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This article is about Marceline from the main timeline. You may be looking for the Vampire World version.
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Hey, You’re everything to me, Okay?

—Marceline to Bonnie (Obsidian)

Marceline Abadeer (full title: Marceline the Vampire Queen) is one of the main characters in Adventure Time and the main protagonist of the miniseries Stakes.

Marceline is a fun-loving and playful 1,000-year-old vampire queen. Unlike a traditional vampire, Marceline does not need to drink blood to survive; rather, she consumes the color red, or other similar tints. Marceline is also an avid musician who plays an electric bass guitar, which she crafted from her family's heirloom battle-axe. As of "Come Along With Me", Marceline and Princess Bubblegum have resumed their romantic relationship and is currently Bonnibel's girlfriend again.

Creation and design[]

Voiced by Olivia Olson, Marceline is a major character in Adventure Time. Although she did not appear in the series pilot, the groundwork for her design and character was present in the series pitch book, penned by series creator Pendleton Ward. Ward purposely set out to make Marceline's character complex, as he explained that "with the female characters it's easy to either write them as clichés or write them as the extreme opposite of those clichés ... I just try to make them have faults and strengths just like Finn and Jake have." Initially, in the series bible, Marceline is described as being "friendly rivals" with Bubblegum. Marceline's name is based on the name of a childhood friend of Ward's, Marie, whose middle name is Marceline. Ward described Marie as someone who likes the horror movie Psycho and wears dark clothing.

The design for Marceline was created by Ward, with small changes and additions added by Phil Rynda, former lead character and prop designer for Adventure Time. Visually, Marceline has long, black hair. She rarely walks on the ground, generally preferring to float when she travels, moves, and sleeps. Marceline, unlike many of the other characters, wears varying outfits in most of her appearances. Ward said her clothing changes from episode to episode because "girls own more than one outfit". Olivia Olson, the voice actress who plays Marceline, was impressed by her character's fashion design stating, "she has really cool style ... I love what they come up with [in] every episode." Olson explained that when she goes in to record the voices for each episode, she is "totally surprised" by the costuming for Marceline. While she says her lines, she is able to view the animatics for the episode and sometimes has to stop to admire the unique designs. Marceline's physical size and shape slightly changes depending on who is drawing her. Rynda later called this "one of the coolest parts" about the character's animation due to the fact that "every artist leaves a little bit of their own taste and sensibilities in what they draw."

Marceline is voiced by Olivia Olson. When production on Adventure Time began, Ward contacted his friend Martin Olson, who was a writer on the animated Disney series Phineas and Ferb, and asked if he knew who played the character Vanessa Doofenshmirtz on Phineas and Ferb, as he wanted "her as a voice" on his show; reportedly, Ward was unaware that the actress was actually Martin Olson's daughter. During the casting audition, Olivia Olson first read for Princess Bubblegum, but was later asked to read for the role of Marceline. Upon seeing character designs, Olson was "definitely impressed by the character". Because Ward knew that he wanted Olivia on his show, Martin Olson later joked that her audition was simply a "sham" to please network executives. In order to get into character, Olson often dresses in a manner similar to Marceline when she records her lines; she explained, "I always find ... that on the days that I go in to record Marceline, I'll dress like her, in a weird way ... I'll throw on some rock n' roll boots, maybe some red lipstick, and just go in there." In flashback sequences, younger Marceline is voiced by Ava Acres. In the fifth season episodes "Finn the Human" / "Jake the Dog", an older, alternate universe version of the character is voiced by Cloris Leachman. Martin Olson also provides the voice for Marceline's demonic father Hunson Abadeer. Olivia Olson later noted that the opportunity to voice act with her father was "pretty cool".

Olson also is the character's singing voice. Composers Casey James Basichis and Tim Kiefer produce the bass music that the character performs in the series. The songs themselves were written by storyboard artists, or other people affiliated with production, and the demos for many of these songs were later uploaded onto the internet by those affiliated with the show.

In March 2021, it was revealed that Sugar was encouraged by the show's creative team to put her "own life experiences into the character of Marceline."

History[]

For storyline analysis of Marceline's history and origin, see Marceline/Analysis of Marceline's origin.

Roughly a thousand years prior to the events of the series, Marceline was born to a demon lord named Hunson Abadeer and a human woman named Elise.[5] Abadeer is the ruler of the Nightosphere, a Hell-like demon dimension, and subsists on the souls of sentient beings.[6]

The Mushroom War[]

Marceline and her mother both survived the events of the Mushroom War, a mysterious and destructive war that ravaged the earth one thousand years prior to events of the series. One of Marceline's earliest depicted childhood memories is of her living in a trailer with Elise, who recounts to her the story of how she met her father.[5] Elise was suffering from an illness, however, attempted to keep it hidden from Marceline as not to worry her. She had her draw a map of the land to get to a secret "club house" where there was supposedly a party happening. However, as Elise's health slowly worsened further, she told Marceline to go to the hide-out on her own, where she was left alone, believing her mother had abandoned her due to her demonic powers.[7] The hide-out had many skeletons of other humans, and their fate is most likely from the same illness Elise was suffering.

