For the past several years, Steven Universe has been one of the most popular shows on Cartoon Network, with its sequel series, Steven Universe Future proving to be equally popular. Centered around a young man and his alien guardians, Steven Universe actually tackled a lot of real-world issues throughout its overall narrative, doing its best to deliver as positive a message as possible.
One of the primary ways that the show explored its various themes was actually through its antagonists. While Steven and the Crystal Gems occasionally fought against mindless creatures, there were other times where they faced off against some very complex characters. Throughout the series, the villains actually proved to add just as much to the story as some of the main characters did, with many of them even coming around to see Steven’s own ideals. Looking at some of the better foes from the series, here is our list of the 10 best villains on the show.
NOTE: This list may contain spoilers from more recent episodes.
Pink Diamond
Given the twist at the end of the first series, it is a bit hard to truly classify Pink Diamond as a villain, especially considering her change of heart that started the revolution. With that in mind, however, there’s no denying that Pink made her fair share of mistakes over the years, with plenty of her actions being considered downright villainous.
Whether it be in how she treated characters like Spinel, the years of lying, or whatever else, Pink can still be considered a major villain of the series, especially since Steven and the Gems spent years cleaning up her mess. Though she was still a good guy in the end, her efforts in the past don’t completely absolve her of guilt.
Aquamarine
For such a small Gem, Aquamarine proved to be quite the formidable foe. Both intelligent and powerful, it makes sense that Aquamarine was sent to Earth. Even without the assistance of a Topaz, Aquamarine is still one of the most powerful Gems Steven has ever faced off against.
Furthermore, Aquamarine made for an equally interesting villain when fused with Eyeball. As Bluebird Azurite, the villain made for a funny addition to the series while also adding some unique themes into the mix. Though she wasn’t as big a problem as many other villains from the show, Aquamarine was still one of the best.
Blue Diamond
Throughout the series, Blue Diamond proved to be one more inactive than several other gem villains that Steven and the Crystal Gems had to fight. Of course, given her emotional state at her initial introduction, it makes sense for Blue to be a more passive villain.
With that in mind, however, Blue was definitely far from defenseless and got in quite a few impressive displays of power when she was on screen. Likewise, as a Diamond, Blue also brought some interesting philosophy to the narrative that differed from that of her sisters. While audiences could have seen a bit more of her, she still proved to be quite the opponent for the Crystal Gems.
Bismuth
Thankfully, Bismuth came around before the series concluded, like many other villains from the series. Though she originally debuted as an apparent ally, Bismuth soon turned out to be someone for the Crystal Gems to face off against.
While her change of heart shows not only great character progression, Bismuth represents what Steven could look like on the opposite end of the moral spectrum. Though she continued to fight against the Diamonds, Bismuth was willing to take things to the extreme, which ultimately resulted in her initial fuse with Rose Quartz. Fortunately, Steven was able to show her that she was taking things too far and bring her back into the fold, but her arc and attitude definitely brought some heavier themes to the series, helping to make Bismuth one of the more intriguing villains.
Kevin
Like many other villains on the show, Kevin was used to draw attention to some very real-world issues. However, in the few times he is featured throughout the series, Kevin is one of the most frustrating and infuriating antagonists in the whole series. Despite this, his attitude and demeanor also remind others just how good characters like Steven and Connie are, giving Kevin some semblance of value as a character.
While many people hate him, audiences definitely aren’t supposed to like Kevin. With that in mind, his character did lead to some interesting developments whenever he was around, especially between Steven and Connie. Though there may not be much to him overall, Kevin at least succeeds in being one of the worst types of people.
Spinel
As the villain of Steven Universe: The Movie, Spinel had quite a big role to fill, especially given that the conflict with the Diamonds was resolved. However, while her personality may have been a bit much for some, the character still brought out an entirely different set of themes for the Crystal Gems to explore.
Unlike with other conflicts before, Spinel wasn’t motivated by colonization or a feud with the Crystal Gems, but instead by pure hatred for Pink Diamond. Furthermore, with Steven managing to convince even her of a better way to resolve conflict, Spinel proved to be a unique type of villain overall, landing her safely in the number 5 spot.
Jasper
Even after the war ended, Jasper continued to be an antagonist for Steven, even though the two were no longer fighting. Given Jasper’s own outlook on life, Steven learned that he couldn’t simply just change everyone’s mind to match his own ideals.
However, though Jasper may not be the most dynamic villain from the series, it was interesting to see how her relationship with Steven progressed, especially given how long she was a villain. Though it may not have seemed like it at times, Jasper and Steven both taught each other a lot, making her one of the more intriguing villains the Crystal Gems ever faced.
Peridot
By the end of the series, Peridot had been a Crystal Gem for so long that it is easy to forget that she was ever a villain in the first place. Despite the fact that she spent more time in the series as a friend rather than a foe, Peridot’s character arc shows just how much of a difference someone like Steven can make in the world.
As one of the first Gems from Homeworld that Steven ever encountered, the fact that he was able to convince Peridot that what the Diamonds were doing was wrong is a true testament of Steven’s real abilities while also setting up the larger plot. Furthermore, Peridot still proved to be a great villain when she was a villain, and a great ally when she was an ally, making her one of the best characters in the series as well.
Yellow Diamond
Like Blue Diamond, Yellow is easily one of the more powerful foes that the Crystal Gems ever went against. Her bold nature and determination definitely made her a much greater presence than any of the other Diamonds, even though she still answered to White.
However, Yellow easily caused the most trouble on Earth, since Peridot answered to her, making her the longest-running Diamond on the show. Given all of her ill-will towards Steven and the Gems, it is truly surprising that he was able to get her to switch sides. Despite her attitude though, Yellow still isn’t the best villain of the entire series.
White Diamond
Though she is only seen in very little of Steven Universe overall, White Diamond is still the biggest and baddest villain he has yet to face. For several years, White was the main antagonist behind the conflict, whether Steven and the audience knew it or not. Furthermore, in order for the war between the Crystal Gems and Homeworld to conclude, White was the central figure they needed to convince in order to achieve their goal.
While she may have only been in the final few episodes of the first series, White Diamond is one of the most important villains in the entire series. Though she may not have presented as many themes as other villains have, she was still one of the hardest challenges Steven ever faced.
