Phineas Flynn

Phineas Flynn is one of the two main characters of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. Voiced by Vincent Martella and created and designed by Dan Povenmire, Phineas first appeared along with the rest of the series' main characters in the pilot episode "Rollercoaster". Phineas, along with his stepbrother Ferb Fletcher, star in each A-Plot of every episode.

The series concerns Phineas's attempts to avoid boredom by finding something new to do every day of the summer vacation. He does this with his less-talkative stepbrother Ferb, and often with many other neighborhood children. The activities they devise usually involve outlandish contraptions, including roller coasters, haunted houses, and roller rinks, which Phineas designs and Ferb builds.

Role
Phineas is part of a blended family, a decision creator Marsh made to reflect his own experiences growing up. His stepbrother, Ferb, is his best friend. Phineas's birth father is never present or discussed in the series. It is established that his mother, Linda Flynn-Fletcher married Ferb's father, Lawrence Fletcher, after meeting him at a 1990s concert by the (fictitious) band Love Handel.

1st Dimension
As a toddler, Phineas wore a white t-shirt, blue overalls and black shoes.

Currently, Phineas wears an orange and off-white striped t-shirt, blue cargo shorts with large pockets, and blue high-tops with no socks. He has short, spiky deep red hair, a triangle shaped head with a pointy nose, and large, dark blue eyes.

Phineas' swimsuit consists of an orange pair of swimming trunks with a white cloud pattern, with dark blue sandles to match. For winter, he wears a dark blue jacket over a white turtleneck sweater, dark grey snow pants, grey gloves, and a red snow hat. He has grey boots with this outfit. For bedtime, his PJ's are solid orange with a white neckline and cuffs and later on is orange with an off-white turnover collar with buttons.

2nd Dimension
Phineas is physically identical to his 1st Dimension counterpart, except that he is paler, has his hair cut military-style, and wears a white shirt and Dooferalls. As a Resistance member, he wears a dark-brown or light-black shirt with a large black collar, black shorts, black boots, dark-gray gloves, a silver shoulder-pad with a strap, and a headband that holds what appears to be a laser weapon and/or communications device.

Personality
Phineas is portrayed as a selfless, intelligent, and creative child. As a means to beat boredom, he and his brother devise outrageous activities throughout their summer vacation, often participating in activities like toy design (in "Toy to the World"), piracy (in "The Ballad of Badbeard"), engineering (in "It's About Time!"), restaurant management (in "Chez Platypus"), and other things usually inaccessible to children. Phineas lives in the fictional town of Danville, in a large, suburban neighborhood.

As a child, Phineas has a large amount of optimism. He pushes forward every time he makes a daily plan. This is what lets his plans succeed, as most children would simply give up once the plan calls for challenging tactics. Usually, Phineas will see the bright side of life, and when faced with a challenge, Phineas will simply find a way to get through it.

Phineas attempts to inspire others with his optimism. Mostly, he does this with his sister Candace. Others he tried to inspire were the members of Love Handel, who wouldn't believe him that they truly did still have fans ("Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together").

He has many friends, almost all of whom have participated in his nearly impossible plans. For example: going on an adventure to find a buried treasure, riding on a rollercoaster, and having fun at a beach; all of which his friends have done with him ("The Ballad of Badbeard", "Rollercoaster", "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror"). Even someone like Buford, who might otherwise be an adversary, regularly participates in the plans and also attends their family's "camp".

Phineas has shown his kindness several times. Many of his summer plans are because he wants to help someone. For example, he built a haunted house in order to scare the hiccups out of Isabella. Another time, he carved Candace's head onto Mount Rushmore for her birthday. ("One Good Scare Ought to Do It!", "Candace Loses Her Head")

Other things he has done to help others that show his kindness are helping Django Brown paint the Unpainted Desert for his dad, creating a "Rainbow-Inator" for Isabella so she can finally see a real rainbow, and going on a chase after a disc that Candace needs to bust them. ("Oil on Candace", "Hail Doofania!", "Traffic Cam Caper")

Phineas, most likely because he is a child, can be oblivious at times. The greatest example is the fact that Isabella has a crush on him and is sometimes obvious about it. Phineas, however, still has no idea. Once, Isabella cut a paper string while standing next to Phineas that featured his face and hearts, and he just seemed confused. Another time, she tells him "You had me at our grandchildren", and Phineas falls for it when she corrects herself to "steaks." His concept of romance is especially simplistic, missing the subtle complexities and figures it could be plugged into a formula. ("Run Away Runway", "Comet Kermillian", "That Sinking Feeling")

Phineas has a very perky attitude, not very easily annoyed, and in only rare cases has shown any sign of exasperation is when his sister completely ignored him and put herself in danger. ("Out to Launch") So far, the only times Phineas has shown to be dismayed or exasperated is when Santa proclaims Danville naughty, when Baljeet's wailing interrupts his summer morning, and when Candace dismissed his X-ray glasses. ("Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!", "The Baljeatles", "No More Bunny Business") He also became agitated for a short while when Perry was revealed to be a secret agent. ("Phineas and Ferb Summer Belongs to You!", "Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension")

All Phineas wishes for Christmas is to be like Santa Claus, revealing his very loving and caring personality. ("Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!")

