WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the first four episodes of Steven Universe: Future, which aired on Dec. 7 on Cartoon Network
Steven Universe Future has introduced a number of changes for the people (and Gems) of Beach City. But the biggest change of all has been building up inside Steven himself, which could end up being a positive and negative influence on the young man. The short version of which is basically that Steven has gained his own version of the classic Dragon Ball power boost known as going Super Saiyan.
NEW FORM
Steven discovers this new form during the first couple of episodes of Steven Universe Future. When overwhelmed with emotion, his skin glows a soft pink as he gives further into it. When the power fully covers him, it makes Steven look closer to his pure diamond form from "Change Your Mind". This new color scheme indicates that he's unleashing his full power. This has so far been shown to include increased strength, speed and power. A single punch sends Jasper flying through trees with ease. While fused into Smokey Quartz with Amethyst, the pink glow allowed for superspeed fast enough that the rest of the world appeared in slow motion.
Like going Super Saiyan, activating this form gives Steven a new primary color glow. Steven's new power set seems to come as a direct result of him confronting his current emotional state. Steven has always been focused on helping others through their inner conflicts, oftentimes at the cost of his growth. He's been so focused on others that he hasn't confronted the things that are affecting him. But by being forced to confront these more negative emotions, his power seems to be unlocking more than they've ever been before.
UNLEASHED
Now, Steven's emotions are getting the better of him and causing him to lash out. The first occurs when Jasper's lack of interest in becoming a better person sends Steven into a rage. The power overtook him also when he panicked upon seeing townspeople almost being killed during an accident, and when he found out the truth behind how his mother had once accidentally lashed out in her own ways. She even permanently scarred her Pearl when her power lashed out and injured her. Steven comes close to doing the same thing when he finds out, screaming and cracking the Earth with his bellow.
This, in turn, is very similar to how Super Saiyans transform. It requires them to reach an emotional point of breakthrough, usually in anger or grief, to allow them to have access to the power that comes with being Super Saiyan. Steven has turned pink in moments when Steven was stressed or angry, suggesting a very similar transformation. But while the Super Saiyan form can be seen as cathartic and good for the heroes of Dragon Ball, that kind of power has been shown to also be destructive and chaotic in Steven Universe, a show that's more about overcoming and letting go of our anger and grief rather than weaponizing it. It remains to be seen if Steven can learn to control his new powers, or if they'll ultimately control him.
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