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In "[[The New Crystal Gems]]", she temporarily wears Steven's outfit of a star shirt and blue jeans.
 
In "[[The New Crystal Gems]]", she temporarily wears Steven's outfit of a star shirt and blue jeans.
   
In "[[Kevin Party]]", her hair is in a bobcut hairstyle with bangs. According to Grace Rolek on the podcast, she may have changed her hair to help deal with "moving forward", and although her relationship with Steven is very important to her, she needed time to invest in her personal growth independently from having a magical best friend.
+
In "[[Kevin Party]]", her hair is in a bobcut hairstyle with bangs. According to [[Grace Rolek]] on the podcast, she may have changed her hair to help deal with "moving forward", and although her relationship with Steven is very important to her, she needed time to invest in her personal growth independently from a magical best friend.<ref name="PCV2E5">[[The Steven Universe Podcast]] Connie - Grace Rolek, Zach Callison, Rebecca Sugar & Ian Jones-Quartey (Vol.2/Ep.5)</ref>
   
 
In "[[Lars of the Stars]]", her hair is shown to have regrown to at least shoulder-length. She also wears her hair up in a ponytail and keeps her bangs.
 
In "[[Lars of the Stars]]", her hair is shown to have regrown to at least shoulder-length. She also wears her hair up in a ponytail and keeps her bangs.
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In "[[Dewey Wins]]", Connie explains that she feels betrayed that Steven gave himself up to Aquamarine in "I Am My Mom", instead of continuing to fight alongside Connie like he promised. Steven unsympathetically attempts to get her to look at the bright side of the situation, arguing that everything is fine since no one got permanently hurt, frustrating Connie to the point where she resignedly leaves on an equally angry Lion. When Steven finally realizes how much he hurt Connie, and texts her to try and make amends, she considers responding, but can't figure out what to say, and eventually decides it best to settle their problem in person, but is too late to visit Steven before he leaves for a vacation home with no cell service in "[[Gemcation]]". In "[[Kevin Party]]", a few weeks later, Steven and Connie finally talk to each other again, and Connie apologizes for not texting Steven back. Steven apologizes for giving himself up and not taking Connie's feelings into account, and the two of them reaffirm that they are still "jam buds."
 
In "[[Dewey Wins]]", Connie explains that she feels betrayed that Steven gave himself up to Aquamarine in "I Am My Mom", instead of continuing to fight alongside Connie like he promised. Steven unsympathetically attempts to get her to look at the bright side of the situation, arguing that everything is fine since no one got permanently hurt, frustrating Connie to the point where she resignedly leaves on an equally angry Lion. When Steven finally realizes how much he hurt Connie, and texts her to try and make amends, she considers responding, but can't figure out what to say, and eventually decides it best to settle their problem in person, but is too late to visit Steven before he leaves for a vacation home with no cell service in "[[Gemcation]]". In "[[Kevin Party]]", a few weeks later, Steven and Connie finally talk to each other again, and Connie apologizes for not texting Steven back. Steven apologizes for giving himself up and not taking Connie's feelings into account, and the two of them reaffirm that they are still "jam buds."
   
In "[[Lars of the Stars]]", taking place a couple of months later, Steven and Connie travel through Lion's mane to take a care package to Lars, and find that he and the gems known as the [[Off Colors]] are now a space crew trying to return to Earth. Steven reunites with Lars, introduces Connie to the Off Colors, and the two deliver the package to Lars. When Lars later has a breakdown after learning that Sadie is now in a band with Steven and the [[The Cool Kids|Cool Kids]], and assumes that she is having such a good time to spite him for all the times he mistreated her and let her down, Steven and Connie set him straight; they tell him that Sadie does still care for him and is very worried for him, but has to keep going in her life, just like Lars has to keep going in his as he tries to get back to Earth. They finish by reminding Lars that he and Sadie are best friends and would never do anything to hurt each other, fusing into Stevonnie in the process. They remain fused for the rest of the episode and all throughout the following episode, "[[Jungle Moon]]", the latter of which goes over the course of at least several days as they work to survive until Lars can find them; this indicates that since the events of "Kevin Party", their bond has not only recovered, but is now stronger than ever.
+
In "[[Lars of the Stars]]", taking place a couple of months later, Steven and Connie travel through Lion's mane to take a care package to Lars, and find that he and the Gems known as the [[Off Colors (group)|Off Colors]] are now a space crew trying to return to Earth. Steven reunites with Lars, introduces Connie to the Off Colors, and the two deliver the package to Lars. When Lars later has a breakdown after learning that Sadie is now in a band with Steven and [[the Cool Kids]], and assumes that she is having such a good time to spite him for all the times he mistreated her and let her down, Steven and Connie set him straight; they tell him that Sadie does still care for him and is very worried for him, but has to keep going in her life, just like Lars has to keep going in his as he tries to get back to Earth. They finish by reminding Lars that he and Sadie are best friends and would never do anything to hurt each other, fusing into Stevonnie in the process. They remain fused for the rest of the episode and all throughout the following episode, "[[Jungle Moon]]", the latter of which goes over the course of at least several days as they work to survive until Lars can find them; this indicates that since the events of "Kevin Party", their bond has not only recovered, but is now stronger than ever.
   
 
=== [[Dr. Priyanka Maheswaran]] ===
 
=== [[Dr. Priyanka Maheswaran]] ===
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[[File:Nightmare Hospital 231.png|thumb|200px|Connie's mom accepting her for who she is.]]
 
