List of RWBY characters

This is a list of characters who appear in RWBY, an original anime-style CG-animated web-series created by Rooster Teeth Productions.

According to series creator Monty Oum, every character's name is tied to a specific color. There will be other teams with their name combining to form acronyms that are also tied to a color.^[1]

Characters table

Character	Voice actor
		S1	S2	S3	S4
Ruby Rose	Lindsay Jones	Main
Weiss Schnee	Kara Eberle	Main
Blake Belladonna	Arryn Zech	Main
Yang Xiao Long	Barbara Dunkelman	Main
Jaune Arc	Miles Luna	Recurring
Pyrrha Nikos	Jen Brown	Recurring			Guest
Ozpin	Shannon McCormick	Recurring
Glynda Goodwitch	Kathleen Zeulch	Recurring			Cameo
Lie Ren	Monty Oum (S1–S2) Neath Oum (S3–present)	Recurring
Nora Valkyrie	Samantha Ireland	Recurring
Sun Wukong	Michael Jones	Recurring
Cinder Fall	Jessica Nigri	Recurring
Neptune Vasilias	Kerry Shawcross		Recurring		TBA
James Ironwood	Jason Rose		Recurring
Peter Port	Ryan Haywood	Guest	Recurring
Bartholomew Oobleck	Joel Heyman	Guest	Recurring
Emerald Sustrai	Katie Newville	Unvoiced	Recurring
Mercury Black	JJ Castillo (S2) Yuri Lowenthal (S3–present)	Unvoiced	Recurring
Qrow Branwen	Vic Mignogna			Recurring
Mysterious Narrator / Salem	Jen Taylor	Guest		Guest	Recurring
Taiyang Xiao Long	Burnie Burns			Guest	Recurring

Team RWBY

Team RWBY (pronounced "ruby")^[2] is composed of four female students from Beacon Academy.^{Vol. 1} Each member is associated with a color and alludes to a character in the fairy tale world.

Ruby Rose

Lindsay Jones, voice of Ruby Rose

• Voiced by: Lindsay Jones^{[lower-alpha 1]}

The title character is a 15-year-old girl who typically dresses in a red cloak and a black dress. She wields Crescent Rose, a scythe that can transform into a high caliber sniper rifle.^[4] In the pilot episode, she impresses the headmaster of Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin, and is allowed to transfer from Signal Academy and be in the same entering class as her sister Yang, who is two years older than her.^{Vol. 1, Ch. 1} She learned her fighting skills from her uncle Qrow Branwen at Signal, and by her own admittance, was "complete garbage" before he took her in as his pupil. Her Semblance is "Speed",^{Vol.1, Ch. 14} enabling her to run at rates that are too fast for the eye to catch and, in some cases, transform into a swirling red bullet-like form which can reach immense speeds and leaves behind a flurry of rose petals. In the finale of Volume 3, Ruby learns from her uncle that she and her mother come from a line of powerful silver-eyed warriors that are feared by Grimm. As she is the youngest of the group, she can be a bit childish, naïve, and weapon-obsessed, but displays leadership qualities and an understanding of people that ultimately led her to be chosen as Team RWBY's leader. It's also hinted at by Yang that she trains harder than anyone else on the team. She was inspired to become a Huntress by the fairy tales her sister Yang used to read to her, wanting to become just like the heroes in the stories. With an unwavering sense of justice, Ruby is determined to make the world a better place for others and try to stop the forces that conspire against it.^{Vol. 1}

After the fall of Beacon, Ruby travels with Jaune, Nora and Ren to Haven to find leads on their enemies.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12} In Volume 4, Ruby's appearance has drastically changed. Her cloak has tears at the end, her tights have been replaced by torn thigh-high leggings, and Crescent Rose has several scratches.^{Vol. 4}

Ruby alludes to the Little Red Riding Hood.^[5]

Weiss Schnee

Kara Eberle, voice of Weiss Schnee

• Voiced By: Kara Eberle^{[3]Vol. 1 credits}

Weiss is the second member of Team RWBY. She has long white hair and has a noticeable scar over her left eye, which she received from a fight with a white knight in the "White" trailer. Her weapon is a Dust revolver/rapier named Myrtenaster. The sheath can create more than one elemental change, using a dial like silver encasement just above the bottom of her sword. The Dust crystals encrusted in the encasement allow Weiss to change the power of her sword in battle. Her Semblance consists of magical "Glyphs" that have a variety of effects, and in Volume 3 she gains the ability to summon foes she had previously defeated before. At 17 years of age, she is an heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, a corporation infamous for its sometimes shady business dealings, dangerous practices, and mistreatment of its Faunus laborers. Both the SDC and the Schnee family have been targets of the White Fang terrorist organization for years, leading to Weiss' inherent distrust of the Faunus. Weiss chose to become a Huntress over taking a job at SDC to restore her family's honor, as her father caused the company to decline. At the start of the show, she was shown as self-centered, standoffish, and an obnoxious know-it-all, but has matured somewhat over the course of the show. Weiss greatly admires her older sister Winter and has a crush on Neptune, but gets angry with him when he flirts with other girls.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 2}

Following the fall of Beacon, Weiss is taken back to Atlas by her father, Jacques.^{Vol. 3} In Volume 4, her relationship with her father is still strained, but she is close to the family butler, Klein.^{Vol. 4}

Weiss alludes to Snow White, as her name is German for "White Snow".^[5]

Blake Belladonna

Arryn Zech, voice of Blake Belladonna

• Voiced By: Arryn Zech^{[3]Vol. 1 credits}

Blake, the third member of Team RWBY, is a black-haired girl who wields the Gambol Shroud, a shinobigatana with a sharpened sheath that has a pistol in the hilt, which is also attached to a long ribbon. She often uses this weapon in the style of kusarigama when she bends the blade. In battle, her Semblance, "Shadow", allows her to create a clone of herself, an empty copy that distracts or takes hits of enemies for her while she moves in a different direction. Blake has a quiet nature and a love for books. She is a Faunus, a persecuted humanoid race with animal-like features, and was a member of the White Fang, a social rights advocacy group turned extremist paramilitary organization. Blake leaves in disgust of the violence and joined Beacon Academy to become a Huntress. Up until Volume 4, she has kept her Faunus identity a secret by concealing her cat ears under a black bow. During a talk with Ozpin, Blake has revealed that the reason why is because she feels that she is not ready for the attention it would give her if the secret got out and does not want the discrimination other Faunus receive from humanity. Along with her cat ears, Blake also at times exhibits other examples of feline behavior such as eating heavy amounts of fish and is frightened of Ruby and Yang's pet dog Zwei.

After the fall of Beacon, Blake runs away from her team without telling anyone of where she is going.^{Vol. 3} In Volume 4, she is returning to her home, Menagerie, to sort things out before dealing with the White Fang, unwillingly accepting Sun's company.^{Vol. 4, Ch.3}

Belladonna is an allusion to Belle (French term for beauty) of Beauty and the Beast.^[5] It is also an allusion to Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna), which is as the name suggests is deadly but also can cause hallucinations which are similar to her Semblance. Her name, "Blake", is an Old English term for black.

