List of Steven Universe characters
Steven Universe is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar. It is produced by Cartoon Network Studios, and is the first show by the studio to be created by a woman.[1] The series focuses on the adventures of the Crystal Gems—magical alien warriors who protect the Earth from their own kind—and the humans they interact with in the fictional town of Beach City. It has received critical acclaim for its art style, voice acting, music, storytelling, as well as the diversity and deep characterization of its characters, its portrayal of relationships, including queer relationships, and its subversion of stereotypical gender norms.[2][3]
Main characters
Steven Universe
The titular protagonist of the series, Steven Quartz Universe[4] (voiced by Zach Callison) is the enthusiastic youngest and only male member of the Crystal Gems. His characterization is loosely inspired by the series creator Rebecca Sugar's younger brother Steven Sugar, who is also a background artist for the show.[5] Steven's portrayal as a male character whose heroism is based on traditionally feminine-coded attributes such as empathy and nurturing, and who seeks to live up to the legacy of his heroic mother, has drawn favorable reaction from critics.[6][7][8]
In the context of the show, Steven is the son of Greg Universe, a human musician, and Rose Quartz, the former leader of the Crystal Gems. Rose is described as having "given up her physical form to bring [Steven] into the world" as the first Gem-human hybrid, and her gemstone is embedded in his navel.[4] At the time of the show's narrative, he is 12–14 years old, but appears younger due to the interaction of his gem's magic with his aging process. Steven is caring, protective, brave, gentle, forgiving, and eager to help the people he loves with their problems; his optimism is often a source of strength for the other Crystal Gems. His gemstone gives him a wide range of magical abilities; one of the long-term story arcs of the series is his progress in learning about and mastering these abilities, beginning in the first episode with his first successful attempt to summon his Gem weapon, which is a shield. Other long-lasting character arcs involving Steven include his anxiety about filling his mother's place in the Crystal Gems and coping with her complex legacy, and his developing friendship with his human best friend, Connie.
Garnet
The disciplined current leader of the Crystal Gems, Garnet (voiced by Estelle) is the strongest of the four. She is quiet, stoic, pragmatic, and described by Steven as "mysterious", but over the course of the series she becomes more emotionally open, especially in expressing her love for Steven. According to the writers, her great self-confidence is reflected in the fact that she never asks questions.[9] She possesses red garnets embedded in her hands, from which she summons her Gem weapon, a pair of heavy gauntlets. She also has a precognitive ability she refers to as "future vision". Garnet has three eyes, over which she wears a visor.
In the first-season finale, "Jail Break", it is revealed that Garnet is a fusion of two smaller Gems named Ruby and Sapphire. Garnet's existence is thus a personification of Ruby and Sapphire's loving relationship—she describes herself as "a conversation" and "made of love"—and her personality is a stable blending of Ruby and Sapphire's traits. The character of Garnet has won acclaim from critics as a representation of a queer relationship.[10] Though she is normally stoic, Garnet's strongest emotional displays are often centered around fusion: anger and revulsion at what she perceives as abuses or perversions of fusion, and delight when Steven develops the ability to fuse. The second-season episode "The Answer", a flashback showing how Ruby and Sapphire met and formed Garnet for the first time, was nominated for an Emmy Award and adapted into a children's book.
Ruby and Sapphire
Ruby (voiced by Charlyne Yi) and Sapphire (voiced by Erica Luttrell)—the two smaller Gems who are the components of Garnet—first appeared in "Jail Break". They are portrayed as having contrasting personalities and abilities: Sapphire is an emotionally reserved Gem who held a high rank on Homeworld, having ice-related powers and the ability to see into the future;[11] while Ruby is impulsive and hotheaded, has fire-related abilities, and was a common foot soldier on Homeworld. Garnet's qualities are the result of a "conversation" between these two contrasting personalities. At the end of the fifth season, after a period of questioning the basis of their relationship in the wake of revelations about Rose Quartz's past, Ruby and Sapphire recommit themselves to each other through marriage.