[[File:Nightmare Hospital 231.png|thumb|200px|Connie's mom accepting her for who she is.]]
"Nightmare Hospital" explores Connie's relationship with her mother in more detail. Dr. Maheswaran is very strict with her daughter, enforcing many rules on her that she never retracts for any reason. As a result, Connie is prone to lying to her about her adventures with Steven. Dr. Maheswaran remains distrustful of Connie when they and Steven are cornered by [[Cluster Gems|Gem fusion experiments]] at the hospital. However, after the ordeal, she agrees to be more accepting of Steven's influence on Connie's life and much less micromanaging about Connie's activities. In "[[Gem Hunt]]", it is inferred that her parents have allowed her to go on a mission with Steven and Pearl, asking Steven to take pictures to document the event. It's confirmed in the podcast{{Citation needed}} that the Gems have thought more of Connie's role on the team and that Pearl knows Connie’s parents' rules.
+
"Nightmare Hospital" explores Connie's relationship with her mother in more detail. Dr. Maheswaran is very strict with her daughter, enforcing many rules on her that she never retracts for any reason. As a result, Connie is prone to lying to her about her adventures with Steven. Dr. Maheswaran remains distrustful of Connie when they and Steven are cornered by [[Cluster Gems|Gem fusion experiments]] at the hospital. However, after the ordeal, she agrees to be more accepting of Steven's influence on Connie's life and much less micromanaging about Connie's activities. In "[[Gem Hunt]]", it is inferred that her parents have allowed her to go on a mission with Steven and Pearl, asking Steven to take pictures to document the event. It's confirmed in the podcast that the Gems, particularly Pearl, have discussed with Connie's parents about their rules regarding Connie's role on the team.<ref name="PCV2E5" />
   
 
=== [[Doug Maheswaran]] ===
 
=== [[Doug Maheswaran]] ===
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=== [[Crystal Gems]] ===
 
=== [[Crystal Gems]] ===
Connie is on good terms with the Crystal Gems. In "Bubble Buddies", they were excited to meet her. Pearl says in "Full Disclosure" that she does not understand human relationships when Connie is looking for Steven, though Pearl likely used her social ignorance to avoid answering where Steven was. In the podcast, Rebecca Sugar and Ian Jones-Quartey say the Gems give Connie special treatment due to her relationship with Steven as her best friend, fusion partner, and dedicated combatant.
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Connie is on good terms with the Crystal Gems. In "Bubble Buddies", they were excited to meet her. Pearl says in "Full Disclosure" that she does not understand human relationships when Connie is looking for Steven, though Pearl likely used her social ignorance to avoid answering where Steven was. In the podcast, [[Rebecca Sugar]] and [[Ian Jones-Quartey]] say the Gems give Connie special treatment due to her relationship with Steven as his best friend, fusion partner, and dedicated combatant.<ref name="PCV2E5" />
   
 
=== [[Pearl]] ===
 
=== [[Pearl]] ===
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=== [[Lapis Lazuli]] ===
 
=== [[Lapis Lazuli]] ===
In "Ocean Gem", Connie is initially apprehensive of Lapis and her powers. This disappears by the episode "The New Crystal Gems", at which point Connie is aware that Lapis is Steven's friend. In their first meeting in person, Lapis does not recognize Connie from the battle in "Ocean gem". Connie tries to remind her Lapis almost drowned her but Lapis replied "I almost drowned a lot of people". She is very aloof towards Connie at the beginning, but they eventually all agree to work together with Peridot and [[Pumpkin]] to watch Beach City while the other Crystal Gems are away. The group later begins to argue with each other on their abilities to play the roles of the Crystal Gems, Connie finding both Peridot and Lapis immature. They are eventually able to reconcile, however, when Connie delivers a speech to them about how they should handle their predicament, which Lapis is impressed by.
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In "Ocean Gem", Connie is initially apprehensive of Lapis and her powers. This disappears by the episode "The New Crystal Gems", at which point Connie is aware that Lapis is Steven's friend. In their first meeting in person, Lapis does not recognize Connie from the battle in "Ocean Gem". Connie tries to remind Lapis that she almost drowned her but Lapis replies "I almost drowned a lot of people." She is very aloof towards Connie at the beginning, but they eventually all agree to work together with Peridot and [[Pumpkin]] to watch Beach City while the other Crystal Gems are away. The group later begins to argue with each other on their abilities to play the roles of the Crystal Gems, Connie finding both Peridot and Lapis immature. They are eventually able to reconcile, however, when Connie delivers a speech to them about how they should handle their predicament, which Lapis is impressed by.
   
 
== Episode Appearances ==
 
== Episode Appearances ==

Revision as of 04:20, 25 May 2018

This article is about the character. You may be looking for the soundtrack.

I don't know what will happen in the future, but if something dangerous comes along, I don't want to be a burden, I want to help! I want to be there for Steven, to fight by his side! The Earth is my home too, can't I help protect it?

—"Sworn to the Sword"
Click here to see more of Connie Maheswaran's quotes.

Connie Maheswaran is Steven's best friend and a member of the Crystal Gems. She debuted in the episode "Bubble Buddies".

Appearance

Connie is a young Indian-American girl with dark brown skin and waist-length dark brown puffy hair, a prominent nose, thick eyebrows, and is slightly taller than Steven.

She wore a pair of magenta glasses with rose-colored lenses until "An Indirect Kiss", when Steven fixed her eyesight, after which she continued to wear the empty frames. After the events of "Nightmare Hospital", she no longer wears the frames.

Connie is usually seen in a variety of different outfits and dresses. She usually wears light blue, green, and white clothing. In the first intro, she is shown wearing a white and mint green dress, peach colored boots, a sunhat, and no socks. In the second intro, she wears a white, button-down, collared tank top, gray button-up shorts, her pink glow bracelet, peach sneakers with white bottoms and laces, and white socks.

In "The New Crystal Gems", she temporarily wears Steven's outfit of a star shirt and blue jeans.

In "Kevin Party", her hair is in a bobcut hairstyle with bangs. According to Grace Rolek on the podcast, she may have changed her hair to help deal with "moving forward", and although her relationship with Steven is very important to her, she needed time to invest in her personal growth independently from a magical best friend.[1]

In "Lars of the Stars", her hair is shown to have regrown to at least shoulder-length. She also wears her hair up in a ponytail and keeps her bangs.