Yang Xiao Long

Barbara Dunkelman, voice of Yang Xiao Long, with a group of cosplayers dressed as Yang

• Voiced By: Barbara Dunkelman^{[3]Vol. 1 credits}

Yang, the fourth member of Team RWBY, is a yellow-haired girl and Ruby's older half-sister. She wields twin shotgun gauntlets called Ember Celica.^[6] Her Semblance works on a "recoil-based system": whenever Yang takes a hit, her strength, toughness and striking power rise in proportion to her injuries. Her glowing hair and eye color change are caused by excess energy from the buildup, which also results in Yang often acting very "hotheaded" in battle.

Yang is the "big sister" of the group, caring deeply for her teammates. She is also very optimistic, never giving up in battle and hard times. Yang has revealed that her birth mother left her family shortly after she was born and hasn't been seen since, which acts as a driving force for her character. She has been determined to find Raven ever since she realized that Summer Rose, Ruby's mother who also helped raise Yang, wasn't her own biological mother. Yang wanted to become a Huntress because of the adventure, she calls herself a thrill-seeker in search of a life where she doesn't know what lies ahead of her.

Near the end of Volume 3, during the Battle of Beacon, Yang's right arm is severed by White Fang member Adam Taurus, following a desperate attempt to help a wounded Blake.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 11} In the aftermath of the fall of Beacon, she is bedridden in her home on the island of Patch, where she has become bitter and depressed.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12} After the time-skip between Volume 3 and 4, Yang is still on Patch, trying to get used to life with one arm. She shows signs of PTSD after the events of Volume 3, having visions and nightmares of Adam cutting her arm.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 3 Vol. 4, Ch. 4} She is also shown to be hesitant to use a bionic arm sent to her by General Ironwood. After an encouraging talk with her father Taiyang, Prof. Port and Dr. Oobleck, in which Yang admits to being scared of moving on, she puts on the arm for the first time, seemingly ready to start training with her father. ^{Vol. 4, Ch. 4}

Yang is an allusion to Goldilocks; her name in Chinese is 陽小龍 and translates to "sun little dragon".^[5] Prior to the series, one of Oum's Tweets had a photograph of his computer monitor that reveals a file named "Taiyang Xiao Long", later revealed to be the name of Yang's father.^[7]

Huntsman teams

Students from the various academies are grouped into teams of four students with their team name being a tetragram of the initials of each of its members.

Beacon Academy of Vale

Team JNPR

Miles Luna, voice of Jaune Arc

Jen Brown, voice of Pyrrha Nikos

Monty Oum, voice of Lie Ren (Volumes 1 and 2)

Each member of Team JNPR (pronounced "juniper") is inspired by figures who had taken on the appearance of the opposite gender.^[8]

• Jaune Arc (Miles Luna):^{Vol. 1 credits} A blond-haired student and the leader of Team JNPR who uses a sword and shield combination called Crocea Mors, an heirloom formerly belonging to his great-great-grandfather. His shield can fold into a sheath for his sword, although it retains his weight.^{Vol. 1} Jaune tries to appear confident in front of the girls, especially Weiss, but it often does not work out and he gets depressed over it, although because he treats Pyrrha normally, the latter is attracted to him.^{Vol. 1} In one of the Volume 1 storylines, he is bullied by Cardin Winchester, although he later stands up for his teammates by disobeying Cardin's order to prank Pyrrha, and then saves Cardin from an Ursa. Although he used fake transcripts to get into Beacon and had not attended combat school, he is supported by his schoolmates who believe in his leadership, and his partner Pyrrha later helps him train. He possesses a strong 'aura' which allows him to heal himself, although he cannot yet control this ability.^{Vol. 1} In the end of Volume 3, Jaune goes with Ruby, Nora and Ren to Haven in search for answers and find the ones responsible for the events at Vale and Beacon, as well as Pyrrha's death.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12} In Volume 4, he receives a new set of armor, and Crocea Mors is upgraded; it's indicated that the sword and shield's new accents come from Pyrrha's old armor. He also honors Pyrrha and her memory by wearing a red sash around his waist.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 1} However, Jaune is still emotionally distraught from losing Pyrrha, as shown when he later trains using a recording made by her.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 2} His name is derived from the French heroine Joan of Arc, and his theme color is based on his name "Jaune", which is the French word for the color yellow.
• Nora Valkyrie (Samantha Ireland):^{Vol. 1 credits} An orange-haired student at Beacon who carries Magnhild, a grenade launcher that can be converted into a war hammer. Her Semblance is the production and manipulation of electricity, allowing her to channel the energy to her muscles and gain superhuman strength. Nora is very talkative and hyperactive, which tends to annoy her teammates. She and Ren are long-time friends, though Jaune briefly assumes the two are a couple, which causes Nora to quickly say that they're not "together-together", which indicates that Nora's relationship with Ren is more akin to a brother-sister relationship.^{Vol. 1} In the end of Volume 3, Nora goes with Ruby, Jaune and Ren to Haven. In Volume 4, Nora has upgraded Magnhild, so that it can apparently hold a stronger electric charge.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 1} Her first name comes from the Nora Barlow Columbine, while her last name, "Valkyrie", is inspired by the female warriors found in Norse mythology. She alludes to the Norse god Thor.
• Pyrrha Nikos (Jen Brown):^{Vol. 1 credits} A red-haired student with a long ponytail and bright green eyes. She wields Miló, a javelin that can transform into a rifle or a xiphos sword, and a shield called Akoúo̱. Her Semblance is "Polarity", which is the ability to manipulate objects with magnetism.^{Vol. 1} Prior to enrolling at Beacon, she graduated from Sanctum Academy with highest honors and had a record number of wins at a regional tournament for magic users, landing her a cover photo on a Pumpkin Pete's cereal box.^{Vol. 1} Due to her reputation, she has found forming relationships with others difficult because others often assume she is "too good for them" and that she is "at a level they simply cannot obtain".^{Vol. 2} When Jaune ignores that and treats her normally, she becomes attracted to him^{Vol. 2} and chooses him as her partner during the initiation.^{Vol. 1} In Volume 3, Pyrrha is selected by Ozpin to become the next Fall Maiden, but she becomes frightened of taking on the burden.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 6} When she makes her decision, the Fall Maiden's power is stolen by Cinder. Pyrrha battles Cinder but is defeated and killed when she is shot through the chest, then incinerated by Cinder in the volume's final chapter.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12}. A recording of Pyrrha appears in the second episode of Volume 4 as a training video for Jaune. During the video Pyrrha nearly tells Jaune she loves him but cannot bring herself to do it after visible difficulty.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 2} She is named after the Greek mythological figure, and her last name is derived from the goddess Nike. She also takes inspiration from Achilles from Homer's The Iliad.
• Lie Ren (Monty Oum (Volumes 1 and 2),^{Vol. 1 credits} Neath Oum (Volume 3 and 4)):^[9] A black-haired student at Beacon who dual wields machine pistols with attached blades, collectively called StormFlower. He and Nora are long-time friends, though he is the exact opposite of her, as he is mostly quiet, mellow and mature.^{Vol. 1} In the end of Volume 3, Ren goes with Ruby, Jaune and Nora to Haven. In Volume 4, he has grown out his hair so it now reaches his waist. While his name in Chinese (猎人) translates to "huntsman", Ren (蓮) is also Japanese for "lotus", which is his emblem. He is inspired by the legendary Chinese warrior Hua Mulan.