Amethyst
Amethyst (voiced by Michaela Dietz) is the youngest of the Crystal Gems other than Steven. Her mischievous sense of humor often provides comic relief, and her fun-loving and relatively childish nature bolsters her friendship with Steven. Her amethyst gemstone, from which she can summon a whip, is embedded on her chest; she also makes frequent use of shapeshifting capabilities.[12] She was the last of the Gems created on Earth as part of the Gem Homeworld's "Kindergarten" project to convert Earth into a Gem-occupied world, and learns in the second season that she is smaller and weaker than other Gems of her type (the "Quartz" warrior caste). Her rebellious and hedonistic personality covers for deep-seated feelings of inadequacy, resentment, and fear that the other Crystal Gems do not respect her, and a long-term character arc involves her learning to respect herself and her capabilities.
Pearl
Resembling a ballerina in her slender build, costume, and graceful style of movement, Pearl (voiced by Deedee Magno Hall) is a short-tempered, precise, intellectual strategist and technician. Her gemstone is a white pearl that is embedded in her forehead, from which she can summon a spear and can create holographic images.[13] She is the most overtly motherly and protective toward Steven of the Gems. Pearl harbored a deep romantic devotion to Rose Quartz, leading to lasting grief over Rose's absence and jealousy over her relationship with Greg; major character arcs for Pearl include her slowly learning to cope with and move beyond these emotions. On the Gem homeworld, pearls are a "made-to-order" servant caste, and the fifth season reveals that Pearl originally served Rose Quartz in Rose's original identity of Pink Diamond. Pearl has learned to move beyond her caste role as a fighter and technician, but still has difficulty learning to feel independent rather than subordinate. Critical response to Pearl has largely appreciated her portrayal as a complex, sympathetic, yet flawed queer character.[14][15]
Major recurring characters
Humans
Greg Universe
Steven's father, Greg (voiced by Tom Scharpling) is a former rock singer who now lives in his van and runs a car wash in Beach City. Although Steven lives with the Gems during the time period of the narrative, Greg remains a constant presence in his life. Greg is laid-back, accepting, and supportive of Steven's adventures, though often made uncomfortable by Gem magic. A series of flashback episodes portray the history of his relationship with Rose Quartz.
Connie Maheswaran
Connie (voiced by Grace Rolek) is Steven's best friend. Connie is introduced as an intelligent, introverted, and lonely person in the early episode "Bubble Buddies", and she rapidly develops a close relationship with Steven. An avid reader of fantasy literature, she admires what she calls Steven's "magical destiny" and is eager to be a part of it; her increasing involvement in Gem adventures, eventually becoming accepted as a member of the Crystal Gems, is a long-term plot arc of the show, including learning to fight with a sword belonging to Rose Quartz and coming to see herself as Steven's equal despite not having magical abilities of her own. Another character arc involving Connie is her learning to push back against her overprotective parents.
Lars and Sadie
At the beginning of the series, Lars Barriga (voiced by Matthew Moy) and Sadie Miller (voiced by Kate Micucci) are teenaged employees at the Big Donut, the donut shop that Steven frequently visits. Lars is inconsiderate, irresponsible, and abrasive, but insecure and desperate to be accepted by those he considers to be the "cool kids". Sadie is friendly and shy, but has difficulty asserting herself and tends to try and fix Lars' issues for him. Despite Lars's negative attitude, Steven considers Lars a close friend, and Sadie has a crush on him. Lars and Sadie's intermittently affectionate and antagonistic relationship is a recurring focus of episodes in which both characters feature. Matthew Moy has stated that Lars is one of his favorite acting roles, and has described his character as a "complicated fellow".[16] According to Rebecca Sugar, Lars and Sadie are based upon characters she created while in college.[17] They appeared in both the pilot episode of Steven Universe and the first episode of the series proper; they are the only characters other than the Crystal Gems to have speaking roles in either of those episodes.
