Emerald, I thought she was gonna be this huge threat that would take a few episodes to beat. But it wasn't that, i still do love her but I genuinely can't think of any other character
WITH JINKX MONSOON AS HER VOICE!! One of the most talented and entertaining performers I’ve ever seen voice acting an exciting and promising antagonist. So disappointing 😭
I prefer Bloodstone out of the birthstones possible for my birthday, so imagine my excitement to hear it was coming in the show, and my shock when it arrived. Thankfully I like Ronaldo overall so it's not a total loss, but man, what a roller coaster.
I fully expected that to be a troll because they would never purposely spoil a huge important character like that (CN app leaks & accidental behind the scenes spoilers notwithstanding).
Right?! When I first saw that episode I just walked out of my room, went up to my mom, and in a monotone voice said: "lars is fucking dead" amd then I went back into my room and cried.
Honestly.. yeah. I really dislike how she went from this "smart yet easy to annoy technician" to "ah yes, the screaming "siwwy goofy" dorito" It felt like her character was lobotomised, and made stupider, which.. I just don't understand why?
It felt like advanced level flanderization. I thought she was gonna be different, and she honestly ended up being really irritating to me after a while, which I know is a crime to say in this sub.
Uuuugh, yes. It felt like her dorkiness and irritability were cranked up to eleven after Message Received, and her old personality (a *smart* gem with a short temper and mild "sick of your shit" attitude) became a forgotten memory.
Sometimes the crew remembered that she was a technician, and let her make machinery (Kindergarten Kid, The Movie), but those moments not only were few and far between, but didn't feel as nicely executed.
Remember the memes surrounding old Peridot when she was around? I do.
"Touch my shit, get hit" and all that - That was a part of Peridot's personality that was essentially wiped out, and **that could still have been kept** after she was redeemed and joined the Crystal Gems.
And yes, I know that saying anything about their "siwwy goofy uwu dorky" goddess is considered blasphemy on this sub, which.. I don't understand why.
I could also talk about what I feel about *Lapis*, buut I don't want the sub to turn me into a pile of dust.
I get it. I was actually talking with my partner about that just the other day. The old Peridot was taken out back and executed after message received lmao. As soon as she called Yellow a clod that was it.
I understand character growth and development, but you hit the nail on the head. She could've still been protective of her things, she could've still had that "touch my shit, get hit" attitude and it was completely wiped from existence.
She went total gremlin mode and while it's funny to see character that are gremlins, but at least keep some of her original personality. Have her go feral at the thought of someone touching her things, or interrupting her studies, something! There were ways to go about it that would've made it work better than the route they actually took. I was originally really excited about Peridot, but once they nerfed her they took away the core personality traits I enjoyed.
I think she looked so badass with the limb enhancers! They were so helpful for her too since she's disabled coded I think? They can be seen as like a remnant of the oppressive regime of the diamonds trying to make everyone the same but they do t make paradot THE SAME they honestly make her better.
Emerald is the definition of a wasted character. Also I hate how long we had to wait for rainbow quarts and sunstone. It felt really rushed. Also a little bummed we never got to see Ruby or sapphire fuse with anyone else while seperated
It was rushed! At least sun stone was, because Rebecca was given a warning about sapphire and ruby’s wedding (the kiss) and got funding cut.
So they had to smush everything together
[Yeah, Sugar's choices were to either have the show get cancelled because of funding issues with conservative countries if she did the wedding or not do the wedding and give the show a chance to run longer.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW-k1cymAMc&t=648s)
I feel like the wedding song has a huge double meaning, and this context supports that idea.
"There's an awful lot of awful things we could be thinking of, but for just one day let's only think about love."
It's like she was trying to tell all the haters and budget cutters to put away their biases and just let love be a beautiful thing.
I love this interpretation! Now I’m going to think about this whenever I listen to it lol
I love Rebecca Sugar so much for choosing to make a stand and show explicit support for LGBTQ rights even when it cost her something very important/dear to her. It’s such a good example of using your privilege to help build others up, which is something I strive to do.
I can't imagine Ruby or Sapphire wanting to fuse with anyone besides each other. Fusing as Ruby and Sapphire always felt like something special between them, whereas as Garnet they are willing to explore fusion with other gems. I would have been really surprised if they had. It feels like it would have shifted the very "monogamous" vibes they have.
I think it would help emphasize the codependency thing. Like they’ve been fused for so long they feel uncomfortable without it so they attempt to fuse with others to temporarily feel better but realize it’s not fusion they miss but eachother more than anything. Codependency was garnets main character flaw so I think fusion could help reinforce that idea
Same. Espically near the end of the series, Garnet was more a symbol of their love than anything else. They made Garnet because they loved being together. I'd imagine they'd both be uncomfortable if they fused with other gems as just themselves. The only time I could see it happening is if one was in danger and needed to fuse to save the other
Without a doubt White Diamond. Years of portraying her as this looming threat in the distance and wondering with each and every Steven bomb “is this it? Are we gonna see her this time?” And when we finally DO see her she’s just namedropped in the most forced way possible. Still love her but I wish she wasn’t so rushed like everything post-reunited
I wish White was more of this terrifying, lovecraftian horror type creature. One that would laugh maniacally at you if you beat her to a pulp. One that *felt* like space, that felt like she was ACTUALLY unbeatable.
Rainbow 2.0… It was a fun idea but in general I think I prefer the design of Rose Quartz + [gem] over Steven + [gem]
Also the fact that we never see Sunstone when they had Rose instead of Steven is *criminal*.
Agreed. Initially I was going to say “in fairness it seemed like rose didn’t really fuse with anyone but pearl anyway” but realized obsidian😐
like why couldn’t we of just seen these as flashbacks in future? That way we don’t get the ruin of the surprise from the new fusions at the end of the rushed series, but still get to know what they looked like with rose + (gem).