Personality

Connie is introverted, curious, and intelligent. Due to her parents' lifestyle, specifically her father's job, Connie rarely stays in one place for long and has been unable to form lasting friendships, which left her frequently feeling lonely. Her parents are very strict and do not allow her to participate in common childhood activities (such as eating donuts or anything with trans fats, although she ate one in "Crack the Whip"). This has led her to flat-out lie about Steven's non-nuclear family, due to paranoia at how her parents may react. Despite her obedience to them, Connie is not above exploiting loopholes, such as not buying snacks at a theater and instead bringing them from Steven's home.

Connie has grown used to the strange dynamic of her friendship with Steven despite her initial uncertainty of it. For example, in "Marble Madness" when the Gems destroy one of Peridot's robonoids in front of her, she reacts passively awed and only comments that she loves hanging out at Steven's place. She can be a bit deadpan at times, such as when she jokes about cutting off Steven's hand in "Lion 2: The Movie" and in that same instance quickly understands that by poking/tickling Steven she could provoke a reaction from Rose's Secret Armory. Her hobbies appear to include tennis and reading, and she also plays the violin, as seen in "Fusion Cuisine", "Sworn to the Sword", and "Nightmare Hospital".

"Sworn to the Sword" shows a more confident and aggressive side to her personality when she learns sword fighting. Due to Pearl's negative reinforcement, she also began to display a reckless side, but this was quickly put out by Steven. The episode also highlights her strong feelings for Steven through her dedication to becoming his knight. This boost in confidence is also shown in "Nightmare Hospital", when Connie stands up to her mother about her strict upbringing and rules, and also even revealed her involvement in magical affairs.

"Beach City Drift" emphasizes her level-headedness when she tells Steven she is "thinking mad" about Kevin, and when they de-fuse, she is the one who convinces Steven that they have been obsessed with Kevin and to let go of their grudge.

"Gem Hunt" highlights Connie's confidence in how she, while respecting and obeying Pearl, pushes her to split up to hunt the Gem monsters, and is the one to lead when she and Steven hunt the second monster through the forest. She is also revealed to have prepared for surviving in the wilderness by reading a book on wilderness survival. However, despite all her training and preparedness, Connie freezes during an encounter with one of the Gem monsters they are hunting. In the end, she chooses to call Pearl via Steven's walkie-talkie, which Pearl commends her for after their subsequent encounter with Jasper who they found had been hunting the Gem monsters.

"Crack the Whip" shows she is not afraid to barge into the Beach House while shouting "Surprise!", showing how comfortable she has gotten around Steven and the other Gems, and later telling Garnet and Pearl to stay safe. The episode also shows a lighter side to her when she, Steven, and Amethyst have fun around Beach City. Connie even eats a donut despite it going against what she told Steven in "Bubble Buddies", demonstrating her growing independence. She also confides in Steven and Amethyst about freezing during her first mission, causing Amethyst to tell her she should stop overthinking things and follow her instincts in battle. She takes Amethyst's words to heart as she fares far better when the two of them along with Steven and Lion encounter Jasper, and the two Gem monsters from "Gem Hunt" that Jasper had tamed to take on the Crystal Gems. Together with Steven, Connie bravely confronts Jasper to prevent her from shattering Amethyst, fusing in mid-battle which allows Stevonnie to save Amethyst and force Jasper and her remaining Gem monster to retreat. After Amethyst regenerates, Connie tells her she was right about how she should follow her instincts.

"Buddy's Book" shows both Connie's studiousness and independence in that she originally goes to the library with Steven to study and prepare for the upcoming school year, only to instantly halt her studies when Steven shows her Buddy's journal.

"Mindful Education" further highlights Connie's growth as well as the transition into higher confidence in her behavior and thoughts. A softer side to Connie's internal struggles with her emotions are shown, as the guilt from the result of her actions at school left a noticeable change in her behavior. After learning that her guilt was natural, she decides to confront her emotions by later apologizing to Jeff and make amends. After this, she is able to clear her mind and is more confident in understanding not to let her emotions negate or cloud her thoughts by keeping them in. On Connie's phone, it shows that she had taken a picture of them happy together, which is something she would have never done if not for the lesson with Garnet. She is also able to pass this knowledge onto Steven, assuring him he had to be honest about how bad his feelings were so he could move on, like she herself did.

"The New Crystal Gems" demonstrates Connie's eagerness to leap into action and adventure. She asks Steven to wait for her so she can go into space with him. The episode also shows her devotion to him as she took his request to protect Beach City to heart. This goes as far as to pretend to be him, dressing in his commonly worn attire and sleeping in his bed. The episode showcases her development with her increasing confidence and maturity. This is shown when she scolded Peridot and Lapis for their behavior which was something the shy quiet girl Steven first met would have never done. Her leadership skills are also on display when she told them to be themselves and organized their efforts to fix the damage they did. All of this is a result of her exposure with Steven and is proof of how a figure like Steven can inspire someone like Connie to express what they could not have done before.

"Kevin Party" shows nearly full-circle just how far Connie has grown as a person, as she sports a new, shorter haircut (which she presumably got as a coping mechanism following her fight with and estrangement from Steven over his surrender to Homeworld), and a slightly mature style of dress, and is shown laughing and talking with other party guests, the latter of which she would never have been able to do at the beginning of the series.

History

Click here to view the history of Connie Maheswaran.
Click here to view the history of Connie Maheswaran.

Abilities

Sworn to the Sword 006

Connie's proficiency in swordsmanship.

