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Steven Universe Wiki
Steven Universe Wiki
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I love how you believe in everyone. You stuck to your principles, and I'm proud of you. I mean, everyone can change, but not everyone wants to.

—"Bluebird"
Click here to see more of Greg Universe's quotes.

Gregory "Greg" Universe (né DeMayo) is the father of Steven Universe and was the romantic partner of the late Rose Quartz. He is the current owner of It's a Wash.

Greg struggled financially for most, if not all, of his adult life. However, in "Drop Beat Dad" he is awarded a royalty check and becomes a millionaire. Greg later uses some of the money to go on a trip with Steven and Pearl, where he and Pearl finally make peace with one another after having a strained relationship for decades. As Steven became more involved in his life as a Crystal Gem, Greg continued to support his son and learned to have more faith in him after previously showing concern for Steven's safety during his missions.

After living in his van for years, Greg moves into the Beach House in "The Future" when Steven decides to move out and find himself in the world.

Appearance

Greg appears as a plump middle-aged man with a dark-beige beard surrounding his mouth. Greg has a tan line on his shoulders and feet (possibly from a shirt and pants he wore before) and bushy taupe eyebrows. Greg's skin color is a peachy red color, with the tan line spots being a light apricot color, and dark brown hair with a large bald spot on the top of his head.

For the entirety of the original series, the movie, and "Rose Buds", Greg's hair was waist-length. In the climax of "Bluebird", to escape from Aquamarine's grasp, Greg grabbed "Eyeball"'s chisel and cut his hair short. It now ends frayed at the edge of his neck with a permanent shading at the bottom, similar to Lapis Lazuli's hair.

In the first two seasons and for most of Season 3, he usually wore a white tank top, with long or short gray pants or jeans. He also occasionally wears a black t-shirt or a green sweater. He wears teal flip-flops, although he tends to go barefoot or wear other kinds of footwear. At the end of Season 3, he shifted to wearing a black short-sleeved t-shirt.

At the end of Steven Universe Future, he transitioned into wearing a white t-shirt and powder blue jeans.

When he was younger, he had a striking resemblance to Steven. He was skinnier, had a full head of hair that again reached down to his waist, and earring pieces, and wore a black shirt with a star on it and the sleeves ripped off and ripped jeans with light blue sandals. During the flashback in "Greg the Babysitter", one of his pant legs gets caught in the remains of the fence, ripping it off. He cut the other leg off to match, turning his jeans into shorts.

The exact shade of his skin varies regularly, sometimes being a notable red, to fair-skinned like Steven. This is due to how easily he gets sunburned.

Personality

Greg seems to be an overall kind person living a simpler lifestyle. He is known to be friendly and genuine, and, so far, has retained an honest attitude concerning his feelings as an individual. He appears to be easy-going and an optimist; his catchphrase is "If every porkchop were perfect, we wouldn't have hot dogs".

He can be a bit immature at times, fooling around with watermelons in "Watermelon Steven", and is "kind of a mess" as described by Amethyst. He has been known to make poor choices, such as dropping out of college or faking an injury to spend time with Steven, but he always takes full responsibility for it afterwards and will do whatever he can to make it up.

While Greg is not necessarily knowledgeable about many of the situations he faces, he often tries to give the best advice he can that is based on his own experiences, which can have much value in their simplicity and his pragmatic view on things. Greg's advice had often proven invaluable to numerous people around him, like when he reminded Steven on when to bail out, which in turn saved his and Pearl's life in "Space Race".

Much like his son, Greg cares deeply for his loved ones and friends, such as when he went out of his way to get closer to Rose despite the boundaries between their species. He is similarly characterized as paranoid about the worst happening to Steven, which stresses him to no end. Despite this, he tries his best to put on a brave face for his son with the knowledge that it made Steven happy and fulfilled, as seen in "Full Disclosure".

Even though he does not know what difference he can make, Greg will usually help those he cares about when in need, seen as he joins Steven on his mission in "Ocean Gem" and offered Connie support in "We Need to Talk". He is also not the one to bear deep-seated grudges; even though the majority of the Crystal Gems in part resented him for what happened to Rose, he still wished they could be friends again, such as in "Maximum Capacity" and "The Message". In "Story for Steven", he said Marty was "dead to him" but still admitted that he was partly thankful for the help choosing to stay with Rose.