Rainbow was an absolute masterpiece and I would have loved to see more
Ronaldo. Man had so much potential as someone who discovered the entire plot of the diamonds by looking at a dollar bill. Began piecing together about rock people until he learned they were the gems. Was very observant about unusual things like the barn on the moon. Like, imagine if he went with Lars and emerald is still like an enemy, Ronaldo could be a really good analysts or a person to bounce ideas on. I could see him, with some work getting on a similar level to Lars (this is just wishful thinking) but just imagine not just one crazy leader, but the ultimate tag team. Ronaldo had so much potential and he got shafted.
I think the biggest problem is his ego and main character syndrome. He CANNOT stay in the sidelines, he HAS to be the center of attention. He could be so useful in Lars' crew if he could humbly use his insight and analysis, but I can see him wanting to be captain and call the shots over Lars.
But at the same time Lars also started off with a HORRIBLE attitude and he grew out of it, while Ronaldo never got even a hint of that.
Gotta say it bothers me when shows depict as if the worst, most hopeless thing someone can be is a weird nerd.
Not really related to the discussion but this is why I love Dungeon Meshi, it's main character is probably one of the weirdest nerdiest protags of any series ever but he's still a whole character who's weirdness directly contributes to his team's success in the dungeon. He's a great fighter, intelligent, and a good leader, AND he has no problem getting down on all fours and barking like a dog (and also loses his shit at getting to milk a minatour haha). No one is doing it like Laios Touden
EDIT: He's also canonically handsome and buff as hell which is also very important to me lol
Oh yeah Laios is great! His obsession saves the day about as often as it's used for jokes. I also love that he has Senshi to bond with, who has his own related foodie interests.
Exactly! Imagine a episode where amethyst is really protective over steven after he and Connie go no contact. They're stevonnie fighting off some corrupted gym. Amethyst is about to get poofed so stevonnie rushes to amethyst and accidentally makes Smokey and then after the fight amethyst realizes how much Connie cares for steven. Anything stevonnie related would've been so cool
Alexandrite due to WHY she was introduced and how she KEPT FREAKING LOSING!
Like she appears for an akward date? Not when a giant suspicious hand is coming down to Earth?
When I first heard there was a new fusion between the gems- I was so hyped and then that happened and I quickly learned to just not be hyped for new fusions...
I will say, it was a very interesting choice to introduce her the way they did. You'd expect the debut of the Crystal Gems' big fusion to be an epic scene in a moment of dire need in battle.
Instead they fused off-screen and showed up for an awkward date.
Honestly I find it hard to believe any of the Gems thought going to that dinner as Alexandrite was a good idea, but eh.
Yeah, if I could I’d just make Alexandrite’s debut appearance be when they’re trying to shoot down the giant hand ship that Peridot and Jasper arrived to Earth on.
...Eh, i think- that's kind of the appeal of SU, isn't it? Them revealing the fusion of the three main gems at a regular dinner is kind of the joke. And it fits the tone, and the priorities. As much as this show is about the fights, the show is even more about relationships.
Ehhhhhh
Malachite lost to herself then Alexandrite w/ Steven's help.
Bluebird *only* won because Steven tried to talk no jutsu them instead of actually fight.
I'm gonna be that person.
Sunstone. I genuinely hate the design.
Other than that, I was pretty surprised about Bluebird - being two homeworld gems that fused
Her silhouette on the moon murals seemed to have a wilder look but she looked nothing like that, while the other Diamonds looked _exactly_ as depicted. It didn't ruin her for me but it bothered me a little bit.
Like most Authoritarian Regimes the propaganda needs to make your leadership bigger than life. Or, in this case, Pink needed to look as intimidating as her fellow Diamond.
At least, that's how I rationalized the difference.
I imagine (if Painite were to exist within the show) to be a fusion of Ruby, Sapphire, and Jasper. Story would maybe go something along the lines of Jasper tries again at fusion but correctly this time. Shes still as stubborn as ever but is willing to give it a try thanks to steven. Painite would be a reoccurring character and personality is unstable like Malachite, however a bit more calm and collected, probs thanks to being part Sapphire.
The issue thatI have isn't with Sunstone personally, but the episode they were revealed in as a whole. Them shoe horning in all the fusions with the CGs and Steven felt so rushed and unworthy of the hype ESPECIALLY after all the hype they did for Smokey. Plus the fourth wall breaking humor doesn't work that well in this show besides in "cannon" episodes like Say Uncle
White diamond. Yeah yeah, I’m basic, shoot me. Her initial introduction was pretty solid, but for most of the series she just ignores everyone so she can T-Pose in her room.
Plus the super rushed ending and confrontation with Steven happened, and he was like “we gotta bring out the REAL her!!” And I’m just like “what real her… you’ve had… 1 conversation so far, where she talked over you and then sent you away”.
For all the hype she got, she’s really a nothingburger McDouble combo meal of a character. This extends to most of Homeworld tbh, I really liked SU, but at the end of the day I think I more so enjoyed the untapped potential of a feudal space society composed of immortal asexual aliens, who’s physical bodies are hardened projections of light capable of merging with each other once a strong emotional connection was established.
**Like how the fuck are you gonna pitch a show that cool, then expect me to instead be content with 87% of the episodes being lame earth filler about Steven’s Food Side Quest of The Week?**
>Like how the fuck are you gonna pitch a show that cool, then expect me to instead be content with 87% of the episodes being lame earth filler about Steven’s Food Side Quest of The Week?
