History WhatCouldHaveBeen / StevenUniverse

* "Lion 3: Straight to Video" (35th) and "Story for Steven" (48th) were pitched as airing in the opposite order than they ended up. Jeff Liu and Joe Johnstons, the storyboard artists for both episodes, thought it was better for Steven to see Rose and hear her voice on a video before hearing a story about her from Greg.%%Podcast: Volume 3, Episode 4

* "Lion 3: Straight to Video" (35th) and "Story for Steven" (48th) were pitched as airing in the opposite order than they ended up. Jeff Liu and Joe Johnstons, the storyboard artist for both episodes, thought it was better for Steven to see Rose and hear her voice on a video before hearing a story about her from Greg.%%Podcast: Volume 3, Episode 4

* "Lion 3: Straight to Video" (35th) and "Story for Steven" (48th) were pitched as airing in the opposite order than they ended up. Jeff Liu and Joe Johnstons, the storyboard artist for both episodes, thought it was better for Steven to see Rose and hear her voice on a video before hearing a story about her from Greg.

** One idea was for a pizza delivery boy that drove around Beach City and was an AuthorAvatar of Ian Jones-Quartey. He ended up being replaced by the Pizza ''family'', [[WriteWhoYouKnow who are based on Jones-Quartey's family]].

* Jennifer Paz (Lapis Lazuli) auditioned to be Amethyst. "The New Crystal Gems" pokes fun at this by having Peridot and Lapis impersonate Garnet and Amethyst.

** [[https://www.instagram.com/p/BN2gDk-DdzO/ Rose was a lot slimmer than she is in the show. Her hair was also straight and wavy instead of bunched up with ringlets.]]

* The idea for [[spoiler: Ruby & Sapphire getting married]] was one that the crew had had for a long time before becoming a reality in "The Question". To the point where the scene from "That Will Be All" where they lock hands when they become Garnet was originally to show [[spoiler: their wedding rings on their fingers]]. %%SDCC 2018 panel

[[caption-width-right:350:Concept art from the art book of the Cluster emerging.]]

* According to the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygUoZAe2bQs cast livestream]], Matthew Moy (Lars) originally auditioned for Steven.

* [[http://cni.libsyn.com/episode-679-mocca-mirth-w-rebecca-sugar In an interview]], Rebecca Sugar mentions that Jennifer Paz (Lapis Lazuli) and Shelby Rabara (Peridot) auditioned to be Amethyst and Garnet, respectively. "The New Crystal Gems" pokes fun at this by having Peridot and Lapis impersonate Garnet and Amethyst. On the show's podcast, it's mentioned Rabara actually auditioned for ''all four'' of the main characters, and also Stevonnie--Garnet was just the role she got closest too.

** [[https://www.instagram.com/p/BN2gDk-DdzO/ Rose was not nearly as fat.]]

* There were many ideas considered during the period the pilot's production without being directly shown, which ultimately weren't used in the final show: %%artbook page 27

** One idea was for a pizza delivery boy that drove around Beach City and was an AuthorAvatar of Ian Jones-Quartey. He ended up being replaced by the Pizza ''family'', [[WriteWhoYouKnow who are based on Jones-Quartey's family]]

** On related note, the Crystal Gems were to [[AliensAmongUs disguised themselves as humans]] to hang out amongst them. Pearl acted as their chauffeur, and her driving cars at various points in the final series is a remnant of this.

* Instead of "Jail Break" revealing that Garnet was a Fusion, an idea was considered to have Steven finding out when he saw Ruby and Sapphire unfusing in order to go into their separate rooms in the temple, as Garnet wouldn't have her own. It was even plan to show this as early as "Together Breakfast".%%Podcast: Vol.2/Ep.10

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* The pilot had numerous differences from the final show: The artstyle was more realistic, everyone seemed to have different chemistry with each other (for instance, Amethyst and Pearl seemed to get along better, Pearl teased Steven, and Steven both knew and reciprocated Lars' dislike for him), the Temple was called the "Crystal Palace" and looked incredibly different, The Big Donut was right across the street, and Garnet's gauntlets were golden and showcased her gems in the center of them. An internal summary memo includes some ideas not directly show: %%artbook page 27

** The (yet-unnamed group equivalent to the) Crystal Gems weren't aliens at all, but beings created in a magic-filled alternate universe by "the Mother" and sent to protect humanity thousands of years ago. It would turn out that the monsters attacking in the present were also sent by Mother, who had since changed her mind and decided to destroy humanity. The Gems were also explicitly supposed to be/look like teenagers, not ageless but generally adult-looking.

* Early sketches for the pilot pitch mention a prototype for Connie, but she had her mother's name, Priyanka.%%artbook
* The pilot had numerous differences from the final show: The artstyle was more realistic, everyone seemed to have different chemistry with each other (for instance, Amethyst and Pearl seemed to get along better, Pearl teased Steven, and Steven both knew and reciprocated Lars' dislike for him), the Temple was called the "Crystal Palace" and looked incredibly different, The Big Donut was right across the street, and Garnet's gauntlets were golden and showcased her gems in the center of them.

* [[http://68.media.tumblr.com/1b3ac2949350ec04012321edbb9f32e6/tumblr_op0voebw4u1rb1rgoo3_1280.jpg Mythology]] in the Steven Universe artbook gives a synopsis very different from the current show. The Crystal Gems looked like teenagers, not adult women, the Gems were sent from an alternate universe to protect the human race, and Rose could visit Steven in his dreams--and he would wake up surrounded by roses whenever she did.

