Villain Critique: Spinel from Steven Universe · 3:57am Feb 18th, 2021
Hello, everyone. Good to see you all. After everything that's happened recently, I just got bored and overwhelmed and wanted to do something different that might keep both me and others entertained and relieve this stress if needed.
This is a brand-new blog concept that I like to call: Villain Critique. As the title suggests, I get to type a review of any of mine and/or others' favorite villain(s) and what I personally think of them as a whole.
If you don't like to see spoilers, then you don't have to read this blog. Please read with caution if you do hate spoilers.
Also, this is just my personal opinion. If you disagree with me, that's fine. You can tell me why in the comments below or via PM if you want. Just please be nice, constructive, and considerate.
Anyway, let's get started with one of my favorite, if not my favorite, villains in any media: Spinel.
I know that I've talked about her a million times already, but I just can't help it. She's one of my favorite antagonists in not just Steven Universe, but in any cartoon or form of media. And here's why:
- Design(s): Her design, both in her innocent form and her insane form, are very simple, yet well-done. She's inspired by the 1930's cartoons and rubber-hose animation. This gives her a great amount of appeal that is unlike any other character in the series (at least in my opinion). They also fit with her personality and emotional struggle that she endured throughout her life. Her innocent form is very cute and adorable, while her insane form is very sinister and threatening. But what they have in common is that they are both fun-to-look-at and fit what they're inspired by.
- Personality: Her personality is very fun and well-written, regardless of which form she's in. In her innocent form, she's very bubbly, silly, clownish, and friendly, but also very loyal and bright. Her insane form is very intelligent, anger-filled, sadistic, hammy, and mentally-unstable. Both are very bombastic and comedic, yet filled with so much pain and sadness, especially in the latter's case.
- Backstory: Oh, boy. Where do I even begin with her backstory. It's just so heartbreaking and depressing, yet relatable at the same time. She was abandoned, forgotten, and replaced for 6,000 years by Pink Diamond up to said diamond's death without realizing it until she saw Steven's message to the universe. The realization that her best friend and Diamond cruelly abandoned her and left her to literally rot alone in a garden in space despite doing nothing to deserve it makes me get the waterworks every time. Needless to say, her anger and outrage are very understandable despite her malicious actions.
- Abilities: Since she's inspired by rubber-hose animation, her main ability is elasticity. She's able to stretch, expand, and contract her limbs to a large and dynamic variety of forms. She's also very proficient at wielding a scythe-like weapon called the Rejuvenator that wipes the memories of any gem that it comes into contact with, though it doesn't work on organic life, like most gem weaponry and technology. Besides that, she has the standard gem abilities that, combined with her main one, makes her a very great threat.
- Weaknesses: She also has the standard gem weaknesses as well, like taking enough damage on her physical form causes her to retreat to her gem for a while before regenerating. Her gemstone is also able to be cracked or shattered, which is the equivalent of killing a gem in the latter's case.
- Character Arc/Development: Her character arc is handled very well. She starts out as a very menacing villain with origins unknown that uses a giant Injector filled with bio-poison to slowly kill all organic life on Earth and the aforementioned Rejuvenator to wipe both the main Crystal Gems memories and Steven's powers before getting her own memories erased. After that, she transforms into her innocent form and helps Steven restore their memories and his powers. When she gets unintentionally ignored by Steven, she begins to tear up and show him her genuinely tragic backstory through song that reverts her back. She then helps Steven shut off her Injector, but a misunderstanding relapses her back into fighting him before realizing for herself what her anger and hatred for Pink Diamond has caused her to become and relents. She's then given another chance to start over by living with the three remaining Diamonds.
- Miscellaneous: Her animation is very well-done due to the smoothness of the rubber-hose. Her voice-actor, Sarah Stiles, did a really good job at showing her emotions and has a great singing voice. She really does deserve a raise, along with the animators. And last, but not least, her two songs, Other Friends and Drift Away, are very great-to-listen-to and match her great character arc.
- Overall: Spinel is one of the best Steven Universe characters and the best antagonist in the series. She further eclipses the Diamonds in terms of potential and execution and this is why she's one of my favorite antagonists in all of media.
What do you guys think? Both of the critique and of the villain? What are some of your favorite villains? If you want, I could critique each of your favorite villains and make it a series. Does that sound like a good idea? Let me know in the comments down below.
Thank you for reading and have a fantastic day.
May I make a few suggestions?
5456126
Sure. What are they?
5456128
Darth Vader
Lord Voldemort
Catra
5456130
Okay. I'll do Darth Vader later. Is that okay?
5456133
Totally :D
5456134
Thanks.
My heart breaks for Spinel after hearing her backstory and everytime I listen to Drift Away, I end up in tears. Damn, Rebecca Sugar is a genius in conceptualizing a tragic antagonist.
5456801
Same.