [ __ ] 12. Anyway, it turns out

Marceline isn't all that evil. She just

goes a bit overboard with the act. In

the end, she gives Finn and Jake their treehouse back as a gift. This was a solid introduction to her character.

She's playful, musical, kind of scary, and formidable opponent and adversary, seeing as she can shapeshift into different creatures. The next time she

different creatures. The next time she appears is in the episode Henchmen. Finn

and Jake come across Marceline in a forest treating one of her henchmen like complete [ __ ] In response, Finn says he'll take his place, seeing as the guy is frail and old as Fark. Yeah, this is back when Finn was all, "My code of

honor, wouldn't allow it."

>> So, what kind of horrible things does Marceline, the vampire queen, make Finn do? Well, it's here we see one of

do? Well, it's here we see one of Marcy's most prominent character traits: rage baiting. She first acts like she's

rage baiting. She first acts like she's going to suck this guy's blood, but turns out she was actually eating the red color of his bow tie. Then, she goes to the Duke of Nuts castle, acting like she's going to invade it, but she's

actually the special entertainment.

And just when Finn is about to realize that this woman isn't actually evil, she tells him to kill this cute plant creature. Finn is obviously hesitant,

creature. Finn is obviously hesitant, and you can guess the pattern here.

After this, Finn finally catches on to Marcy's games.

>> What are you talking about? I [laughter]

Dang, man. I didn't think you'd ever catch on.

>> We even get the first mention of Marcy's mom in this episode.

>> Can't the sun like destroy you?

>> Yeah, it hurts, but [music] I kind of like it. Reminds me when I'd scrape my

like it. Reminds me when I'd scrape my knees up as a kid and my mom would patch me up. This is the episode that pretty

me up. This is the episode that pretty much solidified that she's a strong ally to Finn and Jake despite Jake trying to kill her at the end. We now arrive at the season 2 premiere. It came from the nights. Finn and Marceline are having a

nights. Finn and Marceline are having a jam session where she sings a raw and personal song about her father and how he once ate her fries. No, seriously,

that's the song. I'm not going to play it since it might just get muted. RIP

bacon pancakes in my Jake character breakdown. But essentially, the song is

breakdown. But essentially, the song is about her feeling that her father doesn't care about her. Finn asks why she doesn't simply tell him how she feels, and she responds that even trying to go see him is a major hassle. And

without her knowing, she explains to Finn how to create this randomass ritual to summon her father from a dimension called the Nidosphere. This is Adventure Time's version of hell, ruled by Marceline's father, effectively the

Sears equivalent of Lucifer. Fun fact,

Marceline is voiced by Olivia Olsen, and her father, Martin Olsen, voices Hunen Abidier. You'd think this is the only

Abidier. You'd think this is the only fun fact that has to do with Marceline's voice actor, but as I'll mention later, there's another huge one. Anyways,

Hunson shows up, takes away Marceline's bass guitar, revealing that it's actually the family axe, and then starts going around sucking the souls of everyone in Oo. Finn goes after him with Marcy tagging along because >> my dad stole my bass [music] guitar,

Finn.

>> Marceline and Hunson clash back and forth with Marcy acting like an angsty teen until Finn plays the recording of her fry song in front of them both. This

causes Hunen to self-reflect.

>> Marceline, >> of course I love you, >> Dad.

>> I'm sorry I ate your fries. I didn't

mean to hurt you. They weren't even very good. But they were really cold.

good. But they were really cold.

>> I love you, Marceline. Don't you ever doubt that.

>> I love you, too, Dad.

>> This gives Finn enough time to banish him back to the nidosphere.

>> I'll see you in the nidto spirit, you sick freak.

>> This episode confirmed that Marceline is a half demon, meaning that on top of being a vampire, she's actually even more powerful than we initially thought.

The fry song and the bass being a family ax all get paid off later as well, and I'll get back to those moments. I'll

briefly touch on the episode go with me.

Ben keeps trying to ask PB to the movies, so Jay calls Marceline to help.

This leads to a cute gag revealing that Marceline was in the treehouse the whole time.

>> This moment also gets a call back in a future episode. Anyways, Marcy and Pee

future episode. Anyways, Marcy and Pee interact for the first time on screen.

>> Hey, Marceline. Hello, Bonabel.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> This is actually the first time we hear Peeb's real name, suggesting that these two have an even deeper history. The

episode then becomes a tugof-war between whether Finn should take Marcy's advice or Jake's advice. What I want to look at closely is the advice Marcy gives Finn.

She tells him to show Peebe that he's fun, which somehow translates to wrestling and putting werewolves in a room. With what we know now about Peebe

room. With what we know now about Peebe and Marcy's relationship, this part of the episode takes on an entirely different meaning. At first, it feels

different meaning. At first, it feels like Marceline is simply telling Finn what he considers fun, but also what she considers fun, especially with the wolves, but in hindsight, it comes across as her intentionally messing with PB. Some people have suggested it's

PB. Some people have suggested it's because she was a little jealous of Finn, which is honestly ridiculous when you remember that Marcy and Pee are later revealed to be immortal and like I said, over a thousand years old. In the

end, Finn realizes he wants to take Marcy to the movies, but she respectfully declines.

>> No one would want to go to the movie with >> The thing is, he says he doesn't want to date her either. He just wants to bring someone to the movies. That's when we get this amazing moment.

>> You weren't looking for a girlfriend.

Then why were you romancing it up all day?

>> Cuz Jake said couples nights have weird kissing requirements and romance initiation rituals and whatever else.

>> I didn't really say all that.

I'll also briefly touch on the episode Heat Signature. Here it's revealed that

Heat Signature. Here it's revealed that vampires can't harm ghosts, while ghosts can harm vampires. They have a kind of rock paper scissors dynamic. The episode

centers on Finn and Jake wanting to become vampires so they can fly. And in

classic Marceline fashion, she pranks them by faking their new powers. What's

funny is that the show initially treats abilities like flight and invisibility as standard vampire traits. But later,

we learn how Marceline actually got those powers and that becoming a vampire doesn't automatically grant them. Again,

I will also get back to this. We now

arrive at one of Marcy's most important episodes, Memory of a Memory. This

hermit dude comes to [music] Finn and Jake for help, stating that Marceline accidentally cast a sleep spell on herself. So, he sends them into her mind

herself. So, he sends them into her mind so that they can find the memory of that happening to her.

>> Like, if you know all this, WHY NOT JUST do it yourself?

>> Entering a person's mind can be dangerous [music] and I don't have any arms. >> Major foreshadowing. He gives him some magical dust and casts a spell on Finn's forehead, causing it to glow as he gets

closer to the memory. They're sent into her head and find baby Marcy in a war torn city. She's holding Hambo, an

torn city. She's holding Hambo, an incredibly significant object to her story, as we'll see later. Finn and Jake approach her saying that they're her friends, but she responds, >> "Hambo is my only friend."

>> There might be a slight plot hole here, which I'll get more into later. We also

get to see the memory of Hunen eating Marcy's fries.

>> Young man, >> what don't eat those?

>> Marceline.

>> Daddy, why? Finn and Jake then enter a new memory and see their old treehouse back when Marceline was living there.

But she's not alone. She's with this guy called Ash. They then enter a new memory

called Ash. They then enter a new memory where Finn's head starts to glow, signifying that he's close to the memory they need to find. They're about to leave when Finn says, >> "Wait a sec, Jake. It's that guy again."

>> It's revealed that her boyfriend Ash sold her teddy bear Hambo to a witch in exchange for a stupid wand. Marcy lashes

out at him, saying that the teddy bear was extremely important to her, and she breaks up with him on the spot. Later,

Finn and Jake think they found the memory of Marcy putting the sleep spell on herself. And when they wake up, it's

on herself. And when they wake up, it's revealed that the hermit was actually ash. He reveals to them that the memory

ash. He reveals to them that the memory they stole was actually their breakup.

So, Marcy now has no recollection of what happened between them. Later, Finn

brings Marcy into his mind and shows him his memory of seeing Ash and her break up. This causes her to finally remember,

up. This causes her to finally remember, and they jump the guy, 100% deserved, especially since he even says this wild line, >> "You need to get back in the kitchen and make me dinner.

It's clear this episode was inspired by the movie Inception with its distinctive morphing imagery and transitions. On top

of that, it's providing us with brief glimpses of her backstory accompanied by a lot of foreshadowing of future reveals. We now arrive at the episode,

reveals. We now arrive at the episode, What Was Missing. This weird creature called the Door Lord steals some of the prized possessions of our main characters and locks himself behind this gate. The five of them then perform one

gate. The five of them then perform one of Adventure Time's most banger tunes and eventually open the door to get back their stuff. What I want to highlight is

their stuff. What I want to highlight is the thing that was taken from PB. It was

a shirt that Marceline gave her. Again,

another scene that hints at what their true relationship was in the past. The

other part I want to mention is that it's revealed that the doorlord never actually took anything from Marcy and she actually just wanted to spend time with everyone. A real softy at heart.

with everyone. A real softy at heart.

