Steven Universe Season 5 / Nightmare Fuel

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"I want my own army! I want my own planet! I deserve it!" "Then why don't you act like it, Pink?!"

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Stuck Together

Aquamarine convinces Topaz not to help Lars and Steven by threatening to have her component parts shattered.

The Trial

Defense Zircon's circumstances - if she fails to defend her client, she gets her gem shattered. Except that she's defending Steven, who's being mistaken for the Gem who shattered Pink Diamond. Failure Is the Only Option, meaning that Defense's fate is pretty much sealed.
Blue Diamond again shows that her usual depression should not be taken as being less scary than Yellow:
"I want to know what she thinks we're going to do with her. Because I want to do something worse."
The reveal about the mysterious circumstances surrounding Pink Diamond's death can put into perspective the whole frightening truth of a traitor among friends. Defense Zircon theorizes that one of her fellow Diamonds asked Pink Diamond to stop her Palanquin and walk outside to talk with them, took her by surprise and shattered her, then framed a well known criminal for the act and covered it up with the authority they wield as leaders of the Gem race.
Yellow Diamond's reaction to Defense Zircon's accusing the Diamonds. Clearly enraged, she poofs her with all the effort of squashing a bug. When Prosecuting Zircon decides to run her mouth, Yellow Diamond instantly blasts her with lightning and poofs her in one hit. That is the power of a Diamond.
- What's especially chilling is the complete lack of rage in Yellow Diamond's expression, at least at first. No hilarious over-the-top expression like when Peridot called her a clod... she just gets up slowly, and promptly poofs Defense Zircon - and then Prosecuting Zircon with nary a word. All with a cold-yet-ruthless savagery, only stopped when Blue Diamond grabs her.
Even when Steven and Lars escape by stealing Blue Diamond's palanquin, Yellow steps out after them and coldly calls out to "Rose," reminding "her" that no matter where they run, there's no escape - they're trapped on Homeworld, in the heart of hostile territory.
The most eerie part of Homeworld would have to be the enormous structure of White Diamond looming above everything else, visible wherever you would turn, a constant reminder that the Diamond Authority is always watching.

Off Colors

The entire situation the title "Off-Colors" are in. They're forced to hide out in the long forgotten and abandoned underground areas of Homeworld, fearing for their lives and knowing if they're found they'll be shattered on sight. Worse yet, their only 'crime' is being different from the norm, some simply for being born with what amounts to a birth defect.
Lars' death is incredibly brutal for a cartoon. After he destroys the Robonoid, the resulting explosion sends him flying into the nearby rock. He hits it with a horrible crack and falls, hitting a second rock with another fleshy impact. Then Steven checks his heartbeat, only to find none. We just witnessed a teenager die on screen in a rather brutal method. In a kids show!
- Pay attention to the hits he takes on the way down. The first impact slams his back and head against the wall, clearly hard enough to knock him out considering he never makes a sound from here on; however, the wall is relatively close to the explosion site, and the impact, though solid, doesn't look quite severe enough to kill him on its own. The second impact, however, comes after a fall of about twenty feet or so - and if you watch closely, that impact is his neck striking a small boulder near the bottom of the pillar. Lars' cause of death was an on-screen Neck Snap.
The Shattering Robonoids. The fact that these machines were built for the sole purpose of targeting the gemstones of a gem directly rather than poofing them. Goes to show how much Homeworld's capabilities for cruelty have advanced since Bismuth created the Breaking Point...

Gemcation

It's brief, but when Pearl tries to tell Steven about the Diamonds in an attempt to comfort him, her hand slaps itself over her mouth in a way that does not seem voluntary and her piano theme briefly becomes wild and chaotic. Along with her comment about some things being "impossible for [her] to explain", it seems to imply she's been somehow programmed to be unable to say certain things. The idea of being betrayed by one's own body, even thousands of years after escaping servitude, is terrifying.
- Even worse, this isn't the first time we've seen Pearl do this. When Steven revealed himself as Rose Quartz to Aquamarine and Topaz in season 4, there's a brief shot of Pearl in the water with her hands over her mouth. Sure, it could just be her reaction to what Steven is doing, but knowing what we find out later in season 5, maybe not....