During this time, Simon Petrikov—the man who would become the Ice King when he was overcome by the power of his crown—found Marceline in the ruins of a city and gave her a stuffed animal named Hambo to cheer her up; by the events of this episode, she is apparently 7 years old, as stated by Simon.[8][9] The two developed a caring relationship, although the crown ruined Simon's mental health, forcing him to leave Marceline alone.[10][5] During this period in her life, Simon presumably somehow managed to reunite Marceline with her father (possibly by traditionally summoning him),[11] only to be disgusted by his cold and heartless ways. Although she attempted to tolerate his evil and selfish antics, she eventually severed all ties with Abadeer after she discovered him eating fries that she made for herself in a road side gas station after traveling with her father.[12][13]

Becoming the Vampire Queen[]

In the following years, Marceline roamed the Land of Ooo. She starts to hunt down the remaining vampires of Ooo and has a dog named Schwabl. She also realizes that due to the powers she inherited from her demon father, she has the ability to suck the souls and gain the powers of the vampires she kills and absorbs. She eventually befriended a tribe of humans. These humans wore animal hats, to protect against vampire bites. At first, they were understandably fearful of Marceline, however, after following them for some time, a member of the group, Two Bread Tom, sat down and played the guitar to the few remaining members of their group. Marceline heard this, and sat down behind a bush to play the same song Tom was playing. Because of this, they viewed Marceline in a brighter light, and realized she was just trying to keep them safe. She became their guardian and ally, and she helped them kill vampires, who had taken over much of the land.[5] The human tribe was attacked by the Vampire King while repairing a boat, and Marceline defended them. However, when she tried to fight the Vampire King herself, he pinned her down and bit her. Although she eventually managed to slay him, she was turned in the process, becoming the last vampire in Ooo.[14]

Roaming the Land[]

At some point, Marceline met Princess Bubblegum, the sovereign of the Candy Kingdom. Marceline gifted her a Rock T-shirt during a music performance and they became romantically involved.[7] The two would often avoid official royal meetings and explore the Candy Kingdom's elaborate rock candy mining complex, although as time went by and the mounting stress of running the Candy Kingdom became more and more demanding, Bubblegum started pushing Marceline away.[15] This reached its climax when Marceline accompanied Bubblegum to the Glass Kingdom who had asked for her help defeating a dragon attacking their kingdom. However, Marceline didn't take the whole thing seriously and bugged Bubblegum for attention causing her to lash out and tell her to go home. Hurt, Marceline sung an angry song to her about how she didn't care about her or her "stupid Candy Kingdom". Marceline's song managed to defeat the dragon but this signified the end of her and Bubblegum's relationship.[7] The animosity between them would last for many years.[15][16][17]

Later, she began a romantic relationship with a magician named Ash. How they met is still unknown. The two would move into the Tree House, but their relationship would come to an end after Ash sold Hambo, her most prized possession, to Maja the Sky Witch.[12][18]

Marceline eventually comes into contact with Finn and Jake when she forces them from their home. However, she returns it to them after finding the cave they found a better place for her.[19][20] Following this, Marceline tricks Finn into becoming her accomplice. However, Finn soon discovers that Marceline is not evil, but rather fond of mischief and pranks. Soon thereafter, the two develop a friendship.[21][22]

When Marceline invites Finn over to help her record a song about how her father ate her fries, Finn decides to summon Abadeer to Ooo in hopes of them reconciling. While Abadeer ravages the land, Finn discovers that there is animosity between Marceline and her father. Finn manages to distract Abadeer by playing a recording of Marceline's "Fry Song", which leads to a brief moment of reconciliation between the two before Finn sends him back to the Nightosphere.[6]

Marceline's ex-boyfriend, Ash, attempts to rekindle his former relationship with Marceline via trickery. Disguised as Marceline's "spirit animal", he tricks Finn and Jake into believing that Marceline has fallen asleep due to a sleep spell that has been self-inflicted. Following Ash's advice, the two enter into Marceline's mind to retrieve the "memory core" in an attempt to wake her up. Along the way, they encounter various memories of her as a child in the aftermath of the Mushroom War. However, the duo soon learn that it was an elaborate trick by Ash; Finn and Jake actually removed Marceline's memory of their break-up. In the end, Finn is able to convince Marceline, and she promptly attacks her chauvinistic ex-boyfriend.[18][12]

Marceline's dad eventually returns and gives her an amulet that causes her to become the demonic and evil overlord of the Nightosphere. After an ordeal, Finn saves Marceline from the amulet. Marceline admits that all she wants is for her father to understand her and who she is as a person.[23][24]

Some time later, Marceline enlists the help of Princess Bubblegum, and the two are able to track down Maja the Sky Witch. It is revealed that Ash sold Hambo to Maja. Only when Bubblegum trades her beloved rock shirt—which was given to her by Marceline—is Hambo able to be reunited with Marceline.[17]

After being contacted by Simon Petrikov, the Ice King's original persona who resurfaced after he lost his powers, Marceline sacrifices Hambo so that he can open a portal into time so that Simon can reconcile with his estranged fiancee Betty.[25] Although the two are reunited, due to the rush of events, Marceline and Simon are unable to fully catch up before Simon reverts back to the Ice King. With that being said, the two manage to more fully reunite, and as such, manage to affirm how much they care for one another.[26]

