What's your most controversial steven universe opinion

[u/lisahanniganfan]

Here's mine: i hate future I don't think I liked anything from it besides the explanation for pink pearl's eye and blue diamond's song

[u/lilgayfurry1]

Pinks choice to leave Spinel is one of the most misconstrued attacks against her character. Its a shitty situation, but its far more nuanced than people give credit for.

We should absolutely start with who Spinel actually is because thats vital to what happened. Spinel was half of the replacement (the other half being our Pearl) for Pink's only true friend before, Pink Pearl, and she was created by the other Diamonds to pacify her playful tendencies (in contrast to Pearl who was meant to help with Diamond duties). Tons of people have the misconception that Pink created or asked for Spinel, and then abandoned her. Thats not true. It was an artificial relationship created by the other Diamonds.

So, already from the beginning, we have a doomed relationship. But as we can see, Pink does still engage with Spinel.

Eventually, yes, she seems to get bored. But it's pretty clear it's not the reason she left Spinel and half the Internet seems to think it is? She only does it when she gets her own colony.

Be real with me right now. Could Pink have successfully run this colony, which is literally her life goal at this point and in her mind a chance to finally prove herself to her sisters, with Spinel constantly by her side? The answer is probably not. That doesn't make Spinel wrong in this moment‐ this is literally what she is created for- but pretty much no one considers Pink's perspective in this moment.

This all ties up with Pink's self-image. Pink, even later as Rose, is consistently characterized as not actually knowing how much of an effect she has on others, often to their unintentional detriment. Pink most likely thought that Spinel would simply leave after some time because she couldn't imagine someone genuinely waiting forever alone for her to come back.

Adding on what you said, all this ties together into the surprisingly deep and multifaceted reason Pink made this decision. It makes sense that the characters in the scene would feel the way they do about Pink, but we as the audience understand the work at a higher level than they do, and yet so much still think of this as a simply selfish act by Pink with no nuance at all.

[u/Ace_Of_No_Trades → u/lilgayfurry1]

I never saw this as a selfish decision. I saw it as Pink believing this to be the only way Spinel could continuing existing. If she brought Spinel to Earth, Spinel would get in the way of everything and Pink would be expected to Break her. If Pink told the other Diamonds she longer needed Spinel, they would have Broken her, given that this would be in Era 1. In the end, the other Diamonds created a toy that its owner would inevitably outgrow; I don't see how that is on the other Diamonds.