Greg is a sensitive person, according to Amethyst and a Crying Breakfast Friends! comparison made by Steven in "Reformed". Steven describes Pining Grapefruit as "wishing he was a better role model", something Greg shares with the Gems as none of them feel confident raising a child as unique as Steven. This leaves him with a minor lack of self-confidence as he has noted himself that he cannot offer very much. Nevertheless, he does not let it stop him from trying to prove he can be of use, as seen in "The Message", and does his best to be a responsible parent, taking the parental initiative with Steven in "Space Race" to keep him safe.

He seems to be a little uncomfortable in dealing with Gem powers, which he refers to as "magic stuff". He chooses to avoid magical situations unless Steven asks him for help. It is unknown if Greg has bad memories relating to Gem powers, and if that is the cause for his reluctance to get involved with them.

While he does not show it in everyday life, Greg was deeply affected by Rose's passing. Having cherished his time with her, Greg was unwilling to let go of the past, which manifested in a hoarding problem where he was reluctant to throw anything away. In "Maximum Capacity", however, Greg finally let go of his past by getting rid of all his junk.

History

Click here to view the history of Greg Universe.
Click here to view the history of Greg Universe.

Abilities

Skillset

  • Touching Music: Greg has the power to reach people through music. This could be considered a power, but we are yet to receive confirmation.
  • Fathering Skills: Greg is shown to be a good father, taking care of Steven throughout his baby days.
  • Wisdom: Throughout the series, Greg provides great advice to Steven about feelings and honesty.
  • Artistic skills: Greg draws his own album covers and is shown to be exceptional at it. He was able to accurately recreate Lapis Lazuli's likeness in a sketch after only encountering her once.

Save the Light

In this game, Greg can join the party, laying down some tunes. These tunes will constantly play for a set amount of time, or until Greg gets hit. There is, however, an upgrade that allows the currently playing jam to keep playing when Greg perfect blocks an attack. These are his unlockable abilities:

  • Damage Jam: Damages all nearby enemies constantly; closer enemies receive more damage.
  • Heal Jam: Greg can heal nearby allies; closer allies receive more health.
  • Star Jam: Speeds up the Star meter, increasing how many stars point the party gains.

Unleash the Light

Added with version 4.0, in this game, Greg had similar abilities as before.

Fusions

  • When fused with Steven, they form Steg.

Relationships

Parents

In "Mr. Universe", it's revealed that he has a very strained relationship with his parents, having had limited contact with them over the years. Nonetheless, he has written to both of them and made attempts to keep in touch despite never being answered; they have not opened any of the letters, implying they still do not accept his life choices. As a child, he was raised in an ordinary, yet strict environment where he had a curfew, chaperones, and meatloaf every Thursday. His parents forced him to participate in many activities he had no interest in, such as wresting and competing in mathematics competitions. They did not support his love of music, deeming it as "off-limits," something that Greg greatly resented and tried to hide from his parents. As a result of this lack of freedom, he chose to leave home to explore the world and deliberately sought a more easygoing relationship with his own child (who ironically partially envies Greg's less chaotic if boring life).

Steven Universe

Anyway, what’s up? Just needed to see your old man, pal around, learn some lessons about life?

—Greg, in "Laser Light Cannon"
Story For Steven 211

Greg playing with his son, Steven.

Greg is Steven's father. The two have a good father-son relationship, but Greg seems to be trying to make things up to Steven. This may be because he does not consider himself as living up to his potential as a parent. He also appears to know that Steven harbors emotional conflict concerning his mother. In the episode "Laser Light Cannon", when Rose's old light cannon that Greg supplies to Steven and the Crystal Gems do not work at first, he says, "It's okay, Steven! We'll figure out something else. Something even better!".

Even though Steven is his son and Greg was all but married to Rose, who also had the power of a typical Gem, he is still weirded out by the magic happenings that occur. However, even with his lack of understanding of these events, he always comes to his son's aid when he is needed (as seen when Steven turns into a cat monster in "Cat Fingers"). He is willing to comfort Steven to the best of his abilities, as seen in "Keystone Motel" when Steven was upset that Garnet split.

Greg is not the current guardian of Steven. While Steven lives with the members of the Crystal Gems, Greg lives in his van, which remains near the car wash. Steven used to live with Greg up until the Beach House was built. However, even though they do not live together, Steven seems to visit Greg regularly (as seen in the episode "Cat Fingers" when Steven helps out at the car wash). Greg is shown to care about Steven's safety, as he is sometimes shown to worry that Gem stuff is not safe for Steven.

After Steven finally returned home in "Lars' Head", Greg becomes glad that Steven is back before he runs up to hug him along with the Gems and Connie.

In Steven Universe: The Movie, Steven and Greg fuse into Steg to make Pearl regain her memories. When they fuse, the process is effortless, signifying the complete trust and understanding between the two.