Phineas also seems to have problems lying, he scratches/rubs his ear nervously. Since he never aimed for mischief, he has no reason to lie. However, in "The Beak", Phineas lies to Isabella in order to protect her from Khaka Peü Peü.

2nd Dimension
Born during the 90's, 2nd Dimension Phineas' early years were presumably the same as those of his 1st Dimension counterpart: his mother Linda met and fell in love with Lawrence Fletcher, to whom she later married, and he and his sister, Candace, gained Lawrence's son Ferb as a stepbrother. At least five years prior to Across the 2nd Dimension, Phineas and Ferb bought Perry, who apparently was a secret agent (it is never brought up). Somehow, Perry was defeated and captured by Dr. Doofenshmirtz without Phineas' knowledge and turned into the Platyborg, which commanded an army of Norm bots to invade The Tri-State Area and conquer it. Now forced to live under Doofenshmirtz's tyrannical reign, Phineas spent the recent years wearing Dooferals and playing Doofopoly with Ferb. At some point, Candace founded The Resistance, an organization bent on ending Doofenshmirtz's rule once and for all, but forbade Phineas or Ferb from joining it out of concern for their safety.

This Phineas is presumed to be an optimist, like his 1st Dimension counterpart, though this side of him isn't shown in the film. Speaking of which, he is depicted in the movie as having a need to join The Resistance's movement of overthrowing Doofenshmirtz, only for him and Ferb to be rebuffed by Candace. He also displays a caring attitude, which is usually aimed towards the 1st Dimension characters in the film, as he showed reluctance at allowing Candace to separate their mine cart from theirs, which would result in their capture at the hands of the Norm bots.

Second Dimension Phineas is physically identical to his 1st Dimension counterpart, except that he is paler, has his hair cut military-style, and wears a white shirt and Dooferalls. As a Resistance member, he wears a dark-brown or light-black shirt with a large black collar, black shorts, black boots, dark-gray gloves, a silver shoulder-pad with a strap, and a headband that holds what appears to be a laser weapon and/or communications device.

Role
Phineas 2 and Ferb 2 meet their 1st Dimension counterparts, with the former believing that they are being replaced with duplicates at first. He shares an emotional hug with Perry-1, initially believing he is his Perry, before he tells Phineas-1 of the nonexistence of summer in the 2nd Dimension. After Perry-1 departs, the four all decide to go to the house of Isabella for help, during which they are joined by Buford. The five then arrive at the Resistance headquarters via chute, and he, Ferb, and their 1st Dimension selves find out that Candace is the Resistance's leader.

Candace agrees to help Phineas-1, Ferb-1, and a recently-arrived Candace-1 retrieve a captured Perry-1, but tells him and Ferb to stay behind. However, they stow away in the mine carts used by the Resistance to get to Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated. When the group manages to rescue Perry-1 and get pursued by Norm bots, Candace is forced to separate the mine cart containing the 1st Dimension characters, resulting in their capture; Phineas protests against this, but he is overriden.

Later managing to get recruited into the Resistance along with Ferb, Phineas arrives at DEI to rescue Candace, who was captured after aiding the 1st Dimension characters. She initially disapproves of her brothers' decisions, but after seeing they can handle themselves, she changes her mind and the three share a loving hug.

Phineas is later among the Resistance members that congratulate the 1st Dimension characters for defeating Doofenshmirtz. He is also reunited with Perry, whose evil was "fried out of him" after a climactic showdown with Perry-1, and he returns to his home dimension with his pet ("Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension").

Website info: "Being a conformist, Phineas wouldn't dream of breaking the mold that Doofenshmirtz has created for everyone in the 2nd Dimension. Sadly, years ago his pet platypus Perry went missing and he's never heard of summer vacation. He likes to stay out of trouble and play Doofopoly while wearing his Dooferalls with his brother Ferb."

Ferb Fletcher
"Well, a brother is a brother, but I couldn't have asked for a better one than Ferb. You know what I mean?"

- Phineas

Ferb is not just Phineas' stepbrother, he is also his best friend. If it wasn't for Ferb, the wild and crazy days that they have together would not happen. Phineas is very kind to Ferb. Phineas often tells people anything that needs saying (as Ferb doesn't talk much and is more of a "man of action") and once asked Ferb to go to a store, but not before handing him a note with what they wanted on it (so Ferb didn't have to ask) ("Rollercoaster").

The two have known each other almost their whole life, and spend almost every second of the day with each other. They carry a strong, loving bond that holds them together through thick and thin ("Phineas and Ferb Get Busted!", "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together").

Perhaps the greatest example of the two's everlasting friendship is when Phineas states that he couldn't ever ask for a better brother than Ferb ("Rollercoaster").

Candace Flynn
"You may be a pain, but you are my brother."

- Candace

Candace is Phineas's biological sister who always tries to expose their schemes. Phineas never seems to be worried, upset, or angry when she yells, "I'm telling mom!" (Occasionally, he will affably reply, "Okay, tell her what?") In fact, he just thinks that all they're doing is innocent (which it is). He appears to love Candace very much and always treats her very nicely despite the fact that she rarely gives them that kind of treatment back when it comes to their schemes, and often offers her a prominent role in one of the plans he devises, assuming that she will have fun ("Rollercoaster," Flop Starz," et al.).

