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108-516: The series focuses on the aftermath of the events of Steven Universe , where extraterrestrial magical Gems coexist in harmony with humans after the end of the war between the Crystal Gems and Gem Homeworld. Without the threats of the Diamonds or corrupted Gems, Steven must deal with the everyday challenges that still come with his now relatively peaceful life, and question his new life objectives. Like

216-418: 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

324-579: A whip , is located on her chest; she also makes frequent use of shapeshifting capabilities. 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

432-499: A brown-skinned person!". /Film stated about the episode "Little Graduation": "what a fine way to wrap up 2019 by pushing the bar for queer representation through the introduction of the loveably chill Shep [...] They pop as the sort of character who has earned a Fan Favorite Title. Despite knowing the titular character for an hour, Shep participates in the proceedings by cooling down Steven." 100% of 7 critic reviews compiled by review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes are positive, and

540-501: A child’s instinct for deception when it seemed like he might be in trouble, whether that meant forming a 'Secret Team' to hide a mistake or asking the Gems to pretend to be his human mother. But the story of Steven Universe isn’t about Steven discarding the things that made, and still make, him childish — it’s about figuring out how to use them in more specific, salutary ways. The idea that there are childish qualities worth cultivating, alongside others that can and should be avoided or shed,

648-443: 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". According to Rebecca Sugar , Lars and Sadie are based upon characters she created while in college. They appeared in both

756-564: A complaint many had towards the series. As much as Steven Universe is all about love being the answer and Steven trying to be friends with everyone, there's still a nagging sense that it's all a bit... simple. Obviously what Steven and the Crystal Gems is incredibly taxing [ sic ] but the end result just being everyone is mostly friends? That’s fairly unrealistic [...] So the fact that Aquamarine and Eyeball Ruby just flat out hate him? It’s an acknowledgement, one that show takes it time to make explicit, that not everyone wants to change. Not everyone

864-472: A constant presence in his life. Though he is often made uncomfortable by Gem magic, Greg is laid-back, accepting, and supportive of Steven's adventures; it is largely from Greg that Steven inherits his optimistic, empathetic temperament. As a young adult, Greg ran away from his controlling parents to become a traveling musician; the freedom and lack of structure he gave young Steven was a reaction against his own strict upbringing. Connie (voiced by Grace Rolek )

972-419: A diminutive form, and befriends her. In the third-season episode "Monster Reunion", he partially and temporarily heals her corruption and learns her history. At the end of the fifth season, she and other corrupted Gems are successfully healed with the help of the Diamonds. Holly (voiced by Christine Pedi ) is the supervisor of Pink Diamond's human zoo; she is abusive and dismissive to her Quartz subordinates. In

1080-684: A dispute with Rose over the use of a weapon designed to 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 , Steven accidentally frees Bismuth and befriends her, but is later forced to bubble her again when the same conflict repeats itself. Steven later frees Bismuth again in the fifth season so she can attend Ruby and Sapphire's wedding; upon her release, she comes to understand Rose's choices after learning of her true identity as Pink Diamond. Aduba's guest performance in Bismuth's debut episode, and Bismuth's portrayal as

1188-473: 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 and sympathetic, yet flawed queer character. Steven's father Greg (voiced by Tom Scharpling ) is a former rock musician who now lives in his van and runs a car wash in Beach City. Although Steven lives with the Gems, Greg remains

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1296-465: 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's leadership, they steal a spaceship and flee Homeworld. Nephrite (voiced by Aparna Nancherla ) was an officer of the Homeworld army who

1404-615: A kiss in the final episode . At the beginning of the series, Lars Barriga (voiced by Matthew Moy ) and Sadie Miller (voiced by Kate Micucci ) are teenage employees at the Big Donut, a 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 without his consent. Despite Lars's negative attitude, Steven considers Lars to be

1512-561: A passive-aggressive, condescending, and narcissistic perfectionist who sees all other Gems as flawed reflections of herself and possesses the ability to turn other Gems into colorless puppet thralls she can act through. It is her vision of complete perfection attained through strictly-enforced standards that shaped the Gem empire into its current state, at the cost of making her subjects miserable, including Pink. The Diamonds' relationships are portrayed as those of an abusive and controlling family, and it

1620-419: A pocket dimension accessible via his mane, including her sword and a videotaped message to Steven. He is introduced in the episode "Steven's Lion" early in the first season, 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 after dying and then being resurrected by Rose Quartz. In

