Key examples include the canon romantic relationship between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire Queen, two prominent characters whose queer history is hinted at throughout and confirmed in the series finale, marking significant LGBTQ+ representation in a children's animated series. BMO, a main character, is depicted as a genderless robot often interpreted as non-binary, with flexible pronoun usage that normalizes gender fluidity.

Episodes like 'Gunter's a Woman' challenge and undo traditional gender stereotypes, while others incorporate themes of feminism, consent, self-acceptance, mental health struggles (e.g., Magic Man), and neurodivergence (e.g., Lemongrab), alongside subtle critiques of authority figures like Princess Bubblegum portrayed as fascist. These elements extend to voice acting and world-building but lack forced diversity in casting or overt race/gender-swapping, as it is an original IP.

As children's media targeted at ages 6-11, these inclusions carry amplified weight due to the impressionable audience, embedding identity politics and non-traditional norms into formative viewing. Creator intent appears organic rather than activist-driven, with minimal contemporary backlash labeling the original series 'woke'—most criticism targets spin-offs like Fionna and Cake—yet the prominence of queer leads and gender themes elevates the score beyond incidental.