This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the object. |
“ |
It held your mother's sword. Nothing else could fit so perfectly inside. |
” |
—Pearl |
"Rose's Scabbard" is the 45th episode of the first season of Steven Universe, the 45th episode overall, and the first episode in the first StevenBomb.
Official Synopsis[]
Steven joins Pearl on a special mission to a place that belonged to Rose Quartz.[2]
Plot[]
Returning to the Strawberry Battlefield, the Crystal Gems begin to gather some of the discarded weapons. Pearl explains to Steven that the weapons left behind belonged to Gems who fought here over 5,000 years ago. Garnet quickly claims a massive war ax, much to Steven's delight, though Pearl suggests he find something that better suits his size. Lion, distracted by a butterfly, wanders off. Pearl tells Steven to do a better job of training Lion, which Steven attempts to demonstrate by repeatedly calling his pet's name. When Lion finally turns toward them, he is carrying a pink scabbard in his mouth. Pearl recognizes it as the scabbard for Rose's Sword and pulls the scabbard out from Lion's jaws before shooing him away. Steven asks if his mother fought in the battle that occurred here. Pearl explains that Rose led a battle against the Homeworld Gems on this very spot, and she fought beside her.
After warping home to the temple, Garnet and Amethyst take their new weapons into Amethyst's room. Pearl offers to take Steven to a special place that only she and Rose knew about, where she is certain the sword that goes with the scabbard must be. During the course of their journey, Pearl explains to Steven that she was the only one Rose shared her secrets with. Finally, Pearl brings Steven to the same cave Lion brought Steven and Connie to in the episode "Lion 2: The Movie". When Steven states he was here previously with Lion, Pearl becomes flabbergasted. Adding to her astonishment, Steven accesses the armory via the pedestal and presents the items within its storage to a surprised Pearl (who corrects the name of each). Now annoyed, Pearl reminds Steven they are looking for Rose's Sword. When Steven asks what it looks like, Pearl displays a hologram of it and describes it. Seeing it, Steven says he knows where it is, shocking Pearl.
Back in the house, Steven emerges from Lion's pocket dimension, now wielding his mother's sword. The Gems are astonished at this revelation, and Steven gladly shows them more, explaining that he has begun storing items in Lion as well. Pearl refuses to accept Lion's connection to Rose, however, believing that she would have known about Lion if he had belonged to Rose. Garnet reminds her that Rose kept many secrets from them. Pearl vehemently retorts that Rose did not keep secrets with her, stating their relationship was different. Steven tries to defuse the situation, suggesting that Rose was only keeping a secret from Pearl to protect her, but Pearl exclaims that Steven would not know since he has never met Rose.
She takes the sword and runs away to the Strawberry Battlefield. Steven, feeling bad, asks Garnet if Pearl is okay, but she does not answer. Amethyst, annoyed and upset with Pearl's possessiveness over and grief for Rose, is glad to see her go. Steven asks Lion if he knows where Pearl went. After Lion gives a responding roar, Steven takes that as a yes and rides Lion through his roar wormhole to the Strawberry Battlefield. Garnet sadly wishes Steven good luck after he leaves.
There he finds a distraught Pearl who immediately tries to get away. She exclaims to Steven that she does not want Lion near her. Pearl jumps on a series of floating land islands precariously positioned very high in the air. Steven leaves Lion behind and follows Pearl, coming dangerously close to plummeting to the ground far below, while pleading for her to explain to him if he did something wrong. Pearl reaches the last island and ignores Steven until he makes the dangerous last leap, where he falls short upon seeing her glaring at him. As he begins to fall, Pearl looks back and cries out his name. Steven luckily grabs hold of the roots at the bottom of the island and climbs up to where he sees a depressed and ashamed Pearl.
She asks Steven if he remembers being Rose Quartz, and if he remembers being in their exact spot over 5,000 years ago. Pearl then projects a hologram of Rose and re-enacts the conversation she had with her those many years ago. Pearl recites the conversation verbatim, stating her decision to fight by Rose's side despite the consequences: being shattered if they lose, and never returning home if they win. Pearl had told Rose she did not want to go back home if Rose was not there with her, emphasizing Pearl's deep emotional bond with Rose and why she felt so hurt and betrayed by Rose's secrets. Pearl wonders aloud what Rose would think of her now. Steven responds by embracing Pearl and saying he thinks she is pretty great, causing her to tear up.
Afterward is a music montage, in which Pearl returns Rose's Sword to Steven, who places it back in Lion's mane. Steven then does parlor tricks with items from Lion's mane to cheer up Pearl. He eventually pulls out his mother's war flag from Lion's mane which surprises Pearl, who re-enacts a battle with the flag. The episode ends with Pearl and Steven riding home on Lion, with Pearl holding the flag.
