Finn the Human

Series creator Pendleton Ward has stated that he wrote Finn, and Adventure Time as a whole, as though he were playing a session of Dungeons & Dragons, a tabletop role-playing game. Ward commented that Finn's motivations are noble, with a desire to "slay monsters, explore dungeons, find loot".[2] Ward's inspiration for many of Finn and Jake the Dog's adventures came from his childhood, which he described as being the opposite.[3] Early on in the development of the show, Ward had intended for Finn and Jake to be nomads who lived in tents. However, this was changed to having them live in a permanent home at Cartoon Network's request.[4]

Finn is voiced by Jeremy Shada (2015)

The character was originally named Pen in his first appearance, the short film "Adventure Time". It centers around Finn and Jake rescuing Princess Bubblegum (Hynden Walch) from the evil Ice King (Tom Kenny).[5] It aired as part of Nickelodeon's Random! Cartoons showcase in 2008. Zack Shada voiced the character in the short.[6] Finn's visual design resembles Bueno the Bear, another character created by Ward.[7] Finn and Bueno share some similarities, including an enjoyment of beatboxing.[7]

Zack Shada was too old for the role when the series was picked up by Cartoon Network, and his younger brother Jeremy, 12 years old at the time, auditioned for the role.[6] According to Jeremy Shada, the showrunners did not at first realize that he was Zack's younger brother. He said that: "they just thought they got lucky with someone that sounded like the original."[8] Older versions of Finn appear in several episodes of the show. Jonathan Frakes voices two alternate adult versions of Finn in the season five episodes "Puhoy" and "Dungeon Train".[9]

Shada's voice noticeably cracked and changed during the filming of Adventure Time as he was undergoing puberty.[10] Ward decided that Shada would not be recast when his voice changed. Instead, the character of Finn was gradually aged as Shada's voice naturally deepened, and the themes of the show matured with the character.[11] The show depicts Finn dealing with the struggles of adolescence and coming to terms with the complexities of life.[12] A major theme of the series is that Finn begins to see the world in more nuanced terms, rather than the naive outlook he demonstrated in earlier seasons. Although many of the show's conflicts were about good versus evil at the start of the series, they become more complex as it progresses.[6]

Earlier in the series, Finn is enthusiastic and readily resorts to violence to settle conflicts. By the end of the series, he is much more reserved.[13] Adventure Time showrunner and storyboard artist Adam Muto stated that this theme is part of the reason why Finn did not have a sword for much of the finale.[14] Muto has stated that Finn had one of the most satisfying story arcs to write on the show.[15]

Finn was always fun because he started very agro [sic] and that was fun to write for a while, but as he got older it didn't make sense to keep writing him that way. He became a mellower version of himself and more introspective and that was satisfying to follow.[15]

Over time, the show's creators decided to further develop Finn's backstory, including his parents and whether he was truly the last human left in Ooo.[16] Adventure Time composer Tim Kiefer said that Finn's adventures were simple and meaningless in the early seasons; the show had gradually become an exploration of the classic "Hero's journey".[17]

Finn the Human is the main character of Adventure Time and often appears alongside his best friend and adoptive brother Jake the Dog.[18] Finn was adopted by Jake's parents as an infant, and is originally believed to be the only human left in Ooo, the world that the series is set in.[19][20] It is later shown that he was born on Hub Island, part of an archipelago of human who survived the "Great Mushroom War", a mysterious conflict that ravaged Ooo about 1,000 years prior to the start of the series.[21] Finn's parents were a conman named Martin Mertens and Minerva, an accomplished scientist from Hub Island.[22][23]

In season one episode 5 "The Enchiridion!", Finn and Jake complete a series of challenges to win the Enchiridion, a legendary handbook for heroes.[24] In "His Hero", Finn meets the legendary adventurer Billy, who unsuccessfully tries to convince Finn to give up violence.[25] Finn and Jake go on a quest to find the Lich, an ancient undead king (voiced by Ron Perlman), in the second season episodes "Mortal Folly / Mortal Recoil".[26]

The Lich returns in the fourth season finale "The Lich", and kills Billy. After disguising himself as the dead hero, the Lich attempts to trick Finn and Jake into giving him the Enchiridion.[26] Billy's death profoundly impacts Finn, as shown in the episode "Billy's Bucket List".[27]

In "The Vault", it is shown that Finn has had several past lives, most notably having lived as a thief named Shoko.[26] Shoko's friendship with, and eventual betrayal of, Princess Bubblegum influences Finn's relationship with her.[28][29] Finn experiences other alternate lives and versions of himself throughout the series, all of whom are shown to have lost their right arm. This foreshadows the eventual loss of Finn's arm in the season 6 premiere "Wake Up / Escape from the Citadel".[30]

