List of Steven Universe characters

Official release poster by creator Rebecca Sugar; from left to right: Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet, and Steven (center)

Steven Universe is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar, former storyboard artist, writer, and composer for Adventure Time. It is produced by Cartoon Network Studios, and is the first show by the studio to be created by a woman.^[1]

Plot

In Steven Universe, the world is protected from evil threats by the Crystal Gems, a group of intergalactic warriors who use the power of special gem stones embedded on their physical forms to summon magical weapons. The four Gems are: Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Steven. Steven is a young boy who inherited a gem stone from his mother, a Crystal Gem named Rose Quartz. As Steven tries to figure out the secrets to using his gem, he spends his days in Beach City doing activities with the other Crystal Gems, whether it's helping them save the universe or just hanging out.

Main characters

• Steven Quartz Universe (voiced by Zach Callison)^[2] – The main character, the youngest gem member and the only male on the team; his gem stone, embedded in his belly button, is a rose quartz that he inherited from his mother, Rose Quartz. He also has a sword that once belonged to his mother, which he can pull from his pet lion's forehead. In the episode "Monster Buddies", he learns how to form bubbles to contain and store gems. Despite this, he's starting to learn how to activate his own gem at will. He is a chubby, enthusiastic and often musical person, talented on the ukulele and prone to breaking into song. He is eager to prove his abilities and his worth as a Crystal Gem. The 3 remaining Crystal Gems, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl, take the combined roles of being his family and teachers in his life, looking after Steven at his young age. They live together in a combination suburban house and magical crystal temple. When not on missions with the Crystal Gems, he is usually at the Big Donut or spending time with Connie. He sometimes hangs out with Jenny Pizza, Buck Dewey and Sour Cream.
• Garnet (voiced by Estelle)^[2] – A physically imposing, disciplined warrior, Garnet is the leader of the group (in Rose's absence); her gemstone is a red garnet which is embedded into each of her hands. She is twice the height of Amethyst, and has dark, reddish-hued skin and a large black afro. Activating her gemstones summons a pair of large gauntlets. She has a calm and collected personality, and while often serious, is able to be playful with Steven. She is physically the strongest member and is a mentor to Steven, though she rarely speaks more than a few pragmatic words at a time, often only to get the other Gems to lay off Steven. She always wears a visor, under which she has three eyes. She also possesses an ability to see possible outcomes of future events. In the episode "Jail Break" it is revealed that Garnet is a fusion of two gems named Ruby and Sapphire, who stay fused due to their deep love for one another. It is also shown that her three eyes are each a different color. The left is blue and the right is red. This reversely correlates to the hand in which their individual gems are embedded (respectively) when Ruby and Sapphire are separated. (It can be seen that the gems started out on opposite individual sides when they were first defused on the beach in an attack by Jasper using a "gem destabilizer".) The third eye in the middle of her forehead is purple and belongs to Garnet alone. Her outfit changes after re-fusing in "Jail Break", her skin a darker, brighter, and more violet hue, visor reflecting red and blue light, her shoulder pads dark purple and shaped like ovals, her leggings being a lighter navy blue and crimson-pinkish and her shirt design being her star going from dark to light magenta instead of from light magenta to dark magenta. Along with her team, Garnet is one of the last surviving Gems on Earth who rebelled against the Gem Homeworld to stop their invasion of the planet. After the war, Garnet helped protect the Earth over the next 5,000 years. After Rose Quartz gave birth to Steven and lost her physical form, Garnet began to mentor Steven and help train him to use his powers.
• Amethyst (voiced by Michaela Dietz)^[2] – The impulsive and passionate "wild child" of the Gems; her gem stone is an amethyst which is embedded over her chest. She has violet-colored skin and pale purple, almost white hair to her ankles and she appears to have a slight cleft in her lip which makes her appear more catlike, which is suitable for her because she has the flexibility of a cat. Activating her gemstone summons a studded energy whip. Amethyst is very joyous and carefree, and despite being a magical entity who does not need to eat or sleep, she does so because she enjoys it. She loves to roughhouse with Steven and trade jokes. While the other two tend to support Steven in words, Amethyst often takes concrete action that ensures Steven's involvement. She is also the only original Crystal Gem member to have been created on Earth.
• Pearl (voiced by Deedee Magno Hall)^[2] – A short-tempered, precise, and intellectual strategist, Pearl is the mental powerhouse of the Gems; her gemstone is a pearl which is embedded in her forehead. Activating her gemstone summons a teal-colored long-handled Spear. She has pale skin, pale strawberry-blonde hair, and wears a blue and green tutu in keeping with her dainty, ballerina-like physique. However, after she regenerated in "Steven the Sword Fighter", she wears a different attire, which is a turquoise tunic with a lighter-colored sash and orange shorts with pink socks and aqua shoes. She is also the most outspoken of the three fully-fledged Crystal Gem members. She is the most motherly of the three, and cares deeply for Steven, but occasionally pokes fun at his antics. She wishes for Steven to learn more about his heritage and one day return to the Gem Homeworld with him in tow. She strives for structure and logic and gets easily flustered when things don’t go as planned. In "Rose's Scabbard", it is revealed that she and Rose Quartz were close friends, and that Steven knowing about Rose's armory and all of her of weapons and of Lion's (who Pearl did not know belonged to Rose) past has caused her to spiral down into a jealous rage. She eventually came to terms with Rose's sacrifice with Steven's help and returns home with him.

