Adventure Timemay be one of the most beloved animated shows of all time, but even the best shows have off days - and the worstAdventure Timeepisodes stand out precisely because they fall short of the series' otherwise exceptional standards. Across its ten-season run from 2010 to 2018, the show pushed the boundaries of children’s television with complex lore, emotional storytelling, and wildly inventive animation. At its best,Adventure Timedelivered genre-defying masterpieces, cementing its place among the all-time greats of Cartoon Network and leaving a legacy that still influences animation today.
However, for every “I Remember You” or “Come Along With Me,” there’s an episode that made even the most devoted fans scratch their heads. Whether it’s a misjudged tonal shift, a forgettable subplot, or just plain awkward storytelling, the worstAdventure Timeepisodes aren’t just flawed, they’re baffling. These episodes are hard to defend, even from a “no bad episodes” standpoint, and they linger in the mind for all the wrong reasons. The worst episodes are those that missed the mark the most, and while they don’t detract from the show’s legacy, they are hard to ignore given just how highthe high points ofAdventure Timeare.
10Slow Love
Season 2, Episode 6
Adventure Timeseason 4’s“Slow Love” centers on a lovelorn snail named Snorlock who crashes with Finn (Jeremy Shada) and Jake (John DiMaggio) while searching for romance. Unfortunately, the episode leans too hard into gross-out humor, with visuals and gags that feel more off-putting than funny. WhileAdventure Timeoften embraces weirdness, “Slow Love” doesn’t balance its absurdity with any meaningful emotional core.
It’s not just the humor that sinks “Slow Love” to being one of the worstAdventure Timeepisodes, it’s the lack of character development and stakes. Snorlock is a one-note guest character whosestoryline never feels essential.The result is a meandering episode that feels more like a rejected short than a proper entry in the series. Among the worstAdventure Timeepisodes, “Slow Love” is a reminder that not every experiment works.
9Web Weirdos
Season 4, Episode 3
On the surface, season 4’s “Web Weirdos” could have been great, since it fully leans into the strange tone that madeAdventure Timesuch a memorable showin the first place. However, the result is a harsh lesson that there’s such a thing as too much bombastic randomness. “Web Weirdos” focuses on the bizarre domestic dispute between two anthropomorphic spiders, Ed and Barb. Instead of giving Finn and Jake meaningful roles, the episode sidelines them in favor of a spider couple whose dynamic is played for cringey laughs.
It’s an uncomfortable watch, relying on screechy arguments and awkward pacing rather than clever storytelling. There’s nothing wrong withAdventure Timegetting weird, but “Web Weirdos”pushes that weirdness into the realm of tedious. The central conflict isn’t engaging, the characters are forgettable, and the tone is more annoying than amusing. It’s one of the worstAdventure Timeepisodes because it feels like filler in a season otherwise rich with standout stories.
8Dream of Love
Season 4, Episode 4
A fascinating aspect of the worstAdventure Timeepisodes is how many of them center on otherwise fan-favorite characters. In the case of season 4’s “Dream of Love”, it’s Polly Lou Livingston’smild-mannered pygmy elephant, Tree Trunks. Tree Trunks and Mr. Pig’s PDA-fueled romance is the central focus of “Dream of Love,” and it’s as uncomfortable as it sounds. What should be a quirky side story becomes the entire episode, leaving little room for Finn and Jake to add their usual spark.
The humor in “Dream of Love” is repetitive, the tone clunky, and the ending unsatisfying. While the show often excels at exploring unconventional relationships, this entry doesn’t offer insight or heart. Instead, it leans intoawkward physical gags and an overly long music number.“Dream of Love” is among the most forgettable episodes because it’s not just weird - it’s weird without purpose, a common theme amongAdventure Timeinstallments that missed the mark.
7Be Sweet
Season 6, Episode 39
Few characters are as divisive in theAdventure Timefandomas Lumpy Space Princess. While she has legions of outspoken supporters, there are just as many who view her as borderline insufferable. For those who aren’t fans of LSP, “Be Sweet” is regularly cited as a perfect example of why. In “Be Sweet,” Lumpy Space Princess (voiced by Pendleton Ward) tries to prove she can be a responsible babysitter. What unfolds is a grating solo showcase that tests even the most patient fans.
LSP’s obnoxious behavior is typically balanced by stronger characters or subplots, but here, she dominates every moment. The humor feels lazy,relying on yelling and immature anticsthat undercut the show’s usual intelligence. While LSP has delivered memorable moments before, “Be Sweet” exaggerates her worst traits with little payoff. It’s an exhausting ride that’s more irritating than endearing, and even many fans of Lumpy Space Princess have difficulty arguing against it being one of the worstAdventure Timeepisodes.
6BMO Noire
Season 4, Episode 17
Just as Tree Trunks is the star of both some ofthe bestAdventure Timeepisodes and the worst, fan-favorite BMO is the star of one of the least-loved installments (despite being inarguably one of the most popular characters in the show). “BMO Noire” is an ambitious stylistic departure that reimagines BMO (Niki Yang) as a noir detective. On paper, it sounds brilliant, but in practice, the episode is aslow, navel-gazing detour that forgets to entertain.