1728-438: A rampage in Beach City; after that, they leave Beach City and form a civilization on the remote Mask Island. This civilization is shown to develop throughout the show, and helps fight off Lapis and Jasper's fusion, Malachite. They sometimes serve as vessels that Steven can project his mind into. Pumpkin is a living pumpkin that behaves like a dog. It was created by Steven in the fourth-season episode " Gem Harvest ", and adopted as

1836-525: A rematch with Steven, and swears loyalty to him after he manages to repair her gemstone; at the end of the series, she's seen living in Little Homeworld. The Crystal Gems' weaponsmith during the ancient rebellion, Bismuth (voiced first by Uzo Aduba and later by Miriam Hyman) is passionately devoted to overthrowing the hierarchical structure of Gem society and grateful to Rose Quartz for showing her that an alternative existed. However, her radicalism led to

1944-406: A representation of a queer relationship. 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,

2052-467: A result, some Gems have considered Steven and Rose to be the same entity; a major character arc for Steven involves his wrestling with his mother's complex legacy, and whether he must take responsibility for her choices. With this gem, Steven develops a wide variety of magical abilities. He is able to summon his mother’s shield; create a spherical force field; heal Gems, humans, and objects with his saliva; create sentient plant life; shapeshift; float through

2160-496: A scar over her left eye, caused by trauma from accidentally being hit by the force of Pink Diamond's power. A group of fugitive Gems from Homeworld, first appearing in season 5, who lived 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 ),

2268-453: A series writer, and for Adventure Time: Distant Lands , said that for the series she could write what she "wanted to see". She also stated that the series had a "heart to it" and optimism which she incorporated into her 2022 film, Marvelous and the Black Hole . It was also said that the series helping Tsang with how she approached her rewrites. The opening theme, "Steven Universe Future",

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2376-428: A storyboarder for the show, stated that Peridot's disinterest in fusion is meant to represent asexuality and aromanticism , despite Peterson's reservations that she is only a secondary creator of the show. Before (and after this point), fans had shipped Peridot with various other characters, specifically Lapis Lazuli and Amethyst, some reviewers even seeing Peridot and Lapis in a "close, loving relationship" in 2018 when

2484-413: A sympathetic character whose complex disagreement with Steven had no easy answers, won praise from critics, although some commentators objected to the possible stereotypical implications of an African-American woman playing a character with a dangerously militant ideology. Aduba continued to voice the character in the majority of her appearances, but was replaced by Miriam Hyman in the video game Unleash

2592-588: A toll on his mental health. Late in the series, Steven grows concerned about his role as the inheritor of his late mother's legacy, especially after he finds out that Rose Quartz herself was in actuality originally Pink Diamond, a member of the Great Diamond Authority that reigns supreme over the Gem race. The other Diamonds—Yellow, Blue, and White Diamond—assume Steven is Pink Diamond in an alternate form and attempt to hold him responsible for her actions and make him reclaim Pink Diamond's place among them. In

2700-405: A total of 20 11-minute episodes, with a four-part finale that aired on March 27, 2020. All episodes were supervised directed by Kat Morris and Alonso Ramirez Ramos, with Liz Artinian directing all of the art. The art was also co-directed by Patrick Bryson for the first four episodes. According to Rebecca Sugar, when she was notified in 2016 that Steven Universe would be canceled after the end of

2808-424: A type of Gem who act as servants to high-ranking Gems on Homeworld. Aside from the Crystal Gems' Pearl , Pearls belonging to the other Diamonds have appeared. The docile and artistic blue Pearl and the prideful yellow Pearl serve as attendants to Blue and Yellow Diamond. Another Pearl, later nicknamed "Volleyball", preceded Pearl as Pink Diamond's servant before spending millennia under White Diamond's control. She has

2916-496: A vital member of the Crystal Gems. Polo also commends Steven's subversion of gender definitions, him being a young boy in a feminine role with defensive abilities that manifest in shades of pink. Similarly, in a post on Bitch Flicks , Ashley Gallagher also praises Steven's characterization outside of typical masculinity and his stereotypically defensive and feminine powers such as his shield and his healing while also expressing approval of his relationship with Connie. Highly praising

3024-402: A yellow star and a pink varsity jacket with white trims. In Steven Universe Future , he retains his clothing from the film but now wears a black T-shirt instead of a blue one. Steven has been well-received by fans and critics alike. Susana Polo of Polygon praises Steven for being the "toxic masculinity antidote" in that his dominant traits of empathy and kindness are what make him such