Other characters

• Greg Universe (voiced by Tom Scharpling^[3]) – Steven's father, who formed a romantic relationship with Steven's mother, another Crystal Gem called Rose Quartz. Formerly a one-man rock band with a short-lived music career with some experience in audio (as shown in "The Message"), Greg currently lives in his van and runs a car wash in Beach City. Always nearby, he is actively involved in Steven's life. He's typically seen wearing a low-collar tank top despite having a sunburn pattern from a high-collar tee-shirt.
• Rose Quartz (voiced by Susan Egan) – Former leader of the Crystal Gems and Steven's mother, who gave up her physical form giving birth to him. It is revealed that she rebelled against the homeworld gems to stop them from harming Earth and the inhabitants.
• Opal (voiced by Aimee Mann) – A powerful gestalt Crystal Gem formed by Amethyst and Pearl fusing together both physically and mentally. Pearl has stated she and Amethyst only form Opal for "deadly situations"; due to the fact that the two Crystal Gems are at constant odds with each other, it is difficult for them to find the mental and physical harmony necessary to create and sustain the being. She appears as a four-armed giant with a mix of the two characters' physical attributes and two opals embedded in her chest and forehead. Her weapon (formed out of Amethyst's whip and Pearl's spear) is a bow that shoots energy arrows.
• Sugilite (voiced by Nicki Minaj) - Similarly to Opal, Sugilite is a powerful gestalt Crystal Gem, formed by Garnet and Amethyst. Sugilite is more unstable than Opal, as Amethyst and Garnet's personalities when fused together become more unpredictable and violent. Sugilite is a four-armed giant, even bigger than Opal, wearing a visor that hides four of her five eyes, with sugilites in her hands and chest. Her weapon (formed out of Garnet's gauntlets and Amethyst's whip) is a giant flail with a fist-shaped head.
• Alexandrite (voiced by Rita Rani Ahuja^[3]) - The Crystal Gem fusion formed by Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. Alexandrite is introduced in "Fusion Cuisine", when the three reluctantly agree to fuse together at Steven's request in order to pose as his mother at a dinner. Reflecting her being a fusion of the four Gems, she is far larger than Opal and Sugilite, with pink-red skin, six arms, and two mouths.
• Lion (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) – Steven's pet lion (formerly Rose's) who resides with Steven at the temple. He has pink fur and has magical powers including walking on water, creating portals with his roars and a sword which manifests from his head. It is revealed in "Lion 3: Straight to Video" and "Rose's Scabbard" that Lion once belonged to Rose Quartz.
• Connie Maheswaran (voiced by Grace Rolek^[3])^[4] – A girl around Steven's age. She is usually seen with a book in hand and appears to be intelligent yet introverted and lonely. She moves frequently so she is unable to build lasting friendships. She is Steven's friend. As of "An Indirect Kiss", she no longer needs glasses to see, but wears them without lenses so her parents don't get mad. Her parents (mother is voiced by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn while father is voiced by Crispin Freeman) made an appearance in the episode "Fusion Cuisine".^[3]
• Lars (voiced by Matthew Moy) – A teenage worker at a donut shop called the Big Donut. He often picks on Steven, but has become friendlier towards him in later episodes. He admires the "cool kids" Jenny, Sour Cream, and Buck Dewey, and his meanness seems to stem from insecurity or loneliness, not deliberate cruelty. He has stretched earlobes/earrings (earrings), called gauges. In "Island Adventure", Lars kissed Sadie, and as of this episode, it's implied he has a crush on her. In this episode, he also mentions that he gets lonely even when he is around other people, leaving speculation that he may not have any real friends besides Sadie.