Having grown tired of being a vampire and wanting to "Grow up", Marceline asked Bubblegum to extract her vampiric essence, in an attempt to make her mortal once again. Unfortunately, this leads to the reemergence of five of Marceline’s most powerful vampiric foes: The Fool, The Empress, The Hierophant, The Moon, and the Vampire King himself. The reappearance of these vampires forces Marceline, Bubblegum, Finn, Jake, and Peppermint Butler to stake them one-by-one. After finally defeating The Vampire King, his essence is removed, however, Peppermint Butler accidentally spills it, causing an explosion that releases his essence. Marceline wanted to give up during this time, but Ice King sat down with her, and essentially called her a coward. This managed to motivate her to try, and she defeated The Vampire King with the aid of Princess Bubblegum, Finn, and Jake, but was bit once again in the process. While she was turned into a vampire again, she had come to terms with who she was, and was happy to be immortal, as she could hang out with Princess Bubblegum forever.

MarshmalineElements

"Marshmaline".

Marceline is temporarily transformed by elemental magic into "Marshmaline the Campfire Queen", a sentient marshmallow creature. In her candy form, Marceline is gregarious and playful, but a bit naive about the nature of the new world around her; for instance, when an enraged Flame Princess attacks her, Marceline mistakes the assault for "wrasslin." Marceline is inevitably returned to her usual self.[27] Marceline later details her recollection of these events via highly allegorical language to BMO.[28]

Marceline's father returns to Ooo and attends one of her concerts, cheering her on way too loud in the crowd, though this was well-intentioned. While he initially embarrasses his daughter and eventually causes a ghost fight to break out, by the end of the episode, Marceline is touched that her father was willing to support her.[29]

The Great Gum War[]

Marceline fights for Princess Bubblegum during the "Great Gum War", and when the chaos deity GOLB is accidentally brought into Ooo, she refuses to abandon her friend. After one of GOLB's monstrosities very nearly kills the princess, Marceline rushes to her side, and after a tender moment, the two affirm that they care for one another, and share a kiss. Following his escape from Golb, Marceline comforts Simon in the wake of his loss of Betty. During the episode's epilogue, Marceline and Bubblegum are shown sitting together on a couch under a blanket while watching Finger Puppets, and they both touch heads.[30][31]

A few years later, Princess Bubblegum has moved in with Marceline at her house when they are called back to the Glass Kingdom after the dragon reappears, and Marceline comes face to face with her past. When her old song is unable to stop the dragon, she attempts to get inspiration for an even sadder and angrier song by revisiting the old hide-out her mother sent her to as a kid but instead finds a sense of acceptance. When they are trapped in a cave, facing possible death, she instead sings a love song affirming her love to Bonnibel which also successfully gets through to the dragon who releases his true self, no longer a danger to the kingdom.[7]

Characteristics[]

Marceline is a half-human/half-demon, turned into a half-vampire/half-demon after killing the previous vampire king many years prior to the start of the show, which made her the eponymous Vampire Queen.[5][14] Although she is 1,000 years old, she takes on the physical appearance of a teenager.[32][33]

Unlike traditional Western vampires, Marceline subsists not off blood, but rather the color red (including "low-grade" shades such as pink).[19][34] Since she is only sated by the color itself, blood is appealing simply due to its hue (although Ward noted on his Formspring that she "drinks blood sometimes").[19][35] When Marceline is deprived of red, she enters into a "feral" state, and will instinctively try to kill others and drink their blood.[34] Like traditional Western vampires, she is vulnerable to sunlight and is capable of turning into a bat of varying size.[21][36]

Personality[]

Hambo transparent

Marceline's teddy bear Hambo.

I'm not mean. I'm a thousand years old, and I just lost track of my moral code.

—Marceline describing her personality in the "House Hunting Song" from "Evicted!"

Having spent centuries traversing the Land of Ooo, she has evolved into a "fearless daredevil",[37] and her fondness for mischief has turned her into something of a trickster. Consequently, in her first role, Marceline functions as the antagonist of the story, forcing Finn and Jake from their home. However, she eventually becomes their close friend once Finn recognizes that she is "a radical dame who likes to play games".[21]

It is implied that some of her more malevolent traits are solely based on her vampire instincts. In "Red Starved", Marceline slowly becomes vicious and sinister after having been deprived of food, trying to tempt Jake so that she could eat him. In "Vamps About", Marceline was fine with Peppermint Butler creating weapons meant to kill her as a contingency, stating that she could have snapped and killed everyone at any given time.

She can also be sentimental. She was very emotionally attached to her teddy bear Hambo, which was given to her by Simon Petrikov; after Ash sold it to Maja, she was furious and broke up with him. Later, Princess Bubblegum got Hambo back in the episode "Sky Witch". However, she was willing to give up Hambo in order to help Simon reconnect with his fiancée, Betty Grof.

Marceline seems to be very emotional. For example, in "What Was Missing", she seemed to be more aggressive towards Princess Bubblegum than she usually is. She is also very independent, and in early episodes would often act without concern for Finn or his friends. It is easier for Marceline to express her feelings through music, as seen in the "Fry Song" and "I'm Just Your Problem," but has trouble expressing them otherwise. She keeps a diary that she uses for inspiration for songs as seen in "Marceline's Closet." When Marceline sang the words to "Remember You", from the letter that Simon Petrikov wrote for her, she began to cry.

