Adventure Time ’s influence on our modern crop of animated TV cannot be understated. Both as an incubator of talent — from its storyboarding room sprang the folks behind equally influential shows like Steven Universe and Over the Garden Wall — and an ever-mutating epic that used its success to experiment wildly. In many ways, the many creatives working on Adventure Time were inventing the modern serialized, long-form comedy/puzzle box/fantasy animated series for kids as they went along. Adventure Time even lit the fuse on what’s snowballed into a genuine explosion of kids cartoons with queer romance plots or subplots — though like everything else in the show, it was produced of the slow accumulation of “yes, and”-style world-building, and like many shows after it, was hampered by network rules on queer content. Fans that eagerly awaited tension of the next “Wait... do they have history?” moment between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire Queen were eventually rewarded with their relationship becoming an indelible part of Adventure Time canon. But fans of more recent queer YA animation who are interested in following the path worn by fandoms come before may find Adventure Time as a whole difficult to get sucked into. I know, because when I mentioned that I’d put together a Bubbline watch/skip list of just the Marceline and Bubblegum episodes of Adventure Time for some friends, no less than two co-workers immediately asked me if they could see it too. They love animated TV, but Finn and Jake — especially in the show’s early seasons — couldn’t quite maintain their interest. It’s an understandable problem! By the time Adventure Time really starts leaning into the Bubbline subtext with consistency, the lore is impenetrably dense for a new viewer. And thanks to Adventure Time’s laissez-faire approach to taking one-off episodes and retconning them into load-bearing plot pillars, you can’t just skip back a few episodes from seasons 6 or 7 to figure out why Finn has a robot arm. So we’ve decided to share this list with the world. How to use this Bubbline watch/skip list
Image: Warner Bros. Television
Start with season 1 of Adventure Time on HBO Max, and watch each episode on this list! Marceline and Princess Bubblegum are not the main characters of Adventure Time, so following their appearances and only their appearances will exempt you from a lot of moving and shaking in the show’s main plot. For your convenience, we’ve summarized that lore here, under the heading of the episode where you’ll need to know it. Read the note before you watch the episode, unless directed otherwise. We’ve also offered commentary on the repeated motifs of Adventure Time that you’re missing out on by watching it in this way, just to create a more complete experience. Adventure Time is not a fully plotted-out long-form story like many of the shows that came in its wake, like Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, or The Owl House, and a lot of its themes come out in repetition, not single installments. Happy adventuring! Welcome to the world of Ooo
Image: Warner Bros. Television
It is an era of wizard magic, candy science, and legendary heroism! The Cosmic Owl swoops through the dreamscape, his presence marking the difference between dreams and prophecy. Prismo the Wish Master sleeps at the center of the cosmos. The four-faced deity Grob Gob Glob Grod watches over the fields of Mars, and we never talk about their fearsome brother GOLB, whose last worshippers were surely eradicated during the ancient Mushroom Wars… but I’m getting off track. Our heroes are brothers, Finn the Human and Jake the Dog (Finn was adopted). As far as anyone knows, Finn is the only human! Jake’s magical powers come from an encounter his parents had with a blue, shapeshifting alien while his mom was pregnant (although nobody finds that out until very late in the series). Their main adventures often involve battling the odious Ice King, who is constantly kidnapping princesses and trying to force them to marry him. (Ooo is riddled with princesses). Princess Bubblegum, monarch of the Candy Kingdom, also often sends them on quests (Finn has a huge crush on her). And that’s really all you need to know! Season 1
7: “Ricardio the Heart Guy”
12: “Evicted!” — Don’t worry about the worm; it comes back in a later episode that doesn’t have much to do with this one. 22: “Henchman”
Image: Warner Bros. Television
1: “It Came From the Nightosphere” — You should know, just for the proper appreciation of Lumpy Space Princess as a concept, that she is voiced by Pendleton Ward, creator of Adventure Time. 17: “Death in Bloom”
