Yellow Diamond

"I don't care about potential and resources. I want my cluster, and I want that planet to die."

- Yellow Diamond to Peridot.

Yellow Diamond is one of the main antagonists of the Cartoon Network series Steven Universe, alongside Blue Diamond and White Diamond. She is one of the Matriarchs of the Gem Homeworld and a member of The Great Diamond Authority.

She serves as the main antagonist of the show's fifth season, while also serving as a minor antagonist in Seasons two and four.

She is voiced by Patti LuPone.

Appearance
Yellow Diamond has a massive size and height due to her being a Diamond. She has bright yellow eyes with diamond pupils, black eyebrows, pump lips, a pointed and upturned nose, and an unusually long neck. Her hair (which many fans speculated to be a helmet) is a short bob with two spiked tips. She wears a black and olive bodysuit and a yellow coat with very large shoulder pads, gloves, and dark olive yellow boots. Yellow Diamond's gem is located on the middle of her chest.

The long coattail seen in her episode debut was changed to just only a short one in the episode "That Will Be All", but retains the original later in "The Trial".

Personality
"Shut your mouth! You have failed at every stage of this mission. Your only chance to redeem yourself is to obey this simple order. You are to leave the Cluster to grow. It will tear apart the Earth, and I will take immense satisfaction in erasing that hideous rock off of our star maps. Is that clear?!"

- Yellow Diamond to Peridot.

Like most Homeworld Gems, Yellow Diamond is shown to have a strong hatred for the Earth and looks down on organic life.

As shown in her debut, Homeworld reputes her as a perfectly logical, rational, and reasonable leader, but in reality, she is temperamental, vindictive, ruthless, arrogant, and quick to anger. She states that she would get great satisfaction to see the Earth destroyed. When Peridot contacts her, she is annoyed by her multiple failures. However, in contrast to Blue Diamond, she offers Peridot multiple chances to redeem herself. She puts forth her agenda under the guise that it is what is best for the Gem race. This is specifically evident when she chooses to reject Peridot's proposal to utilize the Earth again, despite the fact that Homeworld is low on resources, as stated in "Too Short to Ride".

Yellow Diamond is shown to have a "down-to-business" attitude. In "Message Received", she takes over the call Peridot was having with her Pearl to get the message that Peridot had quickly. In "That Will Be All", Yellow Diamond tells Holly Blue Agate to "get to the point" when she begins to ramble on. In "The Trial", she brushed off Green Zircon's praises and kept pushing to shatter Steven/Rose and get the trial over with.

When dealing with grief, Yellow Diamond tries to suppress her negative feelings and instead wishes to move forward. She expresses this to Blue Diamond in "That Will Be All", by explaining that she should "start looking forward and stop looking back". Yellow Diamond finds it ridiculous that Blue Diamond is doing so much to preserve Pink Diamond's legacy instead of trying to move forward, opting instead to destroy Earth as it remains a tragedy for the Diamonds. But even while trying to console Blue and getting her to 'move on', she herself seems momentarily overcome by grief.

Powers and Abilities
Yellow Diamond possesses standard Gem abilities, but since she is a Diamond, her abilities are expected to be much greater than other Gems'. She may share Blue Diamond's astounding durability, since she emerged from her ship completely unharmed after the Cluster slammed it into Blue Diamond's and the ground. Partly due to her size, she is also remarkably fast, charging at Steven and attacking him before any of the Crystal Gems could intervene. With Blue Diamond's assistance, she was able to fight Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, Bismuth, and possibly Lion to a standstill, as well as to "poof" the powerful Lapis Lazuli. In "Reunited", she is noted to have astounding mental strength.

