Pearl (voiced by Deedee Magno Hall) – A precise and intellectual strategist, Pearl is the mental powerhouse of the Gems; her gemstone is a pearl which is embedded in her forehead. Activating her gemstone summons a teal-colored long-handled Glaive. She has pale skin and wears a blue and green tutu in keeping with her dainty, ballerina-like physique. However, after she regenerated in "Steven the Sword Fighter", she wears a different attire, which is a turquoise tunic with a lighter-colored sash and orange shorts with pink socks and aqua shoes. She is also the most outspoken of the three fully-fledged Crystal Gem members. She is the most motherly of the three, and cares deeply for Steven's safety, but occasionally pokes fun at his antics. She strives for structure and logic and gets easily flustered when things don’t go as planned. She also makes a guest appearance in Avengers and Space-Time Police Sheriffs' Teamed Up Adventure from The Avenging Regular Show Unlimited.
Appearance[]
Pearl has a thin, bird-like body and pale white skin with a greenish tint. Her short hair is a pastel orange and is styled to a point at the back of her head. She has large blue eyes and a pointed nose. She wears a light blue top with a yellow star and pale pink shorts under an iridescent blue and green skirt. Her shoes are pastel green with lime green socks. Her gem stone is a large pearl embedded in her forehead. After her regeneration in "Steven The Sword Fighter", Pearl now wears a cyan tunic with a big yellow star in the front along with a turqouise sash tied around her wast with pale orange shorts, pink socks and cyan shoes.
Personality[]
Pearl is a perfectionist, even going through all the trouble to organize Amethyst's room. She puts a lot of thought and reason into her plans and actions. Though she is very graceful and controlled, she sometimes gets flustered when plans are messed up, or when Amethyst says something she doesn't think Steven should hear. She is very caring and motherly that way. She is also supportive.
Abilities[]
All Gems have the ability to summon a weapon, retreat to her gem to heal, and shapeshift. Her weapon is a spear, which she pulls out of the gemstone on her forehead. She is also able to project holographic images from her gem. In "Watermelon Steven", it's shown that Pearl to have the ability of psammokinesis (sand manipulation), as well as having the ability of shooting an energy blast of light from her spear.
Relationships[]
Steven Universe[]
Pearl acts as a kind but overprotective mother towards Steven. She loves teaching Steven about Gem history and culture, as well as teaching him other things such as the art of sword-fighting.
As opposed to Garnet's more pragmatic and Amethyst's more fun-loving personalities, Pearl acts as a mentor. She always tries to speak gently to him and is usually the first to show concern when taking him on a dangerous mission. However, in "Space Race", she allows her own interest in returning to space to cloud her better judgement despite trying to attain her original goal of showing Steven the cosmos.
Pearl also tends to patronize Steven and frequently underestimates his abilities, expressing maternal feelings towards him and treating him like a fragile child rather than a fellow Crystal Gem, although over time she does respect the fact he is growing up. She is surprised to find that Steven is able to summon his shield in "Gem Glow", return to normal after transforming his fingers into cats in "Cat Fingers", think of strategies to escape the obstacles that they encounter in "Cheeseburger Backpack", as well as the Pyramid Temple in "Serious Steven". Pearl occasionally ignores Steven, such as when he brings up the idea of everyone eating breakfast together in "Together Breakfast". She also does not feel that Steven is prepared to learn about the dark side of Gem history, when she tells Amethyst that Steven "isn't ready" to learn about the harsher reputation of Gems in "On the Run". In "Sworn to the Sword", it is shown Pearl's maternal feelings towards Steven stems from her love and admiration for Rose Quartz, and she views Steven as a crucial asset to the Crystal Gems.
Despite recent events and her guilt, she is shown to support Steven and his endeavors in "Historical Friction". She compliments him on his wisdom when he says the flaws and working through them are important to anyone. She helps rewrite the play to be more accurate and is the only Gem to watch it, being ecstatic to see Steven onstage.
