Out of the three Homeworld gems that made up the original antagonistic trio (Lapis, Peridot and Jasper before the former two were befriended by Steven), arguably the one we've gotten the least screen time for and know the least about would be Jasper. Peridot had extreme character growth that stretched on for quite a good chunk of the show, and Future gave us some nice glances at how Lapis has changed for the better and started trying to work through her own personal trauma. So what about Jasper? Despite not getting as much time to showcase herself as the others, there's still a good bit you might have missed about this Steven Universe character.
10 Her True Debut
Jasper, alongside Peridot, makes her debut whenever they show up from Homeworld with Lapis in "The Return". However, what might have been a little easier to miss is the fact that Lapis actually hinted at her arrival one episode earlier, during "The Message". Lapis tries to warn Steven and the others that 'another gem' is coming to Earth and that 'she is not alone', referring to the following appearances of Peridot and Jasper, respectively.
9 Her Feelings Toward Fusion Change Drastically
When we meet Jasper and especially during her fight with Garnet, it's hammered into our heads that Jasper simply sees fusion as 'a cheap tactic to make weak gems stronger'- however, she doesn't stay with this mentality forever. After begging Lapis to fuse with her and being trapped at the bottom of the ocean with her as Malachite, one would assume that she'd begin to hate fusions altogether, but this isn't the case.
Instead, Jasper wants more. She goes back to Lapis, asking to fuse again to feel the power she felt with her. She ends up really liking fusion and desperately seeking it out again, despite the other's reasons for fusing with her being the intent to make her suffer.
8 Being Shattered And Brought Back Changed Her Form
Ever since she was uncorrupted, Jasper still wore a few signs of her previous corruption on her, such as horns along with certain parts of her body appearing differently than they usually would. However, what was easy to notice in the moment with all of the emotional impact of the scene, is the fact that after Steven shattered her and brought her back, Jasper's body looks different than before.
One of her horns is now sliced in half, and the dark-orange band marking that used to fully cover her eyes now has a split in the right side. Outfit-wise she changed as well, as her top colors are now inverted and there's rips in her pants that weren't present before.
7 She's Meant To Be A Tragic Character
When we meet Jasper, we quickly learn that she's obsessed with superiority and overwhelming physical strength, and proving these things to just about anyone she comes across. This could simply be due to extreme over-confidence bordering on narcissism, but analyzing Jasper's character more deeply will reveal that it's actually due to a crushing inferiority complex.
As stated in the Steven Universe: Origins book, 'Jasper is tragically obsessed with proving her superiority. Who she is and where she's from gnaws at her all the time... She'll actually go against her programming just to win, so she can be self-destructive.' We see this come to light when she fuses with a corrupted gem, and in turn corrupts herself, just to win a fight- that she still ends up losing.
6 She Will Go Against Homeworld's Rules To Win
As we mentioned in the last point, Jasper isn't above corrupting herself to win a fight- and despite how she originally talked about it, she isn't against fusing to win one either. Homeworld frowns heavily upon any use of fusion that isn't solely as a means to an end, and even then it's severely shamed- so we'd assume that the traditionalist Jasper, who seemed to love her role as a subordinate of Pink, would shame it as well and refuse to sink that 'low'.
However, this isn't true. When Jasper realizes that her own strength alone isn't enough to win, she will go against her own morals- and even Homeworld's- to gain the strength necessary to come out on top.
5 Her Earth Origins
With how much respect Jasper gives the Diamonds and how obsessed she is with the way things work on Homeworld, it can be easy to forget her origins began at the same place as Amethyst's- a kindergarden on Earth. Since Homeworld views Earth as a failure, this is the main reason why Jasper struggles with the inferiority issues that she does- if she was made on a failed planet, does that label her a failure? Do others view her as one?
Despite being the strongest gem of her batch, this still doesn't stop her overpowering inferiority complex.
4 Her Reasons For Returning
When Jasper is revealed to the audience, it's as an escort for Peridot who had been collecting intelligence on Earth prior- but this isn't how Jasper sees her mission at all. From the very beginning, despite acting as a model Homeworld citizen to gain good standing with others to try to ease her feelings of inferiority, Jasper is only thinking of herself. She doesn't care at all for Peridot or for Lapis, and the only thing she's concerned with is crushing the Crystal Gems and Rose's army for shattering her diamond.
Although we learn the truth behind what really happened with Pink, this dedication is almost frightening.
3 She's The Strongest Non-Diamond Gem We've Seen
Now, to clarify, 'strongest' doesn't mean that she can win any fight she's in, as there are many different factors that go into play during battle, and characters can possess many strengths besides overpowering physical strength. In both physical strength and in sheer will, Jasper is by far the most powerful gem that we've seen that isn't a Diamond. It took every bit of Lapis' concentration to keep her from breaking free while fused.
In addition to this, Jasper is also one of the most durable gems we've seen, having withstood a point-blank explosion as well as the aftermath, and was hit with enough force to poof another gem without poofing herself.
2 She Triggered Some Of Steven's Powers
Now, it's fairly safe to assume that Steven's pink powers would have been able to awaken in some other way, if his brawl with Jasper in the woods hadn't taken place, but we don't think any of them would have been as cool or impactful. Jasper, towering above Steven, begins badly berating him, calling him 'weak', 'pitiful' and 'useless'. This causes him to begin glowing pink and develop his super - strength, and is able to go hand-to-hand with her after.
It's also worth noting that Jasper actually alludes to the main problem of all of Future, saying that while Steven desperately tries to help those around him, it's really just him that needs help.
1 She's Willing To Kill
In "Crack The Whip" Jasper and Amethyst square off after the latter was egged on, and it ends up in Amethyst poofing and almost being shattered, too. Before, it had seemed like Jasper just wanted to beat the Crystal Gems in a fight, but that she wasn't necessarily concerned with completely shattering them, but this was the episode where we learned just how ruthless she could be.
She views the Crystal Gems as the group responsible for shattering her Diamond, and with Amethyst's gem in hand, was about to obtain her revenge by doing the exact same thing- if Stevonnie hadn't been there to stop her, that would have been the end of Amethyst.