11 Greatest Moments on Disney’s Amphibia
When Amphibia premiered, few people realized how big of a show it would become. This Western Isekai about a girl trapped in a world of talking Amphibians looked like nothing more than a simple slice-of-life cartoon. However, underneath the humor lay a tale of friendship, loss, change, and people becoming their best selves. In short, Amphibia was something truly special, an animated epic on a scale that few shows could hope to match.
After three years and three seasons, Amphibia begins its final chapter, which means it’s the perfect time to look back on Matt Braly’s incredible series. Whether you watched it from the beginning or discovered it later, there are plenty of unforgettable moments to look back on in the tale of Amphibia.
Warning: Major Spoilers are Ahead
Anne Stands Up to the Toads, Toad Tax
When she first arrived in Amphibia, two of Anne’s biggest flaws were her low self-esteem and the approval of those around her. With the town of Wartwood treating her like a freak, she briefly falls in with a group of visiting Toad tax collectors. However, when push comes to shove, Anne chooses to stand up for herself for the first time in her life. Not only is her fight with the Toads dramatic, but it ends with Anne gaining the acceptance she wanted from the grateful people of Wartwood. This event would lead Anne from being a self-centered teen into a hero and protector of others.
Anne vs. Sasha, Reunion
Anne’s growing self-confidence and past came to a head in the Season One finale. Having reunited with her best friend, Sasha, Anne learns the latter’s become a ruthless soldier in the Toad Army who tries to kill her adoptive family. Having learned the value of standing up for herself, Anne chooses to defy Sasha for the first time in her life. The resulting duel is climactic, fraught with tension and emotion, and though both walk away, it’s clear that things will never be the same between them.
Stan Pines Cameo, Wax Museum
This was the moment that made Gravity Falls and Amphibia fans collectively rejoice. For those who don’t know, Amphibia creator Matt Braly previously worked on the popular Disney cartoon Gravity Falls alongside its creator, Alex Hirsch. So, when Braly wanted to do a tribute to the show that gave him his big break, he got Alex Hirsch to reprise his role as Stan Pines in Amphibia. Or rather, Mr. Ponds, Stan’s Amphibian counterpart and owner of a wax museum that Anne and the Plantars visit while on the road. Regardless, this moment left everyone ecstatic, as it showed the legacy of Gravity Falls remained alive and well. The episode continued the tradition of codes and ciphers that were a part of what made Gravity Falls so much fun.
Reunion with Marcy, Marcy at the Gates
After embarking on a lengthy trip to the capital of Amphibia, Anne, the Plantars, and the fans get the surprise of a lifetime when Anne reunites with her other friend, Marcy. Having seen what kind of person Sasha was, fans speculated whether Marcy would be any different. To their immense joy, though, Marcy Wu turned out to be a sweet, adorkable cinnamon bun obsessed with JRPGs and other geeky interests. In other words, she was the opposite of Sasha and quickly won everyone over.
Remembering Their Parents, Hopping Mall
Who says kid’s shows can’t leave adults in tears? Following a shopping day, Anne and Sprig sit on the balcony of their hotel, talking about their parents. As Anne remembers her Mom and how much she misses her, the girl’s close to tears, which anyone who’s spent long periods away from home can relate to. However, the real tearjerking moment comes when Sprig reveals he can’t even remember his parents, who passed away when he was little. As Sprig wonders if he can miss someone he can’t remember, the two share a silent and tearful hug that ends the episode. You’d have to be stone-cold to be unmoved by this scene or the emotional music that replaces the end credits.
What Happened to Sprig and Polly’s Parents, After the Rain
This moment has to be amongst Bill Farmer’s greatest performances. After learning that Hop Pop buried the Box she needed to get home in the yard, only to lose it, Anne has a huge falling out with her adoptive grandfather. Even after retrieving the Box, Anne’s on the verge of leaving the Plantars for good. It’s not until Hop Pop reveals why he did what he did that Anne reconsiders and gives him a second chance. Despite being a kid’s cartoon, moments like this remind us how dangerous Amphibia can be. Anyone who’s prematurely lost a loved one due to tragedy would feel their hearts go out for Hop Pop as he recalls his failure to save Sprig and Polly’s parents.
Heartstomper/No Big Deal, Battle of the Bands
This penultimate episode of Season Two saw Anne, Sasha, and Marcy reunited once more for a battle of the bands in Wartwood. Because of that, we got not one but two amazing songs that are easily some of the best that Disney’s ever done for a TV. They were so good that Disney released them ahead of the episode as music videos, and fans went nuts over them.
Firstly, there’s Sasha’s solo “Heartstomper.” Besides showcasing Sasha’s iron determination, it also highlights the more selfish aspects of the character up to this point. In addition, it’s Anna Akana’s brilliant vocals that cinches this as a darn good rock song.
Then, we have Anne’s “No Big Deal.” Brenda Song killed it with her singing as Anne Boonchuy. The music and rhythm are catchy enough, but this song is so great because it highlights Anne’s journey through Amphibia and how much she’s grown due to it. The fans must agree because there are AMVs and remixes to the song with hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. Rock on, Anne!
Anne Returns Home, the New Normal
Following the game-changing events of True Colors, Anne finally finds herself home on Earth, albeit with the Plantars in tow. Anne immediately a beeline for her house, eager to see her parents again. What follows is a heartfelt and emotional reunion two seasons in the making and well worth the wait. What makes this even better is that the Plantars inadvertently ruin and reveal themselves before Anne can ease her parents into what happened to her. Comedy is all about timing, and this was one moment that perfectly embodies that.
Marcy Possessed by the Core, Olivia, and Yunan
After the end of Season Two revealed the ruler of Amphibia, King Andrias, was bent on conquering the multiverse, he looked set to be the main antagonist of the series. However, this only set us up for the moment in Season Three, where we learn Andrias was merely a puppet. The true main antagonist was the entity known as The Core, a mechanical hive mind of the smartest and most bloodthirsty beings in Amphibia’s history. In a moment ripped straight out of a horror film, viewers can only watch as Marcy’s imprisoned and forcibly has The Core uploaded into her mind to serve as its new host, creating Darcy. The combination of red and black, Marcy’s screams and the lack of music in the credits scare anyone watching it.
Life-Giving K-Pop, All In
The second act of the show’s three-week finale was a 48-minute long special that saw the long-awaited invasion of Earth at the hands of series antagonists, King Andrias and Darcy. Amidst a battle on the scale of the Chitauri Invasion in The Avengers, Anne fights King Andrias in one-on-one combat, pitting her Calamity powers against the King’s Amphibian-themed Mecha. The fight’s already incredible to look at, but when Anne’s favorite K-Pop song starts playing? Amphibia stops being a cartoon and ascends to full-blown Shonen anime.
True Colors, the Whole Episode
This entire episode is Amphibia at its absolute best, even if Disney screwed things up and iTunes spoiled it for everyone. As Anne’s set to return home to Earth, the show takes a 180 when Sasha turns on Anne. From there, things only get crazier, as Andrias is revealed to be a villain, an army of frog robots shows up, and a big secret that Marcy’s kept from everyone comes to life that changes everything we knew about how Anne got to Amphibia. The last five moments alone are a masterpiece of art, storytelling, and music that left fans broken. Even spoiled, this finale was easily the best moment in the show.
