Originally introduced as an evil but incompetent wizard obsessed with kidnapping princesses, he was depicted in later seasons of Adventure Time as a lonely man driven insane by a magical crown which grants him ice powers.

The crown's influence over Ice King came to be seen as a complex depiction of social isolation and mental illness, notably Alzheimer's and bipolar disorder.

The episodes "I Remember You" and "Simon & Marcy", focusing on the Ice King's paternal relationship with Marceline the Vampire Queen, are often considered two of the show's best.

In the short, the protagonists Finn the Human (Zack Shada) and Jake the Dog (John DiMaggio) fight Ice King to rescue Princess Bubblegum (Paige Moss),[2] whom he has kidnapped.

"[5] The journalist Neil Strauss of Rolling Stone noted that the character bore some similarities to Ward, including his "Trotsky glasses", his large beard and his strong desire for social interaction.

A recurring plot point throughout the series is his attempts to kidnap princesses and force them to marry him, which are repeatedly foiled by Finn and Jake.

[8][9] About a thousand years before the start of the series,[3] the Earth was ravaged by the Mushroom War, a nuclear conflict that mutated life and created the magical setting of Ooo.

Ricardio fashions a body out of Ice King's flesh, believing that it will make him more attractive to Princess Bubblegum who rejects and defeats him in single combat.

[13] The third season two-part special "Holly Jolly Secrets" revealed that the Ice King was once an antiquarian named Simon Petrikov, who purchased a magical crown from a dockworker in Scandinavia.

[17] In episode 25 of season four, "I Remember You", it is revealed that Simon met Marceline the Vampire Queen (Olivia Olson) when she was a young orphan, and helped her survive the fallout of the Mushroom War.

[28] When this fails, Betty tries to alter the past to stop Simon from finding the crown and prevent the Mushroom War from taking place.

[29] Betty makes another attempt to restore Simon's mind in the series finale "Come Along with Me" by harnessing the power of the evil deity GOLB.

[47][36] Despite wanting to live a normal life, Ice King's awkward and harmful behaviors drive away friends and potential romantic partners.

[48] It is later revealed that wearing the crown drove him insane, and caused him to lose all memories of his past life as a kind man named Simon Petrikov.

[19][52] Simon's mental health is not completely restored after he is freed from the crown's curse at the end of the series, instead he continues to deal with the effects of his life experience.

[29] Novelist Lev Grossman, in an interview with NPR, praised the backstory of the Ice King and the exploration of his condition, noting that his origin is "psychologically plausible.

[53][31] Despite this breakup, Simon and Betty have an enduring bond that film critic Eric Kohn of IndieWire described as "[stretching] across boundaries of space and time.

[20] Kohn compared the relationship between Ice King and Marceline in the flash-back episodes to the Man and Boy in Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic novel The Road.

[21] This similarity was also acknowledged by the creative team of Adventure Time, who described the episode "Simon & Marcy" as "The Road for kids" when pitching it to Cartoon Network.

"[24] However, Ice King's characterization was considered to improve from the show's third season onwards, as his backstory established him as a more complex character experiencing mental illness and social isolation.

[29] TV.com stated, "it's sort of amazing how Adventure Time has transformed the Ice King from an irritating antagonist to one of the most tragic figures on television.

He felt that Ice King embodied both intense struggles such as Alzheimer's and more mundane issues like social awkwardness, making him relatable to a wide audience.

[68][38] Rendy Jones of Den of Geek praised the emotional complexity and depth of Simon's story arc, highlighting the animation and storyboarding decisions, and describing the role as Kenny's "most harrowing and soulful performance yet.

[70] Reuben Baron of Paste summarized Simon's internal conflict regarding his writing as the "dilemma of moving on from a creative project that brings others joy but reminds him of personal pain".