Lars of the Stars

The ending, in which Emerald's ship fires missiles to blast the Star Skipper out of the stars, spiraling towards a nearby planet in flames...

Jungle Moon

We see what's left of an apparently failed Gem colony, the planet devastated and broken apart, no life apparent from the moon.
Stevonnie's dream. It starts out innocently enough, in Connie's house while a larger version of her mother ignores her while talking on the phone. Except then Connie's mother starts discussing the ruthless tactics needed to invade a planet. And then, when Stevonnie tries to get her attention, she turns to look at them... with Yellow Diamond's eyes.
Just how casual and bored Yellow Diamond sounds discussing and ordering planetary genocide in the flashback. It's just unnerving to see someone discuss it like it's just a day at the office.
At one point during the argument between Yellow and Pink Diamond, the former grabs the latter's arm hard enough to leave them wincing a bit afterwards. Granted, Yellow Diamond has done a lot worse to those who push the Berserk Button, but it's still painful to watch.
The look of pure rage on Pink Diamond's face as she smashes her fist into a glass wall. The shattered glass reflects her wide-eyed, snarling face many times over, for added effect.

Your Mother and Mine

During Garnet's story about her, we see Rose Quartz's meeting with Pink Diamond, where she pleads with her to spare the lives of the humans on Earth. Pink Diamond's response? She has a cold Noblewoman's Laugh and mocks her wish to 'save their lives at the expense of ours' as if she just told her a stupid joke, confirming that the Diamond Authority in general see organic life as not just unequal, but beneath that of Gems. Even if it was part of a fake story, it's jarring to see how much of a clear knowledge Pink Diamond has of Homeworld's ways.
We get to see the slightest glimpse of White Diamond. It's only her hand, but it certainly leaves an impression. If only going by her hand, she's massive in comparison to her fellow Diamonds, who're already depicted as massive beings, stories taller than our protagonists, and yet their hands only barely fit in the palm of hers.

Can't Go Back

The Diamonds could use that orb in the Moon base to basically watch anywhere on the planet at any time. Imagine being a Gem assigned to duty on the ground, just knowing that a Diamond could be watching your move at any time. Better think twice about taking a small break to rest, or doing something that would be against The Diamond Authority... talk about Paranoia Fuel.
No mention of the conversation as a whole? From Blue and Yellow's perspective, they reassured Pink that the colony would be fine as long as she was alive, and then, not long after, she DIES, as if the Crystal Gems came to the same conclusion and decided to act on it. It really puts their issues with it even after this long into perspective. Blue at least, probably blames herself to at least some degree.
When Pink Diamond is left standing all alone in Steven's dream, a shadow of what looks like Pearl holding Rose's scabbard emerges from Steven's shadow and slowly walks towards Pink, with background music becoming suspenseful and unnerving. She then carefully unsheathes the sword and the music gets slightly tenser. Steven anxiously questions the things he's seeing ("Mom's sword? Is that... Pearl??"), and the scene cuts to a close up of Pearl before she suddenly turns around to look in the viewer's direction (her eyes implying hostility and being completely blank), accompanied by a Scare Chord.
- As the background music progresses, there's a brief and seemingly serene piano melody when Pearl prepares to use the sword. That alone adds a certain sense of dissonance, already making the scene rather disconcerting; making it worse is that it's from "Do It For Her", a.k.a. a disturbing Call-Back to "Sworn to the Sword" that takes a piece from said episode's song and twists it into something decidedly less friendly, as if taking Pearl's tendency to do it all for Rose to a nightmarish level.

