The Signs as Steven Universe Characters: a Thread

*spoiler alert* if you haven't watched the entire series up to the movie, you might wanna pass on this thread. I'm not touching on any characters introduced in the movie, but I'm still bringing up characters from the latest couple of seasons.

ARIES: Ruby

There's no other Gem that could be Aries other than Ruby. She's rash and hot-headed, and her type of Gem are categorized as the foot soldiers of Homeworld. Aries is the cardinal fire sign, ruled by Mars, the warrior planet, so the correlation is pretty clear.

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. The spring solstice marks the start of Aries season, when new life begins to emerge. Aries are known for being high energy, youthful, and sometimes a bit childish--pretty fitting for the Crystal Gems' resident "eternal flame baby"

Aries are trailblazers, natural born leaders, and are great at initiating new projects. They don't follow anyone's rules but their own, and this is clearly shown in SU. Thousands of years ago, Ruby was a soldier responsible for keeping Blue Diamond's Sapphire safe.

When the rebellious Crystal Gems appeared on Blue Diamond's doorstep to demand that she leave Earth, Sapphire used her future vision to predict that the Crystal Gems would be victorious and poof her and her Rubies. Ruby wasn't ready to accept defeat, however.

Ruby seized control of her own destiny, and in a last-ditch attempt to keep her Sapphire safe, rushed to push her out of the way of the Crystal Gem's attack. They unintentionally fused, creating the first known perma-fusion, Garnet, and they started their life together on Earth.

Taurus: Bismuth
*spoilers*

Bismuth was one of the strongest of the Crystal Gems, and had a personal relationship with her leader, Rose, as well as Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. Taurus is the zodiac's fixed earth sign--hardy, stubborn, and the most loyal type of friend to have around

Bismuth was remarkably loyal to her cause. She knew the Crysal Gems' mission, fought endlessly to defend the planet Earth from Homeworld's tyranny, and worked her ass off to build structures and forge weapons for the Crystal Gem's army of rebels.

Bismuth's undying loyalty was ultimately her downfall. For her, defending the earth from Homeworld's tyranny wasn't enough--she wanted to to shatter every last Homeworld Gem, even the Diamonds, and eliminate the enemy of her cause for good.

Rose Quartz didn't want to *kill* anyone, her whole mission was to protect life on Earth. She believed that shattering Gems would make the Crystal Gems just as bad as the Homeworld Gems--which is why she specifically wielded a sword that couldn't shatter a Gem.

Bismuth decided to take matters into her own hands, created a weapon capable of shattering Gems, and insisted on using it, thanks to her classic Taurean stubbornness. Ultimately, Rose had to poof and bubble Bismuth to ensure she was fighting Homeworld with integrity.

The Moon represents your inner self and the way you operate emotionally, and the sign of the Moon's exaltation. Bismuth's feelings pushed her to stray from the Crystal Gems and fight her own battle, which lead to a years-long...detention, for lack of a better term.

Taurus (continued): Rose Quartz

Rose was the leader of the Crystal Gems, and mostly reflects the Venusian qualities of the fixed earth sign. She was dedicated to her cause, fought for what she believed in, and pledged her life to defending the planet Earth from tyranny.

From the moment she stepped foot on Earth, she fell in love with it. The people, the plants, and all of the beautiful organic life on Earth was precious and sacred to her, and she couldn't stand idly by and let Homeworld colonize the planet and rip it all to shreds.

She started an uprising in order to defend life on planet Earth, and stood her ground, reflecting Taurus' ability to set a goal and work endlessly towards it. She pledged to protect the planet, and fearlessly faced Homeworld's armies so she could fulfill that pledge.

Taurus is the ruler of the neck/throat, and since it's a Venusian sign, it's also the sign of music/singing. Rose fell in love with a musician, Greg Universe. Even though it meant losing her physical form, she had a child with Greg, and that's how Steven Universe was born.

Gemini: Peridot
*minor spoilers*

Gemini, the zodiac's mutable air sign, is known for being quick, communicative, and intellectual. Peridot is a technician/pilot that was introduced to the series when she came to Earth with Jasper to check the status of the Cluster, a geoweapon being made by Homeworld.