The episode Marceline's Closet is a fun one. Finn and Jake start playing

one. Finn and Jake start playing hide-and-seek in Marcy's house, but when she comes home, they end up hiding in her closet. They witness a bunch of

her closet. They witness a bunch of deeply private moments, including a song where Marceline admits how alone she feels. Through this, we see that even

feels. Through this, we see that even though many of the main characters consider her a close friend, she often pushes them away without realizing it. A

conflict that persists throughout the series until its latter half. Oh, yeah.

Finn even sees her naked.

>> What happened, man?

>> I'm not going back out there.

>> What happened, >> bro?

>> Eventually, she catches them because >> What the dude? You shape changed to look like me?

>> Yeah.

>> After the two apologize, she's not all that pressed. Instead, revealing to

that pressed. Instead, revealing to them, >> "I hide in your house all the time."

>> We did kind of see this already and go with me. A cute call back. We now arrive

with me. A cute call back. We now arrive at the two-parter return to the nidosphere and daddy's little monster.

Finn and Jake wake up in the nightphere with no recollection of how they got there. Jake also wants to find an outlet

there. Jake also wants to find an outlet to charge his camera phone because there are videos on it that explain everything and how they got there. The inhabitants

of the realm tell them they need to find Marcy's dad hunts an Abidier to get back home. This is one of the funniest

home. This is one of the funniest episodes in the show as Finn and Jake encounter some of the weirdest [ __ ] they've ever seen. Oh yeah, we also got a moment that summarizes how I felt about Fiona and cake when season 2 episode 7 came out.

>> Say something. say something to me.

>> I can't. I got nothing to say anymore.

>> Thankfully though, the last two episodes of season 2 were absolute bangers. Go

check out my breakdowns on them if you haven't already. Anyways, they

haven't already. Anyways, they eventually arrive to see this dark cloud causing mayhem and follow it inside this mountain. This is in fact Hunen

mountain. This is in fact Hunen Abadier's house. They fight him off if

Abadier's house. They fight him off if you want to call what Jake does fighting.

Finally, the two stumble upon a portal home. As they defend themselves from

home. As they defend themselves from Hunen once more, Finn manages to cut open his head, and it's revealed that Hunen was actually Marceline all along.

She tells him to never come back before shutting off the portal. After

freshening up, Jake checks his camera and discovers footage of everything that happened before they woke up in the nights. In the video, Marceline appears

nights. In the video, Marceline appears through a portal, asking them to come visit because she's bored spending time with her dad. Vince says, "Whoa, wait a minute, Marceline. Last time I saw your

minute, Marceline. Last time I saw your dad, I sliced open his soul sack."

>> Oh, no. He's totally chill now.

>> Cap. They arrive and Hunen Abadier pulls a Mafasa on Marceline.

>> Everything the light touches is our kingdom.

>> I want Marceline to take over the nights.

>> She obviously doesn't want to, stating that it's just not in her nature, and that would be the end of it. But then he gives her this amulet that would supposedly grant her wishes.

>> Dad, I'm a thousand years old.

>> Yes, you are, sweetie. Daddy's little

monster.

>> Oh, hey, that's the name of the episode.

After singing a song about no longer being his little girl, she puts on the amulet and transforms into the demonic form we saw earlier. Knocking out Finn and Jake and trapping them in the nights. After finding out what happened

nights. After finding out what happened to them, Finn and Jake travel back to save Marcy from the amulet, where they happen to come across Hunen at his house. What are you doing? He's happy to

house. What are you doing? He's happy to finally see Marcy taking over the family business by being a mindless freak and sustaining chaos within the nights. Finn

throws Hunen's food on the floor, and the pair manages to get the amulet off Marceline. Things briefly get worse when

Marceline. Things briefly get worse when Finn is forced to put it on himself. But

with Hunson's help, they managed to return home. The episode ends with one

return home. The episode ends with one final moment between Marcy and her dad, where she admits that all she wants is for him to be proud of who she truly is.

Hunson simply responds, "Baby, of course I'm proud of you."

>> Surprisingly, a somewhat wholesome ending. We don't see Hunen again for

ending. We don't see Hunen again for quite some time, suggesting that while he and Marcy are on better terms, there's still some lingering tension, especially since he tricked her and caused her to lose all control. Speaking

of fathers, the most important part of Marceline's story is revealed in the episode I Remember You. I have a detailed analysis of this episode in my Simon Petra/Ice King character breakdown. Go check it out if you

breakdown. Go check it out if you haven't already. This video goes

haven't already. This video goes handinhand with that one. But I'll touch on the most important parts. Ice King

comes to Marceline's house to write a song with her, but she firmly tells him, >> "What are you doing here? I told you not to come around me."

>> We have never seen these two interact in the show yet, so this is quite interesting to hear from her. At first,

we all think it's because Ice King's a creep who loves to kidnap women, but it's far more complex than that. He

quickly falls back into his usual erratic behavior, which only frustrates Marcy even more. Not just because he's annoying her, but because she's seeing a warped reflection of someone she once knew. She sings a heartfelt song about

knew. She sings a heartfelt song about how she spent years trying to avoid him.

Yet, no matter what, he always manages to find his way back into her life. In

the song, she admits that she's glad to see him, even though she hates it at the same time. Why? Well, Ice King during

same time. Why? Well, Ice King during another outburst pulls out a stack of old papers he found tucked away in his ice tower. Among them, Marcy discovers a

ice tower. Among them, Marcy discovers a photo of herself as a baby along with a letter written by Simon, who Ice King was before the crown fully took hold. As

they sing together, tears roll down Marceline's face. The letter is

Marceline's face. The letter is addressed to Marceline where Simon admits that the crown is changing him and causing his memories to fade. Please

don't.

>> We then see a brief flashback much like the scene we saw in memory of a memory of baby Marceline moments after the mushroom bomb detonated plunging the world into complete chaos. As she cries among the wreckage, a nearly transformed

Simon approaches to comfort her, finding a teddy bear in the ruins of a nearby toy store and handing it to her. This is

in fact Hambo, the bear that Ash had sold back in memory of a memory. This

explained why she lashed out at him after finding out what he did. The bear

became Marceline's last momento of the man who saved her and her final connection to someone who was now nothing but a hollow remnant of who he once was. One thing that always confused

once was. One thing that always confused me was if we go back to a memory of a memory, Marcy seems to be a bit older here as signified by Hamble losing a bit of his original color. If so, where is Simon in this memory? It's not like he'd

leave her alone here and we know from a later episode that he does end up leaving her after she's grown quite a bit. The obvious answer is that the

bit. The obvious answer is that the writers hadn't fully come up with this backstory yet, but I still wanted to mention this. Arguably, watching Simon

mention this. Arguably, watching Simon slowly become the Ice King is even more painful for Marceline than losing him entirely. If Simon had died, the grief

entirely. If Simon had died, the grief would have been devastating, yes, but it would have followed a natural course.

Something she might eventually learn to live with. Instead, Simon is gone in

live with. Instead, Simon is gone in every way that matters. While his body remains, his face is still there. His

voice is still there. He exists as someone she both recognizes and doesn't.

It's like seeing a ghost from your past coming back to haunt you. That's why

Marceline told him to stay away. Seeing

him like this is a pain unlike any other. The grief cuts even deeper

other. The grief cuts even deeper because it never fully ends.

>> But what is grief if not love persevering?

>> Marceline is forced to coexist with the Ice King, someone who was more of a father to her than Hunen ever was.

Marceline is under the cover of darkness. A small part of her waits in

darkness. A small part of her waits in the shadows for the day that Simon, the man who once protected her from the horrors of a now fully transformed world, might somehow return. This is

considered by many to be one of the best episodes in the entire show, completely refraraming everything you knew about the cartoon. It holds a truly special

the cartoon. It holds a truly special place in my heart. We now move on to season 5, and I'll briefly touch on the episode Finn the Human. Here, we're

shown an alternate reality created by Finn's wish for the lich to never exist, the farm world dimension. In this

version of the world, magic doesn't exist. We see a frail and old Marceline

exist. We see a frail and old Marceline by Simon's corpse, who explains that during the mushroom war, Simon using the ice crown's powers prevented the nuclear bomb that would have created the lich from detonating. Unfortunately, this

from detonating. Unfortunately, this ended up killing him. And ever since, Marcy's been guarding the crown. She

does a horrible job because Finn ends up stealing it.

>> Get the crown. Go get it.

>> Get the crown, MARCELINE. GO GET IT.

>> And unfortunately, the lich ends up existing anyway.

>> I warned you, you butt.

>> This further strengthens the bond between Marcy and Simon's relationship, transcending across realities. In Bad

Little Boy, Ice King kidnaps several princesses to read them his Fiona and Cake fanfic. Marceline steps in to

Cake fanfic. Marceline steps in to rescue them, but ends up hijacking storytime to share her own version of his fanfic instead, starring the gender swap version of herself, Marshall Lee.

