The Power and Influence of Music On Adventure Time

On Adventure Time, one of the most powerful forces in the Land of Ooo turned out to be not magic, but music.

While the art of the popular series can be found in the majestic creations in the animated foreground and background, a special distinction must be made for the impact of music. Whether it’s coming from people Jeremy Shada (Finn), Olivia Olsen (Marceline) or Jessica DiCicco (Flame Princess), or crafted by Pen Ward, Rebecca Sugar or Patrick McHale, music has a sizable impact on the plot, character arcs and themes of the series.

The (Auto)tune Inside Finn

Music has been a consistent force on Adventure Time, stretching back to the first season in 2010. It was there that Finn got the ability to autotune after getting the device stuck in his stomach. It’s used well in episodes like "City of Losers" and "Melons." It’s in "The Jiggler," however, that the connection between music and story first came to the forefront.

In that sixth episode that Finn and Jake take a lost little creature they nickname the Jiggler back home with them. The creature enjoys dancing around with the pair, but being separated from its mother for so long weakens it nearly to the point of death. Finn and Jake take the Jiggler back to its mother, but their scent on the baby sends her into a fury. It takes dousing the Jiggler with her scent to calm her down, allowing baby and mother share a whistled tune together to celebrate their reunion.

From the early stages of the series, music has been one of the best tools in Finn’s arsenal. While his actual singing voice came more into play, the autotune made a notable reappearance in "Hot Diggity Doom," when Finn sings a song to the universe asking for help, which he receives. Music becomes recognized within the series as a power of good and potential.

Marceline and Flame Princess

Two of the major supporting characters also use music to express themselves, with their talents serving as the primary outlet for their liberation from feelings of being trapped.

Marceline uses her music to voice emotions she’s been dealing with for a thousand years, giving her way to express her loneliness. The most overly musical character on the show, her transformation of the family ax into a bass guitar is symbolic of the kind of person she’s becoming with her music: not the vampire queen of the Nightosphere, but a beloved and confident woman.

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Flame Princess experienced similar growth later. After dealing with lies and secrets from Finn and Princess Bubblegum, Flame Princess decided to change the world for the better, beginning with the Fire Kingdom. She dethroned her father and took command, making it a much more peaceful place. Yet she still wasn’t at peace with herself. She takes up hip hop, something she clearly loves, and improves as the series progresses, eventually using her rap skills to defend her throne against an attempted coup in the Season 10 episode "Son of Rap Bear."

As with "The Jiggler," music proves to be powerful enough to empower love. Marceline and Flame Princess end up showcasing their skills to their fathers, both bad men who learn to understand their daughters through their music. It helps to fix broken relationships, even between elementals and demons.

What Am I To You?

Two of the best episodes of Adventure Time are Season 10's "What Was Missing" and "Music Hole," which deal with complex emotions and use music to explore those feelings.

In "What Was Missing," a magical door can only be opened if Finn, Jake, BMO, Princess Bubblegum and Marceline come together as a band and sing a truthful song. Their attempts to game the system or play specific roles does nothing. Marceline belting out her anger and confusion with ex Princess Bubblegum is the closest the door comes to opening. It takes Finn singing from his heart, revealing his fears about how they see the friendships he treasures, and how intense his love for them all is, for the door to finally open.

"Music Hole" follows Finn after he loses a (literal) piece of himself when the Finn Sword is broken. His friends try to cheer him up with the kind of music their friendships have fostered, but none of that is as beautiful to Finn as the soft and sad melody coming from a shy hole in the ground. The two share a duet about loss and life, and find a sense of closure together in the simple song about letting go.

Adventure Time revels the true power of music, allowing us to embrace our emotions and potential. No matter wherever or however it comes about, music has the power to reinforce our bonds, save lives and change our entire world. It’s magic.

Adventure Time: The Final Seasons four-DVD collection, which includes the series finale, is on sale now from Cartoon Network. The Adventure Time "Come Along With Me" original soundtrack is available for digital download and streaming on all major platforms.