The Hardest Thing

It premiered on May 14, 2022.^[1][2]

Synopsis

Anne's journey comes to an end.^[2]

Alternate Synopsis: The prophecy reaches its full potential.

Plot

Following the aftermath of the battle for Earth, the people of Amphibia celebrate the defeat of Darcy and King Andrias. However, unbeknownst to them, the Core, still trapped in its helmet, was still alive and flies up to Amphibia's moon, where it connects with and activates its propulsion systems to drive it at the castle. While looking up at the sky, Sprig notices the moon approaching and brings it up to the others. Andrias informed them that the moon was where the Core's first pet projects were made, with one of them utilizing the moon as a doomsday device. Marcy, having been controlled by the Core for so long, knows why this is the case: it is afraid of its destruction or irrelevancy. It will prevent that from happening and claim the stones as their own, by any means necessary.

Eventually, Mother Olm appears, noticing the moon getting closer, saying the prophecy has come to pass, with Anne, Sasha and Marcy (the latter of which did not know about the prophecy until now) saving the world. Despite there being no guarantee to their success, Mother Olm continues explaining the prophecy that it's more of a cry for help, and that help is within the three gemstones. But the three are aware that using the stones' energy may not last long enough to send them back home, and could leave them stuck in Amphibia forever. Despite these circumstances, Anne, Sasha and Marcy are still willing to defend Amphibia and head for the music box. As everyone rushes inside the castle, Mother Olm mentions one more thing to Anne saying that as strong as the stones may be, they may not be enough to defeat the Core. However, they contain a hidden power capable of defeating any foe, though at the cost of the user's life. Though hoping the situation will not come to that, regardless, Anne asks how the spell works, to which Mother Olm responds, "You have only but to ask."

As Anne catches up, she finds Valeriana, who has been waiting for her arrival. As they finally commence the prophecy, connecting the stones' powers within the girls' hearts once more, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy are all powered and armored up, ready to take down the Core once and for all. As the Core unleashes its defense robots, Anne, Sasha and Marcy fight back with their new and enhanced powers, making short work of the robots. While Andrias watches on, the Core in his crown speaks to him, as his father begs him to help, so that he can reunite with him. Grime appears to fight him if he steps out of line, but Andrias says he'll do what he must, and unleashes a hoard of Frobots headed in the same direction of the moon. However, instead of attacking, the Frobots end up helping the girls push the moon back in the opposite direction. Andrias, now doing things for himself, breaks his connection to the Core at long last by crushing his crown.

Meanwhile, as the three girls give it their all in resisting the Core's full power, the Frobots are quickly destroyed in the struggle. To make things worse, Marcy and Sasha can feel their powers fading (since they lost their powers completely before, they're not used to this as Anne is) and there's no time for them to recharge their energy. Seeing as there is no other option left, Anne tells them that she will combine the power of all three stones; knowing she may die from its overwhelming power, it'd be worth it to her with them and everyone in Amphibia being safe. Sasha and Marcy immediately refuse this idea, but Anne points out that since the beginning, she's been following Sasha and Marcy's paths, letting them take the lead so she asks that they do the same for her this time. Tearfully, seeing as there is no way around it, Marcy and Sasha give up their stones to Anne, who sends them back to Amphibia after receiving a group hug and being told that she had better survive.

After returning to Amphibia, Marcy and Sasha deliver the sad news about Anne making a sacrifice, leaving everyone in shock and denial, especially Sprig, who demands Frobo to take him to Anne. Despite Hop Pop's warning, Sprig leaves to Anne anyway, who unlocks the spell within the three stones by asking for the power needed to save Amphibia. Hearing her wish, the stones shatter and transfer all their power into Anne. Before she can make a move, Sprig flies up to her, begging her not to go through with this move, and saying that she changed his life, as Anne responds the same. Anne holds his hand as he tearfully lets go and leaves. Wishing Sprig farewell, Anne now fires a massive beam at the moon, while also destroying the Core once and for all. Upon seeing this, everyone celebrates the Core's defeat for good this time. With Anne's body now turned into stone, Sprig and Frobo take what's left of her back to Amphibia. With everyone looking at her in tears and they become distraught, not being able to comprehend what's happening, Anne, who can still manage to speak, tells Sprig not to cry, and that saving the world was worth the sacrifice, and her only regret was that she'll never get to see Love Choice 2. As the Plantars chuckle at this, Anne dies as her stone body dissipates into leaves.