What I really like about this episode is how after reconnecting with Simon and I remember you, Marceline seems to be slowly accepting this new version of him by indulging in his interests, no matter how ridiculous they may be. We now

arrive at the follow-up to I remember you, Simon and Marcy. This is the episode that flashbacks to their time surviving the fallout of the mushroom war. The central conflict revolves

war. The central conflict revolves around baby Marceline begging Simon to stop wearing the crown as every time he uses it, it causes him to lose a bit of control and he starts talking about some nonsense, something that deeply

frightens her. She makes him promise

frightens her. She makes him promise never to put it on again. Later, after

Simon tries to cheer Marcy up by simulating a TV show, he realizes she has a fever. The two venture into a nearby abandoned city in search of soup, where they encounter a mutant creature called oozers, born from the bomb's

fallout. It seems as though Simon is

fallout. It seems as though Simon is about to put on the crown, but he in fact keeps his promise and manages to take it out. They then come across a food truck and it all seems like everything's going to be okay. Let's be

real here.

>> Clams. The clamulants. Marceline, cover your

The clamulants. Marceline, cover your ears.

Mother, mother, mother. Mother, mother.

>> In a matter of seconds, a bunch of mutant creatures come after them, and the pair are eventually cornered. Simon

hides Marcy inside a car, and with no other option left, he breaks his promise. He puts on the crown to protect

promise. He puts on the crown to protect her. Thankfully, Simon manages to snap

her. Thankfully, Simon manages to snap himself out of the insanity and miraculously he ends up finding a small serving of chicken soup from a sentient piece of bubble gum. The flashback ends with him bringing it to Marcy and the

two sharing a hug. You really can't go wrong with a story about an old man in a post-apocalyptic world doing everything he can to protect his daughter. It's

also worth mentioning that much like Marceline and Hunson's voice actors share a real life connection, Tom Kenny, Simon's voice actor, actually babysat Olivia Olsen when she was younger. That

real world bond makes the episode feel even more heartfelt. Overall, this

episode further contextualizes why Marceline cares so deeply for Simon.

When the mushroom bomb detonated, he was so scared, arguably more than her, given that he was slowly losing himself to the crown. And yet, he still found time to

crown. And yet, he still found time to cheer her up and go through great lengths to get something as small as chicken soup for her. We now arrive at the episode Sky Witch. This is a PB and Marcy focus story where the vampire

queen seeks Pebby's help in tracking down a witch named Deja. What I love is how we see a scene of Pee wearing the shirt Marcy gave her, the one we saw in what was missing, as well as a photo of the two in her closet. Again, the hints

just keep coming. The two eventually track down Maja and PB learns that the real reason that they're tracking her down in the first place is because she has Hambo that she got from Ash. When PB

finally confronts her, Maja explains that Hambo is filled with sentimental affection, something she apparently needs for her spells. PB initially acts like she's ready to kick her ass, but it's later revealed that she trades the

shirt Marceline gave her in exchange for the bear. This moment is actually huge

the bear. This moment is actually huge for PB and Marcy's relationship, especially when Maja says, >> "The psychic resonance on Hambo IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THIS, BABY."

>> What that means is that the shirt Marceline gave Pebb carries even more emotional weight than Hambo does for Marceline, highlighting just how deeply PB values her connection to her. The

episode Red Starved is another funny one. Jake, being the lovable dumbass

one. Jake, being the lovable dumbass that he is, accidentally traps Finn, Marceline, and himself in this underground city. He then [ __ ] up even

underground city. He then [ __ ] up even more as he realizes that he ate her red erasers, thinking it was chocolate.

Actual fat ass man. I miss him so much though. Marceline's hunger begins to

though. Marceline's hunger begins to increase rapidly and her more feral vampire side starts to emerge. PB

eventually shows up to the rescue with Marcy seemingly killing her. But no,

turns out she can suck the color pink too, snapping her out of her carnal hunger. We actually see a call back to

hunger. We actually see a call back to this in Fiona and Cake season 2. In the

episode Betty, Ice King accidentally turns back into Simon after a wizard named Bellanoce tricks everyone. Simon

punches Ash, not even realizing that's Marcy's ex. And he gives her a call.

Marcy's ex. And he gives her a call.

>> Marcy, it's me, Simon. I'm back, but my body >> See, the only thing on Simon's mind is opening a portal to the past so he can apologize to his fianceé, Betty, someone he never saw again after putting on the

crown. To do this, he needs Marceline's

crown. To do this, he needs Marceline's teddy bear, Hambo, an object cherished through the ages. Simon and Marcy's reunion is short but sweet, and Marceline willingly gives up Hambo for him as a way to thank him for everything

he did for her. This moment also mirrors PB sacrifice earlier. Just as PB gave up the shirt Marceline gave her for someone she loved, Marceline now gives up Hambo for the same reason. After this, some nonsense goes down and Simon is

unfortunately turned back into Ice King.

Now, I was in the camp that Simon should have spent a little more time with Marceline after coming back. We didn't

even get a scene of how she reacted to him going back to being the Ice King. To

be honest, there's only so much you can cram into an 11-minute episode.

Thankfully, though, this criticism is actually addressed in a future episode, which I will get to later. We now arrive at season 7 with the episode Varmint.

After PB is dethroned by the King of U and moves into her uncle Gumball's cabin on Lake Butterscotch, Marcy shows up extremely pissed that PB never told her any of this. Oh yeah, at the beginning of the episode, we even hear Marcy

humming the song she sang in What was Missing?

[singing] As I stated in my PB character breakdown, this is the episode that pretty much confirms fully that the two were a couple in the past. PB apologizes

for not telling Marcy about being dethroned, stating that she was feeling far too embarrassed. The main plot of the episode is the pair tracking down where these varmments are coming from.

These annoying ass creatures who keep raiding Princess Bubblegum's pumpkin patch. Guys, try and say that really

patch. Guys, try and say that really fast. Princess Bubblegum's pumpkin

fast. Princess Bubblegum's pumpkin patch. Princess Bubblegum's pumpkin

patch. Princess Bubblegum's pumpkin patch. Princess Bubblegum's pumpkin

patch. Princess Bubblegum's pumpkin patch. Princess Bubblegum. Princess

patch. Princess Bubblegum. Princess

Bubble. They even come across this old mine where they used to hang out finding some old graffiti PB made. We also get this important exchange.

>> Bonabel Bubblegum always so prepared.

>> Yeah, I have to be always so prepared.

We can't all just wing it.

>> This showcases one of PB's and Marceline's biggest differences.

Marceline often goes through life without planning and mostly just improvises, as showcased by how she learns how the farm work and mimics their abilities. Meanwhile, Bubblegum

their abilities. Meanwhile, Bubblegum always chooses to prepare beforehand for any sort of issue or challenge she might face. Later, Pee breaks down as the

face. Later, Pee breaks down as the weight of losing the Candy Kingdom and pushing away the people closest to her becomes too much. Marceline comforts

her, saying she'll keep watch through the night while Bonabel gets some rest.

And so, this is the beginning/rekindling of Marcy and Peavey's relationship, even though they don't officially become a thing until the final episode of the show. Let's now get into the most

show. Let's now get into the most important arc for Marceline, the stakes miniseries. She comes to PB to ask her

miniseries. She comes to PB to ask her to turn her back into a human, uttering some of the most important lines that will serve as a central theme for not only the miniseries, but the show as a whole.

>> Some bad things happened to me when I was little. When I became a vampire, I

was little. When I became a vampire, I was just a messed up kid. Now it's a thousand years later and I'm still messed up.

I don't want to spend eternity like this.

>> And with some hesitation, PB agrees. She

even says, >> "And someday when you die, I'll be the one who puts you in the ground." After

her vampire essence has been drained, she goes to sleep and has a very interesting dream. We see her

interesting dream. We see her unconsciously draining the blood of a cow before her entire body splits into pieces. These pieces morph into five

pieces. These pieces morph into five vampiric silhouettes before she wakes up out in the open. I'll get back to this dream in just a moment. The next

morning, nearby village people see that their cows have been drained of all their blood. Finn and Jake realize that

their blood. Finn and Jake realize that the only person who could have done this is Marceline, causing Jake to go full bad cop. Meanwhile, PB says to Marcy

bad cop. Meanwhile, PB says to Marcy that she feels worried about the side effects of the procedure, that maybe she did something in her sleep. They don't

even know if she's still a vampire or not. PB then says,

not. PB then says, >> "Nobody on record has ever cured vampireism. Unless you count killing

vampireism. Unless you count killing vampires as curing. In that case, you've cured tons, right?"

>> Tons is an understatement.

>> Foreshadowing Marceline's backstory in the coming episodes. The pair show up with Jake going full lethal weapon on Marcy's ass.

>> I'll get some proof.

>> You want proof? Look,

>> proof how off I'm going to go if you don't confess.

>> Marcy then tells Finn to look deep into her eyes, saying that she isn't the one who took out all the cows. And we get this amazing line.

>> To be honest, it looks like you're not sure if you did it.

>> Okay, I'm not sure.

>> They comfort her, saying that they'll figure it out together. Later at night, they go looking for clues with Marcy feeling extremely weak from the procedure, but not so weak that she can't flame Finn and Jake.

