WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Steven Universe: Future Episode 8, "Why So Blue?," which aired Saturday on Cartoon Network.
At their peak levels, many of the Gems within the world of Steven Universe are capable of bringing down entire worlds. It's how they became an empire that spanned the greater cosmos in the first place. But the ones who have come to Earth and joined the Crystal Gems have developed more power the longer they defend Earth, with some even learning new moves along the way.
In the most recent episode of Steven Universe: Future, Lapis shows off her most impressive display of power yet -- a giant water form that's made up of an entire ocean.
POWERHOUSE
"Why So Blue?" focuses primarily on Steven and Lapis traveling into the galaxy to hunt down a pair of other Lapis Gems who have continued terra-forming worlds across the cosmos. But because that means destroying all different forms of life, Steven and Lapis try to convince them to give it up and try other things. Those attempts largely fail, although one of the two new Lapis does take to music. Eventually reaching the end of her patience, Lapis tries to force them to stop destroying the world. However, the pair quickly turns, and overwhelms her.
All of Lapis' battle tactics only end up giving her enemies ideas, such as chaining her down with water or creating a buzz saw out of water. But Lapis eventually decides she's tired of the fight, and summons an entire ocean's worth of water toward her. Using it, she creates a massive body out of the water, which allows her to easily beat the other two into the ground; she nearly kills them with a giant spear formed from the water. But while they're impressed with her raw power, Lapis is mad at herself for losing control. She's learned self-control, and she wants to make sure she can keep her power in check.
WATER-BENDER
If nothing else, her new water form is a nice reminder of just how powerful Lapis really is. In her first moments being unleashed from her prison in a forgotten Gemworld mirror, Lapis was able to steal away the entire Atlantic Ocean in an attempt to make a bridge long enough to return to the Gem Homeworld. She proved capable of creating water clones of the Crystal Gems, effectively fighting Steven, Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst at the same time. When she was fused with Jasper, Malachite was more than strong enough to challenge Alexandrite, who combines the powers of Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst. But so much of it came from Lapis that Jasper desperately tried to force them to fuse again so she could become that level of power once more.
Even compared to other versions of Lapis (who were primarily used to destroy worlds with some of their own elements), Lapis is in a league of her own. This new form is the best example of that yet, making her absolutely massive. She doesn't look too dissimilar to a Diamond at that size either, meaning she might be able to hold her own against one if the Crystal Gems are ever forced to fight them again. Considering the apparently enraged Diamond who's appeared in the opening for the season that may come to attack them down the line, it might be a good thing that the Crystal Gems are growing more and more powerful in their abilities.
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