Lion (Steven Universe Roundtable #12) – Overly Animated Podcast #199
By: Dylan Hysen
We discuss everything about Lion on this week’s roundtable, speculating on what he is and is origins.
Appearing: Dylan Hysen, Justin Cummings, Michelle Anderer.
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Dylan Hysen
Dylan is a software developer from the DC area who hosts the Overly Animated podcast discussing everything animation.
8 Comments
I know you guys don’t like Steven Bombs, I know of the episode titles for the next Steven Bomb, it looks like very little plot, a combo of Beach City slice of life and Greg centric episodes.
So look at this way, if we getting a bunch of cooling off episodes, better get them over with one Bomb, can you imagine week to week nothing but slice of life episodes with no plot.
Yeah if they are all townie episodes then I’d prefer to get them out of the way in a bomb, but I doubt we’ll just get 5 or 10 less plot-y or big character episodes in a row.
Well “Me Greg” maybe people think is a big Lapis episode and we know we get Peridot in “Too Short To Ride”, might not be a complete lose, if Peridot learn more about Earth and get to know the townsfolks, and Lapis come closer to become a real Crystal Gem, that is great.
What I want more than anything is for Lapis to make peace with the Crystal Gems, don’t have to be close friends, but can Lapis have more than one friend? She is friends with Steven, she tolerates Peridot, and the rest of them nothing has changed as far as Lapis is concerned, how the CG feel about Lapis has had some development, but not the other way around.
If we get a Bomb afterwards, the next Bomb if they keep following the wikia order will end with “Monster Bubbies” and Alone At Sea”, that is something to look forward to.
Okay…. Likely long statement.
First off. I agree with Lion being some Manifestation from Steven’s Gem.
I won’t claim that he’s one or the other, because details on Gem abilities are still too up in the air to determine, But “All” of Lion Displays some Parts “Holo-gem” and some parts “Physical Form” of the gem.
The disconnection from the gem is the largest part separating “Physical form” from Lion.
Displaying that Lion has storage.. but not just any storage, Rose Quartz’s personal storage, Her Sword, her Flag, Her shirt, A tape FOR Steven…. /seeems/ to suggest the largest part separating “Holo-gem” from Lion.
Holo –
Holo Pearl remains existent for two entire weeks while Pearl is poofed. Lion Remaining existent is completely plausible as a result.
Holo-Pearl’s Eyes light up, For what reason.. well doesn’t really matter for this point. – Lion’s Eyes have been shown to light up as well. This is perhaps to imply Holo-gem, or perhaps a “wireless” connection with Steven’s gem, Allowing for Processing and storage. Since The gems act more like Computers with personality. This technically can make sense.
Holo-Pearl Understands swordfighting, But that’s all it was really created for. Other Holo-gems or other methods of “Holo”-gemming may be able to understand and do other things. Pearls aren’t exactly supposed to be super advanced and tough.. They appear to be very simple and …”custom-made”
Holo-Pearl and Holo(water)-Clones (Lapis) – Possess some level of physical Form, and are capable of taking and returning blows on level. Water-Garnet both knocked Garnet back and withstand an onslaught of attacks from Garnet, perfectly matching them. Holo Pearl also held many objects in her hands, and was pushed physically by Steven. Implying Lion’s Physicality to be believable.
Physical Form: The storage part, while maybe it is possible to operate through a Physical Holo-gram, seems unlikely. It is that Steven can interact with Lion in such a way, as well as what Lion was holding, That implies Lion is the remainder of “Sentience”… “Ai?” etc.. That is left of the Rose Quartz Gemstone. Not Rose, Not our Rose or what Made her up. But things that didn’t make her, her.
Lion Immediately reacting to Steven’s sorta-commands, is not really specific to either side. Holo-Pearl responded to Pearl’s Commands, and Gem-interactions by the Gems themselves is… Sorta “command” but more sorta just “happens” (Which is sorta more like what Lion does.)
— Not Only does Lion vacantly stare off into the distance when Steven mounts him, Not only does he Immediately begin to react when Steven says “But I’m not trained very well either, so~~”
But MUSIC also begins to play. At the same time. This Implies that Lion /should/ be one of these two things. Something that directly interfaces with Steven.
Lion then knows how to get to Rose’s secret Armory, as well as knowing how to get to the moon, What the moon even is, Where the moon is, And topping that off, What the moon base is, and where.
Topping THAT off. Not only does Lion know where the moon base is, but when portaling to it, Lion’s end portal resides smack dab in the MIDDLE of the dang thing… The only reason the end up at a wall at all is because of the sheer force/momentum that Lion was going when he exited the portal.
Lion can walk on water. This doesn’t really point to any one direction, Whether Lion is Holo-StevenQUARTZ, The Physical Form of what remains, or another creation/gem altogether.
It is just something that relates. As it seems like all gems have this capacity, Not just Gems like Lapis or Pearl.