>> You should have hung back with PB. But

I've [music] got a bad feeling like you guys are going to die without me.

>> Dang, Marcy, have some faith.

>> The three eventually come across this creepy looking parasite, following it into this cave where it's been feasting on all these different animals. Jake

passes out from fear and Finn eventually loses sight of the parasite. After

coming out into the open, it's revealed that the villagers who originally asked for Finn and Jake's help have kidnapped Marceline, tying her to a windmill so she'll burn alive when the sun rises.

What's funny is that when Finn tells him how [ __ ] up that sounds, he folds without any pressure. You're going to explode, my friend.

>> OH, FLIP. YOU'RE RIGHT. This is way messed up. RUN, FINN. YOU GOT to beat

messed up. RUN, FINN. YOU GOT to beat the sun.

>> But of course, he can't, and the sun eventually hits Marceline, concluding part one. Part two, titled Everything

part one. Part two, titled Everything Stays, is actually a flashback episode detailing some of Marcy's past. For the

first time in the series, we see Marcy's mother. We only catch the tail end of

mother. We only catch the tail end of her story about how she met Hudson. She

then tells baby Marcy to go to sleep, but she says she doesn't want to because she has extremely weird dreams. Unfortunately, as we know, this is something that never stops happening to her. But Marcy's mother comforts her and

her. But Marcy's mother comforts her and sings Everything Stays. One of the most loaded Adventure Time songs. This song

is extremely important thematically, and I'll get to its significance at the end of the miniseries. We then cut to a scene that takes place probably a year or two after the episode Simon and Marcy. Marceline is packing up some of

Marcy. Marceline is packing up some of Simon's things, and we catch a glimpse of him recording that tape we saw back in Holly Jolly Secrets. This was the episode that initially revealed Ice King's true past. Unfortunately, the

crown's powers have gotten a lot worse, showing more of his dulu side we've come to regularly see. The tape he was recording was actually meant for Marceline, but because he's going crazy, he mistakenly takes it with him. Marcy

begs him not to go, but he says that he has to protect her.

>> I'll arrange for someone to come [music] take care of you. I'll make sure he doesn't leave.

>> Well, that's a load of [ __ ] because we'll later find out what deadbeat actually showed up. Nonetheless, because

it's getting harder and harder to control his powers, he leaves Marceline in a cold, desolate world all alone. The

next scene we see is a couple of years later where Marceline has been hunting down vampires non-stop. She comes across the fool, one of the ultra vampires.

He's also one of the more completely unserious ones.

>> Hey, you want to see something funny?

>> I look like a butt.

>> She takes him out using her soul sucking ability, which she inherited from her father, absorbs his essence, and now she has his ability to fly. I'll also get back to this shortly. We then get glimpses of Marcy surviving in the wild,

eventually encountering a group of humans. Unfortunately, they're afraid of

humans. Unfortunately, they're afraid of her, not because she's a vampire since she hasn't become one yet, but because of her sharp teeth as a result of her halfdemon nature. Eventually, she gets

halfdemon nature. Eventually, she gets through to the humans and becomes a part of their group. In a later scene, Marcy meets with the chief known as Two Brett Tom, who's preparing a ship for departure from Ou. Marcy tells him that she's almost killed all the vampires and

that sooner or later they won't have to go. But he responds with an interesting

go. But he responds with an interesting statement.

>> But it's not just the vampires or the users or them hungry looking rainbows.

>> What's funny is that this definitely refers to Lady Rainorn and her species.

Back in season 2, it stated that rainorns find humans delicious, super dark. In addition to those, Tubret Tom

dark. In addition to those, Tubret Tom also says that the latest seismic readings indicate that something big is coming that will change life as they know it. As we know, what he's referring

know it. As we know, what he's referring to is probably the catalyst comet that appears every 1,000 years, which brings with it an agent of change. It is also implied that the island Tret will eventually set off to is the island we

see the humans arrive in in the island's miniseries. We even see a statue of him

miniseries. We even see a statue of him in one of those episodes. Anyways, Marcy

and his conversation are cut short when vampires ambush them. We then meet another ultra vampire named Hierofphant.

He has the ability to shape-shift. He

even turns into that thing Marcy turns into in a previous episode. They have a cool fight with Hierofant slicing her in half, but she heals instantly. This

makes Hierofphant realize that Marcy had slain another ultra vampire offcreen named the moon who could self-heal.

Marcy also showcases that she now has the power to turn invisible, which we'll later find out she got from the ultravampire named the Empress. She

catches Hierofphant off guard and steals his shape-shifting powers. But victory

is short-lived as she then sees a glimpse of the worst vampire of all, the vampire king himself. We're then finally transported back to the present. And

against all odds, Marceline is not affected by the sun. Peeb's procedure

worked. She is no longer a vampire.

However, at the end of the episode, Jake wakes up in that cave, coming across five of those ultra vampires Marceline had slain in the past. It turns out Marcy's vampiric essence became a life of its own, feeding on a bunch of

animals. and when it gained enough

animals. and when it gained enough energy, it manifested into all of them.

This is actually what her dream was symbolizing. The five silhouettes her

symbolizing. The five silhouettes her body parts transform into foreshadow the five ultravampires that the rest of the miniseries centers on. It also

foreshadowed Marceline becoming human, symbolized by her body breaking apart and abandoning what made her a vampire.

In part three, we see the ultra vampires talking among themselves, realizing how much time has passed since they were slain by Marceline. Most of

them want to return to feeding on human blood, but surprisingly, the vampire king chooses to hunt animals instead, hoping to adapt to the new era they've been brought into. Given their

disagreement, the vampires split up.

Meanwhile, Marcy is adjusting to human life when Jake shows up, stating that he ran into those strange vampires.

Marceline is obviously confused since she had killed all them a thousand years ago. Yet, it might have something to do

ago. Yet, it might have something to do with how she's now human. It is here that she realizes she no longer has those ultra vampire abilities like the ability to fly. Finn asks her if her dad had given her any powers, and she

responds that the only thing she got was her soul sucking ability. Now, as I was mentioning earlier, this recons that season 2 episode stated about vampires.

Back then, it was assumed that vampires naturally had all the abilities Marceline had, like flight, shape-shifting, and invisibility. After

killing all of them and absorbing their abilities, she basically became the ultimate vampire. Marcy comes to PB to

ultimate vampire. Marcy comes to PB to ask her about what might be going on.

And we see this hilarious scene of Finn putting his arms around the two. I love

that he's genuinely doing this to try and comfort the two, but he's just so socially awkward that he doesn't realize that now is not the time. Jake then

begins describing how the weird vampires look to Peppermint Butler with ridiculous descriptions.

>> There's one of them who look like a wet uncle.

>> Nah, that's not right.

>> But then Peput manages to draw one that catches the attention of Marceline.

That's when we come back to that flashback of Marcy encountering the vampire king himself. The show, for some reason, goes full anime showing Marceline damaged and bloody from her ongoing battle with him. I CAN BEAT THIS

GUY. HE'S TRASH. EVENTUALLY, Vampire

GUY. HE'S TRASH. EVENTUALLY, Vampire

King pins her down and tells her that there's one last way to save his species. He bites her and impales

species. He bites her and impales himself on her stake, sacrificing himself in the process. And that's how Marceline ultimately became a vampire.

Many people interpret this scene as an allegory for sexual assault, largely because of how it's framed and the fact that Marceline is forcibly turned into a vampire without her consent. The act

leaves her fundamentally changed from who she was before. I can totally see the connection. Marceline in the present

the connection. Marceline in the present tells everyone that these vampires are not meant to be [ __ ] with and that they're the toughest opponents she's ever come across. But Peppermint Butler, being the MVP, gets all of them prepared. Go check out my analysis and

prepared. Go check out my analysis and recap of his entire character if you haven't already, by the way. Marcy then

comes across this invisible projection and tells the rest to head back.

>> I know you're in there, you skunk, you butt, you stain, you >> and she has a conversation with the vampire king after 1,000 long years. He

tells her that he's changed and now feeds only on animals, but Marceline isn't convinced, citing that he's caused too much harm to ever be forgiven. She

then takes out the fool with ease, just like last time, getting back her flying powers. Vampire King then warns her that

powers. Vampire King then warns her that the Empress has already made her way to the ice kingdom with Marcy uttering, >> "Simon crud!"

>> With no hesitation, she rushes after her. That's one vampire down. In part

her. That's one vampire down. In part

four, we learn more about the Empress and her abilities. She can not only turn invisible, but also hypnotize others.

It's revealed that at one point after Simon had left Marceline, the Empress managed to hypnotize him and make him her servant before Marceline eventually defeated her. Because of that history,

defeated her. Because of that history, this battle is deeply personal to her.

This episode also reveals a significant development that is crucial to Marceline's character. She explains that

Marceline's character. She explains that she began hunting vampires because of Simon. After he left her, she felt

Simon. After he left her, she felt completely alone without guidance and barely able to survive. At one point, she thought she saw Simon again, only to realize it was just an elderly man with his family. When a vampire attacked

his family. When a vampire attacked them, Marceline killed it without hesitation, but in doing so frightened the family away, as she puts it, >> staking vampires, protecting the last remaining humans. It felt like I was

remaining humans. It felt like I was protecting you.