Near the end of "The Dark Cloud", her personality changed slightly. Marceline had learned how to be more mature which is proved by her accepting her immortality, by stating that she will be able to hang out with Princess Bubblegum forever. She also learned how to be more empathetic to others too. However, it is still unknown if she got over her emptiness in the end. In Obsidian, which takes place several years after the series finale, Marceline has grown to be a much more emotionally mature person, while still retaining her playfulness.

Physical appearance[]

Marceline has light blue-gray skin, crooked fangs, and long, midnight black hair that reaches to her feet. She also sports two marks on her neck, which are the marks of the bite that turned her into a vampire. Her tongue is sometimes bifurcated, like a snake's, but other times looks like a normal human's. This may stem from her shapeshifting powers, allowing her to change its appearance as she pleases.

In the episode "Go With Me", her hair is shaved into an undercut, which reveals that she has pointy ears. She is very thin and sometimes appears to be thinner than Princess Bubblegum; however, her shape can vary slightly depending on who is drawing her.[38][39] She is usually floating in the air but when she stands next to the other main characters she is taller than them; however in "I Remember You", she was just at Ice King's size (or slightly shorter), when she was young, she had a red shirt with a blue overall dress with white tube socks and red Mary Jane shoes. In most of her transformations, she is shown to have green eyes.

Marceline's general appearance, particularly her blue-gray skin, fangs, and pointy ears, is an apparent result of her demonic heritage, and she shares all of these characteristics with her father. From Marceline's maternal side, the episode "Everything Stays" revealed that she possesses genes from a dark-skinned race which she inherited from her mother, although evidently, the phenotype associated with these genes are recessive.

Her main outfit features a gray tank top, dark blue jeans, and dark red boots.

Marceline wears different outfits in most of her episode appearances. For example, in "Henchman," she wears a dark violet strapless dress with a dull pink sash, lilac-purple stockings with dark purple stripes and pink heels. For more information, see Marceline/Gallery.

Powers and Abilities[]

  • From her demonic father, Marceline inherited the power to absorb people's souls and minor control over fire as shown in "Evicted!"'s first look at the Fire Kingdom and her use on candles.[40] It was also implied by her Farmworld counterpart that her half-demon nature extended her natural lifespan, as Farmworld Marceline was able to survive for at least 1000 years, albeit old and withered.
  • C9289B419
    After absorbing the essence of several powerful vampires, Marceline gained several supernatural powers. From The Fool she gained the power to fly; from The Empress the ability to turn invisible; from The Hierophant she gained the power to shape-shift (e.g. taking the form of a bat, a wolf, a reptilian creature, a large tentacled monster and she can even copy the form of other creatures if she has time to study them)[41]; and from The Moon, the ability to rapidly heal.
  • Marceline is immortal, youthful, and unaging as a vampire and as long as she's not contacted by any form of typical weakness that can kill vampires, she could live both forever and eternity.
  • Tumblr oewj8mapm61v52re1o1 500
    She lit up all the candles in Finn and Jake's house with a wave of her fingers.[19]
  • She can move things using her mind.[19][24] She probably obtained this power from Vampire King, but this hasn't been confirmed.
  • Tumblr of7emq4LNa1u15x0ro1 500

    Raising the dead.

    Marceline can raise the undead to serve her.[21]
  • She can fire red energy beams from her arms that are able to restrain people.[21]
  • As a result of absorbing the Vampire King's dark cloud half, she can now communicate with a miniature mental projection of him. During the turmoil of the Gum War, Marceline was able to releases the vampiric essence she absorbed from the Vampire King, transforming into a similar black, cloud-like form. In this state she was powerful enough to defeat one of the creatures created by GOLB.
  • According to Ward, she is ambidextrous, which explains her ability to play bass with both hands.[42]
  • Marceline is a very talented musician and songwriter, and is proficient at singing and playing her basses.
  • The Nightosphere Amulet: When worn the wearer gains the ability to shoot green lasers which either vaporize or transform whatever they hit. They can also create or transform into a large cloud of blood mist.
  • Marceline is capable of consuming the color red from an object she bites, while the object itself remains physically unharmed.

Weaknesses[]

  • Typical vampiric weaknesses. It is worth noting that while vulnerable to sunlight, as is common in vampire lore, she does not dissolve right away. The nuance to this in the Adventure Time world is that vampires are vulnerable specifically to direct sunlight. Marceline is capable of unrestricted movement on a bright sunny day provided that she shields herself sufficiently, which she usually accomplishes with a combination of a parasol and a large sunhat, sometimes with the addition of full-length gloves to cover her arms. According to Marceline, moving around on a bright day still hurts mildly, comparable to scraping her knee, but she can bear it.
  • Like typical vampires, Marceline cannot see her own reflection in a mirror.
  • She has revealed that she cannot digest syrup.[43]
  • Whenever she doesn’t consume enough red-colored objects, Marceline goes into "feral mode", a state in which she becomes ravenous out of hunger. This rabid state subsides once Marceline consumes a sufficient amount of red.