As the background becomes black, multiple voices are heard shouting Anne's name, until Anne wakes up in a mysterious floating island in some purgatory or alternate dimension that's the same to one of the posters from her bedroom. Inside a small house, she spots an old computer, where a message pops up greeting her. The computer responds as the cosmic guardian that's been watching over countless worlds for eons. To communicate better, the Guardian takes the form of Anne's cat Domino and talks to Anne verbally, who tells her she is neither dead nor alive, and has created a copy of her before her original body disintegrated, so she is still the same, but a better one. The Guardian also wants to offer its title as Guardian to Anne, seeing that Anne is the only mortal that has used the stones' power for good in all 10,000 years of their existence. Anne refuses this deal, seeing as she is still young and has a whole life ahead of her to make changes and overcome obstacles, just like her friends did. Convinced by this, the Guardian allows her to return to the world of the living, saying it can wait until she fully lives 78 more years before retiring and handing the mantle to Anne.

Anne wakes up back in Amphibia in her new body, where she sees her friends still mourning her earlier "death." Coming upon the group, Sprig and the others are surprised and ecstatic to see Anne alive again and all run in to hug her. Sprig then notices Anne's pocket glowing, and it is revealed to be the remaining shards of the shattered stones from their last use. And with everyone celebrating, Andrias looks at the remains of the moon, happy that the threat of the Core is finally over.

Marcy confirms that the three shards are all that's left of the stones and that they are a one-way ticket to Earth. After Marcy expresses uncertainty about their stability (much to everyone's dismay), everyone bids the girls farewell, understanding that they have their own lives to get back to. Marcy says goodbye to Olivia and Yunan, who claim that thanks to her, they found each other. Marcy also says goodbye to Andrias, who looks surprised but then guilt fully wishes for her to "take care." Sasha and Grime share an at first military-like goodbye before turning it into a teary, heartfelt goodbye, openly stating they will miss each other dearly and Grime promising Sasha to find Percy and Braddock and let them know she'll never forget them and that she's sorry for everything.

Finally, Anne shares her goodbyes with the Plantar family, with Sprig still taking this moment not as well, but says goodbye, saying that they won't forget one another. Anne gives Sprig her phone as a souvenir. And with everyone given their farewells, the girls are ready to return back home to Earth. With Sprig giving one last hug, Anne follows Sasha and Marcy back home. Having used the last of the stones' power, the music box crumbles to dust and fades away for good. When Hop Pop asks what they do now, Olivia says they will build a better world while Grime affirms they will do it together.

In late-January/February^[10][11] 2021,^[12] approximately nine months^[13] after the trio returned to Earth, Amphibia has been rebuilt with the environment healed from Andrias' industrialization. Andrias has abdicated his throne and is seen helping to replant the flora he devastated, albeit under guard and while wearing chains, though he's happily fine with it because he finally found himself at peace. He's joined by Bartley, Branson and Blair, also in chains. Polly has finally finished her tadpole stage and is now a fully developed frog, with Wally still unable to get used to it. Maddie is shown to have started a pharmaceutical business with her sisters, using her potions. Loggle has returned to his scrawny shape, which he blames on taking a "cheat day." Grime, Olivia, and Yunan have become dignitaries for toads and newts respectively. Joe Sparrow and Bessie have fallen in love and had a trio of adorable sparrow-snail baby hybrids. Toadie has become the new mayor of Wartwood, with Toadstool as his aide. Hop Pop has started a business selling California avocados that he got from Los Angeles, with Frobo helping garden them at the Plantar Farm. Sprig is shown keeping a journal of all the creatures he's encountered, with the aid of Anne's phone, he even succeeded in something Anne failed to do, taking a picture of the mossman. Wartwood has erected a statue of Anne in honor of her saving Amphibia. After being told by Ivy about a new continent untouched by any amphibians, Sprig, looking at the Anne statue and thinking about her encouragement, jumps onboard to check it out.

In late-April/May^[10][11] 2029,^[12][14] ten years after Andrias's invasion, Sasha drives a car to pick up a still-clumsy Marcy at the Los Angeles International Airport to visit Anne. Marcy visits whenever she can and has become a promising web comic author. Due to Sasha's own personal experience, she became a successful children's psychologist. Sasha reveals that she and Anne stopped spending as much time together as they used to once they entered high school, but are still very close friends. Anne is revealed to have become a herpetologist and now works at the Aquarium of the Pacific. On Anne's birthday a few weeks later,^[11] Anne is seen teaching a young class of children about a pink South American tree frog whom she named Sprig after her best friend. After putting the frog back, Anne is greeted by Marcy and Sasha and hang out and celebrate Anne's birthday as they did years ago.

The credits roll showing various locations of Amphibia; Anne's statue at the heart of Wartwood, the cliffs near Newtopia where the girls went home that now has all of their signature weapons (racket, heron sword and crossbow) placed there as a shrine, the South Tower in ruins from two season finales prior now covered in plant life, and the Plantar Farm at night. At the end of the credits is a retake of the trio's "BFFs" photo. Thai script reading "The End" appears, bringing the episode, as well as the series, to a close.