Additionally, he admires her to some degree and seems oblivious to her fears and discomforts. Many of his plans are attempts to help her (example: learning to parallel park), and he was very concerned about what they were going to do on her birthday. Candace sees herself as the only adult in the family and is constantly trying to get the boys in trouble, but she often quickly puts aside her threat to call Mom if she sees potential benefit for herself (usually involving Jeremy) or for someone important to her (example: saving her parents' anniversary) in their scheme. Despite trying to get them busted, her actions seem motivated merely by resentment that they can get away with such spectacular schemes, and not any real malice, though her resentment seems to grow as the series progresses. This usually makes her look bad. She does begin to partake in some of Phineas & Ferb's summer projects as the series continues, but the "urge to bust" is still on her mind ("Rollercoaster", "Traffic Cam Caper", "It's a Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud World", "Candace Loses Her Head", "Not Phineas and Ferb","The Great Indoors").

During Phineas' birthday, after Candace unknowingly gets him exactly what he wanted for his birthday, he tells her that she's "The best sister ever" ("Phineas' Birthday Clip-O-Rama!").

Linda Flynn-Fletcher
Linda is Phineas's biological mom. He is always polite and honest to her. She never questions the boys because every time they do something, it almost magically disappears, mostly due to Dr. Doofenshmirtz's crazy inventions. Linda seems to think it's all their spectacular imaginations.

He cares for her extremely, and has gone to such extents as to making a huge bash for her birthday. He was also very concerned and even a little guilty when he forgot about it ("Mom's Birthday").

Both he and Ferb were aware of Linda's past as a Pop Star named Lindana ("Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet Max Modem!")

Lawrence Fletcher
Phineas is very kind to his step-dad and, since he's known him as a dad all his life, calls him "Dad". Lawrence has come across Phineas and Ferb's schemes, but it does not seem to faze him. ("It's a Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud World", "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together").

Perry the Platypus
"Oh, there you are, Perry."

- Phineas

Perry is Phineas and Ferb's pet platypus. When Phineas and Ferb first bought Perry, they originally wanted to name him Bartholemew, but on the ride home from the pet store, they changed it to Perry. ("Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension") Perry goes on different spy missions without either of them knowing. He usually ends up cleaning up their daily plan before Mom gets home. Phineas usually explains that platypuses like Perry "don't do much". Phineas appears to care extremely for Perry ("Rollercoaster", "Oh, There You Are, Perry," et al.).

Phineas often wonders where Perry goes when they can't find him, as he asks "Hey, where's Perry?" (or something to that effect). This could be because he wants to make sure he's safe ("Rollercoaster").

In "[[Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension", Phineas gets angry after he finds out Perry's secret identity, but this feeling falls out later into dishonesty from Perry. However, later into the movie, Phineas trusts Perry again.

Bucky
Bucky and Phineas seemed to be quite close as evidence by Lawrence trying to protect him from knowing that he was deceased. Bucky got sick and ran off to live on kindly Ol' Simmons Farm.

Friends
Phineas is very popular around Maple Drive. The other neighborhood children enjoy his and Ferb's activities, nearly always taking part in them. This is possibly how he met his closer friends ("Rollercoaster", "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror", "Raging Bully", "Gaming the System").

Phineas normally takes on his activities with a main "circle" of friends. Buford Van Stomm is in this group; in the past, he more so bullied Phineas, though the two became very close friends after some time ("Gaming the System", "Raging Bully").

Baljeet is another. He asks for Phineas and Ferb's help regularly, even setting up a "Baljeet signal" hologram for them to speak in needed situations. Phineas helps him happily ("Attack of the 50 Foot Sister", "Unfair Science Fair").

Plus, he has a friend named Irving, who is the self-proclaimed fan of Phineas and Ferb. He isn't as prominent as Buford, Baljeet, and Isabella, but is seen more often than Django Brown. ("Hide and Seek, "What Do It Do?", "Atlantis")

Another friend to a lesser extent is Django Brown ("Jerk De Soleil," "Greece Lightning," "Oil on Candace").

He was briefly friends with Carl, but was unaware that he was undercover for a O.W.C.A. mission. ("Undercover Carl")

Fireside Girls Troop 46231 act in the group, under work for their troop leader, Isabella. (They have helped Phineas and Ferb 52 times as of "Isabella and the Temple of Sap")

Isabella Garcia-Shapiro
"Isabella, you're the best!"

- Phineas thanking Isabella with a hug

See Isabella Garcia-Shapiro for more detailed info. One of the moments Phineas clearly showed more-than-platonic feelings for Isabella occurred when the alien Meap arrived.

When Meap crash-landed in the Flynn-Fletcher backyard, Phineas proclaimed him to be " the most adorable thing in the world" and immediately decided that he and Ferb would help fix his spaceship. However, they lost track of Meap when he followed Candace to the Bango-Ru convention (with Meap thinking that Candace was also a security agent). In order to find him, Phineas created a "Cute Tracker" that used to be Ferb's old GPS device. Seeing this as an opportunity, Isabella tried to convince Phineas that she's cute too. Unfortunately, it constantly received a "cute interference" and Phineas inadvertently upsets her for saying that she wasn't the cause of the cute interference. Isabella immediately saw this as Phineas thinking that she wasn't cute, and got upset every time Phineas said that she wasn't causing the cute interference. Isabella finally told Phineas that she thought she might be the cause of the cute interference when he was having a hard time picking up Meap's cute signal inside Mitch's ship, but he then assured her that that was completely impossible and he explained that he knew her cuteness would disrupt Meap's signal and programmed the tracker to ignore her. To prove it to her, he reversed the system that prevented the Cute Tracker from recognizing Isabella. The machine then overloaded due to an excessively strong cute signal, showing that Phineas thinks Isabella is very cute ("The Chronicles of Meap").