Relationships[]

Main article: Marceline's relationships
From left to right, Finn, Marceline, Jake

Marceline meets Finn and Jake.

Marceline has a close relationship with Finn and Jake. Marceline and Finn have many things in common with one another; in the episodes "Evicted" and "Henchman," it is stated that the reason Marceline befriended Finn is that he enjoys being himself. Although she has kissed Finn platonically on the cheek twice, Ward has noted that there is no romantic subtext between the two. On the other hand, Marceline and Jake share a more complex relationship. In her initial appearances, she derived pleasure from scaring Jake, who was terrified "of her vampire bite". In turn, Jake felt that she was evil and had managed to take over Finn's mind. Due to this, Jake attempted to kill her several times, to no avail. However, after the events of "Henchman," Jake seems to have forgotten his fear of her; in "Memory of a Memory," he even refers to her as a "friend" in one of her memories.

Marcy Bubblegum's official kiss

Bonnibel and Marceline confirm their relationship with a kiss.

At the start of the series, Marceline shares a tense relationship with Princess Bubblegum. However, as the show has gone on, their relationship has been fleshed out and changed. Marceline was the first person to address Bubblegum by her first name—Bonnibel—which occurred in the episode "Go With Me". Their connections are explored further in the season three episode "What Was Missing". In the episode, Marceline's song "I'm Just Your Problem" and the dialogue between her and Bubblegum implied that they may have had some sort of relationship in the past, although the exact details surrounding the nature of the relationship were not explained. This later caused an internet controversy over Marceline's sexual orientation. However, after the events of "What Was Missing", Marceline and Bubblegum's relationship seems to have gotten better, as the two spend quality time together in "Sky Witch", "Varmints", Stakes, and "Broke His Crown" and are seen having a strong bond. In the series finale, "Come Along with Me", Marceline and Bubblegum express their romantic feelings for one another and kiss, and the episode's epilogue shows the two seemingly as a happy couple. In the episode "Obsidian" of the spin-off series Distant Lands, set some years later (Finn is shown as an adult man in the episode), Marceline and Bubblegum are depicted as living together in Marceline's cave and are in an explicitly romantic relationship with each other. The episode also confirms that they had previously been in a relationship and a break-up is shown through flashbacks.

S4e6 hunson abadeer giving amulet to marceline

Marcy and her father

Marceline and her father, Hunson Abadeer, have trouble accepting one another. Initially, Marceline believes her father does not care for her and expresses her feelings through the before-mentioned "Fry Song." Although they admit to loving each other, Abadeer constantly pressures Marceline to follow in the family business and take over ruling the Nightosphere, a prospective job Marceline does not want.

Marceline's mother, Elise, died centuries before the series and is depicted only in flashbacks. In "Everything Stays", Elise and a young Marceline are shown living together in a trailer in the desert. In "Obsidian" it is revealed that Elise tried to take Marceline to a fallout bunker but succumbed to illness on the way, leaving Marceline alone. Marceline believed that her mother had abandoned her until she finds a recording from Elise apologizing.

S5e14 Simon carrying Marcy

Marcy & Simon

Marceline and the Ice King also have a complicated relationship. In the episode "I Remember You," it is revealed that the Ice King—then the human man named Simon Petrikov—discovered her crying in the ruins of a city destroyed by the Mushroom Wars. It was Simon who gave little Marceline Hambo and attempted to watch over her. This kind gesture made the Ice King a long-time close friend and father figure to Marceline. However, as the crown's power increased, Simon began to forget more and more about his relationship with Marceline until he had all but forgotten their friendship. Former storyboard artist and showrunner for the series Adam Muto explained that Marceline and the Ice King's history was not part of the series' initial plan but something that "evolved from [the show's] original course and it will likely continue to evolve in the future." The Distant Lands spin-off shows that Simon eventually regains himself and maintains a close relationship with Marceline.

Quotes[]

See Marceline/Quotes

Gender-Swapped[]

Marceline's gender-swapped counterpart, "Marshall Lee," is voiced by actor and musician Donald Glover (2015)

Marshall890

Marshall Lee

The gender-swapped version of Marceline—named Marshall Lee—appeared in the third-season episode "Fionna and Cake". This version of the character only had a small cameo and no lines. It was later revealed that another Fionna and Cake episode was in the works for season five, and that the plot would largely revolve around Marshall Lee. The episode—titled "Bad Little Boy"—aired on February 18, 2013. In the episode, the princesses that are captured by the Ice King are tired of his poorly written Fionna and Cake fan fiction stories, so Marceline stops by the Ice Kingdom to show him how to do it properly; she tells a tale involving her gender-swapped character, Marshall Lee. The character was voiced by comedian and musician Donald Glover. Additionally, Marshall Lee makes a cameo appearance in the third Fionna and Cake episode entitled "The Prince Who Wanted Everything", and has a speaking role in the fourth entitled "Five Short Tables".

