Steven Universe has broken barriers for animation, from having Rebecca Sugar be the first non-binary woman creator for Cartoon Network to featuring the first same-sex marriage on kids television. One of the biggest revolutions of the series was the introduction of Steven and Connie's fusion Stevonnie, creating the first human inter-sex, non-binary character for a children's show. While there were three known fusions before Stevonnie, their fusion is a stand out with their first appearance in season 1 episode 36, "Alone Together," where Steven fails to fuse with the gems but succeeds with Connie.

After the two open up about insecurities and show each other support, with Connie reminding Steven how incredible he is as himself and Steven offering Connie her first dance without judgement, they create Stevonnie. The two of them being themselves and caring for each other is key to their fusion, and this introduces audiences to Stevonnie, a character who not only defies the Gems' expectations as the first human fusion but also finally deliveres an inter-sex, non-binary character to kids television.

Children's animation has a troubled history of depicting characters who defy gender norms, with either cases like Him from Powerpuff Girls and Ursula from The Little Mermaid or no representation at all. For children who don't identify as LGBTQ, this can normalize harmful stereotypes; meanwhile, for children who do identify as LGBTQ, they can feel invalidated or broken. Stevonnie is a necessary breathe of fresh air, showing children and adults that those outside of the binary are fine the way they are.

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"One of the things that excited me early on, especially about Stevonnie, was that I just wanted to do it and have it be beautiful" Sugar said in an interview with Them. "I had seen things... where it had been played as a joke or some kind of a problem, but especially with Stevonnie I wanted to create a character so great that everyone who sees them thinks, 'This person is great!'"

In their first episode, the creation of Stevonnie is seen as a miracle, with Garnet assuring them that they are in control of this experience, several Beach City residents having their breaths taken away by Stevonnie and Connie and Steven enjoying their fusion. While they unfuse at the end of the episode because neither of them feels comfortable as they experience new things like objectification, this episode isn't the end of Stevonnie.

Their next appearance would be in season 2 episode 8, "We Need to Talk," where they fuse in front of  Greg for the first time. While he is shocked, Steven's dad finds Stevonnie to be "incredible," and when Connie reveals she's afraid her parents won't understand, Greg assures them it will be okay. While this is a small moment, it speaks volumes, presenting a positive coming out story, demonstrating to parents how they can embrace their children's identities and showing non-binary kids that the world should accept who they are.

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Season 3 episode 11, "Beach City Drift," not only has Stevonnie come back, but it also reintroduces Kevin, a character who makes them feel uncomfortable by objectifying them. In order to beat him in a race, Steven and Connie fuse; however, conforming to Kevin's game clouds their mind and makes them unstable. It's when they forget about Kevin's opinions and focus on enjoying the moment for themself that Stevonnie is once again their stronger self, proving that they do not have to conform to someone else's expectations.

In the following season, Stevonnie would have an episode dedicated to them in "Mindful Education," which addresses mental health issues. Both Steven and Connie are dealing with guilt, which affects their ability to fuse, so Garnet reminds them to take a breather and find themselves. While Steven struggles to be honest about his feelings, with Connie's support, he finds some peace and the two fuse, highlighting how Stevonnie is more than just a fun experience for them.

Stevonnie is security and comfort, something that is expanded on in season 5 episode 27, "Together Alone." After Steven is forced to be someone he is not, he's mentally distraught, and while the Diamonds support him for his conformity, it's Connie who sees his discomfort and tries to lighten his mood by asking him to dance.

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While this is frowned upon, Connie reminds Steven that it doesn't matter what others think and that it'll be okay because they have each other. Similar to the first time they fused, Stevonnie is created because Steven and Connie feel more confident when they are together and not trying to be someone they aren't; however, the Diamonds don't accept Stevonnie like those in Beach City do.

Forced into imprisonment, Connie and Steven are given an opportunity to be free if they apologize for Stevonnie, but Steven refuses, stating that Stevonnie is normal and how the Diamonds behavior towards them and Pink Diamond is wrong, which leads to Blue Diamond's revelation that the Diamonds have failed. It's a beautiful moment where a parental figure realizes that how their child identifies is not the problem; the problem is how the Diamonds have treated others cruelly for simply being themselves.

Stevonnie is a landmark character for non-binary and inter-sex people. As seen in their final appearance in Steven Universe: Future, they are confidence, love and comfort, and what's even more powerful is that the community they live in adores them for who they are. Stevonnie has never been broken, but they have broken the glass ceiling in homeworld and animation, with children shows like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power introducing more characters outside of the binary.

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