During Phineas and Ferb's career as "The Beak"
The only moment (so far) where Isabella truly felt neglected by Phineas and actually doubted her feelings for him is when Phineas & Ferb unexpectedly became the new town superheroes, masquerading as "The Beak".

Isabella wants to interview Phineas and Ferb to get a patch, however she misses them and has to do an alternate story on The Beak. Who she is unaware is actually Phineas and Ferb. She calls Phineas and was annoyed at him. He decides to tell her about he and Ferb being "The Beak", but is unable to at the time because of Khaka Peu Peu's interruption. When "The Beak" is laying powered down after being slammed into a building during this time, Phineas hears Isabella say "Where's Phineas? He'd know what to do!" The Beak Powers up and continues to fight. Khaka Peü Peü then tells Phineas that he will get him through whats most important to him. This causes Phineas to remark that they can't tell Isabella that they are the Beak now because it would put her in danger, implying that he considers Isabella important to him. It could be believed that Phineas really cares about Isabella. Isabella swoons for "The Beak" many times during The Beak's Theme Song, not realizing that it was still Phineas she was swooning for.

Isabella is upset and confused as to why Phineas keeps rejecting her and disappearing when she needs him. When Isabella climbs atop City Hall to take pictures, "The Beak" slams into the building, knocking her over the edge. Khaka Peü Peü then knocks a Bango-Ru billboard off an adjacent building leaving Phineas the dilemma of saving Isabella as she clings to the side of the building, slowly losing her grip, or saving the bystanders from the billboard. This is until Phineas jumps out of the suit and grabs her hand before she falls, leaving Ferb to dispatch the billboard. Later, Phineas then reveals that he was the Beak to her and apologizes for not telling her. She realizes that Phineas was just trying to protect her, and apologizes for doubting him. She flirts with Phineas in the end saying he's really brave. To which Phineas responds by noting she was brave too ("The Beak").

During their trip around the world
During their trip around the world, Isabella tries to get Phineas to get in the spirit of being in the City of Love, but he is focused on using the stop in Paris to repair the plane. She expresses her feelings in a song, a bit despondent that Phineas is oblivious to the romantic nature of the city. When Phineas points out to Ferb that he thought he and Vanessa would avail themselves of romantic nature of Paris, Isabella becomes extremely frustrated that he missed the point, snapping a pencil in the process. She then imagines her own head exploding when Phineas does the same with Candace about her and Jeremy, causing Phineas a small amount of distress and/or puzzlement.

On their way back to Danville, the Baguette Boat falls completely apart, and they crash land on a deserted island with only a "big fat ox" for company. Desperate for a way off the island, all the while gradually losing his cool, Phineas digs a huge hole in the sand in search for something useful. Buford's taunts don't help him. Isabella goes off alone and cries. Ferb walks up to her and hands her a handkerchief. Then she pours out her heart to Ferb, sobbing that she and Phineas were together in Paris and he didn't even notice her. She feels like giving up, and complains he won't even do something as simple as enjoying the beautiful sunset with her. At this moment Phineas runs up to her and suggests that they could build a tunnel under the ocean. He doesn't attempt this and instead he gives up, sits to the ground and says they can at least enjoy the beautiful sunset. Isabella sees that Phineas' spirit is broken, and something clicks in her head. She realizes that this wasn't the spectacular, confident boy she fell in love with and tells him angrily that he can't enjoy the sunset, because giving up wasn't part of his plan. Isabella reminds him of everything he did in his life, almost confessing about her crush on him. She then mentions Ferb's map, starting to say that giving up wasn't part of the plan he marked out on it. Inspired, he cuts her off and hugs her, leaving her in a sort of trance. He then leaves her to get to work on their way to get off the island.

Back in Danville, with only a second to spare, they make it just in time to beat the sun, and the other Fireside Girls have a welcome home party ready for them. Isabella hugs Phineas from behind, saying ''"You guys are amazing!". ''In response to this, Phineas holds her hands, looks back and smiles. A musical number breaks out, and Isabella and Phineas dance and sing a duet, Summer Belongs to You. Phineas often reaches over to hold her hand throughout the song and it seems he becomes even more comfortable touching her.("Phineas and Ferb Summer Belongs to You!").