Cast

• Brenda Song as Anne Boonchuy
• Justin Felbinger as Sprig Plantar
• Bill Farmer as Hop Pop Plantar
• Amanda Leighton as Polly Plantar
• Anna Akana as Sasha Waybright
• Troy Baker as Captain Grime
• Haley Tju as Marcy Wu
• Keith David as King Andrias
• Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Olm
• Brian Maillard as Leopold Loggle
• Zehra Fazal as General Yunan
• Michelle Dockery as Lady Olivia
• Charlyne Yi as Guardian/Domino
• Susanne Blakeslee as Valeriana
• James Patrick Stuart as Wally Ribbiton
• Sam Riegel as Leander
• Laila Berzins as Sadie Croaker
• Jill Bartlett as Maddie Flour
• Stephen Root as Mayor Toadstool
• Jack McBrayer as Toadie
• Katie Crown as Ivy Sundew
• William Houston as The Core & King Aldrich
• Matt Chapman as Tritonio Espada

Additional voices

• Troy Baker as News Anchor
• Sam Riegel as Dragonfly Frog, Worried Amphibians
• Laila Berzins as Worried Amphibians
• Jill Bartlett as Museum Kid, Teacher

Non-speaking cameos

• Felicia Sundew
• Sylvia Sundew
• Stumpy
• Soggy Joe
• Mr. Flour
• Rosemary, Lavender, and Ginger Flour
• Apothecary Gary
• Albus Duckweed
• Chuck
• Tuti
• Sheriff Buck Leatherleaf
• Captain Beatrix
• Bartley, Branson, and Blair

Pictured

• Mrs. Boonchuy
• Mr. Boonchuy
• Percy
• Braddock
• Fern
• Bog
• Mire
• Fens
• Wigbert Ribbiton
• Lysil and Angwin
• Priscilla
• Pearl
• Bella
• Bailey

Mentioned

• Jacinda

Other characters

• Frobo
• Frobots
• Bessie
• MicroAngelo
• Archie
• Domino 2
• Joe Sparrow

Songs

Instrumental songs

• "The Hardest Thing Score"
  • "The Core's Final Gambit"
  • "A Humble Request For Help"
  • "You Have Only But To Ask"
  • "Allow The Stones to Resonate With Your Hearts"
  • "One Last Hurrah (NBD big band remix)"
  • "Standing Up To You"
  • "Amphibia's Greatest Treasure"
  • "The Guardian"
  • "For Every Heroic Sacrifice, I Make A Hundred Dumb Mistakes"
  • "A Life Fully Lived"
  • "Say Our Goodbyes"
  • "Build a Better World, Together"
  • "Just In Time For The Ceremony"
  • "New Adventures"
  • "You'd Be Surprised What Makes Its Way Back To You"
  • "Extended End Credits"

Title in other languages

Language	Title	Translation	Notes
Latin American Spanish	Lo más difícil	The Hardest
Brazilian Portuguese	A Coisa mais Difícil	The Hardest Thing
Bulgarian	Най-трудното нещо	The Hardest Thing
Czech	To nejtěžší	The Hardest
German	Die schwerste Sache	The Hardest Thing
French	Le plus difficile	The hardest
Hungarian	A legnehezebb dolog	The hardest thing
Italian	La scelta più difficile	The hardest choice
Japanese	それぞれの道へ	Each Way
Dutch	Het Moeilijkste	The Hardest
European Portuguese	O Mais Difícil	The Hardest
Polish	To co najtrudniejsze	The Hardest Thing
Romanian	Cel mai greu lucru	The hardest thing
Russian	Самое сложное	The Hardest
Thai	สิ่งที่ยากที่สุด

