Adventure Time was always good about slowly, and organically, revealing the truth behind its wide cast of characters as the fantasy kingdom of Ooo expanded around them. Major players like Ice King, Marceline and BMO received additional depth as the beloved animated series introduced their full backstories, exploring the sadness behind the initially goofy character.

That trait will continue in HBO Max's upcoming miniseries, Adventure Time: Distant Lands. Specifically, the show appears set to explore the backstory of Peppermint Butler.

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THE PEP BOY

Peppermint Butler was among the first characters introduced on Adventure Time, in the premiere episode, "Slumber Party Panic." A denizen of the Candy Kingdom, he was created by Princess Bubblegum centuries earlier. But while many of the citizens of the remain within the confines of the kingdom and lead uneventful lives, Peppermint Butler is more willing to venture outside its borders. His obsession with dark magic has made him a number of surprising allies, including Nightosphere demon lord Hunson Abadeer and Death itself. But despite his affinity for the overtly evil, Peppermint Butler has been a steadfast companion of Princess Bubblegum. He serves as her right hand, and when she's briefly deposed, he abandoned his post to accompany her.

Unfortunately, he was technically one of the only casualties of the Great Gumball War that closed out the series. An attempt to mentally incapacitate Princess Bubblegum with "Dum Dum Juice" failed to come into contact with her, but did reach Peppermint Butler. That reduced him to infancy and, based on how the other Gumballs were affected by a similar concoction, caused him to lose all memory of who he was. The show ended with the now baby Peppermint Butler living with Princess Bubblegum and Marceline, reading a book on the basics of Dark Arts.

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MAGIC SCHOOL

The story synopsis released for Adventure Time: Distant Lands reveals that one of the specials will be centered on Peppermint Butler, titled "Wizard City." A community only open to those with magical abilities, that setting was visited frequently over the course of the series. Apparently trying to reacquire the kind of power he previously had, the younger Peppermint Butler will attend Wizard School, another element introduced early in the first season. But the synopsis promises to tease out more about Peppermint Butler.

When  series of mysterious incidents plague the school, suspicion turns to Pep, because of his history. The Distant Lands description mentions his checkered past, hinting that fans will finally get to see more of his actions outside of helping Princess Bubblegum. Audiences were never shown the origin of Peppermint Butler's obsession with the occult, or what he did to become so demonically gifted. He's even referred to as the "Dark One" by the Candy Kingdom's massive Gumball Guardians, hinting at how deep his eldritch impulses go, and that makes him a suspicious figure. This may give Adventure Time a reason to finally reveal how Peppermint Butler met Death, or how he became so involved with the dark ways.

But it can also go a long way to establish why and how Peppermint Butler remained so loyal to Princess Bubblegum, especially after he gained the kind of powers that would normally end up with him targeted by heroes like Finn and Jake, and show us why he's a good guy after all.

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