Finn Mertens, better known as Finn the Human, is a

character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to Theoph ...

and one of the two

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

s, alongside

Jake the Dog Jake the Dog is a character and one of the two protagonists in the American List of animated television series, animated television series ''Adventure Time'' and resulting Adventure Time (franchise), franchise created by Pendleton Ward. He also ...

, in the American animated television series ''

Adventure Time ''Adventure Time'' is an American fantasy animated television series created by Pendleton Ward and co-produced by Frederator Studios for Cartoon Network. The series follows the adventures of a boy named Finn the Human, Finn (Jeremy Shada) and ...

'' and resulting franchise created by

Pendleton Ward Pendleton Ward is an American animator, screenwriter, producer, director, and voice actor who has worked for Cartoon Network Studios, Frederator Studios, and Netflix Animation. He created the series ''Adventure Time'', the Internet series ''Brave ...

. He also appeared in the spin-off series '' Adventure Time: Distant Lands'' and '' Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake''. He was voiced by

Jeremy Shada Jeremy Shada (; born January 21, 1997) is an American actor, musician and singer. He is best known for his work as the voice of Finn the Human from the American animated television franchise ''Adventure Time'' and Lance in '' Voltron: Legendary ...

in most appearances. The character made his debut in the original pilot, where he is named Pen and voiced by

Zack Shada Zachary David Shada (born November 25, 1992) is an American actor. Life and career Shada was born Zachary David Shada on November 25, 1992 in Boise, Idaho. His brothers are actors Josh and Jeremy Shada. He appeared as Thin Boy in '' Charlie's ...

, Jeremy's older brother.

Jonathan Frakes Jonathan Scott Frakes (born August 19, 1952) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his portrayal of William Riker in the television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and subsequent films and series. He has also hosted th ...

voices Finn as an adult in some appearances. Prior to the start of ''Adventure Time'', Finn was adopted as an infant by two

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

dogs named Joshua and Margaret, who found him in the woods. His best friend and adoptive brother

(

John DiMaggio John William DiMaggio ( ; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the ''Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...

) accompanies him on many of his adventures in Ooo, the fictional world that the series is set in. The mystery surrounding Finn's origins and whether he is the last human left in Ooo is a major part of the character's narrative arc. Later in the series, it is revealed that there are other humans still living in Ooo and that Finn's parents Martin and Minerva came from a community of survivors living on a chain of islands. Finn has received universal praise for his character development and

coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...

narrative, which saw the character mature from an immature boy into a wise young man.

Adam Muto Adam Muto (born July 20) is an American writer, storyboard artist, animator, and producer known for his work as the executive producer and showrunner of the animated television series ''Adventure Time''. Career Muto was a classmate of ''Adventu ...

, former showrunner for ''Adventure Time'', has stated that Finn's progression from an aggressive and reckless boy into a more mature person was one of his favorite character arcs to write. A gender-swapped version of Finn called Fionna appeared in the third-season episode "Fionna and Cake", and is the main character of the spinoff series '' Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake''.

Design and voice acting

Series creator

has stated that he wrote Finn, and ''

'' as a whole, as though he were playing a session of ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...

,'' a

tabletop role-playing game A tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG or TRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a kind of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech and sometimes movements. Participants d ...

. Ward commented that Finn's motivations are noble, with a desire to "slay monsters, explore dungeons, find loot." Ward spent much of his childhood at home, and he described his " ndooradventure experience" as inspiring Finn and

's adventures. 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 Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

's request. The character first appeared in the short film "

", which centers around rescuing

Princess Bubblegum Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum (also called Bonnie or PB, occasionally Peebles or P-bubs) is a fictional character in the American animated television series ''Adventure Time'' and resulting franchise, created by Pendleton Ward. She is voiced by H ...

(

Hynden Walch Hynden Walch (born February 1, 1971) is an American actress best known for voicing Starfire in the ''Teen Titans'' franchise and Princess Bubblegum in ''Adventure Time''. She also voiced Penny Sanchez in '' ChalkZone'', Elsie in ''Stanley'', ...

) from the evil

Ice King Simon Petrikov, more commonly called the Ice King, is a fictional character in the ''Adventure Time'' franchise. He was first introduced in the American animated television series ''Adventure Time''. The character was the main antagonist of the ...

