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Top Ten Steven Universe Characters

Steven Universe is one of those series that focuses most on characterization and emotion. Thus, it features many instantly recognizable, incredibly well developed and profound characters so making this list was rather easy for me. I wanted to go the more original route by picking the more interesting and/or entertaining creations for the tops. So here are ten best Steven Universe characters with three honorable mentions.

10. Rose

Rose remains an enigmatic figure throughout the majority of the show’s five seasons. While she at first seemed glorified and beloved, later on we realize that she was flawed, condescending toward Greg and rather problematic in the Gem war. Thus, she’s not only a unique mother character, but also a genuinely fascinating enigma told through many great flashbacks.

9. Sadie

At first I didn’t care much about Sadie, but she grew on me through the couple of last seasons. That’s because she got such a great arc with her job, her anxieties, her music career and her tumultuous relationship with Lars of course. She’s a genuinely likable, relatable person who ranks among the best supporting players of the show.

8. Connie

I really like Connie. Now, she did not get the deepest storylines, but she was a terrific friend/romantic interest to Steven and she was never boring to him, but actually accompanying him on his space quests. Their relationship develops so naturally over the course of the season, and I really liked her parents as well.

7. Lars

As I’ve said for Sadie, the same goes for Lars too. But he is even more interesting for me as he’s a particularly troubled, anxious soul. I did not care for his silly space adventures later on, but his relationship with Sadie as well as Steven is great, and I found him very realistic and also his arcs are usually amongst the most emotional.

6. Greg

Now, Greg is one hell of a sweet guy. He’s not only the comic relief of this usually very serious series, but he’s also a genuinely wonderful father figure and his goofiness and heart are hard to be denied. I loved his relationship with Steven and his relationship with Rose is very interesting and different.

5. Pearl

The least interesting of the three Gems is Pearl because she got the least growth in my opinion. But still, her being uncool and then becoming cool was fun to follow, and in particular her frustrations over Rose are powerfully portrayed. She’s not the most likable Gem, but she is probably the most grounded in reality one.

4. Garnet (Ruby and Sapphire)

Garnet started off as overly mysterious, but ultimately she became superbly developed of a character while retaining her suave factor as well. And her being a fusion of these two female lovebirds led to such a powerful lesbian romance metaphor that was explored beautifully. Their relationship is wonderful, and she herself is a highly important cartoon creation.

3. Steven

He’s not my first pick unlike most lists out there, but still I cannot deny the many strengths of this cartoon protagonist, despite him being so annoying at times with his constant optimism. But he does act as an emotional balance for all of the show’s characters while he also grows to a more mature person until the end of the show, and especially the movie. His interactions with everyone else are superb, he’s got a great backstory and his childlike wonder and faith in people are wonderful.

2. Amethyst

Yes, Amethyst is actually my favorite Gem, especially for the fact that she’s not as serious as the rest of the trio. She’s the fun, energetic type and her personality is awesome, and her budding relationship with Steven is terrific. I loved the exploration of her problems and fears, and her eventually becoming actually the most emotionally mature of the trio was wonderful to witness.

1. Peridot

Yes, though this may seem like an odd choice for the number one pick, I have to go with my heart and choose Peridot as she’s by far my favorite and most entertaining Steven Universe character. Unfortunately, she did not get much to do in the latest seasons, but her journey from villain to hero was well handled, her personality is infectiously fun and she is simply such a funny, frequently even hilarious character in her remarks and robot-like talk. Her becoming a member of the team was handled beautifully throughout many nuanced episodes.

Honorable Mentions:

White, Yellow and Blue Diamond – Though very mysterious they certainly remained, there is no denying the power of these three almost mythical creatures. Their designs are fantastic and they act as the most badass presences on the show.

Lion – This pet of Steven’s rarely got much to do, but he surely was cute with his pink color and he also served as a catalyst for Steven’s dreaming as well as entering other worlds.

Lapis – Lapis got a terrific, problematic relationship with Jasper, and I really liked her troublesome backstory, but she needed more screen time nonetheless to make more impact.