How Steven from Steven Universe learns by doing, not seeing.
Steven Universe is an amazing show with beautiful visuals,
(my computer background)
Character arcs, character designs, 
And we can’t forget the songs….
(You won, and she chose you, and she loved you, and She’s gone…It’s over, isn’t it, why can’t I move on?)
And of course… THE FEELS
But, today we will be focusing on Steven’s way of learning. So, I will give a ‘quick’ summary of the series thus far. WARNING: MAJOR SPOILER ALERT GO BINGE THE SERIES NOW PLEASE I’M BEGGING YOU! OH MY STARS FOR THE LOVE OF THE ALMIGHTY ROSE QUARTZ GO WATCH IT NOW!
Steven Universe is the protagonist in a Cartoon Network show by the same name. He is a half gem-half human hybrid. What is a gem? Aliens, of course! Their gems are their actual selves, while their physical forms are just holograms with mass. The gems come from places called Kindergartens, huge series of holes in walls, where they eventually come out. 
I say eventually, because not all gems are perfect. One gem, Amethyst, came out late, and thus overcooked and short, which is bad is you want a huge, towering soldier. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Most gems live on Homeworld, and are loyal to their leaders, The Great Diamond Authority, consisting of White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Blue Diamond, and Pink Diamond. “Every Gem is made with a purpose: To serve the Order of the Diamonds. Those who cannot fit inside this order must be purged! To come out misshapen, to reshape yourself outside your purpose, and to defend this ruined, worthless planet is a disgrace”-Jasper
Diamonds have colonies to grow new gems and builld structures. Pink Diamond was given Earth as a colony. She tried to hollow it out, but one of her soldiers, Rose Quartz did not think that was right. 
Turns out, many gems thought the same. So, she was joined by a former servant, turned terrifying renegade, Peal, who soon fell in love with Rose. They started a rebellion, where Pearl would end up thrusting herself onto the battlefield to protect Rose. She did not die, though, as gems only did if their gem is destroyed, or shattered. Otherwise, their physical form is gone, but they can reform. Soon, they were joined by a fusion of love, Garnet. Gems can combine forms to fuse into a whole new being. Garnet’s love was outlawed on Homeworld, but Rose let her live as herself, a fusion of an elite and a common foot soldier.
They built up an army, and fought.They summoned weapons from their gemstones, rose a shield, pearl a spear, and Garnet guantlets. But, a friend, Bismuth made them other weapons, giving both Rose and supposedly Pearl, swords. They fought the thousand year war, winning, until Homeworld retreated, and corroupted all gems on the surface, turning them into monsters, except Garnet, Pearl, and Rose, who were protected by Rose’s shield, and Amethyst, who was still in the ground. Why did Homeworld retreat? Because of one attack. Rose didn’t believe in shattering, but everyone thought she shattered Pink Diamond, her diamond. But, the data didn’t add up. Even her army, the Crystal Gems think she did. So, it’s all but confirmed that she at least helped. After the war, they found Amethyst in the Prime kindergarten. They all lived in peace, Pearl still madly in love with Rose, until, him. Greg De’Mayo Universe. Rose fell in love with him, not Pearl. Pearl spited Greg, hating him for much of the series. Rose decided to give up her physical form to create her son, Steven. Now, Steven bears the burden of his mom. Including Pearl’s grief, The diamond’s grief over their daughter Pink diamond, and the threat of Homeworld as a whole. The gems won’t tell him the truth about Rose, only how kind and loving she was. So, he has to learn things about their history himself. Learning about the history of an ALIEN INVASION, A REBELLION, AND A SECOND ATTACK, DEFENDING THE EARTH, DISCOVERING NEW POWERS, AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT HIMSELF ALONG THE WAY!
SUMMARY OVER
From the very beginning of Steven’s journey with them, he has been watching the Crystal Gems fight. But, in episode 1, ‘Gem Glow’, he summons Rose’s shield (to Pearl’s suprise), fights one of the corroupted monsters, Centipeedle, 
and saves the Crystal Gems. He has seen them battle many times throughout his life, but only starts on his adventure when he saves them by himself. The shield was summoned at the beginning, the thing he was supposed to use and was taught was the key. But, in the end, he saved them in his own, Steven-y way….using an icecream freezer to electrocute it?!! If he would have just watched, they may have even been…..shattered. But, he leapt into action!
thegreatdiamondauthority signing off,
and remember,
Ronaldo: KEEP BEACH CITY WEIRD!
Me: RONALDO GET OUT OF HERE *sigh* I was going to say please watch the show, but that works too.