Garnet[]
Like the other Gems, Pearl respects and follows Garnet's orders without question. She does, however, believe that the Gems are a team and so may not exactly see Garnet as the leader, most likely because she will always see Rose Quartz as leader despite her absence. When situations are requiring executive decisions, however, Pearl usually defers to Garnet. In "Secret Team", it is clear that she shares an unprecedented fear towards her, along with Amethyst, to such an extent that both she and Amethyst willingly set aside their differences to keep the popped Gem-bubble a secret instead of facing the consequences. She has known about her true identity as a fusion for several thousand years. In "Cry for Help", it is apparent that Pearl looks up to Garnet as she is excited to fuse into Sardonyx to destroy the Communication Hub that Peridot rebuilt. Pearl enjoyed fusing with Garnet so much that she rebuilt the Communication Hub twice so she and Garnet could just fuse into Sardonyx resulting in Garnet's anger and temporary estrangement for the deception. In "Friend Ship", Pearl repaired her relationship with Garnet, making peace with her insecurities in the process. She is shown to idolize Garnet, or rather Ruby and Sapphire's relationship, as in that same episode she claims that they are the perfect relationship, and she wanted to fuse so badly because she craved being a part of a stable relationship.
Ruby and Sapphire[]
Pearl has not been shown interacting with either Ruby or Sapphire individually. However, during "Keystone Motel", Ruby is greatly angered by Pearl's trickery regarding the Communication Hub, whereas Sapphire is more willing to forgive. This conflict led to Garnet temporarily defusing.
In the episode "The Answer", Pearl and Ruby/Sapphire are on opposing sides (in fact, Pearl is about to "poof" Sapphire before Ruby's intervention). Ironically, Pearl's actions resulted in Garnet's creation and her (and by extension Ruby and Sapphire) joining the Crystal Gems. Also, in the Episode "Hit the Diamond", Pearl seems delighted to see Ruby and Sapphire when they unfuse from Garnet.
Amethyst[]
The two used to share a strained relationship, which was likely due to their contrasting personalities. Pearl is often seen scolding Amethyst, who often teases Pearl in return. However, Pearl and Amethyst have been shown to be able to put their differences aside on multiple occasions to work together. For example, in "Secret Team", Pearl and Amethyst are forced to fight together, and complement each other's skills, even sharing appreciative smiles; in "Warp Tour", they praise and admire each other's fighting techniques; in "On the Run", the two reveal that they really do deeply care about each other, despite their differences and frequent fights. In "Story for Steven" they are shown having a much closer relationship before the events of the series, close enough to be perfectly content hugging and resting in each other's arms. It can be assumed that Rose's departure and Steven's birth somehow lead to their relationship deteriorating over time, as Amethyst implies that they used to fuse more often in "Giant Woman". Their relationship seems to have been slowly improving over the course of the series. In "Log Date 7 15 2" it is shown that it has improved enough for them to form Opal with little effort. In "Know Your Fusion", Pearl hugs Amethyst and tells her that she is amazed at what Smoky Quartz was able to do with their yo-yo, and lets Amethyst know how good an influence she has been on Steven, while Amethyst blushes. In "Last One Out of Beach City", Pearl is eager to go to the rock concert with Amethyst after Greg has to cancel the show due to a previous request from Barbara to play cards with her and Vidalia. In the same episode, Amethyst compliments Pearl about how hardcore and cool she is, and is also shown to be concerned that Pearl might get rejected by the mysterious woman.
Greg Universe[]
She is on speaking terms with Greg and has shown to at least try to be civil towards him, even fixing his van after it is wrecked in "Ocean Gem". In "House Guest" she is anxious about him living with the Crystal Gems, and she is usually the first (and often the only one) of the Crystal Gems to get irritated or even mad at him as shown in "The Message". Because of Pearl's close relationship with Rose Quartz, it is possible that her negative view of Greg stems from her blaming him for his part in Rose's "death" in giving birth to Steven, much like she harbors a similar resentment towards Steven as revealed in "Rose's Scabbard".
In "Reformed", however, the two are seen casually tinkering with his van together and seemingly getting along very well, showing an improvement of their relationship.