The commitment to the bit in “BMO Noire” overwhelms the pacing, and the lack of stakes makes it hard to care about the outcome. While BMO is usually one of the show’s most lovable sidekicks, here their solo story lacks charm and cohesion. The visual style is intriguing but wasted on a thin mystery plot with no real tension. Of the worstAdventure Timeepisodes, “BMO Noire” is the rare one that fails because it tries too hard to be clever. What’s more, it’s referencing an era of movie-making that the target audience ofAdventure Timeis incredibly unlikely to be familiar with.
5Donny
Season 1, Episode 21
It’s a testament tohow strongAdventure Timestartedthat many of its worst episodes come from later seasons. However, early seasons are far from innocent, and the flops from the earliest days of Finn and Jake’s adventures stick out all the more for it. Of these, season 1’s “Donny” is a key culprit. “Donny” is a relic from the show’s earliest, rougher days, and it shows. The titular character is an obnoxious creature that Finn and Jake must “help” by making him meaner - a premise that feels both dated and misguided.
Among the worstAdventure Timeepisodes, the biggest crime committed by “Donny” is that it just isn’t memorable for anything good. The moral message is muddled (a big problem forAdventure Time,which handles key life lessons for its younger viewers incredibly well, usually), and the humor doesn’t land with the same finesse seen in later seasons. As an early episode, it’s more forgivable, but that doesn’t make it any easier to sit through. When all is said and done, “Donny”lacks the creativity and heart that made the series great.
4The Red Throne
Season 5, Episode 47
Many fans agree that one of the worst phases for Finn as a character was during his awkward adolescent years - specifically when his interests seemed to switch from going on adventures with Jake to landing a kiss with oneof Ooo’s many princesses. From this era, few episodes are as tough to get through as season 5’s “The Red Throne”. “The Red Throne” tries to build on Flame Princess’s (Jessica DiCicco) storyline, but instead it reduces her to a plot device in a love triangle. The episode sidelines her agency in favor of a jealous Finn, whose pining becomes the main focus.
This is easily one of the worstAdventure Timeepisodes for how it fumbles character arcs that deserved better. “The Red Throne” isn’t a good look for Finn (who becomes borderline-predatory at points), and it’s not a good episode for Flame Princess either. It doesn’t help that the pacing is awkward and the action sequences forgettable. The court intrigue could have been exciting, but instead, viewers getforced drama and an unsatisfying resolution.
3Cherry Cream Soda
Season 7, Episode 3
Many of the bestAdventure Timeepisodes handle surprisingly emotional story arcs. This should have been the case with season 7’s “Cherry Cream Soda”. However, rather than being a digestible exploration of grief and loss for younger viewers, this installment comes across as jarring and difficult to sit through. “Cherry Cream Soda” tries to flesh out Root Beer Guy’s widow,Cherry Cream Soda (Anne Heche), but ends up delivering a heavy-handed and oddly unpleasant half-hour.
It’s one of the worstAdventure Timeepisodes not because it’s shallow, but because it’s weirdly hollow despite its serious themes. Instead of handling loss with the show’s usual care, this one leans into awkward tonal shifts and a story that never quite lands. Cherry Cream Soda’s grief turns into a strange psychological spiral as her undead husband returns, and it’snowhere near as emotionally resonant as other similarly dark episodes.There’s ambition here, but the execution is off.
2Chips & Ice Cream
Season 6, Episode 34
ManyAdventure Timeepisodes are ruined by one-off characters that fans simply can’t gel with, and few demonstrate just how risky introducing new faces to the Ooo canon are than season 6’s “Chips & Ice Cream”. This episode revolvesaround Finn and Jakefalling under the spell of two insufferable characters named Chips and Ice Cream. It sounds fun and surreal, but instead, it’s painfully repetitive.
The main gag - Chips and Ice Cream chanting their names over and over - wears thin within minutes and never evolves. There’s no character growth, no meaningful payoff, and very little narrative structure. It’sbaffling that an episode this devoid of substance made it into the series.“Chips & Ice Cream” deserves its spot as one of the worstAdventure Timeepisodes because it’s simply a test of patience more than anything else.
1Water Park Prank
Season 6, Episode 37
There’s always debate surrounding the worstAdventure Time Episodes,with even installments like “Chips & Ice Cream” or “Cherry Cream Soda” having their supporters. However, when it comes to “Water Park Prank”, the dissatisfaction is almost universal. Season 6’s “Water Park Prank” features plentry of time with the Ice King (like many of the shows best episodes), but manages to turn him into an annoying caricature. The storyline is shallow, and the humor lands with a thud.
What should be a zany, fun premise is dragged down by pacing issues and strange character choices. There’s almost no connection to the show’s main themes orAdventure Time’slore-building narrative arcs, and worst of all, it’s just not entertaining. As far as the worstAdventure Timeepisodes go, “Water Park Prank” might be the most forgettable - and for a show known for unforgettable weirdness, that’s the most disappointing outcome of all.
