Jasper

"I don't get what you're planning, Rose. But look! Your base is taken. Your armies are ruined! You have failed!"

"Jasper" is a Homeworld Gem and the main antagonist of her debut episode "The Return" and in "Jail Break". She is currently being held captive at the bottom of the ocean by Lapis Lazuli within the unstable fusion of Malachite.

Appearance
Jasper has tangerine skin with reddish-orange markings on her face and arms. She has amber eyes. Her gem is located where her nose should be. She has thick, beige-colored, flowing hair. Physique-wise, she is the archetype Quartz Gem warrior; she has a muscular body and stands both taller and wider than Garnet, an indication of her immense strength and durability.

She wears a sleeveless half-red, half-mahogany uniform with a yellow diamond insignia on the chest and heavy boots (as described in Guide to the Crystal Gems).

Personality
Jasper is ruthless and headstrong, as well as an brutal combatant. Assumed to be a high-ranking Gem warrior and veteran of the Rebellion, Jasper is very authoritative and militaristic which directly affects her subordinates, Peridot and Lapis Lazuli. She doesn't care about them, doesn't bother to heed their warnings or concerns, and will not hesitate to browbeat them into submission if they complain or disagree with her. The prejudice that Jasper exercises based on combat experience leads her to look down upon beings that appear weaker to her. She despises the act of fusion especially, as seen when she announced, "Fusion is just a cheap tactic to make weak Gems stronger!" Even after Garnet defeated her and crashed the Gem Warship, she didn't consider it a loss, turning back on previous reasoning and believing that Garnet only bested her due to being a fusion.

Her attitude towards those whom she considers to have proven themselves in battle, however, is a much more positive and respectful one. When she first arrived on Earth, she quickly dismissed Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl as weaklings not worth her time. She did, however, express disappointment when she found out that Rose Quartz wasn't present because she wanted to face her in battle, as she respected her as the military commander of the war. Likewise, this caused her to be confused and frustrated as to why Rose had apparently shape-shifted into a "weak, human boy" to fight.

Jasper can be hypocritical; the prospect of a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Crystal Gems revulsed her so much that in a last desperate attempt to seize victory, she coerced Lapis Lazuli to fuse with her to form Malachite, apparently disregarding her previous opinion on fusion.

In "Chille Tid", Jasper appears furious and unhinged. The most probable reason why is because of the extended period of time that Jasper has remained immobile, being trapped with Lapis in a seemingly endless power struggle in Malachite, held down with the weight of Earth's ocean and unable to escape the fusion.

Jasper's mindset is focused on one thing at the expense of all else: victory. Without the prospect of a challenge, she considers the task at hand a waste of time. Jasper will even forsake her beliefs if that means she will come out on top. Interestingly, as long as they fought on even terms Jasper does seem to respect those who best her in combat, implying she has a warped code of honor.

Abilities
All Gems have various powers, including the ability to invoke a weapon, change shape, and strength, agility, speed, and skill beyond human capabilities. They can also take refuge in their gems after being wounded to heal. She is also capable of fusion, as shown when she fused with Lapis Lazuli to form Malachite.

Being a Quartz Gem, she was created to fit the role of a warrior within Gem culture. As such, she has incredible amounts of physical strength and stamina, making her one of the most physically imposing Gem seen thus far. She is also strong of will, as it is currently taking all of Lapis's concentration to subdue Jasper.

Skillset

 * Crash Helmet Proficiency: By gathering her resolve and thirst for battle, Jasper is able to summon her weapon; a tangerine, crystalline helmet. The helmet acts both as a weapon and armor; a hammer-like protrusion in the front of the helmet allows her to use it to charge, slam, and headbutt her opponent, while a clear orange-tinted visor extends down, covering the upper part of her face. The sturdiness of the helmet rivals that of Garnet's gauntlets, as Jasper was shown continuously countering her attacks.
 * Martial Arts: Further reflecting the similarities between herself and Amethyst, Jasper is likewise prone to mixing up her weapon-based attacks with martial arts moves, such as grappling, throwing, or simply punching her opponent. Due to the nature of her weapon, the two styles mix seamlessly and combine into a powerful, but ultimately reckless fighting style with immense collateral damage.
 * Tumblr nl4vce9GEk1rbeyf4o1 250.gifHeadbutting: Jasper is shown to be able to headbutt without her weapon. This version, although weaker without her helmet, still has the potential to knock out a human being, as seen with Steven in "The Return".