A Single Pale Rose

Danny Cragg's promo image for this episode. Pearl is staring wide-eyed at the viewer with a mix of terror and Thousand-Yard Stare, while holding her phone just over her mouth to hide it as if she's censoring herself. It's utterly chilling, reminding one of a promo for Black Mirror, and serves as a warning for what is to come.
Since we learn that Rose Quartz is Pink Diamond, that means she was kidnapping humans for her Zoo because of her fascination for them. She never even let them go while she was Pink Diamond (before staging her shattering). So imagine being kidnapped by an all-powerful child into this "Zoo" for her own amusement of humans and then your captor forgetting all about you to fight for you (and quote "live with you"). Leaving you and your offspring trapped with no escape for generations, probably forever.
- The next episode reveals that Blue Diamond was actually the one who created the Zoo because she misinterpreted Pink's begging to spare the Earth. Somehow, that arguably makes it worse, since Pink unwittingly caused numerous humans to be imprisoned away from their home for thousands of years as a result.
We find out why Pearl involuntarily covers her mouth when the topic of Pink Diamond's death comes up: because she was ordered by Pink/Rose to never speak of the event again. This shows that Pearls can't ever disobey the orders of their owners. Even after thousands of years have passed. Even after their owners' deaths.
"I want to tell you but I can't." It serves as a really nice hint for two things, one being the impending dark secret (and the layers of Pearl's mind that get worse the deeper you go) and the other being the fact that Pearl likely spent a very long time wanting to tell the truth but couldn't due to the order she was given. To add even more horror to it, Pearl also says at the end that she's been waiting for so long to tell him; basically, at least from the time Steven was born, Pearl desperately wanted to tell of the event and she could never satisfy that need due to her essentially being programmed against doing so, leaving her inner self indefinitely suffering from her desperation while her outer layers never show it. Cripes!
Pearl's layered consciousness doesn't seem healthy in the slightest, even allowing for Gem psychology being very different from humans'. The top layer is obsessed with organization to the exclusion of all else, which is bad enough but the deeper you go the worse it gets. Particular mention to "War Memories" Pearl, who spends every moment of her existence on her knees catatonic on a battlefield surrounded by all her dead friends.

Now We're Only Falling Apart

Pearl telling Pink/Rose to "replace" her after a failed attempt at fusion. Remember that all gems are programmed from the very start, so even a slip-up such as this would warrant a replacement. Also, although not explicitly stated, "replace" is most likely a kind way of saying "shattered."
- This turns out to be foreshadowing for what happened to Pink Diamond's original Pink Pearl. Which itself has all manner of horrifying implications.

Made of Honor

The corrupted Biggs attacks Steven so hard that his bubble shatters, with Bismuth just barely snapping out of her Heroic BSoD in time to save them both.

Reunited

The Diamonds have come back for the Cluster. When they forcibly pop its bubble, dozens of white shapes that look like ghosts emerge and manifest into the shape of a single arm, about the size of a Diamond ship, whose red color makes it look like it's been flayed alive with the muscle fibers showing. Luckily, its first act is to punch Yellow Diamond's ship.
Yellow Diamond's ship is strong enough to give the Cluster arm a serious fight, and it apparently is suffering a Heroic RRoD afterwards. How tough is that ship? How tough is Yellow!?
We finally see Blue Diamond in battle...and it's terrifying. Both in terms of her killing intent (while still grieving, she's done talking and just wants revenge), and sheer power (when Connie attacks her, she effortlessly stops the sword with her fingers and snaps it as if it were a small piece of glass). Dropping both Diamond ships on top of her isn't enough to scratch her. The most the Crystal Gems can do, while all working together, is ruffle her hair and piss her off.
- Her Emotion Bomb powers seemed less practical than Yellow's lightning. Emphasis on seemed, as she is able to project her sorrow onto the entire beach, instantly defuse Alexandrite, and incapacitate every Gem except Garnet (who is still visibly sobbing), and Lapis who has felt worse.
  Blue: You cannot fathom how much I've mourned! What thousands of years of grief has DONE TO ME!
Yellow Diamond is a terror to behold. Her very entrance once her ship is brought down is downright scary. She violently punches through the ship and climbs out before she looks down and gives the audience a Death Glare, filled with more anger than her expression shows and bursting with electricity. And to top it off, it also comes with a Scare Chord that helps to convey the idea that, alongside Blue Diamond, Yellow Diamond is NOT someone you want to tangle with. She's also a force to be reckoned with in combat, effortlessly poofing Peridot with her lightning without even giving her the satisfaction of saying the she remembers the Peridot who called her a clod, and then runs at a terrifying speed for someone so huge, directly at Steven, showing clear intent on taking revenge against "Rose Quartz" for Pink Diamond's "death", and stomping Steven into the sand with incredible force. And when Lapis dared her to give her everything she's got, she poofs Lapis instantaneously.
When Yellow Diamond stomps Steven, she does it so hard and with such force that Steven very nearly dies from being crushed (and not even his shield could save him), sending his consciousness onto an alternate reality plane where he's unable to physically interact with his friends and the Diamonds as Connie fruitlessly attempts to get him to get back up. Aside from making (spiritual) contact with the other characters and talking to them psychically, all Steven can do in this state is watch his friends hopelessly fight two nigh unbeatable beings who are bent on avenging a family member they thought they lost.