Phineas' Big Ideas for Isabella
Many of Phineas's Big Ideas are actually wild projects for Isabella, and sometimes to a greater extent the Fireside Girls, however this may not mean anything considering that he has also made projects for Baljeet, Buford, Candace, his Mom and to some extent Irving. For instance:
 * Phineas made a giant ice cream sundae for her after she had her tonsils removed ("I Scream, You Scream").
 * When Isabella's dog Pinky swallowed her sash, he and Ferb built a shrinking submarine to retrieve it ("Journey to the Center of Candace").
 * Isabella was telling Buford how Table Soccer could be the biggest game in the world and girls could still beat boys when she realizes that was what to do for the day and Phineas almost immediately replied that he was on it ("Got Game?").
 * On the day Isabella got hiccups, Phineas convinced Ferb and his friends to build a haunted house to scare them out of her, and he dedicated the whole day to her. He also held her hand all the time going through the haunted house alone.("One Good Scare Ought to Do It!").
 * Phineas built a "Rainbow-inator" for Isabella when he thought she expressed a desire to see a rainbow, having never seen one before. When she clarified that she wanted to see a unicorn, Phineas decided that he and Ferb would find her one the next day ("Hail Doofania!").
 * Phineas held a game show so Isabella and the Fireside Girls could get their broadcasting patches ("Let's Take a Quiz").
 * Phineas and Ferb assisted Isabella and the Fireside Girls in building the world's most elaborate automated car wash when they needed to save the Star-nose mole through means of fund-raising ("At the Car Wash").
 * Phineas asked Isabella what patch she and the Fireside Girls haven't earned yet. She tells him it was a Rodeo Clown Patch so he and Ferb held a robot rodeo for them to earn it ("Robot Rodeo"). However Isabella didn't become a clown; instead she was a bull rider.
 * Phineas saw Isabella was sad when they weren't able to get their Desert Tracking Patch due to the rain, so he and Ferb quickly made a bio-sphere to help them along with earning other patches ("The Great Indoors").
 * Phineas creates a special lamp for Isabella's bamboo plant so it could get some more sunlight ("The Curse of Candace").
 * Phineas helps her by cloning some using Buford's last potato chip so that Isabella's Nana can make latkes for the Latke Festival at the Danville Senior Lodge ("Lotsa Latkes").

Take Two with Phineas and Ferb
Phineas has appeared in every episode so far, talking with celebraties about stuff. In one episode he talk about who he likes best, but it was his mom, so Isabella got mad.

Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension
Phineas is a major character in the movie.

He starts his day in his bed and when the clock goes off, he and Ferb dance to "Everything's Better with Perry. They build a platypult to go to Buford, but it hits Perry's car, sending it to Heinz Doofenshmirtz's building and destroying his Other-Dimensiion-Inator. He then fixes and they go to another dimension see the 2nd Dimension Heinz Doofenshmirtz. He found about Perry's secret agent life, resulting Phineas to be angry. They (except Heinz) go to the Alternative's house, where it wears Dooferalls. Both Phineases sings "Summer (Where Do We Begin?)" in the House as well as both Ferbs. Before Phineas-1 gets his memory ereased, he gets a kiss from Isabella-1. He also sings the song Kick It Up a Notch during the end credits of the movie.

Disney Parks
Phineas and Ferb made their theme park debut at Disneyland for a taping of the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade in 2009. They then appeared at Walt Disney World for an appearance in a Disney 365 spot. Afterward, they, along with Perry, appeared at Disney's pavilion of the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas on June 7, 2010. The three later appeared as meetable characters at the newly designed Disney Store at The Shops in Montebello, California. Phineas and Ferb are now making regular appearances at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney California Adventure.

Creation and conception
Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh had conceived the idea of the Phineas and Ferb series while working as layout artists on The Simpsons. After planning the basics of the show, the two began laying out characters. Povenmire, eating dinner with his family at a Wild Thyme restaurant in South Pasadena, California, drew a quick sketch of a "triangle kid." Povenmire named the triangle doodle "Phineas," saying he "look[ed]like [one]" and with reference to the character Phileas Fogg (often misreferenced as "Phineas Fogg") from Around the World in 80 Days. (1873) Povenmire tore the paper out and called Marsh that night, telling him "Hey, I think we have our show."

After designing the show, the two had significant difficulties getting the series green lit. It was not picked up for fifteen years. In their final pitch to the Walt Disney Company, the creators designed a recorded storyboard, featuring a very rough outline of characters. The prototype Phineas was ruder to others than the version in the eventual show, Citing comedy's "big duos" including Wallace and Gromit and Jay and Silent Bob, the creators chose to give Phineas most of the dialogue while Ferb remains almost silent.

Design
All characters in Phineas and Ferb were drawn in a design borrowed from Tex Avery's style, with geometric shapes being included in their structure; Phineas in particular is that of a triangle. The triangle face has been stated in the series as being just his nose that covers the entire head. The goal while drawing characters was to make them simple enough to be drawn by child viewers and be recognized by silhouette. Phineas's eyes lie on the top of his head and are of oval shape. For his hair, three "tufts" are put in the back and front, while three freckles lie underneath. For the ear, a small 3 is used to represent the ear lobe. Povenmire uses thin, spindly arms for every character as a simple reason to add fun.

Voice
Young actor Vincent Martella, previously known for The CW series Everybody Hates Chris, Martella originally auditioned for the role five months before his initial pickup, but was left without feedback for the time. When Dan Povenmire was given a tape of Martella in Everybody Hates Chris, he called him to do Phineas for the pilot. He designed a different voice than his own which he describes as "wacky [and] crazy." The creators were afraid of him losing it when his voice changed, though he was still able to retain it for the most part even afterward, though the tone is now slightly different than the original sound.

While in recording sessions, Martella has a large amount of enthusiasm and describes it as humorous to watch him while doing a take. In interviews Martella has said that he enjoys working on the series and voicing Phineas, and appreciates the opportunity to work alongside guest stars, especially Malcolm McDowell.