3132-432: Is Steven's best friend. Introduced as an intelligent yet lonely person in the episode "Bubble Buddies" early in the first season, 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 part of it. Her involvement in Gem adventures gradually increases over the course of the series; she inherits Rose Quartz's sword and

3240-424: Is Steven's mother, who "gave up her physical form" to allow Steven to be born. Her gem is located in her abdomen. 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

3348-507: Is a fusion of two Topazes, acting as Aquamarine's enforcer, who imprisons captured humans by fusing around them. Although silent and menacing in her first appearance, she soon reveals a sentimental and sympathetic side. The Cluster is an artificial fusion embedded within the Earth after Homeworld's war against the Crystal Gems to destroy the planet . It is formed of millions of broken Gem shards, their minds shattered and desperate to feel whole. In

Steven Universe Future - Misplaced Pages Continue

3456-437: Is a heavy helmet . A subordinate of Pink Diamond created on Earth, she bears a long-standing grudge against the planet and Rose Quartz for Pink's purported destruction. She is openly contemptuous of those she perceives as weak or defective and is "determined to never be weak or vulnerable" herself. Jasper serves as the principal antagonist in the second half of the third season; as a perfectly formed Quartz warrior, she becomes

3564-624: Is a new version of the song "Happily Ever After" from Steven Universe: The Movie , replacing "We Are the Crystal Gems" from the original series. The show's main voice actors, Zach Callison (Steven), Estelle (Garnet), Michaela Dietz (Amethyst) and Deedee Magno Hall (Pearl), who had performed both the opening of the original series and "Happily Ever After" in The Movie , perform Steven Universe Future alongside additional cast members Jennifer Paz (Lapis), Shelby Rabara (Peridot), Uzo Aduba (Bismuth) and Grace Rolek (Connie) Like its precursor,

3672-467: Is a refreshingly nuanced (and accurate) take on how to be a person, even if being that kind of person requires fusing with your own body, especially for kids. Being able to gain emotional maturity, insight, and wisdom while still retaining the best parts of being new to the world — that’s the disposition Steven Universe asks of us as we, whether 14 or 34 or 34,000, continue to grow." List of Steven Universe characters#Lars and Sadie Steven Universe

3780-729: Is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar and produced by Cartoon Network Studios . 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 the diversity and deep characterization of its characters; its portrayal of relationships, including queer relationships; and subversion of stereotypical gender norms , along with its art style, voice acting, music, and storytelling. The titular protagonist of

3888-516: Is down for learning to love and be friends". Charles Pulliam-Moore of Gizmodo heavily praised Steven Universe Future for further establishing Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz as "the villain of the decade", stating "When Steven Universe Future reveals exactly how Volleyball, the Pink Pearl, got her cracked face, the series is cluing viewers into the specific reasons why the other Diamonds were reluctant to give Pink what she wanted. It wasn't just that she

3996-535: Is eventually accepted as a member of the Crystal Gems. Long-term character arcs involving Connie include her learning to see herself as Steven's equal despite not having magical abilities of her own and to push back against her own overprotective parents. Some viewers have interpreted Steven and Connie's relationship as romantic or potentially romantic. In Steven Universe Future , Steven proposes marriage to Connie; she turns him down because they are still teenagers, but this does not end their relationship, and they share

4104-475: Is in his early teens but appears younger due to the interaction of his Gem 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

4212-446: Is killed defending Steven and others from Homeworld security robots and then revived 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 his hair. With his newfound confidence, Lars 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

4320-540: Is not heterosexual. Den of Geek states, "Straight people can obviously date non-binary people but...Sadie is more than likely queer and that’s incredible." During the episode Bismuth Casual, Stevonnie , the intersex and non-binary fusion of Steven and Connie , appears. In "Volleyball", Pink Pearl (nicknamed "Volleyball") reminisces romantically over Pink Diamond, to which Pearl sneers, "Looks like someone's still got it bad", insinuating that - like Pearl once did - Pink Pearl still harbors romantic feelings towards

4428-420: Is reformed and his friends and family no longer need his help, and his unresolved emotional trauma from the events of the original series leads him to overreact to minor stresses and life changes. Near the end of the series, this stress builds up to the point that he turns into a giant, kaiju -like monster, endangering Beach City, but the love and support of his friends and family help turn him back to normal. In

Steven Universe Future - Misplaced Pages Continue

4536-531: Is said to take after Rose in terms of personality, as he is empathetic and all-loving, though Rebecca Sugar says that he actually inherited this attitude from Greg. Over the course of the series, Steven matures greatly, garnering new respect for his position as a protector of Earth and becoming more aware of the dangers of being a Crystal Gem. According to Sugar, Steven's greatest flaw is his self-sacrificing nature; he continually sets aside his own safety and emotional well-being in favor of others, which eventually takes

