Steven Universe

Queerness Shines in “She-Ra” and Other Animated Shows

A photo of five animated She-Ra characters who are dressed in bright outfits and stand amid mountains.
by Lena Dean
August 10, 2020 at 1:50pm
The message out there for young people was that straights get to have fulfilling personal growth and relationships—and queers and queer romance don’t exist.
Steven, a teen boy with thick black hair, curls in on himself while wearing pajamas in bed. His walls are heavily decorated and he looks upset.

“Steven Universe Future” Hasn’t Backed down from Mental Health

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
March 19, 2020 at 4:30pm
Steven Universe Future has brought Steven’s mental health to the forefront. Read more »
Characters from the animated show Steven Universe from left to right: Amethyst, Garnet, Steven, and Pearl.

The “Steven Universe” Movie Reminds Us That Change is the Only Path to Growth

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
November 13, 2019 at 1:18pm
There are few cartoons—few series as a whole—as impactful as Steven Universe. Read more »
animated image of a boy being scanned by a robot while two other figures peek out from the background

This World Looks Familiar: “Steven Universe’s” Anticolonial Critique

by Sela Gebre
October 31, 2017 at 7:48am
Breaking down Steven Universe’s power dynamics, like interrogating the worlds of the Hunger Games or Harry Potter, offers a pop-culture framework for all... Read more »

“Steven Universe’s” Quiet Gender Revolutions

by Lio Min
June 1, 2016 at 11:57am
The first-ever Cartoon Network show to be created by a woman challenges TV’s gender norms is all sorts of brilliant ways.  Read more »