Transcript

Gallery

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Trivia

• Viewership: This episode was watched by 0.35 viewers on its premiere.^[7]
• This episode is 29 minutes long.^[8][9]
  • Due to commercial breaks, it takes up a 35-minute timeslot when it airs on Disney Channel. However, it takes up a 32-minute timeslot on Disney XD.
• This is the last episode where Anne uses her Calamity powers, as she used them up and lost them for good.
• Anne returned Marcy's journal to her after the Guardian resurrected her.^[15]
• Matt Braly considers this his favorite episode in the series.^[16]
• The premise of the episode involves a red moon. By coincidence, the episode aired a day before the 2022 lunar eclipse, which gave the impression of a giant red moon.
• This and "Marcy at the Gates" are the only episodes in the series to have alternative synopses.
• Anne mentions the episode's title during her ending monologue.
• This episode and the previous episode are the only episodes to omit the opening sequence, instead displaying the series logo, title card, and episode credits over the opening scene.
• This episode, along with "The New Normal" and "Escape to Amphibia" are the only full-length episodes to immediately follow another full-length episode.
• Throughout the third season, Marcy was in the flying palace, held captive, and as a host for the Core. But for the first time since "True Colors", she is on solid ground and herself again as she's freed from the Core for good.
• This is the third episode following "Froggy Little Christmas" and "All In" to have its score released.^[17]
  • In addition, on May 15, the piano sheet music for the end credits theme heard in this episode was released.^[18]
• This episode was later uploaded to YouTube on June 13, 2022,^[19] making this the eighth episode (following "Anne or Beast?"/"Best Fronds", "Prison Break", "The Dinner"/"Battle of the Bands", "The Shut-In!", "Snow Day"/"Cracking Mrs. Croaker", "Escape to Amphibia", and "Lily Pad Thai"/"Plantar's Last Stand") to later be uploaded in full to YouTube.
  • This is the first episode to be fully uploaded to YouTube after the show's run.
  • This is also the first season finale to be fully uploaded to YouTube.
• This is the only episode:
  • Where the Core is outside Newtopia Castle.
  • Whose credits theme includes multiple leitmotifs (the "Friendship Theme", "Marcy's Theme", "Sasha's Theme", and "Anne's Theme"), as well as the only credits theme to include the "Friendship Theme" and "Sasha's Theme" leitmotifs.
    • The trio's leitmotifs are presented in the same order in which the girls said goodbye at the end of the episode. They are also in the reverse order of the characters' (and, by extension, their leitmotifs') debuts.
  • To credit Brenda Song separately from Justin Felbinger, Bill Farmer, and Amanda Leighton.
  • To credit Anna Akana, Troy Baker, Haley Tju, and Keith David separately from the rest of the cast.
  • To use Anne, Sasha, and Marcy's full names in the credits.
    • These changes only occur in the extended credits sequence and are absent in Disney Channel and most Disney XD airings, including the episode's premiere.
• This is the only episode of season 3:
  • In which Marcy is not comatose or under the Core's control.
  • In which Marcy rides on Joe Sparrow.
  • In which Marcy is outside Newtopia Castle.
  • In which the Core is never voiced by Haley Tju.
    • Thus, this is also the only season 3 episode to have Tju credited solely for her role as Marcy.
    • Since Haley no longer voiced Darcy, because Sasha freed Marcy from the Core's control.
  • To feature the phrase "Spranne against the world".
  • In which King Andrias doesn't have the Calamity Box in his hands.
  • Where the Newtopia Castle isn't floating.
• This is the only season finale:
  • To not play the short opening sequence, as mentioned above.
    • Given that "The Three Armies"/"The Beginning of the End" was the last episode to use said opening sequence, this could imply that the series finale is split into four parts, this being the fourth. Matt Braly hinted at this on Twitter.^[9]
  • To not contain flashbacks (such trait was given to "All In" instead). Instead, it plays the final events of the previous episode.
  • In which Anne and Sasha do not swordfight (such trait was given to "Sasha's Angels" as a sparring exercise instead).
  • In which Anne says "Spranne against the world."
  • Whose credits are not in a "storybook-style" (such trait was given to "Froggy Little Christmas" instead). Instead, the credits show the Anne statue, the current state of where the trio originally stayed (Newtopia, Toad Tower, Plantar Farm), and ends with a retake of the trio's "BFFs" photo.
  • In which Sasha and Grime aren't the antagonists.
  • In which the Calamity Trio aren't separated from each other.
  • In which an antagonist and a member of the Calamity Trio dies.
  • In which a member of the Calamity Trio sacrifices her life and comes back in the same episode.
• This is the longest credits sequence at two minutes, four times as long as other credits sequences.
• The order of the Calamity Trio's last lines/appearances (Sasha then Marcy then Anne) is the same order as their sacrifices in the season finales.
• In the final shot of the "BFFs" photo retake, there are a few references:
  • The cup with the green-colored beverage is a little bit further away from the cup with the blue-colored beverage than the cup with the blue-colored beverage is to the cup with the magenta-colored beverage. This references Marcy's move.
  • The cup with the blue-colored beverage contains a bit less than the other cups, referencing Anne charging her stone only halfway in "The Second Temple".
  • It's also arguable that the ice cubes inside the beverages are symbolic, in the sense that they represent the girls' major allies from Amphibia. The green-colored beverage has two floating ice cubes to reference Olivia and Yunan and a sunken cube referencing Andrias, the magenta-colored beverage has a floating ice cube for Grime and two sunken cubes referring to Sasha's still-broken friendships with Braddock and Percy, and the blue-colored beverage has three floating cubes, which clearly represent the Plantar family.
  • The orientation of the trio is the same as when Anne opened the box in the opening for the first and second seasons and during the flashbacks of the episodes "Best Fronds" and "If You Give a Frog a Cookie" respectively.
• The Thai text in the end credits (จบบริบูรณ์; jòp bor-rí-boon) translates to "complete" or "the end."
• After being revived, Anne's shoe has moved to her right foot,^[20] presumably to indicate Anne is in a new body.
  • While the resurrected Anne has her one shoe on her right foot, the memorial statue built to her in Wartwood has her one shoe back on her left foot.