In "Growing Pains" Greg is on tour with Sadie and Shep. When Connie calls him to the hospital, he rushes there and calms Steven down after he grows to a huge size. He stays with Steven when they return home.

Greg's relationship with Steven is affected in "Mr. Universe"; when traveling the road together, Greg takes Steven to his old house to try and help him find a purpose in life. When explaining his past, he talks about the lack of freedom he had and all the things he couldn't do living with his parents, and when his son refutes this point, Greg is quick to disagree. He talks about how Steven has it much better than he did as a child, failing to understand the points Steven makes and the normal life he was given compared to the hectic life Steven was given. Even after the crash, Greg fails to take his son's words and own problems to heart, instead talking about how proud he was that Steven had the guts to talk back to his dad. While Greg drones on, Steven ignores him, deleting a photo he took of Greg's high school photo and signifying a loss of respect towards his father.

At the end of "Everything's Fine", Greg, alongside the Gems and Connie, stage an intervention for Steven, showing how worried he is for his son.

During "I Am My Monster", Greg, alongside the Gems and Connie try to calm the monster-transformed Steven down, telling him to take deep breaths. Even when Amethyst tells him to leave before he gets hurt, he refuses to do so because of the multiple times he's run away from Gem conflicts, but now that Steven is that danger and because he didn't protect him from his repressed trauma from his adventures with the Crystal Gems, he's going to stay and help him.

In the series finale "The Future", Greg moves into the Beach House when Steven gives him his old room. He is later seen on the beach saying goodbye to his son when he's about to leave Beach City.

Rose Quartz

I don't know what a magical lady like that ever saw in a plain old dope like me...

—Greg, in "Laser Light Cannon"
We Need To Talk (204)

Greg dancing with Rose.

Rose Quartz was the love of Greg's life before she gave up her physical form to bring Steven into existence. They met when she was the only attendee at Greg's concert in Beach City when he was a one-man band traveling with his manager, Marty, whom he ditched to pursue a relationship with her. Greg seems to consider himself very lucky to have met Rose. Greg still does not know what it was that Rose saw in him.

In the episode "We Need to Talk", we also see his relationship with Rose started a bit rocky, with both Rose and Greg not understanding the mannerisms of each other's species. The two, however, decide that they can and will work out their relationship, despite them differing in many ways.

Their relationship was a sincere and loving one, as Rose and Greg decided to bring a child to the world together. In Guide to the Crystal Gems, Garnet calls Steven "in essence, a Fusion of love, like me!" representing that Greg finally got his wish of fusing with Rose, but in a human way.

For many years Greg was unaware of the fact that Rose was a persona created by Pink Diamond. Rose stated that him barely knowing her is a good thing, implying that she never wanted him to know the truth about her. Ruby tells him the truth about Rose Quartz in "The Question" and when asked on his thoughts about the reveal he claims nothing changed on how he viewed her. He only knew her as Rose Quartz, like Rose only knew him as Mr. Universe and not by his original name, Gregory DeMayo.

In the episode "Rose Buds", Greg becomes extremely uncomfortable when Steven asks him to join them for dinner, as he sees three Rose Quartzes that look similar to Rose. He declines the offer and hurries out of the house.

Andy DeMayo

Gem Harvest 085

Greg and his cousin Andy.

Andy is Greg's cousin who Greg used to visit at the family barn based on tradition.

After Andy's debut into the modern timeline, Greg was surprised to see him while Andy was angry because Greg never told him of Steven or not trying to contact him, as well another number of things that changed and how Greg contributed to it led to some bitterness towards each other. It would eventually be resolved at the end of the episode.

Crystal Gems

Wait, is that a magical thing? The Gems told me not to get involved with magic stuff. It... it could be dangerous or interfere with what’s left of my hair.

—Greg, in "Laser Light Cannon"
The Message 209

Greg arguing with the Gems.

The members of the Crystal Gems would rarely interact with Greg early on, despite being Steven's father and the lover of former Crystal Gem Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond. It appears that the main reason behind their lack of communication was because although the Gems do not have any negativity towards Greg himself, they still thought he was not the most composed person. Amethyst best summed up the Crystal Gems' general feelings on Greg when she describes him as "kind of a mess". Due to this fact, they advise Greg to stay out of "magical matters", as they felt they were much more capable than him. Greg did not seem too open-minded, as he, like most humans, seems apprehensive, if not terrified, of "magic Gem stuff". However, even with their belief of Greg's somewhat questionable reliability, Greg has come to their aid when he is needed (as seen in "Laser Light Cannon"), but it seems that this only occurs at Steven's request.