20: “Go With Me” — Jake’s girlfriend is Lady Rainicorn, Princess Bubblegum’s best friend and steed. Billy is an early example of one of Adventure Time’s most important quiet themes. Finn and Jake are part of an endless cycle of heroes, from the dawn of time to the far future. Some of these adventurer pairings are unconnected people from another time, sometimes they seem like distant descendants or ancestors, sometimes they’re direct reincarnations of their souls. It’s a way Adventure Time says that every time is a good time to battle evil and protect the innocent. A way it says that heroes — even Finn and Jake themselves — wear all genders, shapes, and guises. And it’s a way to say that the story of Finn and Jake never truly comes to an end, even when the show does. I love kids media that teaches children how to grapple with its own end as a story. Anyway, meet the Lich. A few Lich stories give a bit of perspective on Marceline and the Ice King, whose arc is a major pillar of the Marceline/Bubblegum storyline, so I’ve included them here. 25: “Mortal Recoil”
Image: Warner Bros. Television
3: “Memory of a Memory” — If you watch closely, you can catch a picture of Finn and Jake’s other brother, Jermaine, in part of this episode. He’s a nonmagical talking yellow dog, voiced by Tom Scharpling (Steven Universe). 5: “Too Young”
10: “What Was Missing” — Congratulations, you’ve made it. This is the moment Adventure Time really becomes Adventure Time. It’s also the episode that spawned in earnest the Bubbline ship, for reasons that will be obvious the moment you finish it. 12: “The Creeps”
20: “Holly Jolly Secrets” part 2 — Don’t worry about part 1, it’s just fine and is easily summarized, where part 2 is a load-bearing pillar of Adventure Time lore. Previously on Adventure Time: Finn and Jake found the Ice King’s secret tapes and they want to watch the secrets on them, but the secrets are hidden in hours of really boring home movies. That’s all you really need to know. 21: “Marceline’s Closet”
26: “Incendium” — Not a ton of Marcy and Peebs here, but watching this episode will help you stay abreast of the evolution of Finn’s crush on Princess Bubblegum and will also introduce you to Flame Princess. Season 4
29: “Sky Witch”
31: “Too Old” — OK, so… Lemongrab has been through some… things… since you last saw him. He blamed Princess Bubblegum for creating him with the desire for companionship and a hatred for all things except that which is like his obnoxious self, so she made a second Lemongrab to be with him. Then the Lemongrabs claimed their kingdom was in famine so they could get foreign aid of lemon drops, which they used to create hundreds of lemon people to enslave. Then the Lemongrabs started having relationship problems, which led to the original Lemongrab partially consuming the second Lemongrab. Also, between now and the last time we saw her, Finn had a messy breakup with Fire Princess, which was his fault. 32: “Earth & Water”
2: “Varmints”
6-13: The “Stakes” miniseries — You may have noticed Finn no longer has his Grass Sword! Between now and the last time we saw Finn, he overextended his Grass Sword, which exploded and took his right forearm with it. He was really messed up about it for a while. Then some other stuff happened, and the remnants of the Grass Sword in Finn’s arm regrew his arm, with no trace of the Grass Sword, except for a green thorn that comes out of his palm sometimes. Yes, all this sword and arm stuff becomes important later. 26: “The Thin Yellow Line”
Season 8
Image: Warner Bros. Television
1: “Broke His Crown” — Remember Betty’s quest to save the Ice King from his madness? Well, so far in the course of her studies she’s determined that all wizardry demands/causes a degree of madness and sadness in the wizard. Between last we saw her and now, she stole the powers of the trickster Magic Man (thereby taking on his rather extreme level of madness, and his yellow pointed hat), and briefly stole the Ice King’s crown, altered it somehow, and gave it back. 8: “Elemental”
Season 9
Image: Warner Bros. Television
11: “Ketchup” — In this episode, BMO and Marceline recap the events of two back-to-back Adventure Time miniseries, “Islands” and “Elements.” Neither of them have much to do with Bubbline so I have not included them, but the gist is:
In “Islands,” Finn, Jake, and BMO went on an adventure across the sea where they found other humans and met Finn’s biological mom! Wow! The other humans are sailing back to the main Ooo landmass but it’s gonna take them a while. Meanwhile, in “Elements,” Patience St. Pim supercharged the elemental princesses, overriding their personalities with pure elemental impulses and transforming the continent into four elemental quarters. Anyone touching the ground turned elemental too: Princess Bubblegum became a giant gum entity, and in her quarter of Ooo all living things that touched the ground were transformed into creepily cheerful candy versions of themselves (even the ones that weren’t candy). The only thing that winds up having the power to turn everyone back to normal is Lumpy Space Princess, because she’s not from Ooo at all, but rather the extradimensional realm of Lumpy Space. The most important detail of all that, for those following this list, is that LSP’s powers returned everything and everyone in Ooo not just to the way they were before the elementals transformed them, but to their original forms. Also important: At the beginning of “Islands,” Finn’s Grass Sword reemerged and came into contact with his Finn-Sword (a sword created by a paradox when Finn went back in time and met himself) and formed an entire new being called Fern. Fern is a tragic character who will feature a lot in the endgame of Adventure Time. You see, Finn’s late-game character arc is all about confronting bad ways to be a hero by meeting warped reflections of himself — other lives, other timelines, other characters who want to be like him but don’t measure up, his own deadbeat dad... and Fern. Fern has all of Finn’s memories (it took a lot of lifting to convince Fern he wasn’t Finn when he first came into being). The key difference between them (other than that Fern is 100% made of grass) is that the sentient curse of the Grass Sword lives inside Fern, and gives him evil impulses/instincts that prevent him from his Finn-like dream of being a true hero. When the Grass Sword left Finn’s body, he was left without a right forearm again, so Princess Bubblegum made him a robot prosthetic. Season 10
12: “Gumbaldia”
13: “The Ultimate Adventure: Come Along With Me” — Betty, still twisted by madness and sadness, has teamed up with Normal Man (formerly Magic Man) to bring back Normal Man’s long-lost love, Margles, and Simon. Also, at the end of “Islands,” Finn had an adventure where he met the Nightmare Princess and traded her some bananas for a red bottle of… something. Obsidian
You’ll find this long episode under Adventure Time: Distant Lands on HBO Max. You made it! The first episode of Adventure Time were Marcy and Peebles are full-on girlfriends. We hope you enjoyed this very specific jaunt through the world of Adventure Time. Whether or not it inspires you to go back and watch the full show from the beginning, you’ve gotten a look inside one of the most influential and envelope-pushing animated TV shows of our modern era — and that’s nothing to sneeze at. Loading comments...

The ultimate Adventure Time Bubbline watchlist, for all the gay romance

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[author: Victoria Schneider]
If you haven’t heard the words Ukraine or Russia within the last 5 months, one would assume that you must live under a rock, or that you’ve just decided to tune them out. Just as it seemed that we were on our way to being in the clear from the COVID pandemic and getting back to a little bit of normalcy within the global supply chain, the ever-so-sweet Putin decided to invade the Ukraine. Ever since the invasion, initiated by Putin back in February of 2022, there has been a shockwave of domino effects that have reached around the world. One of the most prominent issues would be the gas supply issue in European countries. Before the war in Ukraine, 40% of Europe’s gas was supplied by Russia ( theguardian.com ). However, after the invasion, the E.U. has had no choice but to wean themselves off energy imports from Russia. As winter approaches, Russia has sent signals to Europe that they should probably consider looking somewhere else for gas because they’re going to be cut off entirely at some point in the near future. The “unfriendly” countries must pay the price of being on the wrong side of the invasion of a sovereign country. Yes, the propaganda coming out of China and Russia at this point is confusing at best. The cutting of the gas supply situation reminds me of that one boss who hints at a potential downsizing within the company just to let you know it’s coming. They aren’t confirming anything, but it would probably be a good idea to look around for other jobs, you know just in case. Even with the U.S.’s pleas to not put themselves in this situation, the E.U ignored all warnings and in turn, allowed Russia to become that boss. In fact, as of July 27th, 2022, European countries are now being forced to wean themselves off energy imports from Russia as they have tightened their grasp on the pipeline yet