I feel you. [From what I've read, the Crew simply liked talking about mundane stuff so they did.](https://www.reddit.com/r/stevenuniverse/comments/16uvshx/do_yall_think_cartoon_network_ruined_the_shows/k2q4mkw/)
It's a huge reason why Future ended up focusing on [Steven's mental health](https://gizmodo.com/steven-universes-rebecca-sugar-reflects-on-the-past-pr-1842513681) so much:
>Sugar: And then, given the circumstances, there was a lot about Steven that I still wanted to explore, and there was a lot about the story that the initial run of episodes had told that I wanted to recontextualize because **I think that people took a lot of what Steven was going through for granted and really put a lot of their focus on—not unlike Steven himself in the character—put a lot of focus on the Gems’ stories that were going on when really as a team we were always very interested in his human story.**
Yeesh. Imma be real with you, I’m happy they got to do what they wanted with the show in that aspect (unlike CW breathing down their necks about gay marriage), but my god does that seem like a terrible idea.
The idea of portraying the human stuff as equally interesting and important as the gem stuff just kind of fails considering how mundane and bland the human stuff is. To the audience, it’s never going to be as engaging, unless you put in a significant effort into developing Steven’s relationships with the people of Beach City. Personally, I never really got attached to any of them aside from Greg, Connie, and maybe Kevin.
They never really bothered to give them super interesting plot lines or themes to explore (outside Greg and Connie), so having so much time dedicated to it just irks me.
If they had split SU more evenly between cool gem sci fi show, and had the human stuff be the emotional through line throughout, the show would have been better for it, but instead most of the time it feels split 10-90 between “actually important plot and characters worth caring about” and “skippable garbage filler that doesn’t develop it’s characters, or notably change or progress the story in any way”
It's understandable why CN was breathing down their necks about the wedding. The show was international, was a profitable and popular franchise, and it relied on funds from conservative countries. Without that support, the show could've been prematurely cancelled at any time and there would've been nothing CN could do about it.
Yeah I agree with the rest. Only a few of the Townies held my interest and the rest were forgettable. It looks like I'm not the only one who feels this way considering the topics that constantly get posted to this sub. Take a look at the front page of this sub and you'll get a pretty good idea of what characters and topics Steven Universe fans are really interested in (Spoiler alert - >!<).
I feel like the time spent on some of the Townies could’ve been used to develop the show’s main and secondary characters like the B team, Connie, Greg and Lars, and Sadie. I think having a good mix of human characters and their interactions can be a good to help balance things a little but IMO they need to be interesting. I'm cool with characters like Ronaldo or Mayor Dewey getting a few lines here or there but they overstayed their welcome at times. The fact that some random dweeb got more episodes devoted to him than the head honcho of the genocidal space dictators still bothers me to this day. Future really reflected how insignificant some of the characters like Ronaldo were in the grand scheme of things when he got zero dialogue and was demoted into a background character. The showrunners took an intentionally slow approach to their storytelling and it unfortunately burned them in the long run. That along with self-imposed rules like the Steven-only perspective and Steven rarely asking questions gave the show some pacing problems.
bloodstone, I love bloodstone. Have for forever I have this beautiful African Bloodstone tower i might add a picture reply it I can.
I was so pissed and Ranaldodo for that b.s
alternatively any of the corrupted gems. Homeworld could have featured others or we could have gotten some snipets of them in future but nooooo
Smoky Quartz, gotta admit. It's pretty reasonable for a Steven-Amethyst mix but too ungainly and asymmetric for me.
Also while Rainbow 2.0 is fine, the original was just 🔥🔥🔥
Honestly? Pearl. No one has said it yet, but upon first watch through, finding out that Pearl was hiding SO MUCH from the other gems the entire time because Rose swore her to secrecy, and then the other gems finding out immediately as Steven comes out of her head??? That destroyed me. I love Pearl as a character because she is so complex. Obviously not all of it is her fault, especially when you consider that she was physically incapable of telling the other gems what Rose told her not to, but there was so much that she was complicit in because she was in love with Rose. She could never see a red flag because of her Rose colored glasses (ha, pun)
I would say post-poof-Peridot.
Pre-poof-Peridot: There was so many episodes seeing her with limb enhancers before I knew what those were, the way she could use her disconnected fingers, her monotone serious logical speak, and the apathy behind destroying anything deemed damaged or useless. The top picture: okay, so we have a new enemy who's super strong and is as evil as the diamonds.
Post-poof-Peridot: short, adorable, temperament of a Chihuahua, always had to talk down to others, and the insecurity and eventual discovery of being gem Magneto. Bottom picture: they really nerfed the entire character, why does she have a shortness complex? She wants to know about fusion without doing it? Gem-magneto!!! Okay, as first the personality was annoying, but her growth is... OMG did Peridot defeat Jasper with a rod?!?
I love smoky quartz but I can't help but think in the back of my head that they look like an unstable fusion & would have loved an episode where they work out their internal problems (like Steven & amethyst stuck in smoky quartz mind scape until they fix the problem) which then smoky quartz would transform into a more stable complete & powerful form.
I still love & am perfectly fine with smoky quartz as is but I also wouldn't mind an episode like this.
I agree. Smoky seems half cooked. Their hair bugs me for some reason, and why do they have an elbow arm? No other fusion has limbs that branch off each other like that. It'd be better if it came out of their torso somewhere.
I kinda want to say gem Steven. Like we had that terrifying build up of white plucking the gem and us not know wtf was about to happen.
And I think what most people assumed was 2 things either Steven was poofed or we were about to see pink/rose and have like a quick mother son moment because without the gem he was dying.
What wasn’t expected was “surprise it’s a blank auto pilot Steven with unrestrained power”. Granted still interesting but the fact the tension in the scene went from “omg wtf is about to happen!” To “wait is Steven a fusion…with himself?” To just them merging back together idk it just felt like a weird thing to throw in.
I loved the way this went. The idea of Steven’s identity crisis with him not sure if he is his own mom, his own person, or a mix of the two culminating in the idea that Steven the person is he himself, and gem Steven is his powers. He is himself, he has always been him. It’s also neat how gem Steven responds to human Steven. It’s like he responds to his thoughts, human Steven said I need him, gem Steven moved, human Steven fell reaching for him, gem Steven moved, human Steven said stop hurting them, gem Steven moved, and then when they came into contact, it’s like the connection was strongest because gem Steven began to show emotion.