Earlier on, both Greg and the Gems also seem uncomfortable around each other sometimes due to the circumstances surrounding Steven's birth, and consequently Rose's/Pink's "death". In "The Message", it is revealed that Greg is deeply saddened and hurt by how the Gems seem to look down on him, assuming that he cannot offer any real help with "magical matters". He expresses these feelings through a song about how all he wants is their approval and that he has a very high opinion of his wife's closest friends.

Recently, it seems that the Crystal Gems and Greg are warming up to each other, especially Greg and Amethyst, although Greg and Garnet were never on bad terms either. His most complicated or potentially contemptuous relationship is with Pearl, although the two have never been seen acting outright hostile toward one another. As of "Mr. Greg", however, they seem to be on friendly terms after putting their former rivalry over Rose behind them. In "Gem Harvest" the Gems do not like his cousin Andy, being annoyed that a "new Greg" is taking the barn, to which Pearl comments that Greg is the superior one.

In an in-character interview with Newsarama, Greg notes that "the Gems didn't know much about raising a baby. That I get, I had that covered. But I don't know much about being a Gem".[1] This is essentially the reason Steven was raised the way he was.

In "Steven's Birthday", it is revealed Greg first met the Gems when he was 22.

Garnet

Let me tell you something, Mr. Universe. I think you can do it.

—Garnet, in "We Need to Talk"
We Need To Talk (185)

Garnet encourages young Greg not to give up in "We Need to Talk".

Garnet is the Crystal Gem who treats Greg with the most respect. However, due to her enigmatic nature, she rarely shows it openly. She has, however, on several occasions openly voiced her support towards him, often in opposition to Pearl.

In "We Need to Talk", it is Garnet who encourages him not to give up on trying to learn how to perform a fusion dance to fuse with Rose. The episode strongly implies that she did so because she had seen, with her Future Vision, that, while he would never be able to fuse with her, the act of trying would force the two to have a "real talk".

The Message 258

Garnet thanks Greg in "The Message".

This confrontation between him and Rose forces the two to talk about their relationship on more serious terms, and in the end, they decide to try their best at making it work despite the difficulties of a human being involved with a Gem. In "The Message", Garnet is the one who convinces Pearl to give Greg a second chance at trying to decode the message, and she properly thanks him when he is successful, giving him their much-desired approval.

In "Keystone Motel", Garnet accepts Greg's offer of going on a road trip. Greg is understanding of Garnet's split and lets Ruby and Sapphire have their space. He also is not alarmed when he sees Sapphire and asks where "the other one" is, meaning he had known that Garnet is a fusion or had already seen Ruby and Sapphire in the past.

Greg comforts and talks to Ruby in "The Question" after her falling out with Sapphire. He takes her to a plain for Ruby to live out a cowboy fantasy and even teaches her how to play guitar.

Amethyst

I had someone who was always there for me until she started hanging out with you!

—Amethyst, in "Maximum Capacity"
Story For Steven 100

Young Amethyst has to be restrained by Pearl due to her excitement over Greg in "Story for Steven".

Amethyst and Greg used to get along very well. Amethyst's immature (by Gem standards) attitude, as well as her love for human activities such as eating and slacking off, goes hand-in-hand with his personality. When the Crystal Gems first meet Greg, young Amethyst is the least reserved and most curious about him and acts like an excited animal around him.

Their friendly relationship continues throughout the years, and they spend much time together doing things like watching marathons of their favorite TV sitcom, Li'l Butler. However, with Rose's passing came a change in their friendship; it is implied in "Maximum Capacity" that their relationship went sour because Amethyst started to hold a grudge against him for "taking" Rose away from her, leading to an unspecified confrontation and them calling their friendship off. The episode reveals that it involved shapeshifting into Rose and that it caused Greg to be especially uncomfortable around shapeshifting in comparison to other "magical Gem stuff".

The episode leads to yet another argument as they are trying to rekindle their relationship, but this time, it seems that the two, with Steven's help, reach an understanding, with Amethyst showing guilt for the things she had said and Greg reciprocating her sentiment kindly.

Pearl

Rose may find you charming, but that's only because you're human. You're a novelty, at best.

—Pearl, in "We Need to Talk"
We Need To Talk (149)

Pearl greatly annoying Greg in "We Need to Talk".