>> It's moments like this that only deepen the bond between Simon and Marceline.

She felt that by hunting vampires, she was keeping Simon close to her heart and refusing to let the memory of him fade away. Anyways, the Empress gets in

away. Anyways, the Empress gets in Marcy's head by saying Simon was much happier back when he was under her control. This causes the empress to gain

control. This causes the empress to gain the upper hand and just as she's about to control Marcy, Phoebe pulls an exmachina and freezes her in place.

>> Yeah, you're welcome.

>> Marceline then stakes her and gains her invisibility powers. She then apologizes

invisibility powers. She then apologizes to the group saying, >> "All [sighs] right, I shouldn't have tried to go it alone with the Vamps.

From now on, we'll do this teamup [music] style."

[music] style." >> That's two vampires down. In part five, Marceline has a rematch with Hierofphant. While being a pretty

Hierofphant. While being a pretty formidable opponent, we learn he's also an old head and plays by the old traditional vampire rules, as seen with how he'll only enter a house if he's invited in. He even gets pissed when he

invited in. He even gets pissed when he comes across a garlic bomb, not because it can hurt him, but because it's apparently too complex for him. He then

transforms into this huge monster and manages to poison Marceline. After

Peppermint Butler sends a text about how he's a boomer again, true MVP, Jake transforms into a house, blocking the higher fan from getting inside. This

leads to an interesting conversation between him and Marceline. He proposes

teaming up against the vampire king, correctly pointing out that Marceline can't defeat him alone. He even deduces >> I don't know how it finally happened, but he must have let you [music] beat

him.

>> Am I right?

>> Marceline agrees to work with him, but only on the condition that he feeds on Red like she does instead of poor innocent animals. Unsurprisingly, he

innocent animals. Unsurprisingly, he immediately goes back on his word. Then

some nonsense happens and he's pushed into Jake's house for him. No, I WASN'T INVITED. NO. APPARENTLY, the guilt of

INVITED. NO. APPARENTLY, the guilt of betraying his own principles was just too much for him. Marceline absorbs his power, but then collapses as the poison Hierofant injected within her is getting worse. But that's another vampire down.

worse. But that's another vampire down.

Part six opens up with an interesting dream sequence. We hear Marceline's

dream sequence. We hear Marceline's ethereal voice singing a song named Love in Its Place. In the dream, we see Simon and Betty baking a pie together, strongly implying that they're married.

Marceline then appears at their door, holding flowers for them. Based on the song's title and lyrics, I think the dream represents Marceline's ideal reality. One where Simon raised her

reality. One where Simon raised her through her teenage years and one where she never became a vampire, signified by the absence of bite marks on her neck.

Betty's presence also makes sense here since Simon would have told Marceline about her during their time surviving together. For Marceline, seeing Simon

together. For Marceline, seeing Simon get his happy ending is just as important as her own. It's also worth noting that Marcy isn't wearing red in this dream. Throughout the series, Red

this dream. Throughout the series, Red is closely tied to her vampiric identity, so its absence suggests her desire to be human again. Instead, she

wears pink, which could be read as a subtle nod to her wanting to be with Princess Bubblegum. Or maybe she is with

Princess Bubblegum. Or maybe she is with Princess Bubblegum already in this scenario. Unfortunately, reality can be

scenario. Unfortunately, reality can be nothing but harsh as we see Marceline still in a coma from Hierofant's poison.

We actually get one of Peeb's best moments in the series where she reflects on her own arrogance.

>> I believed in myself so much that I was blind to the possible consequences. Now

my best friend is dying of poison because of me.

>> Finn and Jake tell her though that taking a risk means everything to a friendship. It's one of those moments I

friendship. It's one of those moments I forgot to mention in my PB character breakdown. Go check it out if you

breakdown. Go check it out if you haven't already. But again, it further

haven't already. But again, it further develops her and Marcy's bond.

Peppermint Butler says he has a machine back at the castle that can potentially save Marcy. So, they head there. While

save Marcy. So, they head there. While

Finn and Jake try to hunt down the second last ultra vampire, the moon.

Peppermint Butler's methods are pretty much useless. And without warning, Finn

much useless. And without warning, Finn and Jake crash into the castle with the moon just behind them. This vampire

might be the creepiest of them all. I

mean, listen to this.

>> You run in the path of my life.

>> That's her voice. She also has this power that can make anyone tap out.

>> TAP OUT? WHEN DO YOU EVER TAP OUT?

>> Pee hides Marceline inside a latch. And

we get to see one more dream of Marcelines. In it, we see Peppermint

Marcelines. In it, we see Peppermint Butler digging a grave, presumably for Marceline herself, while an aged, withered version of hers sinks. PB

appears beside her, urging her to wake up as the dream begins to collapse under the light of the moon. This dream is also a reference to what PB said earlier.

>> And someday, when you die, I'll be the one who puts you in the ground. The moon

is on the verge of taking PB and Marceline out when another character with the initials PB pulls a masterclass >> in your face.

>> Marceline then absorbs her powers and gains her healing ability, bringing her back to full strength. That's another

vampire taking care of. The only one left, the vampire king himself. In the

penultimate episode of the miniseries, we get cute scenes of Marcy and PB bonding as well as Marceline stuffing herself with food. A thousand years of being a vampire made her forget how to eat normally. VK shows up without

eat normally. VK shows up without warning and the group tries to jump him.

The funny part is he's the one trying to reason with them.

>> Let me finish my thought.

>> Stay you. Okay, go ahead.

>> He says that the never- ending of tugofwar between light and darkness is as old as time. And quite frankly, given that there are no vampires left, why would he even want to be the vampire king anymore? So, he kneels down and

king anymore? So, he kneels down and tells him to remove his vampire essence, just as PB did with Marceline at the beginning. We then get this amazing

beginning. We then get this amazing scene. [screaming]

scene. [screaming] >> Finn, what the heck? It's against my code to strike a foe who's raised their bottom to the sky.

>> Demma your rules.

>> Dema good rule though.

>> Marceline ignores Finn as the vampire king lifts her into the air, pleading once more that they can change their fate this time.

>> I like the outcome where you get staked >> and you become a vampire.

>> That gives her a revelation.

>> I know I was ruthless in the past, but tell me, what's the one thing you've noticed about the world since you beat me all those hundreds of years ago?

>> Everything repeats over and over again.

No one learns anything because no one lives long enough to see the pattern, I guess.

>> But you've lived long enough.

>> This scene actually makes me respect VK a lot as a villain. He's not the stereotypical big bad at the end of the miniseries, but a villain actively embracing change. The only thing I would

embracing change. The only thing I would have liked to have seen is more of his ruthless side to have this hit a bit harder. Anywh who, Marceline says that

harder. Anywh who, Marceline says that changing their original outcome is an unknown. And the VK basically throws a

unknown. And the VK basically throws a temper tantrum about how he's not afraid of the unknown.

>> I couldn't throw the [ __ ] sand in his face. Couldn't throw the sand in his

face. Couldn't throw the sand in his face. I can do them.

face. I can do them.

>> Marceline then ends up agreeing to take out his vampire essence. It works and we're left with this majestic line. And

just when it feels like it might be the end where everyone lives happily ever after, Princess Bubblegum tells Peppermint Butler to bury VK's vampire essence deep underground.

>> Just be uber duper careful not to drop it. Pure vampire essence this powerful

it. Pure vampire essence this powerful could kaboom reality off its whack.

>> And naturally, Bucky.

And out comes the true final boss. In

the miniseries finale, PB, Finn, and Jake prepare to take down the sentient vampire essence, but Marceline chooses to sit this one out. She believes the chaos is her fault, stemming from her attempt to become human again, and in

her words, fix herself, they go on without her. But as she sulks and admits

without her. But as she sulks and admits defeat to the vampire king, Ice King pays her a visit. Not because he wanted to help the group, but because he felt left out.

>> Oh, I see. Sitting this one out, huh?

>> Yeah. And don't try to talk me out of it.

>> What? Oh, I'm right there with you. You

and me, we're survivors, right?

>> I love this moment because it suggests that a small part of Simon is still buried within the Ice King and because it reminds Marceline why she started fighting in the first place. It's the

perfect way to pull her back into the fight. We also get one of her best

fight. We also get one of her best lines.

>> I'm going to poop my pants if Finn kills this guy instead of me.

>> This implies that Marceline and Finn have some sort of rivalry with one another, but honestly, I think this is mostly just off-screen implications.

After all, you know, she's never once been present in any of the times the Lich has been tearing [ __ ] up. I always

found that interesting. Anyways, she

shows up, enters the dark cloud, and thinks to herself, >> "Vampire King? You still in here? Hello?

[screaming] Too bad."