Lars is prominently featured at the end of season 4 and beginning of season 5, during which he is abducted and taken to the Gem Homeworld with Steven; his character arc in these episodes focuses on him learning to overcome his fear of embarrassing himself and being perceived as inadequate. This storyline culminates when he is killed defending Steven and others from Homeworld security robots, and then brought back to life by Steven's healing powers. When revived, Lars's body has turned pink, and he manifests magical properties, including the ability for Steven to teleport to a pocket dimension via Lars's hair. With his newfound confidence, he becomes the leader of a band of fugitive Gems and captain of a stolen spaceship. At the same time, Sadie, left behind on Earth, develops the self-confidence to quit her job at the Big Donut and join a horror rock band with the "cool kids", "Sadie Killer and the Suspects".
Gems
Rose Quartz
The original leader of the Crystal Gems, Rose Quartz (voiced by Susan Egan) is Steven's mother, who "gave up her physical form" to allow Steven to be born. Her gem is embedded in her navel. Although she appears only in flashbacks, her legacy and her absence define the lives and relationships of the other main characters. She led the ancient rebellion against the Gem homeworld, and the Crystal Gems describe her to Steven as loving and seeing beauty in all forms of life. Flashback episodes show the development of her relationship with Greg from infatuation into love and understanding, and eventually her earlier history as well. Steven initially feels great pressure to live up to her example as a compassionate leader, but his relationship with her memory is complicated at the end of the third season when he learns of morally questionable actions she undertook during the war. "Lion 3: Straight to Video", the first episode in which she appeared (via a videotaped message to Steven), was nominated for an Emmy Award for short-form animation.
In the fifth-season episode "A Single Pale Rose", Rose Quartz is revealed to have originally been Pink Diamond, the Gem leader overseeing the Gem colonization of the planet Earth. Originally immature and spoiled, Pink Diamond fell in love with the diversity of the planet's life and the possibilities that came with it; she created the alternate identity of Rose Quartz to lead the rebellion to protect life on Earth, and eventually faked her own assassination to break free from her former life.
Lapis Lazuli
At the time of her introduction, Lapis Lazuli (voiced by Jennifer Paz) is a Gem from Homeworld who was trapped in a magical mirror on Earth for thousands of years. When the mirror is given to Steven in the first-season episode “Mirror Gem”, she forms a friendship with him, but initially mistrusts the other Crystal Gems and attacks them when Steven frees her. As the first sentient Gem other than the Crystal Gems to appear in the series, Lapis's appearance sets the stage for deeper plot developments; the show’s writers cite it as "really the beginning of the show".[18] In "Jail Break", the first-season finale, she prevents the Homeworld Gem Jasper from attacking the Crystal Gems by fusing with her and imprisoning themselves at the bottom of the ocean. After being released from the fusion in the third season, she forms a close relationship with Peridot and comes to accept living on earth. Her character arc in her intermittent appearances since then has involved her slow recovery from the psychological trauma of having been imprisoned and being part of an abusive fusion, and coping with the fear of being victimized again. At the end of the fifth season, she joins the Crystal Gems to fight Blue Diamond. She has powerful telekinetic control over water, and can produce wings made of water from the lapis lazuli gemstone on her back.[19]
Peridot
In her introduction, Peridot (voiced by Shelby Rabara) is a technician dispatched by the Gem Homeworld to check on remaining Gem installations on Earth; her appearance late in the first season becomes an ominous sign that the Crystal Gems are under threat from Homeworld. Stranded on Earth after the events of the first-season finale, Peridot becomes a recurring antagonist in the first half of the second season before being eventually captured and convinced to ally with them to defuse the Cluster. When the Crystal Gems first encounter her she wears technological "limb enhancers", giving her a fearsome and robotic appearance; after she is captured, she loses them and appears childlike without them. She plays a prominent role in the last part of the second season, during which her character arc centers around learning to outgrow Homeworld’s hierarchical, utilitarian mindset and appreciate the value of friendship, individuality, and life on Earth, eventually declaring herself a member of the Crystal Gems and forming a close relationship with Lapis Lazuli. She is cranky and self-aggrandizing in demeanor, but demonstrates willingness to learn from her mistakes and to treat others with greater respect and kindness. Her gemstone is a triangular peridot embedded in her forehead,[20] and she discovers in the third season that she has the ability to telekinetically control metal objects.
