How old is Princess Bubblegum and how does her age progress through the Adventure Time series?
Princess Bubblegum‘s initial age is cited as 18 years old. In early seasons, she appears physically as a young adult and is referred to being the same age as Finn. However, dialogue in episodes like "The Suitor" establish that her actual age is over 800 years old.
Princess Bubblegum‘s Origins and Early History
According to the Adventure Time Fandom site, Princess Bubblegum was born hundreds of years before the show‘s current timeline from a gum-like substance known as the “Mother Gum” that emerged after The Great Mushroom War. [1]
The show‘s creator, Pendleton Ward, gave insight into her origins in a 2014 interview:
“She’s made of bubblegum. She was born of this big gob of chewing gum. She’s 827 years old. She’s not ageless, but she can live a long time.” [2]
So while Princess Bubblegum is technically centuries old, the show establishes that as a Candy Person, her physical form and mentality reflect whatever age she currently identifies with.
Bubblegum‘s Age Regression Due to Lost Biomass
The 2010 Season 2 finale “Mortal Recoil” shows Princess Bubblegum display powerful abilities after being possessed by The Lich. After tangling with this villain leaves her severely depleted of “biomass”, however, Bubblegum reverts both mentally and physically to age 13. [3]
This episode established that severe damage or exertion forces Bubblegum to regress in age until she can regenerate enough biomass to progress back to her usual form.
Details on Princess Bubblegum‘s Current Age
In later seasons, Bubblegum appears to resume her late teens/early adult form and mindset. Explicit references to her exact age become rare in dialogue.
The show‘s finale, "Come Along With Me," aired in 2018 after nearly a decade of storytelling without definitively re-stating Princess Bubblegum‘s age. But given the character‘s origins and her demonstrated ability to control her aging through candy biomass generation, most viewers infer she has returned to her initial age of 18 years old, with an actual age of over 800 years.
Princess Bubblegum‘s Age Allows Ongoing Character Growth
While her exact age shifts due to her candy biology, Princess Bubblegum‘s enduring characterization is that, despite ruling over the Candy Kingdom for centuries, she still has much to learn about relating to her citizens and friends.
Moments like her coldness towards a reformed Flame Princess or lack of empathy for Lemongrab show Bubblegum‘s flaws. However, she does grow in compassion over the course of the series. And learns from mistakes that may have arisen due to the pride and isolation ingrained by her long reign.
So in summary:
Princess Bubblegum‘s initial age: 18 years old
Her actual age: Over 800 years old
Evidence she ages: Age regression to 13 when losing biomass
Her current age: Physically 18 again by later seasons
Hopefully this provides more detail on Princess Bubblegum‘s age progression and just how old she truly is! Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions.
References
[1] https://adventuretime.fandom.com/wiki/Princess_Bubblegum[2] https://io9.gizmodo.com/an-in-depth-interview-with-adventure-time-creator-pendl-1604323050
[3] https://adventuretime.fandom.com/wiki/Mortal_Recoil