>> That line really highlights why this entity works as the perfect final boss for Marceline. Throughout the

for Marceline. Throughout the miniseries, she's been hunting the vampires of her past, but there's one she never confronted, herself. The dark

cloud represents the resentment she carries toward her own vampiric nature, especially since becoming a vampire was never her choice. So, she becomes full Sailor Moon and sucks up the entire cloud, but at a cost. She is turned into

a vampire again. So, does that mean that she lost the battle [music] with herself? Well, yes, but also no. In the

herself? Well, yes, but also no. In the

end, Marceline isn't as upset about becoming a vampire again as we might expect. When Finn worries about her, do

expect. When Finn worries about her, do you feel bad? I don't want to say like I'm sorry about who you are or anything if you're feeling okay, but I don't know how bad news all this is.

>> She reassures him that instead of feeling worse, she actually feels more empathetic, able to look back on fresh new memories from her brief time as a human again. She also says,

human again. She also says, >> "Bonnie, thank you for helping me grow up. Now I guess we get to hang out

up. Now I guess we get to hang out together forever."

together forever." >> This ties a neat bow to the dream she had of PB and setting up for when they finally get back together. After they

leave, we get another interesting scene.

>> Your friends seem nice.

Um, are you like in my head now or what >> for now?

>> Well, just don't get in my way.

>> And finally, Marceline sings the song that her mother sang to her when she was a little girl. Everything stays. This

song fully captures the complexity of Marceline's journey in this series, as well as what every Adventure Time character goes through. The song is meant to reflect how everything in life will remain, whether it be something tangible like the people in your life or

something more metaphorical like heartbreak or happiness. But through

time, they will change. The imagery of the garden invokes something familiar to us. A memory, a place, or a time. And

us. A memory, a place, or a time. And

the object that's lying upside down is to illustrate that over time, our perspective on the things that matter to us will change. Have you ever had a song you loved during a certain point in your life? But because something traumatic

life? But because something traumatic happened at that time, you can't listen to it anymore without being reminded of the trauma. For a long time, I stopped

the trauma. For a long time, I stopped listening to those songs because they just brought back the heartache. But

over time, because of new experiences and new memories, when I listen to them again, I feel something new entirely.

The hurt is still there. Everything

stays, but it's taken on a new form, a kind of bittersweetness, but it still changes. Let me know in the comments

changes. Let me know in the comments your guys's experience that relate to Marceline's song. I would love to read

Marceline's song. I would love to read them. The song, as I mentioned earlier,

them. The song, as I mentioned earlier, relates to pretty much every character in Adventure Time. Simon becomes Ice King again, then Simon again with a completely new perspective on things.

Jake struggles with the truth of his birth and identity. And it's only by accepting that he's not a normal dog that he realizes that he's different yet the same.

>> Finn and PB are also great examples of this. I mean, she has exceptional

this. I mean, she has exceptional character development throughout the show. Magic Man, as I mentioned in my

show. Magic Man, as I mentioned in my character breakdown, under goes a significant change, symbolized by the image he keeps of his wife, Margles.

Much like my song example, that photo he keeps of her initially serves as a painful reminder, proof that he'll never get her back and a reflection of how far he's fallen. But over time, that changes

he's fallen. But over time, that changes in the finale. Instead of a reminder, it becomes a momento, something he can look back on with happiness, grateful that he was able to share those memories with her. I know this is a character

her. I know this is a character breakdown of Marceline, but that song means a lot to me, and I would be doing a disservice to it by just mentioning how it applies to her. This is up there as my favorite of the three miniseries.

A perfect blend of action, character-driven moments, and I just love the fact that each episode ends with one of the vampires being crossed off, like it's a video game. Anyways, I

spent enough time on this chapter of her story. Let's continue, shall we? Season

story. Let's continue, shall we? Season

8 brings us Broken Crown, an episode where PB and Marceline enter the Ice King's Crown to figure out what's causing him to glitch in the real world.

Inside, Marceline reunites with Simon, who apologizes for focusing so much on Betty instead of her. I really love this moment because, as I mentioned earlier, he genuinely should have given Marceline more time when he returned. I also love the line,

>> "You got a boyfriend yet?"

>> Huh? No. There was this guy once, but he was a real jerk, so I dumped him hard.

>> Wish I'd been there to punch his face.

>> If only he knew that he already did.

Eventually, they uncover the source of the problem, but as far as the characters know, this would be the last time Marceline ever sees human Simon.

During the events of the elements miniseries, where a bunch of characters are turned into elemental versions of themselves, we see that Marceline has turned into a candy version of herself named Marshmalline. She basically acts

named Marshmalline. She basically acts like Peeb's cute bodyguard. Oh yeah,

who's also become this huge tower that wants to turn everything into candy.

Thankfully, LSP with her anti-elemental powers turns Marceline and PB back to normal. In season 9, we have the episode

normal. In season 9, we have the episode Ketchup. Beimo shows up at Marcy's house

Ketchup. Beimo shows up at Marcy's house ready to hunt vampires, but she tells him that that all happened 6 months ago.

I apologize for the intrusion.

>> Okay, I know I've expressed that I'm not that crazy about Beimo, but these scenes of him are just too goated. Marceline

gives Beimo this old USB of hers, hoping he can access the files on it.

>> It's funny, but I can't even remember what's on it.

>> Thankfully, he can recover her data, but it's just going to take a while. In the

meantime, they decide to catch up. She

tells Beimo of what he missed when he, Finn, and Jake were off exploring the islands when all of UO was going to [ __ ] See, after patients caused PB's tower mutation and effectively cursed many people around her to morph into

candy versions of themselves, Marceline through sheer will fought back her transformation. She confronted patients

transformation. She confronted patients and forced her to give her an antidote.

The issue was that when Marceline climbed up to give PB the cure, Marcy found that she was a completely different person. Bonabel didn't even

different person. Bonabel didn't even want it. So, in realizing that she had

want it. So, in realizing that she had lost her best friend, the person she loved most in the world, she stopped fighting her transformation and became Marshmall. I liked that this episode

Marshmall. I liked that this episode gave Marcy's perspective on what happened just before the elements miniseries. It shows that her love for

miniseries. It shows that her love for PB was so powerful that she was able to fight back patients curse. We then get an important piece of dialogue. See,

Beimo obviously realizes that she's talking about herself and PB in the story. At first, Marcy tries to be koi

story. At first, Marcy tries to be koi about it, saying, >> "If that's how you interpreted it."

>> But then she says, >> "Fine, I sort of cpped out. I guess I just got some stuff that's harder to talk about. Maybe cuz I never actually

talk about. Maybe cuz I never actually talked about it for real, not even to myself.

>> We've seen how Marceline often turns to music to cope with the heartache she has gone through. It's her way of processing

gone through. It's her way of processing things. But sometimes, as we saw in the

things. But sometimes, as we saw in the episode where she recounts her and Simon's story, she tries to sugarcoat or soften the harsh reality.

>> So, what happened next? How's it end?

>> Well, little Marcy felt a lot better, and she and Simon lived happily ever after. That's why when telling Beimo

after. That's why when telling Beimo what happened in Elements, she uses aliases like Rockstar Girl and Lollipop Girl. Eventually, Beimo completes the

Girl. Eventually, Beimo completes the USB scan, revealing images of baby Marceline at the beach with her mother.

The photos clearly overwhelm her with sadness, and when Beimo asks who they are, she once again can't bring herself to tell the truth. It's simply too painful. Instead, she smiles and asks

painful. Instead, she smiles and asks Beimo to make up a story about them. He

tells a tale about a woman called the Moon Lady, who only appears during lunar eclipses. One day, while the little girl

eclipses. One day, while the little girl is playing at the beach, the moon lady visits her and they spend a beautiful day together. But soon after, since the

day together. But soon after, since the eclipse was ending, the moon lady had to leave and the baby girl never forgot about her. Marcy is touched and tears up

about her. Marcy is touched and tears up hearing Beimo's interpretation because it is exactly how she would have told the story. As we'll later find out, the

the story. As we'll later find out, the story of what happened between her and her mother is far more tragic. In the

final season, we have the episode Marcy and Hunson. Pepbutt summons Hunen back

and Hunson. Pepbutt summons Hunen back to UO to power up Finn's sword with nightphere magic to take on the penultimate antagonist of the show, Peeb's uncle, Gumbald. The thing is, Hunson also wants to see how Marcy's doing. So, Preb and Butler says he can

doing. So, Preb and Butler says he can chill in Oo for one whole day, but he binds him with a curse that inhibits his powers. Hunson's actually quite

powers. Hunson's actually quite self-reflective here.

>> You know, now that we're here, I'm having second thoughts. It just seems like no matter what I do, I always tick that girl off.

>> That's when we see a flashback taking place directly after Simon had left her in the past. She builds herself a small shed and begins adapting to life on her own.

>> Marceline, long time no see. Some goober

with glasses summoned me. WHAT'S THAT

THING? JUST GOING TO PUT THIS HERE.

OKAY, NOW LET'S GO SUCK SOME SOULS.