4644-604: Is the most motherly and protective of Steven out 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 learning how to cope with and move beyond these emotions. On the Gem Homeworld, pearls are "made-to-order" servants for high-ranking Gems, 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

4752-473: Is used by the show's writers for thematic purposes as a broad metaphor for a variety of types of intimacy and relationships. Garnet is listed above as a main character; other fusions involving major characters are listed here in order of appearance. The Watermelon Stevens are living watermelons shaped like Steven, created in the first-season episode "Watermelon Steven" as a result of Steven's ability to create sentient plants. Soon after their creation, they go on

4860-424: The lapis lazuli gemstone on her back. At her introduction late in the first season, Peridot (voiced by Shelby Rabara ) is a technician dispatched by the Gem Homeworld to check on remaining Gem installations on Earth; her appearance 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

4968-510: 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 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

5076-482: The "beautiful" animation. Reuben Baron of CBR praised the series for "challenging Steven's savior mentality", stating that the first four episodes were "developing a clear thematic throughline. Picking up the loose ends from the original series, it's working to address criticisms of Steven as a character without betraying the show's essential ethos." In his review of the episode "Bluebird", Shamus Kelley of Den of Geek stated that Future "finally addressed something of

5184-595: The Crystal Gems' Ruby , a squad of five gullible but ruthless Rubies, sent by Yellow Diamond to retrieve Jasper, appear as recurring characters beginning in the third season. Steven nicknames the quintet according to the location of their gems: the rookie Leggy, the cheerful Navy, the violent Army, the veteran Eyeball, and the leader Doc. In the sequel series Steven Universe Future , one of the rubies Eyeball partners with Aquamarine to get revenge on Steven. Yi's performance of their diverse personalities has drawn praise from critics. Pearls (all voiced by Deedee Magno Hall ) are

5292-406: The Earth. Fusion is a process whereby two or more Gems combine their physical forms and minds to create a larger, more powerful individual who possesses all of the powers of their component Gems and more. Fusions are often able to combine their components' Gem weapons into a more powerful weapon. A strong bond between Gems is the primary driving force enabling them to form and maintain fusions. While

5400-410: The Gem Homeworld allows Gems of the same caste to fuse, usually for combat purposes, mixed-Gem fusions are considered offensive, and those that exist usually keep themselves from public knowledge . Same-Gem fusions form a larger version of their components' identical forms, but mixed-Gem fusions usually have extra body parts; for example, Garnet has three eyes and Opal has four arms. The concept of fusion

5508-532: The Light and the final three episodes of Steven Universe Future due to scheduling conflicts for Aduba. The Great Diamond Authority are the leaders of the Gem Empire, whom all other Gems are created to serve without question, and the primary antagonists in the fourth and fifth seasons. The first two Diamonds introduced in the series are the vindictive, impatient, and disdainful Yellow Diamond (voiced by Patti LuPone ) and

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5616-447: The aftermath of the events of the main series. In Future , Steven wrestles with feelings of purposelessness now that the battles he spent his early adolescence fighting are resolved, and copes with the lasting psychological trauma from the stress he experienced while fighting them. The disciplined current leader of the Crystal Gems, Garnet (voiced by Estelle ) is quiet, stoic, pragmatic, and described by Steven as "mysterious", but over

5724-446: The air; use empathetic telepathy and astral projection ; combine bodies and minds with other Gems and/or humans to form powerful " fusions "; and revive the dead with his tears. By the movie, Steven has fully mastered his Gem abilities. Cheerful, kind-hearted, carefree, and always willing to see the best in people, Steven is beloved by the Gems and well-liked by the people of Beach City, including his best friend Connie Maheswaran. Steven

5832-547: The average rating is 10/10. While Rebecca Sugar has confirmed that this is the series finale of the franchise and that there is no continuation in development, nor any ongoing projects, she has hinted that possible future stories exist. "The story is continuing off screen and I do know what happens next...But I would have to decide how and when I'd want to dig into that, or if it's best to give them their privacy." Sugar later told Fast Company : "I'm certainly interested in spending more time in this world with these characters. But

5940-412: The characters' marriage as a milestone of progress in the history of queer representation in children's television. Amethyst (voiced by Michaela Dietz ) is the shortest and youngest of the Crystal Gems other than Steven. Her mischievous sense of humor often provides comic relief , and her fun-loving, childish nature bolsters her friendship with Steven. Her amethyst gemstone, from which she can summon