Team CRDL

Adam Ellis, voice of Cardin Winchester

Team CRDL (pronounced "cardinal") is formed as another first year team at Beacon Academy, alongside RWBY and JNPR. ^{Vol. 1, Ch. 8} The names of the team members seem to have a bird motif, while Cardin's could also reference the Cardinal of Winchester who presided over the Trial of Joan of Arc.

Cardin Winchester (Adam Ellis):^{Vol. 1 credits} A burnt orange-haired student and the leader of Team CRDL. He wears silver-gray armor and wields a giant mace. Cardin has a reputation as a bully, he and the rest of his team are shown to be picking on several fellow students. After he finds out that Jaune Arc faked his application to Beacon, he is briefly able to manipulate him into doing his bidding. He also, alongside the rest of his team, bullies Velvet Scarlatina because of her being a Faunus. ^{Vol. 1, Ch. 11-14} Cardin does not make many noteworthy appearances past Volume 1. He participates in a sparring match between his team and Pyrrha Nikos ^{Vol. 2, Ch. 5} and is then briefly seen fighting during the Battle of Beacon. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 11}

Russel Thrush (Shane Newville):^{Vol. 1 credits} A green-haired student who wields a pair of Dust-daggers. Russel is shown to participate in Cardin's bullying of other students, on one occasion calling Velvet Scarlatina a freak. ^{Vol. 1, Ch. 11} He and Sky Lark are briefly seen during the second (doubles) round of the Vytal Festival Tournament in Volume 3, fighting against Atlas' Penny Polendina and Ciel Soleil. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 5}

Dove Bronzewing: A light brown-haired student who fights with a long sword that also can fire bullets. He is mostly seen alongside his teammates.

Sky Lark: A dark blue-haired student whose weapon is a halberd. He and Russel Thrush are briefly seen during the second (doubles) round of the Vytal Festival Tournament in Volume 3, fighting against Atlas' Penny Polendina and Ciel Soleil. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 5}

Team CFVY

Ashley Jenkins, voice of Coco Adel

Caiti Ward, voice of Velvet Scarlatina

Team CFVY (pronounced "coffee") is a team composed of second year students of Beacon Academy. While Velvet Scarlatina first appeared in Volume 1 ^{Vol. 1, Ch. 11}, the other members of her team are not seen until Volume 2. ^{Vol. 2, Ch. 8}

Coco Adel (Ashley Jenkins): The presumed leader of CFVY, Coco is a girl with fair skin and dark-brown hair, with dyed locks on one side. Her notable accessories include sunglasses and a belt lined with bullets. Her weapon is a handbag that is used as a blunt object in close-ranged combat, but can also be transformed into a huge Gatling gun. Coco is shown to coordinate part of her team's fighting, giving commands and commenting on her teammates' efforts. Her first noteworthy appearance is in the Volume 2 finale, where her team participates in clearing the streets of Vale of invading Grimm. ^{Vol. 2, Ch. 12} In Volume 3, Coco and Yatsuhashi Daichi represent CFVY in the second (doubles) round of the Vytal Festival Tournament, fighting against Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 4} During the Battle of Beacon, Coco and her team fight off Grimm and Atlas mechs, alongside Weiss Schnee and other tournament participants. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 10 and 11}

Fox Alistair: A boy with dark skin, copper hair and white eyes. Fox is shown to be very agile in battle, wielding a pair of wrist-mounted blades. He is mostly seen fighting alongside his teammates. ^{Vol. 2, Ch. 12; Vol. 3, Ch. 10 and 11}

Velvet Scarlatina (Caiti Ward):^{Vol. 1 credits} A short, brown-haired Faunus girl with rabbit ears. Her weapon is a camera that she uses to take pictures of other students' weapons, which allows her to conjure holographic copies of their weapons. She uses her weapon in conjunction with her Semblance, which allows her to mimic other people's moves.^[10] Velvet was one of the students who were bullied by Team CRDL in Volume 1, in her case coinciding with the prejudices against Faunus held by some of the human students. ^{Vol. 1, Ch. 11 and 12} She acts very friendly towards Team RWBY, talking to them on multiple occasions. Velvet participates in the fight in the Volume 2 finale, where Coco advises her to not use her weapon, as it would be "wasted" and not necessary. ^{Vol. 2, Ch. 12} She is seen as a spectator during the Vytal Festival Tournament, and later describes Coco's supposed hallucinations in her fight against Emerald Sustrai to Ruby. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 4 and 9} During the Battle of Beacon, Velvet fights alongside her teammates and plays a key role in the defeat of the Atlas Paladins. Velvet's weapon and Semblance are first shown during this fight. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 11} Velvet was originally created as a one-off character, but was brought back and incorporated into a team for Volume 2. Rooster Teeth held a fan contest to design her combat uniform, the result of which was announced on March, 6th, 2014.^[11]

Yatsuhashi Daichi (Joe MacDonald): A tall boy with fair skin and short black hair, Yatsuhashi wears a green one-sleeved robe and several pieces of armor. His weapon of choice is a long sword that can cause lots of damage, partly destroying the ground on multiple occasions. He fights with his team in the culminating battles of Volume 2 and 3 ^{Vol. 2, Ch. 12; Vol. 3, Ch. 10 and 11}, and also, alongside Coco, represents Team CFVY in the second (doubles) round of the Vytal Festival Tournament against Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 4}

Haven Academy of Mistral

Team SSSN

Michael Jones and Gavin Free, voices of Sun Wukong and Scarlet David

Out of the members of Team SSSN (pronounced "sun"), Sun Wukong and Neptune Vasilias are introduced as supporting characters at the end of Volume 1 ^{Vol. 1, Ch. 15} and the beginning of Volume 2 ^{Vol. 2, Ch. 1} respectively. Their teammates appear in minor roles during Volume 2 and 3. The appearances and outfits of SSSN could be styled after the members of Big Bang, alluded to in a tweet by Monty Oum.^[12]

Sun Wukong (Michael Jones):^{Vol. 1 credits} Sun is a blond-haired Faunus with a monkey tail of the same color. He usually wears an open loose white shirt and blue cargo pants. His weapon, Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang, is a collapsible bō staff that splits into two nunchaku that can also function as sawed-off shotguns. Sun's Semblance allows him to create astral projection clones of himself in battle, where he shows great speed and agility. Sun has a fun-loving and laid-back personality, disliking things such as formal clothing. He is helpful towards others, even if he barely knows them, and can be dead serious in dangerous situations. Sun has an obvious crush on Blake Belladonna that, as of Volume 4, has not lead to a relationship. His name alludes to the character of the same name from Journey to the West.

