i saw someone mention the reason pink/rose feels like a fall from grace is because we're seeing her character arc backwards, when in reality she was already redeemed. i decided to try to put her story in order to get a better look.
-pink is created from white. she is the smallest and youngest diamond
-acts as a court jester, provides the other diamonds with fun and levity
-is fawned over, given special gifts and generally spoiled
-is otherwise confined to her room, alone, purposeless
-begins to bond with her pearl and the pebbles
-learns what the other diamonds do, wants to do the same
-asks for more responsibility, is either laughed at or ignored
-acts out by messing with the other diamonds' work, trying to make her own creatures, etc
-gets punished by being totally isolated in a small, dark room, sometimes for thousands of years, for "acting out"
-starts to feel unloved, ignored, trivialized
-begins venting her frustrations with destructive tantrums, continuing to demand recognition
-gets denied by yellow and blue over and over
-goes to white directly, denied again
-damages her pearl irrepairably in her rage
-filled with regret and horror at her actions, decides to conceal her emotions now
-given spinel and the garden as bribery to behave
-after some time spent behaving, provided withĀ a small colony of her own and a new pearl, being told by white: "dont break this one."
-pink barely associates with her new pearl if she can help it
-hates the colony, hates spinel, hates the garden: it all represents her biggest regrets and flaws
-pearl suggests visiting the colony disguised as a rose quartz
-pinks spark is lit. she sees beauty, love, freedom, things she thought she could never have
-she cant destroy this innocent, pure thing
-she and pearl begin to organize an elaborate rebellion
-at some point before or during this, pink abandons spinel, most likely not thinking of the consequences
-during this time also meets bismuth, is forged her sword
-fakes pink diamond's death, becomes rose quartz
-at some point bubbles bismuth, unwilling to confront her about the breaking point
-the planet is blasted, and garnet, pearl, and rose are the only survivors
-spends the next few thousand-odd years on earth, leading a new life, meeting amethyst, helping humans, fighting corrupted gems, having flings with human men
-lion is revived, bismuth is stored in his mane
-rose meets greg and is taught what love and respect really mean
-rose gives her life to become half of steven, knowing she could never truly be a human being and change her ways, but still wanting to spread love and faith and hoping, one day, things will work out, even if without her
and thats why i love rose