6048-448: 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. She possesses two gems in the palms of 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

6156-419: The dead and dearly missed can. There are Gems like Spinel who have all the reasons in the galaxy to hate Pink, but that's not really where any of the people in the series are coming from. Rather, everyone's in different stages of mourning and not a single one of them can really be sure if and when the pain they're dealing with is going to go away." The introduction of Shep, a non-binary character who appears in

6264-407: The depressive and sentimental Blue Diamond (voiced by Lisa Hannigan ). Yellow and Blue, despite their different approaches, are both motivated to destroy Earth by their mutual grief and guilt over Pink Diamond 's death, before finally learning late in the fifth season that her demise was faked. Yellow and Blue themselves are intimidated by their superior White Diamond (voiced by Christine Ebersole ),

6372-425: 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 becomes complicated at the end of the third season when he learns of morally questionable actions that she undertook during the war. "Lion 3: Straight to Video",

6480-485: The disappointments he faces with his new life, including the realization that there are things he cannot fix, and his own feelings of aimlessness after successfully liberating the Gem empire. He confronts old foes who are looking for revenge, tries to master a new power that he doesn't fully understand, and is challenged to decide what he wants for his own future. Archival recordings and footage of Susan Egan as Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond are utilized. The series consisted of

6588-687: The epilogue series Steven Universe Future , the loss of her status and power has left her flustered and confused. Aquamarine (voiced by Della Saba) is a Gem sent by Homeworld to capture humans from Earth at the end of the fourth season; she ends up apprehending Steven. Her childlike, innocent appearance contrasts with her ruthless and sadistic personality; Steven describes her as "awful, small, and mean". In Steven Universe Future , Aquamarine partners with Eyeball Ruby to get revenge on Steven for indirectly ruining their careers. The duo's mutual hate for Steven allows them to fuse into Bluebird Azurite (voiced by Larissa Gallagher). Topaz (voiced by Martha Higareda )

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6696-402: The episode " Gem Drill ", Steven helps its numerous components to find connections among themselves and eventually bubble itself to keep it from destroying Earth. In the episode " Reunited ", when it is reawakened by the Diamonds, it temporarily comes to the surface, takes the form of a giant arm, and fights Yellow Diamond's ship, revealing that it is in control of itself and now intends to protect

6804-455: The episode "Little Graduation" and is played by non-binary actor Indya Moore , received attention from various outlets. The Mary Sue stated that with Future , Steven Universe "continues to be one of the most wonderfully diverse shows on television. We got to see in 'Little Graduation' a new human character named Shep—who is non-binary and voiced by a non-binary voice actor, Pose ' s Indya Moore—canonically queer couples, and one of them being

6912-457: The evolution of the character through the series, Eric Thurm of Polygon stated after the season five finale : "Back in the show’s first season , Steven was far more irritating. He was myopic, focusing on what was right in front of him to the detriment of more important priorities — especially when what was right in front of him was the prospect of getting ridiculously buff. He was a huge goofball incapable of taking anything seriously. And he had

7020-462: The fifth season, she prevailed upon Cartoon Network to allow her to produce the followup film, Steven Universe: The Movie . When Cartoon Network approved the movie, they also green-lighted an additional season of episodes that the movie could serve to promote; 6 of the 26 additional episodes were used to extend the original series’ fifth season in order to wrap up the story, and the remaining 20 became Steven Universe Future . In April 2022, Kate Tsang,

7128-428: The final episode of the series, Steven leaves Beach City indefinitely to seek out a new purpose and live like a normal human. Steven usually wears a red T-shirt with a yellow star in the center, blue jeans, and salmon-pink flip-flops. In cold weather, he often wears a hooded sweatshirt or knitted sweater. In Steven Universe: The Movie , he retains his jeans and flip-flops but now wears a sky blue T-shirt, again bearing

7236-404: 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 believing herself undervalued by the other Diamonds, she

7344-410: The first episode with his first successful attempt to summon his Gem weapon, a pink 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. The sequel series, Steven Universe Future , focuses on Steven's psychological state in

7452-595: The first half of the second season before being eventually captured and convinced to ally with the Crystal Gems to defuse the Cluster . When the Crystal Gems first encounter her she wears technological "limb enhancers", which give her a robotic appearance; after she is captured, she loses them and appears much shorter and weaker without them. She plays a prominent role in the last part of the second season, during which her character arc centers around her learning to outgrow Homeworld's hierarchical, utilitarian mindset and to appreciate

