Spoilers Off applies to all Moments pages, so ALL spoilers are unmarked! Proceed with caution.
- Many people were shocked to see Pearl actually get stabbed and seemingly die onscreen in "Steven the Sword Fighter". Fortunately, due to how Gems work, she was as good as new a few days later.
- "Mirror Gem". Many people were really shocked at the appearance of Lapis Lazuli, especially considering the previous very faint implication that the main cast was the last of the Gems.
- The appearance of Peridot, a Gem from Homeworld shown to be repairing Earth's connection to the Galaxy Warp in "Warp Tour".
- The all-out fight between Amethyst and Pearl in "On The Run". Amethyst's tragic backstory took many by storm.
- The half-hour special "The Return" and "Jail Break" dropped several bombs on the fandom with the reveal of Garnet being a fusion, a fight scene with Jasper, another Homeworld Gem, and Opal getting a cameo.
- "Keeping it Together", gracious. For one thing, Peridot reappears after being missing since the season 1 finale. Despite many setbacks, she continues her mission unchanged which was checking up on the Kindergarten to check on some horrifying experiments: turns out the Crystal Gems who were captured in the war were shattered and melded together to create screaming masses of bodies seemingly aware of what's been done to them.
- Is "Chille Tid" about the Crystal Gems having a slumber party? Yes... but that's not all. Apparently, Steven can use his dreams to form mental links with other (Gems?)—an ability he uses to speak with Lapis, who is struggling to keep her and Jasper imprisoned in the ocean. The fans that were awaiting Lapis's return were... jarred, to say the least.
- "Cry for Help": Peridot sending a message to Homeworld was only slightly acknowledged for the rest of the episode. Pearl repairs the Hub to keep fusing with Garnet, which was surprising in and of itself. Then Garnet is furious, to the point that it looks like Pearl is legitimately frightened that Garnet is about to hit her. In a fit of rage, Garnet fuses with Amethyst into Sugilite, which she had banished at the beginning of the episode. It's the first episode with a straightforward Downer Ending.
- "Keystone Motel" wasn't exactly a Wham Episode, but it dropped some bombs on the fandom itself. After being unseen since "Jail Break", Ruby and Sapphire return due to a disagreement about the previous episode's events. We get to see more of their characters and their relationship. It seems that Ruby and Sapphire have fire and ice related powers, respectively. Ruby's weapon is revealed. Sapphire is confirmed to have only one eye. Though these may not seem major, they're questions that have been long-asked.
- As a non-episode example, the material released at San Diego Comic-Con 2015. It elicited a fantastic response from the crowd and other fans, as the Crewniverse not only gave us a look at Sardonyx, now confirmed to be Pearl and Garnet's long-awaited fusion, but an incredible extended theme song
that had everyone give a solo for their reason for fighting, and... wait... holy crap, was that Yellow Diamond?! - "Message Received": In which Peridot manages to make contact with Yellow Diamond, tries to convince her to destroy the Cluster and spare Earth, and, when she refuses, calls her a clod to her face. The episode ends with Steven calling Peridot a Crystal Gem.
- The three-part stretch from "Beta" to "Back to the Moon" (but especially the middle episode, "Earthlings") gives us Jasper being made on Earth, Steven and Amethyst bonding leading to the former fusing with a Gem for the first time and the resolution of the latter's Story Arc, Jasper getting corrupted, a confirmation of the existence of Pink Diamond, and later the revelation that Rose supposedly shattered her.
- Stevenbomb 5 abruptly drops a modern-day appearance by Blue Diamond, leading to a huge increase in information about what's happening on Homeworld, and even some deeper characterization for the Diamonds themselves.
- Stevenbomb 6 gives us the introduction of two new Knight of Cerebus Gems that abduct humans and wipe the floor with the Crystal Gems. It ultimately culminates in Steven surrendering to them, meaning that he's being taken to Homeworld itself.
- "Off Colors" ends with Lars dying on-screen, before getting revived by Steven's tears... and turning pink as a result. "Lars' Head" follows that up by revealing he's got Lion's powers - and, after getting Steven the opportunity to go home, stays behind on Homeworld with the Off Colors. It's exacerbated by "The Trial" hitting hard with the reveal that Rose couldn't have been the one to be able to shatter Pink Diamond, with a Wham Line implying a Diamond had to have done it.
- "A Single Pale Rose" has the biggest one of them all: Rose Quartz is Pink Diamond. The fanbase lost its collective mind.
- "Change Your Mind": Where do we freaking start?! Steven's new fusions with Pearl and Garnet, Steven fusing with the other Crystal Gems (whith the reveal of the name of the Temple fusion), Lapis and Peridot's new outfits, and White Diamond pulling out Steven's gem?!
- Oh, it goes higher on the HSQ scale. Pink's gem reveals Pink Steven, who proves more powerful than White Diamond and who exclaims "SHE'S GONE!!!", establishing that Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz is truly gone. And then Pink Steven fuses with his weakened human self to become whole again.
- White Diamond being redeemed?!
- The Movie has several of these:
- After years of hearing Zach Callison use a pitched up voice for Steven, hearing Steven start off the movie with his voice actor's real, mature voice is jarring.
- Spinel shows up and quickly poofs Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl in one fell swoop. Then attacks Steven, managing to shatter his shield - the same shield Pink used to successfully protect herself, Garnet, and Pearl from an attack by all three other Diamonds - and get in some hits before he defeats her. Steven then discovers that he's lost mastery over his powers. All this happens within the span of a few minutes, and it happens after the purely happy opening, making it extremely jarring.
- Spinel straight up saying she wants to kill Steven. It's just really shocking to hear since the show usually zig-zags the Never Say "Die" trope (namely for the gems, but even for the humans on occasions) and it's especially shocking due to how serious she sounds when she says it.
- "Volleyball:"
- Pink Pearl's cracked right eye wasn't from White Diamond. But from Pink Diamond.
- Pink Pearl and Pearl fuse into Mega Pearl!
- Many were surprised when Greg cut his hair in "Bluebird".
- "Snow Day" has Pearl shape-shifting for the first time since Pink's "shattering".
- "Fragments" has a Drunk with Power Steven unleash his full Diamond powers on Jasper, shattering her. Of all characters, nobody expected them to actually do it, and who it happened to. While she did get better, both Steven and Jasper are permanently scarred by the experience, the latter even literally.
- In "Homeworld Bound", Steven loses it when he's taking control of White's body and attempts to smash her gem against a nearby pillar. White was lucky she wasn't actually near one, otherwise Steven would've outright killed her.
- The episode "Everything's Fine" ends with Steven declaring how he's a fraud, a monster, and pink spikes burst from his back.
