The Top 10 NEXT Best Steven Universe Episodes

Time for more of the best kid's show on television!


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Hey, it's been a little over two years, so let's check back up on Steven Universe?

Back in 2015, I binged the entire show in the span of a week or so, and I fell in love with the series. Quality animation, fantastic characters, and the show just had a peaceful and thoughtful atmosphere to it. In the two years since I've watched it, no other show has really reached the same standards of excellence that Steven Universe had. And it only got better from there.

For the past two and a half seasons, the show has progressed from being more adventure of the week format to a show where every episode now has significance. Storylines now have lasting ramifications and everything feels tied together in a natural flow. Also, the series is now taking its plot much more seriously with more and more events, or Steven Bombs, all hinged around a major event for five episodes or so. No other show has really kept me invested in its characters and its world as much as Steven Universe has.

So with 62 new episodes since the last time I did a Top 10 honoring the best that the show had to offer, I'm making another Best of list just to contain all of the new episodes. Now these episodes aren't usurping the others, because both halves of the series has its strengths. The first list was more focused on funny and lighthearted romps with some story elements, but now we have dramatic stories peppered with some light hearted episodes. When the series is done, I'm going to make a final list of the best episodes, but for now, take this list on its own merits and the best episodes of the past two years. With that said, here are the Next Best Steven Universe Episodes.

#10: Earthlings (S3 EP 23)

Earthlings is the conclusion to an arc that defined a lot of Season 3. In it, the Crystal Gems had to deal a lot with Jasper, a super strong Gem that used to be Peridot's partner and after failing to defeat the Crystal Gems and refuse with Lapis, she pretty much decided to hunt corrupted Gems, Gems that became monsters, in order to unleash them as an army to finally defeat the Crystal Gems. Earthlings is pretty much her final attack on the Gems.

I'm mixed about Jasper as a character because she's really not all that interesting. She wants to be strong and will do anything to win... and that's pretty much it. She's a bully, and compared to all of the other great characters in the series, Jasper is easily one of the weakest. That being said, this episode works for three reasons; it gives a satisfactory conclusion to the season's Jasper arc, Steven actually fuses with Amethyst to make Smokey Quartz, and Jasper... well, let's just say that she gets a fate that somehow makes me pity her.

As a capstone for Season 3, Earthlings did its job well. It finished a lot of loose ends, and it gave us the possibility of Steven fusing with other Gems. Awesome!

#9: Message Received (S2 Ep25)

Another milestone episode, but for a different reason. After Peridot was stranded on Earth in Season 1, she's been sneaking around trying to collect parts to get back to Homeworld. She wants to get the hell off of Earth as fast as possible because of something called the Cluster, a Gem weapon in the center of the Earth that will destroy the planet, and unless she gets off of it, she's going to die with Earth. So a couple of episodes came and went, Peridot hung around with the Crystal Gems to try and stop the Cluster, but in Message Received, Peridot recover a communicator to talk with her boss to finally escape Earth and save herself. There's only one problem; Peridot actually grew to care about the Earth and the Crystal Gems.

This episode works so well because of one scene at the very end, but it's quite a scene. Peridot, finally starting to see the benefits of humanity, contacts Yellow Diamond. The Diamonds are essentially the main antagonists in Steven Universe, boasting world altering power and an iron rule over Homeworld. Yellow Diamond was the first Diamond that we saw, and just seeing our first villain talk with the overall big bad is when we finally the actual scope of the series. And then Peridot screams that yellow Diamond is a clod, Yellow Diamond makes a face that created a thousand memes, and bam, Peridot is now officially a Crystal Gem!

Peridot's change from a villain into a good guy was something I never would have thought of when we first saw her, but I'd argue that Peridot is now one of the best characters on the show. She's conceited and talks for days about her intelligence, but she's hilarious. Message Received isn't the best Peridot episode in the slightest, but it expanded the scope of the series with a new antagonist and a new hero to work with.

#8: Bismuth (S3 EP 20-21)

Bismuth was actually a two part episode that celebrated the series' 100th episode. In it, we're introduced to Bismuth, a Gem that was hidden away in Lion's mane (oh yeah, Steven's pet Lion has a mane that goes into a different dimension (oh yeah, Steven has a pet Lion)) and was one of the original members of the Crystal Gems. Why she was sealed away though was anybody's guess, but now that she's back, Bismuth is dead set on fighting Homeworld at any costs.

Bismuth ran the risk of being an episode that fell prey to a lot of tropes. What's this? A hip, new character is introduced that most of the characters already know? And we're supposed to accept this? At least, that was my feeling going into this episode, but as the episode went on, while it did fall into those tropes, it also gave us a really dark take on the Crystal Gems. Bismuth pretty much wanted to commit genocide on Homeworld by murdering all of them, and when Steven confronts Bismuth about her extreme measures, Bismuth says that it's the only way to fight them and that she'll shatter Steven if he gets in her way.