Jasper
Introduced at the end of the first season, Jasper (voiced by Kimberly Brooks) is a powerful warrior from Homeworld and a veteran of the ancient war against the Crystal Gems. A subordinate of Pink Diamond created on Earth, she holds a long-standing grudge against the planet and Rose Quartz. She is openly contemptuous of those she perceives as weak or defective and is "determined to never be weak or vulnerable"[21] herself. Her gemstone is a yellow jasper in the place of her nose, and her Gem weapon is a heavy helmet.[22] Although she dismisses Gem fusion as a "cheap tactic to make weak Gems stronger", after she is defeated in one-on-one battles against fusions she resorts to attempting fusion herself, with disastrous results. She is the principal recurring antagonist in the second half of the third season; as a perfectly formed Quartz warrior, she becomes the target of Amethyst's resentment and desire to prove herself. At the end of the season, she attempts fusion with a corrupted Gem monster, becomes corrupted herself, and is neutralized and captured by the Crystal Gems.
Great Diamond Authority
The Great Diamond Authority are the leaders of the Gem Homeworld and its colonies, whom all other Gems are created to serve without question. The first two Diamonds introduced in the series are the vindictive, impatient, and disdainful Yellow Diamond (voiced by Patti LuPone) and the depressed and sentimental Blue Diamond (voiced by Lisa Hannigan). Yellow and Blue, despite their different approaches, are both motivated by their mutual grief and guilt over Pink Diamond's death, before finally learning at the end of the fifth season that her demise was faked, coming to believe that Steven is her. Yellow and Blue themselves are intimidated by White Diamond (voiced by Christine Ebersole), who has remained on the Gem Homeworld for eons; her first appearance portrays her as passive-aggressive and condescending.[23]
Miscellaneous
Lion
Lion (animal noises by Dee Bradley Baker) is a mysterious pink lion who protects Steven and possesses a variety of magical abilities. Steven regards Lion as a pet. Lion provides Steven with connections to Rose Quartz's legacy—he brings Steven and Connie to Rose's secret armory, and a number of Rose's keepsakes are stored in a pocket dimension accessible via his mane, including her sword and a videotaped message to Steven. Lion is introduced in the early episode "Steven's Lion", in which he appears mysteriously in the desert and follows Steven home. In season 5, it is implied that Lion was originally an ordinary lion, and, like Lars, developed his magical nature as an effect of being treated by Rose Quartz's healing tears. In the same season, his pocket dimension becomes accessible through the one accessed through Lars's hair.
Other recurring characters
Other human characters
Steven Universe possesses a large cast of occasionally-appearing human characters in Steven's hometown of Beach City, many of whom become the focus of individual episodes that explore their relationships with the main characters and each other. According to critic Sara Goodwin, one of the great strengths of Steven Universe as a series is the depth of development it gives to its "normal human being" characters and how the superpowered characters are affected by them.[24]
Recurring human characters include:
- Buck Dewey (Lamar Abrams), Jenny Pizza (Reagan Gomez-Preston), and Sour Cream (Brian Posehn): the "cool kids", three older teenagers who become friendly with Steven, and whose friendship Lars seeks.
- Onion (Zach Callison): Sour Cream's younger half-brother, whose frequent odd and destructive unsupervised behavior Steven finds disturbing.
- Ronaldo Fryman (Zach Steel): a conspiracy theorist blogger who occasionally attempts to investigate the paranormal events caused by the Gems. His blog, "Keep Beach City Weird", is maintained in-character on Tumblr by Steven Universe writers.
