History Characters / StevenUniversePearl

-->'''Pearl:''' Everything I ever did...I did for her. Now she's gone, but I'm still here.

* AmbiguouslyBi: She is clearly attracted to women, yet it’s possible that she also likes human men. In "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E17HistoricalFriction Historical Friction]]" she seems to understand when it comes to handsomeness, yet in the same episode, when Bill Dewey attempts to flirt with her, she walks away to find another chair away from him. Though that incident might have been because she was put off by his arrogance. Later, when he thanks her for restoring his legacy, she replies by calling him a friend and patting his head. Or it's possible that she just has a grudge against men in general, considering that's all her LoveInterest Rose brought home.

* AmbiguouslyBi: She is clearly attracted to women, yet it’s possible that she also likes men. In "[[StevenUniverseS2E17HistoricalFriction Historical Friction]]" she seems to understand when it comes to handsomeness, yet in the same episode, when Bill Dewey attempts to flirt with her, she walks away to find another chair away from him. Though that incident might have been because she was put off by his arrogance. Later, when he thanks her for restoring his legacy, she replies by calling him a friend and patting his head. Or it's possible that she just has a grudge in men in general, considering that's all her LoveInterest Rose brought home.

* AmbiguouslyBi: She is clearly attracted to women, yet it’s possible that she also likes men. In "StevenUniverseS2E17HistoricalFriction Historical Friction]]" she seems to understand when it comes to handsomeness, yet in the same episode, when Bill Dewey attempts to flirt with her, she walks away to find another chair away from him. Though that incident might have been because she was put off by his arrogance. Later, when he thanks her for restoring his legacy, she replies by calling him a friend and patting his head. Or it's possible that she just has a grudge in men in general, considering that's all her LoveInterest Rose brought home.

A perfectionist and intellectual strategist, Pearl is the mental powerhouse of the Gems. She strives for structure and logic and gets easily flustered when things don't go as planned. She is driven to keep things orderly, and is most protective of Steven. The slightest hint of endangering Rose's son will immediately result in Pearl seeking to get him to safety. She also is a little nervous, has some trouble speaking emotionally when others are upset, and is a little quietly resentful that her strengths are not ones Steven considers admirable.

!!!'''Voiced by:''' Deedee Magno-Hall

* AmbiguouslyBi: She is clearly attracted to women, yet it’s possible that she also likes men. In “HistoricalFriction” she seems to understand when it comes to handsomeness, yet in the same episode, when Bill Dewey attempts to flirt with her, she walks away to find another chair away from him. Though that incident might have been because she was put off by his arrogance. Later, when he thanks her for restoring his legacy, she replies by calling him a friend and patting his head. Ot’s Possible that she just has a grudge in men in general, considering that’s all her LoveInterest arose brought home.

* NonStandardCharacterDesign: She is the only Pearl we've seen with multiple colors. [[spoiler:Notably, she seems to have used the varied color scheme even when she was Pink Diamond's Pearl, instead of adopting her Diamond's colors as Blue and Yellow Pearls do.]]

* CheatedAngle: Because Pearl's most distinguished facial feature is her conical nose, her face is rarely shown from the front; [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/steven-universe/images/f/f2/Tumblr_mvtnqhEzPf1smn4pqo2_1280.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20131106225351 her model sheet]] doesn't even have a front view. Even when the rest of her face seems to be pointing directly at the camera, her nose is slightly turned to [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/steven-universe/images/c/c3/So_Many_Birthdays_062.png/revision/latest?cb=20151218194118 one direction]] or [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/steven-universe/images/9/96/An_Indirect_Kiss_034.png/revision/latest?cb=20160424175145 another]]. One time we're shown a horizontally centered low shot, it's ([[RuleOfFunny very deliberately]]) [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/steven-universe/images/7/7f/Monster_Buddies_246.png/revision/latest?cb=20161007063403 strange-looking]]. In her song "It's Over, Isn't It?", Pearl has an entire 360-degree spinning shot focused on her, and they ''still'' manage to never have her look directly at the camera.

* RetractableWeapon: Her spear has a shorter [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/steven-universe/images/b/b1/Pearl%27s_Spear_Model_Sheet.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20131106225408 "wand" form.]]