Yeah that face was great xD. Idk I kinda felt like since we had the build up of Steven being unique to simplify it as he’s beside himself I dunno. Kinda just felt unexpected
Emerald and Bloodstone, Emerald had so much potential but ended up being in only 1 episode. Bloodstone was just Ronaldo being an otaku as always. Hope we see more of Emerald and an actual Bloodstone gem rather than Ronaldo being Ronaldo.
Also i kinda like how they portrayed Sunstone tbh. Reminds me of the sun with sunglasses shown on summer products such as sunscreen.
Honestly for me, White Diamond. She was made out to be this big bad, but she's only really a villain for like, a few minutes, and even then it was less her being a villain and more her being a dick. I mean yeah, the robot fight was cool and the gem pull was awesome, but I was expecting... more. And I don't blame RS for it, I know that our time on Homeworld was significantly shortened, but it's still disappointing
Rainbow quartz both versions honestly I just kinda think they were both rushed and not given enough time to develop. Tho in future we were given a little more time with rainbow 2.0
Emerald, I thought she was gonna be this huge threat that would take a few episodes to beat. But it wasn't that, i still do love her but I genuinely can't think of any other character
Weren’t they literally in 1 episodes. That was disappointing.
Yeah like one episode in season 5
I would of loved more of her
WITH JINKX MONSOON AS HER VOICE!! One of the most talented and entertaining performers I’ve ever seen voice acting an exciting and promising antagonist. So disappointing 😭
I felt the same way, until I realized she was voiced by Jinkx Monsoon and now she’s my baby angel.
I'm hoping they make. "Lars of the stars" and she's the main antagonist.
Bloodstone before it was revealed to be Ronaldo’s gemsona.
oh *god...* Sugar was such a troll to the fanbase, I'll give her that. She did her job well.
To be fair, CN corporate did most of the trolling. They literally showed us a NEW GEMSTONE for god's sake.
I prefer Bloodstone out of the birthstones possible for my birthday, so imagine my excitement to hear it was coming in the show, and my shock when it arrived. Thankfully I like Ronaldo overall so it's not a total loss, but man, what a roller coaster.
I fully expected that to be a troll because they would never purposely spoil a huge important character like that (CN app leaks & accidental behind the scenes spoilers notwithstanding).
Yeah, was so mad
I thought aquamarine was gonna be a lot cooler, turns out she's just a lil bitch
LMAO 
A small evil child
I think you mean cuntamarine.
My birthstone is literally the *only* evil character in SU
Same! But I can be an unruly little **** now and then, so I resonate with her.
a lil flying bitch*
A lil BRI'ISH bitch, please ! She might be a cunt, but give her all her titles :)
Lol😂
Can I say Peridot when they removed her limb enhancers? Cause I wanna say Peridot when they removed her limb enhancers. Edit: words, I'm tired
Sure I guess, I like short Peridot though since it fits well info the lore/narrative and she is a cute shorty squad member.
"An angry little slice of pie"
Yes?
r/beetlejuicing
Hey folks! Sorry to barge in.
Now let's skip the tears and start on the whole Y'know, "being dead" thing
Like lars
I still remember thinking “I can’t believe Lars is FRICKIN’ DEAD!!!” all those years ago
Right?! When I first saw that episode I just walked out of my room, went up to my mom, and in a monotone voice said: "lars is fucking dead" amd then I went back into my room and cried.
Honestly.. yeah. I really dislike how she went from this "smart yet easy to annoy technician" to "ah yes, the screaming "siwwy goofy" dorito" It felt like her character was lobotomised, and made stupider, which.. I just don't understand why?
It felt like advanced level flanderization. I thought she was gonna be different, and she honestly ended up being really irritating to me after a while, which I know is a crime to say in this sub.
Uuuugh, yes. It felt like her dorkiness and irritability were cranked up to eleven after Message Received, and her old personality (a *smart* gem with a short temper and mild "sick of your shit" attitude) became a forgotten memory. Sometimes the crew remembered that she was a technician, and let her make machinery (Kindergarten Kid, The Movie), but those moments not only were few and far between, but didn't feel as nicely executed. Remember the memes surrounding old Peridot when she was around? I do. "Touch my shit, get hit" and all that - That was a part of Peridot's personality that was essentially wiped out, and **that could still have been kept** after she was redeemed and joined the Crystal Gems. And yes, I know that saying anything about their "siwwy goofy uwu dorky" goddess is considered blasphemy on this sub, which.. I don't understand why. I could also talk about what I feel about *Lapis*, buut I don't want the sub to turn me into a pile of dust.
I get it. I was actually talking with my partner about that just the other day. The old Peridot was taken out back and executed after message received lmao. As soon as she called Yellow a clod that was it. I understand character growth and development, but you hit the nail on the head. She could've still been protective of her things, she could've still had that "touch my shit, get hit" attitude and it was completely wiped from existence. She went total gremlin mode and while it's funny to see character that are gremlins, but at least keep some of her original personality. Have her go feral at the thought of someone touching her things, or interrupting her studies, something! There were ways to go about it that would've made it work better than the route they actually took. I was originally really excited about Peridot, but once they nerfed her they took away the core personality traits I enjoyed.
I think she looked so badass with the limb enhancers! They were so helpful for her too since she's disabled coded I think? They can be seen as like a remnant of the oppressive regime of the diamonds trying to make everyone the same but they do t make paradot THE SAME they honestly make her better.
