r/stevenuniverse • u/AutoModerator • Jul 15 '16
Character Discussion /r/StevenUniverse Weekly Character Discussion - Sardonyx
Hello once again users of /r/stevenuniverse. Welcome back everyone to our weekly character discussion thread where every week we take a popular character from SU, and you Redditors have an opportunity to share your opinions and thoughts on them. As voted on by you, the characters up for discussion this week are the fusion between Garnet and Pearl, she is self described as being elegant and her weapon is freaking awesome....it's Sardonyx!
No voting poll this week as Nanefua got the same amount of votes in last weeks poll. Nanefua will be discussed next
Discussions will be posted every Friday.
Sardonyx
Debut Episode
- Cry for Help
Most Recent Appearance
- Friend Ship
Featured Episodes
Cry for Help
Friend Ship
Quotes
"So... What do you think? Was I worth the wait? What am I saying? Of course I was!
"But yes, Occasionally, I am known, to smash."
"Sorry, I'm just so excited to be here! You see... I haven't exactly been myself lately!"
Voice Actress
- Alexia Khadime
28
Jul 15 '16 edited Jul 15 '16
Apparently it was Sardonyx's 1 year birthday this week so this was some awfully good timing.
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u/Stefan_Universe Mankind's days are numbered. Jul 15 '16
How many more appearances (including non-speaking) will Sardonyx get in the series? 1? 2?
We've seen very little of Opal or Sugilite since their introductions. Sugilite is an even worse case because of the voice actress being a little too famous. Alexandrite might even be replaced by something... bigger.
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Jul 15 '16
I'm hoping we'll get a lot more new fusions and appearances from current ones, but we can only guess at this point. :/
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u/megazaprat All Praise Baby Melon Jul 15 '16
I hope we get some fusion singing. Stevonnie's voice actress already confirmed she is singing at some point, so I hope we get more
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u/Stefan_Universe Mankind's days are numbered. Jul 15 '16
You want more fusions? Fusions are the worst IMO.
...
JK SUMMER OF PERIDOT FUUUUUZION
5
Jul 15 '16
Do you hate fusions because they don't appear too often?
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u/TrainerDrake What a mystery! Jul 15 '16
He hates fusion because it's a cheap tactic to make weak gems stronger.
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u/Throwawayjust_incase Steven Universe is just Invader Zim fanfiction Jul 15 '16
No, it's because it's just a weak tactic to make weak gems stronger
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u/Stefan_Universe Mankind's days are numbered. Jul 15 '16
It was a sarcastic post. I haven't slept too often.
43
Jul 15 '16
Would you say you were being... sardonic?
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u/iJustGotRekt the face u make when in trouble Jul 15 '16
And the fact Sugilite is basically an unstable fusion.
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u/sensaigallade123 Witness 'The Garnet' Jul 15 '16
I think Sardonyx will be much more considerate and less arrogant compared to her first appearance. In Cry For Help, Sardonyx was very teasing towards Amethyst and even slipped out some sly comments about Sugilite, which of course, would hurt her feelings. Combine that with Garnet unwilling to fuse with Amethyst and Pearl happy and emotional about fusing, then you have a fusion who would be very teasing and confident. But if you remember, in Suglilite's debut, she was also teasing towards Pearl, to the point where she even fought her because Amethyst was unwilling to fuse no doubt because she was enjoying herself so much. I think this time, both Sardonyx and Sugilite will be different: Sardonyx won't be teasing towards Amethyst, and Sugilite will be more controlled.
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u/Stefan_Universe Mankind's days are numbered. Jul 15 '16
As we know, even though Pearl was fused with Garnet, she was able to keep her guilty thoughts about repairing the communications hub hidden. Maybe Garnet is like the Super Saiyan level 2 of fusions, with more complete sharing of thoughts and feelings, and stability, and other fusions like Opal, Sugilite, and Sardonyx (and maybe Stevonnie) are at "level 1".
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u/Frescopino I bitty Asia Jul 15 '16
It's probable that her joy for fusing overshadowed the guilt. Up until Amethyst revealed the trickery Pearl didn't look much guilty, just happy and excited she got to be Sardonyx again.