Martella once wrote as an article for ''Popstar! Magazine'' his thoughts on the role and of the show itself:

"The greatest thing about being on Phineas so far is that I can get my parents to laugh! We all sat down to see the beach episode on New Years Eve! Once I saw all the adults laughing along with me and my 10-year-old brother, that was the greatest thing in the world to me!"

- Martella

Hallmarks
Phineas and Ferb makes liberal use of running gags, and Phineas has several recurrent lines that are featured in most episodes. When he comes up with an idea of what adventure he and his brother are going to have that day, he says "Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!" During the course of an adventure, Phineas is generally asked by a disbelieving adult if he is not "a little young to be..." part of whatever occupation he is currently carrying out.> For example, while constructing a shrine to his sister on the face of Mount Rushmore, a park ranger asks him "Aren't you boys a little young to be restoring a national monument?" Phineas generally answers "Yes, yes I am," though on a few occasions has responded "No" or "Well, I don't think so."

In every episode, Phineas and Ferb's pet platypus, Perry, disappears to carry out his job as a secret agent. The kids almost always notice this, asking "Hey, where's Perry?" Then, when Perry comes home, they say, "Oh, there you are, Perry!" Discussing Perry, creator Povenmire cited the example of his own pet cat, Sprocket, which he claimed led a "secret life" with his neighbors in order to get extra food.

Traits
"His [Phineas] confidence makes people think, "He must be a prodigy." People rarely ask him if he's too young. He'd never lie to an adult or try to get away with anything. He's just motivated by fun. If he thought mom would actually dislike the things they're doing, he would probably stop, but since he's never gotten in trouble for it, he doesn't think of it as getting into trouble."

- Dan Povenmire in an interview with Animation Magazine.

Phineas is portrayed as being an intelligent, fun-loving, extremely naive, and a kind, confident child. The Disney Channel promos for Phineas and Ferb describe him as someone who "thinks big", refusing to let any day be ordinary. Povenmire also characterizes him as confident, someone so secure in his abilities that others assume he is a prodigy. Povenmire and Marsh wanted the series to reflect their own childhood memories of going out during the summer and have fun, digging trenches and building tunnels, forts, and tree houses.

The creators wanted Phineas, like Ferb, to be a character who would never "[do] anything with any animosity," or to agitate his sister or outsmart his mother purposely. Instead, the character was supposed to be motivated only by enjoyment and free from mean spiritedness. He is generous, kind, and optimistic, and several of his plots involve helping someone out. He tries to please his sister Candace, carving her face into Mount Rushmore for her birthday in one episode and helping her retrieve a tape detailing his summer adventures even though she intended on using the footage as evidence to "bust" him and Ferb. Another episode has him throwing an extravaganza for his mother's birthday, and yet another has him (along with Ferb and Candace) recreating their parent's most romantic moment for their wedding anniversary. He has also been shown helping his grandparents, reenacting his Grandfather Reginald's daredevil stunt from his youth and setting up a roller derby for a rematch race with his Grandmother Betty Jo's old rival. In the episodes "One Good Scare Ought to Do It!" and "Hail Doofania!", Phineas goes to great lengths to help his friend Isabella. Other episodes, like "Unfair Science Fair," "Oil on Candace," "The Bully Code," and "Voyage To The Bottom of Buford," further explore Phineas's generosity toward all of his friends. He even has plans at the beginning of "The Bully Code" for a jellybean currency system for emerging nations.

On other occasions, though, Phineas's adventures have upset others, intentionally or otherwise. Most notably Candace is constantly frustrated in her efforts to "bust" her brothers throughout the series, and in rare cases Phineas has deliberately caused misfortune to others. For example in the episode "Get That Bigfoot Outta My Face," Phineas intentionally gives all the kids at camp a fright when he tricks them into thinking Bigfoot is attacking, though this is mostly getting into the spirit of spooky story telling.

Nonetheless, Povenmire and Marsh intended for Phineas and Ferb to be motivated only by fun. In one episode, "Thaddeus and Thor", Phineas says that fun is his only goal in his daily schemes – though Ferb adds that they also do it "for the ladies." Phineas also says that he wants his adventures to give him something interesting to say when he gets back to school, a setting the creators have confirmed they will never put him in.

Reception
Phineas has received mostly positive reviews. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media describes Phineas as "boisterous," and he and Ferb as "partner[s] in crime." Susan Stewart, reviewing the show in the New York Times, notes that Phineas and Ferb "work on a heroic scale and are apparently not limited by the laws of nature." Jean Yoo, an official press member for Disney Channel, describes him as a "a precocious bundle of energy whose tolerance for sitting still is just a little thinner than his patience for the social echelon in which he finds himself." She as well notes that he is "endearing and smart."

Variety calls Phineas's adventures "spectacular." Animation Insider reporter Aaron Bynum described him as a "wiz kid idea machine." The Seattle Times wrote that both Phineas and Ferb were "young heroes." The song "Ain't Got Rhythm," which Vincent Martella performed in the voice of Phineas alongside Steve Zahn and Thomas Sangster in the episode "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together," was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2008 for "Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics."

