| “ |
You are all running around like wild chickens! |
” |
| —"Beach Party" | ||
Kofi Pizza is a resident of Beach City and the owner of his family's local business Fish Stew Pizza. He is the father of Kiki and Jenny, and he is the son of Nanefua. He debuted in the episode "Steven's Lion".
Appearance
Kofi has dark skin and brown eyes. He wears a pale sea-foam colored work shirt with a white apron, brown shorts, white socks, tan shoes, and has his dark-brown hair put up in a hairnet.
Personality
Kofi is the owner and proprietor of the family-ran Fish Stew Pizza. He is rather stern and very high-strung, especially about his business (though he has shown a mischievous side when joking about punishing his daughters over trivial things). He appears to have no time for antics but permits them. He speaks with a thick Ghanaian[1] accent and is not afraid to use his authority over his two daughters as both their boss and father.
Kofi's more authoritarian traits are sometimes displayed in extremes, as in "Restaurant Wars" his new customer service plan involved signing a heavy stack of contracts binding the customer to pledge their loyalty to the restaurant, as well as using a hot, branding iron to permanently mark his VIP customers.
History
Pre-Series
Kofi has been a restaurateur in Beach City for many years and was at one point in what was known as a "restaurant war" with Mr. Fryman and the Fry Shack for encroaching on his business and vice-versa. When both their restaurants were threatened by a new buffet restaurant, they put their differences aside to take on the new restaurant. They succeeded, and the restaurant closed and was bought by Suitcase Sam to make the store of the same name.
"Steven's Lion"
He is seen working at Fish Stew Pizza with Kiki.
"Lars and the Cool Kids"
He’s mentioned by Jenny when she gossips to her friends about how strict he is.
"Beach Party"
He complains about Garnet smashing the sign of his restaurant, later being somewhat forced into a day at the beach with his family and the Crystal Gems.
"Mirror Gem"
Kofi is seen in the crowd listening to Mayor Dewey’s speech.
"Ocean Gem"
After Lapis Lazuli stole the ocean, he is seen looking shocked at what remained.
"Political Power"
Along with the rest of the town, he is seen angers about the power outage.
"The Return"
After Steven tells everyone to leave, Kofi can be seen listening to him.
"Full Disclosure"
Kofi is seen briefly speaking with Mr. Fryman.
"Rising Tides, Crashing Skies"
He is seen taking out the trash with Nanefua.
"Sadie's Song"
He is in the audience with his family watching Beach-a-Palooza.
"Steven Floats"
Kofi is shown at the Big Donut.
"Restaurant Wars"
Kofi along with the rest of his restraunt engage in a war with Beach Citywalk Fries, later making up with the help of Steven and the other Crystal Gems.
"Kiki's Pizza Delivery Service"
He gets mentioned multiple times by his daughters.
"Future Boy Zoltron"
He’s briefly seen carrying a bag of bread and other ingredients.
"Dewey Wins"
Along with many other citizens, he is seen cheering on Nanefua in her fight to be mayor.
"What’s Your Problem?"
A framed photo of him is seen with Fish Stew Pizza.
"Reunited"
He attends Garnets’s wedding.
"Change Your Mind"
He’s at the Sadie Killer and the Suspects concert before Steven and the Diamonds come back to earth.
Steven Universe: The Movie
After Spinel’s injector exploded, he and his family were saved by Alexandrite.
"Guidance"
Kofi gives Bixbite a job at Fish Stew Pizza due to her expertise in slicing and dicing.
"The Future"
Kofi waves goodbye to Steven as he leaves Beach City.
Relationships
Kiki Pizza
| “ |
Kiki, why aren't you in here, working your shift?! |
” |
| —Kofi Pizza, "Restaurant Wars" | ||
One of his twin daughters and employees. He does not chastise her nearly as much as his other daughter, likely due to her hardworking and mature nature.
Jenny Pizza
| “ |
Jennifer! You touch that ball, you're grounded! |
” |
| —Kofi Pizza, "Beach Party" | ||
His other twin daughter and employee. Kofi does not like it when she slacks off at work but allows her to use his delivery car as her own personal vehicle. Though he allows her to roam freely outside of work, he is not afraid to use parental punishment such as grounding and taking away driving privileges.