Bismuth was by far the darkest that Steven Universe got at the time, and it's still a pretty morally dark situation. Bismuth was a friend to the Crystal Gems, but should the Crystal Gems murder Homeworld Gems if they're going to be murdered if they're caught? Is it okay to commit genocide on an organization that wants to harvest planets for resources and has no regards for the indigenous life of the planet? These are heavy questions, and Steven Universe doesn't try to shy away from them. The ending is pretty effective, and Bismuth was a character that I wish we saw more of on the show; a Gem with a harder, less idealistic edge and more hardened and cynical. It was a great two parter to celebrate the 100th episode, and maybe we'll see Bismuth again as we inch closer towards the finale.

#7: Bubbled (S3 EP 25)

Steven and a Ruby in space.

This is pretty much Steven Universe's answer to Gravity. Steven gets sucked out into space after learning why Homeworld wanted Steven's mother Rose dead so badly, and while he's in space, he comes across a Ruby that hates him. Both of them are stuck floating with each other in space... and that's really it.

It's a simple little episode that works because it keeps it simple. There aren't any major conflicts or huge revelations here. It's just two energetic characters stuck together and interacting with each other. Ruby hates Steven, and Steven is trying to figure out a way back home. It's so rare to get an episode that's as elegant and clean as Bubbled, but when it happens, it's refreshing. And it's hard to talk about because it's just these two characters... being themselves. What more do I need to say?

#6: Kindergarten Kid (S4 EP1)

Now this is Peridot's best moment. After the events of Earthlings, all of the Gem fusions got free from Jasper's prison, and the Gems went out to capture them and make sure they're safe. Peridot pledges to get the last one, a fast little monster, and what follows is a literal homage to Road Runner and Wild E. Coyote.

The episode is mostly full of gags where Peridot cooks up an elaborate scheme to catch the creature, only to fail by the creature outsmarting Peridot. Peridot tries to make a machine fall on it only for it to fall on her, she tries to drop a rock on the creature only for it to go up behind her and make her fall off a cliff. Hell, Peridot tries to make a cannon that just backfires on her and smashes her into a wall. It all comes down to Peridot nearly losing her mind trying to catch it, and it's just a joy to watch her fail.

If Peridot was a cold, hard schemer during her tenure as a villain, then here she's a Gremlin like child boasting how awesome she is and failing at it. And it's absolutely hilarious to watch. I can't stress how funny this episode is, and it may just be the funniest episode of Steven Universe that's been made. Peridot gets devastated after each of her plans, and it all just culminated with her trying to act just like the monster to lull it into a false sense of security, which is probably the moment that made Peridot into one of my favorite characters on the show. Give it a watch and just see how good Peridot is as comic relief.

#5: Steven's Dream (S4 EP11)

Steven's Dream is unique because we get an interaction between two characters that I never thought would be seen together. Steven's been getting dreams about this weird object that looks like the throne to the deceased Pink Diamond, and decides to travel to go find it. His dad Greg tags along with him, and they eventually go to South Korea where the throne is... only to see that Blue Diamond is there mourning Pink Diamond.

Blue Diamond is unique in that even though she's a member of the Diamond Authority, she doesn't seem to be as evil or as terrifying as Yellow Diamond is. In fact, Blue Diamond is defined by her grief for Pink Diamond, because her innate ability is to make anyone in the vicinity of her cry whenever she feels grief. And do, being the kind of guy that he is, Greg actually gets into a conversation with Blue Diamond. It makes sense though, since both of them have lost someone very dear to them, but while Greg remembers Rose's death and eventually accepted it, Blue Diamond hasn't for thousands of years.

It's interesting just to see how Blue Diamond works, and her subtle appearance (you know, for a giant being made of energy) is calming. Is this one of the people that want to colonize Earth and destroy the Crystal Gems? Since this is the beginning of a new arc for the show, we don;t get much plot info besides the introduction of Blue Diamond, but her appearance and Greg's conversation alone is enough for me to think fondly of this episode, and extra points for addressing the issue of loss in a kid's show as delicately as it does. Kudos.

#4: Barn Mates (S3 EP4) 

And now we have the official best pairing in the show's history. Lapis and Peridot live in a barn together after the events of the past two seasons. If you're a fan of the show, then you're probably in love with the friendship that Lapis and Peridot have. One's a quiet, cynical, and bitter Gem, the other's... well Peridot. Even though they make a great pair now, back when they were first introduced, it was nothing but a good time for us at the expense of them.

See, Peridot wants to be friends with Lapis and convince her that she's turned over a new leaf, but Lapis doesn't want anything to do with Peridot ever. After all, Peridot helped captured Lapis and did nothing to stop Lapis and Jasper from fusing, essentially trapping Lapis in her own personal Hell for months. This leads to Peridot failing after every attempt to get on her good side, with increasingly dark humor from Lapis. Look, Peridot made Lapis a pool because she's a water Gem, but Lapis says that she was trapped in an underwater prison as a fusion as Jasper took complete control over her mind and body, so she's taking a break from water.

Both Lapis and Peridot were fan favorite characters back in the first two seasons, so seeing them was a nice enough gift, but seeing them become a duo that lived together and had completely different personalities? It's like a match made in heaven! The Odd Couple, but with super powered beings of hard light energy! Eventually they do come to an understanding by the end of the episode, and knowing that we'd get more appearances by these two characters was a blessing that we all needed.