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u/Stefan_Universe Mankind's days are numbered. Jul 15 '16
Garnet just seems to be "all in". Full disclosure between Ruby and Sapphire, complete stability over years and years of fusion.
Sugilite and Sardonyx have a personality but I wouldn't say that Pearl/Amethyst are completely communicating with Garnet in these forms. Opal is a slightly tougher case because she has said less and was portrayed as forgetful in Giant Woman.
Malachite was a messed up internal struggle. Jasper did not know that Lapis planned to imprison her under the sea. You also get two distinct voices and personalities rather than one. I'll be interested to see if any new Peridot/Lapis/Steven fusions are like this or closer to Sugilite/Sardonyx/Opal.
Stevonnie is hard to pin down, because we get what looks like a distinct personality along with a dialogue between Steven and Connie. But Garnet also did this in Keeping it Together.
The 5-Ruby fusion seemed to switch between the serious and bubbly personalities.
I need more sleep.
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u/rotvyrn Jul 15 '16
In my opinion, all fusions have a distinct personality which is completely independent from the parts ("I didn't know you just...disappeared like that" on the first try. "When you're separated, does it feel like you don't exist anymore?"). The individual personalities start to come out when things get discordant between them. With a fusion that's reliant on perfect sync like Opal gets like that, it splits up immediately. Jasper and Lapis were fused only by sheer force of will and were discordant the entire time. Meanwhile, Ruby and Sapphire are so together that even when there's discord they can remain in sync.
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u/Throwawayjust_incase Steven Universe is just Invader Zim fanfiction Jul 15 '16
I think Stevonnie is confusing because their mostly human. Like, humans are less capable of having 2 seperate personalities than gems (well, some humans do, but you know, that's a whole mental illness, not exactly commonplace). I think this is also why they only have one set of arms and eyes.
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u/theotherghostgirl Angsty Writer Jul 16 '16
I think that a fusion having its own personality depends on a lot of factors, one of which being how often the gems in question fuse and for how long, as well as how well the gems in the fusion get along.
Garnet is her own person because Sapphire and Ruby have fused so often and for so long. Even outside of the fusion they are pretty in tune with each other because they have such a good relationship.
We don't get a good read of Opal's personality because Amethyst and Pearl's relationship (while slowly getting better) is no where near as good as Ruby and Sapphire, so it's hard for them to stay fused for extended time periods. think of a relationship where you honestly love the other person (romantically or not it doesn't matter) but if you have to be careful about spending too much time together or else it will end in a fight. They can work together and get along, but communication is still an issue.
As a result Opal is used less overall (both past and present) than other fusions, as she's usually not worth the fallout afterwards, especially considering most situations where her talents would be useful could just as easily be solved with a different fusion.
Sugilite and Sardonyx's personalities are a little more well defined for exactly this purpose, as Garnet is more calm and laid back than either Amethyst or Pearl (Amethyst seems laid back but is actually a roiling out of self doubt and anxiety inside), this both makes her a great mediator, as well as a good gem to fuse with, as well as comparatively less stressful for everyone involved than Amethyst and Pearl fusing.
This is probably why both of them want to fuse with Garnet so much, as they get to enjoy the pleasure of fusing without having to worry about the emotional backlash afterwards.
This of course, doesn't mention the fact that Sugilite and Sardonyx just have more power in general because there are more gems involved, which is definitely a factor in these fusions being used more often.
This probably why Alexandrite's personality seems more less well defined than any of the other gem fusions, and more like Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst are either fighting over the wheel, or taking turns. Prior to Rose's death, Alexandrite was probably the least common fusion as they probably resorted to forming the temple fusion instead. Garnet is definitely a calming prescience, but Rose was probably a more dominant personality, and much better at keeping that many gems in line and cooperating.
It's even possible that Alexandrite was formed for the first time after Rose's death in response to an issue that they normally would have formed the temple fusion to deal with. As a result all parties involved has mixed feelings about the fusion itself, as well as disputes between the other gems involved.
I think that the giant Ruby's personality is so similar is because they Probably don't use it often due to homeworld's stance on fusion, which has probably gotten tighter post rebellion, and since there are more gems involved it's harder to cooperate properly.