Nanefua Pizza
| “ |
Kofi, you are going to wake this fish from the dead with all the noise you're keeping. Oh, too late. *pretends to be the fish* Kofi, you so loud! Aaaahh! *sticks her tongue out* Bleeeeeh. |
” |
| —Nanefua Pizza, "Beach Party" | ||
His mother and employee. Though he is known to be high-strung and volatile, his mother is laid-back and carefree. Despite these personality differences, he fully respects his mother and still refers to her as "Mom".
Crystal Gems
| “ |
Oh! I see how it is, when something breaks around here, you just leave it alone... JUST LIKE THE SIGN AT MY SHOP! |
” |
| —Kofi Pizza, "Beach Party" | ||
Though he recognizes magic, he does not fully understand it and often questions the Gems and their strange ways. Previously, he severely disliked their reckless behavior to the point of banning them from his restaurant and calling them a circus act. However, as of "Beach Party", after the Crystal Gems saved his family from the Giant Pufferfish, he seems to understand they do what they do to protect humans like himself and his family.
Steven Universe
| “ |
You're such a nice boy, Steven. Why do you hang out with those animals? |
” |
| —Kofi Pizza, "Beach Party" | ||
He is familiar with Steven but is unimpressed by his shenanigans. Regardless, Kofi is on good terms with Steven on account of the latter's friendly demeanor and frequent patronage at Fish Stew Pizza.
Mr. Fryman
| “ |
Fryman... infringing on my business?! I have been ready for this day! |
” |
| —Kofi Pizza, "Restaurant Wars" | ||
As fellow vendors of fast food, Kofi and Mr. Fryman have shared a rivalry, wary of the other infringing on his business. They have engaged in at least two "restaurant wars" in which each businessman attempts to outsell the other. Despite the enmity between them, Kofi and Mr. Fryman have shown they are willing to set aside their rivalry and work together under certain circumstances, such as when they cooperated to bring down The Everything Buffet. As of "Restaurant Wars", Kofi and Mr. Fryman appear to be on good terms, having agreed to not infringe on each other's business.
Episode Appearances
| Season 1 | ||||||||||||
| Season 1A | ||||||||||||
| 1. "Gem Glow": | Absent | 14. "Lars and the Cool Kids": | Mentioned | |||||||||
| 2. "Laser Light Cannon": | Absent | 15. "Onion Trade": | Absent | |||||||||
| 3. "Cheeseburger Backpack": | Absent | 16. "Steven the Sword Fighter": | Absent | |||||||||
| 4. "Together Breakfast": | Absent | 17. "Lion 2: The Movie": | Absent | |||||||||
| 5. "Frybo": | Absent | 18. "Beach Party": | Debut | |||||||||
| 6. "Cat Fingers": | Absent | 19. "Rose's Room": | Absent | |||||||||
| 7. "Bubble Buddies": | Absent | 20. "Coach Steven": | Absent | |||||||||
| 8. "Serious Steven": | Absent | 21. "Joking Victim": | Absent | |||||||||
| 9. "Tiger Millionaire": | Absent | 22. "Steven and the Stevens": | Absent | |||||||||
| 10. "Steven's Lion": | Cameo | 23. "Monster Buddies": | Absent | |||||||||
| 11. "Arcade Mania": | Absent | 24. "An Indirect Kiss": | Absent | |||||||||
| 12. "Giant Woman": | Absent | 25. "Mirror Gem": | Cameo | |||||||||
| 13. "So Many Birthdays": | Absent | 26. "Ocean Gem": | Cameo | |||||||||
| Season 1B | ||||||||||||
| 27. "House Guest": | Absent | 40. "On the Run": | Absent | |||||||||
| 28. "Space Race": | Absent | 41. "Horror Club": | Absent | |||||||||