(

John Kassir John Kassir (born October 24, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his work as the voice of the Cryptkeeper in HBO's '' Tales from the Crypt'' franchise. He also appeared in the role of Ralph in the off-Broadway show ''Reefe ...

). This short aired as part of

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

's ''

Random! Cartoons ''Random! Cartoons'' is an American animated anthology series that aired on Nicktoons. Much like '' Oh Yeah! Cartoons'', it was created by Fred Seibert and produced by Frederator Studios and Nickelodeon Animation Studio. It premiered on December ...

'' showcase in 2008.

voiced the character, then called Pen, in the short. 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. 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." Shada's voice noticeably cracked and changed during the filming of Adventure Time as he was undergoing

puberty Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a female, the testicles i ...

. 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. Older versions of Finn appear in several episodes of the show.

voices two alternate adult versions of Finn in the

season 5 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...

episodes " Puhoy" and "Dungeon Train". Like other ''Adventure Time'' characters, Finn is drawn with rubbery "limp noodle" limbs and a simple but expressive face. He has several missing teeth, which Ward explained as being due to the character never having been to a dentist. He typically wears a signature white bear hat, and form-fitting clothing. Finn's visual design resembles Bueno the Bear, another character created by Ward. Finn and Bueno share some other similarities, including an enjoyment of

beatboxing Beatboxing (also, and sometimes, called beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (usually a Roland TR-808, TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. The show depicts Finn dealing with the struggles of

adolescence Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human Developmental biology, physical and psychological Human development (biology), development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age o ...

and coming to terms with the complexities of life. 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. 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 In philosophy, religion, and psychology, "good and evil" is a common dichotomy. In religions with Manichaean and Abrahamic influence, evil is perceived as the dualistic antagonistic opposite of good, in which good should prevail and evil sho ...

at the start of the series, they become more complex as it progresses. ''Adventure Time'' composer Tim Kiefer said that the show had gradually became an exploration of the "

Hero's journey In narratology and comparative mythology, the hero's quest or hero's journey, also known as the monomyth, is the common template of stories that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis, and comes home ch ...

", through Finn. In the early seasons of the series, Finn is enthusiastic and readily resorts to violence to settle conflicts. About this aspect of Finn's personality, Ward said that he chose to "add a little wrath" to add depth to the character. By the end of the series, Finn is much more reserved. ''Adventure Time'' showrunner

stated that this progression is part of the reason why Finn did not have a sword for much of the finale. Muto said he felt that this

story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of a plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing narrative, storyline in episode, episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strip ...

, involving Finn's progression from a violent character to a more introspective one, made him one of the most satisfying characters to write on the show.

Appearances

Finn the Human is the main character of ''Adventure Time'' and often appears alongside his best friend and adoptive brother Jake the Dog. Finn was adopted by Jake's parents Joshua and Margaret as an infant. He is originally believed to be the only human left in Ooo after the "Great Mushroom War", a mysterious conflict that occurred 1,000 years prior to the start of the series. It is later shown that he was born on Hub Island, part of an isolated archipelago populated by humans. Finn's biological father Martin (

Stephen Root Stephen Root (born November 17, 1951) is an American actor. He has starred as Jimmy James on the NBC sitcom ''NewsRadio'' (1995–1999), as Milton Waddams in the film ''Office Space'' (1999), and voiced Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickland on the a ...

) is a conman, while his mother Minerva (

Sharon Horgan Sharon Lorencia Horgan (born ) is an Irish actress, writer, director, producer, and comedian. She is best known for creating and starring in the comedy series '' Pulling'' (2006–2009), '' Catastrophe'' (2015–2019), and '' Bad Sisters'' (2022 ...

) is a doctor. Martin fled Hub Island with an infant Finn after being found by disgruntled acquaintances from his past. He was separated from Finn, who was left on a raft floating towards the mainland. In the first-season episode "

The Enchiridion! "The Enchiridion!" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American animated television series ''Adventure Time''. The episode was outlined, written, and storyboarded by Patrick McHale, Adam Muto, and Pendleton Ward. It originally aire ...

", Finn and Jake complete a series of challenges to win the Enchiridion, a legendary handbook for heroes. In "His Hero", Finn meets the legendary adventurer Billy (

Lou Ferrigno Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr. (; born November 9, 1951) is an American actor and retired professional bodybuilder. He won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the documentary film '' Pumping Iron'' ...