>> AS I mentioned earlier, this confirms that the someone Simon had called to come take care of her was in fact her father. But unfortunately, he was a true

father. But unfortunately, he was a true deadbeat. This flashback also explains

deadbeat. This flashback also explains how Marcy acquired the family axe, which he eventually turned into her bass guitar. While he embarrasses Marceline

guitar. While he embarrasses Marceline during her nighttime gig, the moment a group of ghosts start [ __ ] on her, he immediately goes full protective dad mode. Despite getting his ass kicked

mode. Despite getting his ass kicked because Peppermint Butler bound his powers, Marceline starts to see her father in a new light.

>> Thanks for standing up for me tonight.

>> I'm bad, but I'm not so bad, right?

>> This is actually the last time Hunen Abadier appears, so it's nice that their last moment on screen was a wholesome moment of reconciliation. But actually,

spoilers for Fiona and Cake season 2. In

the postredit scene, he actually appears to Marshall Lee, setting up season 3.

What's he up to, man? What's he doing?

>> Let's get to the finale. Come along with me. As PB prepares for the great gum war

me. As PB prepares for the great gum war against her uncle, Marceline tries to talk her out of it.

>> I mean, I don't like to flaunt my suffering, cred, but I've lived through something like this once before, and I'm just not really trying to help start that all up again.

>> It's clear that when Marceline says this to PB, she's reflecting on what the Vampire King said to her. How the same things repeat over and over. war,

destruction, and death. Although PB

initially says there may be no other way, she and Aunt Lolly sort things out, and it looks like war won't happen after all.

>> Are you sure about that?

>> Gulb arrives and starts going on a rampage. At one point, PB gets cornered

rampage. At one point, PB gets cornered and >> No, no, no. [screaming]

>> As a result, Marceline goes full Sailor Moon again and then basically goes great ape straight after. She harnesses a form reminiscent of the dark cloud that appeared at the end of Stakes. With

ease, Marceline takes down one of Gulb's monstrosities. Thankfully, PB is

monstrosities. Thankfully, PB is unharmed, and Marcy pulls her into a tight hug, admitting that she's been afraid something might happen to her ever since they stopped talking. PB

reassures her that nothing will ever happen to her, and finally, the two [music] kiss. Eventually, Gulb is

[music] kiss. Eventually, Gulb is defeated if Betty fusing with the thing counts as defeating him. And Ice King turns back into Simon. In the montage scene, we see Marcy, PB, and Simon chilling together at her house. After

all the [ __ ] she had gone through in her life, she finally got a happy ending being with the people she loved most in her life. And that would be all for the

her life. And that would be all for the finale, right? Well, not exactly,

finale, right? Well, not exactly, because we're also shown a 10,000-year time skip. We barely see any familiar

time skip. We barely see any familiar faces aside from Beimo and Sweet Pete.

Instead, we're introduced to two new adventurers, Sher and Beth, who are actually living in Marceline's current house in the present. A clear call back to how Finn and Jake once moved into the treehouse, which originally belonged to

Marceline. The question is, where is she

Marceline. The question is, where is she in this future? If we look closely at the intro, we see a mysterious figure peering through a telescope while perched on a duck-like creature. Many

fans believe this character to be Marceline, something Marceline is shown to wear in some of her outfits. And the

telescope itself is marked with the initials MA, likely standing for Marceline Abidier. If that isn't

Marceline Abidier. If that isn't convincing enough, the duck creature she's perched on is the same one Finn and Jake encounter in Evicted.

Marceline's very first appearance in the series. Some fans also believe she's

series. Some fans also believe she's searching for PB. Just a few frames before we see her, the intro shows pink hands inside a jail cell, suggesting that PB may have been captured either by the ice thing or patient Saint Pimp, who

knows. And just when you think

knows. And just when you think Marceline's story is over, we're given one final episode that fills the last missing piece of her story, Obsidian.

Taking place a few years after the Come Along with Me finale, we see Marcy and PB living a cozy life. When this glass kid shows up and starts worshiping and praying to Marceline, it's revealed that sometime in the past, a dragon began

tearing [ __ ] up in the glass kingdom, prompting them to call PB for help.

Marceline tagged along. Also, Bubblegum

struggled to contain the dragon while Marcy kept distracting her, leading to a heated argument. In the middle of it, PB

heated argument. In the middle of it, PB gets pissed and says, >> "I honestly can't focus with you here acting like monster trash."

>> Extremely hurt by her words, Marceline responds by singing a brutally harsh song about PB, one that ends up trapping the dragon. Glass Kingdom celebrates,

the dragon. Glass Kingdom celebrates, but Princess Bubblegum coldly tells her, >> "Fine, we're done."

>> She breaks down and the two officially break up. Back in the present, when

break up. Back in the present, when Glass Boy asks them for help again after the dragon escapes, they're initially hesitant because it's just going to bring back very awkward feelings and painful memories for both of them. After

he begs them, they agree to go. Along

the way, Marceline starts to recognize this wasteland and finally admits reluctantly that she once lived here.

When PB asks when and why, Marceline says she doesn't want to talk about it.

As the present- day story unfolds, we're shown flashbacks to when Marcy and her mother, Elise, were trying to survive after the mushroom bomb went off. In one

scene, Elise asks young Marcy to draw a map of her surroundings, then insists she includes a bear wearing a hat. When

Marcy says she wants to draw something else, Elise responds, "No, no, the panda is very important."

>> Before telling her she'll grow up to be a great artist. It's funny because she was right, just not in the way she expected. In the present, Marceline

expected. In the present, Marceline tries to use the same harsh song she once wrote about PB to trap the dragon, but it no longer works. She realizes she can't draw on that same pain anymore because she and PB have since reconciled

and are in a much healthier place. So

she says, >> "I have to go back, back to the place where I was hurt the most."

>> We then go back to that memory of Marcy and her mother. Marceline tells her that she found the landmark, the water tower.

Elise encourages Marceline to draw the map in such a playful way as a way to shield her from the sheer atrocities caused by the mushroom bomb. It's also

fitting that Elise asks her to draw a bear. And I assume a few months after

bear. And I assume a few months after this, Simon would give her Hambo, the teddy bear that would become one of Marceline's most treasured items. They're on their way to what Elise calls a clubhouse party, which is actually a Fallout shelter. and she does her best

Fallout shelter. and she does her best to distract Marcy from the devastation around them. As they play I spy, Elise

around them. As they play I spy, Elise starts coughing. Along the way, they

starts coughing. Along the way, they come across a small, seemingly harmless wolf, but Elise quickly realizes it's been mutated and attacks him. Seconds

later, the wolf's mother appears and retaliates. After Marcy gets attacked,

retaliates. After Marcy gets attacked, she angrily sucks out the creature's soul. Elise watches in horror as

soul. Elise watches in horror as Marceline realizes what she's done while the young wolf cries out for its deceased mother. Listen, whoever wrote

deceased mother. Listen, whoever wrote this [ __ ] is a storytelling genius, but also, "What the is wrong with you, man?

This [ __ ] me up the first time I watched it. It's always animals getting

watched it. It's always animals getting hurt that hits a different part of your soul. In the present, we see Marceline

soul. In the present, we see Marceline staring at that same water tower, implying she was remembering this traumatic memory. The next memory we see

traumatic memory. The next memory we see is extremely important. As Elise works on fixing a motorbike, Marcy quietly asks if her mother is afraid of her.

Elise pulls her into a hug about to reassure her, but then coughs up blood and quickly hides it. She hands Marcy an ID card that will grant her access to the so-called clubhouse party, saying that she'll stay behind to finish repairing the bike. Marcy obviously

doesn't want to leave her, but Elise suddenly snaps, telling her, >> "Don't have time for you right now."

>> This is the direct parallel to what PB later says to Marcy before their breakup.

>> I don't have time for you right now.

>> That moment perfectly contextualizes why Marceline's song toward PB was so harsh.

It brought back the trauma of her mother pushing her away. You know, as I go through this episode, I honestly believe this might be one of, if not the best episode of the entire show. It's so well structured, and the way it weaves in connections and call backs is just so

effective. If Together Again wasn't a

effective. If Together Again wasn't a thing, this would easily be my favorite.

I just have a soft spot for Finn and Jake. Eventually, Marceline arrives at

Jake. Eventually, Marceline arrives at the Fallout shelter and discovers that everyone inside is already dead. With

nowhere else to go, she ends up staying there, turning it into a temporary home.

It's here that we learn Marceline believed her mother was so frightened by what she had done to the wolf that Elise fix up the scooter and abandoned her.

She even wonders if her father was afraid of her, too. Though, based on everything we later see in the series, we know for sure this isn't the case. I

also want to point out the red light blinking on one of the computers in the shelter. Baby Marcy doesn't understand

shelter. Baby Marcy doesn't understand what it is and she just sings a song about it. In the present, Marceline

about it. In the present, Marceline comes across that Fallout shelter again and flies up to that computer on the ceiling saying >> "This thing always got on my nerves."

>> She accidentally hits play and hears a recorded message from her mother. Elise

apologizes for lying and tells Marceline that she's brave and strong enough to survive in this changed world. It's

implied that Elise was dying from radiation poisoning, as signified by her constantly coughing. And so she made

constantly coughing. And so she made sure Marceline got to someplace safe and somewhere where she couldn't see her own mother die.