The episode "We Need to Talk" further explores their relationship in the past when Rose was still alive. Pearl is shown to be very jealous of Rose's new-found affection for him and goes to great lengths of trying to challenge him and dissuade him from pursuing a relationship with Rose. This, combined with the fact that she sees Greg partially responsible for Rose's demise, explains why she seems to be uncomfortable, condescending and resentful towards him in episodes set in the current time.
In "Chille Tid", Pearl has a dream in which she suggests to Rose that they forget about Greg and explore the galaxy together. Much to her horror, Rose's face turns into Greg's.
"Mr. Greg" goes in depth on their relationship. Pearl expresses her feelings about Greg and Rose's relationship through song while she thinks Greg and Steven are asleep. In this song, Pearl says she feels lost without Rose, and that at first, she was able to stand Greg before Rose fell in love with him. She holds a grudge against him but seems to have given up at a certain point, accepting the fact that Rose had chosen Greg over her. Greg was awake the whole time and after the song is finished, he says that he doesn't think things can ever be normal between them. Steven reveals he brought Pearl with them for the purpose of trying to repair their relationship and sings "Both of You" to show how much they have in common. Their bond shows great improvement throughout the rest of the episode, and at the end, Steven quotes Pearl's song, singing the line "It's over, isn't it?" while watching them laugh with each other, implying Pearl no longer holds Rose's love for Greg against him and the two can finally work towards a good friendship.
Sugilite[]
Pearl dislikes Sugilite due to her reckless and violent nature. Pearl almost grudgingly admits that she's jealous of Sugilite's strength (in a song), but she cuts herself off before finishing the line. Her dislike for Sugilite also stems from concern over Garnet and Amethyst as she believes it is dangerous for them to stay fused for longer periods of time; they might start losing their individuality. Also, Pearl's own competing desire to feel "stronger" (when fused as Sardonyx) also may play a role in her feelings to Sugilite.
Rose Quartz[]
Pearl's closest relationship before the series started was with Rose Quartz. Pearl fought with her against their own Homeworld. She (falsely) believed herself to be Rose's "sole confidant" and therefore the only living being privy to all of Rose's secrets, a position she took great pride in. Pearl looked up to Rose for guidance and support, and she developed romantic feelings for Rose over time.
In "Story for Steven", when Rose bragged about Greg's singing, Pearl is quick to note as soon as he is out of earshot that she can also sing, much to the amusement of the other Crystal Gems. "Sworn to the Sword" reveals that she was so devoted to protecting Rose that she sacrificed herself constantly for her, having adopted the human title of a "knight" to heart to the point of obsessive recklessness.
"We Need to Talk" further explores the relationship between the two. Set in the 80's like the previous episode "Story for Steven" it reveals that Pearl was very jealous of Greg, constantly trying to persuade him that Rose's affections for him were just a "phase" because as a human he was eventually going to pass away while Rose, being a Gem, would live on. She also challenges him by convincing Rose to fuse with her in front of Greg, and later gloating that as a human he would never know such intimacy with Rose. Pearl's jealousy of Greg implied that her feelings for Rose were romantic. This was later confirmed by show writer Matt Burnett via a tweet[1] after the episode aired.
Lion[]
Originally, Pearl saw Lion as just an average wild animal, being a little uneasy about Steven keeping him because of his probably dangerous nature. However, in "Rose's Scabbard", she gains a different kind of unease due to him containing Rose's Sword and thus having some connection to Rose. This knowledge distressed her greatly as Rose supposedly told her everything, causing her to resent Lion to the point where she ran away with Rose's Scabbard to the Gem Battlefield. After gaining encouragement from Steven, she seems to respect Lion a bit more while still feeling tenuous about him in general.
Connie Maheswaran[]
Pearl originally saw Connie as just Steven's friend, but in "Sworn to the Sword", Pearl, initially doubtful, was touched to the point of tears by Connie's passion and willingness to defend Steven, thus mentors her in the art of sword fighting, and related Connie to herself and Steven to Rose during the training. She had begun to teach her the way that she had taught herself; to risk her life to protect Steven. However, Pearl soon learned from her mistake. Now, Pearl thinks that Connie is an expert on sword fighting and that she and Steven can be great knights together.