Greg and Pearl start as rivals for Rose's love, and while it is unclear if Greg saw it this way, Pearl has this mindset. Pearl, who had always loved Rose, was very antagonistic towards Greg and openly berates him for his seemingly naïve attempts to romance her. Under the assumption that he is just a "phase" and that Rose will lose interest in him once his novelty as a human wears off, Pearl continues undermining Greg's self-confidence. Perhaps seeing him as an actual threat to her relationship with Rose, she is determined to convince him that he will never be intimately close to a Gem because of his inability to fuse, and henceforth has no chance with Rose. In "We Need to Talk", not only does she become significantly more haughty about this, but she also convinces Rose to form Rainbow Quartz with her. While Rose believes it was solely to spruce up their music video, Pearl was attempting to drive her point home and demonstrate that she will always be Rose's closest confidante.

However, Greg is mostly just annoyed by her patronizing attitude and is relatively undeterred by her sandbagging. To Pearl's great irritation, her claims about his inability to fuse are what motivates him to attempt it. As it would seem, this ends up with him and Rose to have an intimate talk about their relationship, a conversation that brings the two of them closer than ever before. Having witnessed the conversation, Pearl openly expresses her insecurity that Greg has replaced her as Rose's "favorite" to the other Crystal Gems.

Reformed 012

Pearl and Greg hanging out in "Reformed".

In the episodes set in the present time, Pearl still retains at least some of her assumed superiority as a Gem and occasionally resentful towards him, although she conveys it to Steven as Greg not being an optimal role model rather than their personal history. Despite their past conflict, Greg still values the approval of Pearl and the other Crystal Gems and trusts them to raise his son well. As the show progresses, Pearl begins to forgive and respect Greg more and more as he continues to prove himself as a surprisingly adamant father despite his living choices. After the events of "Ocean Gem", she is seen voluntarily fixing his van on her own, and in "Reformed", the two are seen spending time together by choice while tinkering with the van. The two even agree that they are mutually mystified by the appeal of Crying Breakfast Friends!. This apparent cordiality didn't flush out all of her resentment, however, as shown in "Chille Tid", she had a dream where she and Rose forget about Greg to go and explore the galaxy. This dream quickly warps into a nightmare where Greg is dressed as Rose and thanks to her for "fixing [his] van", much to Pearl's horror. However, as of the events of "Mr. Greg", their relationship is much better, with the two being able to openly converse about Rose.

Doug & Priyanka Maheswaran

The Maheswarans think I'm a responsible parent, and I got to maintain that image.

—Greg, in "Winter Forecast"

Greg desperately wants to come off as a good, responsible parent in the eyes of Connie's parents and makes every effort to earn their approval, with mixed results. In one possible future in "Winter Forecast", he walks the children home to Connie's through a blizzard because he thinks that this is what a responsible parent does. This ends up only angering her parents as Connie catches a cold in the process. In another possible future in the same episode where he manages to drive Connie home in time, her parents are very welcoming towards the Universes (even inviting them to stay the night to avoid driving home during the raging blizzard), indicating that, as long as he does not make a mess of things, they have warmed up towards him and Steven. Despite this, he primarily has a good parent-to-parent relationship with them.

Peridot

Peridot Throw Greg Off The Roof

Peridot throwing Greg off the roof.

Greg has been told about her from Steven in "The Return", he seems a little unnerved about what she could do, and only briefly met Peridot in "Log Date 7 15 2". When they first meet, Peridot and Greg share an awkward moment before she rudely pushes him off the barn roof without warning, believing he can fly. Luckily, Garnet catches him before he could get injured. Greg, while terrified, understands that Peridot does not understand Earth very well.

Marty

Yeah, he's just an old amigo from way back when.
He's dead to me.

—Greg, in "Story for Steven"
Story For Steven 071

Greg being manipulated by Marty.

Marty was Greg's manager as the one-man band, "Mr. Universe". He was very exploitative of Greg, deciding every single move he made as a musician, and even taking 75 percent of his earnings. After telling Greg that he was just a "spaced-out kid" (and almost crashing his van), they had a falling out, and Greg chose to stay to be with Rose, presumably beginning his life in Beach City. While Greg bluntly states that Marty is "dead to him", he is thankful that he made it an easy choice to stay in Beach City, and, after his story to Steven, he realizes that he has Marty to thank for giving him the chance even to meet Rose, and puts the photo of himself and Marty up on a shelf in the van.

Marty returns in the episode "Drop Beat Dad" to advertise Guacola, but initially because he was legally obligated to give Greg a check, entitling him to ten million dollars for using his song for a commercial for the "Pepe's Burgers" fast-food chain.

Vidalia

Oh, we both kind of hung around your dad, but Vidalia's cooler than your dad, so we started hanging out without him.