Skillset

  • Swordsmanship: As of "Sworn to the Sword", Connie has become skilled in the art of sword fighting with Pearl as her mentor. She was able to work in partnership with Steven and his shield. She can fight swiftly in light attacks or with power in heavy attacks. Due to being ambidextrous, she can fight with equal skill with either hand.
  • Tag-team combat: Due to the close bond they share, Steven can coordinate his shield techniques perfectly with Connie's swordplay, such as fighting back-to-back with her to defend and attack simultaneously or catapulting Connie from his shield for a powerful lunge attack.
  • Wide Intellect: Connie is shown to be very intelligent for her age, knowing a lot about boats, reading very hard books (she enjoys reading books such as The Spirit Morph Saga and also enjoys reading non-fiction for fact and to get smarter than she already is), having proficiency in tennis, violin-playing and swordfighting, having an extensive vocabulary, and even managing to find loopholes in her parents' many rules. In "Gem Hunt", she is shown to be very prepared and intelligent when it comes to surviving in the wilderness, thanks to reading a book.
    • Survival Skills: Connie is shown to have very impressive survival skills, thanks to reading a book 20 times all about it. Thanks to her book, she has adopted these skills and was perfectly able to locate a spot to hide from the Gem Monsters, as well as make a very healthy, Vitamin C-rich tea out of pine needles.
  • Hand-to-Hand Combat: In addition to her swordsmanship, in "Mindful Education", it is revealed that Connie possesses some hand-to-hand combat skills, presumably through her combat training under Pearl. Due to her training, she was able to grab a fellow student at her school by the arm and throw him to the ground, breaking his arm in the process, albeit unintentionally as he had accidentally bumped into her which caused her to attack and injure him instinctively.
  • Heightened Reflexes: As shown in "Mindful Education", Connie's reflexes have been honed to such an extent that she reacts to a perceived threat before she knows what she is doing, as she attacked a fellow student who bumped into her without realizing it until after the fact.

Save the Light

  • Slash: Connie rushes towards her target and attacks them with several hits from her sword.
  • Protect: Connie stand in front of an ally and block all damage and counter attacks.
  • Sword Storm: Connie gives several strikes against a single enemy dealing heavy damage.

Weaponry

Rose's Sword: In "Nightmare Hospital", the sword is given to Connie by Steven because she is learning how to sword-fight. After pleading with her mother to change her "No Swords" rule, and even taking Steven to follow her to work to secretly obtain the sword, she finally is able to display her swordswoman skills alongside Steven to protect her mother, herself, and Steven from the Cluster Gem patients. In "Gem Hunt", she is seen comfortably carrying the sword on her back and drawing it over her shoulder. Interestingly enough, despite the sword's size, Connie is able to wield it with little effort. It is unknown if this is due to the sword's magical properties, or if Pearl's training helped Connie achieve a level of strength fit to use it. She also uses Rose's scabbard. She has used the weapon in all subsequent appearances, pairing it with Steven and his shield in combat situations, and using it during her sparring matches with him.

Fusions

  • When fused with Steven, they take on the personality and form of Stevonnie. This is the first known fusion between a human and a Gem.

Relationships

Steven Universe

I want to be a part of your universe.

—"Full Disclosure"
Alone Together 065

Connie and Steven embracing each other leads to Stevonnie.

Steven first saw Connie about a year before the start of the series during a parade. He saw her drop her bracelet and decided to keep it in his freezer so he could return it the next time he saw her. She also recalls seeing him on his father's float, mentioning the soap bubbles in his hair. He becomes her first friend. Although Connie sometimes feels like her life is rather mundane compared to Steven's, they are currently good friends, and share a mutual crush on each other as seen in "An Indirect Kiss" and "Alone Together" (in the latter of which Steven and Connie accidentally fuse, forming Stevonnie). Connie is frequently shown to be affectionate to Steven, occasionally in a romantic way. (e.g. "An Indirect Kiss" when she leaned in for a kiss, and in "Steven's Birthday" when she rested her head on Steven's chest after their slow dance). Connie has demonstrated that she cares deeply for Steven, such as in "Full Disclosure" when she repeatedly called and visited him to make sure he was okay, even going as far as to say she wanted to "be a part of his universe".

Since "Sworn to the Sword", she has shown interest in joining Steven in his adventures with the Gems, training with Pearl to defend him and become his knight. To further prove this statement, in "Steven's Birthday", Connie mentions not caring what height or age it seemed like Steven is, and that she would want to hang out with him no matter what. She also panicked when she thought Steven reverted into a zygote (or that Steven shrunk out of existence to simplify). "Beach City Drift" shows that along with their love for each other, they have a strong partnership through their interactions and discussion over their feelings towards Kevin, and the ease with which they fused into Stevonnie. Their personalities compliment each other well - with Steven counting on Connie for her good sense, intelligence and down to earth mannerisms; while Connie relies on Steven's bravery, emotional support, and unique insight which has helped them both grow stronger as a pairing, and helped shape Connie into the person that she is today."The New Crystal Gems" shows her devotion to Steven in that she was ready to go into space with him on a moments notice, and that she instantly agreed to protect Beach City for him while he was away. The episode also shows the new level of comfort in her relationship with him. In "Ocean Gem" she said that she felt weird being in his house when he wasn't there while in the latest episode she felt comfortable not only staying at the beach house by herself but also wearing his clothes while pretending to be him. The episode also gave her a slight insight into what Steven goes through with the Gems on a daily basis via her interactions with Lapis and Peridot.

In "I Am My Mom", Steven tells Connie he loves her before leaving for Homeworld with Aquamarine and Topaz. This scene also shows that Connie is terrified and angry at his decision as she shouts "don't you dare" to him as he makes to leave. After Steven returned home in "Lars' Head", she becomes glad that Steven has returned as she, the Gems, and Greg run up to hug him.

In "Dewey Wins", Connie explains that she feels betrayed that Steven gave himself up to Aquamarine in "I Am My Mom", instead of continuing to fight alongside Connie like he promised. Steven unsympathetically attempts to get her to look at the bright side of the situation, arguing that everything is fine since no one got permanently hurt, frustrating Connie to the point where she resignedly leaves on an equally angry Lion. When Steven finally realizes how much he hurt Connie, and texts her to try and make amends, she considers responding, but can't figure out what to say, and eventually decides it best to settle their problem in person, but is too late to visit Steven before he leaves for a vacation home with no cell service in "Gemcation". In "Kevin Party", a few weeks later, Steven and Connie finally talk to each other again, and Connie apologizes for not texting Steven back. Steven apologizes for giving himself up and not taking Connie's feelings into account, and the two of them reaffirm that they are still "jam buds."

