WARNING: This article contains massive spoilers for Steven Universe.
After five seasons, six years, and too many hiatuses to count, the coming-of-age story with a sprawling galactic spin that is Steven Universe finally came to a close with its latest season. With an upcoming movie that may or may not be the series’ grand finale, the heartwarming stories of Steven Universe and his three moms – the Crystal Gems Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl – seemed all but concluded, but some threads were left hanging after the last episode.
It should be noted that these incomplete plot threads don’t affect the overall quality of the show, but they do leave some nagging questions behind. So without further ado, here are 10 Steven Universe storylines that weren’t resolved by the time the series ended.
The Cluster
One of the most terrifying things Steven discovers is The Cluster: thousands of sentient Gem shards forcibly fused to form a sentient superweapon capable of destroying Earth. Steven successfully calmed it down and it fights for the Crystal Gems, but its ultimate fate is left unclear.
After it defeats Yellow Diamond, the Cluster returns to its bubble in the center of the Earth. This is also its last appearance and its absence when the Diamonds heal the corrupted Gems is noticeable. Though it’s bubbled, the Cluster is an unstable force that could explode at any moment.
Jasper’s Redemption
One of the corrupted Gems to return to her original form is Jasper, the formidable Homeworld loyalist with a grudge against Rose Quartz. Jasper quickly became an unlikely fan-favorite, and some were hoping that she’d get a redemption arc like Peridot’s.
This never happens as Jasper is only seen in the series’ last seconds, now back in her old form beside Amethyst. It’s safe to say that Jasper may now on her way to living a peaceful life on Earth with the other Gems, but how exactly it will happen may not be explicitly shown.
Lars’ Space Adventures
After being revived with the same magic that explains Lion’s mere existence, Lars transforms himself into the series’ version of Captain Harlock to lead the Off Color Gems on galactic adventures of piracy and rebellion against Homeworld.
After they accidentally help Steven learn more about his legacy, Lars’ crew is never seen again. That is until the finale’s closing moments, where he reunites with Sadie to presumably rekindle their relationship. Whatever Lars did in space is left a mystery, especially his apparent rivalry with Emerald – the owner of the starship Sun Incinerator he and his crew stole.
Amethyst & Vidalia
The residents of Beach City obviously have some history with the Crystal Gems, but one of the more surprising revelations was the relationship of Amethyst and Vidalia. Their friendship is suddenly revealed in the episode “Onion Friend,” when Amethyst and Steven stumble upon her house when her son Onion runs into the garage.
The biggest hints – outside of their heartfelt conversations – were some of Vidalia’s old paintings that Amethyst modeled for. Whatever the two party-girls had in the past is never expounded upon, though it’s made clear that the two are longtime friends.
Pearl & The Mystery Girl
The surest sign that Pearl got over the love of her life (i.e. Rose Quartz) was when she awkwardly tried to hook up with The Mystery Girl. Things didn’t really go as planned, but everything turned out well when The Mystery Girl gave Pearl her number.
The series doesn’t revisit Pearl’s relationship status after this moment, and Mystery Girl’s whereabouts are left unknown. While Pearl does get a phone later on, she never uses it to call the nameless biker girl again. At the very least, it’s safe to say that Pearl finally moved on.
Lapis & Peridot
Despite Lapis’ initial hostility, she and Peridot struck a loving relationship. Sadly, this ended with Lapis leaving Peridot on Earth as she fled to the moon, as Lapis feared that the Diamonds would start another war on Earth that she’s too traumatized to face.
But when the Diamonds land on Earth, Lapis returned at the right moment to help the Crystal Gems’ fight. From that point forward, Lapis and Peridot were always seen together and it’s never shown how exactly they got back together. While it could be inferred that they put the past behind, it does leave a few blanks open during the series’ finale.
The Fate Of Homeworld
After more than six thousand years, the conflict between Homeworld and Earth finally ends when Steven convinces the Diamond Authority to give peace and reconciliation a chance. While the Diamonds do arrive on Earth to undo their war crimes, what happens in Homeworld is left up for debate.
It’s safe to guess that White Diamond – who learned how oppressive her mindset is – would change her world’s social order, but this isn’t confirmed or denied. With White’s change of heart, will Homeworld stop colonizing worlds or will its reforms meet some resistance? Only time will tell.
The War For Earth
One recurring complaint some fans had with Steven Universe was the limited amount of information it gave regarding its lore, especially about Rose Quartz’s rebellion to liberate Earth from the Diamond’s control.
Glimpses of the war and its aftermath are scattered throughout the show, but they’re not enough to form a complete picture. Granted, the show prioritizes the character’s lives and how they develop over time, but it would be nice to get a full view of the eons-long planet-wide conflict that defined the lives of the Crystal Gems.
Gem & Human History
Steven Universe confirms that Gems can live for thousands of years, revealing that the Crystal Gems interacted with human history in different ways. Small clues like period paintings and what facts Connie learns in the library show that the Gems have been around to see humanity develop over the ages.
However, a complete timeline of Earth’s history is never shown. This leaves a lot of interesting possibilities and questions unanswered, such as how the Gems’ time on Earth affected early civilization and how humanity lived before, during, and after the Diamonds’ colonization and the subsequent Crystal Gem rebellion.
Rose Quartz’s Time On Earth
After faking her assassination to liberate Earth from the Diamond’s control and be free, Pink Diamond lives the rest of her days as Rose Quartz, the leader of the Crystal Gems. Her relationship with Greg Universe and the surviving Crystal Gems is shown in great detail, but everything before that is vague at best.
There are some flashbacks that show her meeting the explorer Buddy Buddwick and how she and Pearl first met Garnet on a primitive Earth, but not much else. Though unnecessary, showing Rose’s pre-war years on Earth would’ve been fun and enlightening.