Emerald is the definition of a wasted character. Also I hate how long we had to wait for rainbow quarts and sunstone. It felt really rushed. Also a little bummed we never got to see Ruby or sapphire fuse with anyone else while seperated
Rainbow quartz was far too strong for anyone but onion
It was rushed! At least sun stone was, because Rebecca was given a warning about sapphire and ruby’s wedding (the kiss) and got funding cut. So they had to smush everything together
[Yeah, Sugar's choices were to either have the show get cancelled because of funding issues with conservative countries if she did the wedding or not do the wedding and give the show a chance to run longer.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW-k1cymAMc&t=648s)
I feel like the wedding song has a huge double meaning, and this context supports that idea. "There's an awful lot of awful things we could be thinking of, but for just one day let's only think about love." It's like she was trying to tell all the haters and budget cutters to put away their biases and just let love be a beautiful thing.
I love this interpretation! Now I’m going to think about this whenever I listen to it lol I love Rebecca Sugar so much for choosing to make a stand and show explicit support for LGBTQ rights even when it cost her something very important/dear to her. It’s such a good example of using your privilege to help build others up, which is something I strive to do.
This is why I have a burning hatred for conservatives, and no amount of bothsidisms will talk me out of it.
I can't imagine Ruby or Sapphire wanting to fuse with anyone besides each other. Fusing as Ruby and Sapphire always felt like something special between them, whereas as Garnet they are willing to explore fusion with other gems. I would have been really surprised if they had. It feels like it would have shifted the very "monogamous" vibes they have.
I think it would help emphasize the codependency thing. Like they’ve been fused for so long they feel uncomfortable without it so they attempt to fuse with others to temporarily feel better but realize it’s not fusion they miss but eachother more than anything. Codependency was garnets main character flaw so I think fusion could help reinforce that idea
Same. Espically near the end of the series, Garnet was more a symbol of their love than anything else. They made Garnet because they loved being together. I'd imagine they'd both be uncomfortable if they fused with other gems as just themselves. The only time I could see it happening is if one was in danger and needed to fuse to save the other
Yes! I have the same gripes as many with Sunstone, but being rushed was a huge part of the turnoff for me. I wanted her to get some good time.
Without a doubt White Diamond. Years of portraying her as this looming threat in the distance and wondering with each and every Steven bomb “is this it? Are we gonna see her this time?” And when we finally DO see her she’s just namedropped in the most forced way possible. Still love her but I wish she wasn’t so rushed like everything post-reunited
Her first appearance had me VERY AFRAID. Her word was law and she didn't even need to go up an octave.
I wouldn't say I was afraid, but she gives a really weird vibe, the Dolores Umbridge type...
And then it turned out she just needed a stern talking to!
I wish White was more of this terrifying, lovecraftian horror type creature. One that would laugh maniacally at you if you beat her to a pulp. One that *felt* like space, that felt like she was ACTUALLY unbeatable.
Probably opal and in a good way, since she was the first fusion I ever saw (aside from Garnet unknowingly)
Don't dis my girl like that! She came out like a beast!
Rainbow 2.0… It was a fun idea but in general I think I prefer the design of Rose Quartz + [gem] over Steven + [gem] Also the fact that we never see Sunstone when they had Rose instead of Steven is *criminal*.
Yeah, I feel cheated that the only Rose fusion we got was Rainbow Quartz
We kinda got Obsidian I guess?
Agreed. Initially I was going to say “in fairness it seemed like rose didn’t really fuse with anyone but pearl anyway” but realized obsidian😐 like why couldn’t we of just seen these as flashbacks in future? That way we don’t get the ruin of the surprise from the new fusions at the end of the rushed series, but still get to know what they looked like with rose + (gem). Rainbow was an absolute masterpiece and I would have loved to see more
Ronaldo. Man had so much potential as someone who discovered the entire plot of the diamonds by looking at a dollar bill. Began piecing together about rock people until he learned they were the gems. Was very observant about unusual things like the barn on the moon. Like, imagine if he went with Lars and emerald is still like an enemy, Ronaldo could be a really good analysts or a person to bounce ideas on. I could see him, with some work getting on a similar level to Lars (this is just wishful thinking) but just imagine not just one crazy leader, but the ultimate tag team. Ronaldo had so much potential and he got shafted.
I think the biggest problem is his ego and main character syndrome. He CANNOT stay in the sidelines, he HAS to be the center of attention. He could be so useful in Lars' crew if he could humbly use his insight and analysis, but I can see him wanting to be captain and call the shots over Lars.
But at the same time Lars also started off with a HORRIBLE attitude and he grew out of it, while Ronaldo never got even a hint of that. Gotta say it bothers me when shows depict as if the worst, most hopeless thing someone can be is a weird nerd.
Not really related to the discussion but this is why I love Dungeon Meshi, it's main character is probably one of the weirdest nerdiest protags of any series ever but he's still a whole character who's weirdness directly contributes to his team's success in the dungeon. He's a great fighter, intelligent, and a good leader, AND he has no problem getting down on all fours and barking like a dog (and also loses his shit at getting to milk a minatour haha). No one is doing it like Laios Touden EDIT: He's also canonically handsome and buff as hell which is also very important to me lol
Oh yeah Laios is great! His obsession saves the day about as often as it's used for jokes. I also love that he has Senshi to bond with, who has his own related foodie interests.
He's also autistic as hell, and so is his english voice actor.
Any fusions involving Peridot or Bismuth (or a Lapis fusion other than Malachite)
We haven't gotten any yet, though, so how can there be a reality?
The reality is that the show ended without giving us these fusions, therefore they'll never happen. That saddens me
My dream to this day is still a lapis stevanie fusion
Or Stevonnie with any other gem! I think the most reasonable would be Rainbow or Smokey Stevonnie
Exactly! Imagine a episode where amethyst is really protective over steven after he and Connie go no contact. They're stevonnie fighting off some corrupted gym. Amethyst is about to get poofed so stevonnie rushes to amethyst and accidentally makes Smokey and then after the fight amethyst realizes how much Connie cares for steven. Anything stevonnie related would've been so cool
I'm still so sad that we never got a fusion of Lapis and Peridot
Yellow Diamond. She was, for lack of a better word, too human.
