diff --git a/app/models/page_types/universe.rb b/app/models/page_types/universe.rb
index 46bc0a76..93025280 100644
--- a/app/models/page_types/universe.rb
+++ b/app/models/page_types/universe.rb
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ class Universe < ApplicationRecord
   acts_as_paranoid
 
   include IsContentPage
-  # include HasContent
+  # include HasContent # can't do this because we generate cycles since HasContent relies on Universe already being initialized
 
   include Serendipitous::Concern
 
@@ -94,4 +94,16 @@ class Universe < ApplicationRecord
   def self.content_name
     'universe'
   end
+  
+  def content
+    # This is a worse version of the HasContent #content, but... dunno how to include
+    # that functionality in this class without duplicating it in two places and hard-coding
+    # the other content type names. TODO come back and fix this
+    content = {}
+    Rails.application.config.content_types[:all_non_universe].each do |content_type|
+      content[content_type.name] = send(content_type.name.downcase.pluralize)
+    end
+
+    content
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/content/show.html.erb b/app/views/content/show.html.erb
index b32f13e0..b9931ac5 100644
--- a/app/views/content/show.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/content/show.html.erb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   <!-- 3 column wrapper -->
   <div class="flex-grow w-full lg:flex min-h-screen">
     <!-- Left sidebar & main wrapper -->
-    <div class="flex-1 min-w-0 bg-gray-50 xl:flex px-6">
+    <div class="flex-1 min-w-0 xl:flex">
       <% if @serialized_content.class_name == Universe.name %>
         <%= render partial: 'content/tailwind_components/universe_context_sidenav', locals: { content: @serialized_content } %>
       <% else %>
diff --git a/app/views/content/tailwind_components/_universe_context_sidenav.html.erb b/app/views/content/tailwind_components/_universe_context_sidenav.html.erb
index 4d251ae0..4bfc40c4 100644
--- a/app/views/content/tailwind_components/_universe_context_sidenav.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/content/tailwind_components/_universe_context_sidenav.html.erb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<div class="xl:flex-shrink-0 xl:w-64 xl:border-r xl:border-gray-200 bg-white">
+<div class="xl:flex-shrink-0 xl:w-64 xl:border-r xl:border-gray-200 pl-6">
   <div class="pl-4 pr-6 py-6 sm:pl-6 lg:pl-8 xl:pl-0">
     <div class="flex items-center justify-between">
       <div class="flex-1 space-y-2">
@@ -6,15 +6,15 @@
           <!-- Profile -->
           <div class="flex items-center space-x-3">
             <div class="flex-shrink-0 w-full mb-2">
-              <%= link_to @universe_scope do %>
-                <%= image_tag @universe_scope.random_image_including_private, class: 'rounded-lg' %>
+              <%= link_to content.raw_model do %>
+                <%= image_tag content.raw_model.random_image_including_private, class: 'rounded-lg' %>
               <% end %>
             </div>
             <div class="space-y-1">
-              <div class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-900"><%= link_to @universe_scope.name, @universe_scope %></div>
-              <%= link_to @universe_scope.user, class: 'group flex items-center text-xs' do %>
+              <div class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-900"><%= link_to content.name, content.raw_model %></div>
+              <%= link_to content.user, class: 'group flex items-center text-xs' do %>
                 <i class="material-icons <%= User.text_color %>"><%= User.icon %></i>
-                <span class="text-gray-500 group-hover:text-gray-900 font-medium"><%= @universe_scope.user.display_name %></span>
+                <span class="text-gray-500 group-hover:text-gray-900 font-medium"><%= content.user.display_name %></span>
               <% end %>
             </div>
           </div>
@@ -22,22 +22,14 @@
           <div class="pb-2 space-y-1">
             <h2 class="text-sm font-semibold">In this universe</h2>
 
-            <button type="button" class="inline-flex items-center px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 shadow-sm text-sm font-medium rounded-md text-gray-700 bg-white hover:bg-gray-50 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-offset-2 focus:ring-notebook-blue sm:mt-0 sm:ml-3 xl:ml-0 xl:mt-3 xl:w-full">
-              <i class="material-icons <%= Character.text_color %> mr-1"><%= Character.icon %></i>
-              <span class="flex-grow text-left">Characters</span>
-              <span class="bg-gray-100 p-1 text-xs rounded-lg">42</span>
-            </button>
-            <button type="button" class="inline-flex items-center px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 shadow-sm text-sm font-medium rounded-md text-gray-700 bg-white hover:bg-gray-50 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-offset-2 focus:ring-notebook-blue sm:mt-0 sm:ml-3 xl:ml-0 xl:mt-3 xl:w-full">
-              <i class="material-icons <%= Location.text_color %> mr-1"><%= Location.icon %></i>
-              <span class="flex-grow text-left">Locations</span>
-              <span class="bg-gray-100 p-1 text-xs rounded-lg">8</span>
-            </button>
-            <button type="button" class="inline-flex items-center px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 shadow-sm text-sm font-medium rounded-md text-gray-700 bg-white hover:bg-gray-50 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-offset-2 focus:ring-notebook-blue sm:mt-0 sm:ml-3 xl:ml-0 xl:mt-3 xl:w-full">
-              <i class="material-icons <%= Item.text_color %> mr-1"><%= Item.icon %></i>
-              <span class="flex-grow text-left">Items</span>
-              <span class="bg-gray-100 p-1 text-xs rounded-lg">17</span>
-            </button>
-
+            <% content.raw_model.content.each do |content_type, content_list| %>
+              <% next if content_list.count.zero? %>
+              <button type="button" class="inline-flex items-center px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 shadow-sm text-sm font-medium rounded-md text-gray-700 bg-white hover:bg-gray-50 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-offset-2 focus:ring-notebook-blue sm:mt-0 sm:ml-3 xl:ml-0 xl:mt-3 xl:w-full">
+                <i class="material-icons <%= content_class_from_name(content_type).text_color %> mr-1"><%= content_class_from_name(content_type).icon %></i>
+                <span class="flex-grow text-left"><%= content_type.pluralize %></span>
+                <span class="bg-gray-100 p-1 text-xs rounded-lg"><%= content_list.count %></span>
+              </button>
+            <% end %>
           </div>
         </div>
         <!-- Meta info -->