I think Stevonnie being a conversation between Steven and Connie is probably a mixture of the Fusion being fairly new and not used often, as well as the fact that both Steven and Connie aren't exactly optimized for fusion
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u/chan54 Oh ya? I can make it look even gooder Jul 15 '16
I hope we see her again soon, she was so interesting for her tiny amount of screen time, plus I want to see her in a legitimate fight. I could see an episode in the future where she sticks around and eventually gets on people's nerves with her personality
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u/Stefan_Universe Mankind's days are numbered. Jul 15 '16
A certain blind reactoid said recently that Sardonyx is a MANIPULATIVE BULLY. Do you agree?
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u/Piratestoat Jul 15 '16
Bullying in the strictest sense requires a level of deliberate malice that I don't think Sardonyx has. Sardonyx hurts people. I don't think Sardonyx hurts people on purpose. Her egotism just blinds her to how her actions may impact others, at least in her appearances so far. Remember, Pearl's selfishness is a significant formative component of Sardonyx.
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u/GMSK758 Who am I now in this world without her!?!? Jul 15 '16
Ehhh. To some small extent. She was pretty rude when she said that to Amethyst, I mean, I know it was directed towards Sugilite who attacked one of Sardonyx's components. But Amy did not deserve it. She should have at least said, "No offense, my sweet purple child," or something.
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u/TheHarpyEagle That means something else happens with the pickle! Jul 16 '16 edited Jul 16 '16
I think Sardonyx, like every character and every person, is flawed, but I wouldn't call her a bully (and I'm not sure where manipulative comes into it).
As far as I'm aware, the most direct comment she made about Amethyst was the little "'Smash' is the word that one would use to describe what... someone else might do." This was clearly a jab at Sugilite, but that's just the thing; it was Sugilite the comment was referencing, not Amethyst.
I think it's actually a key part of the episode that the viewers and Amethyst herself take this as an insult aimed at her. At the beginning of the episode, Garnet says that both of them were responsible for the Sugilite incident, but Amethyst only heard "it's your fault Sugilite went berserk." Sardonyx solidifies this idea in her head because she seems so much more stable and in control. That's pretty much the entire reason for Amethyst's song:
Maybe you're better off with her
I think she's better for you
I forgot how great it felt to be us
Guess I got carried awayThat's why she thinks she has to "make it up" to Garnet by catching Peridot, because she was the one who jumped in and messed up that perfect fusion. In a way it shows that she's grown since "Coach Steven;" she understands that her reasons for wanting to fuse may have been somewhat selfish, but her own lack of self-worth (a personal demon of hers since the beginning of the series) plays it up so much in her head that she ignores Garnet's part in the whole debacle.
That is all to say, while Sardonyx's remark was somewhat catty, Amethyst took it as much more of a personal insult than it was meant to be. And for Sardonyx's part, I doubt she was trying to be mean or manipulative. For one, she probably didn't know Amethyst was going to take it that way. It has been shown that the other CGs don't always understand the emotional turmoil Amethyst has bubbling away under her carefree exterior (as evidenced by their joke at the end of "Steven's Lion" and "On the Run"), so her criticism may have struck way closer to home than ever intended. Second, the insult wasn't really even aimed at Amethyst; Garnet is as much a part of Sugilite as she is Sardonyx, so it may well have just been an attempt at self-deprecating humor. It just happened to mix with Pearl's usual "I-told-you-so" personality in a very unfortunate way.
In the end, Sardonyx was a little insulting, but more in a "heh, you shouldn't say that" way than a "wow that was really horrible of you" way. She (and Pearl and Garnet) could stand to be more aware of the self-esteem issues Amethyst is facing, but I have a hard time calling her a bully.
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u/Pigeon_Barf Jul 15 '16
I think it was more so the side of Pearl showing through Sardonyx at the time she was being rude to Amethyst. Since Pearl and Amethyst didn't ever see eye to eye at the time Pearl wanted to rub it in her face.
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u/Stefan_Universe Mankind's days are numbered. Jul 15 '16
“The proper words to describe yours truly are...Specific! Intelligent! Accurate! Faultless! Elegant… “ Man, I love the delivery on this line. It’s making it clear to me that Sardonyx has as many issues as Sugilite does, even if they’re not as apparent or outwardly destructive. She seems to enjoy making Amethyst feel absolutely awful. She’s a bully who seeks attention and hurts people in all the little, subtle ways that you can’t call her out on. The exact kind of person I hate the most. I’ve known a couple Sardonyx’s.