—Amethyst, in "Onion Friend"

Vidalia, Greg, and Amethyst used to hang out together when they were younger. Vidalia says to Steven that his dad used to be "super hot," but Amethyst and Vidalia laugh shortly after implying that she may have been joking. Before working at It's a Wash, Greg seems to have often hung out at Vidalia's house and eaten more than his fair share of her food. Vidalia, who became increasingly busy with taking care of Sour Cream and work, was irritated with Greg's lack of maturity at times. Despite this, the two were good friends. Having plenty of free time, Greg was willing to lend a hand to Vidalia when she needed help, as shown in "Greg the Babysitter" when Greg agreed to babysit Sour Cream. Over the years, as Greg himself came to have the responsibilities of a parent, Vidalia and Greg have remained on good terms and the two occasionally hang out.[2]

Lapis Lazuli

Wow, I think I did a number on that dock. Maybe somebody else should take a shot at being captain. What do you say, Captain Lazuli?

—Greg, in "Alone at Sea"

Greg learned of Lapis in "Ocean Gem". During the mission to recover the ocean, he witnessed Lapis' water duplicates attack the group. In an attempt to help Steven and Connie, Greg's leg was broken and his van was wrecked. Since it was the first mission he went on with his son, these events led Greg to become apprehensive of Steven's safety on missions and terrified of Lapis. His impression of Lapis is reflected in "The Message" when he sings the intro of his song "Water Witch" which portrays Lapis as a villain. Steven quickly corrects him, however, explaining her predicament of trying to get home.

In "Alone at Sea", Greg meets Lapis in person for the first time. When he introduces himself, he casually mentions that she had broken his leg but does not seem to hold anything against her. Throughout the trip on the yacht, they are shown to be on good terms. He offers Lapis the opportunity to be captain and teaches her how to fish. When Lapis manipulates the water to help catch fish, Greg is shown to be in awe of her magical abilities.

Bismuth

Not much is known about Greg's feelings towards Bismuth, as they don't interact much. However, as seen in "Escapism", they seem to be on rather friendly terms with each other.

In "Fragments" they are seen fixing Greg's van together.

Blue Diamond

"I know how hard it is to move on when you've lost someone."
"You do?"
"I lost someone very important to me, too. I miss her every single day, and I think about her all the time, but she's never coming back. That feeling can be so hard to be okay with."

—Greg and Blue Diamond, "Steven's Dream"
Steven's Dream 215

Blue Diamond communicating with Greg.

In Korea, at Pink Diamond's Palanquin, Greg sympathizes with Blue Diamond. While she weeps about Pink Diamond's passing, Greg tells Blue Diamond that he feels the same way, due to Rose's death, and that it is hard to comprehend you will never see that person again. Blue Diamond is surprised a human can understand how she feels and believes Greg doesn't deserve to die by the Cluster. Taking a liking to him, Blue Diamond kidnaps Greg and takes him into space.

In "Reunited", when Blue Diamond emerges from her spaceship, Greg wants to try "turn[ing] on that old Universe charm." The Crystal Gems quickly talk him out of it, and he goes into the Beach House until its partial destruction, emerging with Cat Steven.

In "I Am My Monster", Amethyst tells Greg to get out of here before he gets hurt, but he refuses, complaining that "every time Gem stuff happens, I ran the other way," adding that his son is in trouble and he's right to be angry because he didn't protect him; Blue Diamond tells Greg that he didn't protect Steven from them.

Cat Steven

Cat Steven seems to trust Greg, as she allows him to hold and carry her without protest during the Diamond attack. Garnet entrusts Greg to "water" Cat Steven while the Crystal Gems are away at Gem Homeworld.

Bluebird Azurite

In Bluebird's aforementioned episode, Greg and Bluebird have a friendly relationship, with Greg and Bluebird watching horror movies together. However, in the climax of the episode, Bluebird dangles Greg off the roof of Steven's house to get Steven's attention, quickly turning their relationship into an antagonistic one.

"Eyeball"

"Eyeball" and Greg, while being friendly when she was fused as Bluebird, have an antagonistic relationship. "Eyeball", along with Aquamarine, dangle Greg off the roof of Steven's house when fused as Bluebird. After unfusing, they make malicious requests of Steven, and when he declines, "Eyeball" pulls her chisel knife to Greg's face to blackmail Steven. However, Greg then grabs her knife and cuts his hair to release himself from their grip, running inside the house soon after.