- Peedee Fryman (Atticus Shaffer) and Mr. Fryman (Billy Merritt): Peedee is Ronaldo's cynical and world-weary younger brother, and their father Mr. Fryman is the proprietor of the French-fry stand "Beach Citywalk Fries."
- Kiki Pizza (Reagan Gomez-Preston) and Kofi Pizza (Godfrey): Jenny's twin sister and father. The Pizza family runs a restaurant called "Fish Stew Pizza."
- Nanefua Pizza (Toks Olagundoye): Kofi's mother. Steven Universe animator/director Ian Jones-Quartey based Nanefua on his grandmother, noted Ghanaian stateswoman Theodosia Okoh[25]. In the fifth season, Nanefua is elected mayor of Beach City.
- Bill Dewey (Joel Hodgson): Buck's father, the approval-seeking mayor of Beach City. In the fifth season, after Nanefua Pizza becomes the new mayor of Beach City, he gets a job at the Big Donut.
- Priyanka Maheswaran (Mary Elizabeth McGlynn) and Doug Maheswaran (Crispin Freeman): Connie's strict and overprotective parents. Priyanka[26] is a doctor and Doug[27] is a security guard.
- Harold Smiley (Sinbad in season 1, later Colton Dunn): the overworked manager of the Beach City Funland amusement park and video arcade.
- Vidalia (Jackie Buscarino) and Yellowtail (Tom Scharpling): Onion's parents. Vidalia is an old friend of Amethyst and Greg and Yellowtail is a fisherman. Vidalia is also Sour Cream's mother.
- Marty (Jon Wurster): Greg's greedy and manipulative former manager and Sour Cream's estranged father.
- Jamie (Eugene Cordero): a postman and aspiring actor.
- Barb Miller (Kate Flannery): Sadie's mother, and a postal carrier.
- Kevin (Andrew Kishino): an arrogant teenager who makes unwelcome advances on Stevonnie.
- Andy DeMayo (Dave Willis): Greg's cousin, a pilot, who is initially both uncomfortable with Greg and Steven's unconventional lifestyle and regretful of how his family has grown apart.
- Dante Barriga (Matthew Moy) and Martha Barriga (Nancy Linari): Lars's parents.
Other Gem characters
Bismuth
The Crystal Gems' weaponsmith during the ancient rebellion, Bismuth (voiced by Uzo Aduba) is passionately devoted to overthrowing the hierarchical structure of Gem society and grateful to Rose Quartz for showing her that an alternative existed. But Bismuth's radicalism led to a dispute with Rose over the use of a weapon that would permanently destroy enemy Gems, leading Rose to bubble her gem and hide her fate from the other Crystal Gems. In the show's special hundredth episode, Bismuth is accidentally freed by Steven, who is later forced to bubble her again when the same conflict repeats itself. Bismuth is later freed during the fifth season by Steven to attend Ruby and Sapphire's wedding; she comes to understand Rose's choices after learning of her true identity as Pink Diamond.
Aduba's guest performance, and Bismuth's portrayal as a sympathetic character whose complex disagreement with Steven had no easy answers, won praise from critics,[28][29] although some commentators objected to possible stereotypical implications in the portrayal of a character played by an African-American woman as holding a dangerously militant ideology.[29][30]
Ruby squad
Rubies (all voiced by Charlyne Yi) are a foot soldier Gem caste on Homeworld. Aside from the Crystal Gems' Ruby, a squad of five Rubies sent by Yellow Diamond to locate Jasper appear as recurring characters beginning in the third season. Steven nicknames the quintet according to the location of their gems: the veteran Eyeball, the rookie Leggy, the cheerful Navy, the violent Army, and the leader Doc. They are portrayed as comically gullible, but can become ruthless when they realize that they have been tricked. Yi's performance of their diverse personalities has drawn praise from critics.[31]
Pearls
Pearls are a servant Gem caste on Homeworld, serving respected Gems. Aside from the Crystal Gems' Pearl, pearls belonging to Blue Diamond, Yellow Diamond, and White Diamond have appeared in the series. The blue Pearl is quiet and submissive, while the yellow Pearl is snobbish and abrasive; both are voiced by Deedee Magno Hall. The white Pearl, voiced by Christine Ebersole, is stiff and robotic, with a scar in place of her left eye.
