[2] During the development of the pilot, Rebecca Sugar had a conversation with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola in which he emphasized the importance of repetitive imagery to create a motif.

He is the first and only known Gem–human hybrid, the product of the union between the Crystal Gems' original leader, Rose Quartz, and Greg Universe, a human musician and car-wash owner.

He is able to summon his mother’s shield; create a spherical force field; heal Gems, humans, and objects with his saliva; create sentient plant life; shapeshift; float through the air; use empathetic telepathy and astral projection; combine bodies and minds with other Gems and/or humans to form powerful "fusions"; and revive the dead with his tears.

According to Sugar, Steven's greatest flaw is his self-sacrificing nature; he continually sets aside his own safety and emotional well-being in favor of others, which eventually takes a toll on his mental health.

In Steven Universe: The Movie, he retains his jeans and flip-flops but now wears a sky blue T-shirt, again bearing a yellow star and a pink varsity jacket with white trims.

Susana Polo of Polygon praises Steven for being the "toxic masculinity antidote" in that his dominant traits of empathy and kindness are what make him such a vital member of the Crystal Gems.

[7] Polo also commends Steven's subversion of gender definitions, him being a young boy in a feminine role with defensive abilities that manifest in shades of pink.

Similarly, in a post on Bitch Flicks, Ashley Gallagher also praises Steven's characterization outside of typical masculinity and his stereotypically defensive and feminine powers such as his shield and his healing while also expressing approval of his relationship with Connie.