Phineas Flynn on paste magazine.com is known as the 16th greatest character of all-time with this: ''“Hey Ferb, I know what we’re going to do today,” Phineas says each show before launching into his latest ambitious plan to pass the summer days, whether it’s building a giant tree house that transforms into a giant robot or filming a movie or creating a time machine. And even though the stepbrothers’ grand plans escape the attention of their parents and drive Candace nuts, Phineas remains completely guileless. Hard to believe this is on the Disney Channel."''

Catchphrases

 * (After someone says that isn't he young to be doing something...) "Yes, yes I am," and sometimes "No..." and "Well, I don't think so..."
 * "How serendipitous,"
 * "Hey, where's Perry?"
 * "He's a platypus; they don't do much."
 * (Normally after Isabella asks "Whatcha Doin?") "We're building a...", "We're making a...", or "We're..."
 * "Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!"
 * "Oh, there you are, Perry."
 * "Well that can't be good."
 * "I like to keep moving forward."
 * "Seize the day."
 * "Let's (something) this baby up"
 * "The Best (Something) ever"
 * "Whatcha Doin?" (sometimes, 8 episodes)

Memorable Quotes

 * "Hey Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!" (Most episodes)
 * "We either need more days of summer, or more of us."
 * "Hey, where's Perry?" (Almost every episode)
 * "Greetings, movers and shakers!"
 * "So, Ferb, what should we do tomorrow? There's a world of possibilities. Maybe we should make a list!"
 * "What do I look like, a fool?" (Wearing a royal fool outfit)
 * "Have we learned nothing from Mary Shelly's Frankenstein?"
 * "Nah. I like to keep moving forward."
 * "Come on, Ferb. If we let a little heat stop us from having the best day ever, then the morning DJs win."
 * "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages; may I present to you a spectacle most of the morning in the making! The coolest... coaster... EVER!"
 * "Look! They've started their own overpriced coffee franchise! That's so '90s."
 * "Follow up single? Who do you think we are? Some two-bit hack who will keep writing new songs just because you'll pay us obscene amounts of cash!? Phineas and the Ferb-Tones are strictly a one-hit wonder! Good day to you, sir!"
 * (in Candace's imagination) "Good thinking, Ferb. We'll put these decoys up so Candace thinks we're doing nothing. And then while Candace isn't looking, we'll do something!"
 * "Oh my gosh, Ferb. I can't believe it! I've never noticed how soft our carpets are."
 * "We rotate out with the board of selectmen."
 * "What do you say Ferb, it'll give you a chance to work on your seaweed rap! Ya know- (Makes rapping noises).
 * "Clive Addison! We're your biggest fans!"
 * "Bless you Perry the Platypus!"
 * "Wait, ooooh, Perry level"
 * "GET ON THE TRIKE!"
 * "You're a secret agent!?"
 * "Put your hand down Ferb"
 * "No, Perry, we do not bite the elderly."
 * "I know what you mean, Ferb. It does seem like more then 104 days."

Songs Phineas has sung

 * In the Mall (with Isabella)
 * Gitchee Gitchee Goo (with Isabella, the Fireside Girls, and Candace)
 * One Good Scare
 * I Love You Mom (with Isabella, the Fireside Girls, Candace, and Ferb)
 * Truck Drivin' Girl (with Ferb)
 * The Ballad of Badbeard (with Isabella, the Fireside Girls, and Candace)
 * History of Rock (with Danny)
 * Fabulous (with Bobbi)
 * Ain't Got Rhythm (with Swampy)
 * The Flyin' Fishmonger (with Isabella and the Fireside Girls)
 * Ring of Fun (with Clyde Flynn)
 * Baliwood (with Baljeet)
 * A-G-L-E-T (with the crowd and Candace Flynn)
 * Watchin' and Waitin' (with the Fireside Girls)
 * Phintastic Ferbulous Car Wash (with Isabella, Buford Van Stomm, Baljeet and the Fireside Girls)
 * Come Home Perry (with Isabella, the Fireside Girls, Danville, and Candace)
 * Gimme a Grade (with Baljeet and Ferb)
 * Spa Day (with Isabella, Ferb, and the Fireside Girls)
 * There Is No Candy In Me (with Baljeet, Ferb, Perry, and Candace)
 * Atlantis(with Isabella, Buford Van Stomm, Ferb, and Baljeet)
 * Where Did We Go Wrong? (with Isabella and Baljeet)
 * Danville for Niceness (with Isabella, Buford and Baljeet)
 * Wedding Adventure (with Isabella, the Fireside Girls,, and Ferb)
 * Space Adventure
 * Dodgers' Code of Conduct (with Heinz Doofenshmirtz)
 * The Dad-inator
 * Alien Heart (with Lawrence Fletcher)
 * Summer Belongs to You! (with the Fireside Girls, Candace, and Isabella)
 * The Twelve Days of Christmas (with the cast)
 * We Wish You A Merry Christmas (with the cast)
 * Run Rudolph Run
 * Hey Ferb
 * Aren't You A Little Young? (with a worker)
 * Rollercoaster (with Isabella, Buford, Ferb, and the Fireside Girls)
 * Carpe Diem (with the cast)
 * Pinhead Pierre Theme (breifly with Lawrence and Isabella)
 * Summer (Where Do We Begin?) (With his 2nd Dimension self and both Ferbs)
 * Kick It Up a Notch (With Slash, Ferb, and 2nd Dimension Heinz)
 * Ferb Latin