>> Marceline, [music] you're there.

>> Your mind [singing] you.

[singing and music] >> I'm sorry I had to trick you.

>> There's nothing you could ever do.

ever [music and singing] do. Strange

emotion corroded. [music]

Corroed the many things [music and singing] that were left unsaid.

Left unsaid.

What if there hurts [music and singing] worse over time? Worse over time.

Oh, to be loved is life's [music and singing] crulest life.

Cruis chains were [singing and music] broken.

I wish you'd let me in. Wish you let me in. Sleepless night. Awake or stay. I

in. Sleepless night. Awake or stay. I

[music] guess I'll pay and guess [singing] I pay.

It's [music] a great void. Drown out the noise. Bones [singing] now [music]

noise. Bones [singing] now [music] destroyed all we enjoy.

Oh [music and singing] ghost I can't replace it all leads back to your memories I [singing and music] can't erase threads of us tough enough to

handle this [music and singing] finally un [music] love you marine I hope you [music] can forgive For a thousand years, Marceline believed

her mother had left because she was afraid of her. Hearing this message finally makes her realize that her mother always loved her. After this,

Marceline says, >> "I need to be with bubblegum. She's good

for me. It's not her fault I've got baggage."

baggage." >> And just as she's about to leave, this obsidian monster smashes her base into pieces. It seems like she's about to go

pieces. It seems like she's about to go apehit again, but instead, >> the other day I would totally annihilate you for wrecking my stuff. But Bonnie is more important.

>> A nice full circle moment for her.

>> You want to help him? Help me get my bass back.

>> How will that help him?

>> My dad stole my bass guitar, Finn.

>> After coming to PB, she says, >> "A wave of acceptance has washed over me."

me." >> No.

>> No context needed for this. After they

get trapped in a cave, Marceline finally opens up to PB. She tells her about what happened to her mom and how Elise never used to tell her bad things. As a

result, Marceline always had difficulty expressing her true feelings. He then

sings her a song, one that at the beginning of the episode, she was hesitant to sing to PB.

>> Okay. Nope. No, it's not done yet.

>> This time, it's not a harsh breakup song, but one about how much she loves and cares for PB. Funny enough, it's this song that touches the dragon's heart, too, making it flashback to its own tragic past before eventually turning into this peaceful creature,

allowing PB and Marcy to escape. In the

final scene, we see how Bonabel got that shirt Marceline gave to her, the one we saw in what was missing. Turns out, she was at one of her concerts, and Marceline threw it to her in the crowd.

And that as we know it is the full story of Marceline.

>> Is it though?

>> Oh, for goodness sake.

>> Marceline has had some cameos in Fiona and Cake. For example, in the first

and Cake. For example, in the first season, we visit a universe where Marceline was raised by the vampire king instead of Simon because, well, Simon was dead. As a result, the world was

was dead. As a result, the world was overrun by vampires, and the land of Ou became a completely twisted and near unlivable landscape. Marceline becomes

unlivable landscape. Marceline becomes the star, an absolutely bloodthirsty and evil vampire. We also come across a

evil vampire. We also come across a rebel group led by Princess Bubblegum, who naturally, because of what's become of their world, is disgusted by the idea of being with her in an alternate universe. This just puts into

universe. This just puts into perspective just how important Simon was in Marceline's early years. If he hadn't raised her, leading her down a path of righteousness, the land of Oo, after the mushroom war, would have become a hellish nightmare. She also appears in

hellish nightmare. She also appears in the second season of Fiona and Cake, but for now, she's mostly playing a supporting role. We actually see the

supporting role. We actually see the vampire king appear briefly in her mind, telling her to bite Finn to save him from an otherworldly poison. This

confirms that VK will resurface here and there, but probably only when she's really stressed. Biting Finn doesn't

really stressed. Biting Finn doesn't help, and she becomes poison, too. PB

then uses her hair to try to resuscitate her, a call back to the episode Red Starved. I'm honestly okay with

Starved. I'm honestly okay with Marceline having a supporting role in this series. She's had more than enough

this series. She's had more than enough development in the original series, and I'm of the opinion that it's okay for her to take a backseat for a while. Oh

yeah, in the finale of season 2, it's also shown that she makes the executive decision for PB to take a break from ruling the Candy Kingdom, handing her crown to Peppermint Butler. Marceline

began the show as a vampire who appeared genuinely evil, but was ultimately just theatrical and antagonistic for fun.

Quickly becoming an ally to Finn and Jake. Although she technically craves

Jake. Although she technically craves blood and is the daughter of Adventure Times version of Lucifer, she does not actively hurt anyone innocent and often looks down on her demon side. She

reminds me a lot of Dante from Devil May Cry. Dante and Virgil were born as half

Cry. Dante and Virgil were born as half human, half demon. One refused to acknowledge his demonic side while the other viewed being human as weak, trying to separate that part of himself. The

thing is, it's only after Dante accepts both sides of himself that he can defeat his brother and realize that balance is the source of his strength. The series

ultimately reframes Dante's humanity as his greatest strength, emphasized by his ability to feel and express grief.

Marceline's story follows a similar path. In Obsidian, we learn that she

path. In Obsidian, we learn that she believed her mother left because of her demonic nature. Yet later, when vampires

demonic nature. Yet later, when vampires begin roaming U, she starts using that same demonic strength for good, hunting vampires and absorbing their powers.

This conflict extends to her vampiric side as well. During stakes, she fights hard to remain human, but ultimately becomes a vampire again. Like Dante, she finds strength in accepting all the different sides of herself. She embraces

it, especially knowing it means spending eternity with PB. I also want to mention again the importance of that red light in Obsidian. Baby Marcy was unable to

in Obsidian. Baby Marcy was unable to hear her mother's final message because at that time, she wasn't able to fly.

But centuries later, after gaining new powers, thanks to her demonic traits, she is able to fly up to it and hear it.

It's fitting that the traits Marceline once saw as a curse are what ultimately help her heal and find closure with her mother. I'd argue that Marceline has the

mother. I'd argue that Marceline has the most tragic backstory in the entire series. Having lived for centuries,

series. Having lived for centuries, she's carried the weight of a deadbeat father, a mother she believed had abandoned her and an adoptive father who slowly became someone she could barely recognize. She lost more than anyone

recognize. She lost more than anyone should have to undergo. And yet through it all, one thing kept her going.

Memory. She used the pleasant and tragic memories of her mother, Simon, PB, and Hunson to write songs that helped her cope with the pain. Over time, she found a new family, not just in PB, but also in Finn and Jake, who essentially became

her best friends. LSP, too, I forgot to mention that. It's also worth

mention that. It's also worth remembering that a thousand years later, Sher and Beth are living in Marceline's house. I can totally imagine a scene of

house. I can totally imagine a scene of Marceline seeing the two of them, being reminded of Finn and Jake, and choosing to pass her house on to them. After all,

everything stays right where he left it.

Everything stays, but it still changes.

We know that both Marceline and PB are still around a thousand years later.

Having lived through cycles like the rise and fall of the Vampire King, Marceline is now able to recognize the repeating pattern of death, decay, and destruction that seems to resurface every few centuries. The only hope is

that by reflecting on her past and on herself, that she might help prevent another mushroom war or great gum war.

thing is, we already see signs of one forming in the future with Beth seemingly recruiting a rebel group to overthrow Jake's grandson, Gibbon, a supposedly evil dictator. So, everything

stays, but we still change. And finding

balance within ourselves is what matters most. We shouldn't hide ourselves from

most. We shouldn't hide ourselves from the heartbreak. We shouldn't close

the heartbreak. We shouldn't close ourselves off from our feelings and push people away. Our pain shapes us just as

people away. Our pain shapes us just as much as our strengths. Marceline is

direct proof of that. A human, a demon, and a vampire molded by cruelty and compassion, darkness, and love. She is

shaped by what she remembers and what she resists. [music] Defined not by

she resists. [music] Defined not by either alone, but by how she holds both in harmony. Marceline is the maiden of

in harmony. Marceline is the maiden of malice and memory. If you made it to the end of this video, I want to thank you wholeheartedly. This was easily my

wholeheartedly. This was easily my favorite character breakdown to complete. I mean, you guys can tell

complete. I mean, you guys can tell she's such a goated character, but also because holy [ __ ] look how long this video is. If you haven't already, please

video is. If you haven't already, please leave a like and subscribe. As I stated earlier, a majority of you who watch my videos are not subscribed. I'm hoping to get a big Finn charact character breakdown complete once I reach 200k.

Also, if you're still here, don't click off just yet because I wanted to say a few things. I just wanted to say a big

few things. I just wanted to say a big thank you for all the support you've given me this past year. It's been a roller coaster with a lot of ups and a lot of downs, but throughout YouTube has helped me in ways I could never have imagined. To read your positive comments

imagined. To read your positive comments and your different interpretations and insights helps me so much to stay motivated. I just wanted to ask you guys

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[music]