“Lars of the Stars” My (Very Early) Hopes and Predictions for the Steven Universe Spin-Off

The universe of Steven Universe is set to expand! Earlier this month, it was announced that Steven Universe: Lars of the Stars, a spin-off series, is in development.

Although very little is currently known about the new series, my head is already swimming with hopes and predictions for the spin-off!

The series’ announcement, which was made at the Annecy Animation International Film Festival, was very surprising, but also exciting for fans of the Steven Universe franchise. Rebecca Sugar, the franchise’s creator, is a co-creator and executive producer of the spin-off, alongside Ian Jones-Quartey. The series is being developed for release on Amazon Prime Video.

But as for plot details, it has been stated that:

“Steven Universe: Lars of the Stars explores the past, present, and future of the universe. The sequel follows Lars Barriga, eternal teenager and space outlaw, as he and his pirate crew smuggle contraband, evade the authorities, and uncover the darkest secrets of the fallen Gem Empire.”

As fans know, “Lars of the Stars” was also the name of an episode in Steven Universe’s fifth season, which concluded the arc of one of the show’s supporting characters, Lars Barriga, in a way that I don’t think anyone could have predicted when the show started in 2013. Initially introduced as an insecure human teenager who worked at a donut shop, Lars was able to develop more self-confidence and became the leader of a group of outcast Gems. Lars and the Off Colors – the Rutile Twins, Rhodonite, Padparadscha, and Fluorite – went on adventures and fought back against the evil Diamond regime together.

In my time in the fandom, I’ve seen a lot of fans very interested in seeing more of Lars and the Off Colors. Quite a bit happens in between episodes and off-screen for the group, so there is a wealth of gaps that a spin-off series could fill in.

It is important to note, however, that the spin-off has not officially been given the green light. There is a chance that it could be shelved, but much like Steven himself, I will remain optimistic.

Although the show’s synopsis is brief, there is a lot in its limited description that has already sparked my interest.

When are “the past, present, and future”?

I am intrigued by the synopsis’ reference to the “past, present, and future of the universe” and what each time period could refer to. The “past” could be flashbacks to the time Lars spent with the Off Colors off-screen and could provide more information about, for example, the group’s conflict with Emerald, who features in the original “Lars of the Stars” episode. The spin-off could also elaborate on the backstories of the Off Colors, like Rhodonite’s Ruby and Pearl becoming a fusion.

Alternatively, the “past” could refer to events from the Gem Empire’s history from eons ago, maybe in relation to the “darkest secrets” the synopsis also mentions. The original series episode “Steven and the Stevens” introduced time travel, but I would be surprised if the magical Hourglass returned.

The “present” is assumedly when the show will be set. The last time Lars and the Off Colors appeared, in the Steven Universe Future episode “Little Graduation”, they were heading back into space after having spent some time in Beach City. It’s possible the spin-off will pick up shortly after this, but there could also be a more significant time skip like there was between Steven Universe and The Movie.

The word “future”, meanwhile, automatically brings to mind Steven Universe Future, so I wonder if Lars of the Stars will be similar to the sequel series in tone. It also makes me think of Garnet’s future vision, although Padparadscha’s own predictions are only ever about past events.

What are “the darkest secrets of the fallen Gem Empire”?

I think I speak for everyone when I say I want to know what these “darkest secrets” are. They’re not just “dark secrets”, they’re the “darkest secrets” of the Gem Empire. I don’t know what could be more shocking than the truth about Pink Diamond, but I am intrigued. Maybe the secrets will relate to the Diamonds or be something they tried to cover up, or maybe the secrets won’t have anything to do with them at all.

I am also curious about the mention that Lars and his crew will “evade the authorities” in the series. Who will these authorities be? I am guessing that the antagonists might be new Gem characters, as the Diamonds are unlikely to play a villainous role after allying with Steven at the end of the original series. Maybe Lars of the Stars will introduce villains who are still loyal to the old Diamond regime. As I mentioned earlier, Emerald could also return and continue to be opposed to Lars and the Off Colors because of their history.

No matter who the villains are, I think there’s every chance they’ll get one of the redemption arcs that the Steven Universe franchise is known for.

Beyond what is described in the series’ synopsis, there is something that, as a fan, I hope features in the spin-off or is at least addressed by the show:

Will Lars’ history as a human impact the story?

Although Lars of the Stars will presumably be set primarily, if not entirely, in the stars, I hope the fact that Lars is a human does play into the story. Steven’s human side was an integral part of the original series, The Movie, and Future, and there were multiple episodes about his relationships with the other human residents of Beach City. I am interested to see how Lars’ humanity will feature in the spin-off’s story, as it seems unlikely that there will be many, if any, other humans for him to interact with in space.

There is some comedic potential that could come from Lars being the only human surrounded by Gems – maybe the skills he gained from working at the Big Donut could somehow feature in an episode. The show could also explore this from a more serious angle, like the emotional impact being away from home could have on Lars.

This brings me to my next question – Will any of the other characters from Steven Universe appear in Lars of the Stars? Logical choices for a guest appearance would be either Steven or Sadie, because of their connections to Lars, but the show could go for a character more left-of-field, like one of the Cool Kids or even another Beach City resident that Lars didn’t have much to do with in the original show. Bringing Lion in for an episode could also be interesting, as the show could explore the ways his powers and Lars’ are connected.

Finally, I want to note that Lars of the Stars will be a streaming show. It will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, not Cartoon Network, the channel that aired the other instalments in the Steven Universe franchise.

A streaming release could mean a shorter series, with possibly the same or a smaller number of episodes than Steven Universe Future, which had an episode count of twenty. The original Steven Universe had many “filler” episodes that focused on the characters rather than on developing the main plot. These episodes were polarising amongst the fandom, but were, for better or worse, a key part of the series’ identity, so it will be interesting to see how Lars of the Stars will be structured if it does have a smaller episode count.

As you can probably tell from this article, I’m looking forward to Lars of the Stars and am crossing my fingers that it will be given the green light. Steven Universe has pushed the boundaries of children’s animation through, among other things, its ambitious storytelling and queer representation, and I am hopeful the franchise will be able to continue with an exciting new instalment.

Author: Iris Autumn

Iris has a degree in Digital Media and a passion for writing. She has published in cultural arts magazine The Artifice. Iris’ interests include intertextuality, media portrayals of fandom and creativity, and stories that are campy.

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