Madeline's Anxiety

Lore & Background

Badeline serves as the central antagonist for much of Madeline's climb up Mount Celeste, attempting to deter her from proceeding further. The dynamic shifts when Madeline realizes that fighting this manifestation is futile; instead, she learns to accept it. A pivotal moment occurs on a broken gondola ride where Madeline suffers an anxiety attack. Theo advises her to imagine a feather floating up and down, a technique she later attempts against Badeline's discouragement. Although this initially causes Badeline to send her falling, the experience marks a turning point. Eventually, Madeline makes peace with Badeline, allowing them to work together to reach the summit of Celeste Mountain. This reconciliation reflects Thorson's understanding that self-care involves grappling with internal conflict rather than achieving perfect silence.

In Their Own Story

Throughout the climb, Badeline acts as a constant presence, mirroring Madeline's movements and voice her deepest fears. The narrative arc moves from confrontation to cooperation. In one sequence, Madeline runs into various obstacles specifically placed by Badeline to stop her ascent. However, after receiving help from Theo during his own ordeal at Mr. Oshiro's hotel, Madeline begins to internalize the lesson of self-compassion. When she attempts the feather visualization technique against Badeline, it triggers a fall, yet this failure becomes part of the growth process. The climax of their relationship is not a battle won by force, but a reconciliation where they unite. Following the summit, the integrated pair returns to the base, and Madeline uses her collected strawberries to bake a pie for the other characters, symbolizing the harmony between her past struggles and her present self.

Reader's Guide

Badeline functions as a mechanic that forces the player to navigate their own hesitation. She appears in chapters where Madeline's resolve is tested, often blocking paths or creating environmental hazards that require precise platforming rather than combat. The gameplay teaches that falling off the mountain is part of the process; Thorson wrote the story with the understanding that Madeline would fall and eventually climb back up. Players must learn to function with Badeline's interference, treating her not as a boss to be defeated but as a companion to be managed. In later chapters, this manifests as cooperative movement where Badeline aids Madeline in reaching new heights. The guide emphasizes that the ultimate goal is integration, mirroring the real-world process of learning to live with anxiety rather than erasing it.

Did You Know?

• Maddy Thorson confirmed Madeline is a trans woman in 2020, after the release of the Farewell DLC.
• The music for Celeste was composed by Lena Raine with the specific intention of being "almost 1:1" with Madeline's internal state.
• Badeline represents the concept of taking care of one's self, based directly on Thorson's personal experiences with anxiety.
• Madeline and Badeline were added as playable characters in the Nintendo Switch port of TowerFall.
• The 2024 freeware game Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain features Madeline as the protagonist continuing her journey.