PB’s Character Development
The most important thing about Princess Bubblegum’s character development throughout Adventure Time is how it is an intentional and conscious decision she has made to change. She chooses to work on herself, to be more "chill" and less mean. This is important for kids and adults to see as it shows you need to work on yourself. You can be over 800 years old, made of gum, be an elemental and a princess, but you still aren’t magically going to be a perfect person. Work is important and you need to make the decision to be better, instead of relying on the world to do it for you.
In seasons 6 and 7 PB states how she is trying to change, in the episode ‘The Pajama War’ (season 6 episode 22) she says, “I have been trying to be more chill about it [princess work]… being more, sorta, okay with everyone making mistakes around me.”
Later in the episode when the candy people panic and form an archaic government she takes a deep breath and decides to deal with it later, putting herself first and going to help the candy people when they really need it. Princess Bubblegum has always been overeager to help her people, preparing for any situation and dealing with every crisis, while this isn’t a bad thing for a leader, after 800 years of ruling and the candy people never moving forward and learning, she has made the conscious decision to change, for the better of herself and her people. It can be assumed this decision was largely influenced by the episode before ‘The Cooler’ when Flame Princess calls her out saying she is cold, “not because you’re a scientist or a leader, but because you are a bad person. Something inside you is messed up girl.” At the end of the episode, we see PB destroy her surveillance equipment not just in the fire kingdom, but everywhere. This sacrifice of her power is an important symbol of her decision to change, as earlier she said: “I’m PB, I spy on everybody, no big D”.
In the episode ‘Bonnie and Neddy’ we learn about PB’s childhood backstory, where Uncle Gumbald attempts to overthrow her. PB wanted a family for her and Neddy, which is why she created Aunt Lolly, Cousin Chicle and Uncle Gumbald. She soon discovers the three of them planning to drug her with “Dum Dum Juice” to make her more docile and simple-minded. After they drug her, they plan to build the Candy Kingdom and rule over her and others, however Gumbald drugs both Lolly and Chicle and then spills some on himself after being shot at by PB. Only after Aunt Lolly, Cousin Chicle and Uncle Gumbald have been changed by the Dum Dum juice does PB ask to be called Princess. This event is easily connected to why PB is anxious and paranoid about the people around her now. In a time where she was trusting and hopeful, the people she loved tried to manipulate and control her, so she put herself into a position of power to keep track of the people around her for her own safety and the safety of her subjects.
In the episode Varmints (Season 7 Episode 2) PB says ”I’m trying to be less mean” as she has just lost her kingdom, losing an election to the King of Ooo. In the King’s election he says to the citizens of the Candy Kingdom “She says he hasn’t gone rogue, she says she’s not a wild dog...” he goes on to describe vague and exaggerated claims about the Princess. While the King campaigns PB is sitting alone in an observatory. When PB is cast out it is shown she is making an effort to change, going back to a less complicated life. While Princess Bubblegum is a brilliant leader and a brilliant character, she is not often portrayed as ‘nice’. Some examples of this are:
“That girl [Raggedy Princess] got like zero self-respect. That’s mean, don’t tell her I said that.” (Season 5 Episode 29 Sky Witch)
Calling the King of Ooo and his staff Dillweeds when being voted out. (Season 6 Episode 41 Hot Diggity Doom)
Lying to and spying on the people of Ooo, particularly Flame Princess
Ruining Tree Trunk’s wedding in the episode ‘Apple Wedding’ by crashing a blimp and putting everyone in prison.
While PB definitely isn’t evil, she also isn’t classically ‘good’, I would say she is a chaotic neutral, in that her subjects often matter to her more than her rules, but what is most important is often determined in the moment. In times she will fight for peace, such as when meeting with the Earl of LemonGrab, but “sometimes we just have to buckle down and do things the ugly way.” (season 9 episode 12) The main problem of this is that sometimes the wrong decision is made, like the episode ‘Apple Wedding’. However, the main point remains the same, PB is making the conscious decision to make herself a better person.
An important influence of PB’s changes is Marceline, as PB’s relationship with Marceline often reflects her emotional wellbeing. In the episode ‘Varmints’ (Season 7 Episode 2) we learn the toll that the Candy Kingdom has taken on PB. When she leaves the Candy Kingdom she plans to build a new kingdom with Peppermint Butler, focusing on her work and starting again saying how her new citizens will be loyal. We learn more about PB and Marceline’s relationship in the past as they enter the old rock candy mines and reminisce on how Marceline would graffiti the walls. PB begins to talk about how fast the Candy Kingdom grew, when Marceline asks “Is that why you stopped talking to me?” PB begins to defend herself but is interrupted by the mother Varmint. PB and Marceline's relationship has been on and off throughout their lives. You can tell that they have a long history, as in the mini series 'Stakes' PB agrees that the time with vampires was very different, and much darker, compared to today. This suggests that the two knew each other even in the beginnging of Ooo.
During the fight one of the Varmints destroys her hat, too which she calls out. A few moments later Bonnie begins to cry over her lost hat, then listing all of the things she’s lost. “I lost my hat. I lost my home, lost my people. I can’t even keep darn Varmints out of my pumpkin patch... I tried, I really really tried. I just, I thought that if I shut everything out and focused on work it would all be okay. And look where that landed me. [the tunnel continues to collapse around them] All I managed to do was push everyone away. I pushed you away, I’m sorry Marceline, I’ve been a real dinger to you.” PB opening up to Marceline helps her realise what she’s being to herself, she’s overworked and tired, as she states when they’ve escaped the tunnels and are sitting on the porch outside the house. “I’m crazy tired Marceline, I think I have been for a long time.”
Marceline has always been the one to encourage PB to take time for herself, describing life as a pizza, half should be for work and half personal. The two opposites help complete each other, as Marceline uses her time to enjoy life and write music, and PB will often stay in her lab for days, or weeks, at a time, both enjoying their different activities.
In the finale we see PB and Marceline finally happy. During the war when Marceline and PB finally kiss PB isn’t wearing her crown, the same applies to when her and Marceline are sitting on the sofa cuddling up in the end sequence. This shows that PB is finally less dependent on her need to rule and her candy kingdom for companionship. She has finally found the family she has craved with Marceline, Simon, Peppermint Butler and Gunther turned Ice King. She has finally found the balance she needed in her life. All of these events helped make this happen, but PB working on herself to be better shouldn’t be undervalued, and her conscious decision to become a better person and better leader has been necessary in this change.
