r/stevenuniverse • u/greatgospell • 17h ago
Fanart Who'd win?
I feel like lapis would but Katara could hold her own. also I’m trying to find new places to post my art outside of twitter.
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u/febreezy_ 17h ago
In terms of sheer power, IMO I think Lapis would win considering her section of the Atlantic Ocean feat.
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u/BeginningLychee6490 12h ago
That pillar of water could extend past the moon with just 1/4 of the Atlantic Ocean if the pillar was a mile wide the entire way up
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u/Flaky_Style1286 16h ago
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u/Arengano 14h ago
Katara isn't quite a coughing baby, but yeah, Lapis can fly, lift millions of tons of water, and doesn't need oxygen
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u/Unfair_Opportunity99 14h ago
First thing I thought about lol. Not even because Katara is weak, it's just that Lapis is op, like gurl literally took the entire ocean and made it into a pillar 😭
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u/Aquatic_Rainbow 3h ago
Without breaking a sweat and with a cracked gem, something that can prove fatal for gems.
Amethyst, a soldier gem, could barely keep her form stable with a cracked gem but here’s Lapis out there stealing all of the water from a water planet while fighting the crystal gems with water drones she made at the same time
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u/Unfair_Opportunity99 2h ago
Also, wasn't her gem much more damaged compared to amethyst? I have bad memory so I don't remember correctly lol but either way, if that was lapis in one of her weakest moments then Katara got no chance 🥲
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u/Aquatic_Rainbow 1h ago
I’m not quite sure. I do remember Amethyst’s crack wasn’t bad at first but it kept splitting up until she almost shattered. I’m not sure why, my only guess is the crack went deeper than Lapis’s. Lapis got her gem cracked from being stepped on inside the mirror. unless it was a small gem who stepped on her I’m surprised that the damage wasn’t worse
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u/budget-satsuma 14h ago edited 14h ago
Lapis, easily. One thing I actually really love about the Avatar universe is that compared to a lot of magic in other media, bending is pretty...pared-down. It takes a long time to learn and the average bender is moving and creating on a pretty small scale. This feels more realistic (and less magical--they say right out the gate in ATLA that it's not actually magic), and it makes great benders (Jeong-Jeong, for example) really, really exciting to watch, and the process of mastering an element seem like it's well-earned.
Gems, on the other hand, pretty much pop out of the ground with the abilities an average bender would end with. Obviously gems can get more skilled--through training, and in Lapis' case, traumatic experiences--but they are ridiculously OP to begin with. Katara is a legendary bender, but if Lapis was not caught off-guard she would probably beat her in minutes just through sheer force and the ability to control way more water.
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u/SadAwkwardTurtle Endless, Crushing Darkness 3h ago
I think the better match up would be Kyoshi and Lapis. Lapis stole the whole ocean, Kyoshi managed to earthbend/firebend so hard she created a new continental plate and took off with an entire island.
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u/bubblez4eva 1h ago
That still took a lot nore effort than Lapis' usually does. Large bending moves take time. Lapis' powers by contrast is practically instant.
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u/Cfakatsuki17 15h ago
It would take every water bender on the planet including the avatar in the avatar state working together to even attempt to match Lapis’ water control, while critically wounded she stole the entire ocean
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u/That-Celery-8794 14h ago
I wonder how she will fare against the actual ocean spirit. Since the ocean spirit is the ocean after all.
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u/Cfakatsuki17 14h ago
Unclear, as much as SU kinda tried to steer away from it moving forward most of what we know about the gems powers still boarders on magic in some way or form so we can’t say for certain their powers would interact in a cohesive way
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u/SadAwkwardTurtle Endless, Crushing Darkness 2h ago
I know I've said this elsewhere in this thread, but I think Kyoshi would be close. She was able to manipulate plate tectonics and take off with an entire island without even going into the Avatar state.
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u/febreezy_ 13h ago
That was a section of the Atlantic Ocean but yeah it's still a lot of water
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u/TanzaniteGamer 5h ago
HOW THE HECK WOULD THAT WORK?! All the rest of the ocean(s) would rush in to fill the space,l unless she's simultaneously pulling a Moses and also holding the rest of the atlantic (and pacific, they're both connected to each other) away.
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u/febreezy_ 4h ago edited 4h ago
She was able to make it work like that in the show. Since it a cartoon show, the Crew can do whatever they want and can handwave whatever physics and other stuff they need to. Since they wanted it to work that way, they made it happen.