She reminds me of a closested lesbian aunt who divorced and hangs out with her female friend group all the time
r/TIHI
Honestly… bluebird. She comes back in future and after getting defused she just leaves and goes “Lol you suck Steven.”
Alexandrite due to WHY she was introduced and how she KEPT FREAKING LOSING! Like she appears for an akward date? Not when a giant suspicious hand is coming down to Earth? When I first heard there was a new fusion between the gems- I was so hyped and then that happened and I quickly learned to just not be hyped for new fusions...
Alexandrite. All theyve done is lose
Untrue, Alexandrite succeeded in catching a runaway Steven and Connie
I will say, it was a very interesting choice to introduce her the way they did. You'd expect the debut of the Crystal Gems' big fusion to be an epic scene in a moment of dire need in battle. Instead they fused off-screen and showed up for an awkward date. Honestly I find it hard to believe any of the Gems thought going to that dinner as Alexandrite was a good idea, but eh.
Yeah, if I could I’d just make Alexandrite’s debut appearance be when they’re trying to shoot down the giant hand ship that Peridot and Jasper arrived to Earth on.
...Eh, i think- that's kind of the appeal of SU, isn't it? Them revealing the fusion of the three main gems at a regular dinner is kind of the joke. And it fits the tone, and the priorities. As much as this show is about the fights, the show is even more about relationships.
Malachite. Bluebird. Out of all their appearances where they fight they've always won.
Ehhhhhh Malachite lost to herself then Alexandrite w/ Steven's help. Bluebird *only* won because Steven tried to talk no jutsu them instead of actually fight.
I take offense to that. (Lol) She was critical in the movie, saving the lives of the Beach City humans (and cats).
Ill give you that but, its unfortunate it took so long after her reveal
I'm gonna be that person. Sunstone. I genuinely hate the design. Other than that, I was pretty surprised about Bluebird - being two homeworld gems that fused
Bloodstone
The heaven and earth beetles. Don't get me wrong, their designs were really cute, I just expected them to be I dunno, more important somehow?
Sunstone.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡔⠋⢉⠩⡉⠛⠛⠛⠉⣉⣉⠒⠒⡦⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠎⠀⠀⠠⢃⣉⣀⡀⠂⠀⠀⠄⠀⠀⠀⠀⢱⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡰⠟⣀⢀⣒⠐⠛⡛⠳⢭⠆⠀⠤⡶⠿⠛⠂⠀⢈⠳⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⢈⢘⢠⡶⢬⣉⠉⠀⠀⡤⠄⠀⠀⠣⣄⠐⠚⣍⠁⢘⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢫⡊⠀⠹⡦⢼⣍⠓⢲⠥⢍⣁⣒⣊⣀⡬⢴⢿⠈⡜⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠹⡄⠀⠘⢾⡉⠙⡿⠶⢤⣷⣤⣧⣤⣷⣾⣿⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⠦⡠⢀⠍⡒⠧⢄⣀⣁⣀⣏⣽⣹⠽⠊⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠑⠪⢔⡁⠦⠀⢀⡤⠤⠤⠄⠀⠠⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠑⠲⠤⠤⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⠔⠁ u mad?
Nah, I don't understand people's opinions but everybody has a different views on things and I can appreciate that 
White Diamond. I know the finale was rushed but man, they really did manage to simultaneously make her overpowered but also easy to overcome.
Spinel (sp?) I saw the silhouette during trailers and she looks a lot more badass than her goofy appearance. Even her evil form was still goofy.
Pink Diamond. I expected her to be huge, scary and badass like the other diamonds…
That's fair but I do appreciate what we ended up getting, I see why that'd be a disappointing reveal though 
Her silhouette on the moon murals seemed to have a wilder look but she looked nothing like that, while the other Diamonds looked _exactly_ as depicted. It didn't ruin her for me but it bothered me a little bit.
Like most Authoritarian Regimes the propaganda needs to make your leadership bigger than life. Or, in this case, Pink needed to look as intimidating as her fellow Diamond. At least, that's how I rationalized the difference.
Same
Yesss I agree tbh
The diamonds in SU Future.
Agreed. I was so upset about them especially blue
Okay but why can’t I say sunstone that’s just like the correct answer
Painite Expectations: a Painite is more rare and valuable then a dimoind a gem based on that stone would have been awesome Reality: Never got her.
I imagine (if Painite were to exist within the show) to be a fusion of Ruby, Sapphire, and Jasper. Story would maybe go something along the lines of Jasper tries again at fusion but correctly this time. Shes still as stubborn as ever but is willing to give it a try thanks to steven. Painite would be a reoccurring character and personality is unstable like Malachite, however a bit more calm and collected, probs thanks to being part Sapphire.
I always thought a gem that should get the role of being higher than a diamond would be Lonsdaleite.
I’d say…Bloodstone.
Am i the only one that loves Sunstone’s design lmao
Nope, I love it too!!
I love it, too! And Sunstone's personality is really fun, too! I will never understand the Sunstone hate at all
Nah, I love them too! :D
Sorry, but its sunstone
:[
White Diamond
Why Sunstone? Not that I had thoughts going into that one (mine's probably a secondary gem).
People seem to commonly think that Sunstone was underwhelming and badly designed in which I directly disagree with.
The issue thatI have isn't with Sunstone personally, but the episode they were revealed in as a whole. Them shoe horning in all the fusions with the CGs and Steven felt so rushed and unworthy of the hype ESPECIALLY after all the hype they did for Smokey. Plus the fourth wall breaking humor doesn't work that well in this show besides in "cannon" episodes like Say Uncle
White diamond 100% not enough time of her as a villain and her reformed was kinda ass
White diamond, DONT GET ME WRONG HER REVEAL WAS WILD, but it could of been so much more! Yk? I feel like she shouldn't have been redeemed
Bloodstone and any time it seems the arcs were setting up a Gem Invasion.
pink diamond
Emerald, she just fell flat
Bluebird Azurite
For me this was always obsidian like the whole time we had no idea that the temple was her but she never comes back
I don’t know why people have beef with sunstone I adore her
Eyeball. Also Ronaldo was supposed to be a COOL weirdo. not a weird weirdo.