In "Lars of the Stars", taking place a couple of months later, Steven and Connie travel through Lion's mane to take a care package to Lars, and find that he and the Gems known as the Off Colors are now a space crew trying to return to Earth. Steven reunites with Lars, introduces Connie to the Off Colors, and the two deliver the package to Lars. When Lars later has a breakdown after learning that Sadie is now in a band with Steven and the Cool Kids, and assumes that she is having such a good time to spite him for all the times he mistreated her and let her down, Steven and Connie set him straight; they tell him that Sadie does still care for him and is very worried for him, but has to keep going in her life, just like Lars has to keep going in his as he tries to get back to Earth. They finish by reminding Lars that he and Sadie are best friends and would never do anything to hurt each other, fusing into Stevonnie in the process. They remain fused for the rest of the episode and all throughout the following episode, "Jungle Moon", the latter of which goes over the course of at least several days as they work to survive until Lars can find them; this indicates that since the events of "Kevin Party", their bond has not only recovered, but is now stronger than ever.

Dr. Priyanka Maheswaran

I just wanted to be a good mother. I-I just wanted to protect you.

—Dr. Maheswaran, "Nightmare Hospital"
Fusion Cuisine 167

Connie being scolded by her parents.

Connie is very loyal to her mother. While she tends to be strict, she wishes the best for her and wants her to be smart, orderly, and healthy. She closely follows her orders but does occasionally exploit loopholes or even lies to her to get away with something if necessary. In the episode "We Need to Talk", Connie reveals that her parents do not know of her adventures with Steven. This may be because of her fear that her parents will prevent her from seeing Steven due to the huge risk she willingly submits to every time they hang out.

Nightmare Hospital 231

Connie's mom accepting her for who she is.

"Nightmare Hospital" explores Connie's relationship with her mother in more detail. Dr. Maheswaran is very strict with her daughter, enforcing many rules on her that she never retracts for any reason. As a result, Connie is prone to lying to her about her adventures with Steven. Dr. Maheswaran remains distrustful of Connie when they and Steven are cornered by Gem fusion experiments at the hospital. However, after the ordeal, she agrees to be more accepting of Steven's influence on Connie's life and much less micromanaging about Connie's activities. In "Gem Hunt", it is inferred that her parents have allowed her to go on a mission with Steven and Pearl, asking Steven to take pictures to document the event. It's confirmed in the podcast that the Gems, particularly Pearl, have discussed with Connie's parents about their rules regarding Connie's role on the team.[1]

Doug Maheswaran

You are silly, but that's why I like hanging out with you. I've got enough serious things going on in my life. Sometimes I just want to spend time with my dad.

—"Doug Out"

Doug Maheswaran shares his wife's protectiveness and well wishes of their daughter. As such, Connie is shown to hold her father in similar regard, caring for him deeply and respecting his commands, yet on occasion exploiting loopholes and lying if necessary. Connie's relationship with her father is explored in "Doug Out". Like his wife, Mr. Maheswaran has become aware of Connie's involvement in magical missions and is shown to be accepting of it. He appears to be less strict and more easygoing with his daughter than Dr. Maheswaran, casually conversing and joking around with Connie and Steven. Connie enjoys spending time with her dad for this very reason, his more laid-back nature providing an enjoyable contrast to the serious affairs in her life.

Crystal Gems

Connie is on good terms with the Crystal Gems. In "Bubble Buddies", they were excited to meet her. Pearl says in "Full Disclosure" that she does not understand human relationships when Connie is looking for Steven, though Pearl likely used her social ignorance to avoid answering where Steven was. In the podcast, Rebecca Sugar and Ian Jones-Quartey say the Gems give Connie special treatment due to her relationship with Steven as his best friend, fusion partner, and dedicated combatant.[1]

Pearl

Thank you so much for letting me come on this mission, Pearl! It's such an honor to work alongside you.

—"Gem Hunt"
Sworn to the Sword 139

Pearl teaching Connie sword fighting.

Connie shares a mutually respectful mentor-student relationship with Pearl since "Sworn to the Sword". This was where she convinced Pearl to teach her sword fighting by appearing very passionate about staying by Steven's side to fight with him. This clearly struck a chord with Pearl and moved her to the point of tears, considering her own dedication to Rose Quartz. "Gem Hunt" expounds on their relationship, showing that Connie views Pearl as a respected and beloved teacher whom she seeks to impress through finding the Gem monster.

Amethyst

I don't think I've ever had this much fun in one day!

—"Crack the Whip"

In "Crack the Whip", Amethyst is left in charge of Connie and Steven while Pearl and Garnet search for Jasper as Pearl had forgotten that Connie would be coming by for training that day. Amethyst tells Connie and Steven that they have the day off, though Connie and Steven decide to have a sparring session on the beach and try to get Amethyst to watch them. Amethyst notices Connie focusing on her stance and tells her to loosen up. When Connie confides in Amethyst and Steven about freezing up during her first mission, Amethyst tells her to stop overthinking things and states that in a real battle, she should follow her instincts. Afterwards, Connie spends the remainder of day having fun with Steven and Amethyst. Connie takes Amethyst's advice to heart by following her instincts during their later encounter with Jasper, fusing with Steven to form Stevonnie who manages to drive Jasper off. During the showdown, Amethyst, knowing how dangerous Jasper is, tells Connie and Steven to deal with one of Jasper's Gem monsters while Amethyst handles Jasper on her own. After her regeneration following being "poofed" by Jasper, Amethyst is surprised to find that Stevonnie had managed to drive off Jasper and that Connie and Steven were not in need of her help. This causes Amethyst to question her usefulness, despite Connie's assertion that her advice about following her own instincts allowed Connie to confront Jasper alongside Steven.

Garnet

Steven, I'm ready to train! I'm so glad we talked to Garnet. I really figured out what I needed to do!