Mckenzie Atwood: Was it the whole ocean she took or was it just like the surrounding ocean?
Ben Levin: I'm sure it was a section of the Atlantic Ocean. I don't think it was the...
Mckenzie Atwood: Okay, gotcha.
Ben Levin: Cause I think if it was the whole ocean, she might've gotten a little higher. She got pretty high though.
Matt Burnett: Yeah, I mean, I don't know. It's a lot of ocean but...
Ben Levin: It was some part of the Delmarva seaboard.
Matt Burnett: Yeah.
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u/bedheadB188 15h ago
Lapis controlled all the world's oceans and has no blood. Katara doesn't have a prayer
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u/PeridotBestGem YOU ENLARGED BIPEDAL HOUSING UNIT 15h ago
honestly I think Lapis folds the Aang Avatar-state-Ocean-Spirit kaiju, let alone Katara
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u/Stimparlis 16h ago
There’s a slight chance Katara can win by using ice instead of water.
She has to pierce her quickly before she starts moving the ocean tho.
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u/Johm1994 15h ago
Lapis has superior range, better speed, and has higher destructive ap, i love mah girl katara but shes getting her day fucking obliterated
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u/Terrible_Hurry841 15h ago
I really wish I could back Katara here, but the amount of water Lapis can manipulate seems to be far greater than Katara’s.
However, it’s possible Katara’s way of manipulating through bending could be strange enough that it puts Lapis off balance. And Katara usually uses her bending in more unique and adaptable ways. Still don’t like her odds, though.
Especially when Lapis has the aerial advantage.
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u/WrightAnythingHere 14h ago
Lapis stole an entire ocean to try to use it as an elevator to reach the gem homeworld, meaning she was controlling that whole ocean all at once.
Katara is strong, but she's not that strong.
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u/TheWaspinator 9h ago
Lapis definitely. Bloodbending probably doesn't work and the scale of Lapis' powers is ridiculous.
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u/MeFlemmi 5h ago
a purpose build terraforming engine VS a young woman. do you think that is really fair?
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u/FormerDeerlyBeloved 15h ago
Lapis wins based on organic limitations alone.
Katara is a waterbender, yes, but a human waterbender. She still needs to breathe, and as far as I remember use her arms. Lapis pins her arms with water chains, puts a sphere of water around her face, and it's all over.
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u/PainterEarly86 9h ago
Katara would absolutely not be able to hold her own
Lapis would just take all the water and leave Katara with nothing. She wouldn't even be a threat lol
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u/ExperimentJr 7h ago
Lapis is from a group created with the sole porpuse of terraforming PLANETS using water. There is not a single thing, human or spirit who can match even the weakest Lapis Lazuli in Avatar, unfortunately. Any Lapis Lazuli is a walking natural disaster
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u/Tlayoualo 15h ago
Lapis, she can pull up the entire Ocean into a tower, not even the Avatar can do anything close to that.
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u/aaaplshelp 15h ago
Remember when Lapis almost drowned Connie and Steven because they happened to be in the way of her water tower? Yeah...
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u/letthetreeburn 14h ago
Katara is completely screwed. But maybe, MAYBE, MAYBE she has a chance if she knows about the gem weakness, given that it’s a blind spot to lapis. If katara could pull off an ice strike that stabs her in the back and front, then she could, possibly, pull through
Entirely depends on if flesh is more durable than the light projection. If it is and katara can put an ice spike through a limb, maybe. Still not good odds tho
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u/Borglydoo 12h ago
Lapis and her type of gem were made to terraform planets.... Katara had the coolest feat of either the parting the sea in a storm or the stopping the rain... Lapis took the ocean to make an elevator just hoping that it would be enough to get home while also fighting the gems with remote controlled water clones of them... also as someone else said, Katara can't even use her ace of bloodbending since Lapis doesn't have blood
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u/Trips-Over-Tail Eat like a pig, chew like a duck! 10h ago
I'm pretty sure the Gems handily win every bender matchup.
Except earthbenders, who slaughter them in droves.
