Theorycrafting Corner: Steven Universe
Now in its fifth season, the Cartoon Network series Steven Universe has already proved that it can convey powerful emotional messages in an eleven minute show. The series is notable for its catchy songs, heartfelt character development, and the overarching story that connects each season. Over the course of the series, viewers have watched Steven gain and understand his powers as a half-human, half-gem.
The show has covered a range of topics, such as loss, love, and friendship, and seems to be narrowing in on a plot that will drive the show to its eventual conclusion. After Steven was put on trial in place of his mom, Rose Quartz, for killing the powerful Pink Diamond, we have to wonder…what comes next?
Anthony DiLonardo: Hey, now that we’re caught up on the show…I want to hear your theories on Pink Diamond — what do you think actually happened?
Madison Butler: I’d be surprised if Rose Quartz did kill her, because everything else that has been said about her is that she was kind and loving.
AD: Well not only that she was kind and loving — but she wouldn’t use the Breaking Point.
MB: I feel like they set it up in a way that was meant to make it seem like Yellow Diamond was behind it.
AD: That’s why Bismuth got bubbled in the first place, right? I’m glad we’re on the same page.
MB: It is, yeah. I was thinking that Yellow Diamond killed her.
AD: Yellow Diamond seems VERY intent on getting Blue Diamond to forget about everything Pink Diamond. Not to mention the fact that Pink Diamond seems to have been okay with Earth — why else would she collect humans? Maybe it’s like a Peridot-type situation, where she saw “value” in Earth — otherwise she would have torched it.
MB: Yes — I kind of got the impression that Blue Diamond and Pink Diamond were in love and it was getting in Yellow Diamond’s way, which could lead to a fracture in the relationship between Yellow and Pink.
AD: Ooooh — I didn’t even THINK of that.
MB: Blue Diamond seems very subservient so I could see Yellow Diamond killing Pink Diamond and steamrolling Blue so she could have Earth.
AD: I just keep thinking back to the trial episode and the argument the Blue Zircon makes about how Rose Quartzes were the guard class, and how she asked, “Why wouldn’t have anyone stopped them?” (“Them” being the shatter-er). Then Yellow Diamond just shuts it down, no turning back. Plus Yellow Diamond has a very abusive relationship gaslighting-wise with the whole “What’s the Use of Feeling (Blue)” song.
MB: It makes sense for it to be Yellow Diamond, and while I’m a tiny bit skeptical that they made the resolution that obvious given previous twists, the nature of Pink Diamond’s has been a plot point for three or four seasons now. It also seems reasonable for it to finally be resolved.
AD: It does, but it almost feels like it’s the secondary plot point leading to the actual resolution of the story, right? It could be the catalyst for the end; Steven and the Crystal Gems solving that mystery would give some kind of motivation for a final resolution, right?
MB: I feel like there’s certainly something larger at work, so I would think so. Has anyone said how long Steven Universe is meant to run?
AD: I don’t think so, but from what I’ve heard/read it seems like there’s a definitive end they’re working toward — I’d guess about two more whole seasons.
MB: If they ended it in the next season that would seem abrupt after five seasons of buildup.
AD: Especially since the seasons are only around 25 11-minute episodes.
Okay, so one more consideration about Rose Quartz and her significance: Since Rose was a guard class gem for Pink Diamond (assuming Pink Diamond did actually love the Earth, and also assuming that it was Yellow Diamond, not Rose who shattered Pink Diamond) — do you think it would be plausible that Pink Diamond gave Rose the imperative to protect Earth and all of its life? Telling her to flee with an unclaimed Pearl (maybe originally Pink Diamond’s Pearl? She’s sort of uncolored though so maybe not) to escape Yellow Diamond’s wrath before Yellow came to Earth to shatter Pink Diamond?
Also, this is unrelated, but in the Human Zoo, aren’t there a ton of pink bubbles with a bunch of Rose Quartz gems inside? They look like Steven’s gem at the very least — what do you think the deal is there??? O.O
MB: Assuming your theory is correct my guess would be that Yellow Diamond was out for vengeance and attacked Quartzes because she was angry. Maybe she wanted to punish all pink stones?
AD: Very possible, considering YD also wanted to destroy the Zoo.
MB: Also, something we haven’t discussed — where is White Diamond?
I have a tentative theory — let’s look at the mural from the Moon Base.
AD: I know there was a fan theory going around at one point saying, “maybe White Diamond is the fusion of the other three,” but I don’t really think that’s a plausible theory.
MB: The thing I’m most interested in from this mural is the implication of their colonies. Here’s how I’m breaking this down: White Diamond has the most reach, if she has eleven colonies. Blue Diamond and Pink Diamond are close, both relationship close and in that they have the fewest colonies. Just going by jewelry industry standards, White Diamonds are the purest form of diamonds. Colored diamonds were considered “imperfect” until the jewelry industry started marketing colored diamonds as their own thing. Thinking about it like this, yellow diamonds are especially flawed, because diamonds that aren’t very yellow are considered imperfect white diamonds.