Sun arrives in Vale at the end of Volume 1. He meets Blake, immediately recognizes her as a Faunus and later helps her in the battle against Roman Torchwick and the White Fang. ^{Vol. 1, Ch. 15-16} Sun is revealed to be an exchange student from the Haven Academy of Mistral, although he was originally born in the Kingdom of Vacuo. In Volume 2, he and Neptune Vasilias help out Team RWBY in their investigations of Torchwick's schemes. Sun accompanies Blake to spy on a White Fang rally and later dances with her at the school ball. ^{Vol. 2, Ch. 3-4; Ch. 7} In Volume 3, Team SSSN participates in the Vytal Festival Tournament, defeating Team NDGO in the first (team) round ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 2}, with Sun later being shown as one of the final eight participants in the third (singles) round. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 6} During the Battle of Beacon, Sun fights off attackers alongside other students, first in the tournament arena and later on the school grounds. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 10-11} After Blake and Yang are severely wounded, Sun is determined to get everyone to safety. He, according to Yang, saw Blake running away after the battle. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12} In Volume 4, Sun let his teammates travel home to Mistral alone, and tracked down Blake. Although he incorrectly guesses her reasons for running away and she is angry and upset with him for following her, he still states that he wants to help her on her journey, especially if it includes fighting the White Fang. Because Sun is already on the boat to Menagerie, Blake lets him accompany her to her home, where she meets her family. ^{Vol. 4, Ch. 3; 5}

Scarlet David (Gavin Free): Scarlet is a red-haired young man who wears a combination of a white shirt, gray pants and a red jacket. He wields a flintlock pistol and a cutlass as his weapons of choice. The handle of the pistol can be fired as a grappling hook. Scarlet is briefly seen in Volume 2 ^{Vol. 2, Ch. 5} but, like Sage Ayana, does not directly interact with Team RWBY. In Volume 3, Scarlet, as part of Team SSSN, participates in the Vytal Festival Tournament. He and his team fight Vacuo's Team NDGO in the first (team) round. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 2} Scarlet is later briefly seen as a spectator of other tournament matches and fights alongside the other students in the Battle of Beacon. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 3; 4; 10} In Volume 4, Neptune, Sage and Scarlet have gone home to Mistral.

Sage Ayana (Josh Ornelas): Sage is a green-haired young man with dark skin who wears an open white coat, revealing tattoos on his upper body. He wields an enormous sword with Roman numerals on it. Sage is briefly seen in Volume 2^{Vol. 2, Ch. 5} but, like Scarlet David, does not directly interact with Team RWBY. In Volume 3, Sage, as part of Team SSSN, participates in the Vytal Festival Tournament. He and his team fight Vacuo's Team NDGO in the first (team) round. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 2} Sage is later briefly seen as a spectator of other tournament matches and fights alongside the other students in the Battle of Beacon, most notably cutting off the head of the Nevermore that broke into the tournament arena. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 3; 4; 10} In Volume 4, Neptune, Sage and Scarlet have gone home to Mistral.

Neptune Vasilias (Kerry Shawcross): Neptune is light-blue haired young man with tan skin who wears a white dress shirt and black tie under a red jacket. He has a large rifle that fires electricity and can turn into a guandao and trident. Neptune has an image as a cool guy that gives him the attention of a lot of girls, who he sometimes flirts with. Despite his appearance, Neptune is later shown to be a little socially awkward, mainly because of his insecurities. He can't dance, which is a source of embarrassment for him, and also has an intense fear of water. His name refers to the Roman god of the sea.

Neptune first appears alongside Sun in Volume 2 ^{Vol. 2, Ch. 1} and from there on interacts with Team RWBY a lot. He seems to flirt with Weiss Schnee, which causes Jaune Arc to have a grudge against him. Neptune helps out Team RWBY in their investigations of Roman Torchwick's schemes. He accompanies Yang to Junior's club and briefly helps in the battle against Torchwick's mech. ^{Vol. 2, Ch. 3-4} He later declines Weiss' invitation to be her partner for the school ball and, after being confronted by him, has a conversation with Jaune about his insecurities. ^{Vol. 2, Ch. 7} In Volume 3, Neptune, as part of Team SSSN, participates in the Vytal Festival Tournament. He and his team fight Vacuo's Team NDGO in the first (team) round, where Neptune's fear of water causes problems during the fight. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 2} Neptune is later seen as a spectator of other tournament matches and fights alongside the other students in the Battle of Beacon, both in the tournament arena and on the school grounds. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 3; 4; 10} In Volume 4, Neptune, Sage and Scarlet have gone home to Mistral.

Team ABRN

Team ABRN (pronounced "auburn") fights Team RWBY in the first (team) round of the Vytal Festival Tournament. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 1} Its members are among the group of students that fights off Grimm and Atlas mechs during the Battle of Beacon. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 10-11}

Arslan Altan: A dark-skinned young woman who is capable of hand-to-hand combat and wields a rope javelin.

Bolin Hori: A black-haired young man who wields a staff.

Reese Chloris: A light green-haired girl who rides a hoverboard that absorbs Dust crystals and transforms into dual pistols.

Nadir Shiko: A pink-haired teenage boy who wields an assault rifle that can also transform into a sword.

Shade Academy of Vacuo

Team BRNZ

Team BRNZ (pronounced "bronze") fights Team JNPR in the first (team) round of the Vytal Festival Tournament. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 2} Its members, with the exception of Roy Stallion, are not seen during the Battle of Beacon.

Brawnz Ni (Blaine Gibson): A black-haired man with gray highlights who wields a pair of claws.

Roy Stallion: A dark-skinned male with dreadlocks who wears gauntlets capable of firing circular saws. He was carried off by a Nevermore during the Battle of Beacon, with his fate being unknown.

Nolan Porfirio (Aaron Marquis): A maroon-haired man who wields an electrically charged cattle prod.

May Zedong: A beanie-wearing female who wields a sniper rifle with a blade on the underside of the stock.

Team NDGO

Team NDGO (pronounced "indigo") fights Team SSSN in the first (team) round of the Vytal Festival Tournament. ^{Vol. 3, Ch. 2} Team NDGO is notably absent during the Battle of Beacon. This team was based on fans who were Indiegogo backers for Lazer Team.

Nebula Violette (Kate Warner): A purple-haired girl who wields a crossbow that can transform into a sword.

Dew Gayl (Kim Newman): A blonde-haired girl with a green dress who wields a spear capable of creating tornadoes.

Gwen Darcy: A black-haired girl who wields throwing knives that she keeps in her armored skirt.

Octavia Ember: A red-haired girl who wields a kris sword that can release fire torrents.