7560-480: 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". 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 freed in

7668-475: The focus of 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 is the depth of development it gives to its "normal human being" characters and how the superpowered characters are affected by them. Recurring human characters include: Rubies (all voiced by Charlyne Yi ) are a variety of Gem who act as foot soldiers and bodyguards on Homeworld. Aside from

7776-473: The fusion. The character was received positively, with his evolution through the series, ideology revolving around kindness and empathy, and gender non-conformity receiving most praise. Steven was created by Rebecca Sugar, with his appearance and name based on Rebecca Sugar's brother Steven Sugar, a background artist for the show. During the development of the pilot, Rebecca Sugar had a conversation with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola in which he emphasized

7884-461: The future; 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. Near 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 ; critics described

7992-574: The gems as neurotypical, and that she's thrilled autistic viewers can relate to Peridot. Prior to the announcement of Future , Sugar and the crew of Steven Universe stayed silent regarding a potential sixth season of Steven Universe , leaving fans with uncertainty over the future of the series, with some believing The Movie to be the conclusion of Steven's story; at New York Comic Con in October 2019, Sugar confirmed that there would be no sixth season of Steven Universe (therefore retroactively confirming

8100-591: The greatest visual maximalists in animation, pushing imageries to their most emotional and thematic extremes—particularly through the inventiveness of the flexible Fusion metaphor—and unraveling difficult revelations about surviving trauma." She praised the exploration of Steven's tendency to help other people with their problems, claiming that "Steven faces the reoccurring lesson of 'biting more than you can chew.' Steven wants to heal everyone, anything, but falls short, and even unleashes destruction at times. As Future moves forward, Steven will contend with his own management of

8208-520: The importance of repetitive imagery to create a motif . This inspired Steven's iconic star t-shirt. Steven, in his early teens when the series begins, is the youngest member of the Crystal Gems. He is the first and only known Gem–human hybrid, the product of the union between the Crystal Gems' original leader, Rose Quartz, and Greg Universe, a human musician and car-wash owner. Rose "gave up her physical form" to create Steven, leaving behind only her pink, pentagonal-faceted gem, now embedded in his navel. As

8316-483: The late Pink Diamond. However, it is later revealed that Pink Diamond physically abused Pink Pearl, causing irreparable psychological trauma that is reflected in Pink Pearl's physical form as a head injury. In "Bismuth Casual", Bismuth indirectly confesses she has a crush on Pearl. Both characters are female-coded and use feminine pronouns, like all gems, though some sources argue that all gems are non-binary, as they are "genderless sentient aliens". In 2020, Maya Peterson,

8424-413: The legacy of his heroic mother, has drawn favorable reaction from critics. In 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. At the beginning of the show's narrative, he

8532-496: The monstrous corrupted Gems that had been menacing the planet Earth. Now, Steven and his friends and family, the Crystal Gems, have constructed Little Homeworld, a community on Earth where humans and Gems can live in harmony. Steven now dedicates his time to inviting Gems to come to "Little Homeschool", and educating those who do not know how to find their new place in the galaxy. Steven Universe Future follows Steven's everyday life trying to help Gems find new purpose; it also depicts

8640-523: The new world order he has created, and his mother’s past will continue to haunt his future. Then there's the matter of Steven's newest Gem power that manifests through his rage and insecurities. Steven Universe Future is on a roll in delivering hard and relevant messages about victimhood and survivorhood solidarity. There are kids and adults alike who need someone to tell them 'I'm sorry for not believing you'." The Mary Sue labeled Steven Universe Future "fantastic", praising "the amazing storytelling" and

8748-480: The original series, Steven Universe Future has been critically acclaimed, with the design, music, voice acting, characterization, and prominence of LGBT themes being similarly praised; Future has been singled out for addressing issues some had with the original series, for its unique choice of focusing on the aftermath of the main story's climax, and for promoting mental health awareness through its treatment of Steven's experience with psychological trauma . The show

8856-441: The other Crystal Gems do not respect her, and a long-term character arc involves her learning to respect herself and her capabilities. Resembling a ballerina in her slender build, costume, and graceful style of movement, Pearl (voiced by Deedee Magno Hall ) is a short-tempered, precise strategist and technician. Her gemstone is a white pearl in her forehead from which she can summon a spear and create holographic images. She

8964-408: The rebellion to protect the planet, and eventually faked her own assassination to break free from her former life. Lion (animal noises by Dee Bradley Baker ) is Steven's mysterious pink pet lion who possesses a variety of magical abilities. 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