Unique Abilities

 * Aura Projection: The Diamonds can project an aura around them that they can control, they can either radiate it from their entire bodies or emit it from specific parts of their bodies, usually their hands. Yellow's aura is represented as yellow clouds of electricity. She can use this as an offensive ability in both the physical and mental plane, as seen when she was able to focus her aura and attack Steven as he was projecting.
 * Electrokinesis: Yellow Diamond can generate powerful electric currents around her entire body and then project it from her fingertips, which are powerful enough to destabilize a Gem's form. This attack functions exactly like a Gem Destabilizer. She can also focus electricity to cut through thick surfaces. Unlike her sister Blue Diamond, she appears to use this ability primarily, displaying no other attack methods beyond purely physical ones.
 * Corruption Induction: Though the attack was meant to obliterate the Crystal Gems on Earth after Pink's supposed shattering; Yellow, Blue, and White Diamond's collective powers instead corrupted the remaining Gems on Earth.
 * Corruption Reversal: As demonstrated on Nephrite]] in "Legs From Here to Homeworld", Yellow Diamond, along with Blue Diamond, Steven, and presumably White Diamond, has the ability to reverse the effects of the Corrupting Light on Gems. However, it is implied that this is only temporary without the power of all four Diamonds.
 * Psychic Resistance: Yellow Diamond's aura shields her from telepathic abilities such as Pink Diamond's even without her own awareness, briefly repelling Steven with the sheer intensity of her thoughts. She was also able to locate Steven on the mental plane when he was not in physical contact with her.
 * Psychic Blast: While on the mental plane, Yellow Diamond can fire her aura as a beam which induces profound distress in the target; however, despite combining her assault with Blue Diamond's, it was repelled by Steven's own aura.
 * Enhanced Strength: Yellow Diamond was able to "poof" a Zircon Gem with the press of her finger. She was also able to lift a finger of Blue Diamond's ship with one hand, freeing her, and punch her way out of her warship. She was able to push Steven into the ground and knock him out despite him taking shelter behind a large shield, which attacks as destructive as a warship beam had failed to so much as move in the past.

Season 1
Yellow Diamond was first mentioned by Jasper in the Season One episode "The Return." Yellow Diamond is most likely either the leader of the Gem Homeworld, or Jasper's and Peridot's superior given the fact that both Gems have a yellow diamond on their outfits. Yellow Diamond also appears to be a greatly feared Gem given Peridot's and Lapis' reactions to Jasper mentioning her.

Yellow Diamond's role in the series was still shrouded in mysteries before, and that she has yet to make a physical appearance in the series. However, many people claim that Yellow Diamond could be seen briefly during a screening of Steven Universe while Rebecca Sugar was attending the San Diego Comic-Con. She could be shown giving a side glance while she was conversing with Peridot, Lapis, and Jasper during the extended opening video. It was confirmed that by Rebecca Sugar herself that she was, in fact, the notorious Yellow Diamond. Her main goals at the time were unknown.

Season 2
Yellow Diamond first appears in the episode "Message Received". Peridot describes Yellow Diamond as "the most perfect, the most reasonable, rational and efficient decider ever to exist in the universe". Later on, Peridot uses the Diamond Communicator to call Yellow Diamond. Yellow Diamond takes over the call after her Pearl talks to Peridot. She asks Peridot how her mission to Earth was, where Jasper's whereabouts are, and what happened to the ship. Yellow Diamond thanks Peridot for her report, and tells her that she would be sending a ship to her location to pick her up, but Peridot continues the call, telling Yellow Diamond that they should terminate the Cluster because the Earth has so many resources. Yellow Diamond disagrees because she wants the Cluster to emerge and for the Earth to die. This causes the two to get into an argument and eventually leads to Peridot insulting Yellow Diamond. After the call is over, Yellow Diamond remotely detonates the Diamond Communicator in anger.

In "Log Date 7 15 2", Peridot is shown to be fearful after realizing she insulted Yellow Diamond.

Season 3
In "Hit the Diamond", Yellow Diamond sends a group of Rubies to the Earth to locate and retrieve Jasper. Peridot reveals that Yellow Diamond has full control of Homeworld's army.

Season 4
In "That Will Be All", Yellow Diamond enters Pink Diamond's Zoo, where she appears to be annoyed by Blue Diamond. Yellow Diamond wishes to bring Blue Diamond "back to reality", which she believes is moving on from Pink Diamond instead of constantly grieving. Yellow Diamond sings "What's the Use of Feeling (Blue)?" to Blue Diamond, where she expresses that although the Diamonds still love and always think about Pink Diamond, they need to move on and start looking forward. Yellow Diamond discovers that all Blue Diamond wants is to get more humans for the Zoo, so she asks Sapphire if the Cluster emerged yet. When Sapphire says "no", Yellow Diamond turns to Blue Diamond and says "then there's still time".