Peridot is smart, tech-savvy and a real chatterbox--classic Gemini. Even though she was initially introduced as a villain, the more she learned about Earth, she began to realize that the planet's life and resources were more valuable than the Cluster, and joined the Crystal Gems.

Mutable Gemini takes in information, analyzes it, and will change accordingly, which is clearly shown by Peridot's behavior here. Gemini is also ruled by Mercury, named after the trickster god, and Peridot's mischievous nature becomes one of her most lovable qualities!

Her upbeat, childlike (sometimes *childish*) personality was a breath of fresh air for the Crystal Gems, once she decided to join their cause. Her expertise and knowledge has been invaluable for her allies, and without her, Earth would have surely been torn apart by the Cluster.

*major spoiler alert for Cancer*

Cancer: Blue Diamond

Blue Diamond is a member of the Great Diamond Authority, the ruling class of Homeworld. Her vast emotional depth is one of her trademark traits, similarly to the cardinal water sign, Cancer, and she has the psychic ability to make others literally feel what she's feeling.

The Crystal Gem rebellion lead to the shattering of Pink Diamond, a fellow member of the Great Diamond Authority. Pink was like a little sister to Blue, and when she heard that Pink was a casualty of the war, it sent her into a depression that lasted thousands of years.

This highlights the importance that Blue places on her family, another trait that Cancers are known for. Blue, along with her fellow Diamonds, left Earth after Pink's shattering, and withdrew into her "shell," and was inconsolable, totally imprisoned by the heartache she felt.

Blue Diamond never got over Pink's death. She would occasionally visit Pink Diamond's palanquin, the site of her shattering, on Earth, and even made a "zoo" on Homeworld filled with different life forms from Earth to honor her memories of Pink.

Like Cancer, Blue Diamond tends to remove herself from conflict and shuffle away from drama. If she has to fight, it's usually in order to defend a loved one. When she was fighting the Crystal Gems to avenge Pink's death, the claws came OUT.

Ultimately, Blue Diamond ended her reign of terror when Steven appealed to her emotions. Cancers are sensitive and need to be handled carefully, and Steven could only help her recover from her trauma by patiently talking her through it and gently explaining things to her.

Leo: Sardonyx
*minor spoilers*

Sardonyx is the fusion of Garnet and Pearl, and her introduction episode was set up like a TV gameshow/variety show/play. She's flamboyant, theatrical, dazzling, over-the-top, and charismatic as all hell--clearly a Leo.

To Sardonyx, life is a play, and she's the star! She was formed by Garnet and Pearl to take down the massive Communication Hub. When the Hub mysteriously reformed, Sardonyx was formed again, laughing "What's this? An encore performance? Just couldn't get enough of me, could you?"

*SPOILER* Sardonyx steals the show whenever she's formed, even if she doesn't mean to. When Steven and Amethyst fuse to form Smoky Quartz, Sardonyx returns to host a "talent show" where Smoky can show off her abilities--but unintentionally makes it all about herself.

She's just like a Leo, and naturally draws an audience. She's warm, loving, and a little showy, but you can't help but love Sardonyx's uniqueness and cheerful demeanor.

Virgo: Pearl
*spoilers*

I think Pearl being a Virgo is a pretty obvious choice. Pearl is a cut-and-dried perfectionist, ridiculously organized, focused, dedicated, pays close attention to detail, and she highly values servitude and fulfilling her duties.

Similarly to Virgo, Pearl has high expectations and holds herself accountable for serving others' needs, and she's ALWAYS staying busy. It makes sense--back on the Gem Homeworld, Pearls are created specifically to be servants for higher class Gems, like the Diamonds.

Virgos are analytical, thorough, and pragmatic, ignoring their emotions in favor of taking a more intellectual stance on matters. This can cause them them come off as cold or insensitive, even though their intentions are usually to be helpful and matter-of-fact.