again by cutting supplies in to 40% to now only 20%. As the pipeline’s supply drastically changes, European countries are now scrambling for ways to prepare for the winter. With the inevitable development of Russia turning the gas supply into a weapon, it begs the question, where are European countries going to turn? Like a good neighbor, big brother America is there! In case you were unaware, the U.S. is one of the world’s largest producers of LNG and one of the top countries the E.U. is turning to amid the gas crisis. At the time of this writing, August 8th, 2022, there was a foreign relations hearing held where Jose Fernandez, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, met with European countries to discuss the US increasing oil production to an all-time high in an effort to assist. Just like everything involving trade and the everchanging geopolitical landscape, there is always a “deal” to be made. So yes, the US has looked to help European countries by supplying them with greater volumes of LNG, but at a higher price. As Russia continues to tighten its grip on the E.U.’s gas supply, European countries are planning to have at least 85% of gas storage by November. But unfortunately, specialists have said that quota will be hard to meet after looking at the current situation ( theguardian.com ). So, with winter approaching, Germany in particular must increase the burning of coal and reduce its natural gas consumption in order to fill their storage facilities (CNN). Putin shows no signs of stopping the siege. As European countries scramble to prepare for the winter, Russia continues to run rampant pulling supplies from countries that desperately need them and continuing war on Ukraine. As of July 30th, 2022, Russian energy specialist Gazprom said they are pulling out of business with Germany altogether because of an ongoing dispute over Moscow’s new currency from euros to rubles. With every day that goes by, it seems there is a new update in the ongoing energy dispute between Russia and European countries, making this article a work in progress up to the date of publication. Observing all the facts I’ve discovered throughout my research, I have come to the conclusion that yes, winter will be a time of struggle for European nations. But it’s a valuable lesson learned in doing business with an autocracy. It’s also a tough one, as even with their efforts in reducing energy and looking elsewhere to make up the 40% loss of Russian supplies, European nations are far behind in helping fill supplies for the winter. On top of Russia reducing supplies, I fear there may be an even further escalation of retaliation as the dispute goes on. Gazprom 2 is dead, and Gazprom 1 is dying, but that still pales in comparison to those who Russia will make suffer in the coming months.

Hot Topics in International Trade - August 2022 - European Countries Beware, Winter Is Coming, with Ice King Putin Leading the C...

The “ Adventure Time ” universe is expanding, with HBO Max ordering a new half-hour series about Fionna and Cake. In the 10-episode series, Fionna and Cake – with the help of the former Ice King, Simon Petrikov – embark on a multiverse-hopping adventure and journey of self-discovery. All the while, a powerful new antagonist determined to track them down and erase them from existence lurks in the shadows. “Adventure Time” veteran Adam Muto will serve as showrunner and executive producer on the series, which is currently titled “Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake.” Cartoon Network Studios will produce. Fionna and Cake were first introduced in the third season of “Adventure Time” back in 2011. They are the gender-swapped versions of the show’s main protagonists, Finn the Human and Jake. “’Adventure Time’ truly broke the mold and earned legions of passionate fans in the process,” said Billy Wee, senior vice president of comedy and original animation for HBO Max. “We are thrilled to partner with our friends at Cartoon Network Studios to continue innovating and expanding the ‘Adventure Time’ universe with this world class team.”
This is the latest effort to build out the world of “Adventure Time.” HBO Max has thus far run three one-hour original specials set in the world of the series under the “Adventure Time: Distant Lands” banner. The fourth and final special, “Wizard City,” is due to drop on the streamer this fall. “‘Adventure Time’ broke boundaries and was a shining example of how impactful animated storytelling can be,” said Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios. “We are excited to partner with HBO Max to carry that tradition on to new heights, lands and magical worlds.”

