Who’s Your Daddy: Greg Universe and other father figures within Beach City
Are you a parent? Have you ever thought of what it must be like for Greg Universe to be a parent to Steven? Not only does Greg have to deal with the loss of the woman he loved and fathered Steven with, but he also must deal with disconnectedness from his son who is both a human and a gem.
Steven’s view of his father is one of both love and respect. Although his father can put off Steven a little, he is ultimately his only family. Particularly when it comes to trying to look like a real father, Greg will go deliberately out of his way to show others how capable he is. When Steven begins forming his relationship with Connie, Greg finds it hard to explain to him that even though Steven has a non-nuclear family, it is still a wonderful one. Greg has his first outfit change just to go to dinner with Connie’s parents. He pretends that the fusion of all the Crystal Gems, Alexandrite, is his wife and attempts to show Connie’s family that he is a good father figure and not some strange dude who lives in his own van. Although the plan may have failed slightly, Greg still won some respect over from Steven.
Greg has grown through the series just as Steven has, slowly gaining respect and no longer just a silly carwash man. In the beginning, when viewers first learn about Greg, he is shown to run and shy away from “magic stuff.” However, as time goes on, Greg knows that Steven looks up to and wants to learn as much as possible from the gems and about his other half. Each day the gems grow more and more connected towards Steven as they form their team.
When it comes to Greg though, the gems have a less impressed view of him. Especially when it comes to Pearl, she finds Greg just a human, and even useless when it comes to gem activities. “Have a little faith in me,” he pleads, hoping that the gems and others can understand that he too can help in his own way, during the episode “The Message.” Ultimately, Greg wins over some of their respect when he helps them decode the message. He is shown to care and worry over his son’s safety with Steven always going off to be with the gems. He cares about him and protects him to the best of his abilities. During the episode “The Return” Greg becomes extremely distraught at the thought of his son heading to battle with the gems. “I need you too,” he exclaims, trying to convince his son to stay safe with him. Ultimately, Steven chooses to go to the gems for battle, but Greg still appears proud of his son as he watches him slowly grow up before his eyes.
Many families within the Steven Universe world are not nuclear families. There are many father figures who live in Beach City that may not be the best, like Greg, but are trying their hardest. Two that stand out are Mayor Bill Dewey and Mr. Fryman. Mayor Dewey is an awkward man, who produced a rebellious son, Buck, due to his father being too authoritative. Buck became the leader of the “cool kids” along with other characters who also have odd father relationships, like Sour Cream. With Buck rejecting his father's ways, he avoids him and even tries to embarass his father. However, just like Greg, Mayor Dewey is only trying his best to impress his son and connect with him.
A similar case can be seen with Mr. Fryman and his two sons, Peedee and Ronaldo. With two odd sons, one socially awkward and one with a lackluster childhood, Mr. Fryman has a difficult time relating to both of his children. However, when it comes to doing his best to connect with them, he tries to let up on being a part of the family business and just letting his two sons be as who they want to be. Instead of imposing the family business upon them, he lets his sons make their own decisions.
There are many different fathers within Steven Universe. The most notable, Greg Universe, is a father figure who is slowly evolving just as Steven is growing up too. The two have many laughs, serious moments, and are developing a full relationship even though there can be at times some lost connections. Despite how Steven is ultimately the reason for Rose Quartz no longer in her physical form, Greg does not hold that against his son and gives him all the love he deserves.