In "I Am My Mom", Using the report she received from Peridot in "Marble Madness", Blue and Yellow Diamond send Aquamarine and Topaz to Earth to retrieve the different human varieties mentioned by Steven during his very first interaction with Peridot.

Season 5
In "The Trial", Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond arrive in the court room on Homeworld to run a trial against Steven (whom they believe is Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond's murderer). Upon seeing Steven for the first time, Yellow Diamond tells Blue Diamond that they should shatter him just for taking on a "hideous form". Upon Blue Diamond's wishes, Yellow agrees to the trial, and summons her and Blue's thrones. When Yellow Zircon, the prosecutor, carries on praising Yellow Diamond, Yellow becomes irritated and tells her that "my Diamond" will suffice. After Yellow Zircon makes her case with the help of Eyeball, Yellow Diamond is convinced that Rose is guilty and believes it is time to execute Steven, but the trial continues upon Blue Diamond's wishes so the defense can speak. Blue Zircon wishes to remind the court that Steven turned himself in, which Yellow Diamond replies "the court remembers, and the court does not care". When Steven tells the Diamonds that he shattered Pink Diamond, Yellow becomes relieved, thinking that the trial is over because he confessed. Blue Diamond asks Steven how he shattered Pink Diamond, and he makes up a story because he doesn't know. This causes Blue Diamond to become distressed, so Yellow calls a short recess and goes to comfort Blue.

As Blue Zircon makes her argument, asking the Diamonds how a Rose Quartz got past Pink Diamond's entire entourage, Yellow Diamond becomes outraged; she slams her fists down and yells that her entourage was there and they saw the whole thing. Yellow Diamond yells to Blue Zircon that Rose must have slipped past Pink Diamond's Agates and Sapphires. Once Blue Zircon blames the Diamonds for the death of Pink, Yellow stands up and poofs her with her finger, and then uses an electricity attack to poof Yellow Zircon. Right afterwards, Yellow tells Blue that they don't need to listen to that "nonsense", and that they can shatter Steven and be done with it. Blue yells at Yellow, asking if she can restrain herself, to which Yellow responds that the trial is pointless. When Steven and Lars escape on Blue Diamond's Palanquin, she cuts a hole with her electrical powers shaped like a diamond in the side of the building. Yellow Diamond stands at the edge of the hole and tells Steven, "You think you can get away, Rose? You stood your ground on that little speck called Earth...But you're on our world now."

In "Your Mother and Mine", Yellow Diamond's silhouette is briefly seen with the other diamonds' silhouettes in the beginning of Garnet's flashback. When the Crystal Gems were formed, Pink Diamond is seen calling Yellow and Blue Diamond for help. After Pink was shattered, her silhouette was seen with White and Blue Diamond's. In the next shot, their hands are seen launching the Corruption Attack.

In "Can't Go Back", in a dream Steven is having that involves the Diamonds, Yellow Diamond is present as Blue Diamond tells Pink to stop worrying about the issues on Earth, before leaving the room as Blue follows her.

In "A Single Pale Rose", Rose Quartz, revealed to actually be Pink Diamond, states that Blue and Yellow don't care about her.

Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond arrive to Earth in the 22-minute episode "Reunited" in which they try to activate the Cluster to destroy the Earth. Instead of this, the Cluster attacks Yellow Diamond's ship whilst Blue Diamond fights against the Crystal Gems. Yellow Diamond emerges from her destroyed ship after being defeated by the Cluster and effortlessly poofs Peridot with her electric powers when she was being haughty with her. Yellow Diamond then smashes Steven into the ground, knocking him unconscious. Waking up, he finds himself in some abstract plane of existence wherein he could speak with people telepathically. Eventually, Steven is able to get into contact with both of the Diamonds who look at him with astonishment, realizing that Steven was in possession of Pink Diamond's gem.