The Off-Colors
A group of fugitive Gems on Homeworld, first appearing in season five, who live in hiding underground because they are regarded as defective or do not conform to Homeworld's expectations. They are the Rutile Twins (voiced by Ashly Burch), a Gem with two conjoined bodies from the waist up; Fluorite (voiced by Kathy Fisher), a huge caterpillar-like fusion of six Gems; Padparadscha (voiced by Erica Luttrell), a Sapphire whose defective "future vision" can only predict the recent past; and Rhodonite (voiced by Enuka Okuma), an anxious "star-crossed" fusion of a Ruby and a Pearl. Under Lars' leadership, they steal a spaceship and flee Homeworld.
Centipeetle
Centipeetle (vocal effects by Dee Bradley Baker) is an acid-spitting, centipede-like corrupted Gem monster that first appeared in the series premiere "Gem Glow", in which the Crystal Gems fight and defeat her and encase her in a bubble. In the mid–first-season episode "Monster Buddies", Steven frees her from her bubble and befriends her; in the third season, he is able to partially and temporarily heal her gem's corruption, and he learns of her history as a member of the Homeworld army who was left behind when the Homeworld Gems fled Earth and became corrupted by the Diamonds' attack. At the end of the fifth season, Steven convinces Blue Diamond and Yellow Diamond to attempt to fully cure her corruption; she is briefly restored to her original self as Nephrite (voiced by Aparna Nancherla), but soon reverts to Centipeetle again.
Holly Blue Agate
Holly (voiced by Christine Pedi) is the supervisor of Pink Diamond's human zoo, under the direction of Blue Diamond. She is abusive and dismissive to her subordinates at the zoo, but grovels incessantly to any superior-ranking Gem she encounters.
Aquamarine
Aquamarine (voiced by Della Saba) is a Gem bounty hunter sent on a mission by Homeworld in the fourth season, accompanied by Topaz.[32] Her childlike, innocent appearance contrasts with her ruthlessness and sarcastic personality; Steven describes her as "awful, small, and mean".
Topaz
Topaz (voiced by Martha Higareda) is a fusion of two Topazes who imprison captured humans by fusing around them. Although she is silent and menacing in her first appearance, she soon reveals a sentimental and sympathetic side.
The Cluster
The Cluster is an artificial fusion embedded within the Earth to destroy the planet, formed of millions of broken Gem shards, their minds shattered and desperate to feel whole. In the episode "Gem Drill", Steven is able to communicate with the Cluster and help its numerous components to find connection among themselves, and eventually bubble itself. In the episode "Reunited", when it is re-awakened by Blue Diamond and Yellow Diamond, it takes form of a giant arm and fights Yellow Diamond's ship, revealing that it is in control of itself and now intends to protect the Earth.
Fusions
Fusion is a process whereby two or more Gems can combine their physical forms and minds to create a larger and more powerful individual, possessing all of the powers of their component Gems and more. They are often able to combine the Gem weapons of their component Gems into a more powerful fused Gem weapon. The primary driving force for Gems to form and maintain fusions is for the component Gems to have a strong enough bond between them. Garnet describes the experience of being a fusion in this way: "You are not two people. And you are not one person. You are an experience." While the Gem Homeworld allows Gems of the same caste to fuse, usually for combat purposes, forming a larger version of the components' identical forms, the formation of mixed-Gem fusions is rare and considered offensive. Mixed-Gem fusions usually have extra body parts; for example, Garnet has three eyes and Opal has four arms. The concept of fusion is used by the writers for thematic purposes as a broad metaphor for a range of types of intimacy and relationships.