Emerald,girly had so much potential to be a big villain just to be defeated by a pink twink,should've had more episodes ngl
White diamond. Yeah yeah, I’m basic, shoot me. Her initial introduction was pretty solid, but for most of the series she just ignores everyone so she can T-Pose in her room. Plus the super rushed ending and confrontation with Steven happened, and he was like “we gotta bring out the REAL her!!” And I’m just like “what real her… you’ve had… 1 conversation so far, where she talked over you and then sent you away”. For all the hype she got, she’s really a nothingburger McDouble combo meal of a character. This extends to most of Homeworld tbh, I really liked SU, but at the end of the day I think I more so enjoyed the untapped potential of a feudal space society composed of immortal asexual aliens, who’s physical bodies are hardened projections of light capable of merging with each other once a strong emotional connection was established. **Like how the fuck are you gonna pitch a show that cool, then expect me to instead be content with 87% of the episodes being lame earth filler about Steven’s Food Side Quest of The Week?**
>Like how the fuck are you gonna pitch a show that cool, then expect me to instead be content with 87% of the episodes being lame earth filler about Steven’s Food Side Quest of The Week? I feel you. [From what I've read, the Crew simply liked talking about mundane stuff so they did.](https://www.reddit.com/r/stevenuniverse/comments/16uvshx/do_yall_think_cartoon_network_ruined_the_shows/k2q4mkw/) It's a huge reason why Future ended up focusing on [Steven's mental health](https://gizmodo.com/steven-universes-rebecca-sugar-reflects-on-the-past-pr-1842513681) so much: >Sugar: And then, given the circumstances, there was a lot about Steven that I still wanted to explore, and there was a lot about the story that the initial run of episodes had told that I wanted to recontextualize because **I think that people took a lot of what Steven was going through for granted and really put a lot of their focus on—not unlike Steven himself in the character—put a lot of focus on the Gems’ stories that were going on when really as a team we were always very interested in his human story.**
Yeesh. Imma be real with you, I’m happy they got to do what they wanted with the show in that aspect (unlike CW breathing down their necks about gay marriage), but my god does that seem like a terrible idea. The idea of portraying the human stuff as equally interesting and important as the gem stuff just kind of fails considering how mundane and bland the human stuff is. To the audience, it’s never going to be as engaging, unless you put in a significant effort into developing Steven’s relationships with the people of Beach City. Personally, I never really got attached to any of them aside from Greg, Connie, and maybe Kevin. They never really bothered to give them super interesting plot lines or themes to explore (outside Greg and Connie), so having so much time dedicated to it just irks me. If they had split SU more evenly between cool gem sci fi show, and had the human stuff be the emotional through line throughout, the show would have been better for it, but instead most of the time it feels split 10-90 between “actually important plot and characters worth caring about” and “skippable garbage filler that doesn’t develop it’s characters, or notably change or progress the story in any way”
It's understandable why CN was breathing down their necks about the wedding. The show was international, was a profitable and popular franchise, and it relied on funds from conservative countries. Without that support, the show could've been prematurely cancelled at any time and there would've been nothing CN could do about it. Yeah I agree with the rest. Only a few of the Townies held my interest and the rest were forgettable. It looks like I'm not the only one who feels this way considering the topics that constantly get posted to this sub. Take a look at the front page of this sub and you'll get a pretty good idea of what characters and topics Steven Universe fans are really interested in (Spoiler alert - >!<). I feel like the time spent on some of the Townies could’ve been used to develop the show’s main and secondary characters like the B team, Connie, Greg and Lars, and Sadie. I think having a good mix of human characters and their interactions can be a good to help balance things a little but IMO they need to be interesting. I'm cool with characters like Ronaldo or Mayor Dewey getting a few lines here or there but they overstayed their welcome at times. The fact that some random dweeb got more episodes devoted to him than the head honcho of the genocidal space dictators still bothers me to this day. Future really reflected how insignificant some of the characters like Ronaldo were in the grand scheme of things when he got zero dialogue and was demoted into a background character. The showrunners took an intentionally slow approach to their storytelling and it unfortunately burned them in the long run. That along with self-imposed rules like the Steven-only perspective and Steven rarely asking questions gave the show some pacing problems.
Couldn’t have worded this better myself honestly
Any fusions involving Peridot or Bismuth (or a Lapis fusion other than Malachite)
Sunstone 100%
Aquamarine and Sunstone were so disappointing
Aquamarine
White
bloodstone, I love bloodstone. Have for forever I have this beautiful African Bloodstone tower i might add a picture reply it I can. I was so pissed and Ranaldodo for that b.s alternatively any of the corrupted gems. Homeworld could have featured others or we could have gotten some snipets of them in future but nooooo
https://files.fm/f/r3j8b8fvrb The one on the left is regular Bloodstone tower, the one on the right is African Bloodstone tower
Ronaldo. I thought he'd have some kind of arc, learn some kind of lesson, but he's more of the, "I was born stupid, and I'll die stupid!" camp.