—"Mindful Education"

Connie, like Steven, has high respect for Garnet, who returns the same feeling. In "Steven's Birthday", Garnet plays a song for Steven and Connie, whom Garnet identifies as Steven's best friend, to slow dance together to. In "Mindful Education", Garnet is excited to see Connie and Steven fight as Stevonnie. Garnet reveals a sign with Steven and Connie's names on one side, and then Stevonnie's on the other, and Steven takes this as a "fusion joke". This shows how open and supportive she is not only of Stevonnie, but of the friendship Steven and Connie share as well. Connie still seems depressed by the time they arrive at the arena, and Garnet cheers them on as they fight while using the sign she made for them. After they fall, Steven finds Connie on the steps behind the area, near the warp pad, and decides to talk to her about the way she has been acting. Connie admits that she beat up a kid at school, and Steven is shocked, asking her to explain more about the situation. Connie claims that her training instinct just "kicked in" and her actions were accidental. Steven tells Connie not to think about it, but Garnet interrupts and takes the children to the beach to meditate with her as Stevonnie, showing her concern for the fusion extending to the two of them individually. Garnet meditates with Stevonnie and sings the song "Here Comes a Thought". With the visuals and influence Garnet provides, Connie finally agrees to confront her demons, taking Garnet's advice to heart.

Greg Universe

Look... humans and Gems... it's still some pretty new territory. You're gonna have to work it out together. And Connie? If you ever need to talk to another human being about this, you can always talk to me.

—Greg Universe, "We Need to Talk"

Connie is on good terms with Greg since "Fusion Cuisine", when her parents had given approval of Greg and Steven. He and Connie offered to accompany Steven on his mission no matter what danger they could face in "Ocean Gem", showing that they both care for Steven deeply. In "We Need to Talk", Greg is surprised that they could fuse into Stevonnie, but does not seem to be completely shocked. He then says interaction between humans and Gems is still new, and that Steven and Connie will have to work with it. He also tells Connie that if she needs another human to talk to, he is there for her.

Lion

Because they both care about Steven, Connie and Lion have a friendly connection to each other. Though originally hesitant, Connie quickly warmed up to and was fascinated by Lion. He seems to return the feeling, as shown when Steven was falling from the sky in "Ocean Gem", where Connie and Lion quickly teamed up in order to rescue him. Connie is also the fastest one to be accepted by Lion, trusting and allowing her to ride him. Steven and Connie often take Lion with them to travel to places in Beach City, and Lion has grown used to having Connie around. In "Buddy's Book", Connie compliments Lion's parking, showing how friendly they have grown from Connie's perspective.

In "Dewey Wins", after Connie frustratingly gives up trying to make Steven understand how much he hurt her by surrendering to Homeworld and asks Lion to take her home, Lion shoots Steven a disapproving glare before leaving with her, showing that he shares her anger at Steven over his surrender, as well as him treating the situation as nothing, and ignoring her feelings about it. Over the next few weeks afterwards, Lion stays with Connie, presumably to give her comfort and companionship during her and Steven's estrangement, as well as teach Steven a hard lesson over his actions; Connie later rides him to Steven's house in an attempt to reconcile in person after failing to do so over the phone, only to find that he'd gone on vacation. In "Kevin Party", Lion returns along with Connie, bringing her to Kevin's party and, following her and Steven's reconciliation, forgives him as well, and by "Lars of the Stars", he shown to once again be under Steven's care and on good terms with him.

Lars Barriga

When Connie initially met Lars in "Bubble Buddies", she was weirded out by how he was acting to Steven. When meeting him again in "Lars of the Stars" however, she is shown to get along with him, but got mad when he had a mental breakdown after thinking Sadie did not care he had died and was trapped in space.

Kevin

Connie first encounters Kevin as Stevonnie in "Alone Together". Since their first meeting, both Steven and Connie hold a negative opinion of him, an attitude carrying over to "Beach City Drift". While Steven's dislike towards Kevin is overt and hostile, Connie's is more subdued and internal. While racing him as Stevonnie, Connie is the first to realize how obsessed they are in getting back at him, and they both decide to let go of their anger, and finish the race for themselves. Although they ultimately lose, they accept the loss with grace, thus angering Kevin, who yells that they are obsessed with him as they take their leave.

In "Kevin Party", Kevin invites Connie and Steven to his party in the hopes that they can make it an event that everyone will remember by fusing into Stevonnie. Unknown to him at the time, the two had been estranged for the past few weeks over Steven's surrender to Homeworld, and both only accept the invitation in the hopes of seeing each other again and working things out. However, upon seeing each other at the party, tension and uncertainty between them (due to Steven believing that Connie's new look was a sign that she had decided to move on from him, and Connie presumably being uncertain of what Steven thinks of her after unintentionally leaving him completely in the dark during the duration of their estrangement) prevent them from reconciling immediately. When Kevin learns of the situation, he, misinterpeting that Steven and Connie were a couple, attempts to get them back together so they can fuse, convincing an emotionally vulnerable and desperate Steven to play it cool and act like life is going well for him without Connie, so that she'll be desperate enough come to him. The advice, however, backfires, instead agitating Connie to the point where she believes that Steven has not only decided to permanently cut her from his life for unintentionally ignoring him for the past few weeks, but to also replace her with Kevin as his best friend, and nearly leaves in distress. After Steven stops her from leaving, and the two finally reconcile, Kevin attempts to get them to fuse, but they instead decide to take their leave on Lion, though not before thanking Kevin for his help and complementing him on the party, much to his anger.

Jasper

Connie first encountered Jasper on her first mission in the Great North, and was left in awe of the Quartz Gem's strength and combat prowess. As of "Crack the Whip", Connie appears to share the Crystal Gems' mutual dislike of Jasper and willingly fused with Steven in order to defeat her.

Jeff

Jeff and Connie

Appearing in "Mindful Education", Jeff is a student who goes to the same school as Connie, whom she unintentionally attacked and injured instinctively after he accidentally bumped into her at school. This caused Connie to feel guilty about hurting him. She buried her feelings instead of confronting them, which later caused her and Steven to have trouble maintaining synchronization as Stevonnie during their fusion training under Pearl and Garnet. With help from Garnet, though, Connie eventually decided to deal with the problem head on instead of trying to ignore it, and apologized to Jeff. She was later relieved to discover that Jeff held no hard feelings towards her and was surprised when she learned he wanted her to teach him some of her martial arts moves. As a result, the two have become friends.