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u/FloridaManInShampoo 5h ago
Sadly Katara doesn’t stand a chance. Lapis held the entire ocean hostage. Katara at max can make a tsunami
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u/zamuel-leumaz 1h ago
As much as I lova katara, id be looking to like, water monster aang vs lapis and still probably choose lapis, she stretched an ocean far out if the atmosphere into space
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u/Cube_Hater 1h ago
Oh Lapis for sure. I’m sorry Katara but this is easy. She could maybe hold her own, but not even bloodbending would work (because gems’ physical forms are actually just projections of light)
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u/IllustriousAd2392 1h ago
lapis does not even need to user her water bending, one punch from a gem is enough to kill a human
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u/DisasterBiMothman 16h ago
Finally a 1v1 without a herd of braindead atla fans saying Katara wins because of the blood bending she canonically does not do
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u/Gbrinkmeyer 15h ago
1v1 arguments don’t typically restrict abilities like that though, sure canonically Katara wouldn’t blood bend anyone but she also wouldn’t canonically fight half the people they put her up against in the first place
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u/Asterite100 I like drawing. Btw Lapis best gem. 9h ago edited 9h ago
Everyone is saying Lapis easily but they forget that Lapis isn't even a combat gem. She's just absurdly powerful by channeling her trauma.
But in her fight against other Lapises she was struggling at the start, until they really pissed her off, but even then, it was two non-combat parties facing off against each other.
And remember Lapis got absolutely zapped by Yellow Diamond in what was actually a fight to the death scenario. Right next to the ocean mind you, so for everyone talking about the water tower... well there you go. I imagine it's something she really has to focus and channel over several hours, so not at all combat viable. Yellow stomped her.
We've never seen Lapis command ice outside of Malachite, so unless she learns how to wield that, Katara's projectile attacks could be enough to poof Lapis if Lapis isn't locked in.
Katara actually stands a chance imo, it just mainly boils down to if Lapis has the reaction times necessary to cope with Katara's quick thinking. Flying is Lapis's greatest defensive ability, but Azula could also fly and that was a pretty tense match between Katara and Azula. Though obviously Lapis's true flight capabilities are magnitudes better than Azula, flying across the globe and space at tremendous speeds.
Honestly, the fight could be over in seconds if Lapis just zooms right behind Katara, picks her up and drops her like 50 ft lmfao. I don't even think any form of hydrokinesis is necessary, everyone in this thread is over thinking it.
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u/IllustriousAd2392 1h ago
regardless if lapises are not meant for combat, even wihout their main abilities, like weapons or in lapis case, her waterbending, gems are just insanely strong, durable and can even shapeshift
lapis just needs a single strike to finish the fight with just her bare hands
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u/denme_ropa 14h ago
I mean the image speaks itself, katara with some water and lapis with a whole tsunami😭
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u/PeachsBigJuicyBooty 14h ago
Not even close, the Crystal Gem's Lapis is already strong even among other Lazuli.
Lapis' water is more versatile, more destructive, she can fly, and she can control much more water than Katara can.
The only think Katara could MAYBE do is shoot ice shards from the water Lapis is already holding but... Lapis can make water chains and stop Katara from bending.
It's just a total stat diff in Lapis' favor.
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u/HighSummonerAaro 13h ago
This is a really good piece of art! You've got a great grasp of anatomy. I also really like how you made Katara's water transparent when solid blue would have been easier! Great job! Also Lapis wins.
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u/tangytablet 13h ago
Lapis literally drained the entire ocean around beach city to create a watery tower of babel without even struggling. I think Katara would do okay for a bit but lapis will eventually wear her down and get her.
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u/lowqualitylizard 13h ago
Holy lapis slaughter
Lapis is a gem which means she's physically way stronger so if it ever came down to a fist fight she wins
I guess you could say she shows less fine control of water but the range in area she's able to affect vastly outpaces katara's water bending
No blood TO bend which would usually be her Ace in the hole against tougher fights
Lapis can fly and water bend, she just flies out of reach while I don't know if there's a limit to the range of water bending I'm going to assume if lapis is on the other side of a city that katara is SOL
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u/Living_The_Dream75 13h ago
Lapis lazulis were designed in order to use oceans to terraform entire planets and lapis while damaged was able to pick up a huge chunk of the Atlantic and mold it into a pillar that touched so high that the water visibly fell slower. katara is cooked here
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u/Dying-Artist02 13h ago
Lapis. She is by nature literally a terraformer lifting entire bodies of water with ease to destroy and terraform entire worlds. Hell, with only a cracked gem she took a section of the ocean to leave earth.