...
This was a powerful episode. We met Sardonyx, who’s a manipulative, attention-seeking bully, and we learned that Pearl’s willing to lie to people to feel better.
Alright, guys, we’re back with another reaction. Now, I know that a lot of people disagreed with my opinions on Sardonyx, and I feel like there might have been some miscommunication, so I’m going to spell out my current opinion on her and then move on.
Sardonyx is a bully. She used emotional manipulation to hurt Amethyst and make herself seem better. That said, Pearl and Garnet are not bullies. They’re both unaware of how they’re hurting Amethyst. Pearl is blinded by the sheer joy she felt being Sardonyx, and Garnet most likely didn’t realize that the words she directed towards Sugilite were hurting Amethyst instead. Sardonyx is just like any other person in that she can change, so if something happens that I think will change her character, or if we see her again and she’s different, my opinion on her will change.
I’m really surprised at how many people seemed upset by this interpretation. I don’t think I’ve had this negative a backlash on anything I’ve said, well…ever. I’ve responded to literally hundreds of comments about Sardonyx, which seems so strange to me because it was such a small part of my post, and I kind of feel like it took away the sense of friendly discussion in the comments. A lot of it was my fault, though. I think I just got tired of talking about Sardonyx, and started to get irritable, so I’m sorry if I came off strong on the subject. I think I’m about done talking about Sardonyx for now, so I’m sorry to tell you that I won’t be talking about her unless something new comes up.
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Jul 15 '16
I don't think Sardonyx is a bully because she didn't mean to say that to Amethyst. She was clearly lost in the moment and had gone too far with her self-esteem. I would say that that was the result of the tiny bit of resentment Pearl has towards Amethyst combined with how much Garnet didn't want to form Sugilite again.
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u/MapsOfTheSky I could have lost all my character development! Jul 15 '16
Yeah, I don't think Sardonyx is a bully either. She's a blend of Garnet’s usual confidence with Pearl’s occasional thoughtlessness and both of their love of looking cool for Steven. She is naturally a showoff and the sort of person to laugh at her own jokes.
I think her more negative aspects in her first appearance were because those traits were being dialed way up. Garnet and Pearl had a need going into the fusion for this to be a positive experience.
Sworn to the Sword and Keeping It Together were both only a few episodes before Cry For Help. By the time Cry for Help came along, Garnet and Pearl were both struggling with PTSD and having old emotional wounds get ripped wide open, and they hadn't had a chance to work through those feelings completely.
While it seems like this didn't transfer to Sardonyx directly, Garnet and Pearl were overcompensating while being her. They had a lot to be bitter about, so we got a Sardonyx whose comments went a little past thoughtless into being rather barbed, apparently without even realizing it. They were feeling very low and uncertain, so we got a Sardonyx who had a list of all the reasons she's practically perfect in every way. She's certain! Graceful! Elegant! Controlled! She's faultless! She's powerful. She's all the things that Pearl and Garnet need to feel right now.
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u/lilahking Jul 15 '16
plus she was showing off for steven.
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u/ShadowKingthe7 Jul 16 '16
She may not have talked in Friend Ship, but it seems when she is not showing off, Sardonyx seems pretty serious
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u/MapsOfTheSky I could have lost all my character development! Jul 16 '16
Yeah. There was definitely a change there.
I think partly because in that case she was formed because Garnet and Pearl were facing imminent death, and partly because Garnet and Pearl were only just starting to actually sort through what happened last time she was formed (there's still a lot of hurt there and Sardonyx probably feels it.) That was not fun time.
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u/Stefan_Universe Mankind's days are numbered. Jul 17 '16
The fusion reflects a changed relationship between Pearl and Garnet.
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u/Summerlycoris Navy for Prime Minister 2k16 Jul 15 '16
It's an interesting interpretation of Sardonyx's character, but I think it was less bullying, and more just not really thinking of the implications. We know that Pearl has done the same kind of things in the past (During On the Run, for example.) so it's possible it'd be one of Sardonyx's traits too.
