Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26044668-20150704024705/@comment-26248893-20150705013822

Long read ahead; bear with me:

Lapis is an interesting charcter to me because of the implications she leaves on the overall story and the universe as a whole. I believe there is a tremendous amount of symbolism in not only her character, but in her design. The show has given some insight into who she is now and leaves viewers with speculation as to where her character may go in the future, but little has been done to show her past or her current motivations.

For an immensly powerful gem, Lapis has been shown consistently in a vulnerable light. And why not? In three instances she has been shown being imprisoned: once in a mirror, once in a jail cell, and once again in a fusion. When shown freedom, however, she appears to prefer the security of being held captive, but why? I don't anyone will think it's because she likes being kept prisoner, but rather because she senses security in captivity. An individual shown only distrust, fear and anger for thousands of years will take comfort in it and be afraid to be open to anything different. Indeed, her return to homeworld revealed that she is a gem out of her own time, and her immediate capture and exploitation showed that even at home, there was no way to go back to the way things used to be. Lapis is a gem without friends (at least in her eyes) or a cause. For all her power, she is powerless to find peace in a world where she has never known it.

Symbolism plays a large role in Lapis' mystique. With abilities to control an entire ocean, one would think she would be a formidable warrior, but her physical form and lack of weapons suggests she was, at least pre-war, far-removed from combat. She had no interest in Earth or its inhabitants (I believe both human and gem alike). So she has immense power at her disposal, but for what purpose?

Another symbolic feature is her wings. Even with them, she is unable to use them to find peace. She is figurately and literally trapped in a cage, especially with such overt use of shackles and chains to keep her from flying away from her problems.

Finally, I think the most significant symbol is her appearance. While this can be a topic of debate, I thnk Lapis bears more than a passing resmblance to the show's creator, Rebecca Sugar. I think this was intentional. It was discussed previously that each of the Crystal Gems represents a different aspect of Rebecca's relationship with her brotherSteven. Lapis is no different. However, whereas the Crystal Gems represent a nuturing, caring bond with Steven, Lapis represents the opposite end of that spectrum. Lapis' character is a representation of a very dark side of Rebecca's life and relationship with her brother. However, we know how that side of the story played out, since both Rebecca and Steven were able to make the show we love an adore today. This is what keeps me so fascinated about Lapis in the show. She is at her lowest point, and only someone with the love and compassion of someone like Steven has the power to bring her back. And I eagerly wait to see how he will go about doing that.