9072-491: The same as I do, I may have an opportunity to do something like that." Steven Universe (character) Steven Quartz Universe is the eponymous protagonist of the animated series Steven Universe and its epilogue series Steven Universe Future , created by Rebecca Sugar . Steven is a hybrid between a normal human being and a "Gem", a fictional race of alien beings that exist as magical gemstones projecting bodies of light. Voiced by Zach Callison , he debuted in

9180-409: The same season, after Lars's resurrection, Lars's hair becomes another portal to the pocket dimension. Lapis Lazuli (voiced by Jennifer Paz ) is a Gem 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 befriends him, but initially mistrusts the other Crystal Gems and attacks them when Steven frees her. As

9288-680: The season 5 finale " Change Your Mind " as the series finale), but announced Future , and shared the opening of the epilogue limited series with the audience. Several media outlets misinterpreted the announcement as a confirmation of a sixth season, with Future as a simple sub-title. The official premise of the show was: "After saving the universe, Steven is still at it, tying up every loose end. But as he runs out of other people's problems to solve, he'll finally have to face his own." Steven Universe Future premiered on December 7, 2019 on Cartoon Network . It premiered on Cartoon Network UK on December 23, 2019. On December 8, 2020, all 20 episodes of

9396-556: The self-confidence to quit her job at the Big Donut and form a horror rock band with the "cool kids", "Sadie Killer and the Suspects". The story arc of Lars and Sadie's relationship concludes with their final appearance in Steven Universe Future , which depicts the characters acknowledging that they have grown apart and moved on from each other amicably. The original leader of the Crystal Gems, Rose Quartz (voiced by Susan Egan )

9504-402: The series finale, " Change Your Mind ", White Diamond briefly removes his gem from his body; it regenerates itself into a form identical to that of Steven's physical body, thus finally reassuring him that he truly is his own individual, not merely a reincarnation of his mother. In the epilogue series, Steven Universe Future , Steven struggles with feelings of purposelessness after the Gem empire

9612-402: The series has many examples of queer and non-binary representation. Sadie 's romantic interest, Shep, is a person of color who is referred to with gender neutral language including the singular they pronoun, and who is voiced by non-binary actor Indya Moore . Unlike Stevonnie , Shep is the show's first non-binary character who is fully human. Reviewers argue that this could mean Sadie

9720-667: The series were released on the Steven Universe: The Complete Collection DVD, alongside the entirety of the original series and the movie. Steven Universe Future has been acclaimed by critics. Like the original series and Steven Universe: The Movie , the characterization, themes, animation, voice acting, music, and LGBT representation have been widely praised; Future in particular is praised for its new ways of exploring previously developed themes (in particular Steven's dedication to solve other characters' problems), and its unconventional choice of focusing on

9828-405: The series' pilot episode and made his main series debut in the first episode, " Gem Glow ". The show generally takes place around Steven's perspective: the audience always follows Steven and learns about the plot and backstory as he does. As such, the only scenes without the character are those that he sees as visions, that are told to him as stories or when he's fused and seeing through the eyes of

9936-411: The series, Steven Universe (voiced by Zach Callison ) is the youngest and only male member of the Crystal Gems. His characterization is loosely inspired by series creator Rebecca Sugar's younger brother Steven Sugar, a background artist for the show. His portrayal as a male character whose heroism is based on traditionally feminine attributes such as empathy and nurturing, and who seeks to live up to

10044-429: The smaller-scale aftermath of the main storyline. Reviewers have pointed out that it addresses issues several fans and reviewers had with the original series, such as its perceived tendency to solve characters' problems in overly simple ways and to redeem all antagonists. Caroline Cao of /Film called Steven Universe Future "a messy and beautiful tale of trauma, healing, and survival", stating: "Sugar and her team are

10152-404: The target of Amethyst's resentment and desire to prove herself. She ends up fusing with a corrupted Gem monster in an attempt to defeat the Crystal Gems, becomes corrupted herself, and is neutralized and captured, until the corrupted Gems are healed in the series finale . Steven Universe Future reveals a defeated and resentful Jasper living in self-imposed exile in the woods; she is shattered in

10260-456: The thing about Steven Universe , it's about Steven Universe and I want to give him the time to heal", [Sugar says.] "I want to give that to my team as well. So I'm not really sure for certain what's going to happen in the future. I have a few ideas, but I'm going to take a little time to reevaluate everything before I jump into them." When asked by TVLine , Sugar responded similarly, "I love these characters and this world, and I have theories about

