Ice King (original name: Simon Petrikov), is a major character conceived to be, but no longer acting as the main antagonist of Adventure Time. Originally depicted as a two-dimensional, humorously over-the-top villain trying to kidnap Princess Bubblegum on a regular basis, the character's personality was subsequently expanded, revealing him to be a kind-hearted but misunderstood old man with completely twisted senses of morality and social behavior, suffering from loneliness and memory loss. Later seasons unveil his tragic backstory, revealing he was once a good human named Simon Petrikov who lost his mind, memories and loved ones due to the magic crown giving him his ice powers.
In "Come Along With Me," Ice King is permanently reverted back to Simon after almost being digested by GOLB.
Background[]
Biography[]
Sometime before the Mushroom War, Ice King was a normal, olive-skinned, dark-haired human named Simon Petrikov who was studying to be an antiquarian (a specialist in the knowledge of ancient artifacts). He had a young fiancée named Betty, whom he referred to as his "princess" and loved dearly.
In "I Remember You," it is revealed that Ice King was a Professor of Archaeology and had discovered the ancient text of heroes, the Enchiridion, during an expedition to the Hindu Kush mountain range. This is shown in a newspaper clipping that Marceline shows him in the episode "I Remember You." The newspaper heading reads, "Simon Petrikov Unearths Ancient Treasure," and was written by the journalist Bruce Guese.
At some point in his career, he purchased a strange jeweled crown from an old dock worker in Northern Scandinavia. After bringing the crown home, he put it on his head to make Betty laugh, but the crown caused him to blackout and experience odd visions. He "fought with [the visions]… shouted at them until [he] realized it wasn't real—it was the crown."
Simon had no recollection of what he had said or done while wearing the crown, though it was enough to frighten away his fiancée. Simon never heard or saw Betty ever again and began to record himself on VHS tape so people would know his story. As time passed, Simon began to lose his mind as he began to wear the crown, deteriorating in both mind and body over the years into his current state. His condition worsened after his fiancée Betty was spirited into his future, which played a role in his subconscious need for princesses. As his mind and body became further twisted by the crown, Simon thought himself "too far gone" to find an escape from its influence, though he hoped that he could one day regain his sanity enough so that Betty, his "princess," would come back and love him again. He is no longer considered a human; the power of the crown not only twisted his mind but his body as well. His species/race was Wizard according to the writers.
Simon was also Marceline's "beloved friend" and guardian before eventually abandoning her. Around the time of the Mushroom War and before losing his sanity, he found a young Marceline crying in the wreckage. He gave her a stuffed doll from a toy shop destroyed in the conflict to comfort her. This toy would eventually become Marceline's most precious possession, Hambo, which she would keep and cherish until it was sold to Maja the Sky Witch by her ex-boyfriend, Ash. Marceline described Hambo to Ash as her "favorite thing in the world." She was seen alone with a worn-out version of the stuffed toy when Finn and Jake visited her memories in "Memory of a Memory," possibly several years after Simon gave it to her. In "Sky Witch," Marceline is reunited with Hambo after Princess Bubblegum managed to swap it with Maja in exchange for the shirt Marceline gave her. Simon ultimately abandoned Marceline at the same time as the filming of his final video diary, fearing for her safety at what he was becoming.
It could be implied that the crown he wore only sought to protect him. It taught him the secrets of the "ice and snow," so he would survive the Mushroom War, as it did for Farmworld Finn in "Finn the Human." However, in the same episode, Farmworld Finn mentioned the crown's "promise of power," implying the crown's seductive nature and negative influence.
As many years passed, Simon became disassociated from his original identity to the point that his only reaction to watching a video of his past was an embarrassment at the idea of having once worn glasses. Further proof of his dissociation is shown in "What Have You Done?" when he responds to Jake's accusation of him stealing the crown with, "I didn't steal it. I made that item! Made it with the magic that I stole!" When others refer to him as "Simon" within earshot, he is generally confused or ignores it.