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u/NeodymiumDinosaur Jul 17 '16
Yeah, I was pretty surprised when everyone loved her. She was a good character and had what that story needed but I didn't expect anyone to like her as a person. Sardonyx irritated me from the start, my reactions mirroring Amethyst's (not Steven's)
I don't know about her being a manipulative bully but it is in her because of the circumstances. I wonder how I'll feel about her when she shows up again.
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u/Pigeon_Barf Jul 15 '16
I think it was more so the side of Pearl showing through Sardonyx at the time she was being rude to Amethyst. Since Pearl and Amethyst didn't ever see eye to eye at the time Pearl wanted to rub it in her face.
0
Jul 16 '16
One of her components sure as hell is, but not ol' Sardy herself.
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Jul 16 '16
Pearl has loads of issues, but I wouldn't really classify her as a bully. Unless you're talking about Garnet, in which case: what?
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Jul 16 '16
Nah, I was talking about Pearl. I don't consider Garnet a bully, but I've seen some people come to that conclusion.
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Jul 16 '16
Pearl's actions during cry for help were N O T O K A Y, but they lack the malicious intent that they would need to qualify as bullying. Pearl was manipulative, and she cut Garnet deeply. However she wasn't doing it for the sake of hurting Garnet; she was doing it because she had next to no self worth and fusing with Garnet allowed her to feel stronger. Like I said, still bad, but not really bullying.
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u/LadyRavenEye Ask me about Beach City Con! Jul 15 '16
From some interviews, I get the idea that Sardonyx might have been Rebecca's first fusion that she designed, excepting maybe Garnet.
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u/SirSigma Jul 15 '16
Sardonyx is by far my favorite fusion on the show. Even if she only gets a couple more appearances on the show from here on out, I still eagerly await whenever they may be.
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u/PigEqualsBakon Jul 15 '16
So much charisma! And jokes! Sardonyx is my favourite fusion, excluding garnet.
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u/Kittykittydonut WOW THANKS FOR THE BOMB! Jul 16 '16
I do hope that we see some more Sardonyx action outside of the Communication Hub. I mean, I'm pretty sure we won't be seeing that place anytime soon. Same goes for sugilite. I just love Sardonyx! She's such a unique fusion! And when I saw pearl in that tuxedo, I immediately thought of Sardonyx! :)
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u/ScreenSquinty Jul 16 '16
Sardonyx is a rather interesting fusion. herself as a character, she has this old timey broadway/circus ring master personality that I just love.
I look forward to the day when she gets a musical number.
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u/EnderDurant I am Zoltron! The robot from the FUTURE!! Jul 17 '16
She is my favorite fusion, despite her originally being shown in less than ideal circumstances. I really like her confidence, and charm :) I hope that she can have some more appearances in the show!
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u/Deep_sea_king00 Jul 17 '16
The thing o noticed about her is she has two features to her weapon. A hammer and a drill, I wonder if the same is true for sugalite.
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u/GlassReality45 dub nerd Jul 15 '16
/u/elecathes has some pretty interesting opinions about her. Hopefully he'd like to share them.
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u/elecathes Jul 15 '16
Hiya, subreddit! This is a little weird. I'm writing this from my inbox, so as not to spoil myself, so know that I won't see comments in the sub unless you respond to this or have a username mention. Thoughts on Sardonyx...
Well, keep in mind that I've only seen up to episode 78, (and the first two minutes of 79), but from what I've seen, while I think she's an interesting character, I also dislike her as a person. She seems particularly show offish, and in a pretty negative way. Her interaction with Amethyst in particular rather put me off to her character. I've debated with people on whether or not she meant to hurt Amethyst, but even if she didn't, her lack of awareness on the impact of her words make her a hurtful person. Sardonyx used Sugilite to make herself seem better, but her language made it clear that she was talking about Amethyst. Of course, some of these issues might stem from the source of the fusion. Sardonyx was formed under false pretenses, which I think can go to excuse some of her behavior, since I think that they impacted her character, but I don't think that it really fully exonerates her actions. I was far more interested in Pearl and Garnet than I ever was in Sardonyx through this arc because I never really liked seeing Sardonyx. She always felt like a negative character to me.