Pearl was the first Gem to join the Crystal Gems' rebellion, alongside Rose Quartz. She was Rose's sole confidante, always at her beck and call to do whatever needed to be done to fulfill the Crystal Gem's cause, but their relationship wasn't the most healthy...

Virgos hone in on imperfections and work diligently to improve them, but often put others' affairs before their own. Virgos see the potential in others, and want to perfect them, because they're *hyper aware* of their own flaws, to the point of seeing themselves as a lost cause.

The relationship between Rose and Pearl was incredibly codependent, and when Pearl lose Rose, it ruined her. Even years later, she hasn't fully recovered. Whenever one of Rose's many secrets are revealed and Pearl finds out that Rose didn't tell her *everything*, it cuts deep.

Virgos work without expecting gratitude and stop at nothing to help out their loved ones, but if they don't feel needed or wanted, it kills them. After discovering that Rose kept her sword hidden in Lion's mane and *didn't* tell Pearl about it, it sent her spiraling.

Pearl runs away, consumed by her emotions. She felt unwanted, convinced that her flaws were what prevented Rose from "letting her in" on her many secrets. She wonders out loud to Steven, "Sometimes I wonder if she can see me through your eyes. What would she think of me now?"

When Steven replies "Well... I think you're pretty great." Pearl breaks down. It finally hits her, Rose, her "master," is gone, and she can't live to be in her service any longer. She's her own Gem, she doesn't have to be "perfect," and the people she loves love her, too.

A hard lesson for Virgos to learn is to accept their own imperfections. Once they learn to *breathe*, control their controllables, and love themselves despite their flaws, they can hone their talents, learn to be confident, and become masters of their craft.

Libra: Sapphire
*minor spoilers*

Libra is known for their objectivity, need for harmony, and being relationship-focused. They're always striving to maintain a sense of equilibrium by finding balance with their thoughts and feelings, compromising with others, and seeing all sides of a situation before acting.

Sapphire has future vision, a rare gift that allows her to see all possible outcomes to a given scenario. Libras have a similar ability to put themselves in other people's shoes, view a situation through different perspectives, and think through them all before making a choice.

This lends itself to Libra's infamous indecisiveness. When they *do* make a decision, they've gone through every possible outcome and expect the one they have in mind to be the final result. In "The Answer," Sapphire exhibits the PERFECT example of this behavior.

Garnet says: Sapphire had known every moment of her life. How it would happen, and when. But because of Ruby's impulsive gesture, she suddenly jumped the track of fate, and everything from that instant on was wrong, and new. She couldn't see, she couldn't move. She was... frozen.

Libras are natural peacemakers. They're able to be completely objective when discussing matters, which might make them come off as cold or emotionless, but they just don't want to let their emotions effect their perspective. The episode "Keystone Motel" is a great example of this

Libras are ruled by Venus, the planet of love. They're hesitant to decide when/how to make the first move on someone, but if you just give them a push in the right direction, you're guaranteed an amazing relationship with one. See: Ruby and Sapphire fusing to form Garnet.

Scorpio: Amethyst

Scorpio is the zodiac's fixed water sign, associated with transformation, and known for their intensity and inner depth. Amethyst 1) loves to shapeshift, 2) is *aggressively* upbeat and energetic, and 3) is strongly motivated and driven by her feelings.

Scorpio's traditional ruler is Mars, and Amethysts are the warriors of Gem society. They're big, strong, and designed to be amazing fighters, but... not the Crystal Gem's Amethyst. Our Amethyst was grown in the same Kindergarten as other Quartz soldiers, but she was "overcooked."

Amethyst came out 500 years late, totally alone, tiny in stature, and remained in solitude until Rose Quartz found her. She didn't know who or what she was, and this identity crisis is an overarching theme in her story, even long after joining the Crystal Gems.

Like a Scorpion brandishing its stinger and claws, Scorpios are always in attack mode, ready to lash out at the first sign of trouble. They're terrified of vulnerability, and have the power to defend themselves from any sort of threat, perceived or real.

Scorpios have more internal depth than any other sign, and they constantly chase after any experiences, thrills, or challenges to incite a reaction that helps them understand themselves on deeper level.