Sorry for the jewelry lesson, it’s just that this leads me to believe that White Diamond is the most powerful, and based on the mural, the fact that she has 11 colonies would seem to support that theory.
If Yellow Diamond wants to have total reign over other gems (based on her characterization so far, she likes power and control, which is where I’m pulling this theory) she’d have to overcome White Diamond, but Yellow Diamond only has seven colonies. Yellow Diamond could recruit Pink Diamond and Blue Diamond, but they’re a package deal. With only two colonies (Earth and the Moon) Pink Diamond would be relatively the least important.
Blue Diamond is theoretically the more powerful ally, here. However, if Pink Diamond, like you said, feels strongly about Earth and is against its destruction, that would pose a huge problem for Yellow Diamond, and if Blue Diamond is subservient she would probably do whatever Pink Diamond wanted. It’s hard to say what Blue Diamond was like when Pink Diamond was alive although so far, we’ve seen her to have a significant sense of justice and reason, regardless of her sadness.
AD: Apparently, the blue gemstones are generally the “diplomatic”-roled gems, according to Rebecca Sugar herself, as an addendum to your point about her subservient nature and sense of justice.
AD: Going back to our earlier points, Pearl’s space suit has a Pink Diamond insignia on it, potentially implying that she could have been Pink Diamond’s originally.
MB: That all makes sense, especially considering how in love Pearl is/was with Rose Quartz.
AD: I’ve seen the theory that Rose was Pink Diamond floated at points, although I don’t think she was. I also have a feeling that the Pink Diamond-diamond aligned gems have an inclination toward love/empathy.
MB: I know Rose is much larger than most gems but that theory doesn’t really make sense to me. I do agree that pink gems are more inclined to be emotional and empathetic, though.
AD: I think if you compared Rose and Jasper they’d probably be similarly sized — maybe our Rose was the “perfect” Rose Quartz.
Going back to the theory of Yellow Diamond’s motivations, another point of interest from the “Feeling Blue” song is that Yellow Diamond says, “wouldn’t it be grand/to get rid of it all?” In line with your theory about the relationship between Blue and Pink, and with a new (if not testy) relationship between Yellow Diamond and Blue, Yellow Diamond also says, “don’t you know I miss her too?” To me, this suggests that maybe Yellow Diamond destroyed Pink for more personal feelings than just her conquest…maybe there was a weird love triangle situation going on there, or Yellow Diamond was initially jilted by Pink Diamond or something.
MB: I could see Yellow Diamond being jealous of Pink and Blue Diamond’s relationship, like they kind of third wheeled her or something.
AD: Yeah! Something like that — I don’t know, I’m just throwing out possibilities.
MB: Yeah! And I’m becoming even more convinced that this entire song is Yellow Diamond gaslighting Blue Diamond.
The line “Why would you want to employ her/subjects that destroyed her?” especially gives me that vibe.
AD: YEP.
MB: Interesting — maybe the other diamonds bubbled the pink gems because they serve no purpose. Maybe Blue Diamond kept them because they remind her of Pink Diamond or because she had doubts about how Pink Diamond died. Also, the line, “let’s make a plan of attack” makes me think Yellow Diamond is thinking on a galactic scale or on a larger battle scale.
AD: Maybe, but they also look like pink bubbles.
MB: Does the color of the bubble correspond to the bubbler? Oh, wait, okay, they do. I can’t tell if the bubbles are pink because the bubbler was a pink gem, or because the room is pink and the light makes the bubbles look pink, or if they’re pink because Yellow and Blue are singing about Pink Diamond and it’s simply thematic.
AD: Yeah, that’s true. It COULD be the light in the room or the emotional tension in the scene affecting the bubble color. The Crewniverse BG/Lighting design team pays special attention to the changes in colors with respect to both of those possibilities. We may also still be a little off base saying Pink Diamond ordered Rose to save Earth life because the gem war happened 5,750 years ago, and Pink Diamond was shattered around 5,000 years ago.
I do still think that Yellow Diamond shattered Pink Diamond, though.
MB: Me too.
AD: I’m seeing conflicting time periods for when Pink Diamond was shattered, although if Jasper was created halfway through the war and originally assigned to Pink Diamond then the rebellion happening before shattering still makes sense.
Though Rebecca Sugar has said Steven Universe is working toward a dramatic and decisive end, it’s difficult to predict where forthcoming episodes take viewers. Regardless of whether or not we discover who really killed Pink Diamond in this Stevenbomb, the show has left plenty of potential endings open.
Who do you think killed Pink Diamond?