Atlas Academy of Atlas

Penny's team

• Penny Polendina (Taylor (Pelto) McNee):^{Vol. 1; Vol. 3 Ch. 5, 12, credits} An orange-haired student who came to the Vytal festival to compete in the combat tournament. She wears a small backpack, and manipulates an array of swords and wires. She can also use the swords as an energy beam cannon. She is known to act awkwardly around people, though she becomes friends with Ruby.^{Vol. 1} In Volume 2, it is revealed that Penny is an android capable of generating an Aura. In Volume 3, she reveals her body is vulnerable to magnets. During Penny's battle against Pyrrha in the Vytal Festival, Pyrrha is affected by Emerald's hallucinating Semblance, reflecting Penny's attack, causing her wires to tear her apart. Penny alludes to the character Pinocchio, hiccuping every time she tells a lie.
• Ciel Soleil (Yssa Badiola): A dark-skinned girl with a beret who serves as Penny's handler. Her name is French for 'sky/heaven sun', which alludes to the colours blue, white and yellow.

Team FNKI

Meg Turney, voice of Neon Katt

Team FNKI (pronounced "funky") is a team participating in the Vytal Tournament. Weiss and Yang take on two of their members during the doubles rounds.

• Flynt Coal (Flynt Flossey): A dark-skinned boy with a fedora hat who wields a trumpet that can release sound waves to disorient his opponents. His Semblance creates the "Killer Quartet", in which he generates three clones of himself, each wearing a different colored necktie and armed with a trumpet. He initially hated Weiss because her family put his father out of business, but later respects her when she risks her own safety for her team's victory. His full name references the color grey and coal stones, and is taken from a joke commonly used in Rooster Teeth's gaming content division Achievement Hunter's series "Let's Play Minecraft".
• Neon Katt (Meg Turney): A talkative Faunus girl with a cat tail and roller skates who wields a glowstick-like nunchaku. Her name is derived from the internet meme Nyan Cat, and she creates a rainbow trail as she skates.

Other teams

Team STRQ

Burnie Burns, voice of Taiyang Xiao Long

Anna Hullum, voice of Raven Branwen

Vic Mignogna, voice of Qrow Branwen

Team STRQ (pronounced "stark") is a now-defunct team composed of Ruby and Yang's relatives.

• Summer Rose: The presumed leader of Team STRQ, and the mother of Ruby and stepmother of Yang whose gravestone is frequently visited by Ruby. She is later revealed to be the second lover to Yang and Ruby's father, Taiyang, the first being Yang's mother, Raven, but whether she married him is currently unknown.^[13] Based on an old photograph of her, Summer wore a hooded cloak, like Ruby would later, only hers was white. According to Yang, Summer went on a mission but never came back, and her death deeply affected Ruby and Taiyang. Prior to her disappearance, Yang says that she remembered Summer as a "Super Mom", able to handle being a loving parent as well as able to go on dangerous missions. While Summer is named after the hottest calendar season, her full name is derived from the poem The Last Rose of Summer.
• Taiyang Xiao Long (Burnie Burns): The father of Yang and Ruby. He is mentioned multiple times, and his name was never revealed until Volume 2. A blurred version of him can be seen in the background when Ruby is visiting Summer's grave in Episode 1 of Volume 3. He makes his official debut in the finale, where he watches over his daughters in their home in Patch as they recover from the battle of Beacon. Taiyang is mentioned to be a bit overprotective of both of his daughters, and loves them dearly. Like Qrow, he is also a teacher at Signal. In Volume 4, Taiyang receives a bionic arm for Yang from Ironwood. After she initially turned it down, he encourages her to not let anything stop her from becoming what she wants to be, prompting her to take the arm. His name, Taiyang (太阳), is Chinese for "sun."
• Raven Branwen (Anna Hullum): The mother of Yang, and the first lover of Taiyang. Raven is a mysterious masked swordswoman who wields an ōdachi with interchangeable blades inside the sheath as her weapon of choice. She was on the same team with Qrow, Taiyang, and Summer, but she disappeared just after her daughter, Yang, was born, for reasons currently unknown. Yang remained unaware of her mother's existence until Summer's death, and learned later that Summer wasn't her biological mother.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 6} It is revealed in Volume 4 that Raven and Qrow were raised by a tribe of bandits. She has become its leader, and is angry at her brother for leaving them. As stated by Qrow, Raven is dangerous and has a world-view that he sometimes disagrees with, and she communicates only when she sees fit.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 8} In Volume 2, Raven saved Yang from Neo before the latter could deal a fatal blow on her. In the post-credits scene of the season finale, she makes a brief appearance again and approaches Yang in the courtyard of Beacon in some sort of dream-like sequence, unmasking herself, bearing a striking resemblance to Yang. During Volume 3, Qrow tells Yang that Raven gave him something that would help Yang to contact her. In Volume 4, Raven and her tribe were responsible for the destruction of Shion village. She later meets with Qrow in Higanbana about whether or not Salem has an important relic. The conversation reveals that Raven cares more about her tribe than her own daughter, and she firmly believes in the survival of the fittest. ^{Vol. 4, Ch. 4} Branwen is Welsh for "blessed white crow/raven," and Raven seems to allude to Branwen of the Mabinogion.
• Qrow Branwen (Vic Mignogna): An instructor at Signal Academy, Qrow is Raven's brother, and Ruby and Yang's uncle. He was part of a tribe of bandits, but later leaves them because they were killers and thieves. He taught Ruby how to wield the Crescent Rose, and along with her is the only one able to wield a scythe. His weapon is a giant sword with a pair of gun barrels that fire when the blade is bent, which can also transform into a scythe. In the first two volumes, Qrow goes on various missions for Ozpin to gather information. He made his debut in Volume 3, where it's shown that he's a heavy drinker. Cool-headed and nonchalant, Qrow is very fond of his nieces but despises the Atlas military. In the finale, Qrow tells Ruby that he specifically worked for Ozpin, and with him now missing, he's taken it upon himself to take over Ozpin's work. In the final scene he watches over Ruby and her friends as they head for Haven. In Volume 4, Qrow continues to watch over the team and later encounters Raven in Higanbana. He argues with his sister about treating Yang like she doesn't exists, and later asks for the location of the Spring Maiden.^{Vol. 4, Ch. 4} He possibly alludes to Brân the Blessed of the Mabinogion.

Supporting characters

Beacon Academy staff

Shannon McCormick, voice of Professor Ozpin

Kathleen Zuelch, voice of Glynda Goodwitch

Ryan Haywood, voice of Peter Port

Joel Heyman, voice of Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck

Each teacher from Beacon Academy draws inspiration from children's stories.

