Steven Universe Future ended with a soft and loving goodbye on March 27th, 2020. Everyone is wondering what the shows' creator, Rebecca Sugar, will do next. Fans are reflecting on what the show meant to them and are still digesting what we learned in the finale.
Devoted fans have been watching interviews with Sugar herself, as she has explains a lot about the creation of the finale. After reading much of what the creator had to say, here are 10 facts you probably didn't know about the finale.
Steven's Monster Was Inspired By Kaiju Designs
Steven's monster was inspired mostly by Kaiju. According to an interview with Sugar in the Los Angeles Times, his kaiju design was intermixed with how his shield looked. As for what a kaiju is, it is a Japanese-made giant monster, like Godzilla.
"Him being a kaiju was our goal, but we also wanted to make sure that you could see the relation to him in the design itself," Sugar said.
Steven's Morning Exercises Are A Nod To "Future Vision"
The very last episode starts off with Steven doing morning exercises. They might seem familiar and that is because it is a callback to a very early episode in the series, "Future Vision." In that episode, we learn about Garnet's ability to see the future. She and Steven do the morning exercises together and it is quite cute.
The whole Future arc had a lot of callbacks to the earlier episodes. Obviously, the most major of them was the focus on "Cookie Cat" at the end.
A Lot Of What Steven Went Through Was A Reflection From Rebecca Sugar's Experiences
A lot of heart and vulnerability went into the creation of Steven Universe and that is part of what made it such a great show. It explored trauma, PTSD, abuse, and all other heavy topics. Steven Universe Future did the same, if not even more so.
According to Sugar, she felt how Steven felt in Future after she was assaulted. Despite getting away, her body still felt like it was in danger in certain situations.
Steven Universe Future Was Not Always Part Of The Plan
Steven Universe could have ended in many different ways. It was all dependent on whether the show would be renewed for more seasons or not. So the creators had no way of knowing if they would even get to write a Steven Universe Future. Due to that, it was not exactly part of the plan until towards the end of the original show.
It was towards the end that the team began to think about taking the show in a different direction with an extra arc -- one that focused on Steven and overcoming his own trauma and demons that have built up inside him.
The Diamonds Became The Opposite Of What They Were
What happened to the diamonds in Steven Universe Future was pretty interesting -- they became healers instead of destroyers. Each of them had their own method of healing that was the opposite of what kind of destruction they caused. Yellow became a physical healer, Blue a healer of feelings, and White, a reflection of others.
White's was particularly interesting. She used to possess people but now others possess her instead. According to Sugar, this was a major symbol of how White can now see others as part of her, rather than vice versa.
Steven Universe Future Was Loosely Inspired By The Book, The Deepest Well
In an interview, Sugar explained that a lot of what happened in Steven Universe Future was inspired by a book written by pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris, The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity.
The book focuses on how transformative love can be when a character has support from their friends and family. It also shows as childhood stress can lead to long-term health problems.
Steven Glowing Pink Is Like A Gem Cortisol
Much of Steven Universe Future focused on how Steven was losing control of his body. We would grow, glow pink, and have panic attacks.
What is happening to him is explained very simply in the episode, "Growing Pains." He is suffering from PTSD. However, what does that really mean? PTSD can create a stress hormone called "cortisol," which is what makes people react to situations with a fight or flight response. According to Sugar, the glowing pink is like a "gem cortisol." That is what is happening to Steven when he turns pink.
Steven Will Visit Beach City Often
In the last episode of Steven Universe Future, we see that Steven is going to leave Beach City. He is going on a journey to experience new things and see more of the world. So what will happen to Beach City?
This was asked in an interview with Sugar, to which she said, "There’s no way he won’t be back to visit often! It’ll be waiting for him, it will always be his hometown and when he comes back he’ll find it’ll be the same in all the best ways."
Rebecca Sugar Might Show Us More Of the Characters And World After A While
If we do see anything of these characters or the world again, it won't be for a while. However, it is possible that Sugar will revisit the Steven Universe universe one day. In an interview with TV Line, she said, "I love these characters and this world and I have theories about the timelines that follow Future. But I want to give the characters some time and some privacy, at least for a while. I need a little of that, too."
Don't worry Sugar, we can't blame you for wanting a break!
Steven Universe Future Was Ultimately Setting Steven Free
Steven's character was always bound by expectations. While he found out he wasn't his mom in the original series, he didn't quite know who Steven was. Steven Universe Future ended with him going off to figure all of that out. He does not have to save the world, solve other people's problems, or feel pressured to be perfect. Now he can go ahead and do what he wants.
In a series about love, taking care of yourself is a major lesson, and Future gave that to us.