In the series finale "Come Along With Me" Betty, King Man and Maja summoned GOLB to Ooo. Betty had linked herself with Maja with the goal of harnessing the power of GOLB. King Man told Ice King that he is the only one who can stop her. Ice King compared King Man's instruction to reason with her to "fan-fiction." and began singing "Oh, Fionna" to her, which caused her to awaken and madly berate him for opposing her when she was almost "successful" in using GOLB's power to cure him. Her powerful emotions connected to Maja causes the latter to explode, blasting Ice King and Betty into GOLB's mouth with Finn jumping in after them.
While inside GOLB's "stomach" (along with Finn), Betty and Simon were digested and reverted back to their sane and non-magical forms, with the two completely reunited, with Simon now remembering Betty. Reunited once again, Simon and Betty embrace each other as the space they are trapped in begins to shrink.
Later on, the friends of Finn and Jake sing the "Time Adventure" song, allowing Simon and Finn escape from inside GOLB, although Betty decides to stay behind as a sacrifice and use the Ice crown (which was restored to its essential form, granting its wearer their deepest, truest wish) to wish GOLB out of existence. When this doesn't work, she wishes instead that Simon is protected at all costs. As a result, Betty is fused with GOLB and the two become one singular entity. Devastated at Betty's decision, Simon cries out for her as the new GOLB leaves the planet through another portal, and is comforted by Marceline. Before the portal closes, the Ice Crown falls to the ground. Gunter decides to wear it, fuses with it and is transformed into Ice Thing after wishing to be Ice King.
Simon is later seen in Prismo's Time Room, seemingly wishing Betty back, only to have a similar result to when King Man wished to bring Margles back.
Simon is seen in Marceline's house, making popcorn and spending time with Marceline, Princess Bubblegum, Peppermint Butler, Ice Thing, and Turtle Princess. He is shown to be smiling, implying that he has moved on with Betty's sacrifice.
Simon appears again in "Obsidian", set an unspecified amount of time after "Come Along With Me". He is seen in Dirt Beer Guy's Tavern singing "I Remember You" and later takes Glassboy to Marceline's house. He is later seen dressed in the Ice King's old robe wearing Gunther slippers and a toy crown playing in Marceline's freezer claiming that it is his way of coping with the trauma from years of being the Ice King after Glassassins break in. After the battle with Larvo he arrives wanting to help alongside some Banana Guards, Finn, and Bronwyn. He is then shown to be dancing with a Glass Person after the Glass Kingdom is saved.
As the Ice King, Simon Petrikov's skin turned light blue, his nose became pointy and long, his eyes and hair turned white, he grew a full beard, and his body temperature dwindled to an unnatural low of 30 °C, or 86 °F (normal human body temperature is 37 °C or 98.6 °F). His ice-based magic abilities come from a magical crown he wears, which directly causes his insanity.
Personality[]
Simon is known for his intelligence, kindness, and self-sacrifice. From the information given in "Holly Jolly Secrets Part II," Simon was a deeply committed and loving fiancé (to Betty). He proved to be the same way as a watchful guardian over young Marceline during the aftermath of the Mushroom War. Even when they were in great danger, Simon struggled to keep Marceline happy and helped her to always see the best of their situation. He took on a very responsible role in Marceline's life, by not only protecting her and keeping her healthy but also by teaching her right from wrong and keeping her spirits high (as seen in "Simon & Marcy"). Simon, as a rule, is known for being optimistic even at the worst of times and it is clearly one of Simon's most notable attributes. Even while being saddled with a great burden, Simon fought an apocalyptic world while fighting the omnipotent influence of the Ice Crown. Some of Simon's innermost thoughts and fears of his inevitable madness were revealed in messages left to Marceline revealed in "I Remember You." Simon agonized over abandoning Marceline in a dangerous world due to his deteriorating sanity. However, Simon, nearing the very end of his humanity feared for his own life, worried that as the crown took him from Marceline, no one would be able to "save him." His vulnerability as a human was most evident just before he permanently became the Ice King. In "Come Along With Me" his optimism and courage is shown when he comforts Finn wisely telling him that no one gets to chose how they "go out" or die and at least they were together before being rescued.
