Steven Universe Oneshots

Peridot

Ok but can we talk about how this was Peridot's face when Yellow Diamond asked her which Peridot she was?

I think the half-second reaction shows a lot of how far she's come in her character arc. She's hurt by Yellow's question, even though logically she knows that it's a reasonable thing to ask. This wouldn't have crossed her mind at all a season ago, because she didn't see the beauty in individuality.

Steven and the other Crystal Gems are all, by Homeworld's standards, freaks and outcasts: a half human, a fusion, an independent Pearl, and a tiny Amethyst. In Too Far and other episodes, we can see this Homeworld mentality clearly ingrained in her mind, as she makes comments towards them without even realizing how insulting they are; this is because she subconsciously doesn't consider these rebels to have such complex emotions and lives, because they're outside the norm.

 Once she gets to see them interact– not just as the intimidating Crystal Gems, but rather as a family unit– she begins to understand that they are individuals who have their own strengths and weaknesses, individual pieces of the puzzle that make the team work. As time passed and they worked on the drill with her help, she began to feel like part of the puzzle; she was needed, valuable, unable to be replaced, something she doubtfully ever felt in her life. When Yellow Diamond asked which Peridot she was, it was a harsh reminder that her idol didn't view her as an essential piece to the Homeworld puzzle. And that's when Peridot realized the Earth was worth defending– because if the Crystal Gems could bring out her uniqueness, then there's bound to be millions of unique things worth saving.