Every bit of Steven Universe is incredibly memorable, from its locations to its soundtrack, but the number-one thing that most fans end up remembering has to be the varied cast of colorful characters that they get to bond with and learn about throughout the series' run. The most developed, of course, are Steven and the main three Crystal Gems, but that isn't to say that those who join a bit later on don't get their fair share of appreciation, as well.
One such character is Bismuth, who actually had history with the Crystal Gems back when Rose led the Rebellion, and because of this, there's a lot about her that's easy to miss if viewers aren't paying attention to subtleties.
10 Remaining Hopeful
Throughout the series, we get several examples of Gems going through traumatic events and coming out quite jaded because of it- the biggest example of this for quite a few seasons being Lapis Lazuli. Bismuth, on the other hand, remains incredibly optimistic even after being poofed and bubbled twice for extended periods of time, and is often a beacon of hope for the lost Steven whenever he fumbles.
Not only did she help restore his hope after the Gems were reset by Spinel in the movie, but she also reminded him that the traits that may make him 'weird' to others aren't anything to be ashamed of.
9 Dangerous Emotions
Despite the fact that Bismuth is loyal, protective and empathetic, she is also an extreme danger to others whenever her emotions are allowed to run rampant. Due to her immense passion and rage directed towards the Diamond Authority and her overwhelming drive to eliminate them for all of the pain they put the Gems through, she lets her judgment get completely clouded by emotions and has even tried to kill Steven because of this.
8 Realistic Growth
Although Bismuth began with a hatred for the Diamonds that burned so brightly she was willing to hurt even those close to her if they didn't agree with her views on how to dispose of them, over time she grows, and her views soften as she spends more time unbubbled with the other Crystal Gems.
This is reflected perfectly when the Diamonds crash Ruby and Sapphire's wedding, as she went from someone who was fine with shattering Gems who she deemed 'deserve' it, to someone who stated that bubbling them instead would be a better, more pacifistic option.
7 Enabled The Rebellion
Because most of the flashbacks viewers see involving the past before Steven simply include Rose, Pearl and occasionally Garnet, it can be relatively easy to forget that the Crystal Gems wouldn't have been able to sustain their Rebellion whatsoever if it wasn't for Bismuth's contributions.
Every single physical weapon used by a Crystal Gem as part of the Rebellion was personally crafted by Bismuth herself, which is the reason why the main Gems never got any upgrades to their weapons until fans meet Bismuth and get introduced to the Forge.
6 Old (And New) Alterations
When Bismuth takes Steven along with the Crystal Gems to the Forge for the first time since she was unbubbled, she gifts both Garnet and Pearl weapon upgrades that she had already planned out thousands of years ago but never had the chance to give them. She also shows how kind and generous she can be in this scene when it comes to Amethyst.
Despite not having had a specific upgrade in mind for her, and not having met her before that day, Bismuth still came up with an upgrade on the fly to present to her- and a pretty cool one at that, showing both her generosity and her ability to feel what others want.
5 Compromising For Comfort
Shortly after Bismuth arrives, she begins combat training with the other Crystal Gems, but Steven begins to appear visibly uncomfortable with how rough Bismuth's sparring style is. It doesn't take Bismuth long to notice, and she immediately shows off her warm-hearted nature by offering to do activities that Steven finds fun instead to help him feel more comfortable around her, like cooking, playing card games and watching movies.
4 Pre-Appearance
Steven Universe has a way of sneaking in little clues to future episodes, and doing so in such a way to where most fans won't ever realize it was teased until they do a full re-watch, and this was certainly the case with Bismuth.
Well before her official introduction, in the episode "Lion 3: Straight To Video", Bismuth's bubbled gem can be seen floating in-between branches at the tree in Rose's Room. Her Gem was also one of the most peculiar-looking at the time, so it was even easier to mistake as something unimportant.
3 Self-Referenced
The voice actress responsible for voicing her also voices a character on Orange Is the New Black, and there was actually a nod towards that role within Bismuth's character. The character that she voices is named Suzanne Warren, also nicknamed "Crazy Eyes".
Whenever Bismuth inquires about what happened to some of the other Crystal Gems, she asks about someone named "Crazy Lace", which is a reference to the nickname her other character was given.
2 Left In The Dark
When Bismuth first re-joins the Crystal Gems and asks about the whereabouts of her other former comrades, it was revealed to her that they had been corrupted by the Diamonds, and it's here that fans came to a pretty big realization involving her.
Because Bismuth was poofed well before the end of the Gem rebellion, she was never there to witness the Diamonds corrupting the Gems that were on Earth (except for the shielded Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst) and simply believed that they had instead been shattered. It must have been a relief to know that her comrades were not only alive, but had a chance to be saved.
1 Accepting The Past
Originally, when Bismuth rebelled from Homeworld, she also rebelled away from the original purpose given to her- that of being a builder that helped the Diamond Authority colonize planets. However, when Steven Universe: The Movie aired, fans got to see a wonderful treat involving Bismuth's development.
She no longer seems to have a problem with building, as she was one of the main architects and builders of Little Homeschool, meaning thankfully she healed from her discomfort of having to do things for the Diamonds.