Why Is Steven Universe‘s Garnet Sexy? (And Does She Have To Be?)

There’s nothing I could say about this article that this sly, knowing wink doesn’t already say.
Source: Steven Universe Wiki

I’m often the master of jumping on bandwagons late. Most of that is over-cautiousness; I don’t want to be the guy that got all hyped up for something only to find out that it was lackluster or worse, detrimental.

To that end, I have my reasons for not getting into Steven Universe until now. But, rest assured, it’s a fun show with a lot of well built and complex characters (everyone has their merits and hang-ups) that dares to challenge a younger audience with tougher, progressive ideas.

But one question about the show has been bouncing in my head lately that I’d like to present to you…

Why is Garnet so FREAKING hot?!

Now, when I say ‘why’, I’m not asking what makes Garnet the sultry amazon of The Crystal Gems; that much is obvious. She has a strong personality, a cool demeanor, is highly intelligent and wise, is capable of taking care of herself, and has very loving nature. Even on a visual design level, few people can resist the allure of her mysterious gaze from behind those hater-blocker shades that hide her bright, inviting, and captivating eyes. And that’s not to mention her plush, full lips and exaggerated figure courtesy of that staple of animated ladies – the Hartman Hips.

No, I mean to ask why she was made to be so easily sexualized. Does her ‘sexy and I know it’ schtick have any deeper meaning?

And, you know what? I think there is.

To bring the rest of us up to speed, Garnet is an outlier from her fellow gems in that she is Gem Fusion – the result of two other gems combining into a single gestalt form. This new gem has a personality and abilities that blend those of the constituent parts to make something greater than the sum of their parts.

… And Garnet takes all of this VERY seriously.

She is the only gem we’ve seen so far that has made the conscious decision to stay fused. And there’s a good reason for that – her two halves, Ruby and Sapphire, are crazy in love with each other and that makes Garnet the physical embodiment of that love by extension. Think of her as the world’s curviest, ass-kicking wedding ring.

Once you accept that Fusion in the Steven Universe… universe… is a metaphor for love and unity, then you’ll start to apply that logic to all of the aspects of romance. And yes, that leads into sexuality as well.

Basically, Garnet needs to be sexy – to evoke the feelings of love and attraction on sight alone – because she’s the one that has to carry the message of love and it’s burden throughout the series. Whether it’s helping a young couple understand this new phase of their lives together, putting down a mean girl that wants to break up a healthy relationship, or coming face to face with a terrifyingly PC rape metaphor, it’s her job to show that real love always wins.

If Steven Universe is a modern Greek myth, Garnet is our Aphrodite – coming down from Olympus to preach the gospel of the heart.

P.S.: To all of you who found this by accident while looking for dirty Garnet fanart, I hope you learned something and you are welcome. :)