Legs From Here to Homeworld

Centipeedle's (Nephrite) healing. It doesn't sound bad, but seeing it played out does. When Yellow Diamond first heals her, she reverts back to her true form, but her legs are literally jelly and acts like a feral animal. So Blue Diamond heals her psyche and it works... but she's now distraught and repeats the same phrase ^note. Finally, it's Steven that manages to fix her whole. Then the chances of healing the other corrupted Gems go straight down the drain when Nephrite suddenly goes back to her monster form the moment the Diamonds pull back their hands.
White Pearl. Not only does she "move" around while not lifting a single finger like her master, but the right side of her face is cracked along with a faint circle where her eye used to be despite her gemstone being intact, and all with a pleasant smile on her face and a cheery, but noticeably robotic monotone voice. Also, when she comes to pick up Steven, and Yellow tells Blue to follow her with them, White Pearl immediately and without the slightest hesitation shuts them down and denies them, and they don't even make a single sound of protest, even as "Pink" is taken away from them. White Diamond's authority is so much higher than Blue and Yellow's, that even her Pearl outranks them in authority.
We finally get to meet White Diamond in person. Not only is she by far the physically largest Gem we've seen yet, there's also something off about her. Most of her face is constantly obscured by light emanating from her gem, looking as if her entire head is entirely made of light (from certain angles it looks almost two-dimensional), and she's so massive that the show's artstyle treats her body as if it were part of the background. She also speaks in an eerily calm tone towards Steven, especially when she calls him "Starlight." Even after thousands of years after the "death" of Pink Diamond, she acts as if what she had done, the Rebellion, mind you, was some sort of game. Combined with the fact that she just stands there like a statue, completely still with her arms outstretched, and she feels almost robotic. Keep in mind that Blue and Yellow Diamond fear her because of her supposed temper and Pearl describing her as far different to the rest of the gemkind, including the other Diamonds.
Then there's Blue and Yellow's planning on how to break the news to her (which both decide they'll handle things until White has calmed down, before even bringing in "Pink") comes across as two older siblings desperate to defuse things with an abusive parent before the younger sibling gets mixed up in it. Much like Blue's introduction, the fact that White speaks in such a gentle tone does nothing to make things seem better.
- Also, the reactions the Crystal Gems ^note had when Yellow mentioned White. Bismuth was scared shitless, Garnet felt both scared and angry, and Pearl, who presumably knew White more than anyone else aside from the other diamonds, only frighteningly said "White Diamond?" It just goes to show how much power White has.
White Diamond's Lack of Empathy tendencies are chilling. White's dialogue in her introduction to Steven implies that she eventually, or worse always knew that "Rose Quartz" was actually Pink and just played along, and waited for her to return. Notice that neither Blue or Yellow sent a message to Homeworld about their arrival, and how both of the Diamonds were surprised at the crowd that was awaiting their return. This means not only did White allow such a long, horrible war continue knowing it was based on a lie, and kept such a critical piece of information to herself, when she most likely knew that Blue and Yellow were suffering mentally and emotionally for thousands of years with grief; but also knowingly put her "daughter" through a Fantastic Nuke that could have killed her or warped her into a mindless beast, and left her feeling guilt and anguish at what it did to those who she couldn't save. And still she talks about it all like it was just another one of Pink's "games". Horrifically disconnected and apathetic doesn't even begin to describe her attitude in the way she speaks.
White Diamond: Pink! There you are! Hello, Starlight! You certainly gave everyone a scare! They're all just thrilled to see you safe and sound!
Steven: Um... Hi... I-
White Diamond: As for this latest little game of yours, thank the stars it's over! Did you have fun? (Voice turns into a slightly harsher tone and eyes slightly narrow while keeping her cheerful smile) Did you get everything out of your system?
Steven: I-
White Diamond: (Same tone as before) Good, good. Everyone is so relieved. Welcome home, Pink.