Unique Abilities

 * Jasper's Comet Charge.gifComet Charge: Jasper can lunge at her foes with alarming speed and power, as evidenced by the attack breaking through layers of hard gemstone. While she performs this attack, a fiery aura is formed around her.
 * Jasper's Spin Dash.gifSpin Dash: Jasper can rapidly roll in a ball-like shape to attack enemies. While Amethyst was shown to have this ability as well, it seems that Jasper's version is more powerful. Jasper can also use the technique to dash across a spacious room and plunge into the air.

Weaponry

 * Fb38e1962da511b578b0ad1f304629c5.gif[[Gem Destabilizer]]: Homeworld Gems, in addition to their summonable weapon, seem to carry a personal defense weapon known as Gem Destabilizers — extremely potent, "non-lethal" tools used to subdue enemy Gems. Jasper is seen using this weapon on Garnet in "The Return". She attempted to use it again in "Jail Break", but Garnet pried it from her hand and broke it immediately afterward.

Rose Quartz/Steven Universe
"I was there, you know. At the first war for this garbage planet. I fought against your armies. I respected your tactics. But this...? This is sick!"

Jasper holds some animosity towards Rose, as Jasper was present and fought for the loyalist Gem forces during The Rebellion on Earth. She was looking forward to "beating her into the ground" upon arriving on Earth. Despite this, Jasper expresses a great deal of respect towards Rose for her role as the military commander of the war, although she does harbor disgust towards Rose's love for the Earth and will to fight for the planet. Jasper believes that Steven is Rose, and treats him as such. In "Chille Tid", Jasper is shown to harbor a vendetta against Steven, and tries to attack him upon seeing him. However, she is restrained and eventually suppressed by Lapis.

Crystal Gems
"You don't need me for this. Just blast them with the ship."

Due to the Crystal Gems being traitors who staged a rebellion against their Homeworld, and the fact that Jasper fought on the side of the loyalist Gems in the conflict, her view on the Crystal Gems is naturally a negative one. She is eager to settle the score with them; so much so that she expresses disappointment in the fact that the three are all that is left of Rose's army. She initially considers them unworthy for her to fight personally and simply orders Peridot to blast them with the Gem Warship.

Peridot
"Rose Quartz takes priority. Get back to the bridge and set a course for Homeworld."

Jasper and Peridot seem to hold some type of tension between each other. Most of this seems to stem from the fact that Jasper was put in charge of escorting Peridot, as the Crystal Gems repeatedly hindered Peridot's efforts, forcing Peridot to report to her superior(s) and ask for additional help in the matter. Jasper pays little attention to Peridot's grievances and complaints, possibly as a result of Jasper looking down on Peridot, who is more of an intellectual/technician than a warrior. Peridot states, in a message supposed to be sent to Yellow Diamond, that Jasper is her escort.

Lapis Lazuli
"Come here, brat! Ah, don't fly off so soon."

Jasper was put in charge of overseeing Lapis, following her return to Homeworld. She forced Lapis to help them find and capture the Crystal Gems. Jasper treats Lapis very roughly and imprisons her after finding out she withheld information from her. When Jasper attempts to coerce Lapis into fusing with her in order to defeat the Crystal Gems, Lapis eventually consents. The two fuse together to form Malachite, with Jasper initially appearing to be the dominant personality. Before Jasper could make use of her new form, Lapis regained control of her hydrokinetic ability to bind and imprison their fusion beneath the ocean. While trapped beneath the ocean, Jasper is tenacious in her efforts to either regain control of Malachite or escape the fusion.

Garnet
"Oh great, you're both out? And you're fused again? Why? Fusion is just a cheap tactic to make weak Gems stronger. Quit embarrassing yourselves! I've seen what you really are."

Jasper and Garnet's relationship is very antagonistic, as Jasper's self-reliant outlook on life means that she looks down on Garnet for being a fusion. When she first met Garnet, she referred to her as a "shameless display", implying she knew that Garnet was a fusion. Her defeat, at the hands of Garnet, pushes her to make the hypocritical decision to fuse with Lapis in order to get stronger. This rash decision led to her imprisonment at the bottom of the ocean.