Peridot

Connie has shown to get along and have a friendly relationship with Peridot as members of the New Crystal Gems. She went along with Peridot's idea to pretend to be Steven and Lapis' and Peridot's antics until their arguing got to be too much for her and she spoke up against them.

Lapis Lazuli

In "Ocean Gem", Connie is initially apprehensive of Lapis and her powers. This disappears by the episode "The New Crystal Gems", at which point Connie is aware that Lapis is Steven's friend. In their first meeting in person, Lapis does not recognize Connie from the battle in "Ocean Gem". Connie tries to remind Lapis that she almost drowned her but Lapis replies "I almost drowned a lot of people." She is very aloof towards Connie at the beginning, but they eventually all agree to work together with Peridot and Pumpkin to watch Beach City while the other Crystal Gems are away. The group later begins to argue with each other on their abilities to play the roles of the Crystal Gems, Connie finding both Peridot and Lapis immature. They are eventually able to reconcile, however, when Connie delivers a speech to them about how they should handle their predicament, which Lapis is impressed by.

Episode Appearances

Trivia

  • According to writer Matt Burnett, Connie is of Indian heritage.[2]
    • Both of Connie's parents are Indian-American.[3]
    • Connie's surname, Maheswaran, means "Lord of Universe" in Hindi and is also traditionally a Tamil surname.[4]
  • Connie is directly referred to as Steven's girlfriend in commercials in Portugal[5] as well as numerous other European countries.
  • It is revealed in "Steven's Birthday" that Connie was 12¾ years old at the time.
    • Given that Steven's birthday is in August, Connie's birthday would be somewhere in November.
  • Kat Morris created Connie's character.[6]
  • It is revealed in "Mirror Gem" that Connie plays the violin.
  • Connie appears in the title sequence as Greg's van drives by, causing a breeze that she looks towards. She holds the book A Wrinkle in Time and is wearing a sky blue sundress, a pale tan sunhat, and orange boots.
    • In the second intro, she is shown wearing shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt instead of a sun dress, wielding Rose's Sword and holding an unknown book with a bookmark inside. Instead of a breeze, she looks towards the end of the road with a smile and pops out of the street and runs to the Crystal Temple. She is shown wearing the frames of her glasses until she reaches the Crystal Temple and lies in front of Rose's Sword.
  • She is able to write backward. This is seen in the very short amount of time it took her to write "Harpoon Gun" on the inside of the bubble in "Bubble Buddies".
  • Connie is shown to play tennis in "Lion 2: The Movie", and describes it as the only thing that she remotely enjoys in her life. Later, in "Sworn to the Sword", she translates her tennis prowess into swordfighting, which becomes her new passion.
  • Following the events of "An Indirect Kiss", Connie can now see normally without her glasses thanks to the healing powers in Steven's saliva. Because she wanted to avoid confrontation with her parents and optometrist about this, she took out the lenses of her glasses and wore the frames instead.
    • Following the events of "Nightmare Hospital", she no longer wears glasses, having informed her mother that she no longer requires them. In all further episodes, she no longer carries the frames.
  • In "Winter Forecast", Connie says "itadakimasu", a Japanese word said before eating. She has stated that her father travels, so Connie may know more than one language.
  • In "Sworn to the Sword", Connie's outfit and fighting style were inspired by Kalaripayattu.
    • She wields a sword resembling the Khanda, a sword typically used in the style.
    • Her hairstyle is a braid typically worn by female Kalaripayattu practitioners.
  • Connie is shown to be ambidextrous in the episode "Sworn to the Sword". When she is training, she is seen holding her sword with her right hand; when she fights Pearl with Steven, she is using her left hand.
  • Despite saying her family moves around a lot, she has kept the same home for well over a year.
  • In "Nightmare Hospital", it is revealed that she hates the punishment abacus, which is what her parents use to calculate the length of punishments for her.
  • In "Gem Hunt", Connie carries Rose's Sword on her back with the hilt over her shoulder. This is similar to many anime characters who carry giant swords the same way such as Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach and Guts from Berserk.
  • It is shown that Connie and Pearl have many traits in common such as intelligence, attention to detail, and a tendency to be overly hard on themselves in the face of perceived failure.
  • Connie might be a gamer, as seen in the short "Video Chat". Her laptop has Colonization V, a spoof of the real-life video game Civilization V. She also has Empires & Eras II and Conqueror Kings II, which are spoofs of Age of Empires II and Crusader Kings II, respectively. She also has Grid, a spoof of the popular gaming platform Steam.
  • According to the 4th issue of the comic series, Connie has an aunt.
  • According to a sketch in Steven Universe: Art & Origins, her name was originally supposed to be Priyanka, which is currently her mother's name.
  • Connie is a Shaivite as seen by the surname Maheswaran (Mahesh is the Hindu God Shiva, a member of the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh). She is a Tamilian but her caste is unknown.
  • Connie appears as a background cameo character in the Japanese anime film Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade.

Galleries

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Connie Maheswaran.

Design Gallery

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Connie Maheswaran.