‘Adventure Time’ Fionna and Cake Series Ordered at HBO Max

Screenshot: Cartoon Network
As they say, the fun never ends! With the final installment of the  Adventure Time: Distant Lands miniseries fast approaching, HBO Max has announced another exclusive spin-off of the beloved Cartoon Network series. This time, however,  Fionna the Human and Cake the Cat will be the ones grabbing their friends, going to very distant lands, etc. Advertisement
Emphasis on the distant. According to the official synopsis for the 10-episode series, it sounds like Fionna and Cake’s adventures won’t just be confined to their parallel version of Ooo:
Fionna and Cake—with the help of the former Ice King, Simon Petrikov—embark on a multiverse-hopping adventure and journey of self-discovery. All the while, a powerful new antagonist determined to track them down and erase them from existence lurks in the shadows. Into the Adventure-Verse sounds like a heck of a good time to me. However, I wonder how this fits in the “origin” of Fionna and Cake, in that they’re fictional characters created by the Ice King. But is the multiverse real? Is this just Ice King’s fanfic magnum opus? Does it really matter? I don’t think so... unless Fionna and Cake stop by “Ooo Prime” (for lack of a better term), which to be fair seems like the kind of twist the makers of Adventure Time love throwing at the show’s fans. The usual complaint about these AT side-stories is that they (rarely) have our pals Finn and Jake in them, and that’s who fans want to hang out with—understandable, given they’re the stars. But I think the “Together Again” installment of Distant Lands, which aired on May 20, beautifully and satisfyingly brought their story to a close. While Fionna and Cake are obviously similar to the O.G. duo, they’re still unique characters, and we’ve really only seen them in four of Adventure Time’s 283 (!) episodes. There’s a lot to explain about them, Prince Bubblegum, Marshall Lee, Ice Queen, and their world. G/O Media may get a commission

Adventure Time Fan-Favorites Fionna and Cake Are Getting Their Own Spin-Off Show

Screenshot: YouTube/Disney
The just-released trailer for Disney’s Cruella invites audiences to witness the mad beginnings of an evil, puppy-hunting fashionista. The film promises to reveal Ms. de Vil’s humble beginnings and take us along on her journey to becoming the cutthroat opportunist we know today. This twist on the classic 101 Dalmatians is one more in a trend of Hollywood productions that delve in villains’ untold backstories and recast them as sympathetic antiheroes, with storylines that seek to soften, if not justify, their bad deeds by showing how the pressures of society twisted them into doing terrible things. From Maleficent to Joker to Harley Quinn, we’re discovering that being misunderstood is just part of the human condition—even if you’re a psychopathic clown murderer. Here are 12 villains to watch when you, too, feel like no one understands. Advertisement
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The Grinch (and How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
The Whovillain Grinch is the holiday baddie known for hating Christmas, and Whoville holiday celebrations in particular. The live-action film starring Jim Carrey revealed the Grinch’s traumatic past, as the holiday-obsessed Whos shunned him for his green fur amid their obsessive Christmas preparation, triggering surly disposition and self-isolation. He has largely self-identified as misunderstood, but learns the power of self-love along the way, growing his heart three sizes before the film ends. The Grinch shows us we can all become worthy of being the hero of our own stories. Find The Grinch for digital rental wherever you find movies. Advertisement
Venom
Venom exists to serve as a pure antihero: a dark reflection of Spider-Man. An alien being, Venom feeds off of a host’s insecurities and weaknesses, inevitably causing them to make more and more selfish decisions, as both host and parasite become addicted to the symbiotic relationship. In short, Venom is an antihero factory. The 2018 film introduces Venom’s history on his home planet. Touted as the underdog, Venom is the “lesser” being of the symbiotes and treated unfairly because of it. A new style of characterization for Eddie Brock (the symbiotic host, played by Tom Hardy), adds an element of comedy to the character, and cultivates a quasi-romance between the symbiote and host. Love doesn’t exactly redeem Venom, but it gives him a place in the world. You can stream Venom on FXNow and Fubo. Advertisement
Cruella