Amethyst
"But this is all that's left of her army? Some lost, defective Pearl, a puny overcooked runt, and this shameless display?"

Jasper, recognizing that Amethyst is a Quartz Gem warrior much like herself, only overdue, scornfully comments on the defective nature of Amethyst, indicating that despite their shared heritage, she sees Amethyst as just another Crystal Gem rebel, and perhaps even an inferior version of herself.

Season 1

 * "The Return" (Debut)
 * "Jail Break"

Season 2

 * "Full Disclosure" (flashback)
 * "Love Letters" (mentioned)
 * "Chille Tid" (dream/telepathic message)
 * "Cry for Help" (mentioned indirectly)
 * "Message Received" (mentioned)

Shorts

 * We are the Crystal Gems (cameo)

Trivia

 * Jasper has a yellow diamond on her uniform, just like Peridot.
 * It is later revealed that she, alongside Peridot, actively serve one of The Great Diamond Authorities' members, Yellow Diamond.
 * Jasper can be considered an opposing counterpart to Rose Quartz.
 * Rose and Jasper both have the same hair length, but while Rose's hair is soft and curly, Jasper's hair is wild and unkempt.
 * They both are of similar height and stature, with Jasper being more muscular than Rose, indicative of both of their respective natures.
 * Rose's combat style apparently focuses on defense, while Jasper's focuses on offense.
 * Rose is kind and serene, Jasper is savage and ill-tempered.
 * Rose fought against the Gem Homeworld, while Jasper fought on its behalf.
 * This could be a hint to actual mineralogy, as jasper and quartz have the same chemical composition (silicon dioxide, colored by iron), but different internal structure.
 * Both Jasper's and Amethyst's Spin Dash are possibly inspired by the attack of the same name performed by the popular fictional character, Sonic the Hedgehog.
 * Jasper is consistently shown to be left-handed.
 * Amethyst and Jasper both hold many similarities; they both rely on martial arts, they have similar hair and full lips, and are both kinds of Quartz.
 * Jasper is the only Gem whose outfit changed without her regenerating, as seen with the difference between "The Return" and "Jail Break".
 * Raven Molisee has stated that the reason for Jasper wearing a cape in "The Return" was to look "intimidatingly fabulous".
 * The bands or stripes on Jasper's body are an aesthetic meant to represent the appearance of her gem in real life and to give her a camouflage or army commando look that fits her character.
 * It is possible that Jasper was made in the Kindergarten, like Amethyst, because Peridot mentioned that the Kindergarten on Earth produced Quartz and the gemstone jasper itself is a type of Quartz.
 * Peridot also mentioned that Amethyst is 'overcooked', meaning she incubated too long and therefore is half the size she should be. Amethyst herself is only half as tall as Jasper.
 * Her helmet resembles a Bōsōzoku's hairstyle.

Gemology


Gemstone Information


 * Jasper is the zodiacal stone for Leo, Virgo and Scorpio. It is a planetary stone for Mars and is associated with the element of fire, as well as being a secondary birthstone of March.
 * Jasper often represents protection, nurturing, relaxation, and so on.
 * This is ironic, due to Jasper's cruel and aggressive nature. However, it can also represent fire, a nod to her fiery temper.
 * Jasper is a variety of quartz with a chemical composition composed primarily of silicon dioxide.
 * Up to 20% percent of fine dense jasper can be composed of foreign materials, typically hematite, pyrolusite, clay or calcite.
 * Jasper has a microcrystalline structure which means its trigonal crystals can only be seen under high magnification.
 * Jasper comes in all colors, mostly striped, spotted or flamed.
 * Jasper herself has multiple markings across her body, a reference to this.
 * A variety of trade names specify colors, appearance or composition. There is no recommendation for color, although red, caused by traces of iron oxide, is one of the most common colors.
 * Brown and yellow are also commonly occurring colors for jasper.
 * The name 'jasper' is derived from the Greek word for 'spotted stone', referring to its typical multicolored, striped, spotted or flamed appearance.