In "Finn the Human / Jake the Dog", Finn tries to wish that the Lich never existed and is transported to an alternate timeline, where he becomes the Ice King. Jake undoes all of these events through his own wish.[31][32] In "Escape from the Citadel", Finn discovers that his father Martin is a criminal imprisoned in the Citadel. Finn loses his arm when the Lich destroys the Citadel, and Martin escapes.[33] Finn is left changed by his loss of limb and disillusionment with his father.[34] A flower blooms from the stump where his arm used to be, and eventually grows into a grass arm.[35]

In the eighth season 2-part episode "Preboot / Reboot," Finn loses his control of his regrown arm, which transforms into a sentient grass doppelgänger called Fern the Human. The violent and reckless Fern acts as a foil to Finn, who has matured over the course of the series.[13] In the following episode, "Two Swords," Finn is fitted with a robotic arm by Princess Bubblegum.[36] Finn attempts to redeem Fern, who shares many of the shortcomings Finn had when he was younger.[37]

The miniseries Islands, which aired as part of the eighth season, sees Finn search for the surviving humans who left Ooo and moved to a chain of islands centuries after the Great Mushroom War.[38] Finn meets his mother Minerva (Sharon Horgan) who has uploaded her mind to a network of robots that could maintain society on Founders' Island, after a plague ravaged the other islands. Minerva is overjoyed to have recovered her son, but tries to keep him on the island out of fear that Ooo is too dangerous.[39] Finn convinces her to let him go, and invites the humans to return to Ooo, but they choose to remain on their islands.[40]

Fionna the Human (Finn's gender-swapped counterpart) is voiced by Madeleine Martin

In the series finale "Come Along With Me," Finn, Jake and Princess Bubblegum battle Gumbald. Realizing that violence is not the answer to the conflict, they ally with Gumbald to fight the dark deity GOLB, who is intent on destroying Ooo.[41] Finn's robotic arm is snapped off when he and the other protagonists are eaten by GOLB.[42]

Golb is defeated, although Fern dies in the aftermath of the conflict. Finn promises to plant Fern's seedling in the ruins of the treehouse, which has been destroyed.[42] The seedling grows into a new treehouse, with a grass sword inside.[43] Finn and Jake are then shown relaxing on a beach.[44] The finale's epilogue and prologue takes place in the distant future, long after the events of Adventure Time.[45][46]

In the Adventure Time: Distant Lands special "Together Again", which takes place after the end of the series, when Finn has died of old age.[47] He then journeys through the Dead Worlds to be reunited with Jake, who died previously. After reuniting with Jake in the afterlife, the two choose to reincarnate back into the living world.[48][49]

According to Rich Goldstein of The Daily Beast, "Halloween nights and comic conventions of the last few years have seen an increase in the number of children (and adults) all over the U.S. who wore Finn and Jake costumes."[78]

Finn the Human has received a positive reception since Adventure Time's debut. His character's growth has especially been praised for its honest portrayal of adolescence and universal struggles associated with coming-of-age.[79] Finn's narrative and impact on younger audiences has been compared to that of Harry Potter, the titular character in J. K. Rowling's book series of the same name.[13] Brandon Zachary of Comic Book Resources described Adventure Time as "one of the most expansive fantasy series in modern history, centering around a kind but unassuming boy growing into a noble young man."[22]

Finn's story arc as the last remaining human — and his eventual discovery of other humans — has also been praised by critics. Zach Blumenfeld of Paste compared Finn's rootless and heroic existence to the passionless, technology-dependent lives of the other human survivors in "Islands". Blumenfeld considered Finn to be an example of Friedrich Nietzsche's hypothetical Übermensch.[40]

[Finn] affirms life as it happens (both the good and the bad), constantly creates a value system and exists completely unfettered by society or the past. [...] He’s grown up without the weight of human history and custom, has guided his own way through a flood of adolescent emotions and has become a hero in a dangerous land of his own free will. His moral code, once crafted in the image of his idol, Billy, is now of his own making.[40]

Emily VanDerWerff of Vox called the series "this era's finest coming-of-age story", mentioning how Finn grew "from boy to almost-man, an adolescent who's slowly figuring out how to be both a good friend and a good person."[80] Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club praised the episode "Breezy" for its relatable depiction of Finn's developing sexuality and his search for emotional fulfillment.[35]

The character also became extremely popular among Adventure Time's fanbase. John DiMaggio recalled "walking around at conventions and seeing everybody wearing their Finn costumes and their Jake costumes and how the characters endeared themselves to people".[8] A float in Finn's likeness was included in the 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.[78]