A six issue spin-off comic miniseries titled Marceline and the Scream Queens, written by Meredith Gran of Octopus Pie, debuted in July 2012. The series featured Marceline and Princess Bubblegum forming a band and touring around Ooo. The series are published by Boom! Studios under its kid-oriented imprint KaBoom, which also publishes the rest of the Adventure Time series. Other contributors to the series include Faith Erin Hicks, and Liz Prince. KaBoom has also published Seeing Red by Kate Leth, and Marceline Gone Adrift by Gran.

Marceline is also featured in the iOS game Adventure Time: Rock Bandits. In the context of the game, the Ice King kidnaps Marceline's fans at a concert so that they will be his fans instead. Finn and Jake must then free the captured citizens. Marceline appears as a playable character in the toys-to-life video game Lego Dimensions, distributed via a "fun pack" containing a Marceline Lego minifigure and a constructable "Lunatic Amp" accessory.

Episode appearances[]

Major appearances[]

Minor appearances[]

Mentioned[]

Pictured[]

Marceline's songs[]

Reception[]

Marceline's Cosplay

Britt Hayes of Screen Crunch said, "it takes a special kind of attitude" to cosplay as Marceline due to her complex character

Marceline has attracted positive critical attention. Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club praised her as one "of this show's most tragic characters." He later wrote that her addition "was a major turning point for the series, introducing a hip, adventure-loving female to the cast who can hold her own against Finn and Jake and also has a strong connection to Ooo's past." Furthermore, he noted that "she's been at the center of some of the show's most emotional episodes," and "beyond her dramatic value, Marceline tends to just make every episode better" because "her writers clearly enjoy writing scenes for her." Susana Polo of The Mary Sue referred to the character as "one of the radder characters" in the series. Cam Shea of IGN named Marceline's introduction in "Evicted!" as the fourth best moment in the series' first season. He wrote that "sure, in this episode, she evicts Finn and Jake from their home ... but hey, this is the first time we meet her, and she's awesome."

io9 writer Charlies Jane Anders wrote that Marceline's—as well as the Ice King's—appearance in "I Remember You" was "one of the most intense things I've seen in ages." She praised Marceline's development from a "pretty one-note villain" to a type of person that "we sort of knew". CartoonNetwork.co.uk named her "Character of the Week" on January 24, 2012. The Guardian called Marceline the best character in Adventure Time in a DVD review of the series, noting in particular that "she's ... responsible for some of the show's best songs." In 2016, WhatCulture ranked her the fourth best character on the show, writing that she is a "bad ass" and "the coolest character in the series", and that—after the anti-vampire backlash in pop culture caused largely by the book and film series Twilight and the television show The Vampire Diaries in the mid-to-late 2000s—"Marceline ... prove[s] that vampires can still be awesome."

Lauren Rearick of Teen Vogue argued that Marceline is important in a discussion of on-screen representation, as she is from "a non-traditional family [whose] emotions ... sometimes mirrored depression". This, Rearick argues, gave the series "the opportunity to explore complex topics under the guise of a children's show."

The production crew of Adventure Time are also pleased with the character. In 2010, near the start of the series, Ward stated that Marceline was his favorite character because he did not "know everything about her character yet", which he found to be "mysterious [and] cool". Rynda claimed that Marceline was probably his favorite character in the series because "she's just really fun to draw." Marceline is also particularly popular with the Adventure Time fan base, and after the release of "Evicted!" her popularity grew enormously. Ward later noted that he felt "good about that. It's nice". Marceline is also popular with cosplayers, or performance artists who wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent characters from the Adventure Time universe. The character's popularity has been recognized by the company that owns Adventure Time. In fact, the official press release for the Adventure Time: Marceline and the Scream Queens companion comic book referred to the character as a "fan-favorite".

Marceline's popularity has transcended into other mediums of popular culture. For instance, American singer Willow Smith dedicated two tracks of her debut album Ardipithecus (2015) to the character, which were eponymously named after her.

Relationship controversy[]

The episode "What Was Missing" became controversial due to implications that Marceline and Princess Bubblegum had been in a past relationship. The controversy largely began after an accompanying "Mathematical" recap—a studio-endorsed behind the scenes video series implied that there were lesbian relations between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline and that the writing staff actively seeks input from fans. This incident was addressed by the show's producer, Fred Seibert, who said that "in trying to get the show's audience involved we got wrapped up by both fan conjecture and spicy fanart and went a little too far." Soon after, the video recap and the entire channel was pulled off of YouTube, although "What Was Missing" still airs during reruns. Seibert's decision to remove the video also proved controversial; Bitch magazine later wrote an article about how the episode "handled female desire—female queer desire at that—in a subtle but complex way", and that the removal of the recap and the studio's perceived treatment of the controversy was detrimental towards the acceptance of queer romance in children's television. Ward later addressed the issue and gave a more neutral view; he said that, because there were "so many extreme positions taken on it all over the Internet", he did not "really want to comment on it [because] it was a big hullaballoo." Following "What Was Missing", the pairing of Bubblegum and Marceline became popular with many fans of the show, and was labelled "Bubbline".

