Bismuth

"That's exactly what she said. That's exactly what you said. It is you, isn't it Rose?"

- Bismuth when she thinks Steven was Rose.

"...You shoulda shattered me back then... At least if I were in pieces, I wouldn't have to know how little I mattered to you... You didn't even tell 'em.. You bubbled me away and didn't ever tell your friends... My friends... (Steven: I'm gonna tell them, I'm gonna tell them everything.) Then you really are better than her..."

- Bismuth's last words to Steven

Bismuth is a rogue member of the Crystal Gems and the titular main antagonist of the Steven Universe special of the same name. She is a gem that creates weapons and was secretly working on the Breaking Point, a weapon that can shatter (kill) other Gems.

Appearance
Bismuth has a large, bulky body type with broad shoulders similar to that of Jasper. Her head outlines the shape of the rest of her body, with a large jaw and noticeable cheeks similar to Steven. Her hair is styled in several dreadlocks in a mixture of several bright tones, all held back by a lilac headband. She has a periwinkle complexion, and she sports a single tattoo-like marking of a star pattern on her left shoulder in a smoky dark red. Her gemstone is located in the center of her chest and is noticeably concave.

She wears a black apron-like outfit, resembling a blacksmith, with a single brownish attachment and a pinkish-red star-shaped belt around her waist. Her pants are a burgundy color, and she has dark brown boots.

Personality
Bismuth is boisterous, fierce, determined, empathetic, and emotive. She is not afraid to speak and act her mind. While Bismuth cares deeply for her friends, she also harbors an immense hatred for Homeworld elites - specifically the Diamond Authority.

Bismuth has an aggressive personality, even when being affectionate. When she sees her friends Pearl and Garnet, she immediately pulls them in for bone-crushing hugs. Her manner-of-speaking is blunt and to-the-point, and she acts without gaining consensus from the group surrounding her. She enjoys fighting: she reminisces fondly on the battles she and Garnet fought together against Homeworld's army, for example, and she loves to spar. When confronted, she attacks first and asks questions later. She has a playful side: she regularly creates puns out of the word "Bismuth" and habitually ribs the other Crystal Gems.

Bismuth is deeply devoted to her friends. She makes them weapons to complement their existing skill-sets; she playfully teases them while they are alive; and she grieves for them when she learns they are dead. The fact that the remaining Crystal Gems did not know of her imprisonment within Lion's Dimension troubles and wounds her.

Bismuth also relishes the freedom and possibility that results from being a Crystal Gem. She speaks with passion and wonder about Steven's ability to be himself (rather than a copy of Rose Quartz) and her own ability to differentiate herself from other Bismuths by doing what she wants rather than conforming to a prescribed role. Bismuth's passion for maintaining her own freedom and the freedom of others is what drives her to fight against Homeworld. She deeply resents the "Homeworld elites" for forcing her to do their bidding, and this resentment manifests itself in the form of unmitigated hatred.

Bismuth is vindictive and determined to win the fight against Homeworld at any cost. She has no faith in the leadership of Homeworld, whom she believes to be fundamentally evil, and sees it as her duty to free the gems that live under Homeworld's rule. Because of this conviction, she is willing to go to any length to obtain what she sees as justice. This mentality leads her to build the Breaking Point, which she sees as the only way to defeat Homeworld despite the ethical complications of using it. It also ultimately leads her to attack Steven with intent to shatter him, whom she believes to be Rose Quartz attempting to stop her again. When it comes to defeating Homeworld, Bismuth becomes ruthless and a danger to anyone standing in her way.

History
Bismuth was originally a builder for Homeworld, assigned to help construct the colony on Earth. However, after encouragement from Rose, she fought in the Rebellion alongside the Crystal Gems. She made all of the weapons used by the Crystal Gems during the Rebellion and even took part in the fighting herself.

At some point before the war ended, she created the Breaking Point, a weapon specifically designed to shatter other Gems, and presented it to Rose, who disagreed with the weapon and Bismuth's intentions with it. Bismuth, in a rage, attacked Rose under the belief that Rose 'left her no choice' and was poofed by Rose, bubbled, and placed inside of Lion's Pocket Dimension.

5,300 years later, Bismuth is accidentally freed by Steven as he was putting his Thunderbird shirt in Lion's mane. After the Crystal Gems ask Steven to bring Bismuth to them, he accepts. Amethyst and Steven have doubts about Bismuth, but Garnet and Pearl welcome her back with open arms. After Bismuth asks about all of her other Gem friends, Pearl tells her that she has been in Lion's mane for 5,300 years and that the rest of the other gems were wiped out during the Rebellion.

Bismuth then brings the Gems to the Forge, were she customizes Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst's weapons and trains them in order to beat Homeworld. She also has fun with the other gems. As Steven and Bismuth were talking one night, Steven shows Bismuth the sword of his mother Rose Quartz, and she takes Steven back to the Forge were she shows him a secret weapon that would've ended the Rebellion dubbed the Breaking Point, a weapon capable of shattering Gem shards.

Bismuth then has Steven try out the weapon, which he refuses to do, as that would put the Crystal Gems in the same level as Homeworld. Enraged after assuming Steven is Rose, Bismuth attacks Steven and almost kills him with the Breaking Point. However, Steven manages to stab Bismuth with Rose's sword. After showing her anger on Rose not telling her other Gem cohorts on being poofed, Steven promises to tell the other Gems what happened, enlightening Bismuth before she retreated to her gem. Her gem is then bubbled by Steven and taken to the Burning Room with the other gems.

In "Mindful Education", it is revealed that Steven is still traumatized from the events of "Bismuth" and feels guilty for being unable to help her, along with Jasper and Ruby.

Quotes
"You should have listened to me Rose! I would have taken the war to Homeworld and shattered the Diamonds! I would have liberated...everyone!"

- Bismuth

"What kind of leader doesn't give her army the best chance to win?!"

- Bismuth as she is attacking Steven

Trivia

 * Bismuth isn't a gem. In actuality, it is an element.
 * She is the second Gem villain to not be a Homeworld Gem, the first being Sugilite.
 * Bismuth is voiced by Uzo Aduba, an actress known for playing the character Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren in Netflix's original series Orange Is the New Black.
 * Bismuth might have been the same unknown gem that poofed Lapis Lazuli during the war in "Same Old World".
 * Bismuth shares some similarities to the DC comics anti-hero, Jason Todd/Red Hood.
 * Both want to save good people by killing bad ones.
 * Both felt betrayed by the ones that recruited them, Bismuth being betrayed by Rose Quartz and Red Hood being betrayed by Batman.
 * Both refuse to believe that not killing is the not the only way.