Garnet is listed above as a main character; below, other fusions involving major characters are listed in order of appearance.
- Opal (voiced by Aimee Mann): The fusion of Amethyst and Pearl, who appears in the early episode "Giant Woman" as Steven's introduction to the concept of Gem fusion. Amethyst and Pearl rarely fuse, as their conflicting personalities make it difficult for them to achieve the necessary mental and physical harmony. Opal can combine Pearl's spear and Amethyst's whip into a bow.[33]
- Sugilite (voiced by Nicki Minaj): The fusion of Garnet and Amethyst, featured prominently in the first-season episode "Coach Steven". Sugilite's behavior is dangerously violent, as Amethyst and Garnet's personalities when fused together become more unrestrained and aggressive, and she is unwilling to be split back up into Garnet and Amethyst. She can combine Garnet's gauntlets and Amethyst's whip into a giant flail.
- Alexandrite (voiced by Rita Rani Ahuja): The combined fusion of Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, introduced in the first-season episode "Fusion Cuisine". She is formidable in battle due to her massive size, six arms, and flame breath, but confused and unstable when attempting to socialize with Connie's parents. She appears in the mobile video game Steven Universe: Attack the Light! as a powerful combined-attack move.
- Stevonnie (voiced by AJ Michalka): The fusion of Steven and Connie, and the only known instance of a human successfully participating in Gem fusion. Introduced in the first-season episode "Alone Together", Stevonnie has the appearance of a beautiful teenager of indeterminate or nonbinary gender. The character has received critical acclaim both as a rare example of a nonbinary character and as a metaphor by which the writers explore themes of puberty and maturation, consent, and healthy communication.[3][34][35]
- Malachite (voiced by Kimberly Brooks and Jennifer Paz): The fusion of Jasper and Lapis Lazuli. In the first-season finale, Jasper fuses with Lapis in order to defeat the Crystal Gems, only for Lapis to take control of the fusion and imprison themselves at the bottom of the ocean. Though unstable, Malachite remains fused until she is eventually defeated in battle by Alexandrite in the third-season premiere. In the third-season episode "Alone at Sea", in the aftermath of Malachite's separation, Jasper and Lapis's fusion is used as a metaphor for an abusive relationship;[36] and Malachite's grotesque, six-armed appearance has been described as reflecting the relationship's unhealthiness.[37]
- Rainbow Quartz: The fusion of Rose Quartz and Pearl. Her only fully formed appearance to date has been in the flashback episode “We Need To Talk”, where she took the form of an elegant dancer wearing a leotard and leggings (and had no spoken lines). Rose and Pearl's first attempt to fuse, inspired by Garnet, was a turning point in the history of the Crystal Gem rebellion.
- Sardonyx (voiced by Alexia Khadime): The fusion of Garnet and Pearl, who has the personality of an elegant but attention-seeking entertainer. She can combine Garnet's gauntlets and Pearl's spear into a giant warhammer. A major plot arc in the second season, advertised as the "Week of Sardonyx", deals with Pearl tricking Garnet into fusing for fabricated reasons, and the emotional consequences of that violation.
- Smoky Quartz (voiced by Natasha Lyonne): The fusion of Steven and Amethyst. Smoky Quartz first appears in the episode "Earthlings", near the end of the third season, formed during a moment of commiseration between Steven and Amethyst over their shared fears of not being able to live up to their potential. Smoky Quartz has a playful, self-effacing personality, and can combine Steven's shield and Amethyst's whip into a massive yo-yo that they use in combat.
References
- ^ Shannon OLeary (July 24, 2013). "Cartoon Network Shows to watch out for: Steve[n] Universe, Uncle Grandpa, and Clarence". The Beat. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Vrai Kaiser. "Gems 101: An Introduction To Steven Universe". The Mary Sue. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ a b Caroline Framke (May 12, 2016). "Steven Universe is the most delightful, sex-positive show on television". Vox. Vox Media. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ a b Sugar 2015, p. 16.