| 29. "Secret Team": | Absent | 42. "Winter Forecast": | Absent | |||||||||
| 30. "Island Adventure": | Absent | 43. "Maximum Capacity": | Absent | |||||||||
| 31. "Keep Beach City Weird": | Absent | 44. "Marble Madness": | Absent | |||||||||
| 32. "Fusion Cuisine": | Absent | 45. "Rose's Scabbard": | Absent | |||||||||
| 33. "Garnet's Universe": | Absent | 46. "Open Book": | Absent | |||||||||
| 34. "Watermelon Steven": | Absent | 47. "Shirt Club": | Absent | |||||||||
| 35. "Lion 3: Straight to Video": | Absent | 48. "Story for Steven": | Absent | |||||||||
| 36. "Warp Tour": | Absent | 49. "The Message": | Absent | |||||||||
| 37. "Alone Together": | Absent | 50. "Political Power": | Cameo | |||||||||
| 38. "The Test": | Absent | 51. "The Return": | Cameo | |||||||||
| 39. "Future Vision": | Absent | 52. "Jail Break": | Absent | |||||||||
| Season 2 | ||||||||||||
| 1. "Full Disclosure": | Cameo | 14. "Historical Friction": | Absent | |||||||||
| 2. "Joy Ride": | Absent | 15. "Friend Ship": | Absent | |||||||||
| 3. "Say Uncle": | Absent | 16. "Nightmare Hospital": | Absent | |||||||||
| 4. "Love Letters": | Absent | 17. "Sadie's Song": | Cameo | |||||||||
| 5. "Reformed": | Absent | 18. "Catch and Release": | Absent | |||||||||
| 6. "Sworn to the Sword": | Absent | 19. "When It Rains": | Absent | |||||||||
| 7. "Rising Tides, Crashing Skies": | Cameo | 20. "Back to the Barn": | Absent | |||||||||
| 8. "Keeping It Together": | Absent | 21. "Too Far": | Absent | |||||||||
| 9. "We Need to Talk": | Absent | 22. "The Answer": | Absent | |||||||||
| 10. "Chille Tid": | Absent | 23. "Steven's Birthday": | Absent | |||||||||
| 11. "Cry for Help": | Absent | 24. "It Could've Been Great": | Absent | |||||||||
| 12. "Keystone Motel": | Absent | 25. "Message Received": | Absent | |||||||||
| 13. "Onion Friend": | Absent | 26. "Log Date 7 15 2": | Absent | |||||||||
| Season 3 | |||||
| 1. "Super Watermelon Island": | Absent | 13. "Kiki's Pizza Delivery Service": | Mentioned | ||
| 2. "Gem Drill": | Absent | 14. "Monster Reunion": | Absent | ||
| 3. "Same Old World": | Absent | 15. "Alone at Sea": | Absent | ||
| 4. "Barn Mates": | Absent | 16. "Greg the Babysitter": | Absent | ||
| 5. "Hit the Diamond": | Absent | 17. "Gem Hunt": | Absent | ||
| 6. "Steven Floats": | Imagined | 18. "Crack the Whip": | Absent | ||
| 7. "Drop Beat Dad": | Absent | 19. "Steven vs. Amethyst": | Absent | ||
| 8. "Mr. Greg": | Absent | 20/21. "Bismuth": | Absent | ||
| 9. "Too Short to Ride": | Absent | 22. "Beta": | Absent | ||
| 10. "The New Lars": | Absent | 23. "Earthlings": | Absent | ||
| 11. "Beach City Drift": | Absent | 24. "Back to the Moon": | Absent | ||
| 12. "Restaurant Wars": | Appears | 25. "Bubbled": | Absent | ||
| Season 4 | |||||
| 1. "Kindergarten Kid": | Absent | 14. "The Zoo": | Absent | ||
| 2. "Know Your Fusion": | Absent | 15. "That Will Be All": | Absent | ||
| 3. "Buddy's Book": | Absent | 16. "The New Crystal Gems": | Absent | ||
| 4. "Mindful Education": | Absent | 17. "Storm in the Room": | Absent | ||
| 5. "Future Boy Zoltron": | Non-speaking | 18. "Rocknaldo": | Absent | ||
| 6. "Last One Out of Beach City": | Absent | 19. "Tiger Philanthropist": | Absent | ||
| 7. "Onion Gang": | Absent | 20. "Room for Ruby": | Absent | ||
| 8/9. "Gem Harvest": | Absent | 21. "Lion 4: Alternate Ending": | Absent | ||
| 10. "Three Gems and a Baby": | Absent | 22. "Doug Out": | Absent | ||