Cruella de Vil is the audacious villain from Disney’s 101 Dalmations. Aside from wanting to get ahead in fashion by skinning the hides of adorable spotted puppies, audiences know very little about her. Glenn Close brought the character to life in the 1996 live-action film with her over-the-top laugh and undeniably evil hustle for money, and although Close gave us more of Cruella’s personality, her backstory was still unknown. That changes with the release of Cruella, which seems poised to make sense of her evil disposition. Cruella is scheduled for theaters on May 28, 2021. Advertisement
Joker
The Joker is known for his anarchist nature and sadistic disregard for human life. The Joker’s allure, whether in the graphic novels or on the big screen, is his mysterious absence of a consistent backstory—a fact 2008’s The Dark Knight poked fun at, as Heath Ledger’s Joker offered contradicting explanations for his hideous facial scars. When the latest Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix was announced, some fans were disappointed to hear the famously evil character would be receiving an origin story. While the Joker’s life outside of his criminal activity was highlighted in the film, the character thankfully retained an air of mystery. Cribbing from Martin Scorsese movies more than the comics, director/co-writer Todd Phillips camouflaged the truth, leaving viewers skeptical about Joker’s true past. It’s an origin story we could have lived without, but does give dimension to a character who was already plenty complex. You can stream Joker on HBO Max. Advertisement
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Birds of Prey, or the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
Speaking of the Joker, Harley Quinn is better known as the sidekick to that iconic villain. She was invented by the creators of Batman: The Animated Series, and has since become a fan-favorite antihero in comics and films. Harley Quinn’s origin story is well known in the comics but has yet to be clearly detailed in the cinematic world. Elements of her backstory are seen in The Suicide Squad and in 2020’s Birds of Prey. She begins as psychiatrist Harleen Frances Quinzel, treating patients at Arkham asylum. While on assignment, she falls for the Joker’s persuasive personality and becomes his criminal sidekick. One might argue Joker simply unlocked her true anti-establishment nature, helping her realize her self-actualize. Either way, she eventually breaks free of Mr. J in the new movie, and has become a symbol for women everywhere who choose to say “fuck the system” and embrace their free spirits. You can stream Birds of Prey, or the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn on HBO Max. Advertisement
The Punisher
Frank “The Punisher” Castle is a prime example of an antihero. In Marvel Comics, Castle is a former soldier who comes home from war only to witness the murder of his wife and child. With a backstory like that, anyone is likely to feel for him...until he starts vigilante killing anyway. In the Netflix original series, Castle is a wanted criminal for the actions he has taken to seek revenge for his family and takes on the alias of “The Punisher.” You find yourself rooting for Castle even if you don’t agree with his tactics. He’s a good guy stuck in a conundrum of needing to do bad things to find peace. You can stream the Punisher series on Netflix. This post was updated at 4:43 pm on Feb. 21 to correct an error; The Punisher originates from Marvel Comics, not DC Comics. Advertisement
Deadpool
Along the same lines, Deadpool uses his powers to exact revenge on his wrongdoers. In the film version, Wade “Deadpool” Wilson is an army veteran turned contracted muscle. After meeting the love of his life, he is diagnosed with terminal cancer and seeks experimental treatment to cure his ailment. When this treatment turns out to be torture, it unlocks his mutant potential but leaves him scarred for life. Wilson then sets out to take down the company that tortured him against his will. His witty and raunchy repertoire eases the blow of the horrific style in which he murders his enemies, and X-Men character Colossus consistently tries to bring Deadpool’s actions from R-rated to PG, but Deadpool is misunderstood, and totally fine with it. You can stream Deadpool on Hulu. Advertisement
Maleficent