- ^ Michael Cavna (November 1, 2013). "'Steven Universe' creator Rebecca Sugar is a Cartoon Network trailblazer". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Susana Polo (May 11, 2016). "Steven Universe, explained". Polygon. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ "Strong in the Real Way: 'Steven Universe' and the Shape of Masculinity to come". Bitch Flicks. June 24, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Joseph Cain (May 13, 2016). "Superheroes, Steven Universe, and the Maternal Narrative". The Mary Sue. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Glennon, Christopher (July 22, 2015). "SDCC2015: 'Steven Universe' Roundtable Interview". Toonzone. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Vrai Kaiser (March 18, 2015). "The Great Big Steven Universe Recap; Or, The Femme Smooch Heard 'Round the World". The Mary Sue. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Sugar 2016, n.p..
- ^ Sugar 2015, pp. 38–41.
- ^ Sugar 2015, pp. 52–55.
- ^ Payton, Naith (July 17, 2015). "Comment: Lots of children's programmes already have LGBT characters". Pink News. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Kaiser, Vrai (June 11, 2015). "It's OK to Have Flaws (Except for You): Steven Universe and Fandom". The Mary Sue. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ Matthew Moy (July 10, 2015). "The ridiculous screaming. I love when Lars has a complete meltdown & his eyes bug out. He's a complicated fellow". Twitter. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Rebecca Sugar. "I am Rebecca Sugar, creator of Steven Universe, and former Adventure Time storyboarder, AMA!". Reddit. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ http://joethejohnston.tumblr.com/post/98475763276/
- ^ Sugar 2015, p. 75.
- ^ Sugar 2015, p. 76.
- ^ http://www.thewrap.com/steven-universe-creator-rebecca-sugar-talks-lgbt-themes-teases-season-3/
- ^ Sugar 2015, p. 77.
- ^ https://www.themarysue.com/lets-talk-about-white-diamond-in-steven-universe/
- ^ Sara Goodwin (August 16, 2016). "Connie, Sadie, and the Importance of Human Beings in Steven Universe". The Mary Sue. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ [1], IAN JQ dot com, 27 April 2015.
- ^ https://mobile.twitter.com/ianjq/status/642847138699853826
- ^ https://mobile.twitter.com/ianjq/status/643188653796143104
- ^ Eric Thurm (August 4, 2016). "The 100th episode of Steven Universe means "Bismuth"". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ a b Vrai Kaiser (August 5, 2016). "Steven Universe Recap: "Bismuth"". The Mary Sue. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Mark Oshiro (January 31, 2017). "Mark Watches 'Steven Universe': S03E20/S03E21 – Bismuth". Mark Watches. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Vrai Kaiser (June 3, 2016). "Steven Universe Recap: "Hit the Diamond"". The Mary Sue. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Blumenfeld, Zach (May 11, 2017). "Steven Universe Finds His Destiny… By Losing His Self". Paste. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Sugar 2015, pp. 80–81.
- ^ Meredith Woerner (May 14, 2015). "Steven Universe Guidebook Spills The Secrets Of The Crystal Gems". Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Carli Velocci (July 14, 2015). "What a children's show can teach us about sex and healthy relationships". Polygon. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Eric Thurm (July 28, 2016). "Steven Universe and Lapis Lazuli take a fraught trip through a 'ship". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Uwana Ikaiddi (May 19, 2017). "How Cartoon Network's Steven Universe gets diversity right". Study Break Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
Cited
- Sugar, Rebecca (2015). Guide to the Crystal Gems. New York, NY: Cartoon Network Books. ISBN 978-0-8431-8316-0.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Sugar, Rebecca (2016). The Answer. New York, NY: Cartoon Network Books. ISBN 978-0-399-54170-4.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help)