), who unsuccessfully tries to convince Finn to give up violence. Finn and Jake go on a quest to find the

Lich In fantasy fiction, a lich () is a type of undead creature with magical powers. Various works of fantasy fiction, such as Clark Ashton Smith's " The Empire of the Necromancers" (1932), had used ''lich'' as a general term for any corpse, animat ...

(

Ron Perlman Ronald N. Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire (film), Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose (film), The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in th ...

), an ancient undead king, in the second-season episodes "

Mortal Folly / Mortal Recoil "Mortal Folly" and "Mortal Recoil" are the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth episodes of the second season of the American animated television series ''Adventure Time''. "Mortal Folly" was written and storyboarded by Adam Muto and Rebecca Sugar, ...

". The Lich returns in the fourth season finale "

The Lich "The Lich" is the twenty-sixth episode and season finale of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Adventure Time''. The episode was written and storyboarded by Tom Herpich and Skyler Page, from a story by Patrick Mc ...

", and kills Billy. After taking control of Billy's body, the Lich attempts to trick Finn and Jake into giving him the Enchiridion. Billy's death profoundly impacts Finn, as shown in the season five episode "

Billy's Bucket List "Billy's Bucket List" is the final episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''Adventure Time''. The episode was written and storyboarded by Ako Castuera and Jesse Moynihan, from a story by Kent Osborne, Pendleto ...

". Finn experiences other alternate lives and versions of himself throughout the series, all of whom have lost their right arm. This foreshadows Finn's eventual loss of his arm in the

season 6 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and polar ...

premiere "

Wake Up / Escape from the Citadel "Wake Up" and "Escape from the Citadel" are the first two episodes of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''Adventure Time''. "Wake Up" was written and storyboarded by Andy Ristaino and Cole Sanchez, whereas "Escape fr ...

". In "Escape from the Citadel", Finn discovers that his father Martin is an inmate of the Citadel, a multiversal prison reserved for those who commit a "cosmic crime". Finn and Jake go to the Citadel to find Martin. The Lich arrives and attempts to free its prisoners so he can use them as an army. Finn loses his arm when the Lich destroys the Citadel, and Martin escapes. Finn is changed by the loss of his arm and becomes disillusioned with his father. A flower blooms from the stump where Finn's arm used to be, and eventually grows into a new arm. He loses his control of his regrown arm, which transforms into a grass

doppelgänger A doppelgänger ( ), sometimes spelled doppelgaenger or doppelganger, is a ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts its own fleshly counterpart. In fiction and mythology, a doppelgänger is often portrayed as a ghostly or p ...

called Fern in the eighth season two-part episode "Preboot / Reboot". The violent and reckless Fern acts as a

foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ma ...

to Finn, who has matured over the course of the series. Finn later attempts to redeem Fern, who shares many of the shortcomings Finn had when he was younger. In the following episode, "Two Swords," Finn is fitted with a robotic arm by Princess Bubblegum. The miniseries ''Islands'', which aired as part of season eight, sees Finn search for the surviving humans who left the continent and moved to an archipelago centuries after the Great Mushroom War. Finn meets his mother Minerva, a doctor who has uploaded her mind to a network of robots. Minerva tries to force Finn to stay on the island where she can protect him until Finn convinces her to let him go. He invites the humans to return to Ooo, but they choose to remain on their islands for the time being. In the series finale " Come Along With Me," Finn and Jake help Princess Bubblegum fight her dictatorial uncle Gumbald. Realizing that violence is not the answer to the conflict, they ally with Gumbald to defeat the evil deity GOLB, who is intent on destroying Ooo. Finn's robotic arm is snapped off when he and the other protagonists are eaten by GOLB. GOLB is defeated, although Fern dies in the aftermath. Finn promises to plant Fern's seedling in the ruins of the treehouse, which has been destroyed. The seedling grows into a new treehouse, with a grass sword inside. Finn and Jake are shown relaxing on a beach when the humans return to Ooo for the first time in centuries. The '' Adventure Time: Distant Lands'' special "Together Again" takes place sometime after the end of the series, when Finn has died of old age. He then journeys through the Dead Worlds to be reunited with Jake, who predeceased him. After reuniting with Jake in the afterlife, the two choose to reincarnate back into the living world together.