• Professor Ozpin (Shannon McCormick)^{Vol. 1 credits}: The headmaster of Beacon Academy.^{Vol. 1} His weapon is his cane which he can use to create a force field to block attacks. Though he is stoic and affable to those around him and can be blunt at times, he is a humble man who deeply cares for his students. In the finale of Volume 3, Ozpin goes missing after his battle with Cinder, and Salem presumes him to be dead by Cinder's hand. His voice actor, Shannon McCormick, states his status is "'complicated'".^[14] His name is a reference to the fictional character of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz whose initials are OZPINHEAD.
• Glynda Goodwitch (Kathleen Zuelch)^{Vol. 1 credits}: A Huntress and teacher at Beacon Academy^{Vol. 1} who wields a riding crop as her weapon, in a similar fashion as a magic wand, and whose Semblance is "Telekinesis". With her Semblance, not only can she control objects, but can also repair those which were broken before. She mostly teaches combat classes, tends to be more stern and strict with her students, and is apparently only behind Ozpin in rank at Beacon. In Volume 4, Port and Oobleck reveal that Goodwitch is working to restore Beacon to its former glory.^{Vol. 4, Ch.4} Her name is derived from the character Glinda the Good Witch of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
• Professor Peter Port (Ryan Haywood)^{Vol. 1 credits}: A veteran Huntsman and teacher at Beacon Academy, and is an expert on fighting different creatures of Grimm. He uses a blunderbuss that has axe blades attached to the stock. In Volume 4, it is Port who tells Yang that she needs to handle her fears. It is also shown that he is afraid of mice.^{Vol. 4, Ch.4} His name and his tale of taking on a beowolf in his youth alludes to Peter and the Wolf.
• Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck (Joel Heyman)^{Vol. 1 credits}: A teacher at Beacon Academy, teaching Remnant history. His weapon of choice is a thermos (from which he drinks coffee out of) that can also transform into a flamethrower. He frequently sips coffee and moves around and speaks at an extremely accelerated rate. Despite his bumbling nature, he is actually very wise and knowledgeable, choosing to learn from mankind's past mistakes so that they won't happen again in the future. Unlike other Huntsmen who fight, Oobleck chooses to defend people by passing his knowledge on to other Huntsmen and Huntresses. He believes that the knowledge is the most powerful weapon from all of them.^{Vol. 2, Ch. 9} He is named after the children's book Bartholomew and the Oobleck.

Atlesian Military

Jason Rose, voice of General Ironwood

• General James Ironwood (Jason Rose): Headmaster of Atlas Academy and a renowned military leader. His weapon of choice is a revolver and is revealed to have a robotic right arm, torso and leg. Ironwood is an old associate of Ozpin and Glynda's. However, his beliefs about handling threats head-on and using military force often puts him against Ozpin and Qrow. According to Glynda, he tends to take his work with him wherever he goes. In Volume 4, it is shown that Ironwood is a close friend of the Schnee family, but his friendship with Jacques is strained when he prevents all of Atlas from exporting Dust to prevent another war. His last name, Ironwood, is a number of wood known for their hardness, and is also the translation for Járnviðr, a forest from Norse mythology. His cyborg body seems to allude to the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.
• Winter Schnee (Elizabeth Maxwell): Weiss' elder sister who is under Ironwood's authority in the military. Her weapon is a saber that has a detachable estoc. Like Weiss, Winter's Semblance is "Glyphs" but she has mastered all of its aspects, as she is able to summon Grimm-like creatures with ease. On the surface, Winter is a dignified and distant soldier but she deeply cares for Weiss. However she is also ill-tempered, as shown when she easily gets angry at Qrow for insulting the Atlas military.^{Vol. 3 Ch. 3} She is named after the coldest calendar season.

Schnee Household

• Jacques Schnee (Jason Douglas): The father of Weiss, Winter and Whitley, and the current head to the Schnee Dust Company. He is mentioned to be frequently angry due to the White Fang's constant attacks, and has been criticized for possible illegal activities and poor labor practices in his attempts to try to maintain the company. Weiss mentions she has a stained relationship with her father, and she may possibly be afraid of him, refusing to speak with him on multiple occasions. Furthermore, she says that the White Fang's attacks caused a difficult childhood for her, hinting at possible abuse at the hands of her father. Jacques is briefly revealed in the final episode of Volume 3, where he takes Weiss back to Atlas to keep her safe from harm. In Volume 4, he is first seen arguing with Ironwood about the latter's embargo on Dust exportation in Atlas, claiming it has cost him millions. After the general leaves the room, Jacques tells Weiss that he is holding a charity concert to boost the Schnee family's public image, and he tells her that she will be singing at said concert.^{Vol. 4 Ch. 2}
• Winter, Weiss, and Whitley's Mother: She is the unnamed mother of Winter, Weiss, and Whitley and wife of Jacques. Although viewers have yet to see her in action, she doesn't seem to be close with her family judging by Whitley and Weiss' conversation. It's also believed she may be an alcoholic and has frequent fights with her husband, resulting in a possible dysfunctional family.
• Whitley Schnee (Howard Wang): The younger brother of Weiss and Winter. Though he speaks in a somewhat smug and pompous tone, he still seems to show some care for Weiss, and she's noted that he seems different since she first enrolled at Beacon. Whitley means "white meadow".
• Klein Sieben (J. Michael Tatum): The Schnee family butler. Klein is supportive of Weiss and is shown to deeply care for her. While the name Klein is a reference to a shade of blue, his full name is German for "small seven", thus he alludes to the seven dwarves from Snow White. This is more evident with his shifts in character and eye color.

Belladonna Household

• Ghira Belladonna (Kent Williams): Blake's father, and chieftain of Menagerie. He originally served as leader of the White Fang before stepping down. Tall and imposing, he loves and cares about Blake immensely, and is highly protective of her.
• Kali Belladonna (Tara Platt): Ghira's wife and Blake's mother. Like her daughter, Kali has black Faunus cat ears. She is named after the Hindu goddess.

Junior's faction

Jack Pattillo, voice of Hei "Junior" Xiong

• Hei "Junior" Xiong (Jack Pattillo): A club manager who fights Yang in the "Yellow" trailer. His weapon is a bazooka that can change into a large bat-like club. He has some sort of connection to Torchwick, as the two were seen briefly together at the club and Roman makes use of Junior's minions. Later on in Volume 2, Yang visits him in his club again, hoping to get some lead on Torchwick's plans. His name means "black bear" in Chinese.
• Melanie and Miltiades "Miltia" Malachite (Maggie Tominey): A pair of black-haired twins who work for Junior. Melanie fights with bladed heels while Miltia utilizes a pair of claws. The names Melanie and Miltiades are Greek for "blackness" and "red earth" respectively, and their surname comes from the green stone of the same name. They are altered designs of the first design of Ruby and Weiss.

Recurring characters

• Zwei: Ruby and Yang's pet Pembroke Welsh Corgi. His name is German for the number two. Making a few small appearances in the main RWBY series, Zwei is featured more extensively in the RWBY Chibi series.
• Shopkeep (Patrick Rodriguez)^{Vol. 1 credits}: A shop owner of various places such as From Dust Till Dawn.^{Vol. 1, Ch. 1} He is often seen being robbed or his property damaged.^{Vol. 1} In Volume 3, he operates a noodles stand on the Vital Festival grounds.
• Amber (Laura Bailey): The former Fall Maiden, she wields a staff with Dust crystals on each end. She is also capable of hand-to-hand combat, and being a Maiden, has control over the natural elements. Amber was left in a comatose state after being attacked by Cinder, who was intent on stealing her powers. Her body was placed in an Atlas-made life support device in the Vault under Beacon Academy. However, she is killed by Cinder before her power could be transferred to Pyrrha, causing her powers to go into Cinder. Her name comes from fossilized tree resin.
• Oscar (Aaron Dismuke): A young farm boy who appears in Volume 4. After finishing his chores one day, he looks in the mirror, from which Ozpin's voice mysteriously communicates to him.

