Flame Princess was introduced during the final episode of Adventure Time's third season, and quickly became one of the most prominent characters for the rest of the series. Although she briefly served as the romantic interest for series' protagonist Finn, her role grew far more distinctive over time. She transformed from a lonely and angry teenager cursed with too much power into a confident and controlled Queen in her own right.

Now, CBR is taking a look back at the history of Flame Princess, and how she became one of the most openly heroic characters in Adventure Time.

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Flame Princess, the Inherent Elemental

When Flame Princess (or, as she's otherwise known, Phoebe) was born, she was already one of the most powerful forces in all of Ooo, the magical world that rose from the ashes of Earth following a disatrous war over 1,000 years ago. Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, she was the new fire elemental, a being of pure magical energy. This makes her one of the most inherently powerful figures in the entire world, already more powerful than her father. This infuriates the Flame King who, determined to keep his throne, orders her to be let loose into the woods to die.

However, a sympathetic servant spared her life and gave custody of her to a kindly farmer, but Phoebe's elemental power quickly burnt down everything. Princess Bubblegum, recognizing her power, ordered her back to go back to her father, imprisoned in a power dampening lantern.

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This is where she remained for most of her childhood and adolescence until Jake the Dog arrived in the Fire Kingdom. A heartbroken Finn was pining over an uninterested Bubblegum, so Jake set out to find a potential new paramour for him. Hearing about Flame Princess, he posed as Finn and won her heart with a song. But after discovering that she might be just as evil as her father, Jake fled. She followed after him, leaving a path of destruction in her wake. She eventually was confronted by the real Finn, who fell for her at first sight.

FLAME PRINCESS' SHIFTING ALLINGMENT

Adventure Time Flame Princess

Instead of returning to captivity, Flame Princess made a home for herself in Ooo. She and Finn grew closer, which raised  concerns with Princess Bubblegum. Flame Princess needed to learn to control her elemental powers, lest her emotions dictate her destructive capabilities. Kissing Finn for the first time even activated them and sent her careening towards the core of Ooo. Finn helped save her, and the two officially began dating.

Her father's attempts to sway her back to evil failed, and she became increasingly heroic by working with Finn and befriending others in Ooo. But her relationship with Finn fell apart when he lied to her and inadvertently caused her to burn down the Ice Kingdom. Furious, Phoebe ended their relationship. This emotional turmoil led her to work with Princess Bubblegum to control her powers, but this, in turn, led to Flame Princess learning about Bubblegum's role in her origins. Befriending the simple Cinnamon Bunn, Flame Princess broke free and returned to her home as a very different person from the one who'd left it.

Flame Princess, Rap Queen

Flame Princess quickly usurped her father and became the new lord of the Fire Kingdom by trapping him in the same lantern she'd been forced to grow up inside. With Cinnamon Bunn by her side, she proved a surprisingly benevolent ruler. This was new for the Fire Kingdom, who were eventually swayed by a potential rival in the form of Don Jon the Flame Lord. Finn assisted in defeating the Flame Lord, but Flame Princess didn't agree to restart a relationship with him. She'd moved past Finn romantically, but could still be friends with him. Their relationship improved over the rest of the series, and the two became steadfast allies.

At this point, Flame King managed to escape into the wilderness. But instead of chasing him down, Phoebe (in a moment of calm and clarity) decided to let him try and define himself outside of the Fire Kingdom since that's what let her find peace in the first place.

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Phoebe's rule of the Fire Kingdom eventually put her up against the Candy Kingdom and forced her to confront Princess Bubblegum one last time. The two had a stand-off over the Flame Kingdom's secret weapons, the Sleeping Flame Giants. Although Flame Princess lost most of them in the brief conflict, she managed to make Bubblegum realize how far she was taking her goals for peace, and step back from the brink.

Flame Princess also started to explore her emotions through art, like many of the other characters in Ooo. She chose rap as her outlet, becoming something of a minor celebrity. She even used her musical skills to come to terms with her relationship with her father. As the series ended, Flame Princess had become one of the most dependable rulers of Ooo. She was a steadfast ally and dedicated ruler, who embraced her powers as an elemental and channeled her emotions through her art in one of the  most positive character arcs in the entire series.