| 11. "Steven's Dream": | Absent | 23. "The Good Lars": | Absent | ||
| 12. "Adventures in Light Distortion": | Absent | 24. "Are You My Dad?": | Absent | ||
| 13. "Gem Heist": | Absent | 25. "I Am My Mom": | Absent | ||
| Season 5 | |||||
| 1. "Stuck Together": | Absent | 15. "Pool Hopping": | Absent | ||
| 2. "The Trial": | Absent | 16. "Letters to Lars": | Absent | ||
| 3. "Off Colors": | Absent | 17. "Can't Go Back": | Absent | ||
| 4. "Lars' Head": | Absent | 18. "A Single Pale Rose": | Absent | ||
| 5. "Dewey Wins": | Appears | 19. "Now We're Only Falling Apart": | Absent | ||
| 6. "Gemcation": | Absent | 20. "What's Your Problem?": | Absent | ||
| 7. "Raising the Barn": | Absent | 21. "The Question": | Absent | ||
| 8. "Back to the Kindergarten": | Absent | 22. "Made of Honor": | Absent | ||
| 9. "Sadie Killer": | Absent | 23/24. "Reunited": | Non-speaking | ||
| 10. "Kevin Party": | Absent | 25. "Legs From Here to Homeworld": | Absent | ||
| 11. "Lars of the Stars": | Absent | 26. "Familiar": | Absent | ||
| 12. "Jungle Moon": | Absent | 27. "Together Alone": | Absent | ||
| 13. "Your Mother and Mine": | Absent | 28. "Escapism": | Absent | ||
| 14. "The Big Show": | Absent | 29-32. "Change Your Mind": | Non-speaking | ||
| Movie | ||||||||||||
| Steven Universe: The Movie | Non-speaking | |||||||||||
| Future | |||||
| 1. "Little Homeschool": | Absent | 11. "In Dreams": | Absent | ||
| 2. "Guidance": | Non-speaking | 12. "Bismuth Casual": | Absent | ||
| 3. "Rose Buds": | Absent | 13. "Together Forever": | Absent | ||
| 4. "Volleyball": | Absent | 14. "Growing Pains": | Absent | ||
| 5. "Bluebird": | Absent | 15. "Mr. Universe": | Absent | ||
| 6. "A Very Special Episode": | Absent | 16. "Fragments": | Absent | ||
| 7. "Snow Day": | Absent | 17. "Homeworld Bound": | Absent | ||
| 8. "Why So Blue?": | Absent | 18. "Everything's Fine": | Absent | ||
| 9. "Little Graduation": | Absent | 19. "I Am My Monster": | Absent | ||
| 10. "Prickly Pair": | Absent | 20. "The Future": | Non-speaking | ||
| Shorts | ||||||||||||
| 1. "Lion Loves to Fit in a Box": | Absent | |||||||||||
| 2. "The Classroom Gems: What Are Gems?": | Absent | |||||||||||
| 3. "We Are the Crystal Gems": | Cameo | |||||||||||
| 4. "The Classroom Gems: How Are Gems Made?": | Absent | |||||||||||
| 5. "Unboxing": | Absent | |||||||||||
| 6. "The Classroom Gems: Fusion": | Absent | |||||||||||
| 7. "Cooking with Lion": | Absent | |||||||||||
| 8. "Gem Karaoke": | Absent | |||||||||||
| 9. "Steven Reacts": | Absent | |||||||||||
| 10. "Video Chat": | Absent | |||||||||||
| 11. "Steven's Song Time": | Absent | |||||||||||
Trivia
- According to Ian Jones-Quartey, both Kofi and Nanefua were born in Ghana, a nod to Jones-Quartey's heritage as the grandson of Theodosia Okoh, who famously designed the Ghanaian national flag.[2]
- Coincidentally, Kofi Annan, who was the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations (1997–2006), is from Ghana.
- The voice Godfrey used for Kofi was previously used for Mr. Stubborn from an older Cartoon Network series, The Mr. Men Show, which ceased production four years before Steven Universe's premiere.
- The name "Kofi" is a Ghanaian name meaning "born on Friday".
Gallery
References
- ↑ http://ianjq.tumblr.com/post/84367436324/supervising director Ian Jones-Quartey on the ethnicity of the Pizzas
- ↑ http://ianjq.tumblr.com/post/84369747724/