In August 2014, Olson told a crowd of fans gathered at a Barnes & Noble book signing from The Adventure Time Encyclopedia, that, according to Ward, Marceline and Princess Bubblegum had dated in the past, but that because the series airs in some areas where homosexual relationships are illegal, the relationship is not clearly depicted in the show. In series finale, "Come Along with Me", the two kiss, making their romantic relationship canon. Muto told TVLine that the relationship between Bubblegum and Marceline as well as their kissing was "an ongoing conversation... It certainly wasn't in the show's original pitch. It was a relationship that evolved over time." Storyboard artist Hanna K. Nyström was responsible for adding in the kiss. According to Muto, this scene was not originally in the script; it merely noted that Bubblegum and Marceline "have a moment". When Nyström was working on the sequence, Muto gave her creative control as to how she wanted that "moment" to unfold. Muto noted, "When Hanna boarded that, there was a little note in the margin that said 'Come on!' with a big exclamation point. That was the only note. I can't argue with that."

Trivia[]

  • Every outfit Marceline wears in the show has at least one red article of clothing in it (potentially so she has something to eat in an emergency to avoid going feral). The only exception to this is the outfit she wears in the episode "Red Starved."
  • Marceline and Jake are the only people known to have called Princess Bubblegum by her first name: Bonnibel.
  • Marceline is almost always seen wearing a tank top or some sort of shirt that exposes her arms and shoulders.
    • This is rather odd, considering her vulnerability to sunlight.
  • Marceline does not appear in the Pilot episode with most of the other main characters, although she is still considered one. This is because she did not exist at the time the pilot was made.
  • In "Evicted!", Marceline appears in the realm of fire without burning herself, probably due to her being undead.
  • Despite being a skilled bass player, she does not know what a quaver is.
  • Marceline is ambidextrous like Finn.
    • Marceline plays the bass guitar with both hands, often switching hand positions while floating depending where she is in the air. She most often plays with her right hand.
  • Her bass is strung and strapped for a right-handed individual. When Marceline plays left-handed, she's playing the bass upside-down. However, the animators are inconsistent regarding the handedness for which the bass is made.
  • She has a zombie poodle named Schwabl.
  • Marceline's name is based on Pendleton Ward's friend, Marie, whose middle name is Marceline. Pen described Marie as someone who likes the horror movie Psycho and dark clothing.
  • Marceline has a genderbent counterpart named Marshall Lee.
  • She is the most difficult character to work with for Jesse Moynihan.[citation needed]
  • She also plays basketball, as seen in "Simon & Marcy".
  • In "The Duke", Marceline is seated along with the other royals at the Grand Meeting of Ooo Royalty, showing that her status as vampire queen is recognized by the kingdoms of Land of Ooo.
  • Marceline's last name may constitute as an homage to the real-life city Aberdeen, Washington which is known for being a "tough" town and the hometown of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain.
  • Marceline is the boss of Red Rock Pass in Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd you steal our garbage?!!
  • According to the note she left on her door in "Marceline's Closet", she gets lucid dreams when she eats tomatoes.
  • In "Princess Day", it is shown that sunblock can protect Marceline from the sun. In "Marceline the Vampire Queen", it is shown that she uses "Spf 10,000,000."
  • In the Art of Ooo book, it is confirmed that Marceline is older than Princess Bubblegum, who is 827 years old according to Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW![44]
  • In the episode "Skyhooks," Marceline has a candy form called Marshmaline the Campfire Queen.
  • Marceline has retrieved most of her powers from consuming the souls of previously slain vampires.
  • In the miniseries Stakes, Marceline has several flashbacks that show her encounters with the Ultra Vampires she continues to slay. Both The Hierophant and the Vampire King remind her of a price she must pay for her powers, or there would be grand consequences. The obvious price is renouncing the ability to live in the sun, but some have theorized the true cost is being forced to watch everyone she cares about wither away as the result of her immortality. The consequence for not paying the price is heavily implied to be the side effect of Magic: Madness, and Sadness, a concept researched by Betty Grof.
    • Magic, Madness, and Sadness is the concept which, in short, claims that all spellcasters are cursed to suffer both madness and heartbreak, with either the former causing the latter or vice-versa.
  • Despite Marceline taking The Moon's powers, which allowed her to survive in sunlight, Marceline can still be burned by the sun. This is similar to her taking the power of invisibility from The Empress, but not her hypnosis, as well as her receiving no notable powers from the Vampire King, except immortality from being turned.
  • In Be Sweet, it is revealed that insects hide in Marceline's belly button.
  • Marceline is bisexual, as Princess Bubblegum is her girlfriend and she dated Ash before.
  • According to a post on the Frederator Blog, Marceline's dress in "Henchman" is made from Why-wolves skin. Ironically, Marceline turned into a wolf to scare Jake.
    • This is also a clever nod to the concept of vampires and werewolves being common enemies in most media, as Marceline is a vampire and why-wolves share many familiarities with lycanthropes.