Amethyst's ongoing identity crisis is a key part of her character development. For thousands of years, she felt like an outcast, a product of Homeworld's battle to destroy the planet she calls home. Her crippling self-doubt and self-loathing drive much of her behavior.

She was created by Homeworld, to invade the Earth and harvest its resources, but because she emerged far too late and "defective," she was picked up by the Crystal Gems instead. She felt inferior, and believed she was an outcast, despite having her "family."

It took her YEARS to open up to Steven about her origins, because she was terrified he would think less of her. Again, Scorpios are terrified of vulnerability, and they simply will NOT open up to someone else unless they are absolutely, 100% assured that they're trustworthy.

When her (very intense) emotions get the best of her, Amethyst lashes out, even if it means fighting her friends. She fights Steven, Pearl, even Garnet at one point or another in the series.

She doesn't think before acting, which is why she's poofed and reformed more than any other Crystal Gem. There was an entire episode where she poofed, and had multiple unstable reformations, because she tried to become what she believed others thought she "should" be.

As time goes on, Amethyst becomes more assured in the love her family has for her, and she becomes more confident--genuinely confident--and doesn't feel the need to lash out, make a scene, and react in an over-the-top manner to every little thing.

Despite being seen as a "defective" soldier by Homeworld, how much she hates her own origins, and the other insecurities she battles with, Amethyst eventually grows into her best self and (arguably) the strongest fighter in the Crystal Gems!

This is the Plutonic side of Scorpio--not only does she literally get poofed and resurrected multiple times in the series, but she hits her emotional rock bottom a few times, too, and eventually emerges from the ashes like a Phoenix.

Sagittarius: Stevonnie
*minor spoilers*

Of all the signs, Sagittarius has the most wanderlust. The mutable fire sign is always seeking out new adventures, doing whatever they can to broaden their horizons, whether it's traveling to new, faraway locations, dabbling in a new hobby every week, or just reading a good book.

Stevonnie is the fusion of Steven, a half-gem/half-human hybrid, and Connie, a human girl. Stevonnie is the very first of their kind, a gem/human fusion, and when they were formed, it forced everyone--Steven, Connie, other humans and Gems--to change and expand their perspective.

Sagittarians never have a regular day. Every conversation, activity, new connection, EVERYTHING, becomes a learning moment, something they can grow from. Nothing is simple, there's always a higher Truth to be found, and a deeper meaning to learn from even the most mundane things.

Garnet says it best: "Stevonnie, you are not two people. And you are not one person. You are an experience. Make sure you're a good experience. Now, go. Have. Fun!"

Capricorn: Garnet
*very minor spoilers*

Capricorn is the zodiac's cardinal earth sign, ruled by Saturn, the planet of responsibility, structure, and authority. The correlation is clear--Garnet's a perma-fusion, existing because of the strength of two Gem's undying love for each other and ability to work hard together.

Garnet reflects pretty much EVERY quality of the typical Capricorn. She's devoted to her responsibilities, pragmatic, holds herself and others to high standards, understands the value of hard work, and is a total boss. Garnet is the GOAT!!!!

She's calm, cool, and collected, and has a serious, stone-cold, sometimes intimidating demeanor--classic Capricorn. Despite the crushing weight on her from all the responsibility she has as the leader of the Crystal Gems, she rarely cracks under the pressure.

Like a Capricorn, Garnet doesn't suffer fools gladly. When there's work to be done, she's on the case instantly and doesn't bullshit, or *take* anyone's bullshit until the job's finished up. There's basically nothing she can't do, because of her sheer determination and mastery.

It's not easy to shake Garnet up--you rarely see her crack. It takes rare, extreme circumstances for Garnet to defuse or even flinch, such as being sliced in half in battle, or when Pearl betrayed her trust, or when circumstances were dire enough that she HAD to.

So, Garnet's a badass. She's kind of a hardass, too, and hardly ever relaxes unless there's NOTHING on her agenda, which is pretty rare. But, like a Capricorn, despite her hardened exterior, Garnet has a heart of gold and forges galvanized bonds with the few people she lets in.