Although Simon is characterized by these traits, Ice King's personality is completely the opposite. Though (in earlier episodes) Ice King was portrayed as disagreeable and short-tempered due to his main antagonistic role, he is merely a nuisance and "isn't usually a serious threat," according to Princess Bubblegum.
In later episodes, due to no longer acting as the main antagonist, he is portrayed as more easy-going and having a sense of humor, particularly due to Ice King considering Finn and Jake his "friends" after the events of "What Have You Done?"
The Ice King is misunderstood, lonely, and only hopes of marrying a princess. He has been labeled a "sociopath" by the Cosmic Owl, though his personality seems more akin to a person with a narcissistic personality disorder, as he still feels humiliation and guilt. Due to his poor social skills, enduring short attention span and arrogant nature, Ice King is unable to attract any of his prisoners and often resorts to a forced marriage instead of the loving relationship he desires. However, he can be a loving and selfless person as revealed in "Princess Monster Wife." Aside from Gunter, his other penguin guards, and numerous ice creatures, Ice King has few other friends and expresses a continual zeal to spend time with anyone who will tolerate his company, especially his frenemies, Finn and Jake. In "The Eyes," he takes on the disguise of a horse to spy on Finn and Jake in an effort to learn how to be happy, but this fails as well.
Despite Ice King's more antagonistic role, he plays the part of a protagonist in "Mortal Recoil," as he helps Finn and Jake defeat Princess Bubblegum by freezing her Lich-possessed body. In the mini-episode, "The Wand," he actually helps Finn and Jake regardless of the fact that Finn said to "sacrifice" himself, but unbeknownst of the fact that it also changed his face.
Ice King is harmless in nature, and only kidnaps princesses and steals out of desperation. However, in the episode "Loyalty to the King," when he does have the opportunity to marry many princesses, he secretly plots to make an elite army of wives to take over the world with. His misunderstood intentions may either be in question or may just stem from his lunacy. His crown has made him insane over the years, affecting his social skills, causing him to unintentionally do bad things. Friendship and companionship is all he really wants, though he goes about it the wrong way.
Due to the insanity brought by wearing the crown, Ice King seems to have limited memory. This was first seen in "I Remember You," where he does not seem to remember his past as Simon Petrikov, even though he saw the history (after he found the crown) in "Holly Jolly Secrets Part II." Later on, he does not remember who Neptr is, even though he was the one that wanted Neptr to accept as his father in Neptr's debut, "What is Life?" and even confuses him with BMO, as seen in the events of "Mystery Dungeon."
Ice King seems to find his happiness in his own Imagination Zone, and it is clear that he would rather live in his Imagination Zone than in the real world. In "Fionna and Cake," he is shown reading his gender-swapped fan fiction to Finn and Jake, based on the events and characters in the actual world. He is shown to cherish his fan fiction characters more than the real-life characters, and in "Mystery Dungeon," he tries to bring the characters to life, but he fails. In "Bad Little Boy," it is revealed that he had made ice sculptures of Fionna and Cake along with writing many other fan-fic stories.
Physical appearance[]
Simon Petrikov is a human male, with olive skin and dark brown hair. He prefers to wear a dark suit with a red bow tie and his trademark blue eyeglasses. Before his curse, Simon had dark eyes, similar to Finn's, but afterward, his eyes turned white and remained so to the present day.
As Ice King, Simon was a blue-skinned, elderly man with unusually pointy fingers, pointy toes, sharp teeth, and a long, goblin-like nose. He wore a dark blue tunic and had a lengthy white beard that covered most of his body. Typically, the Ice King's weight varied in different episodes. Although his robe gave him the appearance of a fat and small/short man, Ice King's body was in fact exceptionally thin and tall. In "What is Life?," he is seen without his robe, and it is revealed that he sometimes looks short because he usually slouches. It was also revealed that Ice King doesn't have proper underwear. In "What Have You Done?," Ice King revealed that he is on a diet. However, in "I Remember You," "Bad Little Boy," and "Princess Potluck" he was shown to be fatter than usual. Confusingly, his regular emaciated state is shown again in "Mystery Dungeon" and "A Glitch is a Glitch." Pendleton Ward explained in the commentary for "Loyalty to the King" on the Season 2 DVD set that Ice King frequently diets, but binges on food when depressed and regains weight.