• Sadie (voiced by Kate Micucci) – A clerk at the Big Donut, who shares the same shift as Lars. Unlike Lars, she is generally friendly towards Steven and supportive of his adventures. Her favorite food is oyster crackers, and she likes to watch 'Canine Court'. In the episode "Joking Victim", it is implied that she has feelings for Lars, but as of "Island Adventure", those feelings may no longer be there. In "Island Adventure", Lars kissed Sadie, and he appears to have a crush on her, which she doesn't seem to reciprocate anymore towards the end of the episode, or at least, she has given up on trying to pursue him. She is also the first human to take down a gem creature single-handed, using a fishing spear.
• Jenny Pizza (voiced by Reagan Gomez-Preston) – She has a very cool personality and likes hanging out with her friends Sour Cream, Buck Dewey, and Steven Universe. She works at her family's restaurant, Fish Stew Pizza. She drives around in her family's pizza delivery car. Her character design and personality parallels Amethyst's.
• Kiki Pizza (voiced by Reagan Gomez-Preston) Jenny's sister who works at their family's restaurant. Unlike Jenny, she is a hard worker.
• Kofi Pizza (voiced by Godfrey) - Jenny and Kiki's father. He is the owner & proprietor of Fish Stew Pizza. He is shown to be high-strung. Though he recognizes magic, he doesn't fully understand it and often questions the gems and their strange ways. He severely disliked their reckless behavior despite their good intentions, but after saving his family during the events of Beach Party, he now appreciates their presence.
• Nanafua Pizza (voiced by Toks Olagundoye) - Kofi's elderly mother who unlike her son is laid back and carefree like Amethyst. She is a very playful old woman who enjoys joking around and is concerned with keeping harmony in her family and diffusing stressful situations. She works, with the rest of her family, at Fish Stew Pizza cutting fish.
• Sour Cream (voiced by Brian Posehn) – He has a very easygoing and honest personality. He hangs out with his friends Jenny Pizza, Buck Dewey, and Steven Universe. The episode "Joy Ride" establishes him as Yellowtail's step-son, and as such Onion's older half-brother. It is theorized Marty is his real father and Vidalia is his mother. His character design parallels Pearl's.
• Mr. Fryman (voiced by Billy Merritt) – The owner of Beach City Fries. He often gives Steven fry bits upon Steven's request.
• Pee Dee Fryman (voiced by Atticus Shaffer) – Younger son of Fryman, and Steven's friend. Very world-weary and business centered, but he does enjoy having fun, and loves his older brother.
• Ronaldo Fryman (voiced by Zach Steel) – Older son of Fryman. Good-natured, but highly gullible and obsessed with the paranormal. He runs a blog called "Keep Beach City Weird".^[5] He is also a member of a community called 'Planties', where he dresses as a ficus.
• Mayor Bill Dewey (voiced by Joel Hodgson) – The mayor of Beach City.
• Buck Dewey – (voiced by storyboarder Lamar Abrams) - He has a laid-back personality and dislikes "nasty stuff." Buck is the son of Mayor Dewey. He likes to hang out with Jenny Pizza, Sour Cream, and Steven Universe. His character design is very similar to Garnet's.
• Jamie (voiced by Eugene Cordero) – A postman, who delivers the mail in Beach City. We first see him delivering Steven's Cheeseburger Backpack to him.
• Onion (voiced by Zach Callison) – Steven's chubby friend with an onion-shaped head. Seems to lack virtue, though Steven speculates that this is because he misses his father (who is the only person whom he chooses to speak to) who seems to be absent for most of the time.
• Mr. Harold Smiley (voiced by Sinbad)^[6] – The owner of Beach City Funland. Steven usually causes him a lot of trouble. In "Joking Victim," it's revealed that Harold Smiley was once an actor and an R&B singer who created a musical orientation video for "The Big Donut".
• Yellowtail (voiced by Tom Scharpling) – Onion's father, who works as a fisherman. He is first seen in the episode "Onion Trade", and talks to his son Onion in an indecipherable language.