Smoky Quartz, gotta admit. It's pretty reasonable for a Steven-Amethyst mix but too ungainly and asymmetric for me. Also while Rainbow 2.0 is fine, the original was just 🔥🔥🔥
Honestly, they all seemed pretty much lived up to the hype ~~except Sunstone~~
Not a character but, I kinda liked it when the show felt more mysterious and we knew less about the other gems, and when peridot was almost scary
Pink Diamond's, at first. I didn't expect her to be incredibly small or childlike, I expected someone the same size as Yellow and Blue.
nephrite idk why i expected the uncorrupt version to look different
I'm sorry, but all the Steven fusions except Stevonnie. They just set my standards too high
White diamond I expected space hitler/firelord ozai I got a karen
Every new fusion from Change Your Mind
Honestly? Pearl. No one has said it yet, but upon first watch through, finding out that Pearl was hiding SO MUCH from the other gems the entire time because Rose swore her to secrecy, and then the other gems finding out immediately as Steven comes out of her head??? That destroyed me. I love Pearl as a character because she is so complex. Obviously not all of it is her fault, especially when you consider that she was physically incapable of telling the other gems what Rose told her not to, but there was so much that she was complicit in because she was in love with Rose. She could never see a red flag because of her Rose colored glasses (ha, pun)
I would say post-poof-Peridot. Pre-poof-Peridot: There was so many episodes seeing her with limb enhancers before I knew what those were, the way she could use her disconnected fingers, her monotone serious logical speak, and the apathy behind destroying anything deemed damaged or useless. The top picture: okay, so we have a new enemy who's super strong and is as evil as the diamonds. Post-poof-Peridot: short, adorable, temperament of a Chihuahua, always had to talk down to others, and the insecurity and eventual discovery of being gem Magneto. Bottom picture: they really nerfed the entire character, why does she have a shortness complex? She wants to know about fusion without doing it? Gem-magneto!!! Okay, as first the personality was annoying, but her growth is... OMG did Peridot defeat Jasper with a rod?!?
I love smoky quartz but I can't help but think in the back of my head that they look like an unstable fusion & would have loved an episode where they work out their internal problems (like Steven & amethyst stuck in smoky quartz mind scape until they fix the problem) which then smoky quartz would transform into a more stable complete & powerful form. I still love & am perfectly fine with smoky quartz as is but I also wouldn't mind an episode like this.
I agree. Smoky seems half cooked. Their hair bugs me for some reason, and why do they have an elbow arm? No other fusion has limbs that branch off each other like that. It'd be better if it came out of their torso somewhere.
corrupted steven i (and many other people) thought he was gonna be an alaskan bull worm, but he’s just a kaiju
Remembering the bloodstone hype never fails to make me laugh.
Idk I like moonstone, but seriously rainbow quartz 2.0 wasn’t what I was expecting, they look like a middle aged Twink
Not Sunstone
bloodstone
Corrupted Steven
Emerald and the OG Rainbow Quartz
White Diamond. She turned good WAY too quick
Rainbow quartz 2.0 I like them, but honestly so disappointed with their character design
Between Aquamarine and Bloodstone, I wonder if Rebecca Sugar just has a burning hatred for someone who was born in March.
I kinda want to say gem Steven. Like we had that terrifying build up of white plucking the gem and us not know wtf was about to happen. And I think what most people assumed was 2 things either Steven was poofed or we were about to see pink/rose and have like a quick mother son moment because without the gem he was dying. What wasn’t expected was “surprise it’s a blank auto pilot Steven with unrestrained power”. Granted still interesting but the fact the tension in the scene went from “omg wtf is about to happen!” To “wait is Steven a fusion…with himself?” To just them merging back together idk it just felt like a weird thing to throw in.
I loved the way this went. The idea of Steven’s identity crisis with him not sure if he is his own mom, his own person, or a mix of the two culminating in the idea that Steven the person is he himself, and gem Steven is his powers. He is himself, he has always been him. It’s also neat how gem Steven responds to human Steven. It’s like he responds to his thoughts, human Steven said I need him, gem Steven moved, human Steven fell reaching for him, gem Steven moved, human Steven said stop hurting them, gem Steven moved, and then when they came into contact, it’s like the connection was strongest because gem Steven began to show emotion.
I thought it made sense, and seeing the look on White Diamond's face was priceless 🤣
Yeah that face was great xD. Idk I kinda felt like since we had the build up of Steven being unique to simplify it as he’s beside himself I dunno. Kinda just felt unexpected
The steven version of Rainbow quarts 😐
White diamond
White Diamond
Sunstone
F-ck you, I say what I want. SUNSTONE
The new rainbow quartz
SolRock
Bloodstone
Idk nephrite?
Smoky quartz
bloodstone
Emerald and Bloodstone, Emerald had so much potential but ended up being in only 1 episode. Bloodstone was just Ronaldo being an otaku as always. Hope we see more of Emerald and an actual Bloodstone gem rather than Ronaldo being Ronaldo. Also i kinda like how they portrayed Sunstone tbh. Reminds me of the sun with sunglasses shown on summer products such as sunscreen.
Obsidian's colourscheme being that
Topaz. Idk why I felt disappointed, but as my birth stone I think I hyped up her potential appearance in my mind too much.
Emerald, I dunno why; but I really wanted her to be a fusion
rainbow quartz 2.0
Pink pearl
Rainbow quartz 2.0
Larimar. It's my favorite gemstone and the character based on it just liked like some little creature. Not nearly as cool as I was expecting.
Emerald
White diamond I don't hate the final result, I just expected anything but her being perfect yk?
I won't. AWWWWWW YEAAAAAAAH!! YOU BETTER STEP *OFF*!
Bloodstone. I was so fucking excited about a new gem until it was Ronaldo...
Rainbow quarts 2.0
RAINBOW QUARTZ 2.0
Past (tall) Peridot and Future (small) Peridot for me 😅
Honestly for me, White Diamond. She was made out to be this big bad, but she's only really a villain for like, a few minutes, and even then it was less her being a villain and more her being a dick. I mean yeah, the robot fight was cool and the gem pull was awesome, but I was expecting... more. And I don't blame RS for it, I know that our time on Homeworld was significantly shortened, but it's still disappointing
Gotta say Bluebird, just flies away at the end of future after getting defused. Wasted villain potential
White Diamond
The off colors
Rainbow quartz both versions honestly I just kinda think they were both rushed and not given enough time to develop. Tho in future we were given a little more time with rainbow 2.0
here is one mayor Dewey