When the
Lich manages to free himself from Billy's imprisonment, Finn and Jake must stop him before he destroys the entire planet.
Tropes
- Big Bad: The Lich is revealed as one of the main antagonistic presences in the world, an Omnicidal Maniac bent on destroying all life. His ambitions put the Ice King's more trivial villainy into stark perspective.
- Call-Back:
- In "Billy's Song", Billy is seen wearing a large gauntlet with an eye on the back of the hand and a jewel in the forearm. He also has a jewel in place of his nose. In "Mortal Folly" Finn gets the same gauntlet and he and Jake are given headbands with jewels similar to Billy's to protect them from the Lich's powers.
"Key Hand!!"
- The Lich, a minor character referenced in Billy's Song, is now the Big Bad.
- The Gauntlet Dock from the episode "Business Time" is visible when The Lich escapes across Iceberg Lake.
- Cerebus Syndrome: Starting with this first half of the two parter, the show won't be as sweet and innocent as it was before. This also begins the series's first multi-episode plot arc.
- Chekhov's Gunman:
- Previously just an Easter Egg character, the Snail finally contributes to the plot of an episode.
- The Lich counts as well; previously, he was a bit character seen only briefly during a flashback to Billy's glory days.
- Compelling Voice: The Lich has one, with which he nearly tricks Finn into going into the Well of Power, before he uses his sweater to defeat him.
- Crystal Prison: The Lich is imprisoned in a large mass of amber within the central tree of the Candy Kingdom.
- Darker and Edgier: This two parter is easily the most serious episode in the second season, starting with the introduction of the Lich.
- Die Laughing: The Lich laughs insanely as Finn rips his head apart.
- Evil Sounds Deep: The Lich's voice is raspy and deep. No wonder cosidering he's voiced by Ron Perlman.
- Eviler than Thou: The Ice King hangs around annoying everybody by trying to be involved in the plot, but it's obvious to everyone else that the Lich has taken over as the Big Bad.
- Expy: The Lich has a very strong resemblance to the Horned King. They're both horned hooded liches bent on destroying the life on Earth.
- Innocently Insensitive: Ice King wants Finn and Jake's blessing for marrying PB because he believes neither of them want to marry her so it should be fine. From Finn's response, Ice King is not entirely correct.
- Insane Troll Logic: Finn and Jake didn't want to bless their wedding, so Ice King is forced to kidnap Princess Bubblegum.
Ice King: I know! But I'll show them, I'll show them how they hurt us!
- Knight of Cerebus: The Lich is treated as a completely serious threat, rather than being Played for Laughs. His introduction heralds the beginning of many darker storylines and themes within the series.
- Multi-Part Episode: The first of many.
- Necromancer: True to his name, the Lich can raise the dead.
- Never My Fault: At the lake, Ice King blames Finn and Jake for making him ice-cuff Princess Bubblegum because he couldn't stop pestering them for blessing her hand in marriage.
Ice King: Look! Look what you made me do to her!
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Ice King's interference causes the Lich to activate his Well of Power, and later he drops Bubblegum into the Well.
- Night of the Living Mooks: The Lich can summon a large group of undead to do his bidding, which he does to stop Finn and Jake.
- Place of Power: The Well of Power, for the Lich.
- The Power of Love: The sweater that PB gives Finn allows him to channel "the power of l-l-liking someone a lot" and break the Lich's influence.
- Psychic Block Defense: The jewels Princess Bubblegum, Finn and Jake wear on their foreheads to protect themselves from the Lich's influence.
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Princess Bubblegum's vision of the Lich is what causes her to bring Finn and Jake to the Lich's prison, allowing him to take control of the snail and escape from the amber.
- Shout-Out: Finn's vision/fantasy of himself while meditating shows the characteristics (metal arm, glowing eye, big muscles) of Cable.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: Brief one given by Finn to the Lich, which snaps Finn out of the Lich's mind control.
Lich: Aren't you cold, Finn?
Finn: ...NO, I'M NOT! I'VE GOT A SWEATER ON!!
- Sinister Subway: The Lich's Well of Power is in a pre-war subway station.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Two for the price of one episode. First, the snail, who crawls into Finn's backpack right before he is teleported with Jake and the Princess into the tree housing the Lich, is then controlled by the Lich into breaking the amber imprisoning him, thereby freeing him. Second, as Finn and Jake are in hot pursuit of the Lich before he can reach his Well of Power, the Ice King keeps on pestering them for their blessing for Princess Bubblegum's hand in marriage, impeding them at several crucial moments that could have pre-emptively won them the battle, until it's too late. Ice King screws up again by accidentally dropping the princess into the well, setting the stage for the following episode.
- Villain-Beating Artifact: Billy's gauntlet is needed to defeat the Lich, but the Lich destroys it before Finn can use it.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: The Lich has this expression when his blasts fail to hit Finn.
- Walking Wasteland: The Lich leaves path of death and destruction in his wake.
- Wham Episode: The Lich is released and Ice King accidentally drops Bubblegum in the well of power.