Familiar

The fact that Homeworld has Gems built into the walls, and Blue even has a Gem whose sole purpose seems to be her singing comb. When Steven sees a bunch of Wall Gems whispering to each other, they suddenly all look up and away from him after he "catches" them whispering. And when he says hello, the Wall Gem he speaks to looks away uncomfortably and with clear fear, as if she's afraid of even speaking to a "Diamond" like him.
Blue Pearl saying "welcome back" to our Pearl is so creepy and sad. Pearl's spent millennia living on a planet that valued her, and now she's returned to Homeworld where she’s expected to just be a Pearl; it just has this note of finality to it.

Together Alone

Steven's Nightmare Sequence at the beginning, with him vomiting up Rose's hair as White Diamond just continues to smile down at him.
- White Diamond's appearance in the above nightmare deserves special mention. Steven is much farther away from her than when she first summoned him, so the audience views her from a distance; and thanks to the color scheme of her eyes, she looks like she has no pupils. This also has the effect of making her smile look less Stepford and more Slasher.
White Pearl silently observing the party from above, completely still, with her unnatural ominous smile.
What's more scary than White Pearl smiling? Well... White Pearl suddenly frowning at Steven and Connie fusing. Given the fact that we've seen her as completely motionless and monotone with an obviously unnatural smile so far, seeing her emote at all - and negatively at that - is genuinely unsettling. Especially considering that White Diamond can see through White Pearl, meaning that she's the one frowning.
Just how controlling Blue and Yellow are to Steven/Pink.
The Sudden Downer Ending of the episode. All of the Crystal Gems are poofed because they came to Stevonnie's defense. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl all have their physical bodies destroyed by Yellow Diamond right in front of Stevonnie (as well as the random Jade fusion who gets poofed right after crying out in joy at not being the only cross-fusion on Homeworld). Yellow, meanwhile, is acting very much like a mother snapping at her disobedient child, and the ending of the episode has Stevonnie being thrown into a dark room, with them reaching out and begging right when the door closes.

Escapism

Though it's mostly a laid-back episode, Watermelon Steven's leg being bitten off and then his arm falling off from rot is very unsettling.
This episode gives us zero hints as to the fate of the other Crystal Gems (and the Jade Fusion). We can only hope that Blue and Yellow Diamond were merciful enough to just bubble them...

