Since its first broadcast, “Steven Universe,” has been able to capture the hearts and minds of fans alike with its endearing characters and the misadventures they endeavor in. Steven and the crystal gems have had battles with many adversaries from corrupted gems, home world gems, re-admittance to Fish Stew Pizza, Steven’s lack of control over his powers, the acceptance of loss, acceptance in general, and each other, emotionally. Through and through the crystal gems have always found a way to win but not without some resistance, discoveries and actions that have shocked fans with excitement, horror, but mostly with intrigue. With how far “Steven Universe” has progressed, there are surely more gasping moments to come so while we wait for the release of the next “Steven Bomb,” let us think back to five of these shocking moments that have left us with our mouths wide open and our chins hitting the ground.
1. Garnet Gets Poofed “The Return” Season 1 Episode 51
It had been speculated that Garnet was a fusion, due to her two gems, two weapons and third eye, especially with the introduction of fusion in “Giant Woman” with Amethyst and Pearl’s Opal, and Opal’s two gems, two weapons, and multiple limbs. However, it has never been addressed in previous episodes until “Jail Break.” Steven, upon escaping his holding cell on the ship discovers and frees Ruby who immediately goes in search for Sapphire. Steven, being left behind by the impetuous Ruby, by chance finds the sought-after Sapphire who thanks Steven by name, which is surprising due to the two never meeting prior, and the two go in search for Ruby. After a bit of running in the home world ship, Ruby and Sapphire find each other and fuse to become Garnet, which surprises Steven and us watching, or confirming some fan’s beliefs of Garnet being a fusion with a lot of “I KNEW IT’s.”
3. Lars and Ronaldo Were Friends “Horror Club” Season 1 Episode 41
Whaaaaaaa? In the first season, well, up until the fifth season Lars is basically a huge jerk. He is mean to almost everyone, even those who try to be nice to Lars, especially Sadie and Steven whom Lars would never admit are his best friends. Lars is only benevolent towards the cool kids, Buck, Sour Cream (which is understandable because Sour Cream is the GOAT), and Jenny, but does so just to fit in, as his insecurities haunts him to do so. Ronaldo, on the other hand, is a kind doofus and is at heart a genuine guy who is unafraid to be himself, which makes a possible friendship between the two, quite improbable. However, in “Steven Universe,” the impossible often becomes possible, and in “Horror Club” such a saying rings true, as Sadie, Steven, Lars and Ronaldo come together to endeavor in a scary movie night only to find that Ronaldo's hideout lighthouse embodies a corrupted gem with hatred for Lars. After Steven poofs the gem, its memories of Lars’ deed are made apparent, and it is revealed that Ronaldo and Lars at a young age used to be friends. The two were driven apart due to a picture Ronaldo took of Lars getting hit with a plank of wood by the gem inhabiting the walls of the lighthouse hideout who was angry at Lars for carving his name in her. Lars, embarrassed by the photo rips it apart due to his insecurities, and Ronaldo, obsessed with discovering anomalies and weird occurrences, is devastated by this act and the two finish their friendship, and we are left dazed and amazed.
4. Did Yellow Diamond Shatter Pink Diamond? “The Trial” Season 5 Episode 2
I realize this is quite a jump in episodes but this one is a doozy that got me fired up. The story is that Rose Quartz shattered Pink Diamond but it was never revealed as to how it happened. When Steven is abducted by Aquamarine and Topaz, after admitting to being Rose Quartz to save his human companions (except Lars who hid on the ship during this whole martyrdom occurs), he is brought to home world to pay for the crimes of Rose Quartz. Upon reaching home world, Steven is placed on trial by Blue and Yellow Diamond (where the hell is White Diamond) not only to see Rose Quartz but to receive Rose’s confession. After Steven confesses to being Rose, Blue Diamond asks Steven how he shattered Pink diamond, to which Steven replied, “I probably had to use the breaking point.” Blue Diamond becomes irate because Pink Diamond was shattered by a sword, which allows Steven’s at first incompetent and lack luster lawyer Zircon, to make a case that Rose (Steven) did not actually shatter Pink Diamond. Zircon makes the case that it had to have been someone unsuspecting and trustworthy and not a rebel quartz soldier like Rose, for Pink Diamond to come out of her Palanquin unguarded, like she would if she were being visited by another diamond. After Zircon delivered this testimony she is poofed by Yellow Diamond almost immediately, and every fan, probably simultaneously, gasped and almost fell to the floor in shock. Was it Yellow Diamond, or White Diamond? Where the hell is White Diamond!
5. Lars Becomes Lion’s Brother, Sort Of. “Off Colors” Season 5 Episode 3 – “Lars’ Head” Season 5 Episode 4
The moment comes at the end of “Off Colors” and is further expanded upon in “Lars’ Head,” which is why I included both episodes, and I must say, thank the flying spaghetti monster that this aired as a ‘Steven Bomb’ because I would not be able to wait very long for the next episode. Steven, during the commotion of the trial’s unearthed speculation, takes Lars and escapes in Blue Diamond’s palanquin but crashes into the depths of home world. Here, Steven and Lars go on the run and meet up and take shelter with whom home world believes to be defective gems. The scanners/policing robots looking for Steven find him and the other Gems while hiding underground, but are thwarted in their efforts to take down Steven by Lars who in his heroism and decision to not be a coward any longer, sacrifices himself to keep everyone else safe. Steven cries at the loss of Lars cries, and as Steven is crying, a tear falls on Lars’ face that not only bring Lars back from the dead but, turns him into something much like Lion, as Lars’ skin turns pink, and his hair turns white and can bring Steven into the same dimensional plain found in Lion’s mane. Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst had said that Rose’s tears healed cracked gems but Steven’s tears revive fallen beings. Does that mean Rose’s saliva bring back the dead? This is too much.
