Spoilers for this show are marked as usual. However, since this is a sequel to Adventure Time, spoilers for that series are left unmarked. You Have Been Warned!
Adventure Time: Distant Lands is a sequel miniseries to the critically-acclaimed animated series Adventure Time. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios and Frederator Studios for HBO Max, the series consists of four, 44-minute Day in the Limelight episodes exploring various members of the show's cast of characters. It premiered on June 25th, 2020 and ended on September 2nd, 2021.
The miniseries began production after the airing of Adventure Time's Grand Finale "Come Along with Me", under the Working Title of Rumble Jaw to keep its existence secret from other teams at the studio. Showrunner Adam Muto returned to spearhead the project, alongside story editor Jack Pendarvis and storyboard artist Hanna K. Nyström. Other returning cast and crew members include composer Tim Kiefer, as well as the entire principal voice cast.
Episodes include:
- BMO: While traveling through space on a mission to terraform Mars, BMO suddenly finds themselves transported to a distant part of the galaxy. Crashing onto a decrepit space station known as the Drift, BMO encounters a young rabbit girl named Y5, and the duo must work together to save its inhabitants from certain doom. It premiered on June 25th, 2020. (TRAILER
/SNEAK PEEK) For tropes applying to the "BMO" special, see here. - Obsidian: When a dragon awakens and breaks free from its prison underneath the Glass Kingdom, Marceline is called upon to defeat it as she did centuries ago. But in the process of preventing the catastrophe the beast threatens to cause, she learns that fixing this dilemma means facing yet another part of her tumultuous past with Princess Bubblegum. It premiered on November 19th, 2020. (TRAILER/SNEAK PEEK) For tropes applying to the "Obsidian" special, see here.
- Together Again: After a break from adventuring, a series of mysterious events leads Finn and Jake farther from home than they have ever traveled before. When they find themselves face to face with a monstrous evil, Finn and Jake must unite for the adventure of their lifetimes! It premiered on May 20th, 2021. (TEASER/TRAILER/SNEAK PEEK) For tropes applying to the "Together Again" special, see here.
- Wizard City: You may *think* you know Peppermint Butler (aka Pep-But, Peps, or even Dark One), the mild-mannered master occultist and loyal assistant to Princess Bubblegum... but do you *really* know him? There's more to this red-and-white bowtie clad candyman than meets the eye: discover his magical backstory and explore the lore of Wizard City. It premiered on September 2nd, 2021. (TEASER/SNEAK PEEK #1/SNEAK PEEK #2) For tropes applying to the "Wizard City" special, see here.
The miniseries was later followed by Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake in 2023.
Adventure Time: Distant Lands provides examples of:
- Anachronic Order: While Distant Lands is treated as an Adventure Time sequel series, one of the episodes ("BMO", to be precise) ends on the reveal that its a Stealth Prequel. Meanwhile, the other episodes take place at various points in the decades after the original series' finale "Come Along With Me".
- Art Evolution: The animation got a massive improvement compared to the original series, as shown in the various trailers. It helps that the miniseries has a bigger budget and is exclusive to a streaming platform.
- A Day in the Limelight: While "Together Again" focuses on Finn and Jake, the other three episodes are focused on the supporting cast.
- Extremely Short Intro Sequence: Played with. The overall title sequence for the series is only about eight seconds long, but each episode also has its own, unique twenty second long sequence in addition to it.