10368-448: The third season that she can telekinetically control metal objects. Rabara is credited as a series regular in Future . Introduced at the end of the first season, Jasper (voiced by Kimberly Brooks ) is a powerful Quartz warrior serving Homeworld and a renowned veteran of their ancient war against the Crystal Gems. Her gemstone is a yellow jasper in the place of her nose, and her Gem weapon

10476-509: The third-season premiere, she forms a close relationship with Peridot and comes to accept living on Earth. Her character arc in her intermittent appearances thereafter involves 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. Late in 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

10584-418: The timelines that follow Future . But I want to give the characters some time and some privacy, at least for a while. I need a little of that too." In November 2023, Sugar reiterated her desire for a potential revival, suggesting that the show would come back if the public demand is high, adding, "I love these characters and I love this world, and I would love to return to it. And I hope, if everyone else feels

10692-434: The two characters lived together in a barn. The announcement of Peridot's asexuality/aromanticism pleased many fans. Peterson also stated that the show's writers did not discuss whether or not Peridot was autistic , although it was a possibility, and many fans perceived Peridot to be on the spectrum . When Rebecca Sugar, who created the character, was asked if Peridot might be autistic, she said that she doesn't think of any of

10800-410: The value of friendship, individuality, and life on Earth. She eventually declares herself a member of the Crystal Gems and forms a close relationship with Lapis Lazuli. She is stubborn and self-aggrandizing in demeanor but demonstrates a willingness to learn from her mistakes and to treat others with greater respect and kindness. Her gemstone is a triangular peridot on her forehead, and she discovers in

10908-451: Was inexperienced, but rather she was inexperienced, dangerous, and all too capable of letting her powers run wild in ways that would actively harm others. [...] You see just how Not Over™ Pink basically all of the Gems still are. Pink's legacy is one of the lasting, seemingly unending sadness that the other Gems are attempting to work through. The majority of them don't feel much ill will toward her, but she's still hurting them in ways that only

11016-463: Was influenced by the rubber-hose style of animation , which Rebecca Sugar describes as symbolizing that she is "frozen in time" and "didn't get [a] chance to develop." Her pink heart-shaped gemstone is located on her chest; it was originally right-side-up, but turned upside-down as a result of her emotional devastation at Pink Diamond abandoning her. Steven Universe possesses a large cast of occasionally-appearing human characters, many of whom become

11124-494: Was left behind on Earth when the Homeworld Gems abandoned the planet and became corrupted by the Diamonds' attack. She appears in her corrupted form as Centipeetle (vocal effects by Dee Bradley Baker ), an acid-spitting, centipede -like monster that the Crystal Gems fight and capture in a bubble in the series premiere "Gem Glow". In the first-season episode "Monster Buddies", Steven frees her from her bubble, causing her to assume

11232-425: Was left behind when Pink took charge of the Gem colonization of Earth. Spinel is furious that Pink abandoned her, made new friends and ended her life without ever returning for her; in revenge, she tries to kill Steven and destroy life on Earth. Steven manages to convince her to let go of her revenge and live with the Diamonds. She reappears in Steven Universe Future still living with the Diamonds. Her character design

11340-407: Was made miserable by the strict expectations placed on her by her status as a Diamond. She created the alternate identity of Rose Quartz to alleviate her boredom while running the colonization of Earth and ended up falling in love with the diversity of the planet's life and the possibilities that came with it. Unable to protect the life on Earth any other way, she used her new alternate identity to lead

11448-410: Was nominated for an Emmy Award and adapted into a children's book. 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 have contrasting personalities and abilities: Sapphire is an emotionally reserved Gem who held a high rank on Homeworld, with ice-related powers and the ability to see into

11556-484: Was nominated for the 2020 Primetime Emmy Award for Short Form Animated Program . The series is set after the events of Steven Universe: The Movie , which itself takes place two years after the Steven Universe series finale " Change Your Mind ". In "Change Your Mind", teenage protagonist Steven persuaded the Diamonds, the rulers of the intergalactic Gem empire, to cease their abusive, imperialist ways, and to heal

11664-429: Was this dynamic that would drive Pink away to become Rose Quartz and rebel against and eventually abandon them. In the fifth-season finale , the Diamonds are eventually persuaded by Steven to attempt to fix their mistakes rather than ignore them or project them onto others. The main antagonist of Steven Universe: The Movie , Spinel (voiced by Sarah Stiles ) was created to be Pink Diamond's playmate on Homeworld, but

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