Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe often rewards its viewers for paying attention to the background. For instance, Garnet being a fusion is revealed in the episode “Jail Break”, but it was teased in several episodes before. Garnet’s three eyes and two gems were shown multiple times, and in the episode “Fusion Cuisine”, viewers can see Ruby and Sapphire’s silhouettes.
However, there are some details that don’t have a lasting impact on Steven Universe. These are details that wouldn’t impair an understanding of the show if they were missed, but they tell viewers more about its world. Here are ten of those hidden details that may have been missed by even the most observant fans.
Garnet Doesn’t Ask Questions
Of the Crystal Gems, Garnet is the most level-headed member. She’s the pillar of the team and always knows what to do when nobody else does. Something that helps solidify this is that she doesn’t ask questions. Whenever she wants to know something, she forms it as a statement rather than a question.
This is contrasted in Steven Universe: The Movie. Once Ruby and Sapphire fuse after having their memories erased, the newly reformed Garnet only asks questions. It demonstrates that when Garnet first fused, she was unsure of herself. But after knowing who she was and what she represented, she didn’t question anything.
Animators In Korea
In the episode “Steven’s Dream”, Steven and Greg go to Korea to learn more about Blue Diamond. While they’re there, they come across an artist who seems to be drawing them. Model sheets of Steven and Greg are all around the office, as well as a sheet of Pearl singing from the episode “Mr. Greg”.
Steven Universe, as well as many other animated shows, is animated in Korea. It may take some outside knowledge to understand this detail, but it’s that much more fulfilling when audiences do.
Steven’s Black Shirt
Not only does Steven wear a nice pink jacket now, but his shirt choice has also changed. In the original series, he often wore a red shirt with a yellow star at the center. In the movie, the color changed from red to light blue. In Steven Universe Future, the color changed to black.
This normally wouldn’t have any significance, except that it’s the same shirt Greg used to wear when he was younger. The only difference is Greg’s arm sleeves are ripped up. Through the many highs and lows, Steven and Greg’s relationship continues to be one of the strongest in the series.
Father/Son Parallel
In Steven Universe, Zach Callison plays Steven. Callison has also appeared in Mr. Peabody & Sherman, The Legend of Korra, and The Goldbergs. In addition to playing Steven, Callison lends his voice to Onion.
Tom Scharpling, who plays Greg, has also been in The Simpsons, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Fortnite. Scharpling also plays Yellowtail, Onion’s father. It’s an interesting detail that Scharpling and Callison play characters who are father and son on more than one account.
Anime References
The creator of Steven Universe, Rebecca Sugar, took many inspirations from her own life when making the show. She was inspired by the anime she watched as a child, and references to ones like Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon can be found scattered in the show.
In the episode “Room for Ruby”, Ruby’s pose when she crashes on earth resembles Yamcha’s when he was blown up by a saibaman. Steven owns a Sailor Moon manga that can be seen in the episode “House Guest”. The episode “Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service” features many references to anime like Kiki’s Delivery Service and Astro Boy. While these are only some of the anime references, keen-eyed fans have likely spotted many more.
Steven’s Inspiration
Another inspiration Rebecca Sugar took from her life is Steven himself. Steven is based on Sugar’s real younger brother, Steven Sugar. They even share the same birthday, August 15.
The gems’ relationship with Steven is similar to the one Sugar has with her real brother. In both situations, they wanted to look out for their younger brother and prepare them for any challenges they’ll face. As Steven Sugar is a background artist on the show, it further pushes that family is the core of the series.
Sadie’s Scar
In the episode “Island Adventure”, Steven takes Sadie and Lars to a far away island. While there, they get attacked by a corrupted gem, and Sadie gets a scar on her face. Rather than it going away by the next episode, Sadie keeps the scar for the rest of the series.
Sadie’s scar isn’t always entirely visible, either. Sometimes it’s faint, but it’s always there if the audience looks hard enough. Casual viewers may not know the history of her scar if they spot it, but fans of the show will certainly be able to pick up on it.
Spinel In The Garden
Before creating Steven Universe, Rebecca Sugar worked on Adventure Time. She wrote several songs for the show, including “Time Adventure”, “Bacon Pancakes”, and “I’m Just Your Problem”. Another song she wrote for Adventure Time, called “Everything Stays”, has lyrics that are similar to Spinel’s backstory.
“Everything Stays” begins with “Let’s go in the garden/You’ll find something waiting/Right there where you left it/Lying upside down”. In Steven Universe: The Movie, Spinel waits in the garden, right where Pink Diamond left her. Since the song is based on a real event in Sugar’s life, it’s safe to assume that Spinel is, too.
Bathroom Parallels
The beginning of Future does a good job of presenting where Steven’s at emotionally. In “Little Homeschool”, Steven is confident that his place in the world is helping others. As he heals another gem and brings her back into the world, he knows what it means to be Steven Universe.
However, his confidence is shaken by the episode “Fragments”. When Steven shatters Jasper, he rushes back to his bathroom to try and heal her. This scene is almost identical to the first scene of Future. In both, Steven turns on the bathtub, gets the Diamonds’ potion, puts that in the bathtub, then puts the broken gem with it. The difference is Steven is happy the first time, while he is distressed the second.
Connie’s Broken Sword
Throughout Steven Universe, Connie trains with Pearl to learn how to use Rose’s sword. Even though she becomes skilled with the sword, she ends up breaking it against Blue Diamond in the episode “Reunited”. The broken sword can be seen in the background of Steven’s house in the movie.
Other background details in the shot include the keys to his new car in Future, his Nintendo Gamecube from previous episodes, and his iconic Cheeseburger Backpack. Upon more viewings, many more background details like these can be found in the franchise.