• Lapis Lazuli (voiced by Jennifer Paz) – A Gem with a water drop-shaped lapis lazuli gem stone embedded on her back and a blue color scheme who possesses extremely powerful hydrokinesis. She was kept trapped for an unknown period of time in a mirror which was later given to Steven, whom she managed to communicate with and befriend while in the mirror. Upon being freed by Steven, it is revealed that she holds a vendetta against the Crystal Gems for keeping her trapped in the mirror. Homesick, Lapis later attempts to use the ocean to build a giant water tower to stretch her to the Gem homeworld, but Steven later heals her cracked gem, allowing her to reform her wings and fly back home through space. Though she and Steven appear to have made peace (she was the one who sent the warning to Steven in "The Message"), the remaining Crystal Gems then question the implications of her departure.
• Peridot (voiced by Shelby Rabara)^[7] – A Gem whom the Crystal Gems witness warping to Earth from the Gem homeworld at the Galaxy Warp with the intent of performing a maintenance check on Earth; her gem stone is a peridot embedded on her forehead. She possesses the ability to spawn a holographic interface and control several miniature "robonoids", which appear to assist her in her maintenance duties like repairing broken warp pads. As her ship was about to crash-land on Earth near the end of "Jailbreak", Peridot was able to escape in her own pod, which was discovered by Steven, Jenny Pizza, Buck Dewey, and Sour Cream. Peridot's location is still unknown.
• Stevonnie (voiced by AJ Michalka) – A Gem Fusion formed by Steven and Connie. They are taller than both Steven and Connie and seem to be mistaken for a teenager by most people. Their outfit is a mixture of Steven's usual star shirt and jeans and a dress Connie was wearing at the time of the fusion, with the top exposing their stomach to show Steven's gem embedded in it. Stevonnie is the only known instance of a gem fusing with a human, and the Crystal Gems were surprised at their existence.
• Li'l Butler (voiced by Eric Bell Jr.) – The main character in the sitcom of the same name in the episode Maximum Capacity.
• Ruby (voiced by Charlyne Yi) – A Gem who appeared in the episode Jail Break. She forms one half of the Gem Fusion Garnet. Her gemstone is a ruby embedded on her left hand.
• Sapphire (voiced by Erica Luttrell) – A Gem who appeared in the episode Jail Break. She forms one half of the Gem Fusion Garnet. Her gemstone is a sapphire embedded on her right hand.
• Jasper (voiced by Kimberly Brooks) – A Homeworld Gem, who is Peridot's escort on their mission to Earth. She was a veteran of the original war on Earth, on the Homeworld's side. She has an especially angry and violent personality. Her gem stone is a jasper embedded on her nose, and her weapon is a helmet shaped like a Japanese punk pompadour. At the end of 'Jail Break', she fuses with Lapis Lazuli in an attempt to defeat Garnet, but is tricked by Lapis and both are sent to the bottom of the ocean.
• Malachite (voiced by Kimberly Brooks and Jennifer Paz) – A Gem Fusion of Jasper and Lapis Lazuli who appeared in the episode Jail Break. Lapis is the dominant Gem of the fusion as she tricked Jasper by imprisoning both of them to the bottom of the ocean.
• Marty (voiced by Jon Wurster) – Greg's manager who appeared in the episode Story for Steven. He is insensitive, misogynistic, and cares more about money than Greg's feelings for Rose.
• Vidalia (voiced by Jackie Buscarino) – The supposed musical partner for Greg's tour who appeared in the episode Story for Steven.
• Centipeetle Mother- A corrupted gem who attacked the temple in Gem Glow with her "offspring" and was defeated and bubbled by the gems. She was accidentally freed in Monster Buddies by Steven who attempted to befriend her. She sacrificed herself to save Steven from a cave collapse and returned to her sealed form. Steven vowed to find a cure for her corruption.

References