Revelations and significant events

• The Core's helmet shoots into space and attaches to Amphibia's moon in retaliation, setting it on a crash course with Amphibia.
• Marcy and Sasha finally get their Calamity powers as the Prophecy of the Three Stars comes to pass.
  • However, this is the only time Sasha and Marcy are able to fully tap into their powers in a way that Anne has done multiple times in the past.
• Andrias overcomes the influence and manipulation of his father and the Core, breaking the only means of contact between them, the Newtopia king's crown.
• Anne destroys the moon and the Core by absorbing the powers of the other gems. However, this causes Anne to disintegrate into leaves, simultaneously killing her and removing the rest of the blue gem's powers she partially lost in "The Second Temple".
• Anne no longer has Calamity powers as of this episode.
  • After Anne's "death", she wakes up in a limbo-like dimension, and she encounters the Guardian of the gems, in the form of Domino.
    • The Guardian proposes to Anne to be its replacement as caretaker of the gems; but, she declines, noting her potential for error.
    • The Guardian brings Anne back to life by making a "backup copy" of her and gives her a few small fragments of the gems so that she alongside Marcy and Sasha can return home.
    • The Guardian states that it will wait for her to take its place after 78 more years, implying that Anne will die in either 2097 or 2098^[12] at the age of 91.
• Anne, Marcy, and Sasha return to Earth permanently, saying goodbye forever to Amphibia and all of their friends there, and reunite with their parents.^[21]
• Lady Olivia and General Yunan enter a romantic relationship.
• Anne gives her cellphone to Sprig as a memento.
• The Calamity Box is completely destroyed and fades away.
• Near the end of the episode, a whole lot of things happened in Amphibia around nine months later:
  • Amphibia has been almost entirely reconstructed.
  • Andrias has dedicated himself to restoring the flora and fauna. He, alongside Bartley, Branson, and Blair, seemed to be serving their prison sentences due to the chains around them. They could also be serving as guards or watchmen of Andrias due to the way they are standing to the side.
    • Having already turned himself into a half-cyborg to prolong his life, as revealed in "All In", Andrias, with his vision slowly failing, refused all future implants or repairs.^[22] This also means that, even if travel to Amphibia exists in the future, the goodbye scene could be Marcy and Andrias' final interaction.
  • Bog, Mire, and Fens started a moving service and work for/with Jacinda.
  • The frog that has been carried by giant dragonfly the entire series is still up there and actually enjoys it.
  • Polly has turned into a full frog, and is now a mechanic.
  • Maddie, alongside her sisters (all three now have legs), have set up a potion business.
  • Loggle has lost his biceps completely due to taking a cheat day.
  • Grime, Lady Olivia, and General Yunan are now delegates of the new Amphibia government; they also look after Joe Sparrow.
  • Bessie and Joe Sparrow have had three snail-sparrow hybrid offspring that are called "snirds", even though they are completely different species. Apothecary Gary has found another mushroom.
  • Toadie has become mayor of Wartwood, with the help of his predecessor, Toadstool, who now serves as his assistant.
  • Hop Pop and Sylvia have dedicated themselves to the avocados' cultivation, calling the farm "Hop Pop's California Avocados".
  • Frobo lives and helps on the Plantar Farm.
  • Sprig has become dedicated towards recording all of Amphibia's creatures inside his journal.
  • Wartwood has dedicated a statue to Anne, in appreciation of all she did for Amphibia.
  • Sprig and Ivy set off to explore a new continent that Grime found.
• At the end of the episode, these events occurred from Earth ten years later:
  • Andrias' invasion has become known as the "Frog-vasion"; some people wonder if it was a hoax while a few people who know the truth about it, acknowledge that it is not.
  • Marcy went to live in another state alongside her parents, but visits Anne and Sasha whenever she can years later. She has also written a web comic which Sasha reads.
  • Sasha works as a children's psychologist.
  • Anne and Sasha made new friends in high school, but still maintained their friendship and hang out from time to time, while Marcy never lost touch with them.
  • Anne works at the Aquarium of the Pacific in the amphibian section, where she named a little pink frog after Sprig, even making the aquariums resemble the Plantar Farm, Toad Tower, Newtopia Castle, and Proteus. She also named the exhibit after Amphibia, with the top of the exit having a model resembling Mother Olm, and three plates on the wall resembling the Calamity Gems.
    • Sasha and Marcy meet Anne at the aquarium to celebrate her 23rd birthday.
• The following situations reveal what happened to the girls' main weapons:
  • Grime took back and kept the silver heron sword he gave to Sasha.
  • During the extended credits, the girls' respective signature weapons (Anne's racket, Sasha's pink heron sword, and Marcy's crossbow) are on the spot where they left Amphibia for good, presumably as a shrine.
  • Anne's sword is not in Amphibia due to her losing it in the previous episode.
• After being destroyed, Newtopia Castle is left abandoned, a similar fate to that of the South Tower.
  • Speaking of, the South Tower seems to have escaped Andrias' reign of terror entirely, despite being weakened.
• Marcy exits the domestic arrivals section of the airport, revealing that she still resides in the United States.
• On the rearview mirror of Sasha's car, a heart-shaped symbol with the colors of the bisexual flag can be seen, implying that she is bisexual. Matt Braly confirmed minutes after the episode premiered that she is indeed bisexual.^[23]
  • Her voice actress Anna Akana is also bisexual.