  • Adventure Time released an official 3D design of Marceline The Vampire Queen on MyMiniFactory.
  • Marceline has an exosuit in the game Project Exonaut.
  • Marceline is the final boss in the game Righteous Quest 2.
  • In the game Legends of Ooo, she appears to have a coat, an undead gardener, and an undead cleaner.
  • Her age was the answer to one of Gaia Online's ten trivia contests to answer to try to win a first season DVD set.
  • There was a Pet Society costume of Marceline.
  • Marceline is a playable character in Adventure Time Battle Party and Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW!.
  • Marceline is a playable character in the video game LEGO Dimensions.
  • ARDIPITHECUS album by Willow Smith features 2 experimental pop songs: Marceline, and Marceline Pt. 2, about the vampire queen.
  • Marceline appears as a playable character in the MOBA game FusionFall Heroes, alongside Finn and Fionna. She has 6 skins (including the original one) that can be acquired through the EGGs sold in the game store.
  • On 2017, Mondo has released two 9-inch statues of Marceline The Vampire Queen exclusively available on their website. It features her floating in the air, playing her Axe Bass. On the floor are some of her favorite snacks: strawberries with half of their reds eaten and fries, and it comes with a mini copy of the hit film Heat Signature. Her pedestal features a replica of the wooden floorboards of her cave house and her father, Hunson Abadeer. Mondo has also released a Mondo Exclusive version which comes with all of the same accessories made available on the regular version plus Hambo.
  • Mondo has also produced Marceline Enamel Pins designed by J.J. Harrison. It can be purchased individually or as a set in their Adventure Time: Land of Ooo 5-Pin Set made available on their website.
  • In Phineas and Ferb, one of the characters, Vanessa is one of the most popular characters voiced by Olivia Olson, who also voices Marceline in this series. Vanessa once appears as a "The Vampire Queen" costume which also resembles Marceline in season 4 episode "Druselsteinoween".
  • She is mentioned in the 2016 psychological horror film "Better Watch Out."
  • A bootlegged version of Marceline appears at the end of the 2022 film Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers.

  • Voice Actors[]

    Language Voice Actors
    English Olivia Olson
    Ava Acres (young)
    Audrey Bennett (young; Obsidian only)
    Jessie Seely (video game only)
    Martin Olson (evil form; Return to the Nightosphere)
    Spanish (Latin America) Isabel Martiñón
    Ángela Villanueva (Farmworld herself)
    Claudia Urbán (songs; Season 2-5)
    Julián Lavat (evil form; Return to the Nightosphere)

    Gallery[]

    Marcelinef Modelsheet marceline innewoutfit playinaxebass - specialposeb Modelsheet marceline - inbikeroutfit - withscaryface - specialpose
    The full image gallery for Marceline may be viewed at Marceline/Gallery.


    References[]

    1. episode 12 Evicted! debuted 17 May 2010:
      Marceline:"I'm a thousand years old"
      (sung as part of the House Hunting Song lyrics)
    2. Episode 84 "Daddy's Little Monster" debuted 30 April 2012:
      Marceline: "Dad, I'm a thousand years old."
      Hunson: "Ha! Yes you are, sweetie."
    3. Episode 152 "Betty", 24 February 2014:
      Marceline: "I'm only a thousand."
    4. episode 118 "Simon & Marcy" debuted 25 March 2013:
      Time Card "THIS DAY 996 YEARS AGO"
    5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Everything Stays"
    6. 6.0 6.1 "It Came from the Nightosphere"
    7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Obsidian"
    8. "Simon & Marcy". Season 5. Episode 14.
      Simon: "A 7-year-old girl!"
    9. "I Remember You"
    10. "Simon & Marcy"
    11. Adventure Time: 2015 Spoooktacular.
      Marceline: "You know what...? It's kinda nice having to someone to talk to. I mean... someone who's not just gonna abandon me and leave me with my ding-dong dad."
    12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Memory of a Memory"
    13. "Adventure Time: The Enchiridion & Marcy's Super Secret Scrapbook"
    14. 14.0 14.1 "Vamps About"
    15. 15.0 15.1 "Varmints"
    16. "What Was Missing"
    17. 17.0 17.1 "Sky Witch"
    18. 18.0 18.1 http://watchplayread.com/adventure-time-memory-of-a-memory-mini-review/
    19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 "Evicted!"
    20. http://whysoblu.com/adventure-time-my-two-favorite-people-dvd-review/
    21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 "Henchman"
    22. http://www.tvguide.com/detail/tv-show.aspx?tvobjectid=304498&more=ucepisodelist&episodeid=19876435
    23. "Return to the Nightosphere"
    24. 24.0 24.1 "Daddy's Little Monster"
    25. "Betty"
    26. "Broke His Crown"
    27. Elements
    28. "Ketchup"
    29. "Marcy & Hunson"
    30. https://tvline.com/2018/09/03/adventure-time-series-finale-bubblegum-marceline-kiss-bubbline-confirmed/
    31. "Come Along With Me"
    32. https://www.polygon.com/tv/2018/9/3/17806570/adventure-time-finale-finn-bubblegum-marceline-adam-muto-interview
    33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo8X9k966i8&t=41s
    34. 34.0 34.1 "Red Starved"
    35. https://archive.ph/yc63w
    36. "Go With Me"
    37. http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/adventuretime/characters/marceline/index.html
    38. http://archive.is/Zoqks
    39. http://archive.is/MqjZL
    40. "Adventure Time Mini-Series: "Stakes""
    41. "Varmints"
    42. https://archive.ph/3qfhX
    43. "Princess Day"
    44. http://i1.cdnds.net/14/42/comics-adventure-time-the-art-of-ooo.png

    See also[]

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