Change Your Mind

As if White Pearl wasn't unnerving enough, we get another layer added. In a flashback, Blue tells Pink that White has threatened to take away her Pearl. Considering her current status... White Diamond turned her into a mindless puppet with no will of her own in order to punish Pink by making her see someone she loves this way.
Blue Diamond - Blue Diamond - hurling a ball of energy at Steven while shouting "That's enough!", like an Abusive Parent using force to keep their child in line. It's a jarring contrast to her interactions with him in "Legs From Here to Homeworld" and "Familiar".
When Blue Diamond defends Steven and Connie from Yellow, even using her powers, Yellow is furious, and Steven and Connie barely manage to avoid being trampled by their fight.
- Throughout the episode, the encounters with the Diamonds show how terrifying the presence of a being that size would be to a human. Connie and Steven are visibly wide-eyed with fear in Yellow's throne room, as well as later in White's ship when she picks Steven up and leans in to gaze at him, her eye alone dwarfing his entire body.
Listen to how White Pearl says "You're not going anywhere" while cornering Steven and Connie. Even though her voice is still monotonous and calm, you can tell she (along with White Diamond) has had enough of Pink Diamond's/Steven's rebelling and it's time to put her/him in her/his place... for good. Even better? She STILL has her artificial smile and presents us with a vacant stare before shifting her focus on Steven and Connie, which combined with the above makes White Pearl extremely unsettling to look at during that moment. Even better if you take into consideration that White Pearl was originally Pink Pearl and White Diamond is mind-controlling and speaking through her. She's essentially being forced to put an end to her beloved former Diamond's happiness and freedom, all while being unable to do anything about it.
The temple fusion, Obsidian, while undeniably something to make the fandom dance for joy, is as terrifying as they are awesome. They're an eight-armed fusion potentially larger than the Diamonds themselves, who - much like Alexandrite - has two mouths, with both of them being filled with magma. They speak entirely in animalistic grunts, growls, and screams, all while sporting various scowls and snarls.
And then... there's White Diamond. Yes, THAT White Diamond. And boy oh boy, she is undoubtedly the scariest villain ever seen on this show.
- To start it all off, she's awoken from her lethargic state, she's ready to take matters into her own hands... and it's clear that she's angry, but you wouldn't know that from her voice.
  White Pearl: [calmly] You're not going anywhere.
- When White Diamond decides to get involved, she takes her palace/starship and combines it with Pink's leg-ship, taking control of the latter and forming what basically amounts to an armless Giant Mecha. Or at least, it's armless until Blue and Yellow's hand ships show up, which combined with these two diamonds being brainwashed means that the Crystal Gems have to fight the sum total of all four Diamonds' ships, fused into one giant.
- Remember how White Pearl was seen as Pink's Pearl? Now we know why. White Diamond can brainwash any Gem into her puppets, as her idea of perfection. This is demonstrated throughout the special. First, with Yellow and Blue Diamond, and then with the main three Crystal Gems. And yes, they can all act in unison. They are basically an up to eleven version of the Delightful Children from Down the Lane. Not to mention they all scream in agony as their colors get bleached.
- After being corrupted, Pearl's neck twists in 360 degrees. Brrr...
- White's "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Steven is nothing short of chilling.
  White: It's a pity the way you bring out the worst in others. See how you've encouraged their deficiencies? It's written all over their gems. [about Amethyst] Insecure... [about Garnet] dependent... [about Pearl] obsessed...
  Steven: No! No no! Guys! Come on! Snap out of it!
  White: Please stop "helping" them! You'll only make things worse. That's what you do. I make things better! Here... [snaps fingers and starts speaking through Amethyst] "Oh thank you, White Diamond! I feel excellent now! Oh thank you, how generous of you!" [speaking through Garnet] "Thank you, White Diamond! We feel so much better now!" [speaking through Pearl] "I feel excellent!" There we are! I've removed their flaws! Now there is nothing to hinder my white light from sparkling through them! I'd rather not spread my uninhibited self so thin, you know, but you've made it absolutely necessary. Now all the impurities you've encouraged in them are gone! Now they are brilliant! Now they are perfect! Now, they are ME!
  Steven: You're wrong! [White gives him a Death Glare] Please, just listen to me! My friends don't need to be fixed! They're fine the way they are! Flaws and all!
  White: There you go again. Do you understand why you defend their flaws? I know why, Pink. [speaks through ALL of Steven's friends] You LIKE surrounding yourself with inferior gems!
  Steven: What!?
  White: You enable their terrible behavior, so you can be the best of the worst!
  Steven: That's not true! [losing steam] And even if it is... even if it was... you're talking about my mom! You're not talking about me!
  [White, the Crystal Gems, Pink Pearl and the Diamonds all start cackling like madmen]
  White: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOUR "MOM"? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