Others

Since ''Adventure Time'''s inception, Finn has appeared in various comic book series, video games, and other merchandise. Finn's first

console game A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can typically be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connec ...

appearance was as a playable character in '' Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!'', which was released on

Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...

and

3DS The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...

in 2012. He was subsequently a playable character in '' Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know!'' (2013), '' Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom'' (2014), and '' Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion'' (2018). Finn has also made

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Music Albums * ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue * ''Crossover'', an album by ...

appearances in other franchises and media. He appeared in the seventh season ''

Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company and later revived by Comedy Central, and then Hulu. The series follows Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1 ...

'' episode "

Leela and the Genestalk "Leela and the Genestalk" is the twenty-second episode in the seventh season of the American animated television series ''Futurama'', and the 136th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central on August 7, 2013. The epis ...

". The opening sequence

couch gag ''The Simpsons'' opening sequence is the title sequence of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons.'' It is accompanied by "The Simpsons Theme, ''The Simpsons'' Theme". The first episode to use this introduction was the series' se ...

in the 28th season ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...

'' episode "

Monty Burns' Fleeing Circus "Monty Burns' Fleeing Circus" is the twenty-eighth season premiere of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 597th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Tom Gammill a ...

" featured

Bart Simpson Bartholomew Jo-Jo "Bart" Simpson is a character in the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' who is part of the titular family. Bart made his television debut in the short " Good Night" on '' The Tracey Ullman Show'' on Apri ...

as "Bart the Boy", a parody of Finn. He also appeared in the ''

Uncle Grandpa ''Uncle Grandpa'' is an American animated television series created by Peter Browngardt for Cartoon Network that ran from September 2, 2013, to June 30, 2017. It is based on Browngardt's animated short of the same name from '' The Cartoonstitut ...

'' episodes "Pizza Eve" and "Cartoon Factory". He also appeared in the '' OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes'' episode, "Crossover Nexus". Finn is a playable character in

toys-to-life Toys-to-life is a video game feature using physical figurines or action figures to interact within the game. There are several technologies used to make physical figurines appear in game such as image recognition, quick response (QR) codes, Blue ...

game ''

Lego Dimensions ''Lego Dimensions'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform crossover video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Wii U. ...

'' (2015),

beat 'em up A beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in Side-scrolling video game, scrolling, 2D c ...

game '' Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers'' (2016), crossover game ''Bloons Tower Defense: Adventure Time'' (2018),

fighting game The fighting game video game genre, genre involves combat between multiple characters, often (but not limited to) one-on-one battles. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappling, counter- ...

Brawlhalla ''Brawlhalla'' is a free-to-play platform fighting game developed by Blue Mammoth Games. It was originally released for macOS, PlayStation 4 and Windows in 2017, with ports for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Android and iOS released later. Full ...

'' (2019), and

action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action ...

Immortals Fenyx Rising ''Immortals Fenyx Rising'' is a 2020 action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. ''Immor ...

'' (2020). In November 2021, Finn was confirmed to appear as a playable character in the fighting game ''

MultiVersus ''MultiVersus'' (''MVS'') is a 2024 free-to-play platform fighting game developed by Player First Games and published by Warner Bros. Games. In the game, players battle on different stages as characters from Warner Bros. franchises, including ...

'' (2024). He appeared in the ''

Teen Titans Go! ''Teen Titans Go!'' is an American animated television series developed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network. It premiered on April 23, 2013, and is based on DC Comics' fictional superhero team the Teen Titans. The series ...

'' episode, "Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary".

Fionna and Cake

A gender-swapped version of Finn called Fionna appeared in the season 3 episode "

Fionna and Cake Fionna and Cake may refer to: * Fionna Campbell and Cake the Cat, television series characters, see also list of ''Adventure Time'' characters * '' Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake'', an animated series and spin-off of ''Adventure Time'' * "Fionn ...

", voiced by

Madeleine Martin Madeleine Martin (born April 15, 1993) is an American actress, known for voicing JoJo Tickle, the title character on the Playhouse Disney children's animated TV series '' JoJo's Circus'' and Fionna Campbell in the Cartoon Network series ''Adve ...

. Fionna inhabits a fictional world created by the Ice King (

Tom Kenny Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He has been voicing SpongeBob SquarePants (character), the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media since its debut in 1999. Kenny has voice ...

) as a form of in-universe

fanfiction Fan fiction or fanfiction, also known as fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF, is fiction typically written in an amateur capacity by fans as a form of fan labor, unauthorized by, but based on, an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted ...