In Secret Team. We’re shown that even Steven can walk on water… not intentionally, of course, The likely reason he can is that he just assumes there is a surface there, and his gem powers are reacting to that assumption. He doesn’t believe he will sink, and therefore, isn’t.
But we’re shown that absolutely every pillar in Pearl’s room is literal water and has no solid surface to actually stand on. Between Steven and Amethyst Swimming in one of them, then them and Pearl standing on another one, and then later, Garnet showing the audience that the Pillar she and Steven were standing on had no separation between the Surface, and the watery underside
Where Garnet drags herself under into the water, then proceeds to surface and dive in most if not all the rest of the pillars. Whilst Pearl and Amethyst are Standing on the water she’s surfacing out of, battling.
One big thing that not many people really focus on recently though.
Is Lion Disappearing in Same Old World. If people call the oddity out, They usually cast it to the side with “Plot convenience”, cause Steven had to stay long enough to look around and notice Lapis.
My Theory Is we won’t see Lion again. Ever. The oddity of Steven saying he had a Steak (which Lion responds to him “better” with Lion Lickers, so it is even more odd) and then whoops “Dropped out of existence” really pushes this further, too. That Lion was Manifested through Steven gem or subconscious, and now that Steven is TRULY getting a stronger hold of his powers. Lion will cease to be, and Steven will begin Exhibiting powers that Lion Possessed.
If It comes out to be that Rose was able to warp similar to Lion
That Lion no longer appears (until Steven learns how to make Holo/Clone-gems, to which it might be like Lion never left, or it may be that Steven will not be able to replicate Lion no matter how hard he tries)
and If it comes out that Rose had some sort of Shockwave attack a la Guile
All would point to Lion being the a Physical form from Steven, essentially containing the powers Steven had yet to understand, or duplicates of the Powers he couldn’t yet use, etc.
And all the more so if Steven starts exhibiting all of these miscellaneous things in the upcoming few episodes, Like Steven Floating (Floating could be part of what made Lion able to jump as high as any other gem, Actually “controlling descent” may simply have been too much for Lion to handle).. So shortly after Lion’s disappearance and complete forgotten-ness.
After all. based on BCB’s “next episode” title. We go straight from Barn Mates and Hit the diamond, into Steven Floats. Much like was assumed since that was how it was in the French Leaks., No episode between Hit the Diamond and Steven Floats.
No Lion in Hit the Diamond
No Lion in Barn Mates
No Lion since the start of Same old World, where he disappeared
and No Lion or explanation of “welp we forgot about Lion” in Steven Floats.
Yeah. Sure. Lion isn’t present in every episode
Yes, There are times when he’s not present in several episodes in a row.
But the big difference is Lion was there in Same Old World at the start, Steven /was/ looking for him. Then, nothing.
Yes. Lapis did take his attention.
Yes, Peridot and Lapis did take his attention.
Yes. Panic did take his attention.
But to just forget about him after that? What, did he go “welp that ordeals over, CMON GUYS, TO THE WARP PAD, HOME HOME HOME No Good byes, no discussions about what happened, nothing else just home lets go *warping already* CMON CMON CMON”
No confirmation that Lapis and Peridot were going to be okay with each other from here on out? Nothing? Bull. That wouldn’t be a Steven thing to do. Yeah. Forgetting the “Moon goddess” statue thing for the Lunar Sea Spire, would beg to differ on that front.
But not only was that then, both when he was more inexperienced and also younger, But it was also an object he barely knew of, and an object, at that. Lapis, Peridot, and Lion are all friends. “Living” entities whom he cares about. That’s a big difference.
Lion not coming back is super interesting. Idk if I think it’ll happen or not, maybe!, but I hadn’t thought of it before. I think it makes some amount of sense. And Lion being some sort of holo-gem is interesting, I don’t think we have enough mythology details on that sort of thing to comment too much. But very interesting stuff!
Well if you’ve seen the spoilers/promos
Lion will at least be back towards the end of the 3rd season, When Bismuth comes.
It’s possible this means Steven was just unthoughtful and rude and forgot about him….
Or that Lion was gone and simply returned fast, as a lot of mentioned. Lion is kind of a big character and losing such probably wouldn’t sit well with people.
But that’s just based on promos thus far.
Well it sounds like the next Steven Bomb, it is just going to be 5 slice of life Beach City adventures. Hardly Bomb worthy. Maybe we get one big plot episode at the end of the Bomb, that is the best we can hope for.
Got nothing to say about Lion, but can’t wait for the Jasper podcast, I hope you mention my theory of Greg being attracted to her.
So which CN crossover tonight TTG / PPG crossover or “Say Uncle”, I hope you address that question in the next PPG podcast.
Let me retype my question as I forgot a keyword.
So which CN crossover is better, tonight TTG/ PPG crossover of “Say Uncle”, hope you address that question in the next PPG podcast.