"Gem Hunt" further shows the trusting mentor-student relationship between Pearl and Connie when the latter accompanies Steven on her first Gem mission. Pearl agrees to leave Connie and Steven to their own devices while they are searching for the Snow Monster and keeps in touch with them via Walkie Talkie, but rushes to their aid as soon as they run into serious trouble.
Peridot[]
Before the events of "When It Rains" Peridot is perceived as an enemy of Pearl and the Crystal Gems.
Pearl shows great disdain and anger towards Peridot until she came on even terms during the episode "When It Rains" and forms somewhat of an alliance with Peridot. During the events of "Back to the Barn" Pearl is treated as an inferior being to Peridot, as the gemstone pearl is revealed to be a servant class on Homeworld. This causes Pearl to become rather angry at Peridot during the episode, to the point of punching her in the face after Peridot's continuous jabs and belittling. Eventually, the two end up on even terms following the events of the "Robolympics". In Message Received, Pearl officially accepts Peridot as a Crystal Gem. Pearl and Peridot currently seem to be on good terms.
Bismuth[]
When Steven brings Bismuth out of Lion's mane, Pearl is overjoyed and runs up to Bismuth to embrace her. Bismuth then jokes about who Pearl belongs to, which Pearl laughs along with. This shows that they have a strong relationship, as in any other circumstance, being a servant is a sensitive topic for Pearl.
Bismuth learns about the aftermath of the war from Pearl. When Pearl starts to cry, Bismuth tells Pearl that she starts to cry whenever Pearl does, implying they had a close relationship previously. Pearl apologizes, but Bismuth says that it's okay, and they comfort each other.
In general, they appear to be close (at least in comparison to the still extant Crystal Gems), having bonded over their common disregard of the Gem caste system.
Mystery Girl[]
On the night she planned to see a rock show with Steven and Amethyst, Pearl met a mysterious woman and was surprised by her pink hair. She attempted to communicate with her, but failed due to her clumsiness. Steven later pointed out the obvious resemblance between the woman and Rose, and Amethyst realized that Pearl was infatuated with her. The woman later drove by Greg's van and Pearl tried to meet her gaze, blushing red all the while. At the end of the night, the trio managed to arrive at their rock show, which the woman happened to be attending as well. Pearl confidentially spoke to her as herself, and the two discussed their hair colors and the Rebellion. The mysterious woman gave Pearl her phone number, suggesting that she'd like Pearl to call her on the phone sometime.
Jasper[]
Pearl appears to fear Jasper. When Garnet's physical form is brutally distorted by Jasper's Gem Destabilizer, Pearl screams in fear. In "Gem Hunt", when Pearl notices Jasper, she screams "JASPER" in a frightened voice and immediately points her spear towards her.
Smoky Quartz[]
Pearl was very shocked and excited to meet Smoky Quartz. It has been shown that she cares about them, as to asking them questions in "Know Your Fusion" as Sardonyx.
Weapons[]
- Glaive
Weapons[]
Quotes[]
- This human, I can't......
- WHAAAT!!!
- What's the matter in here I wonder?
- We don't know for sure.
- I'm Sorry.
Trivia[]
In the transition from the pilot to the series, Pearl underwent the most drastic change of the three Gems, to the point where she is almost unrecognizable to seasoned viewers seeing the pilot for the first time. Among these changes are:
- Removal of gold ring around her gemstone.
- Removal of earrings (and visible ears altogether).
- Skin color changed (from blue to white).
- Pointier nose.
- Rounder face.
- Slimmer, more cartoonish build.
- Drastically different outfit.
- Different hairstyle, covering ears and pointing backwards instead of forwards.
- Rose-pink hair color to light peach.
- Eye color changed (black to a light blue).
- Removal of hearts on slippers and slipper color changed (dark blue to light blue).
- Higher-pitched voice.
- Different personality (in the pilot, she enjoyed and readily joined Amethyst in heckling Steven).
Gallery[]