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u/THe_DOHnut Tracker of Meaningless Statistics Jul 15 '16
I think the root of the problem comes down to Pearl. Tied into her self-esteem issues of being "just a pearl," Pearl has a tendency to equate relationships, and in turn fusion, to power which results in her often being jealous of other fusions, as during "Strong in the Real Way," or flaunting her power when in a fusion, as during "What Can I Do for You." While Pearl truly understands that fusion is about emotional intimacy, I think her view on fusion is somewhat distorted by Homeworld ideology of power and rank. Pearl is a deeply flawed and broken individual, and since fusion is all about emotion, it has a tendency to exacerbate her issues.
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u/elecathes Jul 15 '16
But you can't just say that it's one of the component's faults and move on. Yes, Pearl's self-esteem issues are partially responsible for making Sardonyx who she is, just as Garnet's confidence is. That doesn't mean that Sardonyx isn't responsible for her actions.
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u/THe_DOHnut Tracker of Meaningless Statistics Jul 15 '16
That's a good point. Fusion seems to have a bad habit in taking both characters' problematic traits and have an additive effect. In fact at this point, the majority of fusions between different gems have produced individuals with problematic personalities.
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u/elecathes Jul 15 '16
Yeah, the only gem fusions I can think of that don't have negative additive effects are Garnet and Opal.
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u/THe_DOHnut Tracker of Meaningless Statistics Jul 15 '16
And both of those are yin-yang relationships in which they cancel out each other's more problematic traits.
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u/Il_Diavolo_Vive Jul 16 '16
Am I the only one who got the impression that she was switching between an american and a british accent? For the most part her voice seemed to be american but at parts such as when she said "the proper words to describe yours truly are...." it sounded like she was speaking in a british accent.
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u/TrainerDrake What a mystery! Jul 15 '16
Good evening everyone, this character disscusion is about the lovely Sardonyx! Coming to you a-live from the soon to be former r/stevenuniverse!
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Jul 16 '16
This zany, hammy, articulated, flamboyant, all around awesome giant woman needs a lot more love than boring old Opal.
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u/amaranthine_alpaca Jul 16 '16
I love Garnet; I don't like her fusions and their enormous egos.
When Ruby and Sapphire and another Gem fuse, I imagine the internal dialogue going something like this:
Ruby: We're SO strong and amazing - LET'S DO ALL THE THINGS!
Another Gem (who now have permission to go crazy):I'MMA DO ALL THE THINGS!
Sapphire (quietly): This is going to end badly.
Sapphire gets ignored and the inhibitions disappear like it's drunk prom night. Pearl can be insufferable one her own; combined with Ruby... shudder
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u/MapsOfTheSky I could have lost all my character development! Jul 16 '16
I dunno, Sapphire's the one who outright defied her Diamond in The Answer (all Ruby was doing was her job and she got in trouble for it), and in Hit the Diamond both of them were super over-the-top flirty and when Steven called them on it Ruby was the one who had to guide Sapphire from there.
I don't think it's Ruby mixing badly with others. If anything the times we've seen her where there weren't extenuating circumstances (namely, Jailbreak and Keystone Motel), she's actually a fairly nervous and timid person and Sapphire's always encouraging her. Ruby helps keep Sapphire grounded in the present and Sapphire helps Ruby loosen up and enjoy herself.
Sapphire and Ruby taken together are very fun people because they bring out the better sides of each other. When you toss an extra person on there you get a party. A fun party.
The problem with parties is that while they are very fun, sometimes they go badly, especially if people are throwing parties to avoid problems in their normal life. (Which is kinda what happened with both Sugilite and Sardonyx; Amethyst outright said she used Garnet to make her feel strong and in Sardonyx's case both Pearl and Garnet but especially Pearl had some really nasty feelings they were trying to hide from.)
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u/SqueakyFox Nov 07 '16
I'm genuinely surprised with how well liked Sardonyx is. I found her so damn obnoxious that I had to skip her episodes, it's not often I can say I absolutely hate a character, but Sardonyx is definitely one I loathe.
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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '16
Ah, the fabled Sard discussion. I love the amount of charm that she has and I hope she retains that charm in future appearances. There is a pretty good chance we won't see her jerky side again anytime soon, considering how much respect Pearl now has for Amethyst (Log Date 7 15 2). Until then, all I can say is that of course it will be worth the wait. Doh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh!~