Continuity

• This episode continues immediately after "All In".
• When Valeriana calls for the trio to think of their memories of Amphibia, a rendition of the Amphibia Main Title Theme plays.
• Anne's Calamity armor is very similar to the last suit of armor Bernardo had her wear in "Bessie & MicroAngelo".
• After the trio flies to the moon, Hop Pop says, "She [Anne] lived in my basement.", a possible call back to one of his lines from "Lily Pad Thai", "She lives in my basement."
• When the girls fight against the Core and its moon, a remix of "No Big Deal" from "Battle of the Bands" plays in the background.
• When Andrias destroys his crown, he and the Core directly quote Anne and Sasha's lines respectively from when Anne stood up to Sasha in "Reunion".
• Anne says she's trusted Sasha and Marcy her whole life, possibly referencing her former submission to them.
• Like Sasha and Marcy did during the other two episode season finales, Anne sacrificed herself for the sake of everyone around her.
  • However, unlike Sasha (whose suicide attempt left her unconscious) and Marcy (who was on the brink of death and would've died without the rejuvenation tank), Anne was the only one of them to actually die.
• The limbo-dimension is the same one on a poster Anne has in her bedroom throughout the third season. In addition, the small house in this purgatory has several items from past episodes:
  • The teapot Anne coveted in "Hopping Mall".
  • The Domino 2 doll Sprig made in "The Domino Effect".
  • Curtains with the flame-lotus symbol on Anne's shirt in Season 3.
  • Anne's sword and the Plantar cane from "Cane Crazy" in an umbrella stand.
  • Wallpaper with leaves resembling the ones in Anne's hair.
  • Anne's missing shoe.
  • The hanging lamp from the Plantar kitchen.
  • The pen Anne gave Sprig (and later Loggle) in "Cane Crazy".
  • A shelf with Sprig's action figures from "Flood, Sweat & Tears".
  • The donut pillow, shelf with the white cat plush, and ceiling stars from Anne's bedroom.
• The Guardian taking the form of Domino was foreshadowed in the episode "Adventures in Catsitting" when Anne, high on painkillers from her dentist appointment, stated "Listen, Domino is not just a cat. She's the alpha and omega. An interdimensional being beyond all time and space."
  • This also foreshadowed Domino 2 being the alpha of a group of kill-a-moths during the episode "Fight or Flight".
• The tune from the series premiere when Anne and Sprig meet each other in the log is used throughout the goodbye scene, as well as the first tune to be used in the credits.
• Anne considers Polly "the little sister [she] never knew [she] needed," a sharp contrast to her being grateful for being an only child in "Civil Wart".
• Anne's last words with Hop Pop ("Like an old wise frog once told me, family always finds each other.") quote what would have been Hop Pop's last words with Anne had she stayed with Marcy in "A Day at the Aquarium".
• When Anne and Sprig say goodbye, the motif from when Anne puts a sleeping Sprig onto her makeshift bed and says that she's happy from "Best Fronds" plays.
  • Contrary to popular misconception, this motif first plays when Sprig considers Anne glad that she's staying over at the Plantar Farm in the series premiere.
• Wally leaving Stumpy's Diner and bumping into Polly is a callback and partial recreation of the opening scene of "Anne or Beast?".
• Andrias' attire during the epilogue includes aspects of his three former friends:
  • Marcy - wears the robot pin she gave to him when they first met.
  • Leif - wears a leaf brooch resembling the one she wore.
  • Barrel - has Barrel's Warhammer, given to him by Captain Grime to be used as a makeshift cane.
• Polly having orange hair is a throwback to "The Shut-In!", in which her character from Anne's story, Molly, also had orange hair.
  • It also references Sprig's matching orange hair, given that they are siblings.
• Bessie and Joe Sparrow having a baby snird references a scene in "The First Temple" when Joe flirted with Bessie.
• Yunan attempts to recite her monologue from her debut episode before Lady Olivia interrupts her.
  • This is the third episode to tease it, following "True Colors" and "Olivia & Yunan".
• Ivy's new outfit has a red sunshell on it, referring to her asking Sprig for a red sunshell from Newtopia to match his blue moonshell, as revealed during the episode "Return to Wartwood".
• Hop Pop became an avocado farmer as he planned during the episode "Escape to Amphibia" with the avocado he brought from Los Angeles.
  • It is unknown how he was able to grow avocados, given that Anne used his last one in "Escape to Amphibia".
  • Hop Pop's avocados were able to grow within nine months, when, realistically, it would take years.
  • It is possible the half of the avocado with the pit landed in Amphibia through the portal or Hop Pop grabbed it before they went through. He also could have grabbed a new avocado during the events of the previous episode.
• Multiple callbacks to certain elements from the show can be seen on Sprig's bulletin board.
  • A picture of the grubhog from "Grubhog Day" can be seen.
  • A picture of Anne as a bird from "Cursed!".
  • A picture of Anne with her Calamity powers activated.
  • A picture of Anne's cat, Domino, as well as Domino 2.
  • The leaf that fell from Anne's hair when the interdimensional portal closed.
  • A picture of the carnivorous tomato plants from "Hop Luck".
  • A note with a part of the lyrics from "Welcome to Amphibia".
  • A menu from Thai Go.
• Amphibia's epilogue showcases the frog kids doing the things they like and wanted in life:
  • Sprig and Ivy get to travel and explore the world together.
  • Maddie found a way to use her magic skills to help people, and does it in a way where she could spend time with her sisters.
  • Polly uses the mechanic skills she learned on Earth, which especially come in handy for keeping maintenance on Frobo.
• Back on Earth, Marcy's text to Sasha saying "Almost at the gate!" and Marcy meeting up with Sasha during the epilogue is a reference to "Marcy at the Gates".
• Sasha and Marcy's first interaction in the epilogue is via text, mirroring their first onscreen interaction overall in "Reunion".
• Each of the girls have certain details from their time in Amphibia:
  • Two of Marcy's keychains on her bag are a blue salamander and a sparrow. These clearly refer to King Andrias and Joe Sparrow.
  • Sasha's car and attire include the sticker of her guitar from "Battle of the Bands" on her rearview mirror and her twin heron swords as miniature souvenirs on a keychain hanging from the same mirror and as a patch on the left sleeve of her jacket.
  • In addition to this, Anne wears a scrunchie that has a leaf pattern, the leaves resembling the ones on her hair from her time in Amphibia. This hairstyle resembles hers from "Lily Pad Thai" and "Thai Feud".
• Sasha reads a few chapters of Marcy's web comic, presumably to rectify her ignorance of Marcy's interests as revealed in "The Beginning of the End".
• Anne working at the Aquarium of the Pacific references her line, "Anytime I was feeling gloomy back home, the aquarium would always make me feel better," from "A Day at the Aquarium".
• This is the second time Hop Pop refers to Anne as his granddaughter after "Lost in Newtopia".