. The concept for Fionna and Cake came from drawings made by ''Adventure Time'' storyboard artist

Natasha Allegri Natasha Allegri (born June 18, 1983) is an American animator, writer, storyboard artist, storyboard revisionist and comic book artist. She is the creator of Cartoon Hangover's and Frederator Studios' '' Bee and PuppyCat'', and is also noted for ...

. The

tomboy A tomboy is a girl or young woman who generally expresses masculine traits. Such traits may include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and engaging in activities and behaviors traditionally associated with boys or men. Origins The w ...

-ish character of Fionna has much the same personality as Finn and has similar struggles with romantic attractions. Both Fionna and Cake the Cat, the alternate version of Jake the Dog, became popular with ''Adventure Time'' fans. Fionna later appeared in the fifth-season episode "

Bad Little Boy "Bad Little Boy" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''Adventure Time''. The episode was written and storyboarded by Cole Sanchez and Rebecca Sugar, from a story by Sugar, Patrick McHale, ...

", the sixth-season episode "The Prince Who Wanted Everything", the eighth-season episode "Five Short Tables", and the ninth season episode "Fionna and Cake and Fionna". Fionna stars in the

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

series '' Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake''.

Characteristics

Personality and traits

Finn is a teenage boy with a childlike personality, boyish enthusiasm, and a love of adventure. He is 12 years old at the beginning of the series but ages throughout the show and is 17 by the series finale. He is talented at beatboxing and sword fighting. Finn is prone to outbursts of phrases like "Mathematical!" and "Algebraic!". He is shown to have

thalassophobia Thalassophobia () is the persistent and intense fear of deep bodies of water, such as the ocean, seas, or lakes. Though related, thalassophobia should not be confused with aquaphobia, which is classified as the fear of water itself. Thalassophob ...

in the season one episode "Ocean of Fear" but overcomes his fear of the sea in "Billy's Bucket List". In the fifth-season episode "Red Starved", it is implied that Finn is

color blind Color blindness, color vision deficiency (CVD) or color deficiency is the decreased ability to see color or differences in color. The severity of color blindness ranges from mostly unnoticeable to full absence of color perception. Color bl ...

. Finn is shown to be enthusiastic and reckless, although he becomes more reserved over the course of the series. He is motivated by a desire to live by a heroic code and a thirst for adventure. Having once been lost in the woods as a helpless infant, he "vowed to help anyone in need, no matter how small their problem". Many of Finn and Jake's early adventures revolve around them exploring the land of Ooo and battling monsters. Finn's life with Jake is modelled after the archetypal

knight-errant A knight-errant (or knight errant) is a figure of medieval chivalric romance literature. The adjective '' errant'' (meaning "wandering, roving") indicates how the knight-errant would wander the land in search of adventures to prove his chivalric ...

, as they frequently explore dungeons, fight evil creatures, rescue various princesses, and save the world.

Relationships

Finn has a close relationship with his adoptive older brother Jake the Dog, an

dog with the ability to change shape. At the time of the series, Finn and Jake live together in a treehouse. Their relationship is at times strained by the differences in their maturity and outlook on life. Jake often finds himself frustrated by Finn's childish antics and infatuations with various princesses. Finn's life revolves around adventuring and fighting monsters, while Jake likes to pursue more varied interests. After Jake ends up in a relationship with Lady Rainicorn and has five children with her, his focus shifts towards being a father. This creates distance between them, but they remain close friends and Finn enjoys being an uncle. Finn is also friends with BMO (pronounced Beemo), a sentient

handheld game console A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the con ...

who is Finn and Jake's roommate. Finn creates the robot NEPTR (Never Ending Pie Throwing Robot) as part of a prank, but NEPTR soon becomes a friend to him. Finn ends up developing a close friendship with

Marceline the Vampire Queen Marceline Abadeer, better known as Marceline the Vampire Queen, is a fictional character in the American animated Cartoon Network television series ''Adventure Time'' and resulting franchise, created by Pendleton Ward. She is voiced by Oliv ...

(

Olivia Olson Olivia Olson (born May 21, 1992) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and writer, largely known for her voice roles as Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in ''Phineas and Ferb'' and Marceline the Vampire Queen in ''Adventure Time''. She also played ...