Ice King was rarely seen without his crown; without it he is powerless, and he is revealed to be balding with a tuft of white hair atop his head. The only times he has been seen in shoes was when he was working out before Slime Princess came to talk to him in "Loyalty to the King" and while playing basketball in "Simon and Marcy." Ice king had no visible ears when his beard/hair was removed in "Loyalty to the King" and "Mystery Dungeon."
Powers and abilities[]
- The Ice King's crown bestowed upon him numerous powers in exchange for his sanity, most of which involved ice and snow. He can cast ice lightning to freeze or strike targets and can summon blizzards at will to cover the land in snow. He is also capable of creating various weapons or structures out of ice. He can also animate beings of ice and snow, like the Ice-o-pede and snowman soldiers.
- He could sense when someone is tampering with the snow and/or ice around the Ice Kingdom. However, it is not known if he can use this ability with snow outside of the Ice Kingdom.
- Outside of cryokinesis, the Ice King is also able to fly by using his beard, parting and flapping it like a pair of wings to stay aloft.
- He could withstand high temperatures (possibly due to his own low body temperature), as seen when he stayed in the Fire Kingdom without a heat suit or flame shield.
- The Ice King's nose lengthened when he was near or wearing the crown, and shortened whenever he was far from it.
- The Ice King was shown to be able to take people to his "Imagination Zone" where he was able to create illusions. He uses this power to try to convince Neptr to join him with the promise of princesses.
- He also has a power called Wizard Eyes, which makes him see strange things and puts him at risk, and he is not fully conscious while he uses this power. In "Beyond this Earthly Realm," it is revealed that his Wizard Eyes allowed him to see into the Spirit World, explaining that the freaky creatures surrounding him were spirits like Finn when he is transported to the Spirit World. In "The Empress Eyes," he seemed to possess immunity to the Empress's hypnotic abilities.
- The Ice King's crown also prolonged his life and preserved him for at least a millennia.
- In "The Chamber of Frozen Blades," the Ice King is shown to have studied the Ice Ninja art of Fridjitzu, and that his sanctum is filled with all sorts of ninja-esque weaponry and memorabilia.
- The Ice King has shown to be very skilled at the drums, once demonstrating a drum solo, and owned two drum sets, one of which was a green one with "#1 Babe" across the front. The set consisted of a bass drum, a floor tom, a snare, a crash cymbal, a ride cymbal, and a hi-hat. His other drum set, a red one, was in terrible shape and smashed to pieces in a corner of his castle. He could also play the keyboard fairly decently. The fact that he had so many instruments lying around his castle indicates that he had a fair amount of musical ability. Also, in "Simon & Marcy," Simon shows that he sings songs to entertain Marcy, who says his songs are "so good." His drumsticks can also be seen in the side pocket of his backpack in any post-apocalyptic flashback.
- The Ice King also had the Demonic Wishing Eye and the Ghost pouch. The Demonic Wishing Eye's powers were shown in "Reign of Gunters" when Gunther used it to (temporarily) conquer Ooo.
Weaknesses[]
- The Ice King's powers and abilities are directly tied to the crown, however, and its removal will strip him of all his abilities until he puts it back on.
- Extreme heat/humidity could also negate his powers. This was seen when his powers became weaker in a heated chamber in a hidden dungeon, and despite having a moat of water, the humidity in the area made it impossible for the Ice King to convert any of the ambient water or vapor into ice or frost
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Ice King has a tattoo of a penguin on his right buttock.
- Ice king has a computer that he uses to play video games and creating the the universe destroying glitch-virus to delete the entire universe
External Links[]
- Ice King- Adventure Time Wiki
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