Wizard Battle

"Wizard Battle" is the eighth episode in season three of Adventure Time.

Synopsis
Finn and Jake enter a competition for wizards in disguise so they can prevent Ice King from winning the grand prize: a kiss from Princess Bubblegum.

Plot
The episode begins with Finn singing the Wizard Battle song in a large arena, where he joins Jake. The wizard contestants arrive in the arena and the Grand Master Wizard (GMW) announces the rules of the battle. He says that weapons and science are not allowed and they must fight with spells from "the eight schools of magic." Finn and Jake meet the Ice King, who reveals that he is going to cheat to win. The GMW then announces that the grand prize is a kiss from Princess Bubblegum (PB). Some of the wizards refuse to fight for one kiss from her and are transformed into cats by the GMW.

Finn decides to enter the battle to prevent the Ice King from kissing PB, while Jake says the real reason he's joining is to kiss PB himself. They enter the arena and hit the pile of weapons left behind by participants and disguise themselves in some discarded clothing. They plan to hide behind a rock and wait for all the other wizards to defeat each other, and meets a wizard called Abracadaniel who explains to them that everyone is waiting for the sorcerers of opposite elements to face each other first. He then tells them that he entered the competition only because he believed that the prize would be money, and that if he wins he would refuse to kiss PB. Finn then decides to help him win to "save PB's lips."

The three eventually face the Ice King, who has been using nunchucks to help him win. Finn whispers to Abracadaniel his plan of how defeat Ice King: When Ice King draws his nunchucks Abracadaniel will transform it into a butterfly and re-transform it into its original form to fall on Ice King's head, knocking him out. This plan works, and after defeating the Ice King Abracadaniel feels more confident of himself as a real wizard. Finn forfeits since he just wanted to defeat Ice King, and the Grand Master Wizard turns him into a cat. Abracadaniel then says that he has become a man "who deserves a kiss from a princess," causing Finn to tear through his magically-appointed cat body and perform a Power Shriek upon Abracadaniel, knocking him unconscious. With no wizards left, Finn is declared the winner and is sent to the locker room to prepare himself to kiss PB.

In the locker room Jake is able to get Finn to confess that he likes PB and that he actually wanted to be the one to kiss her. He yells at Jake but then apologizes, saying that hiding his feelings is exhausting. When Finn finally appears to kiss Princess Bubblegum, he is tripped up by the Rock Wizard and loses his disguise. When Princess Bubblegum demands an explanation, Finn explains to her that he just entered the Wizard Battle because Ice King was going to cheat and he didn't want him to kiss her. PB kisses Finn for being sweet and also gives him a slap on the face for cheating since he entered in a wizards-only battle. Then she tells to everyone to go home and prepare for the next year's Wizard Battle. Finn and Jake then lay down and Jake congratulates Finn on getting the kiss. Jake then tries on the glasses that were part of the disguise they'd been wearing, and Finn remarks that he looks "so fly." Ice King then joins the conversation, asking for their opinion on his glasses, inducing an awkward moment between the three.

Major characters

 * Finn
 * Jake
 * Ice King
 * Princess Bubblegum
 * Grand Master Wizard
 * Abracadaniel

Minor characters

 * Peppermint Butler
 * Banana Guards
 * Snail

Minor Wizards

 * Naked Wizard
 * BUFO
 * Forest Wizard
 * 2 Old Wizards (neither are Jeremy)
 * 4 Wizard Students
 * Rock Wizard
 * Science Whyzard
 * Weapon Head
 * Laser Wizard
 * Huntress Wizard
 * Brain Wizard
 * Lady Wizard 1
 * Lady Wizard 2
 * Flame Lord
 * Dimension Wizard
 * Cyclo
 * Gentleman Wizard

Other audience members (cameos)

 * Candy People
 * Starchy
 * Mr. Candy Cane
 * Lumpy Space Princess
 * Phil
 * Bears
 * Emerald Princess
 * Crocodile with Party Hat

Music

 * Wizard Battle (song)
 * Ultimate Prize (song)

Trivia

 * This episode marks the return of several characters from the first season, including BUFO and the Naked Wizard.
 * This is the second episode where Princess Bubblegum kisses Finn on the lips, the first being "Too Young." However, this is the first time kissing Finn on the lips when she is 18.
 * When Brain Wizard asks if it is an open mouth kiss, the door behind him is closed. But after The Grand Master Wizard says it is not an open mouth kiss, it goes back to Brain Wizard and the door is open.
 * This is the episode where Finn finally admits to Jake he likes Princess Bubblegum.
 * Oddly, while most of the Wizard Battle participants appear on the title card, including those that didn't even fight (such as Science Whyzard and Brain Wizard), Ice King is not on it.
 * The glasses that Ice King wears at the end of the episode may be a reference to Bro from the webcomic Homestuck, as several staff members are fans.
 * This is the one of the only episodes to have only one setting throughout the entire episode.
 * The waving snail is seen in the Ultimate Grand Wizard's sleeve when he is playing with the tiny kitten.
 * Though Finn had wizard powers by BUFO in "Wizard," he lost his powers due to the robe being destroyed at the end of the episode, so he was no longer a wizard.
 * This is the first full episode in season 3 where Princess Bubblegum is 18 after her quick, successful, and controversial return to the age in "Too Young."
 * The Grand Master Wizard says all Wizard Battle participants win or die, but it seems that not even one died.

Videos
Video:"Wizard Battle" Animatic|Animatic