How Jasper Will Be Redeemed
A lot of people are doubtful about whether Jasper will have a redemption arc and become part of the Crystal Gems. Let me explain in detail why I think she will!
Jasper isn’t just some big, bad bully. She hasn’t had much airtime, but these are the things we do know about her:
Jasper is a quartz, meaning she is (in the words of Peridot) a “loyal soldier”.
She is a veteran of the Rebellion on Earth.
She respected the Crystal Gems’ tactics, as well as Rose Quartz for her leadership.
She has a very strong sense of honor.
She only summons her helmet after her opponent does.
She asks “why” before fighting anybody. (source)
She is not necessarily more offensive than she needs to be – she detained all of the Crystal Gems and placed them all in separate cells without interrogating or torturing them.
She is very prejudiced against two different gem types fusing, and believes fusing isn’t for use outside of war.
Some say she is “hypocritical” regarding her fusing with Lapis immediately after denouncing fusion.
Let me clarify that I do not believe Jasper was hypocritical. She needed to defeat the Crystal Gems to fulfill her mission, and since she could not best Garnet, she had to fuse with Lapis. Jasper said herself that fusion is a cheap trick to make weak gems stronger – but as her opponent was already a fusion, Jasper only sought to level the playing field.
If you do believe she was hypocritical here, this means Jasper is open to changing her position on certain subjects.
Jasper often asks “why”. This means that after Malachite splits, there may be a time when Jasper asks the Crystal Gems why they oppose Homeworld so much. This will lead to Jasper learning about the Cluster.
Keep in mind that the Cluster is comprised of MILLIONS of gem shards. These are presumably the shards from defeated soldiers on Earth’s many battlefields – these are her old allies, as well as the fallen enemies Jasper claims to respect. Unless millions of gems fought on Earth, it could be that even more gem shards were added to the Cluster. This means there may be bodies of Homeworld gems in there, too, even those who did not participate in the war. A little disrespectful to their people, right?
This also means that had Jasper failed during the Rebellion, she would be just another gem shard in the Cluster, or another fusion experiment. The Diamonds simply do not care about their soldiers after they are shattered (which is the complete opposite of the Crystal Gems, who respectfully bubble each shard and hope to heal them in the future.)
Let us consider, again, how Jasper feels about fusion. By this point, not only is she against gems fusing, but she will clearly be highly disturbed by the concept of forced fusion. Remember she was forced to remain as Malachite for months. She knows firsthand how torturous it is to be constantly fighting to break free, only to fail. She knows what it is like to lose herself as Malachite began to develop into her own being. Jasper was trapped within a monster, and it was clearly hell inside there.
This means that when Jasper learns about the Cluster (learns how millions of semi-conscious fellow gems are being brutally forced together to create a monstrosity that will be bigger than Earth) she will be appalled. She will NOT be supportive of the Cluster’s existence, if her experience as Malachite has affected her at all.
And if my guess is correct, her strong sense of honor will kick in and she will wish to treat the dead with the dignity they deserve. This means she, too, will want to terminate the Cluster.
Jasper won’t be a full-fledged Crystal Gem right away. But she may very well assume a stance in opposition to Yellow Diamond’s wish for a geo-weapon. This means Jasper will be a tentative ally.
And then, it will only be a matter of time until she joins the team…
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