* CheatedAngle: Because Pearl's most distinguished facial feature is her conical nose, her face is rarely shown from the front; [[http://steven-universe.wikia.com/wiki/File:Tumblr_mvtnqhEzPf1smn4pqo2_1280.jpg her model sheet]] doesn't even have a front view. Even when the rest of her face seems to be pointing directly at the camera, her nose is slightly turned to [[http://steven-universe.wikia.com/wiki/File:So_Many_Birthdays_062.png one direction]] or [[http://steven-universe.wikia.com/wiki/File:An_Indirect_Kiss_034.png another]]. One time we're shown a horizontally centered low shot, it's ([[RuleOfFunny very deliberately]]) [[http://steven-universe.wikia.com/wiki/File:Monster_Buddies_246.png strange-looking]]. In her song "It's Over, Isn't It?", Pearl has an entire 360-degree spinning shot focused on her, and they ''still'' manage to never have her look directly at the camera.

* RetractableWeapon: Her spear has a shorter [[http://steven-universe.wikia.com/wiki/File:Pearl%27s_Spear_Model_Sheet.jpg "wand" form.]]

** In modern society, pearls are on par with diamonds for being a symbol of wealth and status. On the Gem Homeworld, Pearls are a slave-race of servants that their owners purchase as a status symbol.

** She was quite proud knowing that Rose confided in ''her alone'' the location of some of her deepest secrets, but when Steven reveals that Lion had already showed it to him, she became very upset by the fact that Rose hadn't truly confided everything in her and takes it out on Steven in [[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E45RosesScabbard "Rose's Scabbard"]].

** Raised UpToEleven in "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E18ASinglePaleRose A Single Pale Rose]]", where we discover that [[spoiler:Pearl was the only person who knew the Rose's true identity as Pink Diamond]].

** Of someone with an InferioritySuperiorityComplex. Pearl's ego is frail due to how she lived in Homeworld where those of her Gem class were considered mere "pretty decoration" and status symbols, and her confidence was maintained and grew thanks to Rose's presence. But, once Rose was gone, most of Pearl's confidence took a nose dive. She doesn't know how to act naturally confident without using someone else to project herself her own issues on. This come ahead in [[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E14CryForHelp "Cry for Help"]].

** On a more personal level, why her and Rose did not work out like she wanted it to: [[spoiler:Because Pearl is a servant first and foremost, it's how she frames her relationship toward Rose/Pink Diamond. She clearly indulged in the position of Rose's confidant and being treated equally, but Pearl never grasped what Pink Diamond was looking for in an equal partner Pink wanted someone to love her for who she was and out of choice while Pearl put her on a pedestal and later it's heavily implied that she was ''made'' to love Pink, replacing her original Pink Pearl. While she was not blind to her faults, she was pretty content with what they have while Pink was looking for more, to change, and to grow. It's ulimately why Rose chose to be with Greg as the latter demanded to be treated with respect in equal and helped Rose grow and become better, empathizing with her better than Pearl ever could. Even now, it appears she has not grasped what was it Pink really wanted, or at least, does not fully understand.]]
* TheDreaded: [[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E25TheAnswer "The Answer"]] reveals she was this to the Homeworld Gems during the rebellion, with Garnet referring to her as Rose's "terrifying renegade Pearl". The fact she curbstomped two Quartz Gems shows why.

* ExpressiveHair: Her hair droops and becomes noticeable disheveled when she gets stabbed in the gut. It also sticks straight up when she panics in [[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E4SayUncle "Say Uncle"]], and [[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E13SoManyBirthdays "So Many Birthdays"]].

** A subtle one, but Pearl has a habit of having an frame-set of obsessing over the past. It makes her unable to move forward in a productive manner. [[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E6LastOneOutOfBeachCity "Last One Out of Beach City"]] has her actively trying to resolve this flaw so she can move on. [[spoiler:It seems to be working, considering in the episode she willingly went to a concert with Amethyst and Steven as well as crushed on and got the number of a woman (admittedly one who looks like a human Rose gone wild, but it's a step in the right direction).]]

* GaggingOnYourWords: Whenever Pink Diamond is brought up in conversation, she is prone to cover her mouth. While at first it comes across as a [[CharacterTics nervous tic]] [[ShellShockedVeteran brought on by war memories]], "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E6Gemcation Gemcation]]" implies that it is something ingrained into her to an almost pavlovian degree, actively getting in the way of her talking about it to Steven. [[spoiler:In "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E18ASinglePaleRose A Single Pale Rose]]", it is revealed that her owner Rose Quartz (who was actually ''Pink Diamond'' this whole time) gave her her last decree as a Diamond — to tell no one the truth about her identity — complete with having her cover her mouth with her hands as she did so.]]

* InsecureLoveInterest: [[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E9SwornToTheSword "Sworn to the Sword"]] has Pearl [[ItMakesSenseInContext using a song and Connie as frames]], to indirectly refer to herself as a "nothing" when in comparison to Rose, whom she deeply loved.

* KlingonsLoveShakespeare: Despite her general lack of understanding when it comes to human culture she is shown to enjoy music to some degree. However, she has extremely strange taste in music, for example one of her favorite "songs" is a commercial jingle for a car mechanic called "Cam's Cam Shafts".