Aquamarine

Aquamarine and Greg, while not officially meeting until "Bluebird", knew of each other as Aquamarine was hunting him down for the human zoo with the assistance of Topaz in "Are You My Dad?" and "I Am My Mom". The two share a friendly relationship when Aquamarine was fused with "Eyeball" as Bluebird Azurite; this turned hostile when the fusion dangled Greg off the roof of Steven's home. Aquamarine and "Eyeball" unfuse, and after unsuccessfully getting Steven to agree to their sinister requests, they threaten Greg with Aquamarine dangling Greg and "Eyeball" holding her chisel to Greg's face. However, Greg uses the chisel knife to cut his hair to escape their grasp, and Aquamarine throws the rest of his hair down in disgust.

Zoomans

The Zoo 197

Greg and the Zoomans.

At first, Greg enjoyed their utopia and tried to adapt to it. He got along with Wy-Six and Jay-Ten, being pleased that they were amazed by his stories of modern civilization. They call him "Ga-reg"

However, Greg was shocked by their ritual of the "Choosening" and refused to partake. He explained how humans on Earth choose their mates. Interested in the free will, Wy-Six and Jay-Ten decided to be with him and they ushered the other zoomans to do the same but he once again refused. Before Greg entered the Zoo, the Zoomans had no experience with self-determination, resulting in their despair when Greg "choosened" none of them.

Years later, Greg met Wy-Six and Jay-Ten again, wanting to make amends but Wy-Six and Jay-Ten bring up his past rejection and angrily tell him to go away. It is shown that many (if not all) Zoomans display animosity toward Greg, refusing to let him enter the zoo, even as a visitor. This is seen again when Greg called them "his angry ex's" because of their hostility.

Episode Appearances

Trivia

  • Greg is the first (and currently only) human to be shown activating a Warp Pad, albeit only with the Warp Whistle.
  • Greg appears to have some mechanical skills, as shown in "Space Race", where he builds Steven a cart and assists Pearl in building her rocket, and in "Reformed", where he helps Pearl fix his van. Although, it should be noted that both times, Pearl does most of the work.
  • Greg is also shown to be an excellent sound engineer in the episode "The Message", where he manages to transfer the sound from the wailing stone into music and then a video.
  • Despite his reluctance to become involved in Gem affairs, he still seems to know quite a lot about Gem history and their invasion on Earth. This is most likely due to his relation to Rose and his prior involvement with The Crystal Gems.
  • Rebecca Sugar has stated that Greg is her favorite character.[3]
  • Greg Universe's catchphrase is "If every porkchop were perfect, we wouldn't have hot dogs".
    • The catchphrase was said four times in "Laser Light Cannon".
    • Pearl mentions the catchphrase in "Ocean Gem" when Greg's van was destroyed, including the steering wheel that Pearl was holding.
    • Judging from his catchphrase, as well as his picture with Rose Quartz, his favorite food is most likely hot dogs. According to Steven in the "Unboxing" short, Greg prefers his hot dogs with burnt crispy skins.
    • This catchphrase was said by Steven again in "The Return" to activate the four Laser Light Cannons used to fire at the Gem Warship.
    • The catchphrase is mentioned by Steven again in "Change Your Mind" to Yellow Diamond.
  • It was revealed in "Coach Steven" that Greg used to work out before, but he has been putting it off for decades.
  • It has been revealed in "Maximum Capacity" that Greg does not like shapeshifting, although it was previously implied that he was uncomfortable with Amethyst's shapeshifting in "Cat Fingers", based on his pained expression upon viewing it.
    • It is heavily implied the reason he does not like it is because Amethyst has used it to torment him in the past, as shown when she shifted into Rose in "Maximum Capacity".
  • His voice actor, Tom Scharpling, also voices Yellowtail, Onion's dad.
  • According to an in-character interview, his favorite comic books include many kid-oriented titles published by Harvey Comics, such as Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost, which he has given to Steven, and the more adult-oriented SF comic Heavy Metal, which he says Steven will get when he is older.[1]
  • It is confirmed in "The Question" that "Greg" is short for "Gregory", though Amethyst had called him that before.
  • It was revealed in "Story for Steven" that Greg dropped out of community college to pursue his music career.
  • Greg is out of touch with pop culture, commenting in "Reformed" that he does not understand anything anymore when asked if he understood Crying Breakfast Friends!.
  • In "Story for Steven", Marty refers to Greg as "Star Child". This may have been a reference to rock singer Paul Stanley, who is also often called the "Star Child".
  • Greg and Vidalia are very similar. They both used to live exciting care-free lives and ultimately settled down and had a family.
  • Greg has recorded at least two albums: Space Train to the Cosmos and Let Me Drive My Van (Into Your Heart).
    • As of "The Message", he is working on another album, called Water Witch.
      • The title and cover art, as well as the only song confirmed to be on the album, are all based upon Lapis Lazuli.
  • In "Keystone Motel", he is not alarmed when he sees Sapphire and asks where "the other one" is, meaning he knew Garnet is a fusion.
  • As none of the Gems make money, Greg is the one who pays for all their expenses.[4]
  • Greg did not know about the fusion Sugilite, until the episode "Coach Steven".
  • Greg is likely a fan of the 70s rock band, Queen.
    • In "The Message", Queen's 1977 album "News of the World" can be seen inside Greg's van.
    • Also, in the SDCC 2015 extended intro, a poster of Queen's 1975 album "A Night at the Opera" can be seen at the back of Greg's van.
  • Joe Johnston confirmed that Greg is in his early to mid-40s in "Steven's Birthday".[5] Greg's age is later confirmed in-show in "Adventures in Light Distortion": Pearl explains that it would take approximately 70 human years to get to the Human Zoo, which by then, Greg would be 110 years old.
    • According to the episode outline for "Lion 3: Straight to Video", Greg was in his thirties in the old home video from "Lion 3: Straight to Video".[6] Given that Steven was not born at the time of the video, and the fact that Steven turns 14 in "Steven's Birthday", this episode outline contradicts Greg being 40 years old.
    • In "Steven's Birthday", it is revealed that Greg was 22 years old when he first met the Gems.
    • By the end of the franchise, Greg is 42, and Steven is 16. This would put Greg at 26 years old at the time of Steven's birth.
  • Lamar Abrams revealed in an interview that Greg and Garnet play tennis during weekends.[7]
  • As of "Drop Beat Dad", Greg is now rich. However, he still lives in his van and does not try to upgrade the beach house.
  • In "Gem Harvest", it's revealed Greg's family name is "DeMayo", and that he changed his name to "Universe" when he became a performer. Greg's wording in "Gem Harvest", saying that he "had it changed", may indicate that it was legally changed to "Universe" and not just a stage name.
  • Greg's eyes are either blue-gray or just gray, as shown in his and Rose's picture.
  • In Steven Universe: Art & Origins it is revealed that, in early drawings, Greg was called "Tom Universe" because Rebecca Sugar wanted Tom Scharpling to play the role. The name was changed to Greg before approaching Scharpling for "the avoiding of awkwardness".
  • As of "Bluebird", Greg is now the second person in the series to have cut their long hair short.
    • The first person to do this is Connie, who did so at some point during her estrangement from Steven in-between "Dewey Wins" and "Kevin Party".
  • The episode "Mr. Universe" reveals that Greg wore braces in middle school, and was a Mathlete and wrestler.
    • However, he did not wrestle or be a Mathlete by choice and states that it was one of the many clubs his parents forced him to join.
  • During a Q&A signing, when asked if Greg was bisexual, Rebecca Sugar answered that his sexuality was "fluid".[8] She clarified that this did not mean he was genderfluid, adding that since she was bisexual, it made sense that others saw him that way as well.[9]

