Garnet (Steven Universe)
| Garnet | |
|---|---|
| Steven Universe character | |
Garnet's "first form" as drawn by lead character designer Danny Hynes
|
|
| First appearance | "Gem Glow" (2013) |
| Created by | Rebecca Sugar |
| Voiced by | Estelle |
| Voice of Ruby | Charlyne Yi |
| Voice of Sapphire | Erica Luttrell |
| Information | |
| Species | Gem |
| Gender | N/A[1][2] |
Garnet is a fictional character from the 2013 animated series Steven Universe, created by Rebecca Sugar. She is a "Gem", a fictional alien being that exists as a magical gemstone projecting a holographic body. Garnet is a "fusion" formed by two Gems, Ruby and Sapphire, the two gemstones permanently sharing one holographic body.
Garnet is voiced by Estelle, a performance that has seen a positive reception. Furthermore, Garnet is frequently praised for a being a depiction of a positive queer relationship.
Character
Eric Thurm of The A.V. Club described Garnet as "initially the most reticent, distant, and simply alien" of the Crystal Gems, the group of Gems that protect humanity and the Earth from danger.[3] Garnet took on the role of this group's de facto leader, appearing relatively distant due to her rarely speaking.[4] As the story of Steven Universe progresses, however, she becomes more relatable. Writing for Minnesota Daily, Cecilia Mazumdar Stanger pointed out that Garnet is far from a perfect leader and can make mistakes.[5]
Garnet is capable of using a skill known as "future vision", which allows her to predict future events accurately. Eric Thurm noted that scenes in which Garnet uses her future vision are among the show's best visual accomplishments.[3]
Ruby and Sapphire
Garnet's "fusion" was first undone in the episode "The Return", the succeeding episode "Jail Break" marking the first appearance of the two Gems that make up Garnet: Ruby and Sapphire. According to Sugar, Garnet was intended to be a fusion since the pilot episode, though the characters of Ruby and Sapphire came into focus while Sugar was writing for Garnet. Sugar described the process as "reverse engineering" the two personalities based on what the production team brought to the show.[6] Garnet being a fusion of two Gems was a popular fan theory before it was revealed to be true in "Jail Break", as the writers included minor hints in various episodes. Neither character was given real depth in "Jail Break", but their presence explain how Garnet's two parts blend into one character. Ruby is characterized as feisty and aggressive, while Sapphire is stoic and contemplative, resulting in a complex dynamic when Garnet is fused together. Garnet's stable relationship while fused is used as a metaphor, as Ruby and Sapphire together are stronger than a Gem on their own.[3]
A later episode, titled "The Answer", features a flashback of how Ruby and Sapphire met and joined the Crystal Gems. At the end of the episode, when protagonist Steven asks Garnet what "the answer" Garnet was said to be is, she responds with "love".[4] Garnet is described as being made of "literal love, the romantic love of two queer individuals," as all Gems, including Ruby and Sapphire, present in a feminine manner despite having no gender.[7] Writing for The Lawrentian, Bridget Keenan described Garnet as "first canon lesbian couple on Cartoon Network". However, Keenan also noted that the relationship would realistically be "unhealthy, unstable and controlling," as Ruby and Sapphire seem completely controlled by the relationship.[8]
Reception
Garnet is portrayed by Estelle in the original dub of Steven Universe. Estelle's vocal performance is commonly praised by critics: Vrai Kaiser of The Mary Sue commended Estelle's voice work in "Jail Break" by stating that "the amount of love, layers, and history she packs into so few words goes right to the heart no matter how many times you watch it."[7] Garnet's narration in "The Answer" was praised by Eric Thurn because Estelle got the opportunity to do voice work that was more fun and "soft".[4] AJ Adejare of The Fandom Post criticized the voice director of Steven Universe for under-utilizing Estelle's talents, as Garnet is mostly silent in the show.[9] Garnet is Estelle's first voice-over role, and the character was designed by Rebecca Sugar while she was listening to Estelle's music.[10]
Garnet has commonly been praised as a depiction of a romantic lesbian relationship in children's television. Since 2010, animated television series such as Adventure Time and The Legend of Korra have shown a larger amount of LGBT representation. Steven Universe makes frequent use of LGBT-related themes: Pearl has strong romantic feelings to former Crystal Gem leader Rose Quartz, and Stevonnie is a genderqueer character.[11][12][13]
See also
- "Jail Break"
- "The Answer"
References
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