Production notes

• Production on this episode was finished on May 3, 2022.^[24]
• A "Special Thanks" section of the end credits is included. The names listed are:
  • Kim Roberson (storyboard artist for "Grubhog Day"/"Hop Pop and Lock")
  • Katherine Bedrosian (Matt Braly's wife)
  • On Braly (Matt Braly's mother; voice of Mrs. Boonchuy)
  • Dana Terrace (storyboard artist and animator on Gravity Falls; later creator of The Owl House)
    • Terrace would later give special thanks to Matt Braly in the credits for The Owl House's series finale "Watching and Dreaming".
  • Mike Rianda (writer and creative director on Gravity Falls; later writer and director of The Mitchells vs. the Machines)
  • Domino (Matt Braly's cat; namesake of Domino and Domino 2)
  • Sofia Badawy (relative of Tara Badawy)
  • James Martin (relation unknown)
  • Lynetter Martin (relation unknown)
  • Teryse Ferraiolo (relative of Jack Ferraiolo)
  • Sean Martin (relation unknown)
  • Bert Youn (director of many episodes in Season 1)
  • Derek Kirk Kim (director of many episodes in Season 1)
  • Ian Worrel (art director on Gravity Falls; later art director on Amphibia)
  • Bruce Braly (Matt Braly's father)
  • Alex Hirsch (creator of Gravity Falls; voice of Curator Ponds and Frog Soos)
  • Jeffery Rowe (writer and co-director of The Mitchells vs. the Machines)
  • Thurop Van Orman (voice of Gideon Gleeful on Gravity Falls; voice of Sprig's prototype Weed in the pilot and the Next Time On reel)
  • Ali Badawy (relative of Tara Badawy)
  • Olivia Badawy (relative of Tara Badawy)
  • Niko Ferraiolo (relative of Jack Ferraiolo)
  • Matthew Ferraiolo (relative of Jack Ferraiolo)
• Storyboards by Eleisiya Arocha imply that it was originally intended for Marcy to be in her containment suit during the first part of the episode.^[25]
• The storyboard for the final battle was set to a rendition of Sorairo Days from Gurren Lagann.^[26]
  • Marcy's section of the final battle was greatly reduced.
• Sprig's whimper from when Anne was about to leave the Plantar Farm in "Cane Crazy" is reused during the goodbye scene.
  • Coincidentally, it also revolves around Sprig being separated from Anne.
• On Twitter, Joe Johnston shared a non-canon extra post-credits scene.
  • It shows that when Anne died at 91, she returned to the Calamity mindscape and developed Alzheimer's disease, prompting the Guardian to ask for her to remember. Anne pets it, but then dies. The Guardian claims Anne, and the three gems are depicted as a shooting star.^[5]
• Matt Braly said in an interview with the website Medium that although the writing decision of Sasha being bisexual was made fairly early, the decision to confirm it in the episode was made quite late.^[27]
• There was originally going to be a joke during the unveiling of Anne's statue, which was about Stumpy telling Loggle that he put Anne's shoe on the wrong foot before Loggle pounced and attacked him in retaliation. It was cut for unknown reasons.^[28] It being cut means Stumpy had no lines in the finale.

