Stevonnie

Stevonnie
Steven Universe character
First appearance "Alone Together" (2015)
Created by Rebecca Sugar
Voiced by Amanda Joy Michalka
Information
Gender Non-binary

Stevonnie (/stəˈvɒni/ stə-VON-ee) is a fictional character from the 2013 animated series Steven Universe, created by Rebecca Sugar. A "fusion" of the protagonist Steven Universe and his friend Connie Maheswaran, Stevonnie is portrayed as an androgynous teenager, attractive to both men and women. First introduced in episode "Alone Together", Stevonnie only appears occasionally in the series.

Character

One of the core concepts in Steven Universe is a process referred to as "fusion", in which two characters dance with one another in order to merge into one being who is physically larger and stronger. Though fusion is considered a sensitive and important action for two characters, it is described as "distinctly non-sexual."[1] The episode "Alone Together" focuses on protagonist Steven's first experience with fusion while dancing with his friend Connie. The two characters explicitly identify as male and female while separated, but the gender of Stevonnie is difficult to describe.[2] Regardless, Stevonnie is usually considered a unique character, as is the case with other fusions in the show.[3]

Stevonnie is voiced by actress and musician AJ Michalka.

Rebecca Sugar, the creator of Steven Universe, referred to an inquiry on Stevonnie's gender—whether Stevonnie is agender, bigender, or something else—by stating that "Stevonnie is an experience! The living relationship between Steven and Connie." Sugar described Stevonnie as a complex and specific metaphor, that becomes relatable as it takes shape in the form of a unique character. Besides challenging gender norms, Stevonnie serves as a metaphor for "terrifying firsts in a first relationship," the feeling of hitting puberty, and objectification.[2][4]

In a March 2017 comic (written by Melanie Gillman and drawn by Katy Farina and Whitney Cogar), Stevonnie goes with supporting character Kiki Pizza to her school prom. Similar to what happened in "Alone Together", Stevonnie found themselves having an anxiety attack during the dance, followed by Steven and Connie discussing whether they are lying to Kiki about their identity.[5]

Stevonnie is commonly referred to using gender neutral pronouns (such as the singular they), and both male and female characters seem to be physically attracted to Stevonnie.[3][6]

Impact

Meredith Woerner of io9 described Stevonnie as a "big game changer character" for Steven Universe, who got a strong reaction from fans of the series.[4] Writing for Towleroad.com, Charles Pulliam-Moore stated that Stevonnie deepened the way that watchers understood some of Steven Universe's core characters.[2] Polygon editor Carli Velocci commented that Stevonnie is a positive metaphor for consent, in an entirely non-sexual context.[7] Vrai Kaiser of The Mary Sue said of the character that "there are few things more refreshing than seeing children's media acknowledge that feeling negative emotions is a part of life. Taking a tack not dissimilar to Inside Out, the show uses visual metaphor to deal with complex, intangible emotions."[8]

Animated series airing on television networks Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon have shown a greater amount of LGBT visibility since 2010, with shows such as The Legend of Korra and Adventure Time including same-sex relationships. Steven Universe has a significant amount of LGBT representation as well, featuring multiple feminine characters that show romantic attraction directed to each other. As a genderqueer character, Stevonnie follows this same movement, and has encouraged people to be more open about their gender.[6][9]

References

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