References

ve Crystal Gems

StevenNavbox16
Redo PearlNav Redo SapphireNavv2 FusionTemplateGarnet3 RubyNavv3 AmethystNavNew
Peridorito Infobox Stereo Lapis Infobox Stereo Bismuth - Navi
Biggs Jasper Nav icon SnowflakeObsidianNavbox NavboxCrazyLaceFixed LarimarNAV
ConnieNavbox Lion head

Inactive

Redo RoseNav

ve Characters in Steven Universe
Crystal Gems Human-Gem Hybrids: Steven Universe

Unfused Gems: AmethystBiggs JasperBismuthLapis LazuliLarimarPearlPeridotRubySapphireSnowflake Obsidian
Fusion Gems: AlexandriteCrazy Lace AgateGarnetMega PearlObsidian (Rose Quartz Fusion)OpalRainbow QuartzSardonyxSugilite
Hybrid Fusions: Obsidian (Steven fusion)Rainbow Quartz 2.0Smoky QuartzStegStevonnieSunstone
Inactive Gems: Rose Quartz
Humans: Connie Maheswaran
Pets: LionPumpkinCat Steven

Homeworld Gems Unfused Gems: CombyEmeraldPebblesPeridotsSapphiresSpinel

Fusion Gems: MalachiteTopazZebra Jasper (fusion)Giant RubyRuby (triple fusion)Lemon JadeBluebird Azurite
Inactive Gems: Pink Diamond

Off Colors Unfused Gems: PadparadschaRutile Twins

Fusion Gems: FluoriteRhodonite
Humans: Lars Barriga

Other Gems (Formerly) Corrupted Gems: AlbiteAngel Aura QuartzBig Bird • Biggs Jasper • BixbiteBlue ChalcedonyBlue Lace Agate • Cherry Quartz • ChrysocollaDesert GlassEarth BeetleGrossular DiopsideHeaven Beetle • Jasper • Lace Amethyst • Larimar • Moonstone • Nephrite • Ocean JasperOrange Spodumene • Snowflake Obsidian • Tongue MonsterUnknown Giant Gem MonsterWater BearWatermelon TourmalineWhite TopazZebra Jasper (singular)Minor Corrupted Gems

Other Gems: Minor GemsUnknown Gems (Morganite • Nephrite-XJ Cut-763 • Unknown Quartz Warrior • Blue Diamond's Court • Pink Diamond's EntourageUnknown Crystal Gems67 Elite CitrinesPyritesHessonites, Demantoids, and PyropesKyanites)

Forced Fusions: Cluster Gems (The Cluster)

Comic Gems: Ant Gem MonsterClock Tower GemFrozen FragmentGlass GhostInvisible Manta RayMole Gem MonsterMolluskMonster Lizard GemObeliskOld Book GemPlant MonsterPerils of PweepweeRainbow Cloud MonsterRed Bird Gem MonsterRed Eel MonsterScorching ShardSlime Gem MonsterSlug MonsterSnowbeastTentacle MonsterUnknown Giant BirdVine Monsters

Other Major Characters Humans: Greg UniverseSadie Miller
Recurring Characters Humans: Andy DeMayoBarbara MillerBill DeweyBuck DeweyBuddy BuddwickDante and Martha BarrigaDoug MaheswaranPriyanka MaheswaranHarold SmileyJamieJaneJenny PizzaKevinKiki PizzaKofi PizzaMartyMr. FrymanMystery GirlNanefua PizzaOnionPeedee FrymanQuentin FrowneyRonaldo FrymanShepSour CreamSuitcase SamVidaliaYellowtailZoomans (F-3Jay-TenU-12Wy-Six)

Others: Baby MelonBlue CrabsCactus StevenHolo-PearlMagic MossSteven Jr.Watermelon Stevens

Minor Characters Humans: The Best Diner in the World's WaitressEmpire City Wildlife Rehabilitation Center EmployeeGaryGreg's family (Aunt and Uncle • Aunt DebGrandfatherParentsGreat-aunt Gregargia) • Hospital Employees (Dr. GeroDr. StrombergDr. West) JeffKhajima, Jaime, and BrandishMarty's RoadiesMayoral BodyguardsMike KrolOnion's Friends (Garbanzo • Pinto • Soup • Squash) • Patricia and DanielRickySabinaSteven's BabysitterSunshine JusticeWilliam Buford BuchananWilliam DeweyMinor Human Characters

Animals: Butt LobsterCrystal BasiliskDogGiant BirdMask Island BirdsMask Island FishMask Island WormOnion's MouseOnion's SnakeParty GuyRaccoonSeagullsSnakeSteven The ThirdSusanMinor Animal Characters
Aliens: Beetle AliensBird Blob AliensUngulate AliensWorm AliensFlower-Like AliensMinor Alien Characters

Fictional Characters Cookie CatDogcopterMearlPizza JennyMinor Fictional Characters

Camp Pining Hearts: PaulettePercyPierre
"Garnet's Universe": FoxmanHopperHoppyRingo
Golf Quest Mini: AceAce's Father
Li'l Butler: Li'l ButlerMr. MoneyMrs. MoneyDaughter Money • Dirtbike Money
Lonely Blade: Evil JanitorLonely BladeLonely Blade's Brother
Rose's Room: Cloud ConnieTiny Floating Whale
The Spirit Morph Saga: ArchimicarusLisaPlinkmanWind Lizard

Antagonists Blood PolypCentipeetlesCrab MonstersCrystal ShrimpDrill ParasitesElectric SkullsFryboHolo-ConnieShadow ConnieSmoke MonsterWater Clones
Alter Egos Billy Bank AssetsChunk TruckConcrete HeatDashing Danny DooberHandsome Hank HackleschmidtHowl JonesLoch Ness BloggsterPurple PumaSea WaspShark-O-ManiaTiger Millionaire
Attack the Light Blue LightGreen LightIndigo LightOrange LightRed LightViolet LightWhite LightYellow Light

Groups: Light ArmyBlue Monsters • Green Monsters • Indigo MonstersOrange MonstersRed Monsters

Save the Light Hessonite • SquaridotHessonite's Citrines
Unleash the Light DemantoidPyrope
The Phantom Fable Fable • Lonely PearlJasper (Eyeball)
Groups The Cool Kids • Crystal Gems • Crystal Temps • The "Famethyst" • The Great Diamond Authority • Homeworld Gems • Off ColorsSadie Killer and the SuspectsSecret Team • Steven and the Stevens • Zoomans • Species
Gem Types Aquamarines • Bismuths • Diamonds • GarnetsJades • Lapis Lazulis • Nephrites • Pearls • Pebbles • Peridots • Quartzes • Rubies • Sapphires • Topazes • Zircons