Allusions

• Gunbuster - The Core's drones were based on the Uchu Kaiju/Space Monsters from the 1988 OVA anime.^[29]
• The Powerpuff Girls - The calamity forms of Anne, Sasha, and Marcy and them leaving behind a color trail are an homage to Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup, respectively.
• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - The poses the Calamity Trio make when they arrive in space is the exact same ones the Pillar Men make in Part 2.
• Sonic Adventure 2 - The Core's final gambit is similar to the Finalhazard objective as both tried to bring a massive machine down upon the planet to bring global extinction, additionally the heroes are powered by cosmic gems to defeat the villain (for Anne, Sasha,and Marcy the Calamity Gems and Sonic and Shadow the Chaos Emeralds), finally one of the heroes gave their life to save the world and its people.
• Mac - The computer in the house of the floating island is a first-generation iMac G3, complete with a tray load CD drive and the USB Mouse, albeit using the startup chime of the Macintosh 128K, and an OS that is a hybrid between the Classic Mac OS (trash and application icons on the desktop) and Mac OS X (menu bar and window title bar buttons).
• Kid Pix - One of the icons on the computer is Snap Pix, referencing this raster graphics editor.
• Naruto - Marcy has a Sakura Haruno keychain.
• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Marcy has a Chuntaro keychain.
• My Hero Academia - Marcy has a Bakugo keychain.
• Donald Duck - In the close up of Marcy as an adult, she has a shirt with a graphic that resembles Donald.
• Aquarium of the Pacific - The aquarium which Anne works at as an adult is based on this real aquarium located in Long Beach, California.

Errors

• Continuity error: The ten-year time skip at the episode's end states that on Anne's 23rd birthday, exactly 10 years have passed since the events of "All In", implying Anne's 13th birthday and the Frog-vasion took place on the same day. However, Anne's 13th birthday occured on the day she was first transported to Amphibia, which is confirmed to be more than six months before the events of "All In".
  • Entry 127 of Marcy's Journal: A Guide to Amphibia reveals that the scenes of Sasha picking Marcy up from the airport and the final scene at the Aquarium of the Pacific take place "a few weeks" apart.^[11]
• Plot hole: Anne's imagination of Amphibia's residents includes characters with whom she had no on-screen interactions or never met, including Bailey, Bella, Braddock, Ginger Flour, Lavender Flour, Rosemary Flour and Percy. Although it could just be a visual representation of the show's cast and not something from Anne's mind specifically.
• Sasha, Marcy, and Sprig are shown surviving in the vacuum of space for an extended period of time without protection.
• While in space, dialogue and sound effects are still heard despite the lack of sound in the vacuum of space. This is obviously due to the need for such stuff during the final fight and climax.
• When Sprig and Anne hugged just before she left Amphibia, we see the metaphorical camera quickly spin around the two as they hug. However, the other characters seen behind Sprig seen before and after this shot disappear completely when the area behind Sprig is viewable. This could be a creative choice to not distract from Anne and Sprig.
• Mother Olm, Lysil and Angwin are not seen among the crowd of characters giving a farewell to the girls.
  • Their absence could be due to the farewell occurring during daylight, and olms can't be exposed to sunlight as they will get burned.
• The Newtopian citizens and Joe Sparrow are not seen giving a farewell to the girls.
• After Sprig and Frobo return a dying Anne to Amphibia, Captain Grime is among those who ran toward them to observe. He is shown to have both arms, despite losing his left arm in the previous episode.
• When Marcy asks Sasha about her psych degree, her earring disappears after her head moves.
• When the aquarium of the pacific is onscreen, the RMS Queen Mary is strangely not visible in the background.

Memorable quotes

Videos

The Last Episode of Amphibia - S3 E18 - Full Episode - Disney Channel Animation

The Most Anime Battle - Amphibia - Disney Channel Animation

The Last Scene in Amphibia! - Disney Channel Animation

Amphibia Season 3 Series Finale End Credits - Amphibia - Disney Channel Animation

Amphibia's First and Last Scene - Disney Channel Animation

External links

• The Hardest Thing on Wikipedia

References