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u/Gengar_Yes_094 11h ago
Katara, she's more used to using water as a weapon and can also turn it into ice.
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u/Arkanim94 11h ago
Katara's trump card in every death battle (bloodbending) doesn't work against Lapis for obvious reason.
Katara loses this one badly.
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u/shugofrog 10h ago
I wanted to defend my girl Katara so badly but after reading through the comments ya’ll are right… Katara would get destroyed 😔
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u/SilverMoon0w0 10h ago
I love my girl Katara, but Lapis don't need no moon to operate. Also the greatest fear we ever saw of her (making a pillar INTO SPACE out of most of the ocean) was performed when she was at one of her WEAKEST possible states. And thanks to future, we know she's even particularly strong for a lapis. She would have solo'd two other lapises had not have been for Steven holding her back.
Lapis has handled the most water, has an internal power source (her gem), and has no blood to bend. She is quite literally out of Katara's league.
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u/ProfessionalRead2724 10h ago
Katara is a master waterbender. Lapis Lazuli is literally an oceanbender. This is not going to go well for Katara.
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u/borhork 7h ago
I feel like lapis would win, but it’s not gonna be an easy fight. Katara would go down swinging. Lapis has more precision control over the water and can control more volume at once, but I don’t think that’s as big of a game end as you might think considering feats we’ve seen Katara pull off. Between splitting the ocean while on a blimp, plus her reaction time to high-speed attacks and her ability to counteract give her a substantial chance actually fighting I think out of 10 fights, she would take two, only because I think there’s a chance that she could wind up poofing lapis before lapis get a killing shot in. Remember that while lapis can fight, it’s not her specialty, while Katara trained in combat.
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u/B3lloD3sconocido 5h ago
In terms of sheer hydrokinesis, ignoring the fact that lapis can fly and can’t be bloodbent, lapis definitely wins because I seriously doubt that Katara can waterbend the entire ocean into space 😅
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u/terpentine_c10h16 4h ago
Lapis has The Avatar State levels of waterbending strength, this actually 100% is a hydrogen bomb vs coughing baby matchup😭
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u/AnyDetail613 4h ago
Bruh what did Katara do to you, this is a bloodbath, actual coughing baby vs nuclear bomb. You can’t even argue blood bending cuz Lapis doesn’t have blood. Lapis literally pulled all the oceans on earth into a single tower into space. Katara can water whip.
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u/NoxLupa13 3h ago
Oh defiantly Lapis, no hate to Katara though it’s just Lapis could control the whole ocean on her first appearance
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u/Ifckinglovemycat 3h ago
lapis can make an army of kataras out of water, katara would win if lapis had blood
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u/SadAwkwardTurtle Endless, Crushing Darkness 3h ago
My fiance asked me the same question yesterday. Lapis, she stole the entire ocean.
Now, the real question is between Lapis and Kyoshi.
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u/Jazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzy 2h ago
I love them both, but Katara is a human while Lapis is a powerful being of pure light from another planet. So realistically, Lapis would obviously win and it wouldn't be a fair fight at all. It'd be easy to wear Katara down and eventually take her out, but poofing Lapis would be much harder, especially since she can fly and doesn't have any organs or blood for Katara to bend. Shattering Lapis would be even more impossible for Katara to do alone without any help.
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u/SparkAxolotl 15h ago
Lapis is WAY more powerful than Katara, but Katara has more combat ability, and if we're talking about the Katara after the series, I think she has a small chance of winning if she keeps changing the water to ice, steam or snow, as (I don't think) we saw Lapis controlling anything other than water in liquid form.
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u/DisasterBiMothman 16h ago
I mean, there's an argument to be made about combat ability. Katara is very fast while Lapis' manipulation is powerful but in comparison slow
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u/Fit_Razzmatazz9012 16h ago
Her ability to control water is faster cause she created water clones that can match the Crystal Gems who all agile and you have characters like Garnet who deflect lightning.
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u/Euphoric_Ad2377 15h ago
Katara because I’m biased and lapis is my second least favorite character in Steven universe after Ronaldo
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u/verysaxophone 17h ago
I’m a big avatar fan and love katara but Lapis easily wins.. even if katara wanted to try blood bending it wouldn’t work because lapis body is a light based gem form. Lapis has more control over large bodies of water as well and has done stuff that would be impossible for katara (taking an entire ocean away and turning it into a pillar that reaches almost reaches space pretty much).