Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mild violence, insults in imaginative, fun throwback.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Adventure Time: Side Quests
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
ADVENTURE TIME: SIDE QUESTS recalls an earlier era of Adventure Time, before the many spin-off tales that focus on other characters in the Adventure Time universe, when the show was just about a young boy named Finn (Sasha Knight) and his acerbic dog companion, Jake (John DiMaggio), traipsing through the land of Ooo, a post-apocalyptic world filled with mysterious kingdoms and curious characters. Each Side Quest in this series follows Finn and Jake through a new adventure (and some very weird experiences).
Is It Any Good?
Things got awfully complicated and adult in the most recent Adventure Time adventures, so this throwback series turns back the clock. Once more, Finn is young and peppy, Jake is not yet a dad; Adventure Time: Side Quests sees the two running around having surreal exploits that will remind viewers of Adventure Time's early days, except you haven't seen them before. The stakes are low and the fun factor is high, with the fresh-faced Finn just fooling around with his stretchy pal Jake. Word play is a staple; the writers are clearly just having fun when Jake and Finn grapple with insults like "bow baby" (meaning, Finn can't operate a crossbow skillfully) or "dog squire" (leveled at Jake, who is, admittedly, Finn's helpmate, but doesn't like being put down for it). Silliness is also at an all-time high, with Finn and Jake's new adventures including a My Fair Lady-esque attempt to turn Finn into a gentleman so that he can duel a rival for a dandified lovelorn bug. Asked to bathe in cologne, sip tea with delicacy, and wear "garments of whimsy and spectacle" (a giant, confining neck ruff), our boy is stymied but finds a way to fight back in courtly bow and dance competitions. In another episode, a bow goes errant and accidentally strikes an outhouse, opening the door: "Someone's in here!" shouts the embarrassed creature within. There are trees that bear warm lentil soup, bugs who wear wigs, robo-beds that wander all over a sickroom, and a million other weird things. Adventure Time: Side Quests hearkens back to a simpler time, and we feel transported too, to younger selves who just want to hang out with these fun, ridiculous old friends. It's a return to form that will please old fans and snag new ones, too.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Adventure Time: Side Quests compares to the real world. What aspects of Finn, Susan, and Jake's world are rooted in fantasy? Is any of it relevant to the real world? What place does fantasy have in entertainment? Does entertainment always have to have a strong message, or can it just be fun?
Why do characters sometimes use weapons or violence to solve problems? What would happen in real life if a kid used the same kinds of weapons? Do you think it's funny to watch mild violence like this? Can you separate the show's use of weapons with what's appropriate in real life?
Do you have to be a fan of the original Adventure Time to appreciate Side Quests? Does experience with the original show increase or detract from your enjoyment of this spin-off?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 29, 2026
- Cast : Sasha Knight , John DiMaggio , Tom Kenny
- Network : Disney+
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Adventures , Dystopia
- TV rating :
- Last updated : July 7, 2026
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