Pearl

Pearl is a perfectionist knowledgeable on a plethora of topics that values organization. Pearl has a penchant for symmetry (going so far as to impale M.C. Bear Bear to maintain the symmetry of a pile of appliances and school supplies) and a high attention to detail.

Despite her perfectionism and occasional bragging, Pearl suffers from low self-esteem. In "Friend Ship", she admits she is very dependent on others to validate her, which loops into a strong inferiority complex. According to Amethyst in "Reformed", she needs everyone's constant approval to feel secure. Without anyone to tell her what to do or to depend on her, Pearl feels lost without meaning or value. Pearl admits she often feels extremely weak and/or useless when compared to others who appear better than her, going so far as to describe herself as ineffective on her own; always in need of a leader she can follow. Her self-deprecating tendencies stem from the Homeworld caste values, where pearls are viewed as property rather than Gems. This has led her to take drastic actions to prove herself — though, thanks to Garnet's encouragement in "Friend Ship", she has started to take initiatives instead of letting other's words define Pearl herself. It appears Pearl has taken this to her heart, as she asserted herself against Peridot when she treated Pearl in a degrading tone. Pearl even goes as far as physically punching Peridot to show that she is an individual, not a piece of property.

Pearl is easily flustered and overwhelmed when confronted by the unknown or when her plans fail, which can lead to her judgment being clouded or cause her to act on impulse instead of rational thinking. Her inner turmoil over her love for Rose (and her subsequent absence) has made Pearl lash out at Steven and the Crystal Gems more than once. Her fierce desire to feel "strong" and have more victories as a Crystal Gem even caused her to betray Garnet's trust and basic principles so they could keep forming Sardonyx. When realizing how much she hurt others, Pearl will apologize and try as hard as she can to set things right, working hard to counteract the damage she may have inflicted.

Out of all the Crystal Gems, Pearl is the most poorly adjusted to life on Earth, being unaware of human social conventions and culture, such as jokes, games, arcades, food, and birthday parties. Pearl has expressed a great desire to leave Earth in "Space Race", going so far as to risk her and Steven's lives. Pearl also has a pessimistic view of humanity, as evidenced by her statement in "Keep Beach City Weird". Though, in "Political Power", she claimed to have been around during the millennium when humans lived without any light, and was aware that they used to hunt and gather. She appeared quite surprised that they did not do that anymore. In "Last One Out of Beach City", Pearl takes her turn at trying to build a normal, human social life in the hopes of impressing Steven and Amethyst, voluntarily joining them in going to a show, and drinking beverages. By the end Pearl even approached the mysterious girl that had appeared repeatedly throughout the episode, whom Pearl seemed infatuated with. Despite her pessimistic perspective of humans, Pearl is extremely dedicated to her cause in protecting humanity more or less out of her love, loyalty, and admiration for Rose Quartz. She does, however, find certain aspects of Earth rather amazing. Regardless of her poor understanding of human society, she is able to pay for the Cookie Cats Amethyst and Garnet steal in "Gem Glow", drive Greg's van in "Ocean Gem", and repair it in "House Guest". She also watches the New Year's Eve fireworks show in "Maximum Capacity".

In "Back to the Barn", it is revealed that pearls are not created for fighting, but for following orders. However, Pearl trained to fight with Rose. Peridot also describes pearls as accessories that are meant to be put on display as status symbols and to perform menial tasks, although Pearl's appearance fits this standard.

Aside from her pessimism and perfectionism, Pearl is usually polite and reserved to others; she keeps everything set orderly and tidy. Her obsessive attention to tidiness is explained in "Back to the Barn" when it is revealed that pearls are made-to-order servants and are created to "hold stuff" for their masters.