* Instead of "Jail Break" revealing that Garnet was a Fusion, an idea was considered to have Steven finding out when he saw Ruby and Sapphire unfusing in order to go into their separate rooms in the temple, as Garnet wouldn't have her own. Another rejected idea regarding Garnet's permafusion status was that they were Fused most of the time not voluntarily, but because they needed [[EmergencyTransformation to treat to an injury]], or because they couldn't cope with Rose's death seperately. %%Podcast: Steven Selects 1 %%Art Book

* The Off Colors original had two more members, a pair of [[SuperSoldier Quartzes]] who went AWOL for refusing to fight. They were dropped because the group was already pretty sizable, and didn't quite fit the theme of the rest of group (who were rejected by Homeworld for the way they were, rather than acts they chose to do).

* The idea of Lars [[spoiler:coming BackFromTheDead with pink skin]] came very early in the show's writing, with plans for it to happen as early as halfway into the first season (as part of "An Indirect Kiss", which would have been foreshadowed by Steven selling pink lemonade). As is, they decided to hold off until the beginning of the fifth season for it to be dramatically appropriate. The original idea was also for [[spoiler:just a teardrop-shaped patch of skin to change to pink, not all of it]]. %%Podcast: Steven Selects 8; MiniRecaps 8

* Many of the show's voice cast auditioned for parts besides the ones they ended up with:
** According to the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygUoZAe2bQs cast livestream]], Matthew Moy (Lars) originally auditioned for Steven.
** Deedee Magno-Hall (Pearl) also auditioned to voice Sadie. %%Podcast Volume 2, Episode 4
** [[http://cni.libsyn.com/episode-679-mocca-mirth-w-rebecca-sugar In an interview]], Rebecca Sugar mentions that Jennifer Paz (Lapis Lazuli) and Shelby Rabara (Peridot) auditioned to be Amethyst and Garnet, respectively. "The New Crystal Gems" pokes fun at this by having Peridot and Lapis impersonate Garnet and Amethyst. On the show's podcast, it's mentioned Rabara actually auditioned for ''all four'' of the main characters, and also Stevonnie--Garnet was just the role she got closest too.
** Erica Luttrell (Sapphire) also auditioned to be Garnet. This played into her being cast as Sapphire as Rebecca wanted to work with her.

** In "Mirror Gem", one of the earlier concepts for when Steven's BigNo would happen was during Mayor Dewey's speech, where he attempts to ''sing'' to the crowd. %%Podcast: Steven Selects 3
* "Ocean Gem":
** This episode was originally conceived as the series finale just because the crew had no idea whether or not the show would get renewed, hence its massive InfoDump. If it ''was'' the series finale, the main difference would be that Garnet and Pearl's dialog at the end would be reworded from a SequelHook to something more conclusive.
** During the fight with Lapis, instead of Greg breaking his leg, he was originally going to ''lose it entirely,'' and it would've been replaced by a robotic one for the rest of the series. %%Podcast: Steven Selects 3
* Instead of "Jail Break" revealing that Garnet was a Fusion, an idea was considered to have Steven finding out when he saw Ruby and Sapphire unfusing in order to go into their separate rooms in the temple, as Garnet wouldn't have her own. Another rejected idea regarding Garnet's permafusion status was that they were Fused most of the time not voluntarily, but because they needed [[EmergencyTransformation to treat to an injury]], or because they couldn't cope with Rose's death seperately. %%Podcast: Steven Selects 1 %%Art Book
* [[http://stevencrewniverse.tumblr.com/post/148478710772/rebeccasugar-2015-secret-crew-holiday-card Early ideas]] for Bismuth's design includes multi-colored bands around her face and arms/wrists, plus eyes with black sclera. The former were replaced by her MulticoloredHair, while the latter were specifically judged as too [[ObviouslyEvil overtly menacing]] for someone whose bad side is meant to be a surprise. %%Podcast Volume 2, Episode 7
* Though the basic concept for Sardonyx's character was made early on, for a long time her personality was very stoic and quiet, rather than a flamboyant PerformanceArtist.%%Podcast Volume 2, Episode 9

* In an older version of the RescueArc, Greg was going to befriend the Famethyst right off the bat. [[https://www.instagram.com/p/Bctio1gAw53/ He was also going to wear a red jacket]].

* "Off Colors":
** The titular group originally had two more members, a pair of [[SuperSoldier Quartzes]] who went AWOL for refusing to fight. They were dropped because the group was already pretty sizable, and didn't quite fit the theme of the rest of group (who were rejected by Homeworld for the way they were, rather than acts they chose to do).
** At one point the episode would've ended on a cliffhanger with [[spoiler:Lars' death, with his resurrection being in the next episode. It was decided to end the episode with him being brought back to life, as ending the episode on his death would've been too depressing and grim]]. %%Podcast: Steven Selects 8

* Instead of "Jail Break" revealing that Garnet was a Fusion, an idea was considered to have Steven finding out when he saw Ruby and Sapphire unfusing in order to go into their separate rooms in the temple, as Garnet wouldn't have her own. Another rejected idea regarding Garnet's permafusion status was that they were Fused most of the time not voluntarily, but because they needed [[EmergencyTransformation to treat to an injury]] or because they couldn't cope with Rose's death seperately. %%Podcast: Steven Selects 1 %%Art Book

* Instead of "Jail Break" revealing that Garnet was a Fusion, an idea was considered to have Steven finding out when he saw Ruby and Sapphire unfusing in order to go into their separate rooms in the temple, as Garnet wouldn't have her own. Another rejected idea regarding Garnet's permafusion status was that they were Fused most of the time not voluntarily, but because they needed [[EmergencyTransformation to treat to an injury]]. %%Podcast: Steven Selects 1