Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe)

Lapis Lazuli is a character from the animated television series Steven Universe. She is a recurring secondary character who is introduced in the season 1 episode "Mirror Gem". Like other Gems in the series, she is a highly advanced alien being made of light who has special abilities given to her by her gemstone. She is voiced by Jennifer Paz.

Lapis Lazuli
Steven Universe character
First appearance	Mirror Gem September 25, 2014
Last appearance	The Future March 27, 2020
Created by	Rebecca Sugar
Voiced by	Jennifer Paz
In-universe information
Race	Gem
Occupation	Informant (formerly) Teacher (currently)
Affiliation	The Crystal Gems
Origin	Gem Homeworld

Creation

Series creator Rebecca Sugar described her as "an old self-insert character (she) created in high school", who is alienated, depressed and struggles to form relationships, which Sugar struggled with when she was younger.^[1]

Character biography

Thousands of years ago, during the great Gem War on Earth, Lapis was defeated and her gemstone was attached to a mirror, where she was imprisoned for all that time. Steven discovers her in the episode "Mirror Gem" in season 1 and frees her. Lapis used to work with Homeworld Gems, but rebels against them and becomes a recurring ally of the Crystal Gems starting in the season 3 episode "Same Old World". She is coldhearted and distant towards most characters, and trusts nobody except Steven for the majority of the series. She has dealt with frequent trauma and abuse in the past and regularly takes it out on other characters. She initially hates Peridot, whom she used to work with, but the two of them make up and live together in a barn for a portion of the series. She becomes a recurring character as of Steven Universe: The Movie and resides in Little Homeworld.^{[citation needed]}

Like other gems, Lapis can shapeshift and fuse with other Gems to create a new being. She has hydrokinesis; she can manipulate water and fly by creating wings made of water. In the episode "Why So Blue?" from Steven Universe Future, it's revealed that Lapis used to destroy planets without a second thought.^[2]

Reception

Like Peridot, Lapis Lazuli has been strongly praised both in and out of the Steven Universe fandom. She has been praised by a writer for The Dot and Line for her portrayal of surviving trauma.^[3]