Top 10 Darkest Moments on Adventure Time
David Craig updates
Even the brightest cartoons have their dark moments! For this list, we'll be looking at the times this adventurous kids show made us hide under our covers and gave even adults nightmares. Our countdown includes moments from episodes “Simon & Marcy”, “Dad's Dungeon”, “Mortal Recoil” and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 darkest moments on Adventure Time. For this list, we’ll be looking at the times this adventurous kids show made us hide under our covers and gave even adults nightmares. What dark or disturbing moment scarred you for life while exploring the Candy Kingdom? Unlock your vault and let us know down in the comments.
#10: Only One
“Another Five More Short Graybles”During a storytime episode with Cuber, this time about the 5 stages of grief, the Earl of Lemongrab and his brother are playing with their doll Lemonsweets but disagree about what their child’s next activity should be. After fetching a bedtime bonnet, Lemongrab 2 is horrified to find the Earl dancing with Lemonsweets and attempts to stop him. In the struggle, Lemonsweets shatters on the floor sending the Earl into a rage before devouring his brother alive as the scene abruptly ends. We don’t know Lemongrab 2’s fate until a few episodes later when he’s unfortunately eaten whole again.
#9: Simon & Marcy’s Past
“Simon & Marcy”Simon and Marceline are some of the oldest characters on Adventure Time, surviving in the world since the days after the Great Mushroom War. We get a brief look at their time together during a flashback where a pre-Ice King Simon who hasn’t yet succumbed to the crown takes care of a young Marcy in the post-apocalyptic world. After accidentally awakening a horde of mutants, even as Marcy protests, Simon puts on the crown to protect the future vampire queen. Watching Simon attempt to maintain control against the crown for Marcy’s sake while singing the theme song to Cheers is both heartbreaking and unsettling as we know that Simon will eventually lose his battle with the crown.
#8: The Glitch
“A Glitch is a Glitch”Adventure Time has never been afraid to get more experimental with its episodes and that’s no better personified than in the episode “A Glitch Is a Glitch”. After Ice King unleashes a computer virus on the land of Ooo to delete everyone and everything except for him and Princess Bubblegum, Finn and Jake find themselves inside of the “Universal Source Code” where Jake immediately creates a snake/spider abomination straight out of our nightmares. In order to save the kingdom, Finn and Jake recreate the disgusting video Ice King sent to them by devouring Finn’s luscious blond locks one mouthful at a time, causing the virus to vomit the world back to normal. Just thinking about it is enough to make our stomachs turn.
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#7: That One’s Going in the Vault
“The Creeps”What starts out as a masquerade party quickly goes south as Finn, Jake, and Princess Bubblegum try to unravel the mystery of who is killing the guests at the party. While you would think the most disturbing part would be the horrific ways that the guests were all dispatched, it’s during Finn and Jake’s attempt to escape the murderous ghost when things truly take a turn. Locked in a library, a grinning green apparition phases through the wall, creeping towards Finn. Even though he escapes, the house itself comes to life and continues to attack him. Although everyone was okay by the end, the haunting image is enough for Finn to delete it from his memory entirely.
#6: The Fruit Witches
“Dad’s Dungeon”Adventure Time is full of moments that can completely catch the viewer off guard. But none were as unexpected as when Finn and Jake attempted to make their way through their late father’s mystery dungeon, which was designed to toughen up Finn and make him a great hero. Distracted by his father’s lack of faith in him, Finn attempts to prove his father wrong and face one of the trials head on by partaking in the fruit the fairies are offering. He’s narrowly saved by Jake, who forces one of the fairies to eat the fruit instead, instantly transforming her into a giant apple. The remaining fairies reveal their true form and immediately begin to tear into the apple’s flesh which disturbingly has a boney core inside.
#5: The Lemon Kingdom “Residents”
“All Your Fault”After receiving a letter from the Lemon Kingdom telling them that its residents are starving, PB sends Finn and Jake to deliver seeds so the Lemongrabs can grow their own candy. However, upon their arrival, it becomes immediately clear that everything in the Lemon Kingdom has gone a bit sour. While exploring the castle, Finn and Jake find increasingly disturbing things behind every door, such as enormous organs and disgusting lemon mutations. It’s full of abominations straight out of a John Carpenter or David Cronenberg film, and they even witness the creation of the Lemongrab’s newest monstrosity Seed-wad.
#4: The Blank Eyed Girls
“Blank-Eyed Girl”The world of Adventure Time is full of strange, weird and sometimes disturbing characters and events but there’s usually some kind of explanation for them. After being creeped out by Starchy’s conspiracy radio show, Finn and Jake are terrorized by a group of young girls with emotionless faces and cold black eyes. Despite Finn’s numerous attempts to explain them or find ways to get rid of them, more and more girls appear until the entire treehouse is filled with them. To Finn and Jake’s bewilderment, and horror, the girls pop off their eyes, heads and even skin before transforming into nothing more than ethereal wisps carried on the wind into the night. No in universe explanation has ever been given for this nightmare fuel.
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#3: Possessed Princess
“Mortal Recoil”Any time the Lich is involved the episode is guaranteed to lead to some of the series’ darkest moments. After the Ice King gets the dropsies, PB becomes possessed by the Lich and things just keep getting weirder from there. You just know things are jacked up when even Peppermint Butler is running away. What starts as a recreation of scenes from the Exorcist quickly evolves into something far worse, as Possessed PB kills all the flowers in the room with a single touch before igniting the remains. And with a melting PB calling Jake’s name, the poor magical pup is sent fleeing from the room with his tail between his legs and we’re just as happy as he is to be out of there.
#2: Freak Deer
“No One Can Hear You”Even seemingly mundane things can have a twist in the Candy Kingdom. After both Finn and Jake are injured trying to corral a renegade deer, Finn awakens to an empty kingdom. Even finding Jake doesn’t provide many answers or comfort as his head injury has left him confused, believing everyone is hiding for a surprise party. Discovering he’s been unconscious for 6 months, Finn investigates the sounds of Candy People in the sewers and finds all the residents stuck to the walls and ceilings by the deer, slowly decomposing in its saliva. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the deer rises to its hind legs and removes its hooves to reveal freaky little hands. Still creeps us out just thinking about it.
#1: An Alternate Timeline
“Finn the Human” & “Jake the Dog”Finding himself in an alternate timeline where the Lich never existed, Finn witnessing his family nearly burning to death is only the start of the horrors that this two-part episode has in store. Wielding the power of the Ice King’s crown, Finn inadvertently ignites the bomb that started the Mushroom War and unleashes the Lich into the world. Watching Finn succumb to the crown’s powers and not to mention seeing this new world’s Jake becoming corrupted by the well of power and transforming into the Lich itself is almost too much.
