Billy's Bucket List

Synopsis
Finn finds the hero Billy's bucket list and decides to complete the unfinished items as a final tribute.

Plot
The episode begins with Finn and Rap Bear having a rap battle in Candy Kingdom. After defeating Rap Bear, Finn tells Rap Bear that he is like his hero. Party Pat tells Finn that he thought Billy was his hero, but Finn tells Pat that he is dead. Finn then leaves the rap battle, and runs into Canyon, Billy's ex-girlfriend. Finn and Canyon find Billy's bucket list in Billy's Crack and try to complete it. The list consists of 3 items not finished by Billy before his untimely death, including "Take Canyon on one last ride," "Tell Finn that thing," and "Lie on my back in the ocean. Just float." After Finn completes the first task he goes to the ocean where the Fear Feaster manifests from Finn's belly button. Finn knocks himself unconscious and falls into the ocean, and whilst doing so has a strange dream. When he wakes up he is floating on the surface of the ocean. The Fear Feaster reappears as Finn realizes that he's in the ocean, but Finn's Grass Sword kills The Fear Feaster of its own accord, despite him having said, "No mortal blade can harm the Fear Feaster." With the Fear Feaster gone, Finn no longer fears the ocean. A Billy constellation then tells him "that thing," thus completing Billy's bucket list. Billy tells Finn that he must go to The Citadel, where his father is still alive. The episode and Season 5 end on a cliffhanger with a view of The Citadel and a shadow of Finn's dad.

Main Characters

 * Finn
 * Billy
 * Canyon
 * Fear Feaster

Minor Characters

 * Jake
 * The Lich (flashback)
 * Gnomes
 * Jordan (debut)
 * Party Bears
 * Party Pat
 * Rap Bear (debut)
 * Monster
 * Snake Runner
 * Candy People
 * Banana Guard
 * Root Beer Guy
 * Starchie
 * Donut Guy
 * Ice Cream Lady
 * Candy Heart
 * Candy Magician
 * Chocoberry
 * Gingerbread Muto
 * Chet
 * Candy Cane Guy
 * Grape Popsicle Guy
 * Jam Jam
 * Upside-Down Ice Cream Cone
 * Mr. Cream Puff
 * Candy Person #4
 * Candy Person #5
 * Candy Person #15
 * Candy Person #22
 * Candy Person #24
 * Candy Person #51
 * Candy Person #54
 * Candy Person #60
 * Candy Person #62
 * Candy Person #102 A
 * Candy Person #110
 * Candy Person #111
 * Candy Person #201
 * Snail

Mentioned

 * Joshua
 * Finn's dad

Songs

 * Rap Bear & Finn's Rap

Trivia

 * This episode confirms that Billy was killed by The Lich's possession in "The Lich."
 * It is also confirmed that Finn's real father is alive. He is located in The Citadel, according to Billy.
 * However, Finn's mother's whereabouts are still unknown, if she is still alive.
 * Billy was able to communicate with Finn by appearing as a constellation.
 * When Canyon left, she exited through the river, meaning she is most likely a water elemental.
 * In an unused storyboard for "The Lich," Billy (or, at least, The Lich disguised as Billy) tells Finn about Finn's real father. He was trapped in the Crystal Citadel where he lives and fights off inmates that reside there. The Citadel is also where the Billy constellation tells Finn his father is located in this episode.
 * Finn slays the Fear Feaster in this episode, thus defeating his (somewhat irrational) fear of the ocean.
 * When he does so, the Grass Sword seemed to be controlling his arm, as he slapped himself in the face before doing so, and asks the sword "Was that you, or me?"
 * Finn's Grass Sword was most likely able to kill the Fear Feaster because it isn't a mortal blade, and it was placed upon Finn because of the Grassy Wizard's "curse". Conversely, since the Grass Sword exhibits intelligence to some degree it was more likely acting upon Finn's subconsciousness.
 * It is revealed that Finn and Jake buried Joshua's dead body.
 * Jake has returned once again since "Bad Timing."
 * Finn loses his hat, clothes (except underwear), and backpack in the ocean.
 * The title card shows Billy sitting at a beach,this may show Billy either thinking about doing the second-to-the last thing in his bucket list or giving him the idea of putting it there.

Cultural references

 * On Billy's list, it says "Make some Kombucha."  (not to be confused with ) is a lightly effervescent fermented drink of sweetened black tea that is used as a functional food which originated in Northeast China and later spread to Russia and the rest of the world.
 * The list also notes "Punch that jerky camel" a reference to Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984). Both of these movies feature a scene where the muscular hero Conan knocks out a camel.
 * It is possible that Finn's vision of Billy towards the end is a reference to a scene in Disney's The Lion King. During this scene, Simba (the main character) is standing by a lake when the clouds open, and he sees a vision of his deceased father. He converses with him, before he fades away while Simba pleads with him to come back. His fathers final words, "Remember who you are," echo in his head, much like Billy's words, "He's alive." The main difference is that after Billy fades away for the first time, Finn says, "Wait, Billy," and Billy instantly returns to hear Finn's message.
 * This episode shows many similarities/references to Gene Wolfe's book series :
 * Canyon, who is a giant humanoid, lives underwater like the giants of Urth's oceans.
 * The citadel could be a reference to The Citadel of the Autarch, which is mentioned throughout the four books.

Episode connections

 * Multiple items on Billy's list are similar to things Finn has done in past episodes.
 * One of the things listed is "Fix an Old Car." Finn did this in "We Fixed a Truck."
 * Another item on his list is to learn to play the flute. Finn was first shown to play a flute in "Prisoners of Love."
 * The list also says "learn to draw on a computer." Finn does this at the beginning of "A Glitch is a Glitch."
 * "Defeat the Lich" was something Finn did in "Mortal Recoil."
 * "Find a new spirit animal" is similar to something Finn did in "Still" when summoning his Astral Beast.
 * Finn's fear of the ocean is once again seen as in the episode "Ocean of Fear."
 * Also, Finn knocks himself unconscious to get to the ocean without feeling it, the same way he did in "Ocean of Fear."
 * The title card's background music is the same as it was in the episode "His Hero."
 * It is revealed that Jake has denied Billy's death, even after confirmation from Prismo in "Finn the Human."
 * Finn's eyes crossing after falling in the ocean is a reference to "Death in Bloom".

Errors

 * When Canyon removes her arms from Finn's shoulders, Finn's Grass Sword is missing.
 * Finn's Grass Sword is also missing just after Canyon leaves and he is pulling the bucket list out of his pack, and when he is talking to the Fear Feaster and is about to knock himself out.
 * After Finn says "He sure lived a full life.", the part when he has to defeat The Lich says "eat" instead of "defeat".

Production notes

 * This episode is the 5th season's finale.
 * This is the final episode that Ako Castuera worked on.