Antagonists

Salem's faction

Jen Taylor, voice of Salem

Jessica Nigri, voice of Cinder Fall

Christopher Sabat, voice of Dr. Watts

Josh Grelle, voice of Tyrian

• Salem (Jen Taylor):^{Vol. 1 credits} Known as Mysterious Narrator in Volume 1,^{Vol. 1 credits} she explains the origins of Remnant and Dust.^{Vol. 1} She also provides narration for the first World of Remnant shorts.^{Vol. 2} She appears in the final episode of Volume 3, where her name is officially revealed as Salem. Her goal is to divide humanity, rob them of their hope, and ultimately destroy them.^{Vol. 3, Ch. 12} Salem is the mastermind behind the actions of Cinder's factions, and is hinted to be an old enemy to Ozpin, whom she claims is dead during a meeting with her underlings at the beginning of Volume 4. Her name is based on the town of Salem known for its witch trials.
• Cinder Fall (Jessica Nigri):^{[3]Vol. 1 credits} A mysterious woman who possesses fire-based powers and uses a pair of blades that combine to form a bow that she uses to fire arrows.^{Vol. 1} She also fights with glass and has been noted to have fused Dust into some of her clothing. Cinder is a very cunning and secretive woman, with goals of gaining power and causing chaos throughout the world. She leads a team with Mercury and Emerald and is Torchwick's superior. In Volume 3, Cinder kills the Fall Maiden and claims her power. She also supposedly killed Ozpin and is responsible for killing Pyrrha, but is later engulfed in the light caused by Ruby unleashing her hidden powers. In Volume 4, it is revealed that Ruby's power caused Cinder to lose her left eye and much of her voice, causing her to only speak in very meek, hoarse whispers, which Emerald translates for her. She also appears to be paralyzed at her left arm. Cinder is an allusion to Cinderella.
• Dr. Watts (Christopher R. Sabat): A doctor who is formal, yet arrogant and condescending, even to his allies. In the first episode of Volume 4, Salem orders him to take Cinder's place, and go to Mistral to meet Salem's informant. His name comes from the rate of energy conversion.
• Tyrian (Josh Grelle): A pale man with a long, black braided ponytail. His weapon is a set of claw blades. Tyrian is shown to be highly unstable, and frequently bursts into fits of maniacal laughter. He has been assigned by Salem to find and capture Ruby. His name is the shade of purple.
• Hazel: A muscular man who is reserved and composed. He is named after the group of nut-bearing trees.

Cinder's faction

Gray G. Haddock, voice of Roman Torchwick

J.J. Castillo, voice of Mercury Black (Volume 2)

Yuri Lowenthal, voice of Mercury Black (Volume 3)

• Roman Torchwick (Gray G. Haddock):^{Vol. 1 credits} An orange-haired wanted criminal whom Ruby fights in the series' first episode, and who later engages Blake and Sun in battle in the Volume 1 finale. His weapon, "Melodic Cudgel", is a cane with a firearm hidden in the shaft, with the hook end as a grappling hook that can reel in an escaping target. Roman appears to be a leader of the White Fang under Cinder's orders, before being arrested by the authorities in the Volume 2 finale. Neo frees him in the following season during Cinder's attack on Beacon, but during his final battle with Ruby, he gets devoured by a Griffon from a result of negative speech. His appearance seems partially inspired by the lead character Alex from the novel/film A Clockwork Orange while his name is primarily an allusion to Candlewick or Lampwick from Pinocchio.
• Mercury Black (J.J. Castillo (Volume 2), Yuri Lowenthal (Volume 3)): A gray-haired associate of Cinder's who uses a pair of greaves that also function as guns. His legs are mechanical prosthetics which were implied to be surgically attached because of damage caused to his natural legs by his father, Marcus. Mercury is responsible for televising a live video feed of the destruction unleashed on Vale and Beacon near the end of Volume 3. In Volume 4, Mercury seems to show more angst, presumably over what happened to Cinder. He alludes to the Roman god of the same name.
• Emerald Sustrai (Katie Newville): A green-haired associate of Cinder's who uses a pair of pistols with attached blades that can also extend via chains, similar to a kusarigama. Her Semblance allows her to cast hallucinations on people's minds, advantageous for her thieving skills, though it becomes a strain to her if she tries to do it on more than one person. In Volume 4, Emerald serves as Cinder's translator, and seems to show reluctance to be working for Salem, as well as being afraid of Ruby, after seeing what happened to Cinder. Emerald is named after the green gemstone, and Sustrai is Basque for "thief". She seems to allude to Aladdin or Cleopatra.
• Neopolitan: An associate of Roman's with heterochromia in her hair and eyes. Her eyes change colors between pink, brown, and white depending on her mood, while her hair is pink and brown with streaks of white. She has an umbrella capable of blocking powerful blasts that also has a hidden blade in its handle, and her Semblance is some sort of illusion-generating ability. Neo is apparently mute, and continuously smiles, which serves as a way of taunting her opponents. During the battle of Beacon, Neo is sent flying by Ruby into a horde of Griffon. Her fate is currently unknown. Neo's name and appearance reference Neapolitan ice cream.

White Fang

The White Fang is an organization composed of persecuted Faunus fighting for civil rights. They once held peaceful civil disobedience protests, but then five years prior to the beginning of the series, its leadership changed, and now they use more violent terrorism methods for their cause. They are at odds with the Schnee Dust Company for forcing Faunus into harsh labor.

• Sienna Khan: The current leader of the White Fang. In Volume 4, Adam arranges a meeting between Khan and Salem's underling, Hazel.
• Adam Taurus (Garrett Hunter): A red-haired man who was partnered with Blake in the "Black" trailer. He wields a chokutō and gun called Wilt and Blush, respectively. Blush doubles as Wilt's sheath, and Adam can shoot Wilt out from the gun as a projectile. His Semblance is "Moonslice", which apparently enables him to absorb attacks with Wilt and strike back with countered force. Adam is a violent extremist who is determined to bring justice upon the humans for their mistreatment of the Faunus. Oum describes Blake's connection to Adam as being akin to that of an apprenticeship. Blake severs her association with Adam during a train raid where he shows disregard for the lives of the crew. Initially shocked by her defection, Adam swore to make her pay for leaving the White Fang by destroying everything she cherished. He makes a brief appearance at the end of Volume 2, reassuring Cinder and her group that the White Fang will continue to cooperate as long as they listen to him. In Volume 3, Adam leads the White Fang during Cinder's attack on Beacon and manages to slice off Yang's right arm up to the forearm. Adam's name and relationship to Blake compliment her reference to Beauty and the Beast as Adam was the true name of the Beast.
• White Fang Lieutenant (Gray G. Haddock): One of the leaders of the White Fang and wields a chainsaw as his weapon of choice.
• Corsac Albain (Derek Mears): A Faunus with a gray fox tail. He is a White Fang member stationed in Menagerie and secretly works for Adam. His name comes from the corsac fox.
• Fennec Albain (Mike McFarland): A Faunus with light brown fox ears. He is a White Fang member stationed in Menagerie and secretly works for Adam. His name comes from the fennec fox.