Disney’s Sleeping Beauty (based on the fairy tale) presents Maleficent as an evil witch who puts Princess Aurora to sleep (essentially into a coma) to punish the king for snubbing her. The 2014 and 2019 films Maleficent and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil illustrate the childhood trauma and heartbreak that fueled Maleficent’s, well... maleficent actions. It’s an empowering tale of otherness and triumphing after being cast out for your differences, instilling empathy for the known villain. These films turn Maleficent from an antagonist into the protagonist of her own story. You can stream Maleficent on Disney+. Advertisement
The Star Wars Prequels
We are first introduced to the villain known as Darth Vader in media res in Episode IV: A New Hope, which gives us little reason to doubt he is anything but pure, black-clad evil. We learn it’s a little more complex than that in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, but it’s not until the prequels that we learn how he fell from grace. Over the course of these three films, we see the eventual transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader, and discover how his obsessive need to control the fate of those he loved paradoxically turned him to the dark. After his mother is killed and the love of his life and his mentor “betray” him, he turns to the dark side and ceases to be Anakin—he become Darth Vader. Feelings about whether this is a story that needed to be told... vary, but it has become an important part of the Star Wars saga. You can stream all the Star Wars prequels on Disney+. Advertisement
American Psycho
Most antihero stories reveal their protagonists are a product of their environment; while it certainly doesn’t absolve them of their actions, the reasons for their wrongdoing become clear. Patrick Bateman of American Psycho is a wealthy and successful businessman, who also happens to be a psychopathic serial murderer. The film is a commentary on the pressure of perfection and the cost of success. Bateman’s story doesn’t make us empathize with him (or hopefully you don’t) but lays out the unfortunate logic of his actions. You can stream American Psycho on Amazon Prime and Hulu. Advertisement
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Minions: The Rise of Gru
I have a soft spot for the lovable villain Gru. In one momentous day, he not only attempts evil deeds (and mostly fails); he also adopts three orphans and becomes a single father. This year’s Minions: The Rise of Gru will give us the tender beginnings of a villain (even though we do not need much convincing Gru has a soft side.) In the upcoming flick, we’ll see young Gru attempting to join the villain group known as the “Vicious 6.” He is an adorable little guy with a big head, pointy nose, and a plan to deceive the greatest villains of all time. Gru’s origin story promises to be a cautionary tale in never underestimating the little guy. Minions: The Rise of Gru is scheduled for theaters on July 2, 2021. Advertisement
Adventure Time
Adventure Time is an expertly crafted animated television series that intertwines a hero’s struggle with morality and the search for identity in a post-apocalyptic landscape. One could argue main character Finn the Human’s journey has a hint of antihero symbolism to it, considering the number of sacrifices he has made to be the hero he aspires to be—but a villain he most definitely is not. Yet the villain of this series, the Ice King, has one of the most captivating backstories I ever encountered. The Ice King is presented as a bumbling bad guy with the power to fly and freeze things with his hands. He lives in the ice kingdom and spends most of his days trying to kidnap princesses to make one his wife. As the series unfolds, you of course learn a lot more about why he is who he is, and while you despise Ice King for his annoying antics, your heart breaks from knowing why. You can stream Adventure Time on HBO Max. Advertisement
Black Panther
Black Panther’s Erik Killmonger is an antihero who widely speaks to the Black experience in the U.S. Although the film is not solely dedicated to the character, his backstory is prominently featured and provides the film’s turning point; Killmonger is a kid from Oakland who challenges the throne of Wakanda from the current king T’Challa. While his cousin T’Challa grew up with the opulence and privileges in Wakanda, Killmonger grew up on the streets of Oakland, vowing to one day claim the throne and take power over the kingdom. The story is a metaphor for Black Americans who have lost connection to their country of origin and the scars that exist from the severed ties, and Killmonger’s story is a painful antihero’s journey that resonates well beyond the fictional superhero lens. You can stream Black Panther on Disney+.

12 Villainous Origin Stories to Stream When You're Feeling Misunderstood

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