#3: The Trial (S5 EP2)

The Trial is a difficult episode to describe because of just how much plot it details. Long story short, Steven is taken to Homeworld and is put on trial for her mother's crimes. It's a Kangaroo Court for the Diamonds, but as the trial goes on, more and more elements come into play that makes the trial very interesting. Like, how was Rose even able to accomplish her crimes in the first place. It all comes to a shocking revelation that is going to define Season 5 going forward and will hopefully rocket the show to a fantastic conclusion.

But yeah, The Trial is a very dialogue heavy episode, but it works with that format as a large debate, feature fun appearances by a few other Gems, and of course, more time with the Diamonds. This is one of those episodes for long time fans, as they'll be the ones to fully understand everything that's going on and the implications of certain events. Plus we're able to see that maybe not all is right with the Diamond Authority, and with the rumors of a third Diamond that we haven't seen yet, this could all be very interesting as the show goes on.

I know that I'm mostly putting this episode on here for what the significance of this episode could be, but the episode itself shows really strong character moments for Steven and that maybe the Diamonds aren't as all powerful as we've been led to think. Plus the episode expertly ratchets up the drama and intrigue in a way that I'm sure even non fans can find fascinating and entertaining. Which begs the question; When the hell is the rest of Season 5 coming out???

#2: The Answer (S2 EP 22)

Oh look, an Emmy nominated episode of Steven Universe. I'm so shocked that this episode is here.

In all honestly, I adore this episode from the bottom of my heart. In it, Garnet explains how her two base Gems, Ruby and Sapphire, fell in love and fused together to make Garnet. There's attraction on both sides, a deep insight into what it means to fuse with another Gem, Homeworld politics, a heroic assault by Rose and Pearl, and Garnet coming to grips with what she is as a fused Gem.

I can't describe how beautiful this episode is. Even by Steven Universe standards, the backgrounds are minimalistic and there's a certain sense of artistry to the entire story. It's almost like a fairytale as we see how a lowly Ruby falls in love with the royal Sapphire and will do anything to save her. Sprinkle in a great song, a wonderful montage of the two of them exploring Earth, and you have yourself an episode that is so beloved for a damned good reason.

The Answer isn't just a good episode of Steven Universe, it's probably one of the best episodes of any animated series ever just for its depiction of same sex love alone. Now granted, Gems have no gender, but when you look at every Gem in the series, they're all portrayed with feminine features and characteristics and the act of Fusion is meant to be a sacred and beautiful thing mostly associated with love. If this isn't a beautiful take on same sex love in a children's show, then I don't know what is.

It's also a fantastic fairytale too, focusing on a lot of classic elements that we see in fairytales and skewing it for a more sci-fi fantasy setting. Look, if you want to see what a lot of people refer to the best episode of Steven Universe, go watch The Answer. Hell, go read the children's book that they made based off of this episode, either or will do. And yet, this isn't the best episode from the recent releases. For that, let's look at another Emmy nominated episode...

#1: Mr. Greg (S3 EP8)

What is with me and Pearl episodes? So many of the new episodes have put a focus on Steven and the overall story, but it's great to see some episodes dedicated to the core Crystal Gem members. And Pearl just so happened to get another phenomenal episode that hits all of the right notes.

After Greg gets $10 million from a previous episode, he decides to take Steven to Empire City for a vacation of glitz and glamour. Steven convinces Pearl to tag along, much to Greg and Pearl's reluctance since they've never really liked each other, but they still live it up for the night. Oh, and did I mention that this entire episode IS A MUSICAL!!!

I'm a sucker for a good musical, and I love it when shows decide to go into song for an entire episode, and the songs here are all on point. But that alone wouldn't give this episode the top spot. No, what pushes it above and beyond is that Pearl finally accepts the fact that Rose loved Greg and Greg loved Rose.

Greg and Pearl have always had a messy relationship over Rose. Pearl secretly loved Rose, but when Greg came along, Pearl hated that Greg was taking Rose away from her. It only made matter worse when Rose died in order to give birth to Steven, meaning that Greg literally took Rose from her both physically and emotionally. So all that Pearl can do is sing and say that yes, it's over between me and her even though I still love her, but that's okay. It's a powerful song that made me well up by its beautiful execution and the fantastic singing done by Pearl's voice actress Deedee Magno.

Usually what makes a Pearl episode so good is that it deals heavily with her conflicted feelings towards other members of the cast. Pearl loves Steven, but Steven took Rose from her. Greg took Rose's love, but it was of Rose's own volition. Rose was always a figure of reverence to Pearl, and when Pearl finally accepts that Rose loved Greg and that Steven brought Pearl along just to let Greg and Pearl solve their differences, it makes for the most satisfying ending the series has ever had. The visuals pop, the songs are great, it's an homage to classic Broadway musicals, and it has the single best song from the entire run of Steven Universe. And all of that together makes Mr. Greg the next best Steven Universe episode.