), despite her initial role as an antagonist. Finn is shown to have an unrequited love for Princess Bubblegum throughout much of the series. He and Jake frequently have to rescue Princess Bubblegum from the obsessive Ice King. Finn's past life as Shoko, an orphaned thief who befriends and then betrays Princess Bubblegum, influences his present-day infatuation with Bubblegum. Finn's friendship with Bubblegum becomes more platonic as the series progresses. Finn begins dating Flame Princess (

Jessica DiCicco Jessica Sonya DiCicco (; born June 10, 1980) is an American actress. She is known for voicing in animated television series and video games. Her first voice role was the announcer for Nickelodeon's educational channel Noggin. DiCicco has since ...

) in the third-season finale " Incendium", after realizing that Princess Bubblegum is too old to be compatible with him. Although Flame Princess' fiery nature makes their relationship difficult, they try to make it work. Finn and Flame Princess eventually break up. Finn's relationships with both Princess Bubblegum and Flame Princess cause him to have to deal with rejection and reconciliation, and he emotionally matures as a result. Finn has a complex relationship with his biological father, Martin Mertens, who is shown to be a scoundrel. In season 6, Martin reveals to Finn that he was forced to abandon him as an infant after reaching a crossroads too dangerous for an infant and that he always meant to return for him. Adam Muto said that they did not want Finn to be a "carbon copy" of Martin since he had an adoptive father in Joshua. Muto said they wanted to "embrace the idea of Martin being as and dishonorable as Finn is heroic". The season six episode "Breezy" deals with Finn's depression after losing his arm, being disappointed by his father, and breaking up with Flame Princess. Finn makes out with various princesses in an attempt to feel something positive but is left emotionally unfulfilled. During the episode, he explores a complicated relationship with a honeybee named Breezy, who falls in love with a flower sprouting from where his arm was cut off. Both Finn and his mother Minerva are shown to be selfless and dedicated to helping others. However, Minerva is fearful and overprotective due to the losses she has experienced, in contrast with Finn's adventurousness. Upon reuniting with Finn in the miniseries ''Islands'', she is both alarmed by his dangerous lifestyle and proud that he devotes his life to helping others. She attempts to trap Finn on the island so that he will be out of harm's way. After convincing her to release him, Finn leaves her behind and returns to Ooo, though the separation causes him grief. Various critics have interpreted the portrayal of Finn and Minerva's opposing views as a commentary on the repression of emotions, overreliance on technology, the sacrifice of freedom in exchange for safety, an exploration of Nietzschean philosophy, and an allegory for "American self-absorption."

Reception

Finn the Human's character arc has been highlighted by critics for its honest realistic portrayal of adolescence and universal struggles associated with

. Brandon Zachary of ''

Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...

'' 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." Writing for ''Vox'', Emily VanDerWerff 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." Oliver Sava of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...

'' praised the episode "Breezy" for its relatable depiction of Finn's developing sexuality and his search for emotional fulfillment. Finn's story arc as the last remaining human and his eventual discovery of other humans has been praised by critics. Zach Blumenfeld of ''Paste'' contrasted 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 Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philology, classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche bec ...

's hypothetical

Übermensch The ( , ; 'Overman' or 'Superman') is a concept in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. In his 1883 book, '' Thus Spoke Zarathustra'' (), Nietzsche has his character Zarathustra posit the as a goal for humanity to set for itself. The repre ...

inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...
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.

The character also became extremely popular among ''Adventure Time'''s fanbase. In 2019, Rich Goldstein of ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...

'' commented on Finn's popularity among

cosplayers Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, and ...

, saying "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." 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". A float in Finn's likeness was included in the 2013

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...

. Finn's narrative and impact on younger audiences has been compared to that of

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

, the titular character in

J. K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( ; born 31 July 1965), known by her pen name , is a British author and philanthropist. She is the author of ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume fantasy novel series published from 1997 to 2007. The series has List of best-sell ...

's book series of the same name. In particular, both characters were aged up as the series progressed, with Darren Franich of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' saying that Finn "

ged Ged or GED may refer to: Places * Ged, Louisiana, an unincorporated community in the United States * Ged, a village in Bichiwara Tehsil, Dungarpur District, Rajasthan, India * Delaware Coastal Airport, in Delaware, US, callsign GED People * Ged B ...

with his audience like last decade's ''Harry Potter'' kids."