With Zim now in possession of the entire Meekrob crystal, the Tallest take drastic action to get it away from him. After this, nothing will be the same...
- Awakening the Sleeping Giant: Zim learning his mission is fake causes him to snap and actively turn against the Tallest, and arguably makes him even more dangerous than he already was.
- Awful Truth: Finding out that his mission is a lie nearly breaks Zim before Norlock snaps him out of it.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: At the start of the chapter, Purple moans about wanting something exciting to happen to alleviate his boredom. By the end of the chapter he's gotten plenty of excitement, in the form of Zim revealing he has the whole crystal, later followed by him going rogue. This is preemptively lampshaded by Senior warning him that he shouldn't be Tempting Fate.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Skoodge. Despite being the nicest of the Irkens, he shows a more dangerous side when he sides with Zim against the Empire.
- Big Red Button: There's one on the City Cesspool control panel which triggers an emergency purge of the tank.
- Break the Haughty: Zim is crushed when he learns the truth about his mission, until Norlock snaps him out of it.
- Broken Pedestal: The Tallest become this to Zim and Skoodge when they learn the truth.
- Can't Hold His Liquor: Purple, who gets totally wasted after two and a half drinks. Senior is dumbfounded.
- Continuity Nod:
- MacMeaties is finally reopened after having been blown up back in Episode 4.
- Senior notes that he got the job of chief communications officer on the Massive to replace the guy who got Thrown Out the Airlock in Episode 10.
- The Dog Bites Back: Zim and Skoodge decide to rebel against the Tallest as revenge for how they've been treated by them.
- Entitled Bastard: The Tallest still expect Zim and Skoodge to blindly obey them even after effectively exiling them, simply because they're in charge.
- Game Changer: Just like the chapter title says, as this is the chapter where Red and Purple tell Zim the truth about his mission. With prodding from Norlock, he proceeds to go rogue, with plans to build his own empire and rebel against the Tallest.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: When Zim goes into a Villainous BSoD over learning the truth of his mission, Norlock snaps him out of it by hitting and insulting him until he gets angry and starts fighting back.
- Grew a Spine: Skoodge is usually pushed around by absolutely everyone, but he finally stands up for himself here, when he rebels against the Tallest with Zim.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: The Tallests' reaction to learning Zim has the crystal.
- Internal Reveal: This chapter has both Team Save Earth and Zim's team learn about the truth of his mission.
- In Vino Veritas: Being completely drunk causes Purple to spill the truth to Zim about his mission.
- I Warned You: After Zim rebels against them, Norlock reminds the Tallest that he warned them not to underestimate him.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Zim's rebellion against the Tallest is a direct result of their treatment of him.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: The Tallest choosing to tell Zim the truth in the harshest way possible, and kicking around Skoodge while they do so, leads to them rebelling.
- Mythology Gag: A drunken Purple calls Zim "Shmim", part of his artist alias in Issue 3 of the comic series.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: The Tallest telling Zim the truth and driving him into going rogue leads to them losing their chance to claim Project Domination.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: This is the chapter where the series' Myth Arc totally changes, as Zim learns his mission is a lie and goes rogue, intending to start his own empire in rebellion of the Tallest.
- Oh, Crap!: The Tallest, when Zim tells them he has the Meekrob crystal.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: The Tallest (mostly Red) give one to Zim and Skoodge when telling them the truth.
- Rousing Speech: A villainous example, as after snapping Zim out of his Villainous BSoD, Norlock gives him a speech inspiring him on how to move forward.
- Spit Take: When Zim reveals that he has the whole crystal, Red chokes on a doughnut.
- Start My Own: Norlock ultimately convinces Zim to go rogue and create his own empire, before using it to conquer the other Irkens.
- A Storm Is Coming: Dib muses on this near the end of the chapter, noting that things seem to be coming to a climax.
- Storming the Castle: Tak and Tenn assault Zim's base in order to retrieve the Meekrob crystal, with Team Save Earth sneaking in behind them to do the same.
- Ultimate Job Security: As Senior points out, this is how he can get away with talking back to the Tallest — he's the best communications officer they have, so they can't just get rid of him. Downplayed, though, as even then he knows not to push things too much, or the Tallest would still punish him.
- Villainous BSoD: Zim undergoes one after the Tallest tell him the truth of his mission, until Norlock forcibly snaps him out of it.
- Wham Episode: When the Tallest task Tak and Tenn to retrieve the Meekrob crystal, Zim manages to force them (and Team Save Earth) to retreat, only for a drunken Purple to reveal to Zim that his mission was a fake and they don't care about him at all. Zim briefly undergoes a Villainous BSoD but gets snapped out of it by Norlock; he then goes rogue from the Irken Empire (and convinces Skoodge to join him, pointing out how the Tallest abused him too). After a confrontation with Tak and Dib in the City Cesspool, the Meekrob crystal ends up lost in the sewers.