* LovingAShadow: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. Despite her deep and lingering obsessive love for Rose Quartz, there are multiple hints that her adoration prevented her from seeing certain [[JustForPun facets]] of their relationship and of Rose herself. Aside from the secrets Rose kept, the DramaticIrony section of her profile here notes how there was much about Rose's philosophy that Pearl didn't understand. [[spoiler: With the reveal that she knew that she used to be Pink Diamond and Pearl used to be her servant, it is unknown if Pearl truly loved her as who she really was or her current identity more, though she begins to acknowledge Rose/Pink's flaws and grow out of this unhealthy obsession]].

* ShippingTorpedo: Jealous of his relationship with Rose, Pearl makes a point to flaunt her and Rose's passionate fusion dance in front of Greg, rub in his face that fusing is something that she can do with Rose that he can't, and tell him that he's nothing but a "phase" for Rose, all in the the flashback in [[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E12WeNeedToTalk "We Need to Talk"]]. Ironically, it backfired on her as this was what prompted Greg to get closer to Rose and furthermore, help Rose gain a better understanding of loving an individual and thus falling for Greg.

* StepfordSnarker: One of the way she hides her own insecurities is by snarking at Amethyst's (perceived) shortcomings. This largely disappears after season one though.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: {{Downplayed}}. Pearl displays the most traits of a NobleBigot and has a hard time taking people's feelings into consideration, but she loves her friends and has made an oath to protect the planet Earth from Homeworld.

* PinkMeansFeminine: Half of her past outfit in [[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E18ASinglePaleRose "A Single Pale Rose"]] is this.

** {{Deconstructed}}; Pearl tried to act as a bodyguard to [[TheAce Rose]], but she got herself involved in fights she could not win, even though Rose could have handled them. {{Reconstructed}} as well; when your ''feared'' bodyguard is a lowly Pearl, it speaks volumes about just how serious a threat you are.

* TheSouthpaw: She often wields her spear in her left hand, though this may vary on occasion. Being as she can also duel-wield, she may also be ambidextrous. It is also possible the concept of left-handedness/right-handedness may not doesn't even apply to Gems.

* BadassGay: By virtue of her physical and mental prowess and her [[http://web.archive.org/web/20160704002810/https:/twitter.com/mcburnett/status/611651923100307456 romantic feelings]] for another Gem, Pearl definitely qualifies. Granted, she's of the [[DiscountLesbians discount]] variety (due to being a sexless alien who only ''appears'' to be female), but still. She later has an instant and gigantic crush on [[spoiler:a human girl who looks startlingly like Rose Quartz]].

* {{Adorkable}}: Starts to blush and stutter when she's proven wrong or called out.
** It's revealed in ''Steven Universe Future'' that her favorite song is a radio jingle for a local auto-repair shop.

* PersonOfHolding: After doing a (ridiculous) chant, she's able to summon various objects from storage out of the gem in her head. [[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E9SwornToTheSword "Sworn to the Sword"]] reveals she doesn't need to do the pose and drawn-out yell at all, but [[{{Adorkable}} does so anyway]].

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Pearl displays the most traits of a NobleBigot and has a hard time taking people's feelings into consideration, but she loves her friends and has made an oath to protect the planet Earth from Homeworld.

* PsychologicalProjection: Pearl has done this, particularly in [[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E45RosesScabbard "Rose's Scabbard"]], where she ended up (temporarily) indoctrinating Connie into the mindset that she was "nothing" compared to her liege, Steven, and that to protect him she needed to be willing to put herself into hopelessly dangerous situations and even die for him without hesitation. It is revealed that during the war, Pearl "took great pride" in giving her life for Rose Quartz, using herself as a shield and [[StupidSacrifice getting needlessly "killed"]] [[DeathIsCheap numerous times]] despite Rose being [[BodyguardingABadass much stronger]] than her and fervently objecting to Pearl senselessly putting herself in danger.

* NotSoAboveItAll: In [[StevenUniverseFutureS1E7SnowDay "Snow Day"]], she shapeshifts for the first time in millennia to join Garnet and Amethyst in playing Steven Tag.

* HopelessSuitor: Pearl was (and unhealthily remains) madly in love with Rose Quartz. While Rose's exact feeling about Pearl have never been made completely clear, it has always been stated that Rose fairly regularly had romantic relationships with human men, making it unlikely that Rose fully returned Pearl's feelings. Though, WordOfGod says that Pearl's love for Rose [[http://jimmyaquino.tumblr.com/post/142342957931 may not have been necessarily unrequited.]]