Grimm

The Grimm are multiple species of monsters that appear throughout the natural world of Remnant. Grimm are described as creatures of destruction and they lack souls, thus they have no "auras". They are fury, pain, fear, and despair personified. Since the dawn of mankind, the Grimm have battled against the humans. The Grimm instinctively congregate towards human settlements; they feed off of and are empowered by human suffering and hatred. Humanity repelled the Grimm with the power of "Dust" and used elite teams of "Huntsman and Huntresses" to promote peace and maintain order. Roman Torchwick's conspirators utilized these same attributes of Grimm as panic-inducing bio-terrorism weapons against the people of Remmant; eroding the people's hope and trust in the Hunters to an extent that it allowed the Grimm to annihilate a city nearly unopposed. ^{Vol. 3, Ch 12}

Grimm display no enmity towards normal wildlife; humans and Faunus are the only races attacked on sight. When Grimm die, their corporeal form evaporates, preventing detailed anatomical or biological studies. Grimm in captivity will die, if they are unable to kill their captors or escape, implying that they cannot be kept alive by conventional means. If the theory of Grimm not needing to feed is true, it is entirely possible that they survive on negative emotions as sustenance, or the act of killing in itself.

Grimm are portrayed as black in color, and each one has a white mask with yellow markings and red trail-like designs. The name "Grimm" comes from the pair of brothers who wrote several fairy tales. The vocal sound effects of the Grimm are done by William Orendorff.^{Vol. 1 credits}

Known species of Grimm

• Beowolf: Grimm creatures who bear resemblance to werewolves. In the "Red Trailer", the Beowolves appeared without their white masks, looking more like the traditional werewolf, before they were redesigned. Their name comes from the Old English poem of the same name.^{Vol. 1}
• Ursa: Bear-like Grimm creatures. Their name is Latin for "bear".^{Vol. 1}
• King Taijitu: Large snake-like Grimm creatures. It has two heads, one at each end, with one half of the creature being predominantly black with some white, while the other half is the inverse. Taijitu means "diagram of the supreme ultimate" in Chinese and is used to refer to the concept of Yin and Yang in Taoism. The King part may be a shout-out to the classic multiple-headed Godzilla enemy King Ghidorah.
• Death Stalker: Large scorpion-like Grimm creatures with glowing golden stingers for tails. They are named after the scorpion species of the same name.^{Vol. 1}
• Nevermore: Grimm creatures that take the form of a bird, resembling the raven and condor. They come in a variety of sizes. The large ones have the ability to shoot large feathers to pin down enemies or prey. The name is a reference to the catchphrase of the poem, The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe.^{Vol. 1}
• Boarbatusk: Boar-like Grimm creatures. The name is a reference to the Latin word "barbatus", meaning "bearded".
• Goliath: Elephant-like Grimm creatures that can be seen wandering outside Mountain Glenn. Most are rumored to be hundreds of years old and more intelligent than common Grimm. Referring to their size, their name alludes to Goliath, a giant who was defeated by David in a story from the Bible.
• Creep: A non-animal Grimm based on birds and reptiles.
• Griffons: Large bird-like creatures with a white head and beak, black, feathered wings and talons of a bird. Its body resembles a large cat, and it has a spiked tail. They are named after the legendary creature of the same name.
• Grimm Dragon: The biggest of all Grimm species, it excretes a dark substance that spawns Grimm. It was laying dormant near Mountain Glenn, but awakens in the chaos at Beacon. In the finale of Volume 3, it is frozen on top of Beacon Tower after Ruby unleashes her powers. But it is still alive and draws the Grimm to the fallen school.^{Vol. 3, Ch 12}
• Beringel: Gorilla-like Grimm. Their name comes from the species of the Eastern gorilla, gorilla beringei.
• Geist: A ghost type Grimm that can possess inanimate objects. When possessing large rocks, it becomes a Petra Gigas. Geist is German for "ghost", and Petra Gigas is Greek for "stone giant".
• Sea Dragon: An enormous serpent Grimm that dwells in water and attacks with lightning breath.
• Seer: A small, jellyfish-like Grimm that can float in the air. Their name comes from the predictors of the future.

Other

• Doctor Merlot (Dave Fennoy): The main antagonist of RWBY: Grimm Eclipse, a scientist who experimented on Grimm.

Works cited

• ^ "Vol." is shortened form for volume and refers to the DVD volume for the series. See List of RWBY episodes for more details.

Notes

1. Lindsay Jones was credited as Lindsay Tuggey for volumes 1 and 2^{[3]Vol. 1 and 2 credits}

References

1. Machuga, Stephen (27 May 2013). "Monty Oum for Rooster Teeth, RWBY: Front Towards Gamer Radio, Episode 172". Front Towards Gamer. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
2. "The Full Monty". austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
3. Rooster Teeth (15 May 2014). "RWBY Volume 2: Production Diary 3". YouTube.
4. Oum, Monty (2003). "RWBY Questions? RWBY Answers!". Rooster Teeth. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
5. Monty Oum [montyoum] (June 7, 2013). "#RWBY on Kotaku Japan! "Two very stylish Kitchen!"" (Tweet). Retrieved February 19, 2016 – via Twitter. referring to article: "死ぬほどかっこいい謎のアニメーションプロジェクト『RWBY』シリーズ最終トレーラーが公開！ ｜ コタク・ジャパン" [Cool mystery animation project "RWBY" series final trailer to death the public!]. コタク・ジャパン (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 February 2016., translation at "Translation RWBY article on kotaku.jp - Rooster Teeth". roosterteeth.com. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
6. Webb, Charles (1 June 2013). "EXCLUSIVE: Rooster Teeth's 'RWBY' Yellow Trailer". MTV.com. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
7. "Monty Oum "introduces" Taiyang (The Sun) Xiao Long and Penny Polendina (Geppetto's nickname) : RWBY". reddit. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
8. Oum, Monty (7 November 2013). "Official tweet at 8:19 AM - 7 Nov 13". Twitter. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
9. Shawcross, Kerry; Luna, Miles; Haddock, Grey; Jones, Lindsay; Dunkelman, Barbara; Eberle, Kara; Zech, Arryn (August 7, 2015). RWBY Panel. RTX. Austin, Texas. Event occurs at 24:30. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
10. Volume 3 Director's Commentary
11. Oum, Monty. "RWBY: Volume 2: Production Diary 1". Rooster Teeth. Rooster Teeth. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
12. "Monty Oum". Twitter. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
13. Oum, Monty. "Official tweet at 3:14 PM - 23 Jul 14". Twitter. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXulL-B5Fi8&feature=youtu.be&t=203

External links

• Rooster Teeth official site