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References

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: CombyEmeraldPebblesSapphiresSpinel

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 BirdBiggs JasperBixbiteBlue ChalcedonyBlue Lace AgateCherry QuartzChrysocollaDesert GlassEarth BeetleElectric SkullsGrossular DiopsideHeaven BeetleJasperLace AmethystLarimarMoonstoneNephriteOcean JasperOrange SpodumeneSnowflake ObsidianTongue MonsterUnknown Giant Gem MonsterWater BearWatermelon TourmalineWhite TopazZebra Jasper (singular)Minor Corrupted Gems

Corrupted Gem-produced monsters: CentipeetlesCrab Monsters

Other Gems: Smoke MonsterMinor GemsUnknown Gems (Morganite • Nephrite-XJ Cut-763 • Unknown Quartz Warrior • Blue Diamond's Court • Pink Diamond's EntourageUnknown Crystal Gems67 Elite CitrinesPyritesKyanites)

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

Non-Gem Antagonists Blood PolypCrystal ShrimpDrill ParasitesFableFryboHolo-ConnieShadow ConnieWater 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

Groups The Cool Kids • Crystal GemsCrystal Temps • The "Famethyst" • The Great Diamond Authority • Homeworld Gems • Off ColorsSadie Killer and the SuspectsSecret Team • Steven and the Stevens • ZoomansSpecies
Gem Types Aquamarines • BismuthsDiamonds • GarnetsJades • Lapis Lazulis • Nephrites • Pearls • PebblesPeridots • Quartzes • Rubies • Sapphires • Topazes • Zircons
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