While White Diamond is controlling the rest of the Crystal Gems along with the other Diamonds, she proceeds to remove Steven's gem to prove that Pink Diamond is still in there and that Steven's just a vessel. Steven is powerless to stop her as White is holding him in her fist, and the nails she uses to grab onto the gem are almost as big as Steven himself and look like elongated sharp knives. The face she wears while pulling his gem is creepy.
White Diamond: Now, Starlight... this has gone on long enough. It's time to come out...Pink.
- Steven's faces during this scene somehow manage to be just as chilling if not worse. When White picks him up, he seems disoriented, scared, and a little paralyzed in fear. Then he begins struggling until White pulls up his shirt to see his gem, and he goes from confused and scared to outright terrified. Then when White begins to pull, he still is terrified and now in pain. If you brighten the Shadow Discretion Shot, his face just shows pain at that point. This post does a pretty good job of showing it.
- The music in this scene is by far the most eerie heard from this show. It starts off as a low droning sound with screeching strings. Then when White Diamond grabs Steven's gem, the music quickly devolves into nothing but "Psycho" Strings.
- It's not a Shadow Discretion Shot: Someone◊ brightened the scene and found that the gem removal was drawn in detail with Steven's pained expression.
Steven's state after she takes out his gem. He's confused, in pain, and seems like he's clinging on to life. His breathing is shallow and his skin is pale. He's too weak to walk or crawl and is barely coherent as he cries and begs for his gem back. To see Steven in such a desperately pained state is as heartwrenching as it is chilling.
- Steven’s belly after his gem is removed. There’s nothing there - no scar, no belly button, just pure smooth flesh.
- Steven is in White Diamond's fist. She removes his gem and there is a smash to black. The next thing we see is Steven on the ground, with Connie over him in panic. White Diamond didn't just tear out Steven's gem. She also dropped him to the floor without a second thought! He was very likely dying from internal injuries sustained from the fall.
Pink Steven's debut itself is horrifying. Seeing Steven with an empty expression is already disturbing, but when White Diamond demands to know where Pink is, he replies with a visceral scream that breaks the throne room in half and is anathema to Steven's personality. He also has a Voice of the Legion.
White Diamond: What is this? Where's Pink?
Pink Steven: [quietly] She's gone.
White Diamond: What did you say?! Answer me!
Pink Steven: [turns his head towards White] She's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!!!!!
- The sheer emotion in his scream is perhaps the most terrifying part of all. In that one moment, you can feel the grief, rage, and hatred from everything he's been through, emotions you'd never expect Steven to show, all from just that scream. And there's the blank look on Pink Steven's face all the while. This is what an unfeeling, unlimited Steven who does not hold back sounds like.
- White Diamond, an entity that the story had treated as an infallible Physical God up to that point, is scared of Pink Steven. Not only because the truth that Pink Diamond is gone for good is thrown in her face, but also because his power No Sells everything she tries. Even when every possessed body in the room and herself fire on Pink Steven at once, he calmly shields against every attack without any effort before reflecting their attacks right back at them.
- The scene plays like an abused child using their new power to pay back their abusers, no longer afraid of what they could do.
- The first thing we see after Steven's gem gets removed. Connie tries to wake Steven up from his point of view that only fills half the frame. The other half fills in when Pink Steven appears, with the two halves showing what each Steven is seeing. Then Pink Steven hits the ground, and then turns to face Steven. Both Stevens seeing each other wouldn't be out of place in a horror movie.
- Pink Steven's relentless march towards Steven with the goal of reunion is terrifying. He lets nothing or no one get in his way and doesn't care what gets damaged or who gets hurt in the process since he's Steven without the emotions that make him Steven. If it weren't for his organic half's begging, he could've shattered someone.
Steven: STOP! YOU'RE HURTING THEM!
White Diamond's Villainous Breakdown. She completely loses her composure and attempts a last-ditch resort to force Pink Steven under her control. She uses all her power in a fit of rage and everyone she's controlling attacks in unison. The expressions are of no help.
White: Don't you raise your shield at me! I only want you to be yourself! If you can't do that, I'll do it FOR YOU!
- Between the voice acting, the phrasing, and the context, White Diamond is on par with Mother Gothel as an abusive and narcissistic parent. Imagine being raised by a family figure so obsessed with controlling you that not only have they decided to harm you under the guise of punishment, they will not allow you to stop the damage they can inflict.
While it looks like White Diamond is heading towards redeeming herself, there's an uncomfortable amount of questions that are left lingering, and more appearing about her Mysterious Past. She implies that the other Diamonds are just Literal Split Personalities of herself that she removed because she resented these flaws that make up who the others are.

Nightmare Fuel / Steven Universe Season 5

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