Lars' character development, a leap from hate to love
Laramie Barriga's evolution in Steven Universe is one of the most significant and powerful in the history of animated series, as it made one of the characters most hated by fans, one of the most loved. It's a gradual evolution but with an important turning point that made the whole fandom of Steven Universe fall in love with this (now) pink boy... How did Rebecca Sugar accomplish this? In this post we will talk a little bit about it.
One of the things that makes us hate Lars in the beginning is that he is a very human character with whom we can identify, even if we don't want to admit it. He is an insecure teenager, obsessed with the perception others may have of him. He treats his parents with disdain, who care about him, and feels that showing any weakness (interpreting virtues such as kindness as weak, for example) would embarrass him in front of the people he wants to impress.
He is ashamed to express his feelings, show signs of affection in public, show his cooking skills, show his love for Sadie, his friendship with Steven, and so on. Besides this, Lars is a very cowardly person and is unable to face his fears.
Despite this, Steven considers him his best friend and always tries to make him happy. So does Sadie, who is clearly in love with him and is by his side at all times, both at work and outside of work. Lars' feeling is reciprocal, as we have seen in several episodes, but Lars' inability to show affection and express himself openly always prevails.
In episodes like "Lars and the Cool Kids" (season one) we see how a kinder side of Lars can emerge. In his obsession with being a part of the gang, Lars constantly says that Steven is "lame" and embarrasses him; Steven shows him that being as he is, cheerful, sensitive and naive, he is liked by them (which is not the case with Lars, who is not genuine with them but is more nervous about appearing to be something he is not). After being caught in a dangerous situation inherited by the magic of Rose Quartz, Steven and Lars hold a dialogue that, in a way, opens the eyes of the latter.
Lars: This is all your fault! I knew if something went wrong today it would be because of you. Now I'm never going to be friends with these guys, all because of your... weird mom!
Steven: ...What do you know about my mom? I didn't even get to know my mom! But I do know she saw beauty in everything, even in stuff like this, and even in jerks like you!
At the end of the episode, they both find a solution to the problem and when Steven shows him his hand to "give him five," Lars touches Steven's chest (which Steven did with Lars when he refused to give him five at the beginning of the episode), and this becomes a kind of salute between them.
Episodes like "Island Adventure," "The New Lars," and "The Good Lars" show us more about the character and his relationships, and although there are times when his character improves, he always "relapses" in his way of being more negative.
Lars hits rock bottom in the episode "I Am My Mom" of season four, when Topaz and Aquamarine arrive on Earth to capture all of Rose Quartz's "allies" (as they followed a list that had been transmitted to Yellow Diamond by Peridot, when Steven mentioned the humans he knew).
Once inside Aquamarine's spaceship with all the humans inside the topaz fusion, Steven forms a bubble until the fusion breaks out and everyone escapes; however, Topaz catches Sadie and she asks Lars for help. Instead of rescuing her, he runs away and hides inside the ship, under Sadie's disappointed gaze.
In the next episode, "Stuck Together," Steven finds himself trapped with Lars on the ship on their way to Homeworld, after giving himself up to save his friends. Lars confesses to Steven that he was trapped on the ship because he didn't help Sadie and ran away to hide, that "he's a coward and he's not brave like him."
Finally, in "Off Colors" (fifth season), Steven and Lars take refuge in Homeworld with "off colors" gems (fusions or gems that are considered defective) from the diamonds. Lars performs the heroic act of his life by putting aside his fear and saving the life of the off colors gems, protecting them and attacking the machines that were after them to exterminate them. In the middle of this, Lars causes an explosion in an attack, hits his head and falls to the ground dead.
That's right, Lars dies. And in the midst of shock and pain, fans watch Steven cry over his friend and suddenly his tears bring Lars back to life, and we see his skin turn pink, like Lion's (and, like the feline, his hair becomes a teleportation portal).
Lars' courage in his last moments of life and his resurrection, make this character see life with different eyes. He doesn't take anything for granted anymore. He knows that the moments he spent with his loved ones are invaluable and he must treasure each one of them.
In the next episode, "Lars' Head," Steven discovers that Lars' hair functions as a teleportation portal. When he enters his head, he can see the same space he sees when he enters Lion's mane: a pink environment where he can't breathe, and where he sees the tree where Rose stored her objects, so Steven knows that if he gets to that tree, he can get out by Lion's mane on Earth.
After assimilating what has happened to him, Lars says to Steven:
Lars: You have to go back (...) You won't be safe until you return to Earth.
Steven: But, Lars...
Lars: Don't argue with me! You're always trying to help me! You brought me back to life! Just let me be someone who deserves it.
Steven puts his hand on his chest and Lars puts it away. For the first time, Lars gives Steven a big hug. All his fears of showing affection are gone, for they pale in comparison to everything that has happened to him lately. Lars has matured and knows how valuable Steven is to him, he is grateful and he shows it to him.
Next time we see this character, in the episode "Lars of the Stars," Lars is leading the off colors gems, running away from Homeworld on a ship they stole from Emerald. We see our pink boy in an outfit that is a reference to Captain Harlock (1977)
Steven and Connie are amazed at Lars' leadership and all he has accomplished since Steven last saw him. He finds out that Sadie is getting her life back together with the cool kids and they have their own band. In a very human reaction, Lars feels hurt and wonders if Sadie didn't suffer for his death. He says, "I should be the one hanging out with the cool kids." Steven and Connie talk some sense into him and tell him that "life goes on," and despite all that she's been through, Sadie must go on with her life, and she's been struggling to do it. Lars understands that he has done the same thing and that he would never do it to hurt her, because he loves her.
Here we contemplate a Lars who accepts his emotions and assimilates with maturity what he cannot change. Again he hugs Steven, proving that old Lars, afraid of affection, is a thing of the past.
Putting himself back together, Lars uses this new life lesson to take advantage of Emerald and escapes from her.
Thus, Rebecca Sugar led an ungraceful and flawed character by the hand and made him grow into an example to follow. Laramie Barriga is the best version of himself simply by being genuine, spontaneous and valuing his affections and his life.
Rebecca, we want to see more of this great pink Lars!
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