Does Marceline have BPD? (+3 Additional issues)
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This detailed article will be explaining if Marceline has BPD by looking closely at some of the signs and symptoms of this PD that she depicts. Furthermore, we will be checking out some of the psychological issues that Marceline shows in ‘Adventure Time.’
Does Marceline from Adventure Time have BPD?
Yes, Marceline has BPD. Marceline Abadeer or Marceline the Vampire Queen appears as one of the most important characters in the series ‘Adventure Time.’ She is a vampire who is the adopted daughter of the Ice King.
Marceline is a 1000-year old vampire, who consumes only red things as opposed to normal vampires who need to consume blood. She is also a musician and plays an electric bass guitar, and has performed a number of songs in the series.
While it has never been confirmed that Marceline has Borderline Personality Disorder by the creators of the series, many fans and critics of the show feel this way since she depicts a number of signs and symptoms of this PD. Some signs of BPD that Marceline shows are:
- She clearly fears abandonment. This is the main characteristic sign of Borderline Personality Disorder and is definitely depicted by Marceline the Vampire Queen. Marceline shows this fear to a number of characters in the show.
She mainly has a fear of abandonment from her own father. She felt that he was about to abandon her since he ate all of her fries and therefore decided to leave him first, in order to avoid being hurt later.
- She meddles with Finn and Princess Bubblegum. Marceline can be quite attention-seeking at times. She feels threatened when Finn and Princess Bubblegum spend a lot of time together since she feels that she will love another person.
She likes both Finn and Princess Bubblegum and feels that if they start a relationship with each other, they will forget about her. To prevent this from happening, she actually meddles in their relationship and makes Finn look like the bad guy.
She shows many anger outbursts. Marceline also depicts a number of anger outbursts in the series, mainly when her fears of abandonment are coming true. In the series, she has openly fought with Finn and even with the Ice King.
- She shows self-harming behaviors. Another sign of Borderline Personality Disorder that Marceline shows is self-harming behaviors. Being a vampire, Marceline is very sensitive to sunlight but stands in it because she likes the pain it causes.
- While it is often assumed that Marceline may definitely have Borderline Personality Disorder, fans and critics who have studied her character and her personality have many times felt that she might actually be suffering from Bipolar Disorder.
This is mainly due to her frequent changes in her moods and her affects. However, Marceline does not show the distinct manic and depressive phases which are characteristic of bipolar disorder.
Marceline’s psychological issues in Adventure Time
Marceline the Vampire Queen is one of the most powerful and interesting characters in the series ‘Adventure Time.’ Just like most of the other characters in the series, Marceline too seems to struggle with her mental health and shows many signs of psychological issues, such as,
She loves to prank people
Marceline has also been called a ‘radical dame who likes to play games’ by Finn. She is truly a trickster and loves to prank others all the time. This is often blamed on the vampire side to Marceline’s personality.
Playing pranks on others and tricking other people may seem like a very harmless habit. However, for a 1000 year old person such as Marceline, it may show that she has never really matured or grown in her character.
She tries to eat Jake at one point
Marceline is a vampire, but unlike other vampires she does not have the need to drink blood every day for sustenance. She compensates with this need by consuming food that is red in color. However, when she is deprived of red stuff for a long time she becomes feral.
At one point, Marceline even tries to eat Jake the Dog after she does not get access to red stuff for an extended period of time. This is mostly a sign of poor impulse control in Marceline since she can actually get by without drinking blood.
She finds it hard to express her feelings
While Marceline shows a number of emotional facets to herself throughout the series, she is actually one of the characters in the series who finds it very difficult to express her feelings and needs through words.
She therefore, expresses herself through violent outbursts and even demonstrations of physical violence. Most of the time, Marceline seems to express herself better through the use of songwriting.
In fact, she maintains a diary of her songs and lyrics which speak volumes about her feelings and emotions, more than her words will ever show. This can also show Marceline’s emotional distress.
Causes of Marceline’s psychological issues
‘Adventure Time’ is a beautiful series created with very deep characters, of which Marceline the Vampire Queen is one of the most interesting ones. She definitely struggles with emotional distress and portrays a number of signs of struggling with psychological issues.
It is not exactly clear as to what mental health disorder Marceline Abadeer might be struggling with. But, many fans and critics of the series feel that Marceline might actually have Borderline Personality Disorder. Some causal factors of Marceline’s psychological issues are:
- Abandonment by her parents: Marceline’s biological father was the demon lord Hunson Abadeer and an unknown human woman. However, after the Great Mushroom War, Marceline was abandoned.
This definitely led to a tumultuous childhood for Marceline. Later on, her parents do make re-entries into her life. But this does not do justice for the many years of her childhood that they missed out on.
- Ice King’s metamorphosis: After Marceline was abandoned in the Great Mushroom War she was found and adopted by Simon Petrikov, a kind archaeologist. Simon eventually became the Ice King after finding the magical crown.
The relationship between the Ice King and Marceline was not exactly stable since the magical crown often caused him to behave abnormally as if he had a mental illness. He develops an obsession with kidnapping princesses and often abandons Marceline.
This could not have been easy for Marceline, as she can see the only father-figure she has known to continuously deteriorate in front of her. At one point, Marceline even helps the Ice King remember more memories about her after she becomes scared that he might forget her.
It only becomes known to Marceline later that the sole reason why Simon Petrikov chose to hang on to the magical crown was to save her and keep her alive. This further makes her guilty, causing even more trauma to an already distressed Marceline.
- Her vampire nature: Marceline is a vampire, which makes her very distinct from the others in the land of Ooo. This very nature of Marceline has many times made her feel like a misfit and out of place with the rest of the world.
Marceline also does not feel like a true vampire since she does not need to drink blood. She only needs to consume red stuff to go from day to day. Her personality and identity can be seen being torn or split between being a vampire and a person loved by everyone.
Conclusion
This detailed article has explained if Marceline has BPD by looking closely at some of the signs and symptoms of this PD that she depicts. Furthermore, we have checked out some of the psychological issues that Marceline shows in ‘Adventure Time.’
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