While Yellow and Blue Diamond became more affable towards Steven following these events, even aiding the group in going to Gem-Homeworld to confront White Diamond, their old xenophobia towards Fusions soon erupted into an ugly affair when Steven engaged in Fusion during a ball. This results in Yellow poofing Opal and an unnamed Jade Fusion before imprisoning Steven as punishment, thus the two Diamonds are shown to still be very dictatorial in their behaviors, most likely due to being used to ruling in such a manner for centuries.

Despite this, it is later revealed that they are merely enforcing White's rules on Homeworld, and that they are in fact miserable under her rule. Unfortunately, Yellow and Blue's attempts to return Steven and the Crystal Gems to Earth results in them being mind controllled by White. They are freed from this state when White is defeated, and later cure Corruption alongside White and Steven before going back to Homeworld in hopes of turning it into a better place.

Quotes
"You think you can get away, Rose? You stood your ground on that little speck called Earth...But you're on our world now."

- Yellow Diamond threatening Steven whom she believes is Rose Quartz in disguise.

"How miserable. I knew Pink couldn't handle her own colony. But, I gave in. And now, I'm to blame for her fate."

- Yellow Diamond's inner feelings.

"Are you questioning my authority?!"

- Yellow Diamond to Peridot.

"I'm not interested in the puny thoughts of a Peridot!"

- Yellow Diamond to Peridot.

"It's been thousands of years, Blue, and you still can't bring yourself to destroy these Gems? She was shattered by a Rose Quartz! The entire cut of Gem deserves the same fate!"

- Yellow Diamond to Blue Diamond about the Rose Quartzs in the Zoo.

"Is that Rose Quartz? Look at this hideous form she's taken. Forget the trial, we should shatter her just for looking like that."

- Yellow Diamond upon seeing Steven whom she believes is just Rose Quartz in disguise.

"Well, I'm convinced. Time to execute!"

- Yellow Diamond after hearing the Prosecuting Zircon make her case.

"That's quite enough testimony from you! We shall take a short recess."

- Yellow Diamond calling a Recess in order to comfort Blue Diamond.

"We don't need to listen to this nonsense! Let's shatter Rose Quartz and be done with it!"

- Yellow Diamond to Blue Diamond.

"No."

- Yellow Diamond when asked by Peridot if she remembers her before she poofs her.

"You!"

- Yellow Diamond after she recognizes Steven and prepares to attack him.

"Please Blue, you're being hysterical. More so than usual."

- Yellow Diamond talking to Blue Diamond in the Mindscape.

"This must be a trick. Show yourself foe!"

- Yellow Diamond in the gem mindscape after she hears Steven's voice.

"This aura..."

- Yellow Diamond as she recognized Steven's growing aura to be Pink Diamond's.

"Pink, what are you doing?!"

- Yellow Diamond frustrated after seeing Steven fuse with Connie.

"When we thought Pink was shattered, when she abandoned, I alone was there for you, and you would use your power against ME?!"

- Yellow Diamond's wrath after seeing Blue Diamond stand up to her.

Trivia

 * Yellow Diamond is the 5th gem to have a last name. Due to the fact that her gem has two words in its name, the first being Rose Quartz, the second being the Desert Glass, the third being Watermelon Tourmaline, the fourth being Lapis Lazuli, the sixth being Rainbow Quartz, the seventh being Blue Diamond, the eight being Blue Pearl and the ninth being Yellow Pearl.
 * In Gemology, Diamonds are the stones of truth and victory.
 * In "Catch and Release" Peridot states that she has not received a response from Yellow Diamond since her distress message in "Cry for Help".
 * She is most likely the Yellow Gem seen on the mural in the episode "Serious Steven".
 * Before her voice actress was confirmed to be Patti LuPone, it was rumored that Yellow Diamond would be voiced by Rebecca Sugar, the creator of the Steven Universe show.
 * In the series' videogame sequel "Save the Light", it is revealed that according to Hessonite, Yellow Diamond gave her the Prism thousands of years prior to where the game takes place.