The Mind-Bending Twist of Fionna & Cake's Timeline in Adventure Time

Summary

Fionna and Cake is a spinoff of Adventure Time that follows gender-swapped versions of Finn and Jake, as well as Simon Petrikov.

The spinoff occurs following the events of the original Adventure Time series, evident from the presence of an adult Finn.

Jake's demise is confirmed in Fionna and Cake, and Finn is portrayed as being middle-aged with a longer beard.

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake is a spinoff series derived from the beloved Cartoon Network classic Adventure Time. Unlike the original show, Fionna and Cake takes place at a different point in time. While Adventure Time focused on the escapades of Finn the Human and Jake the Dog, this spinoff delves into the adventures of Fionna the Human and Cake the Cat, along with Simon Petrikov, also known as Ice King.

Tired of mundane jobs and a lack of magic in their lives, Fionna yearns to explore the enchanting Land of Ooo, a place that may only exist in her imagination. However, everything changes when Fionna, Cake, and Simon embark on a journey through different dimensions, hoping to escape a formidable adversary. Given the dimension-hopping nature of Fionna and Cake, the series may not follow a linear timeline in relation to the original Adventure Time. Nonetheless, there are subtle hints that suggest the spinoff takes place some time after the conclusion of Adventure Time.

Fionna & Cake Is Set Decades After Adventure Time's Ending

The Max original miniseries is based on the story-within-a-story of Fionna and Cake, characters that were created from storyboard sketches and introduced in Adventure Time season 3. In the episode "Fionna and Cake," Finn and Jake are reluctantly subjected to the Ice King's disguised fan fiction, which features alternate versions of themselves and their friends. The episode even introduces an evil Ice Queen. This episode is widely regarded as one of the best in Adventure Time and serves as its own "multiverse-hopping journey of self-discovery."

On the surface, Fionna and Cake may appear to be a parallel universe story. Initially, the duo is far away from the Land of Ooo, but the series' trailer suggests that they eventually find themselves in the beloved realm. It should be noted that Fionna and Cake takes place after the Adventure Time series finale. However, Adventure Time: Distant Lands further complicates the timeline with its four self-contained specials: "BMO," "Obsidian," "Together Again," and "Wizard City." By arranging these specials chronologically, the Adventure Time timeline unfolds as follows:

Distant Lands: "BMO"

Adventure Time

Distant Lands: "Wizard City" & "Obsidian"

Fionna and Cake

Distant Lands: "Together Again"

Shermy and Beth scenes in Adventure Time's series finale, "Come Away With Me."

Is Jake Dead In Fionna & Cake? How Old The Original Characters Are In The Spinoff

Adventure Time's key characters such as Marceline and Princess Bubblegum are immortal, making it difficult to place certain stories within the franchise's timeline. Although the placement of Fionna and Cake is not explicitly stated, it occurs after the "Obsidian" special and before the "Together Again" special, as indicated by Jake's appearances in each. The "Obsidian" special takes place many decades after the Adventure Time finale, as shown by the battle-scarred adult Finn with a chest tattoo of Jake. This suggests that Jake has passed away during the intervening years, which is confirmed in "Together Again." Additionally, in Fionna and Cake, both Jake and Finn are depicted in older versions, with Finn sporting a longer beard, suggesting he is well into middle-age.