*OKAY MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS COMING UP NEXT*

Capricorn (continued): White Diamond

*I can not emphasize enough that there are major spoilers here*

*like, major spoilers*

White Diamond is the shadow side of Capricorn and fully embodies the darker side of Saturn--she's strict, has a nearly unbending will, enforces her rules, and forces her idea of "perfection" on other people, stopping at nothing (even using mind control) to maintain the status quo

White Diamond is the ultimate leader of Homeworld. She's the flawless head of the Great Diamond Authority, valuing structure and perfection above all else. She's unfeeling, uncompromising, a total dictator, and anyone/anything that ISN'T exactly like her is imperfect in her eyes.

When Steven travels to Homeworld to ask White Diamond's help to save the corrupted Gems back on Earth, she talks down to him in an outright abusive and manipulative manner, refusing to let him get a word in edgewise.

White Diamond would rather pretend like the Crystal Gem rebellion, the great war, and the past 6,000 years *never happened* than acknowledge that something didn't go her way. She's an absolute skyscraper of a Gem both in her giant stature and her rigid, inflexible mindset.

Steven enlists the help of the other Diamonds to persuade White to help, but instead of listening, she uses her mind control powers to remove all the color from their gems, deleting their personalities, emotions, and ideas--which, in her eyes, is simply removing their impurities

Only through *removing Steven's gemstone* and seeing right before her very eyes the truth about the Steven/Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond situation, does White Diamond change her mind--she literally had to see the impossible become possible in order to change.

Disclaimer: White Diamond is an extreme, extreme, extreme example of a Capricorn Gone Wrong. Most Capricorns are like Garnet IMO, White Diamond is just a big ol' b-word.

Luckily, White Diamond does eventually come around. But god damn it took a fucking lot to get to that point...

*spoilers over* *for now*

*okay moving on*

Aquarius: Steven Universe

Aquarius is the zodiac's innovator, representative of all things new and cutting-edge, the ultimate humanitarian, and I think Steven is the *perfect* example of the best kind of Aquarius. He's intellectual, compassionate, and willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.

Aquarius is the most unique sign of the zodiac, totally eccentric in every way, and they're HUGE geeks--AKA Steven Universe to a T. He's unapologetic about what/who he loves, a complete goofball, and is genuinely unique since he's, uh, the first human/gem hybrid ever.

The Sun represents your core, your ego, your sense of self, and it's in its detriment in Aquarius. Steven struggles to put himself first, opting to push his personal agenda to the side and focus on helping others first.

The Sun in its detriment in Aquarius is also reflected by Aquarius' behavior. Why are they so "extra" and over-the-top? Because their self-doubt and lack of identity pushes them to ACT a certain way in order to "prove" to others (+ themselves) that they have a real personality.

Throughout the show, from beginning to end, Steven struggles with his sense of self. He's the first of his kind, a half-human half-Gem hybrid, and knows very little about his heritage as a human OR as a Gem. He wants to prove himself to others, but doesn't even know who he is.

Plus, there's the whole issue of his mom giving up her physical form in order to have him, leaving him with just her gemstone embedded in his body. Is he his mom? Is his mom inside of his gem somewhere? Is she alive still? Is she gone for good? How much of "her" is he?

For the entire series, Steven struggles with learning who he is, pushing past the (real + perceived) expectations placed on him by others, not giving in to the various labels attached to him that he doesn't "fit in" with perfectly, and creating his own unique identity.

As he grows up, he accepts that he's different, and that's okay. This is the ultimate "happily ever after" for an Aquarius--understanding, caring for, and loving themselves just as much as they do others. Steven + Aquarius have endless compassion, enough for themselves AND others

*okay spoilers coming up next*

Aquarius (continued): Yellow Diamond

Modern astrology assigns Uranus as the co-ruler of Aquarius, which is clearly Steven. Yellow Diamond is a better example of the Saturnian (traditional ruler) side of Aquarius.

