Okay, as I am well aware many people in the fandom have made remarks about Peridot (Peridork, you know who I am talking about). These theories and analysis have been on various topics such as Peridot being really young (almost/is a child) and that’s why she copies and learns from Steven who is also a kid. Now, this is fairly believable, and I do like this analysis. But, if I may I am going to go into further detail in Peridot “copying” from Steven.

My theory is that Peridot (perhaps all of the “Peridots” since it’s highly likely that there’s more than one of each gem) is a gem that learns through the actions of her surroundings and companions rather than through straightforward commands. Now this does not necessarily mean that she doesn’t have preexisting programming in her, like her data, orders, and so on. Obviously, she does not make her own plans or decisions (although she has to now) however, she can’t be surrounded by just anyone. I think that if a Peridot is surrounded by other Peridots then they stay as they were programmed to, emotionless and stiff, much like how we, the audience saw Peridot from her debut. And, this also stays if a Peridot is surrounded by other gems(maybe even people as well) who are emotionless or at a higher position( like Jasper) but even when Peridot was with Jasper she already began to grow a personality (she became annoyed at Jasper not wanting to follow the orders Peridot was made to follow).

Remember Peridot said:

“Go to Earth they said, it’ll be easy they said.” She made a jab to the gems who she was with before, because she got annoyed at Jasper, who was going against her orders.

So, to take from this so far is that if Peridot is surrounded by someone young, jubilant, and good, well she might either become like that person, or become the exact opposite, because those certain emotions go against her “programming” and the surroundings she was use to (the other emotionless gems). Steven is really nice to Peridot (well because it’s Steven) but the Crystal Gems see Peridot as a threat and are constantly trying to stop her plans. To Peridot this is probably an extremely stressful situation, and now that she is by herself without Jasper, other emotionless gems, or even possibly Yellow Diamond she doesn’t have any one to tell her what to do, each decision she makes is her own. She is exploring herself, but she probably still doesn’t know what to do or who she even is. And as a result, everyone around her is still a major influence on what she should do.

Look, I have some examples for this:

First, this picture in “The Return”:

Everyone in the fandom has basically made the above picture one of the “key plot points” in Peridot’s character. Well, I don’t think people are wrong when they say that because this scene was specifically shown to show Peridot’s reaction, she did take a step back when Jasper took out the gem destabilizer but so did Lapis. Now, I think Lapis knew what the weapon was and that is why she stepped back, but for Peridot I think the reason was different, I don’t think she particularly knew what that item was. Peridot is smart (she probably has a ton of data installed in her) but, remember she didn’t even know who the Crystal gems were, so her source (the one who gave her, her data) probably left some important information out. It is possible though that Peridot knew that it was a gem destabilizer but she probably had never seen one been use before until now so she doesn’t know everything about it.

Her reaction at first isn’t what is the most important part though, no, it’s what she does afterward once she sees Jasper use the gem destabilizer.

She uses as a weapon (in “Jailbreak”), against Steven. She notices how Jasper used it to fight, and Peridot, who does not know how to fight or defend herself, sees that as the only tool she can use against the Crystal Gems (enemies she still doesn’t have any information on). But then,( because Steven isn’t affected by gem-technology) the gem destabilizer doesn’t work on Steven, that’s why her face is filled with such shock, she doesn’t have a back-up plan, meaning she doesn’t know what to do. So then, Peridot is left defenseless and is easily taken out (tied up).

So, now she knows that Steven can’t be taken out like the others can, she now has learned from Jasper, the gem destabilizer isn’t important anymore it’s been discarded.

But, by being tied up and pinned down by Amethyst, Peridot has learned how to deal with her whip. Remember this scene in “Keeping it Together”

Peridot knows what will happen if she gets tied down by Amethyst, she’ll become defenseless again, she’ll get captured and this time she doesn’t have an escape pod (she was lucky the first time). So what does she do? She quickly makes Amethyst unable to use her whip so she can escape.

And when she escapes what does she do?

She uses her fingers to fly away, and now she knows that this form of escape (the “Pericopter”) is useful, and the Crystal Gems can’t catch her, that’s why she uses it so many times after. She uses it twice to escape in “Friendship.”

And speaking of that episode, Peridot is shown to use her experiences with the Crystal Gems to her advantage a lot.

First, everyone knows how Peridot copied Steven when he stuck out his tongue at her. She realizes the insult, and uses it as her own taunt; she is getting a bit of a comedic side now.

Then, notice how Pearl is cutting off everyone as they talk, first she does it to Garnet, and then to Amethyst, now she probably didn’t mean to because she had so much on her mind but what did Peridot do when Amethyst was talking to her?

She cut her off, just like what Pearl did.

Another thing Peridot notice with Pearl was how off she was on that day. She noticed how badly Pearl wanted to capture/defeat her, she did lunge right at her from the beginning, and then Peridot stopped her (but that was by chance).

But, she takes note of Pearl’s actions and forms the perfect trap based off of that. She pretends to be right in front of Pearl (when she became a hologram) and just like she thought Pearl went straight for her without thinking properly and fell right into her trap.



And, in the beginning of that episode what did Steven do to Peridot to try to stop her? He hit her face with his shield; hit her right on her nose.

And it worked too, it actually hurt her as she did say “ouch.” In a rather annoyed and surprised way, she probably didn’t expect that to work as well as it did to cause her pain. As a result of its effectiveness, Peridot tries to return the favor to Steven. When Steven latches on to Peridot what does she do? She flicks his face; right on the nose too! This gem didn’t think anything would be more effective to have him release her then flicking his nose because that is basically what he did to her.

A few other things I will like to point out is that Peridot notices how strong her beam was to destroy that pillar in the beginning of “Friendship” which is why she destroys the top of the ceiling to have her escape rather than fight the Crystal Gems, because she knows she can and figures she’ll escape since she’s been getting away each time she has faced the Crystal Gem’s so far.

Also, when Jasper says: “Yellow Diamond needs to see this.” (The Return) Lapis isn’t the only who looks worried, Peridot is too.

I think that Peridot saw Yellow Diamond only as someone she needed to report to and was actually really frightened around her presence. But, then she noticed how easily Jasper was to want to speak to her and show her something. Which is why I think Peridot calls out to Yellow Diamond in “Cry for help” she think’s she’ll listen because of how loosely Jasper said her name the last time. I don’t think she would have sent a distress signal if that hadn’t had happen.

So, do you see it now? Peridot is extremely observant, she takes her surroundings and the interactions she has around others and she learns, she adapts. She’s rather smart and she is changing, but I don’t think she truly realizes this yet. I don’t think Peridot has noted her own change since coming to Earth.