Features[]
Characters[]
Objects[]
- Rose's Sword
- Rose's Scabbard
- Steven's Bike
- Rose's Battle Flag
- Rose's Pedestal
- The Axes of Ages
- The Heretic's Anguish
- Quartizine Trio
- The Armor of the Fallen
Locations[]
Music[]
Instrumental Songs[]
Trivia[]
- This episode was originally named "Rose's Secrets".[3]
- A "scabbard" is a sheath for the blade of a sword or dagger, typically made of leather or metal. Pearl identifies the scabbard in the episode as being the scabbard for Rose's Sword.
- It is revealed that Pearl had a very close relationship with Rose, even staying to fight with her instead of going back to the Gem homeworld without her. Pearl considered herself Rose's sole confidant, believing Rose told her secrets that she withheld from the other Crystal Gems.
- It is later revealed that Pearl also risked her life numerous times for Rose in Sworn to the Sword, which tended to cause some strain between the two.
- Even later, it is revealed that Pearl was owned by Rose/Pink Diamond in “A Single Pale Rose”, participated in her faked shattering, and was the only one who knew Rose's true identity.
- The flag that Steven brought out from Lion's mane is possibly a flag or symbol the Crystal Gems used to symbolize their rebellion against Homeworld.
- At one point during their conversation, Holo-Rose refers to Pearl as "My Pearl", a possible hint that Pearls can be owned, which is revealed to be true in later episodes.
- It is also revealed in "Message Received" that Gems refer to their Diamonds as "My Diamond".
- In Spanish, this episode is called "La Funda de la Espada de Rose", which means "the wrapping of the sword of Rose". In Brazilian Portuguese, it is called "A Espada de Rose", which means "the sword of Rose". These localized titles avoid a double entendre that a direct translation might imply: In both languages, the actual words for "scabbard" (Spanish vaina and Portuguese bainha) are similar to (and actually descended from) the Latin word vāgīna, which originally only meant "scabbard" in the classical language before acquiring its later better-known definition.
- However, in Brazilian Portuguese's localization's case, the title might be altered for shortening reasons, especially since the characters use the word "bainha" throughout the episode.
- As Steven is pulling Rose's Sword out of Lion, he sings the track heard when Lapis Lazuli was reforming in "Mirror Gem".
- In the comments of this Instagram post, Rebecca Sugar states that when Pearl is inaudibly telling Steven a war story to the ending music of the episode she is saying "and out of nowhere when it seemed impossible, Rose charged in with me by her side!"
- One of the few times a gem being shattered is referred to it being "broken".
Cultural References[]
- When Pearl carries Steven on her back, it resembles how Luke carries Yoda in Star Wars Episode V.
- When Steven pulls Rose's sword out of Lion's mane, he sings a song that is similar to the song that plays in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time when Link obtains an item from a chest.
- When Steven pulls a hat and string of ribbons out of Lion's mane, Pearl wears them in a similar fashion to Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor from the television show Doctor Who, who was recognizable for his very long and colorful scarf.
- This reference may have been created because Lion's pocket dimension is much like the "TARDIS", a space-time vehicle from Doctor Who famously known for being "bigger on the inside".
Continuity[]
- Pearl's ability to create holograms is demonstrated multiple times again, even to the extent of a semi-independent hologram of Rose Quartz.
- Steven and the Gems return to the Strawberry Battlefield seen in "Serious Steven".
- More of the area is explored and revealed.
- Rose's Secret Armory and Sword return after their debut in "Lion 2: The Movie". Steven recalls Lion showing him both in that episode.
- The dimension in Lion's mane was previously explored in "Lion 3: Straight to Video", in which Rose's Battle Flag, which Steven pulls out for Pearl at the end of this episode, first appeared.
- In "Joy Ride" Steven expresses reluctance to talk with the other Crystal Gems about his mom because he feels that they blame him for what happened to her, most likely as a result of the events in this episode.
- In "Last One Out of Beach City", Steven mentions that Pearl's reckless driving had made him the most scared since she "almost let [him] die," referencing either the events in this episode or the events in "Space Race".
Errors[]
- Note: Time is displayed in [mm:ss]; [00:00] refers to the point after the title card is displayed and before the episode's start.
Design[]
- [03:27] In Rose's Secret Armory, when Pearl tells Steven she was the only other Crystal Gem who had seen Rose's Secret Armory, her socks are gone.
- [03:47] The pedestal that rises in the center of Rose's armory appears as a left hand, but then in the next shot becomes a right hand briefly.
Transcript
View the episode's transcript here.