Yellow Diamond... She's big, she's mean, she's cold, she's emotionless, and she gives ZERO fucks about what you have to say. It's her way, or the highway. She sets the rules and enforces them with an iron fist.

Aquarius is the fixed (stubborn, hardheaded) air (communicative, intellectual) sign of the zodiac. They have this big idea of how society SHOULD be run, how the world SHOULD work, etc. and if you agree with them, groovy. If you don't, get ready for trouble.

Disagreeing with an Aquarius can be the biggest mistake you ever make. They're so assured in their convictions that they'll challenge any opposition, no matter how minor, with ferocity. They have the knowledge and receipts to back up their POV, and won't hesitate to share them.

Yellow Diamond DGAF about anyone else's opinion--she wants what she wants, she makes demands, and she expects to be obeyed because that's how things SHOULD be. She's the ultimate intellectual authority, and a brilliant strategist--and she knows it.

She eventually warms up a little. When she becomes one of the "good guys," that classic Aquarian eccentricity comes out. Her sense of humor is... bad. The stereotypical "robotic" Aquarian traits are shown in how emotionally incompetent she is, too... but it's kind of cute, right?

*okay spoilers over for this section*

Pisces: Lapis Lazuli

The mutable water sign, Pisces, is the final sign of the zodiac, known for being dreamy, vague, compassionate, creative, and remarkably emotional. Being the last sign of the zodiac, they're said to have a little bit of each sign in them--fitting for the Mirror Gem herself.

*forgot to mention there are minor spoilers for this one*

Lapis Lazuli was a casualty of the Crystal Gem rebellion, and her gem was locked in a mirror after she was poofed. As a magic mirror, she had the ability to replay anything she had reflected.

Mercury, planet of communication, is in its fall and detriment in Pisces, so unconventional, roundabout forms of communication are kind of their "thing." Lapis couldn't talk as a mirror--she had to trim together various words/images to connect with Steven, so he could free her.

Pisces fills the roles of the zodiac's escapist, as well as its archetypal martyr. Lapis was stuck in her mirror and imprisoned, and used as a tool by the Crystal Gems for thousands of years before she was released by Steven, and imprisonment/solitude is a major theme with Lapis.

Pisces are a whirlpool of feels, and Lapis has had her fair share of emotional turmoil, LBR. She was struck down in the war, had her gem cracked, was locked and bound to a mirror for millennia, and when she finally left planet Earth, she was captured and brought right back!

Pisces are compassionate, with kaleidoscopic emotions and deep sensitivity. Like Lapis, they do what they can to help others, and they're generous and loving, but you can't hold them down for long--they have to "just keep swimming" and go their own way, and nothing can stop them.

Despite their generosity and compassion, Pisces can strike back with a quickness and ferocity if threatened. Lapis was subject to imprisonment, forcibly thrown into solitude, and abused time and time again by Gems from all sides of the war, and when she had enough, she snapped.

When she escaped the Earth and was immediately caught by Homeworld Gems, she cracked. She fused with Jasper, the Homeworld Gem that captured her, pretending that she'd help Jasper destroy the Crystal Gems, but then... she really went off the deep end.

She fused with Jasper, formed Malachite, and in rage-fueled act of vengeance, used her powers to imprison herself (+Jasper) under the crushing weight of Earth's ocean--not to defend the Crystal Gems, but to prove that she's NO ONE'S prisoner, and refuses to sacrifice her autonomy

Pisces' greatest strength lies in their emotional depth. When they feel strongly enough about anything, nothing can stand in their way. They know trauma, feel other people's feelings, and have experienced the entire spectrum of emotion.

Pisces' vagueness is shown by Lapis' unusual, mysterious background. Is she a good guy? Is she a bad guy? Where did she come from? What is her ultimate goal, her purpose? She blurs the lines between good and evil and really shakes up Steven's world when he meets her.

Eventually, Lapis forgives the Crystal Gems + joins the fight to defend planet Earth with them, and becomes a great asset to the team, showing her Piscean compassion + willingess to serve others!

Thanks for reading this thread y'all