Did the ‘Steven Universe’ Leaks Really Ruin the Rest of the Show?

Carlos Rivera
TV Animation
TV Animation

SPOILER ALERT: Warning, this article contains spoilers from unaired Steven Universe episodes and the Season 5 episode entitled”A Single Pale Rose.” Proceed at your own risk.

Last week, massive Steven Universe spoilers came from the hand of Cartoon Network. It all started on a seemingly normal podcast uploaded to YouTube where Rebecca Sugar and Ian Jones-Quartey explained part of their creative process and what their shows mean to them.

But while we expected that they’d show some stills of their shows, what really happened was that they revealed some clips with unaired scenes featuring “massive spoilers” during their interviews. Needless to say, fans went wild, and most of them said that those leaks ruined the rest of the season. Some even went as far as saying that those leaks ruined the entire show.

But what if they didn’t? What if those clips actually shed some light on what to expect of the story arcs to come? Let’s take a closer look at each of the leaks and what they could mean.

Note: The original video with the leaked images was taken down and re-uploaded without those scenes, but you can still find it here.

Cowboy Ruby and Sapphire Running Away

Ruby wearing a cowboy attire while riding a horse.
Ruby wearing cowboy attire while riding a horse.

While it isn’t clear if this Ruby is part of Garnet or one of the rogue ones, this promo video clearly points us in the direction of the former. Garnet’s relationship with Rose was very close, and as such, finding out that Rose kept such a major secret from her is bound to cause a disruption in the relationship between Ruby and Sapphire.

Ruby and Sapphire’s relationship has been a very important plot point in previous seasons. And it’s in the in-between major arcs that we have gotten the chance to see how they behave separately as individuals as well as together in a relationship.

If this is the case, then that would explain why Greg and the gang decided to travel in their van to an unknown location with the company of Ruby on her own.

Judging by the latest promo and the ending of the most recent episode, “A Single Pale Rose,” chances are that this storyline is going to happen very soon. It could possibly even end with the rumored Ruby and Sapphire wedding that fans have been asking for for a long time.

Steven and Amethyst Underwater

Steven and Amethyst Looking for Something underwater.
Steven and Amethyst Looking for Something underwater.

This one is a little bit trickier, but there are two main options that this could be about:

  1. Steven and Amethyst are looking for Sapphire in an underwater location that has a portal. If they are looking for her on a desert, an underwater location is another likely hiding spot. But this is a bit far-fetched in my opinion.
  2. Lapis is still struggling with her fight-and-flight instinct, so she hid on a planet completely covered by water or under the ocean. Throughout Seasons 1-3, Steven and the gang had several encounters where Lapis was hiding underwater, so it’s the most likely option of the two.

The reunion with Lapis is bound to occur eventually, but considering that neither her nor Peridot were shown on the final leak, chances are it won’t happen soon.

The Diamonds’ Arrival to Earth and Their Reunion with the Crystal Gems

Steven getting along with her... aunts?
Steven getting along with his... aunts?

With the revelation from last night’s episode, the nature of Steven’s relationship with the Diamonds took a complete twist. Now we know that instead of them being Steven’s enemies, they are actually both his aunts… and sisters? Steven has Rose’s gem after all.

But despite their strange family situation — which for sure is going to be pivotal in the future — the most important question remains: If the Diamonds are the rulers of the homeworld, does that mean Steven belongs to the Diamond Authority too? He is their uncle/brother after all. That storyline is going to stir things up a lot.

Bismuth reappears, but neither Peridot nor Lapis were depicted in this scene.
Bismuth reappears, but neither Peridot nor Lapis are shown in this scene.

But that’s not all, Bismuth reappears after being poofed and jailed in the temple. This means that we could be looking at a reunion of the original crystal gems in that same arc.

Still, neither Peridot nor Lapis were seen in this scene, so it isn’t clear what is going to happen between Lapis’ disappearance and the Diamonds’ arrival to earth.

The Final Verdict

So, did the leaks actually ruin something? The short answer would be yes. After all, they showed a lot of things that are likely to happen in the summer event of Steven Universe.

But did they ruin the entire season, or god forbid, the rest of the show? No. With the episodic way CN has been releasing episodes and with so many theories floating around, lots of fans were discouraged. Those clips only fueled the collective imagination and gave fans something to look for.

At any rate, in a recent tweet, Spanish Steven Universe voice actress, Leisha Medina, has already confirmed Season 6.

Her response loosely translates to “Season 6 is in the works and, of course, I know what will happen, but you’ll have to wait and see. I can’t give any information about unaired episodes.”

With Blue and Yellow Diamond now as potential allies, the possibility of new villains linger (White Diamond anyone?) and with them, new storylines to explore.

So no, Steven Universe isn’t ending with some leaked scenes, we still have a lot to expect in future seasons and the crewniverse is sure going to give fans what they want in the most unexpected way possible!

Carlos Rivera
Carlos is an entertainment writer who will tackle everything you put on his way with the speed of Koro-Sensei. If he is not working as a freelancer or playing on his 3DS, he's probably binge-watching shows on netflix with his dog while eating pizza. #I❤Anime