Simon

Simon Petrikov, formerly known as the Ice King, is a major character in Adventure Time and deuteragonist of it's spin-off series Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake.

Originally depicted as a two-dimensional, humorously over-the-top villain trying to kidnap Princess Bubblegum and various other Princesses 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.

12 years later, due to a botched magic ritual, he unintentionally brought Fionna and Cake from their universe to his world. He is currently on a quest through the multiverse to restore magic to their world, while also being hunted by God Auditor Scarab.




History

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 was also a Professor of Archeology, and gained a PhD in an unknown subject. At one point, he went on an expedition to try the Armor of Zeldron, the Wand of Dispersement or the creepy porcelain lamb. He did not succeed, but still believed that these artifacts existed, and shortly after had a presentation about his expedition, where he expressed desire to search for The Enchiridion). He was ridiculed by others for his belief in magical objects.

However, shortly before the presentation he had reached for the same book as a girl named Betty Grof, who had been a fan of his research for years. Afterwards, she approached him again, and asked him to sign her book, and pointed out runes in his book that could serve as a clue to how to find the Southeast Cove. Simon is impressed by this and asks her to go on an expedition with him, which she accepts, despite her plans for a 6-month trip to the Australian Outback. During this trip, both Simon and Betty fall in love with each other, and they manage to find the Enchiridion. When they get back, Betty urges Simon to take sole credit for finding it, which he does reluctantly, and Betty begins planning once again for a trip to the Australian Outback. Simon gets his picture taken by a horde of photographers, and his accomplishment appears in the newspaper. A few weeks after the expedition, Simon found the book Betty had reached for and had caused them to meet. He opened it to unexpectedly find a note from Betty, confessing that during the expedition she had also fallen in love in Simon, and that she wanted to travel together with him. After finding this, Simon went to the bus stop where Betty was waiting to start her trip, and confessed his love for her, starting their relationship. They fell madly in love with each other, and eventually got engaged.


Turning back into Simon

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.
After Betty’s sacrifice

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, and enjoying the company of his friends.

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.

ionna and Cake

Simon is now visibly much older, with a gray streak in his hair and wrinkles. He now lives and works in a small, one-room-one-bathroom house inside a zoo or outdoor museum of sorts in the floating human island of Up-Ton, with one side of his house completely cut out so people can view his exhibit, which is a model of a 20th-century house, complete with an authentic 20th century man. Day after day, visitors would come to ask him questions about his time period. Choose Goose also resides in a small bird cage within the house, corrupted by demons. It's evident that over the years, Simon has progressively grown depressed with his current life, lamenting his isolation in the present and admits he almost misses being the Ice King, as at least then he wouldn’t be depressed, although he expresses regrets in the stories he wrote about Fionna and Cake, being embarrassed by them. Finn attempts to cheer him up by bringing Simon with him along in his adventures, although this proves to be unsuccessful. Finn eventually parts ways with Simon to go talk to Huntress Wizard. As Simon walks back home, he calls up Marceline, who is in the middle of getting a tattoo with Princess Bubblegum. Deciding not to burden her with his problems, he promises to see her again soon and ends the call.

Upon returning home, Simon pulls out the Fionna and Cake book he threw out earlier and becomes inspired after reading it. The thing in the cage begins taunting him for thinking he can bring back Betty: Simon pulls off the cover to reveal Choose Goose, still evil after drinking the ichor of Coconteppi in "Wizard City". Simon attaches clamps to Choose Goose (using him as a magical battery) and begins a ritual to summon Betty/GOLB, but it seems to fail, apparently killing Choose Goose in the process. However, just as he laments failing Betty once more, a portal opens in the back of his head, and out stumbles Cake to Simon's shock. He tries to summon Betty/GOLB again and another portal opens up in the back of his head and Fionna comes out, shocking Simon yet again, disbelieving that she was real and claiming that she's a manifestation of the Ice King's madness.

Simon is later beamed into Prismo's Time Room while he's taking a shower and is clothed with Ice King's blue muumuu before being interrogated on how Fionna and Cake stumbled into Ooo. Simon claims he didn't do anything but Prismo sees that Simon tried to do a ritual to summon Golbetty. Prismo reveals to Fionna and Cake that he became disillusioned with his job so he created their universe just to see what it was like to create something for himself. Since Prismo wasn't supposed to create anything for himself, he hid the rogue universe in Ice King's mind but when Ice King turned back into Simon, their reality lost its magic too.

Simon, alongside Fionna and Cake traverse mths multiverse in search for a magic crown to aid simon in regaining his powers in order to save Fionna and Cake’s world. Eventually however, just as Simon retrieves a crown, in a ritual gone awry, he is transported to Golbetty’s dimension where she stops him from putting on the crown by briefly placing Simon’s mind in the body of Shermy, where he discovers a valuable lesson about the nature of his and Betty’s relationship. Once this epiphany has been reached, Simon is transported back to Golbetty’s dimension where he reconciles with her, accepting that Betty is gone and decides to move on. After this, Simon cracks under the pressure of saving Fionna’s universe, leading to him regurgitating Fionna’s universe, releasing it from his mind and placing it in the hands of Fionna herself. Golbetty returns Simon to Ooo where he no longer views his life as worthless.


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.

After becoming Simon again, he has more or less return to his old self but is now struggling to find a place for himself. In a talk with Finn, he admits that while he is happy to be around humans again, that he feels out of place with the futuristic humans who don't understand things of his era. He is shown to lament things related to his past such as the Fionna and Cake stories or being Ice King. He initially resisted the idea of using magic again but soon did and it resulted in Fionna and Cake crossing over to his world. When talking to Prismo, he was gloomy and depressed though he was surprised to discover that his once thought fictional story was actually real when it turn out that Prismo shot red beam of Fionna and Cake's world into his mind, so they could exist as an alternate reality. He was upset at being used and not getting Betty back, as seen when he saw her face in Prismo's memory. Simon was also willing let to Scarab destroy him, only for Fionna to (literally) slap sense into him and he became active again, to the point that he decided to become Ice King to restore Fionna and Cake's world.




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.