Although Steven Universe is a children’s show, the show does come with a lot of heavy emotional baggage, as well as incredibly unsettling and scary moments. Here are the most notable moments that gave us chills. (Warning, spoilers ahead)
Amethyst’s Special Hole
In “On The Run” (season 1 episode 40), Steven and Amethyst runs away to get a feel of what it’s like to be on the road. Steven eventually tells Amethyst that he wants to go back home, to which Amethyst replies by saying that his home is not her home. At first, it’s assumed that Amethyst is from Homeworld. But Amethyst decides to show Steven where she is really from.
A place called a “Kindergarten”.
Note the “human” shaped holes within the rocks, as well as the giant machines clinging to the walls. While the artistic design of the Kindergarten may be eerie at best, knowing what the Kindergarten is referencing makes it all the more unsettling.
The Kindergarten is a reference to Junji Ito’s “Enigma of the Amigara Fault”.
Enigma of the Amigara Fault is a horror manga about a group of back-packers who travel from far away to see the result of a great earthquake. The earthquake revealed a large fault on the side of a mountain… However, the fault contained holes in the shape of human bodies.
Not only were they holes in the shape of humans, but they were in the shape of specific people.
Individuals traveled to the fault to find their own holes.
Upon finding them, the person is overwhelmed by the instinctual urge to climb inside.
What awaits them is terrifying.
(Enigma of the Amigara Fault is an incredibly frightening read, especially if you’re afraid of tight spaces. I highly recommend giving it a try. Link to the full manga provided below the photo.)
To make a long explanation short, Amethyst finds her hole!
Frybo? How About Fry-NO
“Frybo” (season 1 episode 5) is about Steven helping a kid escape his job as a mascot for his fathers food joint. Instead of wearing the mascot uniform, which is an already creepy box of freckled fries, Steven puts a gem shard into the suit which brings the suit to life. They tell the suit to do it’s job, then go on to enjoy their day of freedom.
Later, the two boys hear screaming from the restaurant. Upon investigation, they discover the horrible sight of Frybo using his long fry appendages to force large quantities of fries down people’s throats.
Pearl throws a spear at Frybo, and it pierces his eye, releasing a stream of ketchup…
Even knowing that it’s just ketchup, it’s still pretty unsettling.
“So This is What Homeworld Thinks of Fusion”
In “Keeping It Together” (season 2 episode 8), the Crystal Gems travel back to the Kindergarten in search of Peridot only to make a horrifying discovery.
Upon touching a pillar, a gem bursts from it and begins to take form. However, it isn’t an ordinary gem… but instead, a cluster of different gems that were fused together. This made it impossible to take a natural form, so it instead took the shape of a giant hand with multiple eyes.
This horrified Garnet. And I mean, HORRIFIED Garnet. Look at her face. Not only is she horrified that gems were forced to fuse together, but also because those once-shattered gems were that of the Crystal Gems… Once upon a time, she knew and fought along side these Gems.
The part that really sent shivers down my spine was Garnets dialogue with herself after bubbling the fusion. Steven attempts to get her attention, but she ignores him.
“So this is what Homeworld thinks of fusion.”
“We couldn’t have know they would do this…”
“This is where they’ve been. All the ones we couldn’t find. They’ve been here the whole time!”
“Rose couldn’t have known…”
“This is punishment for the Rebellion!”
“IT’S NOT OUR FAULT!“
Nightmare Hospital
There is no part of Nightmare Hospital (season 2 episode 16) that isn’t spooky. First of all, any hospital setting at night is horrifying. 
But when there’s a mass fusion of limbs in a hospital gown chasing you?
NOPE.
Dreaming About Lapis Lazuli
In the episode “Chille Tid” (season 2 episode 10), Steven attempts to communicate with the lost Lapis Lazuli through his dreams.
One of his dreams start as a “regular” dream. He’s in his home, and everything is in the form of some comedic T.V. show. The dialogue, the stage-set, the audience laughter. Steven is eagerly awaiting Connie’s arrival so they can go to a dance together.
Hearing a knock on the door, he thinks it’s Connie and opens it. But it’s only Garnet, looking fly as ever. She invites him to a cool beach party, which Steven declines due to the dance.
There’s a knock on the door again. Steven, expecting to see Connie, opens the door to see…
Pure nightmare fuel.
Together Breakfast Painting
Together Breakfast (season 1 episode 4) is among one of the worst and most hate-able episodes… Then again, most of the early episodes are just awful.
However, while the episode itself is not exactly scary (maybe scary bad), I thought it was worth giving a mention for this reason…
Garnet has a cursed painting in her possession, and is tasked with destroying the scroll. It’s never revealed how Garnet got the item, and it’s never revealed who painted it…
However, one of the Steven Universe storyboard artists revealed that the scroll was painting using the pigment from ground up gemstones. Dead. Gems.
So while the episode may not have had a very scary moment, there was a scary realization to be had.
Hack and Slash Reviews 
Leave a comment