The ‘Steven Universe’ Storyline That Changed the Show Forever

The Big Picture

• Steven Universe broke barriers in animation with its portrayal of LGBTQ relationships, starting with the reveal that Garnet was a fusion of two feminine-presenting gems in a loving relationship.
• The exploration of Garnet’s character as a fusion allowed for a deeper exploration of her emotions and the complexities of relationships, showing that even the strongest bonds have their rocky moments.
• The impact of Steven Universe on animation cannot be denied, as it paved the way for more representation and inclusion in animated shows, allowing more viewers to see themselves reflected on screen.

Steven Universe achieved a lot in its seven-year run, and that cannot be denied. For those who don’t know, Steven Universe was a sci-fi coming-of-age musical cartoon created by Rebecca Sugar, known for writing some of the best songs for Adventure Time. It follows the titular Steven (Zach Callison), a young boy who grows up in his home in Beach City with a collection of extraterrestrial beings known as “Gems,” the main three being maternal figures in his life, Garnet (Estelle), Amethyst (Michaela Dietz), and Pearl (Deedee Magno Hall).

From there, it morphs from a fun little show about a half-gem kid and his misadventures into a full-blown space opera, music included, with themes of bereavement, revolution, identity, and finding your place in a universe that doesn’t seem to understand you. Through the run of the show, the animated movie, and the sequel miniseries, Steven Universe: Future, it was nominated for several Emmy and Annie Awards, winning one Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award and a GLAAD Media Award. None of this happens to a show that is undeserving or unworthy of praise, and many aspects of the series changed the game for animation moving forward — but one storyline in particular still stands out when looking back.

Garnet’s Big Reveal Changed ‘Steven Universe’ for the Better

Steven Universe came hot on the heels of the animation revolution we all attribute to Adventure Time — but it might be more appropriate to credit The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack for the immense impact it had on the industry. There is something very creator-driven about Steven Universe. We now see a lot of shows along these same lines, with names like Alex Hirsch, Pendleton Ward, and Rebecca Sugar almost becoming household names, as their shows were characterized by the creators’ own perspectives and experiences. This became essential for Steven Universe as Sugar shared their own perspective as someone who is bisexual and nonbinary. But more than that: Steven Universe has a lot of the ingredients for a good show — the visuals, the writing, as well as other elements, such as the music, going above and beyond. But what made Steven Universe truly special, even iconic, transcends all of that.

Garnet was a stand-out character from the start. As the de facto leader of the Crystal Gems, she was the coolest character on the show. Tough, levelheaded, and with a British accent, Garnet fell into the stoic leader archetype, but there was humor in just how bad she was at fitting in with regular people. For a while, she seemed to not have some big inner conflict, more the stable glue that held the team together, but she was a badass, and that was enough — at least until the Season 1 finale, “Jail Break,” which is still considered to be one of the best episodes of the whole show.

The main reason was a twist that some may have suspected, but it was still an amazing surprise: Garnet had two gems and three eyes because she was a fusion, a blend of two gems synchronized in perfect harmony. Specifically, she was a combination of the hotheaded Ruby (Charlyne Yi) and the prophetic Sapphire (Erica Luttrell), the personification of a loving relationship between two feminine presenting characters, which Garnet herself summarizes in what was somehow Estelle’s first solo song in the show, “Stronger Than You.” There are a lot of reasons why “Jail Break” is a stand-out for Steven Universe. It’s a solid, action-packed episode that raises the stakes for the next seasons. It has one of the best musical moments in the series that blends a fight scene with what could be scientifically described as an absolute banger, but the truly special element was that final reveal, and more importantly, the implications it would have moving forward.

This was not the first canonically gay relationship in an animated TV show. Korra and Asami had it beaten by a year in the Avatar: Legend of Korra finale, and before that, there was the complicated relationship between Sailors Neptune and Uranus in Sailor Moon — but in terms of the new advent of LGBTQ representation in animated shows in the 2010s, it was a huge leap. Rather than having the relationship confirmed right at the end of the show, Steven Universe revealed it at the end of the first season of many. This is something Sugar and the Steven Universe crew had to actively fight for, and it allowed the floodgates to open for many things.

Ruby and Sapphire Evolved LGBTQ Representation in Animation

This important reveal allowed Garnet’s character to be explored as a whole of two very distinct and individual parts, and those parts weren’t perfectly in sync all the time. When Garnet was in moments of great distress, or when the two parts were having a lover’s tiff, she would break apart entirely. Ruby and Sapphire would separate and need the space to work things out on their own before reconciling and coming back together, and later in the series, they develop a desire to live their own individual lives, while still deeply loving each other. It goes to show that Garnet was not as perfectly in control of her emotions as it seemed and that even the most perfect relationships have rocky moments. Not only was Garnet fleshed out further, but “Jail Break” introduced two new characters in Ruby and Sapphire. We got to see how they met and first formed Garnet, their individual abilities, and how they contribute to Garnet’s collective power — and of course, eventually, we saw them get married in the final season, adorable wedding and all.

More queer characters and relationships were added to Steven Universe in the seasons that followed, which allowed for the good and bad sides of relationships and love to be explored. The unrequited affection Pearl had for Rose Quartz (Susan Egan), Steven’s gem mother, had been somewhat implied throughout the course of the show. She seemed to admire her very deeply, but after Garnet was revealed, it was shown that Pearl and Steven’s father Greg (Tom Scharpling) were in direct romantic competition with each other, which was an emotional hurdle Pearl had to clear for herself. There was also a portrayal of someone having to escape a very toxic situation and relationship in Lapis Lazuli (Jennifer Paz) and Jasper (Kimberly Brooks), with one trying to move past the experience and the other becoming codependent. This contributed well to one of the main themes of the show — relationships in all their forms, and how people connect to each other in good times and bad.

A lot of shows since Steven Universe have followed a similar path, allowing kids, especially teenagers, who are figuring out their own identities, to see themselves represented in the shows they watch. Luz and Amity in Disney’s The Owl House is one of the most recent examples of a protagonist’s canonical queer romance continuing throughout the series. Many animators have also cited Steven Universe as an influence and inspiration for their work, such as ND Stevenson of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and Matt Braly of Amphibia. Of course, it all depends on the studio, with some hesitating to get with the times more than others, but it’s undeniable that Garnet powered that evolution forward.

To have queer relationships and characters this overt in a show for such a long time was new, and it was extremely exciting, and a lot of people saw themselves in these characters and storylines. Was Steven Universe a perfect show? Maybe not, but very few if any cartoons are. However, like its amazing musical numbers, the influence it had on animation history can’t be denied.

Steven Universe is currently available to watch on Max in the U.S.

Watch on Max