Background Information

 * In the Original Story Pitch, which became the episode "Rollercoaster", there was a line where Candace refers to Phineas as a 9 year old. However, after testing with audiences revealed a wide age range identified with the character, producers decided to keep their ages vague. Phineas' age is now officially "less than 15" (Dan Povenmire Correspondence). However, as of "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo", both boys are stated to be approximately 10 years old. They time-travel twenty years into the future, and Future Linda states that Phineas and Ferb are 30 then. Therefore, they are around 10 at present. After the aring of Phineas' Birthday Clip-O-Rama! on April 1, 2011, he may have turned 11.
 * Phineas is the same age as Ferb. The reason the boys are stepbrothers is because producers wanted them to be the same age, but not twins, and be more than just friends.
 * Phineas's motto is "Keep Moving Forward", just like Walt Disney.
 * Phineas's head resembles a P which can be seen in the logo (for Phineas) while his step-brother Ferb resembles an F which can also be seen in the logo (for Ferb).
 * Phineas seems to have problems with his spelling sometimes. ("Rollercoaster", "It's About Time!").
 * Phineas's other motto is "Seize the day", which is a line in Today is Gonna Be a Great Day.
 * Phineas is named after Phileas Fogg, the main character of the Jules Verne story Around the World in Eighty Days, whose name is sometimes erroneously given in adaptations as Phineas Fogg.
 * In "Vanessassary Roughness", he was shown sitting in the front seat of Mom's car; in America, children must be of age 12 or older to sit in the front seat of a car and must be at least 4'10.
 * In "Traffic Cam Caper", you can see Phineas, along with Ferb yawn for the first time after finishing their dinner when they became tired.
 * Phineas has been shown to show more affection to Isabella as the series progressed, in "Rollercoaster", he is shown having no idea of her crush on him, but in "Gaming the System", "That Sinking Feeling", "The Beak", and "Phineas and Ferb Summer Belongs to You!", Phineas has been shown to return her feelings for him. In the movie Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension, Phineas seemed happy about Isabella kissing him showing that he might return her feelings.
 * In a couple of the early episodes, Phineas's eyebrows are black. In the later episodes, though, they are red.
 * Likes his mom's cooking (tacos in "Journey to the Center of Candace" and Fried Chicken in "Flop Starz").
 * Likes chocolate cake ("Finding Mary McGuffin").
 * Likes corn dogs. ("Phineas and Ferb Get Busted!", "Unfair Science Fair")
 * Likes meatloaf ("Meatloaf Surprise").
 * Phineas can play an array of different instruments, including the guitar and violin ("Flop Starz", "The Fast and the Phineas", "The Magnificent Few", "It's a Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud World", "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together", "Crack That Whip", "Tip of the Day", "Don't Even Blink", "Oh, There You Are, Perry", "The Baljeatles", "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo", "Phineas and Ferb Musical Cliptastic Countdown", "No More Bunny Business", "Robot Rodeo").
 * So far (in U.S. aired episodes), Phineas has not considered Irving his friend ("Friends, bullies, Irving") ("What Do It Do?"). But in "The Doof Side of the Moon" Phineas says he is glad to have Irving on the team.
 * Phineas owns an MP3 ("The Magnificent Few").
 * Phineas appears to be ambidextrous as he can play a guitar with both hands. According to the video game Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension, he is left-handed. He bats left-handed both dimensions. He also received a "left-handed flange tuner" from Candace for his birthday. ("Phineas' Birthday Clip-O-Rama!") However he's writing by his right hand ("Flop Starz").
 * Phineas's distinctive head shape was referenced in the June 17, 2010 installment of the Lola comic strip by Todd Clark.
 * Phineas does not seem to mind when Isabella says his catchphrases in episodes such as "The Lizard Whisperer", "Cheer Up Candace", and others.
 * According to Candace, Phineas, along with his brother Ferb, smell like motor oil and confidence ("Robot Rodeo").
 * Phineas seems to be getting taller as the series goes on, which is not at all unusual considering his age. Generally, he is shorter than Isabella and taller than Baljeet. In most of Season 1, he is much shorter than Isabella. In Season 2, he is generally as tall as Isabella. In parts of Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!, Phineas and Ferb Summer Belongs to You!, The Beak, and Bubble Boys, he is taller than Isabella (though it should be noted that this is inconsistent throughout these episodes: sometimes Phineas is taller, sometimes Isabella is taller). In the Christmas special, this could possibly be explained as Phineas having a quick growth spurt, as that episode takes place during the winter after the summer the rest of the series takes place. It should also be noted that as of Season 3, Phineas is consistently as tall as Isabella.
 * He is a fan to the movie series Space Adventure ("Not Phineas and Ferb", "Nerds of a Feather").
 * Phineas can solve complicated math questions. ("We Call it Maze")
 * Phineas' birthday seems to take place near the end of summer since most of their inventions and adventures appeared to have happened before his birthday. ("Phineas' Birthday Clip-O-Rama!")
 * Phineas appears to like and excel at baseball. ("The Chronicles of Meap", "Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension")
 * Phineas' third favorite number is five. ("Skiddley Whiffers")
 * He didn't know how to Tango dance. ("Take Two with Phineas and Ferb: Larry King")